Lovely Randomness

We are used to the influx of cool, random, new things here at Foursided, but sometimes we can't help but marvel at all the stuff we have lying around. It is all so fun and inspirational, just waiting to get in the hands of someone with a creative idea. We hope you think of us as your cool-random-stuff-depot: ye olde general store of stuff you never knew you needed, but have to have!

Stock up on these goodies, clockwise from top left:
typewriter keys $2.50ea, letter cubes $1.25ea, old slides $.25ea,
state puzzle pieces $1.50ea, billiard balls $6-7ea, blocks $1.50ea

Foundre Frames

The newest addition to our ever expanding frame collection comes from Foundre.
Made from locally salvaged mid-century materials and sealed with a high quality finish, these frames are handmade right here in Chicago by our very own framer extraordinaire Raun Meyn.

Call us biased, but with a price to match any budget and and a one-of-a-kind frame to show for, buying local and buying repurposed doesn't get much better than this!

8x10 $37 • 5x7 $31 • 4x6 $27
Available at all locations.

These Cards Are Funny*

*and by funny, we mean smartly written with a pinch of delightfully scathing sarcasm.

We can't remember the last time we got a kick out of anything to do with footnotes. As a matter of fact, just hearing the word brings back bad memories of all-nighters, and college term papers; however, this collection of cards by Old Tom Foolery has us busting a gut with their witty take on life's special events. Check 'em out at the Andersonville location, and we promise you will be entertained!

Every Picture(Frame) Tells A Story

If a picture says a thousand words what story does its frame have to tell?

At Foursided one of the things we pride ourselves on is our selection of vintage found frames. These frames all had another life before arriving on our wall, and they will bring their stories to your walls too. Each is unique, some acquiring a few battle scars (though we prefer to call them 'beauty marks') along the way, others constructed from cigar boxes or interesting wood. All have been hunted, hand picked and reborn, and we hope you find their slight imperfections as lovely and inspiring as we do.

Stop in with a picture and give an old frame a chance to tell you its story. We promise you won't be disappointed in what you hear, after all it may be worth a thousand words... or more.

Think Outside The Box: Wrapping Ideas!

We encounter people everyday who seem to be a little intimidated about gift wrapping. We are more than happy to wrap a gift for you or sell you a gift bag, but we would love for everyone to embrace gift wrapping as a fun craft instead of a chore!

Since the fears we hear about seem to revolve around delicately folding paper or tying fancy bows, allow us to suggest a few ideas that focus on other gift adornments:

An easy and eco-friendly option is recycling stuff you find around the house. Comics, newspapers, magazines, kid's drawings, twine, twist-ties, etc can all be used to wrap a gift. We used an old map and some string in lieu of wrapping paper and ribbon, and the result is fun and unexpected!

Ok, but that still involves knowing how to wrap, you say. Well why not try stickers instead? Stickers or decorative tape come in a wide range of colors these days and all can easily be used to dress up a plain box. We used stickers from Waste Not Paper to decorate our box and added our recipiants name for a quick fix to the wrapping conundrum.

Lastly, don't underestimate the power of a witty gift tag! We found an appropriate flash card and tied it to an un-wrapped box with some bold ribbon - no paper cutting or folding needed, just a simple knot as easy as tying your shoe! Photos, cereal boxes, colored card stock, luggage tags, ticket stubs, etc could all be used to make a cool gift tag!

Stay tuned for wrapping and ribbon tying tutorials in the coming weeks, and don't forget to think outside the box!