Paris Trip Part 1: getting there

photos of the The Seine & me standing in the Place de la Concorde (Champs-Elysées & Arc de Triomphe in background).

Paris Trip Part 1: Getting There

I can't believe it's already been a couple weeks since i've returned from Paris but I had the most wonderful time. Time is now flying by as I prepare for the National Stationery Show in New York but I wanted to post about my trip before too long.

I thought I'd post in 3 parts.. why i decided to go, my pictures , and my compilation of suggestions and tips for those planning their own Parisian getaway.

I decided to go to Paris very last minute and started planning the trip about 2 weeks before I left. I've been working so hard, non-stop for the past year and a half and it really started to take a toll on me after the new year. I felt like I just needed to get away for a week to recharge and find some new creative inspiration. So, I gave myself a reasonable budget and started looking at renting a house or apartment in a US city. On a whim I researched the cost of a trip to Paris (it's always been a dream to go) and was shocked to find it was coming out around the same price. So, why not? I hunted down a great 1 bedroom apartment for an amazing rate in Le Marais and booked the trip. 

I'm not a big planner, especially when I travel. I like to have some things planned and to be prepared to find my way around but I also love being spontaneous and the freedom to just wing it. So, I gathered all your wonderful suggestions (which were so helpful and I will organize & post into Part 3), downloaded some great apps (Paris Metro, maps, and a translator) and was on my way! 

the corner of the apartment building I stayed in in Le Marais (4th Arr.) and my work desk overlooking the courtyard.

The point of the trip was to see new things/creative inspiration, work on new product designs, and try to promote Rifle Paper Co. to a some shops in Paris. I rented an apartment so that I'd have a great workspace during the trip and immediately set up a desk area by my courtyard window. My overseas office consisted of my painting materials (paints, paper, and brushes), my laptop, travel scanner, and portable hard drive. 

I decided to explore the city each morning for inspiration and then came back to the apartment late afternoon to relax , sketch, and work. I have to say, it worked out wonderfully and I fell in love with Paris. It was everything (and more) that I hoped it would be. Oh, the cafes! I don't think you have to go far away or exotic to be able to recharge but it's something that I think is so important for anyone who works hard. It made me realize how little time I was taking on a daily basis to just relax and enjoy myself so I'm trying to make that a priority and I already see how it helps me work better. For example, I used to rush out to get lunch and often brought it back to eat at my desk while i worked. I've decided to take a longer lunch break and walk, instead of drive, to a place to eat and read a book while I'm there.. that little change has already made a huge difference. It's easy to forget that the breaks can actually make you work more efficiently. So, in that sense, the trip was wonderful for me. I feel refreshed, recharged, and full of new ideas.

On monday I'll post my photos from the trip and on wednesday i'll organize your tips and my own for visiting Paris (and traveling solo)...

-anna

p.s. Happy Easter Weekend!

all photos by Anna Bond

happy friday + bug cards + sale

happy friday! I realized I never posted about these little bug cards.. I created them exclusively for Anthropologie and you can find them in their retail shops (U.S. & UK) or online as an assorted boxed set.

also... save 15% off our entire 'Featured' section in the Rifle Paper Co. store which includes Easter, Mother's Day, and gift picks for mom. Use code 'SPRINGHOLIDAY' at checkout now through May 8th.

i hope you have a lovely weekend! I haven't had time to go through my Paris pictures yet so I'll be posting them next week. I'm definitely feeling the pressure of the National Stationery Show now which just around the corner (just a few weeks! eek!). I'll be working extra overtime to wrap up lots of new designs.. this weekend is dedicated to new Christmas cards so I'll have to break out the holiday jams to get into the spirit :)

book-themed invitations for Martha Stewart Living

my mom just texted me (love it) that the May issue of Martha Stewart Living is out which features our illustrated book-themed baby shower invitations. I was so excited to work on this suite. The theme is SO adorable and I love how the whole feature came out.. so whimsical and charming and I love everything about vintage children's books. 

You can also download the clip art for the invite, bookmark, and bookplate on the Martha Stewart website for free right here!

p.s. I am back home in Florida after a wonderful trip to Paris. Yes, I am going through pastry withdrawal but I'm also happy to be back home with Nathan and back to work refreshed with loads of new inspiration. I hope to recap the trip with lots of pictures later this week!

bonjour from paris!

Bonjour from Paris! It's been a crazy trip so far (hello lost luggage) but I'm loving every minute and I've fallen in love with Paris. I've been gathering loads of creative inspiration, stuffing my face with pastries and wearing out my poor feet from walking so much. I also love my quaint little apartment in Le Marais where I've set up shop creating new designs in front of my window overlooking the courtyard.

huge thanks for all your suggestions. The main point of trip is to finish designs so I know i can't see everything but I'm trying to explore all that I can. I'll share pictures and recap the trip after I return!

anna

iphone photo & text by Anna Bond 

michel delacroix

I love French artist Michel Delacroix's view of Paris. above, Le Remorqueur

image via here.

style stealing...

if i could snag anyone's style to the T it'd likely be Clémence Poésy's... 

images via Vogue UK & Tatler

monday eye candy

in honor of my trip to Paris... French actor Romain Duris. 

