What is it about new stationery that is so damn seductive? Nothing makes me feel like I have the potential to completely reinvent myself as a fascinating, raven-haired novelist like a blank notebook with a beautifully crafted cover. All those blank pages, full of possibility.
I love good paper goods like a toddler loves Frozen crap. The quality of the paper, the typography, the inks… Letterpressing and stiff brown paper and light, diaphanous vellum. I’ve never been one for makeup hauls and beauty bloggers, but if someone made a video channel of themselves opening notebooks and greetings cards, I would watch the shit out of it every single day.
So, here is my latest stationery haul. In the interests of full disclosure, I was gifted the stuff featured in this post, but I was under no obligation to write this. I just have a really big paper crush, & you’re about to get one too.
A subscription box of stationery makes a ton of sense to me – I’m awful at remembering special occasions & invariably have to make something last minute and pretend Orla did it. Getting a regular top-up of greetings cards and notepaper from the lovely Katie Leamon range is a brilliant solution, and a great combat to the hoarding urge that can sometimes take hold of me where stationery is concerned. In this first box there were stickers, a sturdy notebook, a luxury writing set and greetings cards for a range of occasions, all in a lovely kraft package through my letterbox. Subscriptions can be for between one to twelve months, & would make a pretty brilliant Christmas present idea.
This new British printing company kindly sent Orla and I our own bespoke notecards with lined envelopes, causing Orla to exclaim, ‘Grandma will LOVE THIS!‘. She’s already written to Santa with hers, while I’m saving mine for the more Holly Golightly-esque moments in life. Amongst the other beauties in their line are these amazing save the dates I have my eye on, and their personalised greetings card service. And you can grab 15% off using code MEANDORLA. Hurrah!
I’ve mentioned my love for Kartotek before – this Copenhagen-based company’s name translates to ‘card index’ in English, meaning a google search for them yeilds a heady mix of vintage wooden drawer systems and modern, Danish notebooks. Yes please!
Kartotek tread a careful line between minimal, utilitarian style and luxury paper goods that is right up my street. I love their simple wall calendar for 2016 and their dedicated to-do list pad, with a whole dedicated column for ticks.
I discovered Clara Ivy after spotting her ‘phases of the moon’ decal on a friend’s Insta feed. As well as wall stickers she makes insanely perfect paper cuttings, like this sparkly cake topper of dreams. Clara’s offering free postage to readers here with code FREESHIP. Now, where should I stick this beauty?
In the spirit of sharing, I’d love to send one of you a little sample of all this paper loveliness. Comment below & tell me why you need a stationery care parcel to come your way!
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9 Comments
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Rebecca
November 27, 2015
‘diaphanous vellum’, I love it. What a wonderful way with words you have! I would LOVE a stationery care parcel. I too appreciate the beauty of good stationery, and also the joy of getting lovely things in the post, instead of parking fines. I could tell you the ‘x-factor’ style sob story of my parking fine perhaps.. a month or so ago, having just split up with my partner, I found myself staying at my parents house. I wanted to give them some space, so I took my baby boy out for a drive. Baby fell asleep, and feeling a little snoozy myself, I took us to a supermarket car park, where we stayed for the afternoon, napping, playing and eating in our car. I felt sad that afternoon, but I had to laugh at the situation when a parking fine arrived in the post this week for £70, for outstaying the free period allowed in a supermarket car park. So, I would love to receive something as lovely as a stationery car parcel in the post, instead of a silly parking fine 🙂 xx
Shrads
November 26, 2015
Now I love a good care parcel, but a STATIONERY CARE PARCEL? That right there is surely the ultimate in care parcels?!
I don’t know what it is about stationery that renders me a bit Gollum-like. I horde it, sometimes secretly, often not-so secretly. Paper, notebooks, writing tools. Anything. And. Everything.
I’ve always been like this. I remember the trips to WHSmith just before the start of a new school term, oh the joy in selecting some new pencils and rubbers. And oh, if it was time for a new pencil case *squeal*!
But these days, the times are a-changing and we use our devices and our computers for work and organising. Very few of us even write real, proper, handwritten letters anymore. We what’s app, or email or text. And it makes me sad to think that my boys might not know what it is to have a pen pal, and to have the joy of choosing fine stationery.
I, for one, would be over the moon to receive a stationery care parcel. If only to remind me that these things of beauty do still exist in the world. And that there are still those of us who will do our best to make sure they don’t disappear.
Lovely post btw xx
Helen Nye
November 26, 2015
A stationery parcel would be so lovely, I’m currently in the midst of studying Montessori education and working full time as a nanny, with three families with children from newborn up to seven. It would be so wonderful to have something that I could pour all my thoughts into that isn’t covered in food, drawings or that’s been sneezed on!
And beautiful stationery just makes my world go round! x
Jenna Michelle Pink
November 26, 2015
Oh gosh I am a stationary addict. I went I to paperchase yesterday for a sketchbook. Why did I do that to myself? I wanted to buy it all daydreaming about how organised my life old be.
I’m totally in need of a stationary care package BTW; -) were moving house on the 12th. I’ve got lists coming out of my ears on scraps of paper, Cards to send to tell people out new address. So much to do here!! 🙂
doodle
November 25, 2015
Stationary is the spice of life
rae
November 25, 2015
So in love with all of this stationary! The problem with stationary though, is that I tend to buy it but never use it!
Rae | Love from Berlin
Chloe Organ
November 25, 2015
Hi! Have just stumbled across your blog and it’s fantastic! I have a love for beautiful stationary – journals to document important life moments and messages, notebooks for scribbling endless to-do lists, notepaper for writing personalised, love filled letters…oh the list could go on! As a new-mama returning to work shortly I would love to receive a stationary care package to keep me going through the first tough few weeks. Chloe xxx
Alyssa J Freitas
November 25, 2015
I would watch a channel dedicated to paper too and love it far more than any beauty or style channel! I need a stationary care package because I literally just used my last personalized notecard and am having some serious withdrawal. Only more paper can save me.
Liz
November 25, 2015
Hi! I, too, am a major lover of stationary and all things office, paper, notebook, pens, etc. Thanks so much for these tips of some paper companies that I have not heard of yet – super dangerous for me, though. I am setting an intention for myself for 2016 to write more – pen to paper. And, to do it in conjunction with the phases of the moon actually. The recipient of my handwritten letters? My friends and family in the United States. You see, I’m an expat in Sweden, and while texting and FaceTiming is possible and good, there is nothing like receiving something in the mail. Something to save and touch and smell. Should I receive a little stationary care parcel in the mail from you, I would most definitely use it for my intentional monthly snail mail love letters to my family and friends back “home”.
Thank you so much for being such an inspiration + for sharing your creativity with us. Your blog and instagram feed are just beautiful.
All the best,
Liz