Vendor Spotlight: Jolie Papeterie Boutique…

Vendor Spotlight: Jolie Papeterie Boutique…

Sometimes you meet people in the wedding industry or in any industry and you can feel their passion for what they do and the satisfying feeling they get when their product makes other people happy. It may be by chance that you interact but when you get to know them you can’t wait to share their story with everyone else. That’s how I feel about Nicola and Stephane of Jolie Papeterie Boutique, who specialize in custom handmade wedding, corporate, and special events stationery…

Getting to Know Jolie Papeterie Boutique…

When my husband and I got married in 2007 we didn’t find any stationery that fit the look we were going for, so we ended up designing our own which gave a unique feel for our wedding which had a vintage flare.  A year later my sister’s wedding was coming up, and the lady at the bridal store where I got my dress suggested that I start designing invitations as I had a knack for it. She thought I would do well.  In March 2010, after many months of planning, my husband and I decided to officially launch Jolie Papeterie Boutique which is French for ‘Pretty Stationery Store.’

Working Together…

Working with my husband who specializes in illustration and graphic design has its own unique challenges.  Sometimes we see eye to eye but other times we butt heads and it can be hard to settle on something we both love.  On that note however we work well together, and our relationship as a couple has developed stronger over time.
When we launched Jolie Papeterie, our goal was to stray away from traditional invitations and design unique one-of-a-kind stationery.  We have found that our vintage carnival invitations and our ‘Minimalista’ invitations which boast a large ampersand and are graphically intriguing are our most popular invitations.  We like to use bold colours and we do not use stock imagery which sets us apart from many other designers out there.  All of our designs are original and unique.

Creating Something Special…

One of the best parts of our job is working with people.  We love working with brides and grooms and creating something special for them to set the tone for their special day.  Most couples have an idea of what they want and others look to us for direction which gives us a great chance to be creative.  The best part is, we’re married and have been through the process before.  We know how stressful planning a wedding can be so we take pride in being efficient and easy to work with.

The Next Step…

Our goal in the future is to own a studio space where we can showcase our work and meet clients.  Right now we work out of our home which has its ups and downs.  We have two young children which can be a little distracting!  What we love about owning our own company is the ability to be as creative as we possibly can when designing our stationery and also to work from home and take care of our children.
Starting Jolie Papeterie was no easy task by any means.  We’re a licensed company, we designed our own website and did all of our own advertising.  It took us a good six months or so just to get set up.  This is by no means a hobby for us but our livelihood.  A lot of work goes into each and every piece of stationery we design and we look forward to making your day special.

Read More

7 Grocery Shopping Mistakes …

7 Grocery Shopping Mistakes …

Grocery shopping is something we all have experience with, and yet, for some reason, we always seem to make the same mistakes. I still make them, I’ll confess. So, this article is just as much to me as to anyone else. Here are 7 shopping mistakes I’m sure a lot of us make, and what we can do to fix them!

1. Over-buying

Let it be said, never go to the store hungry, it only makes this mistake worse. We see this huge bag of grapes, that bunch of bananas, a huge bag of apples, not to mention the oranges and the kiwi….and before you know it, our buggy is full. The sad thing is, at least half of that fruit is going to go to waste because we can’t eat it all before it starts going bad. The best rule of thumb, when buying perishable items, is to buy in small quantities and go to the store more frequently. While your Walmart or Kroger may be too much of a drive to do 2 or 3 times a week, most all of us have a little small town grocery not far from us. Do your main shopping at Walmart and then pick up as needed at your local grocer. By doing this, not only are you keeping your money from going to waste, you’re also helping a small town business out as well.

2. Forgetting About Coupons

They may be a bit of trouble to have to clip out of the paper, but let me tell you, they can save you so much money, you would faint if you knew! I have friends that go to the store with coupons and get over $100 worth of groceries for about $20 or $30. No kidding! There was even one time that the store actually owed them a few cents, and they ended up paying nothing! It’s all in understanding about coupons and how to use them. Once I’ve learned all their tricks, I’ll try to do an article about them to share with you if you’d like.

3. Buying Junk

This is a mistake that the average American makes on a regular basis. We are addicted to junk food, and this addiction is just about as bad as any drug addiction out there, as it is just as harmful to our bodies. I know that we all like an occasional snack cake or Dr. Pepper, just try to make sure your fruits and veggies and other good food outweighs your junk food. It’s a good idea to only buy one junk food item a week, and treat them as special rewards rather than everyday foods. Your kids might not like you right now, but when they’re older and more healthy, they’ll be glad you cared enough about them to limit their junk food.

4. Shopping Without a List

Make a list at home, check it twice and stick to it. Don’t let yourself stray, even for that bag of donuts.

5. Taking Too Long

It’s easy to get caught up in everything at Walmart and quickly lose track of time. However, the longer you stay in a play flowing with food, the more apt you are to get way too much. Limit your time. If you have older kids or a husband that likes to have fun, split the grocery list and have a race to see who can have all the stuff on the list in the buggy and up to the register first. By doing this, you don’t have time to stare at the candy and cake aisle and talk yourself into buying something you know you don’t need. Get the basics and get out!

6. Ignoring Nutrition

It’s ok to be one of those shoppers that takes their time to look at the labels of the stuff they’re wanting to buy. We need to know that we’re eating. We need to be aware of our calorie intake as well as fat intake. Pay attention to what you’re eating and make wise decisions on what’s best to feed your family. Try to find stuff high in fiber and low in fat. Don’t get something just “because it looks good” but rather because it is good.

7. Going Close To Bedtime

I’ll admit, I love to shop at Walmart later at night. I don’t have to deal with lots of people and I enjoy it better. However, if you have younger children with you, it’s never a good idea to choose this time to shop. All you get is a headache and lots of people ready to see you leave. There have been so many times I’ve been at the store and had to follow a mother with her young child and listen as that baby cried, wanting it’s bottle and bed, and yet Mommy had so much shopping to get done, that baby didn’t matter right then. Choose to do your shopping in the daytime when baby is in a good mood, and isn’t hungry or tired. You’ll leave in a much better mood as will your baby. Trust me, it will be a much better experience!

Grocery shopping is something we all mess up on, but heeding these 7 grocery shopping mistake warnings, perhaps you’ll have a better experience in the future. Do you have any other ideas to add to this article? If so, please share!

Read More