a (very!) grand opening

charlotte is a growing city. when we first moved here when i was young, there wasn't much to talk about. now, super targets have sprung up everywhere, two giant malls have been built, and in the spring we are even getting our very own beautiful blue and yellow ikea! while i'm still waiting for a charlotte h&m and zara, we did get a very exciting new addition this weekend: THE PAPER SOURCE!

for those of you that don't know, the paper source is "the premiere seller of fine, handmade papers from around the world", according to its website, but in addition to the bolts and bolts shown below of handmade paper, they also sell a variety of cool gifts, cards, stamps, craft supplies, etc. and i'm in love. lacey and i hit the grand opening (right as the doors opened!) on saturday and spent two hours checking out the goods, watching free demos, eating free coffee and snacks, and taking in all the creative vibes they had to offer. i'm so excited that we now have this store in charlotte!

handmade wrapping paper

gorgeous original holiday cards

one of my very favorites!

journals, calendars, and fun gifties

wall o' stamps

a rainbow of printable cards and envelopes

a delicious spread of my favorite candles - paddywax. they're strong, long lasting, pretty to look at, and inexpensive!

a store after my own heart - a spread of free goodies courtesty of dean and deluca! (lacey and i had already visited dean and deluca that morning for coffee, but there's no rule saying you can't have it twice in one morning, right?!)

cute cute mugs with which i want to fill my cupboards!


lacey rocking a basket full of crafties and christmas presents!

one of the things i like most about the products offered at the paper source is that they're very personal. what other store focuses soley on creating beautifully wrapped presents, handmade and very personal cards and correspondence, and unique gifts for the people that we love? even the toys and gifts offered are reproductions of old-fashioned toys and things you would never find at target. some of them are even fair trade, such as the cute cute knitted animals made by women in africa. i love the paper source because it focuses on beauty, creativity, thoughtfulness, and personal touch - something of which we need a lot more in this consumer-driven economy!