Going Out on Our Own

By Sara Thompto & Kristin Bivens

Here at Shiny Happy People Publishing, LLC, we have some HUGE news.

It has always been our intention to have Shiny Happy People be a publishing company, since the time we first started discussing starting a company, almost six years ago. 

Stationery came into play about a year ago. As owners, we (Kristin and Sara) both fell in love with designing. We decided to add stationery as a division to our publishing company, however today Shiny Happy People has become more about stationery and less about publishing.

We would like to rectify that, which is why we've come to the decision of separating the stationery side of our business from the publishing side.

Starting today, October 29, 2014, Shiny Happy People Publishing, LLC will solely deal in publishing books.

Here at SHPP we've talked to more than one up-and-coming author about releasing their first books with us. We do not have the release date set for these first few books, as our authors are still writing and editing their works.

Realistically, we may still take a year or two (or three) to get to the point where we're able to release the books online and maybe even a year longer to get them into a store near you... but, trust us, we're on our way. 

WHAT ABOUT THE STATIONERY SIDE OF THINGS!?!?!

Hold on - don't freak out. Our stationery products are not disappearing. 

Instead of being represented by Shiny Happy People, they're now going to be found through TWO new companies - No Coast Paper co., which will be run by Sara, and Hey Alice, which will be run by Kristin.

Why two companies?

Well, Sara currently calls sunny California home, all the way over on the west coast, in the Pacific time zone. Kristin, on the other hand, lives in the  mitten shaped state of Michigan, which is in the Eastern time zone.

Let us tell you - a three hour time difference is kind of huge when you're trying to discuss business details and both work day jobs. Throw in trying to make skype dates happen and trying to maintain a friendship that's not ALL about business... and it just doesn't happen how we would like it too. No matter how hard we work.

Running our own businesses will give us more freedom to make split second decisions that are sometimes needed when talking to buyers. Especially when people are trying to talk to you about sales and product details.

The second reason is that we want to curate our shops so they have more of our individual personalities, which we feel will make our product lines more successful. Although we adore each others designs and encourage each other artistically, we do come from different design perspectives, which leaves our combined work looking like more of a hodgepodge and less of a cohesive experience.

So without further adieu, let us introduce you to our new creations...


No Coast Paper Co.

Sara here, owner of No Coast Paper Co.

First off, I want to tell you how excited I am about this adventure. It's both exciting and terrifying to be on my own.

I imagine my personal collection to still have some of the funky and quirky designs Shiny Happy People has come to bring you, but also add in much more hand lettered creations, light and airy designs, and black ink drawings.

I've been pushing myself to learn new ways to create the designs I see in my head: taking watercolor classes with local artists here in Sacramento, watching instructive youtube video after instructive youtube video, and of course, experimenting on my own.

I hope you like the vibe of my new work and that you pass my shop along to anyone who might be interested.

Here are some ways to view my newest work!

View My entire collection via my website: www.nocoastpaperco.com

Shop now at my Etsy shop: www.etsy.com/shop/nocoastpaperco

You can also stay up to date on my current happenings by following my social media sites:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/No-Coast-Paper-Co/736312613082462

Instagram: @nocoastpaperco

If you don't have Instagram but want to check things out go to www.instagram.com/nocoastpaperco.

Hey Alice

I’m Kristin, owner and operator of Hey Alice, a stationery shop with a name inspired by my puppy dog, Alice. I’m sure that with my designs, Alice’s rambunctious personality will show through.

My stationery designs often contain my own sketches but I also use computer design.

I wouldn’t say I have a certain design technique, but I do enjoy kitschy, slightly off looking work. I’m a perfectionist, but sometimes I revel in the imperfections of a design. Because life, after all, is imperfect.

I find inspiration in my life experiences, the colors in life, and the simple idea of the joy when you receive a handwritten letter in the mail.

View Hey Alice, along with my other shop June and Roland here:

www.etsy.com/shop/shopheyalice

www.etsy.com/shop/juneandroland

Check out my one stop shop website at www.ohbivie.com

Instagram: @ohhbivie

Cheers!

Sara & Kristin

***Thank you for watching our business grow and thank you for reading our Shiny Happy People Publishing blog. The SHPP blog will continue to be around, but we will only be blogging on publishing, books, reviews, and writing instead of a mixture of publishing and stationery as before.

Book vs Movie: If I Stay

By Sara E Thompto

The Book

If I Stay, written by Gayle Forman, follows the point of view of seventeen-year-old Mia Hall. Mia has always felt a bit out of sorts; she's a cellist in a rock 'n' roll family and isn't quite as outgoing as the people that surround her. She has a close friend, Kim, but even there she's always been in her own world.

