Blog

Blog

News
Blog_InspirationScript
Events

Follow Along

Events

holiday

retail

December 12, 2023

Loyalty Night!

As the holiday season is approaching, we wanted to take a moment to express our gratitude for your loyalty and support throughout the year. We feel incredibly lucky to have you as our customer, and we want to show our appreciation by inviting you to an exclusive night of holiday shopping at our stores! 

Come and join us on December 14th from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM for a night of festive fun, shopping, refreshments, and special deals. You’ll get double points for all purchases that evening (that means triple points for all you VIP folks!). All purchases of $20 or more will receive an exclusive Rifle Nutcracker Tote, and if you spend $250 or more you’ll receive a $50 gift card to use at a future visit! 

We’ll have sparkling refreshments and sweets available, so you can enjoy some delicious treats while you shop. Plus, our knowledgeable staff will be on hand to help you find the perfect gift for your loved ones…or maybe just yourself! 

Want to bring a friend who isn’t part of our loyalty program? No, prob! They can sign up here or on the night of the event! We would be thrilled to have you join us for this shopping night and celebrate the holiday season together. 

Events

News

retail

Special Event

November 17, 2023

Gus & Ruby’s 2023 Holiday Events

NOV 24TH• BLACK FRIDAY • ALL STORES • 10AM – 7PM

(Portsmouth opening early at 9am!)

Take 10% off your entire in-store purchase and you’ll have a chance to win 1 of 5 goodie boxes stuffed with $200+ worth of products. We’re giving away 5 boxes in each store on Friday for a total of 15 boxes! Can’t shop in person?

Take 10% off online: store.gusandruby.com

NOV. 25TH• SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY • ALL STORES • 10AM – 7PM

(Portsmouth opening early at 9am!)

Coffee + treats for early shoppers (until we run out)! Take 10% off your entire in-store purchase and vou’ll have a chance to win 1 of 5 goodie boxes stuffed with $200+ worth of products. We’re giving away 5 boxes in each store on Saturday for a total of 15 boxes! Can’t shop in person? Take 10% off online:

store.gusandruby.com

NOV. 27TH• CYBER MONDAY • ONLINE ONLY

Take 10% off your entire online order all day long and five random orders placed on Cyber Monday will be picked to win a goodie box stuffed with $200+ worth of products!

NOV. 28TH• GIVING TUESDAY • ONLINE RAFFLE

Make a $10 donation and be entered to win a super-sized version of our Giveaway Box with a $100 Gus & Ruby gift card included.

Each entry is $10 and vou can enter as many times as you want.

All donations will go to the Lewiston-Auburn Area Response

Fund and Gus & Ruby will match up to $1,000 in donations.

enter here

DEC. 7TH• BEACON HILL HOLIDAY STROLL • BOSTON • 6PM – 9PM

Enjoy a night of festive activities during Beacon Hill’s annual, family-friendly, neighborhood stroll. Spend $75 at our Boston location and get a $15 Gus & Ruby gift card. Spend $150 and get a $30 gift card. Gift Cards can be used during a future visit.

DEC. 9TH• PORTLAND MERRY MADNESS • PORTLAND • 2PM – 7PM

Join us for Portland’s annual holly-jolly extravaganza! Spend $75 and get a $15 Gus & Ruby gift card. Spend $150 and get a $30 gift card. Gift Cards can be used during a future visit. Visit the Eventbrite page for more information about the event

careers

hiring

portsmouth

retail

June 26, 2023

Gus & Ruby Portsmouth is hiring retail associates!

Are you enthusiastic about greeting cards & beautiful gifts and building customer connections? If so, you’re in the right place! We’re hiring retail associates in our Downtown Portsmouth, NH location.

First opened in 2009, our store on Congress Street has built a reputation for being the go-to place for finding the perfect gifts because of our knowledgeable and friendly staff. Over the years, we have worked hard to create a space where everyone who comes in will feel welcome- from our customers to our dedicated team. Our ideal candidate is someone who is outgoing and organized, has excellent people skills, and a fabulous sense of humor.

