Lunalux will be part of a Shopping Salon at the Commodore Hotel next Monday, June 2. This will be the second time we’ve participated in this event. Last time was a lot of fun, and this will be the last one for a few months – so don’t miss it! The lineup of vendors varies from month to month, but last time we were pleasantly surprised by the interesting variety. We saw antiquey collectibles; jewelry and crafts collected by wold travelers; hand-crafted clothing, jewelry and accessories; and high-end arty jewelry as well. Other stuff too.

The Commodore is an interesting old hotel in St. Paul that features a beautiful art deco bar (it’s worth a visit just to see this historic bit of architecture). The shopping vendors take up two large rooms on either side of the bar. With Willie Murphy playing on the grand piano, old-fashioned cocktails being concocted by the dapper bartenders, and some complimentary cheese and crackers, it ends up being more of a social event than a shopping expedition.

The gritty details: First Monday at the Commode happens Monday, June 2, 2008, 4:00-8:00 p.m. The Commodore is lated at 79 Western Avenue in St. Paul. You will find photos, some history, and directions at the Commodore website. Free off-street parking is available in the hotel’s lot. We hope to see you there!

Flying somewhere on Northwest Airlines this month? Be sure to look in the May 2008 issue of World Traveler, the NWA in-flight magazine, for a brief story on Lunalux. A three-page round-up of must-see shops and restaurants in the Twin Cities (pp. 33-35) includes a picture of Lunalux owner Jenni (that’s me!) and a write-up about our store. An excerpt: “Lunalux gives visitors the chance to see traditional presses in action while they peruse a wide variety of unique greeting cards, notebooks and wrapping paper. If you’re a die-hard letter devotee, this place is for you.” I couldn’t have said it better myself!

Click on the thumbnail image to the right to see the full story. And this is just the tip of the ice berg for us, media attention wise. You can read about more about the press we’ve been getting in our blog archive.

Do you remember how proud you felt when you got your first real business cards? Your name and contact information printed all official – a sure sign of adulthood! That’s why I thought it was so cool when Cathy asked me to work with her to create business cards for her daughter and her daughter’s boyfriend as college-graduation gifts. What a great way to congratulate someone on becoming a real live grown up!

Working long distance via e-mail, I developed designs that suited both graduates. Cathy wanted a fish on Rebecca’s card, and an elk on Justin’s. Both simple one-color designs are letterpress-printed on earth-friendly papers (Justin’s on a krafty recycled card, Rebecca’s on a tree-free cotton stock).

Looking for a memorable gift for the soon-to-be graduate in your life? Consider custom letterpress-printed paper goods! Notecards or stationery are a great accessory for someone headed off to college or grad school, so they can stay in touch with friends and family afar. Stationery and calling cards are also ideal for someone entering the job market, allowing the job-seeker to present themselves in a professional manner and write that ever-important follow-up after an interview. If you’d like more information, call Lunalux to schedule a consultation with Jenni!