Sponsor Spotlight: Sweet Musings Paperie

Today, I’ve got an awesome interview with you, friends. Michelle of Sweet Musings Paperie, one of So About What I Said’s newest sponsors, gives us the story behind her creativity and what likes best about her job. Read on…

Keep in touch…
Official Web site: Sweet Musings Paperie
Check out on Facebook
Follow on Pinterest
So tell me a bit about Sweet Musings Paperie.
Sweet Musings Paperie was started in August 2011 so it’s a relatively new shop. I’m slowly building up steam, enjoying meeting people, both clients and other sellers, and creating products that are whimsical, fashion focused and just simply make me smile and I hope, make my clients and followers smile too! It’s a little classic and a little contemporary.

What inspired you to start the shop?
This is sort of a long story, but I’ll try to make it short. I studied illustration at Rhode Island School of Design, and after I graduated, I started working as a Marketing Coordinator. Well, my full-time job and life sort of got in the way of my illustrations, and the more time went by, the more I missed it. Over the course of the five years since I graduated, I was working like crazy, I planned a wedding and got married, I bought a house and was trying to make it a home; sadly, my art was slipping farther away. And then I went to Paris on my honeymoon, and I came back with inspiration literally bursting out of my head and onto paper. I was creating illustration after illustration and developed the characters, Coco and Louie. From these two characters, I began creating products featuring them and other illustrations that made me smile. And with each of these products, I started Sweet Musings Paperie.
What’s your best piece of advice for people looking for great online shopping deals?
I have a few things I do when looking for deals. I always wait until I have a coupon or there is a sale at stores. And I also try to look in the sale section first. I’m a big online shopper, and I love shopping sites like Gilt, Idelli and Beyond The Rack and similar sites that have designer sales. Other favorite stores and sites are ModCloth, Piperlime, ASOS and Target. I’ll spend more on classic pieces that I know I will want and have for years and look for the deals or shop lower-end for trendy pieces. I always shop around and compare.

In this recession economy, what are some ways people can still look chic for less?
I think you just have to be on the lookout. So many stores have deals all the time to try to bring customers in. And, as I said above, I love to shop stores like Target, ModCloth and ASOS for the really trendy pieces and then mix them with higher-end classics. It helps me feel chic without having to spend a lot.
What is your favorite item in your shop and why?
The custom illustration listing is definitely my favorite. Is that cheating since it’s always different and the project depends on the client?! It’s my favorite because I’ve met so many incredible people through the listing. I always end up feeling like I’ve made a new friend and got to know them and what makes them happy or what they care about. Each project has been so unique and so much fun for all kinds of reasons. I never know what someone will be requesting, and I know it will always be out-of-the-box, original and so personal for my client. I’ve worked on things like illustrations of pets for tote bags, wedding thank-you notes, shower invitations, blog headers and pictures of loved ones. So even if it is cheating, it’s by far my favorite listing.

P.S. A new Letter To My Future Husband is coming up soon! 🙂