She does have one person who fits her just right though, Adam. He may play guitar in a band gaining fame, Shooting Star, and he might be able to rock-talk with her parents, but he also loves Mia more than anything else and loves her deep passion for the cello.

But after her entire family is involved in a horrific car accident, leaving Mia in a coma, she has an out-of-body experience where she learns she has the choice: to stay and live, or to die, leaving her life and Adam behind.

Through flashbacks you learn all that Mia loves and holds dearly - her family, friends, Adam, and the cello. But, as the story continues we learn the decision is not as simple as it seems. What at first appears to be a cut and dry decision soon becomes more difficult than anyone could have ever guessed.

If I Stay is a true tear-jerker and I would highly recommend a box of tissues nearby while reading.

My only true complaint about the book is the wording used from time to time. It didn't really feel as though Mia and Adam were teenagers. I know they are both supposed to be more mature... but sometimes certain wording didn't flow well and it felt as though Forman hit the thesaurus verse working it out for herself.

With that said, I would still definitely recommend If I Stay. The plot was a nice change of pace for a young adult novel. It is well worth the emotional roller-coaster to learn more about the life of Mia Hall and the answer to the question, will she stay and live, or will she leave this world forever?

The Movie

Refreshingly, the movie follows the book quite closely; something that doesn't seem to happen regularly when it comes to turning a book into a movie. The movie kept the small details such as little conversations about coffee and "categories" Mia and her friend Kim are always putting people into, which helped the movie keep the same vibe as the book.

My only offenses with the movie are very small.

Chloë Grace Moretz and Jamie Blackley were well casted as Mia and Adam, making up the main roles of the movie. Leading up to the movie I noticed far more hype over Blackley than Moretz (especially on the movies official instagram) but after seeing the movie I think that hype needs to be switched. Moretz did a beautiful job playing Mia, especially the more emotional scenes when Mia deals with loss. Blackley on the other hand shined during his parts playing music, but seemed a little lackluster during the more emotional scenes. Sometimes he gave off an air of cockiness when he was supposed to be portraying his love for Mia.

Overall though Moretz and Blackley were a fantastic choice for Mia and Adam.

My one other minor complaint dealing with the actual portrayal of the characters was the major amount of kissing. Whether the script called for it, the director took liberties, or perhaps a bit of both... I do surely hope Moretz and Blackley had some attraction towards one another, because it felt as though at least 90% of their scenes together ended in a hefty make-out session.

Other than the fantastic acting and the wonderful story line, the other main reason to watch this movie is the music. The movie kept right on track with most of the music the book discusses, which presents a fabulous soundtrack. Adams music is on par with how it was described in the book as well, and Blackley did a great job, particularly with the last song in the movie.

My only problem with the music is also my only real big problem with the movie: the final song played.

Small spoiler alert ahead!

The last song is the song that helps Mia make her decision to stay or move on. In the movie Adam writes a song for Mia and plays it for her on his guitar, while she is in her coma. In the book Adam puts headphones on Mia while she is in a coma, and the song is done by cellist Yo-Yo Ma who plays Andante con poco e moto rubato. My issue with Adam being the one who plays the last song in the movie is that it makes it feel like Mia should stay for no other reason than to stay with him, where as in the book it makes it feel like Mia should stay because of her own passions for music and her own future. The symbolical differences between the two are huge.

Overall I would highly recommend this movie. The acting was good, the plot stuck close to the book, and the soundtrack is definitely worth a listen.

Just make sure you have some tissues handy. You'll need them.

Series 5, Post 4: Pen-Pals and Snail Mail

By Sara E Thompto

Throughout July and August our bi-monthly series has been all about stationery; how we create it, why we create it, and the best places (on etsy) to purchase it. But, once you have all of these stationery products... what should you do with them?

Start writing people of course!

Many people have had a pen-pal at some point in life. A friend, relative, or maybe even a student in another city or country, assigned to you by a grade-school teacher. But, how do you find pen-pals now that you’re older? 

Here are just a few websites that I use and have had some success with...

Post Crossing
www.PostCrossing.com

How it Works: The basic gist goes - you get randomly assigned a person to send a postcard. With that assignment comes a registration code. You then send that person a postcard and include the registration number somewhere on the card. Once the person receives your postcard and has registered it, someone will be assigned to send you a postcard in return. You can work your way up to being able to send multiple postcards at a time.

