Chicago - August 05, 2008

Pushing the Envelope

Blue Barnhouse Cards

Once upon a time a girl asked a guy, “Will you marry me?” The guy said “No!” And the girl lived happily ever after and went shopping and dancing, drank martinis, always had a clean house, never had to cook, had sex with whomever she pleased, and farted whenever she wanted.

No, you’re not flashing back to your drunk mother’s bedtime stories.

You’re reading a card from Blue Barnhouse, an Asheville-based company that uses age-old, hand-fed letterpresses to emboss paper with retro designs and dry wit.

One socialite whispers to the other, “Do I reek of bourbon?” And in the Warhol-inspired novelty collection find, “Dude, WTF?”

PG-rated options are also available.

But we figure you’re not interested in those.

Available at Willow, 908 North Damen Avenue, between Walton and Iowa Streets (773-772-0140 or shopwillow.net); online at bluebarnhouse.org.