stuff we all get

I have safely and happily returned from The National Stationery Show (even though I am still slowly recovering and adjusting to "store life" again!). I'll be re-capping over the next couple of weeks, but first I want to share with you one of my most favorite parts of The Stationery Show... THE SWAG!


I scored big this year... (especially with the help of Jane over at simple + pretty)! I got some really great goodies from a. favorite design, BirdDog Press, Crane & Co, Graphic Image, and Ladies of Letterpress.


Not to mention all of the tote bags I scored! Thanks to Ink + Wit, Ladies of Letterpress, Night Owl Paper Goods, Sapling Letterpress, Tallu-lah, and Tiselle, I'll be sporting some super cool totes around town!

More Stationery Show talk soon...

it's here {national stationery show}!

This weekend I am headed to New York for the most anticipated week of my whole year... The National Stationery Show! Last year was my first year and I've been counting down the days until going again. I just can't wait, it has become quite an obsession of mine over the past few weeks. I've been receiving a ton of really inspirational, exciting, and beautiful mail lately and I'll tell you, it's much better than receiving just bills. So fun!


I am so excited to see many of my favorite companies that we already work with including Smock, Wiley Valentine, Elum, the Found, Hello Lucky, Cavallini, and more + I am very excited to see a few favs that I haven't seen in awhile including BirdDog Press and a. favorite design. Not to mention all of the new companies that are on my list! Looks like I'll be one busy (and sociable) girl!

photos via linda + harriett, bluepoolroad, and girl of all work

Here is a little sneak peek at some things that I am super excited for... Linda + Harriett's 2011 calendar, new noteblocks from Crane & Co, coasters by Peggy Wong for Crane & Co, and some new office supply items from Girl of All Work. The list goes on and on and on... New York, here I come!

mother of the year contest

It's that time of year again... it's time to celebrate mom! Why not celebrate mom by entering her into the Third Ward Merchant's Mother of the Year Contest?

This is a fabulous contest... I'm a little jealous that I'm not a mother, I'd love to win these prizes! The grand prize pampering package is valued at $1,000! This grand prize includes a private shopping night at Broadway Paper, a private shopping night at Sprout, a $100 gift certificate to The Home Market, a $150 gift card to Falcon, a $150 gift card to Neroli Salon & Spa, vouchers to see a performance at the Skylight Theatre. Plus gifts from Palms Bistro, Lorena Sarbu, Milwaukee Cupcake Company, and many more.


To enter, send an e-mail describing a deserving mom in 250 words or less to mothersdaycontestTW@gmail.com.

Nominations should include:
Name
Address
Phone Number and E-mail Address
All nominees must live in Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Washington, or Waukesha counties.

Hurry and get your nominations in since they are due by tomorrow, May 5th. Winners will be announced May 6th! Best of luck to you and your deserving mom!

merchant social

Tomorrow is the Historic Third Ward's Merchant Social and you're invited! If you live, work, or just simply love the Third Ward... then this is a must-attend event for you!

A few local merchants and Broadway Paper are putting on this event (hopefully quarterly) in hopes of promoting a more unified and happenin' neighborhood! This is your chance to meet business owners of local shops, fellow workers, shoppers, and friends of the neighborhood.


The event will be held immediately after the work day from 5 until 7pm. Who doesn't love a little fun right after work, right? The event will be held at Ryan Braun's Waterfront Grill and hopefully it'll be nice enough to gather out on the deck!

There will be a few giveaways from local merchants including Broadway Paper, The Home Market, and others. And of course, a party wouldn't be complete without cupcakes from Milwaukee Cupcake Co. While you're eating your cupcake, you'll be able to view a slideshow of the Third Ward from over the years.

If you're on twitter, please follow @merchantsocial to hear about the latest Merchant Social news. And if you're on Facebook, check out the Merchant Social fan page here. We hope to see you tomorrow at the Third Ward's Merchant Social!

spring gallery night

It's that time of the year... Tonight is Gallery Night in Milwaukee's Historic Third Ward. It's one of my favorite times of the year. People fill the streets and all of those yummy food carts are on every corner! I'm definitely working up an appetite for the evening... for food and art!

Broadway Paper is proud to display the work of Sylke Vonk. Vonk is a Milwaukee based children's photographer and tonight she will be displaying art from her current “Land of Childhood” series. The Land of Childhood Photography is photography of, about and for children.




