Jingle Bells in June

My past few blog entries have been about summertime, because, well it is summertime! But today I thought I would share what is really going through the minds of the Shara's Paperie team…Christmas!

I know it sounds crazy, especially since here in Memphis it’s been close to 100 degrees almost every day, but the holiday season is all we can think about. And there is a good reason for that.

In our world, we have to be 4-6 months ahead so we can meet our production and print deadlines. So while most people are enjoying the summer heat and hanging by the pool, we are thinking about snow, Santa and hot chocolate.

So when Christmas time does get here, we’ll be thinking about cookouts and pool parties…we are always a few seasons ahead!

Enjoy this sneak peek into our newest holiday collection.

Don't forget to check our Facebook page every day for our secret sale!!

News from Shara's Paperie!

It’s been an exciting week for Confections and Shara's Paperie. First we started working on a new personalized gift that we will be introducing very soon. The prototype came in and it’s even more amazing then we expected. We aren’t quite ready to share all of the juicy details yet, but check back very soon!

The second bit of exciting news for the week is that we received this wonderful email from a client who ordered one of our cutting boards.

Hello! Just wanted to write and let you know that we love the cutting board. Thank you for offering something that is cute and modern! We ordered it to use in the top of a bookshelf my dad was making for my daughter. It is now done, and I thought you'd like to see how it came out. There is even a light under the cutting board -- it looks cool at night!

Thanks!
Sherri

We love hearing from our clients and we were so pleased that Sherri took the time to show us what creative idea she had. What a great idea!

I also wanted to use this blog post to share some upcoming news with you, if you are not Facebook friends with us, you should be! Next week Shara’s Paperie will have a special item on sale everyday! But the only way to know what item is by checking our Facebook page. Click on the button below to become our friend.

Are you ready for summer?

Summer officially started last week with Memorial Day. Pools are now open, temperatures are scorching (at least here in Memphis) and kids everywhere are celebrating.

Longer summer days mean fun family cookouts and pool parties with friends. But are you ready for it all? Let Confections by Shara's Paperie help you have a great summer.

While you are relaxing by the pool watching the kids play an intense game of marco polo, you can enjoy a nice drink from your Confections personalized water bottle.

And as the smell of bar-be-que fills the air, you can use your Confections Cutting Board to display appetizers like fresh fruit, cheeses, or veggies and dips.

Since we are in Memphis we thought it would be appropriate to share one of our favorite bar-be-que recipes with you. Let us know what you think!

The Importance of Color

Take a minute and look around the room. What do you see? No matter what it is, you should see color. We are surrounded every day by color, whether it’s the paint on the walls around us or the flowers and trees outside.

Today I wanted to share this video about Pantone. Pantone, Inc is the world-renowned authority on color. For more than 45 years, Pantone has been inspiring design professionals (including us) with products, services and leading technology for the colorful exploration and expression of creativity.

One of the biggest themes I noticed from this inside look at Pantone is that color conveys feelings and emotions. Because of this it plays an incredibly important role in design, whether its fashion, interior design, graphic design or of course stationery.

Check out the video 360° Color: A Peek Inside Pantone for a closer look. After you watch the video look around our site to see how we use Pantone’s colors as inspiration in our designs.

School's Out...Let the Summer Festivities Begin!

This week marked the end of the school year here in Memphis. And with the extremely warm weather we’ve been having it seems like summer is officially here! That means its time to start thinking about summer camp. Confections by Shara’s Paperie has everything you need to get ready for the season.

One of our most recent additions to the Confections line is personalized luggage tags. Made of hard plastic to withstand everyday use, our custom luggage tags will help your camper keep up with their belongings. Your kids will love these brightly colored tags each with a fun distinctive pattern to set their bags apart from everyone else.

What would summer be without fun outdoors? An important part to being outside during these hot months is to drink plenty of water. You won’t hear any arguments about that when your kids see our fun and stylish water bottles. Our aluminum water bottles hold 20 ounces and come complete with two caps and a hook attachment. Designs are fused to the surface of the bottle for a long lasting finish that is durable and personal.

Summer fun comes with plenty of stains and what could be more useful while away at camp than laundry bags. Sure, laundry bags sound like a mundane object, but when you add our great designs and personalization Confections’ new laundry bags become a must have for the summer.

You will want to know all about your camper’s day and what could be better than personalized stationery. Our stationery is printed on heavy card stock in bright vivid colors. Add your camper’s name with one of our great patterns for a custom look your kids will be excited to write home.

We are adding new gifts and designs to our Confections line every day so check back soon to see what’s new!

Happy Summer Vacation!

New York Stationery Show 2010

I am lucky, really lucky. Every year on the middle of May I get to travel from my home in Memphis, TN to New York City and attend the National Stationery Show. The only show devoted to buyers and sellers of paper, and we all know I LOVE PAPER. The way it feels, smells, looks and the significance it adds to an event. This trade show is something that I look forward to every year. In the world today of texts, emails, Iphones, etc there is nothing like getting somethinng wonderful in the mail. Be it an invitation, greeting card or thank you note. It leaves a mark, a memory and a keepsake for the receiver. And let's face it, you cannot frame a text message.

The Stationery Show this year was covered by the New York Times. A fabulous article on why paper is so important today. Check out the article at http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/05/19/when-its-important-its-paper/.

Happy Reading Everyone!

Don't Forget To Say Thank You

I have talked about the importance of thank you notes before. I love thank you notes, the pretty papers and styles, the fun pens and most importantly sending someone who did something special for me happy thoughts. But I am beginning to understand not everyone feels the same way.

Currently I am interviewing candidates for an open position we have at Shara’s Paperie. Unfortunately I have not been impressed with my potential employees. Not that they aren’t a very qualified group of individuals or anything, but not one has sent me a thank you note for meeting with them.

For all of you college graduates starting the interview process let me give you a piece of advice, no matter how the interview goes you must always send a thank you note. And emails don’t cut it!

Out of courtesy to your interviewer, you need to take the time to sit down and properly construct a thank you note. It only needs to be a few lines that shows your potential boss how much you appreciate them taking time out of their day to meet with you.

Besides don’t you think its fun to find a unique paper that perfectly fits you and personalize it with your name or monogram, and then show it off!