Although the main point of Post Crossing is to connect with people from around the world via postcard, you can also choose to receive letters in envelopes. You can even list that you're open to being pen-pals, outside of the one-time exchange of a postcard.

The Positive: I have been using Post Crossing since 2010 and have yet to have a bad experience with this website. I have sent postcards all over the world and have received them from dozens of countries as well, which I have loved. I've had letters and continued with a pen-pal exchange as well. It's also extremely interesting to see all of the postcards from around the world and experience the different cultures in such an easy way.

The Negative: My only complaints are sometimes it can be a bit boring if you receive a bunch from the same country because postcards tend to be similar and the website seems to offer no way of blocking this from happening. Also, not everyone is open to a continuous pen-pal exchange so it's not the site to go to if that's the main thing you're looking for in a snail-mail exchange. Most prefer the one-time postcard registration.

Inter Pals: Pen-pals

www.interpals.net

How it Works: With Interpals you set up a profile, which is very similar to Facebook's "about" section. They also ask languages you speak and what countries you're interested in meeting pen-pals through, along with what gender and age group you prefer. From there you can message people privately or comment on their message board (very much like a facebook wall) to make the initial contact. 

Some people just want to be continue to talk via messaging or email. However, most are there for traditional snail-mail. You choose when you feel comfortable giving out your address, and go from there!

The Positive: I currently have three solid pen-pals using this website - one in Germany, one in Australia, and one here in the USA (Michigan). I love sharing letters with them and I would not have met them if not for Interpals. I also love that you can choose the age group, countries you're most interested in, and block people and countries you're not interested in. The versatility of this websites options probably make it my favorite of the ones listed here.

The Negative: The first night I joined Interpals I was discouraged because it felt more like a dating site than a pen-pal site. I was getting hit on by men who definitely were not interested in writing letters back and forth. I am very happily married and the attention was unwanted. Clearly this is not what I was looking for in a pen-pal website. Then an awesome person messaged me (who I am now pen-pals with) and I told her my issues with the site. She gave me some tips on how to eliminate those unwanted messages. I started blocking countries where the worst offenders came from, narrowed down my age group settings, made it even more obvious I was married by changing my profile picture, and wrote in my profile that I only wanted messages from people interested in snail mail. Now I only have a positive experience with the website.

Pen Pal World

www.penpalworld.com

How it Works: Pen Pal World is very similar to Interpals. You set up an account, set up a profile, and start the search for a pen-pal. Message anyone you feel would be a good fit, or write on their message board (wall).

The Positive: This website is incredibly easy to use and looks prettier than Interpals. It also has great tools to narrow your search and you can block countries or people as needed.

The Negative: I have yet to gain a solid pen-pal via Pen Pal World. I admit, I disabled my site for a while but am now giving it a second chance because I've seen people mentioning it more and more in the pen-pal and snail mail world. I've had some good interactions, but none that have lead to being pen-pals, yet. The reason I'm still including this on my list is because I feel it's still a good site, especially based off of reviews. Just maybe it's not for me.

But, knowing where to get a pen-pal and actually getting a pen-pal are two very different things. Especially if you’re like me and sort of timid. Here are some tips for getting a pen-pal and keeping a pen-pal:

• Be yourself and don't be afraid to message someone you find interesting. After all, you're both on a website for pen-pals so you already have one thing in common!
• Make sure you're actually writing back. I've fond that a more timely response tends to get you a better conversation.
• Remember what you wrote. Repeating yourself over and over again is not only boring for your pen-pal, it's boring for yourself. Keep a notebook with topics you wrote about in your last letter. Or even consider just running your letters through a copier before sending them out. Whatever works to keep the letter fresh in your mind.
• Ask questions! Too many people just want to talk about themselves, but without questions, a conversation is hard to maintain. Let alone one that is chopped up into waiting periods (aka: waiting for the postal service to deliver your letter, sometimes to the other side of the world. Than waiting for the reply).
• Remember things about your pen-pal. If they mentioned they had an important trip or event coming up, remember to ask them about it. If they mention a family member or friend, ask about that person from time to time. If they brought something up in a snail mail letter, it usually means it's something they like to talk about.
  
  

Lastly, sometimes people have reservations about giving out their address online. This is completely understandable; there are some creeps in this world. But, not a single site I posted above has your address out and about for just anyone to see.

Here are some basic tips about how to stay safe:

• Report of block any person who seems like they're not on the website for the intention of the website - gaining pen-pals. No one wants to put up with a creeper when there are so many awesome people to meet!
• Use a PO Box if one is available to you.
• If you are under 18 perhaps it would be best talking to a parent about this first. They can help you make sure you’re not giving your information out to anyone you shouldn’t be giving it too.
• And most importantly, if you are feeling any sort of uncomfortableness with someone, do not give them your address. It's as simple as that!