Take a peek at the position below and apply by emailing us your resumé, and a cover letter telling us why you’d be a great fit. We are looking to fill the positions as soon as possible.

RETAIL ASSOCIATE
The position in a nutshell:
In this role, you will be responsible for daily operations in the retail store including (but not limited to): greeting and helping customers find the perfect item; making sales/checking out customers; receiving, unpacking, and merchandising new products; tidying/cleaning the store.

You’ll report directly to the Portsmouth Manager. We are looking for both full-time and part-time positions. Both full-time and part-time positions offer an employee discount and predictable scheduling with weekend availability a must.

About You:

– You have retail experience and are happy helping customers and manning a register.

– You are outgoing, and personable, have exceptional customer service skills, and are able to establish and foster strong relationships with customers.

– You are self-motivated and a quick learner.

– You are comfortable working alone and within a team and are a clear, effective communicator.

– You have a good sense of humor.

Do you want this job?! We hope so! Email your resumé, availability, and cover letter telling us why you want to join our team to Emily emily@gusandruby.com.

Gift Guide

retail

September 22, 2021

Our Complete Guide to the Best Candles For Fall


Nothing gets us in the fall spirit quite like a new candle. We’ve been guilty of burning our Nordic Pine candles in August and a fresh scent is the perfect way to welcome the new season. Read on for the candles we can’t stop burning—from our budget-friendly faves to splurge-worthy scent masterpieces. These diverse scents are great for when seasons change, or any time of year.



1. Best for the minimalist. Made in Brooklyn, New York with 100% soy wax for an Eco-friendly clean burn, Brooklyn Candle’s clean and simple packaging pairs with any home decor.
2. Best little gift. These 12 oz. matte, ceramic bowls are food safe! They make great rice or dipping bowls once fully burned.
3. Best Gus & Ruby exclusive. You won’t find this anyplace else! Notes of fresh cut pine and wintergreen merge with subtle notes of blackberry and tangerine in this candle.
4. Best premium candle. Night Space candles have a burn time of 90 hours and their vessels are hand-crafted in Portugal and beautiful enough to reuse.
5. Best for the green thumb. This candle features a 100% recycled glass candle holder and plant-able seed paper packaging.
6. Best for the Rifle Paper Co fanatic. Packaged in a decorative box, this candle has notes of black vanilla, amber, and incense.
7. Best fall Botanica scent. A complex blend of earthy notes, this fragrance tones the freshness of herbal Clary Sage and Prairie Grasses and Sandalwood.
8. Best for a small pick-me-up. Coming in at just $10, this soy wax candle won’t break the bank.
9. Best vessel. This terracotta ceramic candle is inspired by Earth and elements, parks and sunsets.
10. Best candle with a cause. Artfully hand-poured by the young moms in their paid job training program, each Bright Endeavors candle lights the way toward strong families and bright futures.
11. Best alternative scent. This pleasantly complex candle features notes of Amber, Coco, Vanilla, Cedar, Spices, Musk, Sandalwood.

covid19

portsmouth

reopening

retail

June 26, 2020

Portsmouth Reopening Protocol

Welcome Back! We missed you!

After 100 days closed to customers, our Portsmouth, NH store has reopened! What a stressful and scary few months it has been. And while nothing is back to normal and Covid is still very much here, for the foreseeable future, we want and NEED to be open and serve our Portsmouth community again, in a safe but welcoming way.

Our new store hours are Thursday – Monday from 10am – 6pm. We will be closed Tuesday & Wednesday. If you aren’t yet ready to shop with us in-store, you can shop online 24/7 and choose free shipping or curbside pickup!

Please read below so you are familiar with our protocol. We’ve worked SO hard to get the store ready for your return and we hope that those of you ready to shop in-store again are able to escape the real world for a bit and bring some joy into your life with all of our lovely goods.

Mask up

Masks are mandatory for our safety and yours. If you forgot you makes, we have them available for free inside.

Wash up

Please sanitize your hands upon entering. We also have sanitizer throughout the store so reapply when needed.

