Home > Summer 2011 Staff Picks

Summer 2011 Staff Picks

Here in Northern California we have been hit by a recent dose of sunshine—a revitalizing and welcome change from a gloomy, chilly spring. In celebration of this wonderful warm weather, we asked our staff to recommend a product that they feel captures the spirit of summer:

The gardens depicted in the woodblocks of Gustave Baumann always spur me to plant some vibrant flowers in the yard. This summer I am inspired by the images in A Quiet Corner: The Woodblock Prints of Gustave Baumann boxed notecards (0361). The light, the flowers, the spaces...it all brings to mind quiet moments in nature. For me that's the hope, dream, and memory of summertime past and present. And don't forget...if you have travel plans this summer, a postcard book you can take on your vacation (like, The Woodblock Prints of Gustave Baumann book of postcards: A984) to send greetings to friends and family along the way is a wonderful way to keep in touch and share your travels. —Stephanie O., design

Summer is a great time to get together with all those friends who've hibernated their way through the winter. Once you've got the outdoor sunshine, you can double the number of people you'd invite any other time of the year. For me the hardest part of having a party is committing to throwing one. Pomegranate invitations are a wonderful way to announce a party, and once the invitations have gone out, the rest seems to fall into place. My favorites are Dard Hunter (BI008) and Darwin's Finches (BI010). —Susan, production

Well summer is FINALLY here. I look forward to spending a lot of time boating during the hot summer months with my family. So when I look at this image Luncheon of the Boating Party by Renoir which is on one of our jigsaw puzzles (AA623), it gets me wondering when my next trip to the lake is going to be. And when I'll be enjoying a cocktail, floating under the sun. —Monica, production

Waves boxed notecards (SC1044) bring to mind warm days at the shore with family and friends, playing in the surf and also simply watching the waves roll in. The text I wrote for the insert was praised by our Sierra Club contacts, so I recommend Waves for its brief but poignant prose as well as its arresting photography. —Matthew, editorial

Our Spirit of San Francisco puzzle (AA677) reminds me of summer. In summertime friends and family come to the Bay Area to visit and see the sights. This puzzle shows a lot of the exciting attractions we visit while they are here. —Kristen, customer service

The gift wrap Pomegranate publishes is so diverse, it works for all the occasions summer has to offer: birthday parties, pool parties, weddings, baby showers, and just fun reasons to give gifts. Summer is such a happy time, and giving little gifts in great paper is just the cherry on top! —Denise, customer service

The first thing that comes to mind that has summer written all over it is the Sierra Club notecard, Ladybugs on Sunflower (SC1316). Sunflowers equal summertime to me, and this card says it all. —Ronni, design

When the sun beats down, I rest beneath a leafy tree. Summer is captured for me by Pomegranate's Anatomy of a Tree (SC0900), a poster that explains how a tiny shoot comes to be a magnificent mossy leviathan dividing its life between air and earth. —Sam, editorial

Kids puzzles! On my recent vacation in Sacramento, one afternoon it was too hot to play outside so the three kids each chose a puzzle to work on and I got to help some: PoolCat (JK001), Jungle Beasts (JK003), and the Sea Otter (SC0405). It was a contest and I declared the winner. Lots of lemonade and ice tea were consumed that day. It was a ton of fun. —Ellen, customer service

When I think of summer, I remember all of the wacky family road trips I took when I was young and the car games we’d play to keep ourselves entertained. Along these lines, I recently gave my dad the What Kind of Car Did the Little Old Lady from Pasadena Drive? quiz deck on oldies lyrics (K316) and From Peculiar to Oddville quiz deck of bizarre place names (K322) for a road trip he was taking with his brother. I think any of our knowledge card decks would be good for this type of car-ride amusement—as long as the person reading the trivia questions isn’t the driver! —Stephanie K., production

Block puzzles—a great hostess gift for summer BBQ parties! —Helena, customer service

Any of the lovely products featuring arts and crafts images from Arthur and Lucia Mathews put me in the mood for summer. Their iconic images of golden poppies and lush rolling hillsides remind me to enjoy the beauty of the season. I also take inspiration from the furniture they created, for my own summer woodworking projects. —Lory, contracts & royalties

The Art of Arthur and Lucia Mathews (A117) reminds me the most of summer in California. —Pamela, customer service

Calendars, definitely! For us in the warehouse, the new year begins in June. —Paul, shipping

I choose our new Walter J. Phillips Woodblock Prints boxed notecards (0633), because the four woodcuts of flower arrangements remind me of the glories of the summer flower garden. —Rachel, editorial

The images in Monet's Gardens at Giverny book of postcards (A556) have inspired me to start a small project in my rose garden. Some really good types of summer flowers, such as blackfoot daisies, four o'clocks, and zinnias, are on my list. —Oky, design

I think any of our gardening publications can get anyone in the mood for summer. Whether it’s The Kitchen Garden (K305) or The Potted Garden (K306) knowledge cards, those can be a fun and helpful resource to look through right before the start of summer. —Tina, customer service

The image on Carl Larsson’s Crayfishing puzzle (AA409) captures everything I look forward to in the summer: fishing, camping, and enjoying the great outdoors. —Marshall, design

Dreaming of places to adventure to...Earth’s Powerful Places: From Stonehenge to Easter Island knowledge cards (K349). I am interested in geomancy and observing and experiencing the earth through different means. Beauty is a must, my eyes drink it in, but experiencing the subtle energies that the earth holds is something I need help with. This deck is a gateway. —Gina, design

The raccoons featured in Kathy DeZarn’s Mischievous Menagerie (0626) boxed notecards (and kids puzzle, JK013) remind me of sitting on the back porch on warm summer nights and spotting all the neighborhood critters lurking around for tasty leftovers from the BBQ. —Stephanie K., production

I plan to spend some quality time this summer poring over my treasured copy of Elizabeth Murray’s wonderful book, Monet’s Passion: Ideas, Inspiration & Insights from the Painter’s Garden (A181), which was beautifully updated just last year. Several areas of my garden need renovation, and in the vegetable garden my intention is to incorporate some of the ideas from The Paint Box Plantings: A Kitchen Garden section of the Bringing Giverny Home chapter. I expect the results will be delicious and fabulous to look at as well! —Judy, editorial