My Business Cards for Alt Summit

My business cards arrived from Moo and I could not be happier with the results. They are thick, luxurious and absolutely beautiful to the last detail. More pictures and some musings on being called Swiss Lark, but living in America, after the jump...

I discovered that my package from Moo had arrived when Theo and I were on our way out the car one afternoon. I grabbed it and didn't hesitate one moment to slice into it with my car key! Yay, indeed.

I decided to spring for the Luxe mini cards because they have the little pop of color running along the sides. I really love that. The packaging was so fun to open.

I designed the cards in Photoshop and then uploaded complete designs. Moo makes it so easy to do with template guidelines. The process was really easy to understand.

What a delight to open that box! It's very sturdy and has a magnetic closure. It would look professional and beautiful on a desk. It should also hold up well in my bag at Alt Summit.

I decided to get the Luxe mini cards after seeing them at the Zurich Writers Workshop. They're a little different and that makes them memorable. Plus, they're fun to use as a bookmark. I always take pretty business cards to use as bookmarks. To me it's the sweetest way to use them and make them something more.

Designing the back of the card was a bit more tricky. First, I had to narrow down what information to include. Photo? Telephone number? I considered those and made quite a few different designs, but ultimately decided to leave them out. What is my title? I have no idea, so I included four! Then, I felt the need to clarify my location and residency. I wanted to be sure that potential brand partnerships and sponsors wouldn't write me off on the assumption that I am Swiss and don't have a business located in the US. I made a design that just said Spokane, Washington and almost sent it to print. I'm American and I can do business here, my card would shout! But it wasn't the whole picture. Switzerland is obviously a big part of my blog and my life. I abbreviated Washington, added Zurich, Switzerland and completed the order.

As the days passed and I waited for the cards, I really started thinking about Swiss Lark, how this blog can continue now that we're not in Switzerland and what my niche really is. Some days I am certain that we will move back and that this will just be a little blip to get through and then Swiss Lark can continue on like normal - in Switzerland! Other days, I think we'll stay here and put down roots in Spokane. But even if we do, I will always miss Zurich and think about my life there. It will always be a significant part of who I am. I was mulling all of this over while nursing and rocking Theo to sleep the other day, and I realized, I am never going to be fully here or there. It made me feel more confident about having two cities on my business card. It's the truth. I have two homes.

Then, as if by magic, I consulted my dear writer friend Emily to bounce some ideas off of her and see if she could help me define my niche. She had lovely things to say and then said, "You know, I think what's really amazing is that you're American, but you love Europe. But when you're in Europe, you're still very American. You don't fit in fully in either place, and you have a good grasp of the complication. You don't over-generalize or -simplify." Wow. Just like that, she articulated everything I couldn't seem to put into words. "You're neither here nor there," she said. Precisely.

Moo's business cards (and stationery) are guaranteed to make you swoon! Click here to get 10% off your first order.  I can't wait to hand out all 200 of my beautiful cards at Alt Summit and watch Swiss Lark bloom and grow. As always, thank you for reading and for being part of my little corner of the internet. xo