Our max is 6

We will allow no more than 6 customers in the store at one time (in addition to the 2-3 staff members you’ll see working). If there are already 6 people shopping, please wait outside for someone to exit. We promise it will be worth the wait!

Give some space

Please be aware of the other patrons and stay 6 feet apart as much as possible. Our store is small but we’ve spaced things out so you have more room than usual.

Shop away!

We’re so excited to have you back. This is new territory for us all and we truly want to give you the most comfortable and enjoyable shopping experience, but things may move a little slower than usual in order for that to happen. If we can do anything to make your shopping experience easier or more comfortable, please let us know. And as always, please remember to be kind and patient with other patrons (not just at our store, but everywhere) and offer grace to the hardworking staff.

Custom Work

wedding invitations

July 8, 2019

Romantic Copper & Blush Nautical Invitations

Elizabeth and Travis came to us looking for the perfect stationery to set the tone for their elegant, ocean-side soiree in historic Newport, RI.

A romantic palette of blush, copper and crisp navy combined with some classic roman fonts and flowing script came together beautifully in this nautical suite. We used color layering, a custom map envelope liner and a fun metallic twine wrap with a tag to give little pops of fun to this traditional design. The end result was luxe and stunning and gave guests a sweet taste of the seaside fun to come!

Events

portland

July 2, 2019

Gauche Workshop with 1Canoe2

This past weekend, we were thrilled to host a pair of fabulous gauche painting workshops with shop-favorite vendor, 1Canoe2. For two hours, participants joined Haley from 1Canoe2 for a beginner class all about gauche painting in 1Canoe2’s signature breezy style.

Haley led the group through several exercises and everyone left with some beautiful paintings and their own set of paint & brushes. Add some sweet sips & snacks and it was a perfect event. Thanks to everyone who came and made the events such successes!

Custom Work

News

wedding invitations

May 8, 2019

Modern, Clean & Graphic Invitations

Our dear friends Lauryn & Benny allowed us the great honor to design invitations for their Boston wedding. They wanted their wedding to mix the old-school charm and New England vibe of their beloved Boston with a bit of fun and edge and architectural details to nod to their venue.  

A fun z-fold save the date booklet got guests excited for a weekend in Boston using fun wording, custom illustrations and a die-cut hang tag in the shape of their French bulldog. A Boston subway map envelope liner completed the package.

The invitation was 2 color letterpress and copper foil with a solid rust-red back side and was housed in a flat printed gatefold that was held shut with a foil-stamped sticker. The blind printed graphic lines added some fun edge without overwhelming the type-driven design. And a vellum envelope allowed guests a sneak peek of the fun gatefold before they even opened the mail. 

We paired a classic roman font, slim sans serif and hand-lettered-inspired script and used a palette of bright navy, rust red and copper foil. The invitation was printed on double-thick 100% cotton and mounted to solid color stock. As always, the pieces were lovingly letterpress printed and foil-stamped by hand on our antique presses on beautiful, textural, super thick 100% cotton paper.  

Custom Work

wedding invitations

March 8, 2019

60’s Inspired Invitations

When our friends – and wedding vendor powerhouses – Kate of Kate Dawson Events and Meg from Rodeo & Co. Photography approached us about a 60’s inspired shoot, we knew it was going to be something special. Given some free reign to design, we found inspiration in a Liberty of London fabric and the bold, bright colors of a retro kitchen.

An ombré palette of pinks and orangey reds paired with some fun Mad Men-esque fonts and fabric details made for an eye-popping suite.

Events

valentine's day

February 6, 2018

Valentine’s Day Pop-Up Floral Shops

Happening in both stores
Wednesday, February 14th
10am-6pm or until we sell out!

The Portsmouth store will feature blooms from Sweet Annie Floral Design of Newburyport, MA and the Portland store will feature blooms from Mellow Botanical of Dover, NH. We’ll have large and small bouquets available – $55 and $35 respectively.

Stop by, grab some blooms, a sweet card and a gift for your sweetie. We’ll even wrap it all up beautifully for you if you like!