Lucky?

I found a 4 leaf clover this weekend! I'm going to change the usual blog entries about stationery and designs and get a little philosophical on you.

I was thinking a lot about "signs" and luck and debates I've had with a friend on whether luck is even real. I personally think you have everything to do with the "luck" in your life. It doesn't just happen to you, you take an active role in your opportunities. I've been searching clover patches randomly for most of my 38 years looking for one, but this time I had to decide to slow my pace (from a soccer game to a quick lunch) long enough to look down and focus on something other than the trajectory of my life.

It felt like a sign to me; the Unverse winking in my direction and giving me a little affirmation. This has been a long tough year for everyone, I suspect. We've had to make some difficult revisions in the way we conduct our businesses and our lives. Some days are better than others. It might not happen the first time, but if you are patient and keep trying, then it will eventually happen.

Have a great week everyone!

We would like to highlight local artists this holiday season at Margot Madison Stationery. If you, or anyone you know, would be interested in selling their handmade wares, please contact Margot. We are looking for accessories, journals, hand knit items and more!

Don't forget the holiday album presale! Big savings and some are only for this month! Details at my blog: margotmadison.blogspot.com

Holiday Sales are starting

I know it seems shocking but it's never too early to take advantage of the holiday card sales that are going on now through October. Many of our vendors like William Arthur, Boatman Geller, Prentiss Douthit and Designers Fine Press are offering 10% to 15% off, freebies and other savings to encourage you to order before the crazy rush.

To sweeten the deal, Margot Madison Stationery is offering an additional 10% off these deals! Come to the store for details and quickly as some are only offering savings through September.

The latest window design

Well, we've got the next Margot Madison Stationery window completed and I thought I'd share about it.

First, the inspiration photo was from one of my favorite blogs decor8. There was a simple photo of these books stacked as a decorative element in someone's home. I tucked it into my little folder of inspiration images and started the wheels turning.


Our marketing concept was to promote the great gifts our customers can purchase through albums and catalogs of customizable products. We ordered our samples to match the colors we would have in the window: yellows, oranges, and teal greens.

Then I set out to find lots and lots of books. My "mojo" was working for me, and I was able to walk to the "Friends of the Library" sales warehouse just down my street. After much explanation as to why I wanted old paperback books with no care for subject matter, they allowed me to rummage through the recycling bins of books they had. I wasn't sure yet what I would need and just loaded my little car up with as much as would fit. I'll return the books after the window is down and let them make a little money for the recycling. A special thanks to the "Friends of the Library" on that one!

Back to the window now. I rummaged through and put stacks together, taking care to choose the edges that were stained in the red, yellow, orange and teal colors. I used a little Elmer's glue to give them some stability, though they still have a little tendency to teeter a bit. I did buy some ink to stain the edges of some of the books as fill-ins. I set the product on the top of the stacks and was nearly done.

Then I bought a simple curtain panel to hang behind the books to give some more color an continuity to the window. I kept Lindsay's painted Margot Madison "panel" and wrote in the words "Gift ideas By the Books" to tie the window concept together. FYI, since I had to paint the window on the inside (which would be backwards to me) I used a dry erase marker on the outside to sketch out the words and then painted from that template on the inside. Of course, then I wiped off the dry erase on the outside for a clean finish.

Try this website out

My DIY Wedding Day...I thought this was a great resource for our brides. We at Margot Madison Stationery are all about the do it yourself concept. If you've got a steady hand and an eye for detail, we encourage our customers to assemble part or all of the invitations. It can save lots of money and be really fun.

Gender Party by JackandIzzy

I've blogged about Sarah from JackandIzzy before. Sarah is a past and much favored employee of mine! She has gone on to host a wonderful (and overbusy) store on etsy and continues to inspire me with her party planning skills. This latest party was a gender party to announce whether her next baby is a boy or a girl. Even more exciting news is that it was featured on this cool blog called ohbeedoh! Check it out and congratulations Sarah!

Ode to Orange Damask

One of our favorite patterns here at Margot Madison Stationery!

The M:Studio notecards (and all the other products shown) are also now available on our etsy store!

Tailoring the invitation to the budget: DIY

Many of the invitations we're famous for at Margot Madison Stationery have been of the more elaborate variety, like the ones we've done for event planner Colin Cowie. While we love working with unlimited budgets, there are many more invitations we do within a budget.

As Lindsay was preparing a Bar Mitzvah invitation today, I thought it would be a good time to mention that we offer and encourage the option to do your own assembly with your invitations. Many of our customers have saved thousands of dollars off their original quote by doing some adhering of layers, or assembly of bows and more. If we know this up front, we can design the invitation according to your crafting comfort level. We even rent our tape gun and have a little practice session before you leave so you know exactly what to do to get the results you want (without ripping the invitation into shreds!).

The photo above illustrates this. The various pieces of the Bar Mitzvah are cut and ready for our customer to pick up today. She has already assembled the 3 layers of the invitation. Now she will tape and assemble the pocket folder, stack and insert the informational cards, add the printed "belly band" and mail. It takes time and patience (and a learning curve sometimes) but well worth the effort!