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Posts Tagged ‘stationery’

Stylish Correspondence…Via App

Thursday, February 3rd, 2011

Minneapolis-based RedStamp is so smart. Rather than decrying the Evites of the world, this stationery company is evolving its definition of “stylish correspondence.”  So as of today, there is an app for that.

The 99-cent RedStamp app features digital versions of modern stationery designs with pre-written sentiments that can be sent via text or posted on Facebook and Twitter. So rather than a perfunctory email or text the morning after a lovely dinner party with friends (or the guilt a week later, because you intended to hand write a note but never quite got around to it), you can quick, send a pretty card befitting the occasion – virtually. Simple, sophisticated, stylish.

I’m so impressed by the way RedStamp founder Erin Newkirk uses technology to her advantage while some of her competitors simply hope consumers will return to paper when they want to show class.

“We are in the business of making relationships stronger,” Newkirk’s partner Lindsay DiLorenzo says. “And with the rise of social media and mobile everything, there are so many more opportunities to communicate. Faster. Easier. Better. Our charge is to blend the thrill of modern technology with the grace of stylish correspondence. We still love and believe in the handwritten note, but entirely embrace and encourage communication digitally as well. It’s the shared sentiment that matters most.”

Mara Mi’s big store

Wednesday, June 16th, 2010

Love when national brands celebrate their hometown. Stillwater-based Gartner Studios, which makes stationery and invitations sold everywhere from Target and Wal-Mart to Anthropologie and independent boutiques, has closed its Pulp Fashion paper shop in downtown Stillwater to build a bigger store, cafe and studio across the street under the name of one of the brand’s higher end lines, Mara-Mi. The flagship store will feature the entire Mara-Mi line plus Russell + Hazel, which Gartner acquired last year, and custom invitations. And hoping to fill the void left by Starbucks, the store will include a cafe with light lunch fare and cupcakes (yes, brides, they can be custom ordered for events.) If it’s a hit, the cafe could expand to evening hours and perhaps even serve wine. Gartner Studios will be located upstairs. Sounds extremely promising. The opening is scheduled for mid July.

Stylish women like office supplies

Friday, July 20th, 2007

I stopped by the Summer Salsa Party last night at Russell + Hazel’s flagship store at 44th and France in Edina. The place was packed with extremely well-dressed women. This was not the jeans-and-lingerie top crowd. Most of the women, who looked to be professionals in their 30s to 50s, were wearing chic pantsuits or playful dresses with killer heels. And free margaritas weren’t the only draw – these girls were buying! The 20 percent off store-wide discount was enough for me to finally pick up the clear acrylic address holder I’ve been eying for some time. So much more attractive than a bulky black Rolodex. The sleek desks and colorful paper sets inspire more than an organized office — it’s the organized lifestyle we’re all seeking, where everything seems so tidy and modern. Locally based Russell + Hazel, sold nationally, treats office supplies like a fashion statement (introducing a new color palate every season), and clearly, people respond. I couldn’t help thinking that if Alfred’s – the former "boutique department store" that occupied this great space – had been able to draw such a crowd, it would still be in business.


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