Modern Monday :: The Stationery Boutique

Next up in our ‘it’s all about paper’ series is Jennifer, owner and founder of the Stationery Boutique. I stumbled across Jen’s shop on twitter which then turned quickly into an online friendship. The many miles between California and Connecticut are the only hurdles keeping us from meeting in person, but one day. She is such a sweet and caring person which you will be able to tell from her interview and her designs. So let’s meet the creative mind behind the Stationery Boutique, shall we?
Tell us about yourself.
Well, let us see… I am a thirty-something wife and stay-at-home mom of two handsome boys. I am a Southern California native. I spent four years in college studying Geology, but ultimately got my Bachelor’s degree in Business Management. Despite the many years I spent in college, I would love to go back to school one day to continue my education. I spend most of my day in the kitchen, it seems. I love to cook and with two growing boys and a husband who loves to work out, I always have hungry mouths to feed. I’m currently training for my first half marathon, which has been an adventure to say the very least. I wasn’t a runner to start with, not sure if I will be when it’s over either. It hurts!

How and why did you create your business?
It all just sort of happened. It wasn’t even really my plan to start a stationery business. But being a military wife, I always thought about ways I could work from home since we move around a lot. I also really wanted to stay home with my kids. I would actually ask myself, “What could I make that someone would want to buy”? All the while I would always make invitations and announcements for my friends and family. Finally one day, my husband had the brilliant idea of making it a business.

So I registered a domain name and started adding items to my online shop. At first, business was very sloooow. I didn’t know much about marketing (despite being a business major) and having two young children, I didn’t have much time to devote to the business. In June of 2008 I came across a little website called Etsy. I created an account but didn’t list anything until February of 2009. That is when the business, slowly but surely, began to take off. Then I started to talk about it on my Facebook page, started tweeting about it on Twitter and eventually put The Stationery Boutique on the online map.

Now I have more envelopes and paper supplies than I know what to do with! Actually, I know what to do with it; I just don’t have the space for it. I’m hoping our next move will allow us to have a room just for me and my paper. As of now, my workspace is my dining room table.

Describe a typical work day for you.
The very first thing I do when I wake up is roll over and check my Blackberry for email messages. I’ll usually stay in bed until the boys wake up at about 7:30 and answer emails, relist items in my Etsy shop, and make a few tweets on Twitter. Once the boys are up, I’m Mom until naptime (sometimes I’ll sneak in a few minutes on the computer here and there when they’re keeping themselves busy). Naptime is when I get the majority of my work done. From about 1:30 to 4:00 I answer more emails, work on proofs, print, fill orders, and design. That’s about all the time I give to the business. Once my husband comes home from work around 5, its dinner and family time. On rare occasion I’ll work on orders once the kids go to bed, but my husband and I love to watch reality TV with a cup of tea once the kids are asleep.

Why did you choose the form of paper to express yourself?
To be honest, I think it chose me! I mean, I’ve always loved paper. Even when I was a kid I used to stock up on Hello Kitty note pads. But did I ever think I’d be a stationery designer? No way! It kind of just happened. And now the more I use paper as a creative outlet, the more I love it. There are really so many things we can create with paper, just gotta use our imaginations.

Where do you draw inspiration from?
Two main things: simplicity + nature. I love simple designs on a blank canvas. Most of my designs feature outdoor elements using one or two colors on white paper. I have always found simple designs very attractive. That is what catches my eye when I shop for stationery.

What are your favorite hobbies?
Going to the beach. Starbucks. Spending time with my family. Not sure if I’d call it a hobby, but these days a lot of running. Sitting around a fire with my boys. Going to Target. Reading my Better Homes & Gardens magazines when the kids go to sleep. Design new stationery. Shopping. Reading. Cooking (not baking!). Did I mention going to Starbucks?

Thank you so much Jennifer for sharing with us!
shop | blog | twitter | etsy | flickr