If you have any snail mail tips, tricks or websites you use that I didn’t mention above, please leave them in a comment below!

When I Have Nothing to Read... II

By Sara E Thompto

Everyone has their favorite reads - the ones they devour over and over again throughout the years. Especially when they need a solid book after reading something not-so-solid, or when they simply don't know what else to read. 

A few weeks ago Bivie blogged about her "repeat books" or books she enjoys reading over and over again. Well, today I’m going to share with you a few of mine…

Sarah Dessen Novels

Although I've reread all of her books a dozen times, I have three favorite Sarah Dessen novels I’ve turned back to more so than others. The Truth about Forever is a personal favorite, as is Just Listen, and This Lullaby.

Although each of her books have their own twists and turns, the simple math of a Sarah Dessen book is pretty much always the same: family drama + self identity/awareness issues + boy troubles = a really good, well written, easy read. They’re my go to books when I want something quick and pleasant. I know the formula of her work and it’s a comfort to curl up with one of her novels, especially after reading a book I didn’t particularly enjoy. Her books are always just plain good, and The Truth about Forever, Just Listen, and This Lullaby are the best.

The Fountainhead by Ayan Rand

Honestly, I’m not sure it’s the storyline that makes this book worth reading… but the way Rand writers her characters is absolutely brilliant.

The fountainhead follows Howard Roark through decades of his life as he follows his passion for architecture. He will not bend to the will of others. He will not work for anyone he feels is lesser than him. He has an aesthetic and he sticks to it. No questions. End of story. That is Howard Roark.  But that doesn’t mean it’s simple. He goes for periods of time without work, he’s wrongfully sued and must fight everyone, every step of the way to make a name for himself.

Then there is Dominique Francon, (lightly put - Howard Roark's love interest) who could quite possibly be the best written character ever. Dominique Francon makes Ayan Rands long drawn out speeches worth the read, and is the reason why The Fountainhead is a book I re-read often.

The Harry Potter Series

I have easily read each of the Harry Potter books a dozen times each.

Like many, I started reading the Harry Potter series at a young age. I think I started reading the books when the 3rd book was released, and the 4th was being talked about in the news. So, around 2000. Harry Potter was 11, I was around 12. It just worked. I was so excited. I was one of the kids who pre-ordered the book… and then carried it around with me until I was done reading. Which was never long because I stayed up almost all night, skipped meals, and didn’t really do much of anything until every last page of the newest book was consumed.

The best part of the series is I felt like the books kind of grew up, as I grew up. The books start out child-like. There is nothing too harsh about them. No cussing. Harry finds out he is a wizard. You know the base of the story, which is the villain, Voldemort, is a bad guy who did a ton of awful things (to put it very mildly). Harry, as a wee little baby, put a stop to Voldemort. From the start, no one really knows how or why. Many mysteries are set up straight from the beginning book. But, in the grand scheme of the series, the first couple books aren’t overly emotional.

From there, the series kind of propels forward. The characters grow up. A few solid swear words are thrown into the mix. Angsty teen behavior happens. Romances take place. The series grows more dark as Voldemort rises to power once again.  

Trust me when I write this -- the series is brilliant. J.K. Rollings intertwines events from book to book. People who are casually mentioned in one book have greater importance in another. Events, items, and places that are discussed for only a sentence, become greatly significant in later installments. Again, I’ll say it (and mean it) - the Harry Potter series is brilliant. I turn back to this series quite often. Especially to the seventh book, which I feel wraps up the series well.

White Oleander by Janet Fitch

This book, quite simply, is dark and twisty, which I like from time to time.

From main character Astrid’s point of view we learn the story of a complicated mother/daughter relationship twisted by murder and control, even after the mother is sentenced to prison. Astrid faces years of abuse and neglect going from one foster home to another. Each time Astrid is able to start to cope with the life she now leads, or even thrive, her mother seems to be able to find a way to rip it out from under her.

In the end White Oleander is a coming of age story about learning to let go in order to know how to move forward.

The book is beautifully written and author Janet Fitch paints an intricate story, laced with beautiful descriptions of art, and the emotions and bond formed through art, which is the main concept that bonds mother and daughter in this novel.

I was once told by someone that a good book is easy to spot because it is well worn.
As you can tell by this photo, I feel these books are definitely worth reading. 

Although there are many books I would recommend - these are my go-to "loves." If you haven't read these books, I strongly suggest going out and picking up a copy next time you're looking for a good read!

