It has been a special week with the launch of two new columns, but I’m about to make it even more so by sharing a special project I’ve been working on for the past few weeks! I was lucky enough to help curate the holiday card collection at Red Barn Mercantile, a lovely local shop in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia (just across the river from DC). Amy, the owner, first proposed the idea over the summer, so it’s really fun to finally see our collaboration come together. The collection was unveiled during Red Barn Mercantile’s annual Holiday Open House last week – along with a special window display highlighting our collaboration!

Yep, that’s my name on a store window. Seriously, pinch me!

Amy’s window designer put together the fun display, complete with real mailboxes and gifts wrapped in kraft paper. The wonderful folks at Mohawk were kind enough to send dozens of their envelopes, which practically covered the entire window!

Located right on King Street, Red Barn Mercantile has the most lovely selection of home furnishings, decor, gifts, entertaining pieces – and yes, some beautiful stationery! It’s the kind of store designed to get me into a lot of trouble.

Here’s a sample of the holiday card collection! So many pretty holiday cards all in one place! I had a lot of fun pulling my ideas together, but it was a completely different way of thinking for me. Lots of things to keep in mind, from Amy’s customers to minimum order requirements to the range of design styles. I learned a lot in the process!

For those of you in the DC/VA area, you can check out the collection in person at Red Barn Mercantile, located at 1117 King Street in Alexandria. A big thanks to Amy for inviting me to help with such a special project!

Photo Credits: Nole Garey for Oh So Beautiful Paper