The Power of Pink

Ladies and Gentlemen, it is time to embrace the pink power! October is breast cancer awareness month, an annual international health campaign organized by major breast cancer charities to increase awareness of the disease and to raise funds for research into its cause, prevention and cure.

There are several activities throughout the month of October that allow you to show your support for this great cause. You can get active and participate in a run, walk or bike ride. If that’s not really your style you can simply show your support by wearing pink or organize a pink party to help raise money.

And guys, pink isn’t just for the ladies, look at the NFL. Players show support by wearing pink gloves, cleats and other apparel during games. Even Sports Illustrated added pink to their cover in support of breast cancer awareness.

Take a look at some of our favorite pink items for inspiration

Confections New Initial Stationery

I love stationery and get so excited when we have a new design, I just can’t wait to share it with all of you!

Drum roll please…

To introduce our latest design we created a new line of initial stationery. The black and white pattern gives the stationery elegance while a bright colored initial provides fun with that extra pop.

Initial stationery always makes a perfect gift because it is so useful. Write a note to a friend, co-worker or your child’s teacher. Can’t find a good birthday card, make your own. And you know from my previous blog posts how perfect our stationery is for thank you notes.

Inspiration is Everywhere

I have a major confession...I am a huge television fan. This week has been one of my favorites because it has been full of season premieres. All of my old shows are back and some new exciting shows were thrown in the mix.

One theme that I noticed with the start of this television season is weddings, which immediately made me think of invitations. This started the wheels turning in my head and along with the Confections team we created these new party invitations. We can't wait to hear what you think!

Weddings come with lots of parties and after seeing all the tv weddings we decided to add to our wedding party line.

But once we got started we couldn’t stop so we created these new birthday invitations…

Are you a television fan too? Which shows are you most excited about?

How I Spent My Summer Vacation

Do you remember the first week of school when all of your teachers would give you the same assignment...write a paper about your summer vacation? No matter if you were in third grade or tenth, every teacher kicked the year off with this question. In honor of Labor Day and the official end of summer vacation I thought I'd take on this assignment, after all, Confections and Shara's Paperie had a very busy summer!

We started off our summer vacation with new designs for our favorite personalized gifts. We introduced new cutting boards, coasters and water bottles to coordinate with your backyard BBQ. We also came up with new stationery and invitations to put you in the summer mood.

In the stationery world we are always ahead a few seasons so in June we gave you a sneak peek at our new holiday line, complete with reindeer and gingerbread men. Then we took our personalized plates to the next level and created personalized Day of the Week Plates.

We really wanted to end summer with a bang so last week we introduced our newest product, Confections Lucite Trays. To us, these Lucite trays are the last trip before school starts, we've been looking forward to it all summer and it did not disappoint. With an endless possibility of ways to use them and a plethora of designs, we think the Lucite trays are the best way to end our summer.

Now we just have one question for you...how was your summer vacation?

I Love Lucite

I am so excited to introduce our newest edition to the Confections personalized gift line…Lucite trays, available in 3 great sizes!

You can use them to serve drinks and appetizers at a party, to hold the remote on your coffee table, as a cosmetic or jewelry organizer…the possibilities are endless!

Each tray includes a vinyl, reversible insert that can be personalized on both sides, creating two different looks.

We wanted to create a great product that is durable and easy to clean and that’s exactly what we were able to do with these trays. The vinyl that we use is created to be sturdy and infinitely reusable, no worries if it gets wet. To clean the tray, simply slip out the insert and wash gently with soap and water. The insert can also be wiped down with a damp cloth.

We love our Lucite trays and think you will too! Let us know what you think and what uses you come up with for your personalized Lucite tray!

Click here to view the collection!

We have the BEST clients!

Today’s blog is dedicated to you, our clients. It’s because of each and every one of you that we are able to do what we do. What we love even more than creating new designs and fun products is the reaction we get from our wonderful clients.

We wanted to share these kind thoughts from two of our clients…

I began shopping at Shara's soon after the store opened. My daughter and I love beautiful paper and Shara's is a feast for the eyes. The array of unique papers, cards, invitations and accessories give Memphis a shopping experience such as one would find in a larger city like Chicago or Atlanta.The best thing about Shara's is Shara! She remembers my "likes" and taste and she goes out of her way to ask about my family. Her support staff is great!Shara's is a business that is hard to find today, one with a friendly, hard-working shopkeeper, knowledgeable employees and lovely products.-Lisa

I’m reminded of the time when we met. I brought to you a sketchy idea and my baby's life in a few photos shopping for an invite to her graduation party. You framed this concept with your words in the loveliest invite. It's like you knew her your whole life! You have a special way of personal service with intuitive insight, so much like an artist. And, you have been consistent with my expectations.I so appreciate your artistic talents and personal touch that have delighted my family and added so much to "start the party". –Mona

Shara’s Paperie opened in 2004 and because of our extraordinary clients we were able to create Confections by Shara’s Paperie three years later. We would not have been as successful or grown so much if it wasn’t for our clients.

The Shara’s Paperie and Confections by Shara’s Paperie team want to thank all of our clients! We love what we do and are so happy that you do too!

Please and Thank You

On a recent vacation we stopped by the Henry Ford Museum in Michigan where I came across this sign…

It made me think about the importance of manners, courtesy and etiquette even in today’s “modern world”.

One of the most overlooked forms of communication today are handwritten thank you notes. It's easy to thank someone for a gift by shooting them a quick email or posting a message on their Facebook wall. But the reality is a warm, personalized, handwritten thank you note, regardless how short, really lets the recipient know how much you appreciate them. Thank you notes should not only be used when receiving gifts, but following a job interview, as condolence cards and when someone has expressed hospitality, like letting you stay at their house.

Hostess gifs are also a great way to thank someone for having you over, whether for a dinner party or a weekend stay. Unfortunately a lot of people are so busy they don’t think about hostess gifts and thank you notes. Confections has an amazing assortment of custom gifts for every occasion.

Take a look around the Confections website and don’t forget to find us on Facebook and Twitter!