My Stationery Story

Before I could read or write, I remember visiting a cozy gift shop in my hometown with my sisters and mother. In a little nook in the back was a colorful display of stickers on the roll. For just a quarter or so, you could tear off a sheet of stickers to add to your collection. That was my introduction to the world of stationery.

On family trips, the colorful organized abundance of stationery shops never failed to draw me in. As a young teen, I bought loose leaf letter writing paper that made its way to new camp friends. In college, I carefully selected the blue gingham stationery that was sent halfway around the world in overstuffed envelopes to my future husband. When I planned my wedding, I made my invitations by hand and bought stamps and embossing powder with supplies bought at the local paper store. Handmade birth announcements and Christmas cards followed.

Eventually, I started dreaming of opening my own little space with every stationery item I could think of: pens in all colors of the rainbow; paper that you could buy by the sheet; stickers and sticker books for collecting; any kind of notebook, journal, or diary you could imagine; my own artwork on calendars, notepads, and letter writing sets. (This daydream and the candy store from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate factory have some overlap.)

After talking about it for years to friends and family, my daydream became a plan and I decided to open Dear Greenville in the fall of 2021.

I am excited to welcome letter writers, journal aficionados, people on the quest for the perfect pen, stationery newbies, and everyone in between, into a space where they can explore, test, find their new favorites, and maybe learn a new skill or two. I hope that Dear Greenville becomes your spot to find the things that help you connect to others and express yourself.

-Adair