Do you have a book you always go back to read over and over again? Leave the name in the comments. Suggestions are always welcome!

Series 5, Post 1: How I Design Stationery, Why I Design Stationery

By Sara E Thompto

I love paper products - journals, postcards, note pads, note cards, and just good solid letter paper; stationery is one of my favorite things to purchase. And, this past year it has become one of my most favorite things to create as well.

It started with some apple postcards for the Niles, MI apple festival. I work with the adobe creative suite and curved lines have always been an issue for me in Illustrator. Well, I made an apple, and I was pumped. An apple! A curvy red apple. I was (am still) proud of that apple. So I went design crazy and came up with a whole set of apple themed postcards. They were cute, simple, and somewhat kitschy. I loved them. Unfortunately, I was one of the only ones, because only a few actually sold.

"You are the Apple of my Eye" Postcard

Oh well. They were cute anyway.

Then the holiday season began and I started thinking about holiday cards. This time I studied trending color schemes and thought of what other people might like verse my own taste. I turned out five simple, colorful, cute designs. These sold much better! Not brilliant, but better. As I mailed packs of holiday cards out to purchasers, I knew I was hooked on designing stationery. I wanted to create more. I loved the feeling of designing something and sharing it with others in a physical and usable form.

"Happy Holidays" Postcard

Bivie and I discussed it, for all of five seconds because she loves stationery too, and we decided to add stationery to our publishing business we were working on developing.

From there the designs kind of exploded out of me.

I love to create and the ideas are always flowing. Most of the time I’ll be working my day job and an idea will hit me. I’ll quickly jot it down and when I get home from work, I’ll get right back to work and make it happen.

Front: "I sent this Postcard to let you know I'm not dead.."
Back: Unless something catastrophic happend since I posted this.
[In which case I'm sorry for my bad taste in postcards]."

Othertimes it takes a bit more. I’ll have an idea, but I’m not sure how to execute the idea yet. These type of designs are my favorite; the ones where I push my boundaries, learn new ways to handle design tools, or even explore different mediums.

Most recently I wanted to create a piece where birds were intermingling and reacting to splashes of ink. It was loosely inspired by the visual effects in The Huntsman, mixed with the pattern crushed berries made on my moms driveway. I could picture the image in my head but with my current skill level I couldn't create it from scratch with Illustrator or Photoshop. So, for the first time ever I used India Ink with a  paint brush.

With the blank sheet of paper before me, I was actually nervous. It was new, I had never used the medium before. Hell, I didn't even have experience hand drawing birds, let alone with ink and brush. My wife was sitting across from me, drawing her own drawing, and hackling me for being afraid to put brush to paper. It was just the push I needed. In the end I had fun playing with the ink, and enjoyed seeing how it interacted with the paper, and water too.

The drawing ended up turning out well. At least as well as I had hoped it would.

"Birds Flying" Notecards

This type of design is an achievement, if for no other reason than I didn't let the fact that I had no experience intimidate me out of doing it.

I like to take my time to make sure I’m confidant the design is strong. Part of that is knowing when to move forward and when to step back.

Since last fall (almost a year now) I have been trying to create buildings and famous structures.

Well… I’m not that good at trying to recreate architecture. In fact, I’ve deleted more files and crumpled more pieces of paper trying to form this idea, than any other idea. Sure, I could buy the graphic, but where is the fun in that?

Finally one weekend I decided maybe I just needed to put more time into it. With six graphics to create, I dove into the design once more. Five hours later, I had an Eiffel Tower graphic.

Five hours. One graphic.

Maybe I’m being hard on myself, but I feel like it should have taken me two or less. Not to mention I still have five other structures left to design. But, that was the first time I actually created an architectural structure, which is why, after thinking about it some more, I’m perfectly fine with it taking me five hours to create only one element of a design.

It’s fun for me to challenge myself with ideas. It’s one of the reasons I’m so passionate when I talk about them with other people.

I like clean lines, I like designs that aren’t cluttered with unnecessary elements, and I try for basic color combinations or colors that vibrate off each other. Those are the basic elements of my designs. I definitely break from my mold and try new techniques but my clean, simple, colorful esthetic is usually what I aim to achieve.

With almost a year under my belt and dozens of designs, it’s hard to believe that my push toward stationery started because I was proud of an apple. But, I’ve learned it wasn’t so much the apple as much as it was achieving something I didn’t think I could do.

"Birch Trees" - Notecard

I’m excited to continue designing stationery and hope you enjoy seeing the finished products!