Finding Inspiration at The National Stationary Show

Last week I had the opportunity to jet off to NYC for a hot minute (read: under 48 hrs) to attend the National Stationary Show with Alex. I'm always up for an adventure and have a hard time passing up any opportunity to travel, so it was the perfect excuse. 

When I had the boutique, a good portion of our buying was done at trade shows, and since we often attended them twice a year, they're familiar territory. Though they can often feel overwhelming, there's a certain excitement that accompanies a trade show, and those feelings all came rushing back. I'd be lying if I said I didn't get a little nostalgic when wandering through the aisles, starting to mentally put together wish lists for my now non-existent shop. You never know, right?

Since we weren't actually purchasing anything, we were there largely to pick up on trends in the industry, scout out some new talent and gather inspiration. And let me tell you, a stationary show is just the place to do that! 

VIOLET CLAIR

It might be because both days we were at the show I was pretty much colour coordinated with the Violet Clair booth, but all it took was a quick glance at the pastel cards and fun illustrations to   have me smitten with the Brooklyn-based line. Beyond the cards, I loved the sticker sheets filled with NYC, LA and all around girly illustrations, and of course the pins.

BASH PARTY GOODS

One of my favourite parts of the show was getting to connect with a few brands I'd worked with previously but never had the pleasure of meeting in person, and Angela from Bash Party Goods was one I was particularly excited about. You might recognize the party supplies from our Disco Diamond NYE shoot, and it was fun to see how much the line has grown and all of the new products that are now available. I'm particularly obsessed with the Scoops Enamel Pin (no surprise there), and the new foil napkins.