Have you guys seen Heartbreaker? So cute! it's streaming on Netflix if you have it... I put it on while I was working last night to get into the French spirit 

paris in spring!

1. juniper rose scarf  2. chic LBD from Anthro  3. Arches watercolor paper & brushes  4. Madame Bovary  5. sandals from Madewell  6. striped sweater  7. straw fedora  8. I dream of Chloe bags...  9. vintage French phrase book

I bursting with excitement because in a week I leave for Paris. I've rented a little apartment and am hoping to wrap up all our new designs that will debut at the National Stationery Show. I normally wouldn't do something so crazy to finish designs but when I was looking for places to get away I realized that Paris was actually just as reasonable as my original plan of flying to Seattle and staying in a hotel. I've also decided to be spontaneous in life whenever possible... so Paris it is!

I've dreamed of going for so long... and was still heartbroken after I had to miss a trip back in college when I lost my passport 2 days before I was supposed to leave. TRAGIC. (I found the passport 4 years later stuck in a random book). So, any Parisian tips for me? I'd love to hear! The apartment I rented is in the 4th arrondissement, I speak about 5 words of French, I'm on a pretty strict budget, and will be traveling solo.. 

eye candy

Mr. Joseph Gordon-Levitt. I love him & Zooey Deschanel in 500 Days of Summer...

via Esquire

happy friday + snapshots

happy friday! I'd thought I'd share a few recent iPhone snapshots...

top to bottom, left to right:

1. our bedroom after painting our walls black (Benjamin Moore's 'midnight').. i love how it came out! inspired by this post  

2. vintage persian rug i bought from here for our living room. I love the pattern & the bird characters  

3. my inspiration pin board in my office  

4. my (always) messy desk  

5. spring window display for the storefront that Janelle is making for us out of tissue paper  

6. wall in my office as I plan our new line & prep for the National Stationery Show in May 

the tides

oh, i love me some Kelly Wearstler and the color palette at the Tides hotel in South Beach, Miami! I'd love to stay there someday soon.. I could use a weekend at the beach and I STILL haven't been to Miami since I moved to Florida.

images via here.

new spring goods in the shop!

We've got some new spring stationery in the shop! I've been working hard on lots of new goods, most of which will debut at the National Stationery Show in May, but some before then like these. As you can probably see, I've been inspired by bold colors and florals and these new cards are happy and fun to welcome in the new season. 

check out all of the new goods here (including Easter cards) and enjoy 10% off everything in our Featured section of favorite picks by using code SPRING10 at checkout now through March 28th.

Left to Right, Top to Bottom: assorted insect card set, 8x10 citrus print, garden thank you card, whimsical forest thank you card, floral burst birthday card, citrus card (also avail. assorted).

www.riflepaperco.com

mem & ron's house... and the things that shape us

photos by Anna Bond

first of all.. sorry for the lack of posts this week or so! I've been super busy and have been trying to create some new products and just found myself needing a little break from the hustle and bustle of the internet. Sometimes it can be a bit too much, no? 

Lately I've been thinking a lot about what's really shaped me creatively as I've gotten older.. I found some old designs I did and thought "gah, how could i make such a hideous thing!?" which made me realize how much I've really found my own voice and what I truly love and what inspires me. I'm so much more comfortable with myself in so many ways (oh you just wait 10 year high school reunion...). I've also thought about the homes and places I frequented when i started noticing that all of these antiques and pieces I'd love to incorporate into my home reminded me so much of my grandmother's house. I didn't fully realize how much her style and her home has affected me and shaped my tastes. There are so many little things like that that I've been trying to notice and appreciate.

I'll post some photos from her house next week but first up I wanted to share some from my great aunt & uncle's home.. Mem & Ron I call them. Uncle Ron passed away last week and he will surely be missed. He was an amazing person and like a grandfather to me in so many ways. I took the photos above a few years ago and love the way they capture their home. Found objects on a windowsill, the workshop Ron built nearly everything in, wind sculptures he created, family photos lining the walls, Ron's office with mounds of books (he was a professor at Penn State), and Mem (the love of his life) down the hall. They used to live in an old farmhouse but moved to this house down the road when stairs and the size became an issue but it still sits on the same land with orchards, barns piled high with junk to discover, a creek, and greenhouse.. endless areas to discover as a kid. I'm incredibly happy that I have those memories and hope I can continue a bit of Uncle Ron's zest for life..

monday eye candy

Mr. Ryan Gosling + Ms. Michelle Williams.. 

via W

happy cocktail weekend

have a wonderful weekend! I've been working hard trying to spruce up our place and my deadline is my Saturday night cocktail party for a few close girlfriends (it's still to be determined if I will actually succeed).

in honor of cocktail parties everywhere here's a little roundup of favorite party goods..

1. Rachel Menken from Mad Men (one of my favorite scenes.. I love that zebra wallpaper) + Mai Tai recipe  2. pink cocktail napkins  3.  metal cocktail stirrers  4. Vintage Cocktails book (I have this and love it)  5. the quick little invite I threw together for my party  6. starburst coasters  7. gold polka dot glasses  8. cocktail shaker

p.s. what's your favorite cocktail? I'm trying to put together a little menu of classic drinks.