Chicago - October 27, 2006

Paper Mate

La Familia Green Stationery

You’ve all but abandoned snail mail for everything other than mags.

And as for solidifying your Saturday night plans before walking out the door? Hellooo, that’s what cell phones are for.

But thankfully some folk, like Mollie Green of La Familia Green, haven’t given up on more antiquated forms of communication. Her one-of-a-kind handmade stationery, cards, and journals will motivate you to step away from the BlackBerry (big breaths, hon, in and out) and put it down on paper.

Drawing upon her painting and printmaking background, Green finds inspiration in some mighty obscure places: back issues of Seventeen, vintage wildlife encyclopedias, and Scandinavian textile design. (Watch for her most recent obsession — meerkats, luchadors, and gnomes — to be featured on her holiday cards.)

The results are nothing less than inspired. After all, when Green sits down to create, she never knows where she’s going to end up.

Which sounds an awful lot like your Saturday night.

Available at Mint, 2150 North Seminary Avenue, at Webster Avenue (773-322-2944); Paper Doll, 2048 West Division Street, between Damen and Hoyne Avenues (773-227-6950); online at lafamiliagreen.com.