The Local Awesome category has been quiet for a while now. . . and I’m going to change that today with a business that, although not geographically local to me, is definitely local to my heart.
There are a few things in this world I’ve been questing for . . . scouring The Pinterests like a brave and relentless (okay, let’s be honest, actually fairly lazy) adventurer. One of these things is a meal-planning printable that is EXACTLY what I’m looking for. After what feels like 500 years of learning how to meal-plan, I have finally found a meal planning style that works for me. I use an app on my phone for my actual grocery list, though, so it’s been hard to find a printable that meets all my needs.
Of course I could make one myself, but, frankly, I don’t want to, and I don’t have the design skills to make something that would fit the image I have in my head.
Enter my uber-talented cousin, Meghann. She’s been here a few times in blogger form, but now she’s got a brand spankin’ new stationery business that goes by the name of Penelopy Paper. You should totally check it out. What makes me so happy about this situation is that she is fluent in the language of scatterbrained creative frazzled lady. . . without actually being scatterbrained and frazzled herself. Somehow, with the fantastically awkward instructions I gave her, she managed to create just the thing I’ve been questing for.
You would think, what with me considering myself a writer and all, that I would be able to communicate my ideas a little bit more effectively… but, for some reason, when it comes to telling someone exactly how I want something to look, I really struggle to find the right words.
Even with me giving directions like this . . .
“Hip and trendy, but like a house you admire but are a little afraid of spilling wine in. Oh my gosh, did that make any sense?”
. . . Meghann was able to crank out just what I was looking for. Since I use a grocery list app, I didn’t want any space to be wasted by an official “grocery list” section. Our lunches/breakfasts/snacks are pretty interchangeable, so I just wanted official weekday sections for dinner, and some generic sections for the other meals. Finally, I just wanted a little “notes” section so I could jot down some list items when they popped into my head.
She also whipped up a matching calendar and household planning sheet to go along with the meal plan. She had the totally brilliant idea of sliding the calendar into the clear plastic sleeve of a binder and using a dry erase marker to fill it in . . . I don’t think I could have thought of that in a million years.
I’m so pleased with my meal planner for a lot of reasons, but mainly because it’s a total match to what I had in my head . . . and I had to put almost zero effort into making it come into existence. Don’t you think this occasion calls for a giveaway? I know I do.
Just do your thing in this little giveaway box doohickey thing down here, and you’ll be entered for a free (already designed) printable of your choice from Penelopy Paper. Giveaway ends at midnight on Tuesday, March 25th!
There are plenty of awesome products at the Penelopy Paper store, but if those aren’t your style, just send her an email! Chances are, she’ll be able to translate whatever language you speak into a design that makes you happy.
Meghann also makes some gawwwwgeous art. I contacted her a while back, asking her if she could do an ink drawing of four birds (2 parents, 2 babies) on a mostly leafless tree. What I got back blew me away:
She’s got this super cool Society 6 store where you can purchase her art not only as prints, but in about as many different forms as you can imagine. Clocks, coffee mugs, stretched canvas, totes, pillows . . . plenty of totally sweet options.
(Maybe not ANY form you can imagine. You probably can’t order a real tattoo from there. Actually, I’m pretty positive you can’t.)
ANYWAY. Enter the giveaway! Buy some printables! Plan your meals! Climb a mountain! Watch an entire season of something on Netflix! Hug somebody you feel comfortable hugging!
(But seriously, enter the giveaway. Maybe share with your friends. High five?)