Well nerds, Black Friday has come and gone, so the holidays are officially on! Fortunately, there’s no shortage of gift guides this year. While I do love the idea of everyone generating their own editorial — and there are so many fabulous guides to discover out there!! — taken all together, the effect can be like that of offering too many choices to the toddler. After all, a point in every direction is the same as no point at all.
While most gift guides succeed or fail depending on how much they intersect with a reader’s taste, for my Stationery Trends readership, which consists primarily of stores, I attempt to present a stylish range of offerings across categories that broadly speak to lifestyle trends as well as whatever’s happening in the zeitgeist. From there, I distill them into personalities — so this week, we examine The Maximalist, for whom more is always more.
Glorious and gorgeous mahjong tiles, then, felt perfect to kick everything off. While “mahj” (as it’s often dubbed) has been played here in the states since the 1920s, with even Parker Brothers releasing sets, the tile game has been reinvented and reinvigorated for the 21st century by makers like Miss Mahjong (whose wares you see above and below).
Because Stationery Trends is a trade, I send my readers right to the manufacturer or sales rep, but here at The Paper Nerd, I want to drive my readers directly to these fabulous finds. Thus I have tried where I can to steer you to more independent shops (as well as the makers themselves, where possible). Really, it was a gift to discover so many amazing stores while moving this article from trade pub to blog post. How I wish I could shop every last one, from Empty Vase Los Angeles to Park Avenue Yarns!
Finally — and very unfortunately — not all the products are on store shelves yet. So while I wasn’t able to source everything I featured in the publication, I did spotlight each brand while sharing its smaller stockists. I also circled back through my submissions to share a few new finds.
The Maximalist
Minimalism and quiet luxury both have their place, but can feel subtle at best and boring at worst. Fortunately, the design pendulum has officially, thankfully swung. While maximalism can be a lot, every find I’ve featured is special and elevated out of the gate — and perfect for sprucing up all those bland interiors!
I have adored this brand since I discovered it in Atlanta a few years back, and I was even fortunate enough to briefly chat with its mega-talented, anonymous founder. While these pocket notebooks are not currently on the brand’s site (linked above and definitely worth checking out), I did find them here, at Isadora Popper, and here, at Park Avenue Yarns.
Workman Publishing prints a fantastic array of offerings from this incredible artist. I’ve linked all the Workman offerings here. If you or anyone on your list junk journals, definitely pick up her sticker book, I mean encyclopedia! I also found this giftwrap book here, at Holliday, and here, at Barnes & Noble.
Here is yet another brand I am obsessed with, this one more home décor-oriented, but it doesn’t sell direct to consumer. Brimming with humor and color, these 8-ball mugs and coasters are what every living space needs — and I can’t for the life of me find them online. I did, however, find a decent amount of Hazel Mazel offerings here, at Lovie’s Augusta, and here, at lilla & beth, and here, at Everything Kitchens.
Beauty that is absolutely outrageous does not simply encapsulate the darling recipient of this card, but this entire West Coast brand. Here, lush details abound, but every last element is meticulously collaged to life slice by slice by its ethereal founder Elicia Castaldi. Girl w/Knife is undeniably the Posh Spice of the stationery and desk space — and also offers divine home swag like pillows and candles. I found Girl w/Knife cards stocked here, at Belle & Blush, here, at Soap Cute California, here, at The Merc, and here, at Empty Vase.
This plant-a-rific brand hails from San Diego — and the vibrant imagination of designer Desiree Perez. This not-so-humble keyring presents one of her illustrations in enamel, which is encased in brass and plated in 18-karat gold. Even though it retails for under $20, it’s super-precious. Accordingly, these are already getting hard to find. They’re going fast here, at Momma Pots, I found one design here, at The Forest Store, and a bunch here, at Bloom Flower & Gifts.
Rolife Joy’s Peninsula Living Room combines maximalism with miniatures and crafting for a bona fide triple threat. These eco-friendly, non-toxic digs even include LED bulb — and a coffee shop, bakery and bookstore are also available. I also found it here, at Robotime, and here, at White Rose Hobbies.
I’ve noticed this on-the-rise card brand recently using the tagline, Cards for Complicated Humans, and while that description is so spot-on, Vicky Barone also clearly has an exquisite sense of color and shape that makes her marvelous messaging resonate all the much more. You can shop this brand on its site, and I also found it in the wild here, at Mood Janesville, here, at Elizabeth Boutique, and here, at Chirps & Cheers.
All the world loves a (screen-free) experience, and this brilliant British brand integrates origami into card-sending with predictably 21st-century results. To me, Pigeon Posted also tips its colorful hat to camp stationery from Gen X childhoods, always a most welcome reference! You can shop its many aviary missives on its own site, and I also found a few American stockists: here, at Postscript, here, at Pickle Papers, and here, at Two Hands Paperie.
Clearly, there is no shortage of smartly designed product — or small makers and shops to support! It looks like a lot of this supreme swag is going fast, so get your shop on already. I’ll be back next week with part 2.
