Thursday, May 29, 2014

another favorite thing

It's no secret that I'm a huge fan of Trader Joe's. And I feel super sorry for any of you unfortunate enough to not live within road tripping distance of one. But not sorry enough to stop gushing about my favorite stuff I buy there. I've preached extensively about some of my favorite TJ's beauty steals before, but during my trip there yesterday afternoon, I realized that I've never shared about one of my other MOST FAVORITE THINGS EVER that they sell.

But first, some back story.

Greeting cards stress me out. They just do. I feel like I have an unusually long list of Things That Shouldn't Be Stressful But Are, and this is yet another item on the list. Having to find a card to accompany a birthday present or shower gift or whatever...it reaaaaalllllyyyyy troubles me. First of all, they're too expensive. IT'S A PIECE OF PAPER. Second of all, they're mostly WAY too cheesy, fake, or dumb. Occasionally I'll find a great funny one, but then it's $5 and I want to cry. I have never, ever liked a card as much as I like a latte, and so spending $5 on a card is out of the question. And I feel like most card recipients would agree. If I'm going to spend $5 more on your gift, wouldn't you rather it be in the form of the actual GIFT and not the piece of paper you're going to throw away in ten minutes? And that's the last thing that stresses me out. Knowing that no matter how pretty/inspirational/cute the card is, it's just going to get tossed in the trash. This makes me want to just write "Happy birthday, I love you!!!" on the back side of a post-it note I've already used or something...at least I don't have to feel guilty when it lands in the landfill. Oh, and the $1 cards that they usually have at Target or the grocery store or whatever? Vomit. Just because I'm frugal doesn't mean I automatically love obnoxiously bright colors on glossy cardstock with even worse words/phrases/poetry. Ick.

So anyway. As you can guess, I avoid buying cards at all costs. 

Except at Trader Joe's.

In keeping with their general commitment to excellence, Trader Joe's does their cards extremely well. So well that sometimes I actually just browse the cards for fun. In direct contrast to the card aisle at Target, the (very small) card selection at TJ's makes me smile and feel happy. AND THEY ARE ALL ONLY A DOLLAR. That's right. The cards are lovely, not cheesy, appropriate, AND CHEAP. I swear, if the typical TJ's card was at Target, it'd be $5. The paper is thick and lovely. Depending on the design on the front, often there is texture to it...like, you can feel ridges and outlines, highs and lows. I mean, they're nice. And surprisingly generic. Many of them have a quote or something on the front, but they're real quotes (spoken by people you've heard of...not random card designers in the Hallmark laboratories) that don't make you squirm with discomfort. And if there's something on the inside, it's also generic-ish enough that you could use the card for a variety of occasions. Like this (which is currently serving as inspirational office decor, hence the lovely tape on the top):


Please excuse my horrid iPhone photography and how it makes this card look like a piece of crap. In real life, it's pretty.

Pretty, right? The inside simply says "Thank you." Which means that I've given this card for birthdays, Mother's Days, and just because. 

Here's another one currently sprucing up my office:


I should really consider taking better pictures. But you get the idea. This one is a really nice paper and the lettering and designs are all textured and raised...and just lovely. This one is blank on the inside. IT WAS A DOLLAR. I really can't stress that point enough. Only a dollar, AND pretty enough to not be immediately thrown in the trash-- when Matt gave me these cards, I didn't have to awkwardly wonder if it was okay to trash them or debate whether saving them made me a hoarder...I stuck them up on the wall of my office and called it decor!

I bought this one yesterday. I don't even need a card, nor do I plan to give it away. It just looked pretty and I thought I'd like to frame it or hang it up somewhere. Because for a buck, I can do that.



This one says "Here's to new beginnings" on the inside.

So there you have it. Next time you're card shopping (or just grocery shopping), make a stop by Trader Joe's. It's a slam dunk every time. Oh, but be warned: like most of the best things at TJ's, the card selection changes frequently. If you see a card you love, don't assume it'll be there next week. Go ahead and buy it while you can-- there'll still be great cards next week, but they may be completely different. Learn from my tragic experiences!!

21 comments:

  1. I agree on the card thing and may even consider your post-it note idea. We don't have a Trader Joe's near us but it may be worth a trip to stock up on some cards!

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  2. We have one a 1/2 a mile away, but I never go!!!! Looks like I need to go check out the card section!

