I just wanted to take a breather from researching tiny acrylic cubes to display my favorite cards, sifting through linesheets and catalogs (so many skus!), and tweaking my business plan to give a shout out to stationery people. i’ve been seeking advice on small things and big things and the people that have helped me have never met me. they are simply providing copious amounts of advice from being in the business for a long time and helping out a newbie like me.
it all makes sense though, right? stationery is all about letting people know how you feel, it’s about communicating with one another, it’s about cordiality and etiquette.  it’s about expression and delighting others through sentiment, humor, or design (perhaps all three). so the fact that the people in this industry are so expressive and willing to share does not surprise me – though it does delight me!
so many designers have been so friendly and warm. the ladies who approve attendees at the NSS and the SFIGF (seriously – you wouldn’t need as many credentials to get into the white house) understanding that it’s impossible for a store that has not yet opened to have the proper credentials – and getting me a badge anyway. and a couple of retailers who have been magnificent in advising on everything from store size to opening buys to what wedding albums are must haves. i want to specifically thank Lisa from Serendipity in San Francisco and Julie from Sweet Paper in La Jolla. check out their shops if you live nearby – i’m sure they are as personable and lovely as their owners.