Vonk will be here alongside her amazing work... It's a great chance to actually meet the artist! The art is already hanging in the store and looks beautiful! Definitely come by to take a look! Oh and on Saturday, kids can create a drawing and enter it into the “Who can draw the Wildest Thing” contest.

Join us:
Friday April 16th from 5 to 9 PM
Saturday April 17th from 12 to 4 PM

national geographic

I have some very exciting news to share. . . Broadway Paper is mentioned in National Geographic!

We're mentioned in their April 2010 Smart Traveler edition! I had been getting calls, emails, Facebook messages, tweets about this and I finally picked one up the other day. And yes, all of the rumors are true... we're mentioned (on page 24 to be exact). It felt pretty great checking out at the bookstore, like I had a big secret... and once I got home I just stared at page 24. I couldn't take my eyes off of it!


The National Geographic article talks about what they call The New Industrial Revolution and how certain cities across the country have remade themselves... our neighborhood, Milwaukee's Historic Third Ward, made the cut!


And Broadway Paper also made the cut... National Geographic deems Broadway Paper a mecca for stationery lovers! I'm blushing just writing this... really?!? How honored and thrilled are we!


If you subscribe or you find yourself browsing through National Geographic at your local bookstore, flip to page 24! You'll see for yourself... the words... mecca for stationery lovers...

new handmade paper racks!

We've had some major changes happen in the store lately... these changes were in the works for months and they finally happened! I couldn't be more thrilled with the results. I've put together a little photo story to show off our changes!

The main goal of the project was to better display our fabulous selection of handmade papers and so I thought to install paper racks on the back wall of the store to accomplish this. In order to do this though, many things had to happen. We needed to build the racks, move lots and lots of heavy and bulky paper fixtures, install the racks, and hang the paper.

Here are some before shots of the back of the store prior to the changes...



Our huge Waste Not Paper fixture was positioned in the middle rear of the store. It worked visually, but hid the wooden flat files that the handmade papers were stored in. I knew I wanted to move the paper fixture and also display the handmade papers rather than store them inside of flat files.

So we started on the project months ago... probably around the beginning of the year. Lots of sketching, planning, measuring, deliberating, more measuring, and more deliberating...

Sunday morning...The moving begins...





We cleared the whole floor in order to install the racks. We had a mini dance party before they went up since it was so strange to have such a large vacant space in the store. And it was wild to see the back wall of the store so bare... it didn't stay that way for long though!

Our next step is to attach the racks to each other and then install them to the wall...




And they're up... aren't they just beautiful?!?!



So, ten and a half long and laborious hours later and with the help of six helpers we finally have new handmade paper racks on the back wall of the store and our Waste Not Paper fixture is on the side wall of the store. Phew!





This change is huge for the store and I absolutely love it... It opens up the floor and it also displays our great selection of handmade paper. Thank you to all of my friends and family who helped with this project and a very special thank you to my dad who built the racks from scratch and spent endless hours planning, sketching, sawing, and building. I've always been so grateful and so excited to come to work everyday, but now with a rearranged store and my newly built racks... I am even more excited and thrilled to come to work. I run into the store in the mornings, flip on the lights and swoon... thank you dad!

Stop in to see our new changes or shop our extensive handmade paper selection online on our webstore.

world's smallest package

It was my birthday last month and I received the cutest (and smallest) package in the mail. My good friend from college sent me a world's smallest package along with a pretty adorable message inside.





I was so surprised to get this little package in the mail and so delighted to read that my friend thinks I am as cute as a button! This is my new favorite gift item to send to friends and family... who wouldn't want to get a world's smallest package?

design sponge

I am so proud to announce that we've made the list for Design Sponge's city guide of Milwaukee! It is such an honor to be mentioned in their city guide. I've been waiting months (maybe even years) for Design Sponge to put out a guide of Milwaukee. I've used their guides on many various trips to Amsterdam, Brussels, Montreal, and New York.


I guess I personally don't really need a guide to Milwaukee, but I always felt that their could be one on Design Sponge since Milwaukee has so many great things to offer! Now there is a guide for Milwaukee and I am so delighted that Broadway Paper made the cut! There are a lot of really great mentions and ideas in the city guide including a ton of really great local restaurants. Read all about it here!


images from designspongeonline.com

a shakespearean showcase

We're extremely thrilled to be a part of another amazing bridal show this weekend. This bridal show takes us all the way up to Kohler, Wisconsin. Yes, it's where Kohler appliances are made... and I couldn't be more excited since I have a bit of an obsession with Kohler appliances. I am hoping this showcase will be just as fancy as their appliances!