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  3. I love TJs!
    I think you should do a post ranking the excellence of their products. I mean that would be a serious challenge, how does one decide what would be numero uno... the chocolate lava cake (AMAZING).... Cookie Butter (I could eat an entire jar of the crunchy kind in one sitting)... the seaweed snacks... the sliced almonds & chia seed that I use DAILY. I will stop now, I have to teach.

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  4. I am TOTALLY a post-it note card giver !! My husband will even go out of his way to let the person know we spent $5 more on their actual gift...("yer welcome!") then on a cheesy card! Sometimes we even get a little creative and break out the color crayons and draw a little cake or a cluster of balloons or something. ;) And who would throw away a handmade card..right? ;)

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  5. I can honestly say I've NEVER looked at cards at TJ's but now I must!

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  6. I didn't know this either! Thank you for a great PSA. I will have to take a look next time.

    I think you recommended the TJ's oil face wash, right? Someone did, and I got it. We (because James secretly uses it every day) love it!

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  7. I am all about your post it note idea. I'm the one who delivers the bag/box card-less with a "this is from me." My mom really likes cards and actually KEEPS them (the horror)... you can imagine the stress of picking a card for someone who actually CARES what's inside and what you write.

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  8. I am one of those sentimental saps who hangs on to cards far longer than I probably should (just ask my husband), but I have such a hard time throwing them out. When our duplex was flooded, I lost all the cards my grandpa had sent, and when I discovered they were among the debris we threw to the curb, I bawled like a baby. I suppose getting them and buying them are sort of separate issues, though, and I agree with you that the price for many of them is exorbitant. Looks like the ones you found at TJ's are quite lovely indeed. Wish we had one around here!

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  9. Thanks for the tip! I didn't even realize that TJ's had greeting cards!!! I can't wait to browse the selection next time!

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  10. I am another weirdo that saves cards. Most of them, anyway. Not the boring ones. But the cute ones or the ones that mean something to me.

    We just got a Trader Joe's in February or so, and i love it! One of the first things i noticed there was the cards. (This is because it was the first thing to the right after you walk in & also because i just love cards!) BUT i am saddened, because the last two times i went in there, my beloved card section has been replaced by bags. Like, bags that you buy. And they're not all that cute. :(

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  11. We have a Trader Joe's coming in just a few miles away from us and opening soon - woo hoo! Excited to know that they have good, inexpensive greeting cards, because although selecting cards doesn't stress me out, I DO generally think they are a waste of money, so this will make me feel better about buying them for the "card people" in my life!

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  12. It's really tough not having a TJ's nearby, esp when you keep recommending things from them. Sad story. Moving on- your nail polish is super fun! And spring like. And makes me happy. I wish I could stand to wear polish on my hands. It drives me crazy. Although I can't stand to not have my toes painted. Fun fact about me for the day, I guess.

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  13. I also hate buying cards and my mother in law loves them so she gets offended when I don't give her a card with her gift. For this reason, my husband is now in charge of gifts and cards for his side of the family. I just remind him over and over again, bc I refuse to go down that road

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  14. I feel bad for all the people who don't have one near them. I just can't imagine life without one!! I don't think I've looked at their cards before so I'm going to check them out next time I go :)

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  15. I JUST BOUGHT 4 CARDS and LOTS OF CHEESE - All thanks to you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  16. WHAT?! I go to Trader Joe's several times a month and I have NEVER seen cards! I feel like I'm being deprived.

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  17. I need to try to go to Trader Joe's again… the one in town is not that close to us and when we attempted to go, it was way too crowded, unfortunately! But you've inspired me to think about going again, so congrats!

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  18. I worked at a Hallmark store all through high school so I grew to love cards, but mostly mildly inappropriate ones. :) I love sending cards just because, but almost never buy them for an occasion. Also, Hallmark cards are usually cheaper than Walmart cards which is highly confusing to me. I guess people don't want to make two trips so they just pay the extra money, but I will not be fooled!

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  19. I'm don't usually miss not having Trader Joe's in Canada and then you go and post something like this. Now I need to plan a visit to The States to go shopping!

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  20. I have a TJ's card taped above my nightstand cause it's just so pretty. It says, "love is spoken here," which is a motto in our household and was actually designed/painted/hand lettered by a girl who went to UGA. Side note: anytime someone from UGA does something awesome in the creative/art world, I immediately regret not being an art major. Sigh.

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  21. Hmmmmmm had no idea they even sold cards. I must find them now, these are adorable and for a $1!? Yes please!

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