Another reason why this bridal show will be so great is that it is a Shakespearean showcase and word on the street is that there will be a special appearance by Romeo and Juliet! Swoon! Join us at the the beautiful American Club in Kohler, Wisconsin this Saturday from 5-8pm for An Engagement of Romance.

new product: bloom cards

We have some new products in the store and I am so excited to share them with you! I first saw these bloom cards in New York while I was at the International Gift Fair in January and I knew we had to have them! These are a really fun alternative to the usual greeting card. Don't get me wrong, I love the usual greeting card... but these are especially fun this time of the year since they scream Spring!



These bloom cards are pop-up cards and unfold into a really lovely floral message. They are a perfect addition to the store... So vibrant and whimsical! They can be used as a greeting card, post card, or even a gift tag.


However you'd use them, the recipient would be very surprised and touched with such a nice card! Stop in for your bloom card or shop online here.

2010 calendars on sale!

Our whole collection of 2010 calendars are on sale. That's right, every single calendar in the store... get them while they last! Our whole selection of calendars and planners from Delphine, the Found, Moleskine, momAgenda & myAgendza, Pearl & Marmalade, Simplesong, and Snow & Graham are all 50% off.


Stop by the store or shop our sale calendars right here.

current bridal promotions

It's the wedding season and still the month of love, so we thought we'd celebrate by offering our brides numerous different promotions! If you're in the market for wedding invitations... this is the time to start making it happen since these deals are pretty amazing and unbeatable!

Crane & Co. has a wonderful promotion going on right now for orders of 100 invitations or more. Through April 12th, all engraved and letterpress orders will receive free invitation and return address dies. All thermography and flat print orders will receive free return address printing on outer envelopes.


Elum is offering complimentary single color invitation envelope and reply envelope printing at no charge, if you place a custom letterpress invitation order this week.


Prentiss Douthit is offering free return address printing on orders from all albums and orders from their newest Primrose album (which is gorgeous) will receive 10% off as well as free return address printing. This promotion is good through this week.


The Happy Envelope is offering 50% off all stationery that is purchased with a wedding invitation and reply. Quantities must be greater than 75 and excludes letterpress and envelope printing. This sale is good through March 31st!


Real Card Studio is providing free return address printing or 50% off coordinating stationery with your invitation order. The order must include at least 3 pieces and is good until April 30th.


Spark is offering up to 50 table cards or 100 folded or flat place cards at no additional charge when an order of at least two wedding day items (programs, menus, place cards, gift tags…) is purchased. Ink colors must match the other wedding day items and the offer ends May 31st


Wiley Valentine is offering 10% off all custom wedding invitation orders through March 31st.


Be sure to make it in soon to take advantage of one of these great promotions! And although an appointment is not necessary, we do encourage them. We would like to be as prepared and available for you as you deserve. Feel free to call the store today to make an appointment with one of our bridal consults and don't forget to visit us this Sunday at Milwaukee's premiere wedding experience!

milwaukee's magnificent bride

One week from today marks the date of Wisconsin's premiere wedding experience! Milwaukee's Magnificent Bride will be held at The Pfister Hotel on Sunday, February 28th from 11am until 4pm.

If you are a bride getting married in Wisconsin, this is a must attend show! This is the fifth year of the wedding show and we're honored to be in it again... we simply cannot wait! We'll be located on the 7th floor in the Hall of Presidents. It'll be so fancy!


The afternoon will involve the state's most elegant and exclusive wedding vendors, lots of champagne, fabulous food, inspiring workshops, and the latest trends in wedding design.

Another great aspect of this wedding show that sets this experience a part from any other is that David Caruso of Dynamic Events will put on two very informative and inspirational workshops at 1pm and 2:30pm. In addition, a grand prize from Boston Store Furniture Gallery will be given to one lucky bride!

The tickets are $35 at the door for this exclusive event or you can buy your tickets online for $25 before Feburary 26th. If you've ever heard of New York's Wedding Party and if you've ever wanted to go, you can go to Milwaukee's own version. Join us a week from today for the time of your life!

jsonline: handmade cards

We're featured today in Milwaukee's Journal Sentinel. The article explains that handmade cards still hold appeal to people... especially for Valentines Day! This is quite an exciting article for us and for the handmade world!


Our Operation Heartfelt event was featured as well as our guest vendor Mollie from La Familia Green. You can read more about the article here.