Blog updates then New York ... Our Spring Tradition

Looking at the blog, website, Facebook & Instagram, I realized that the last blog post was on March 28!  I know!  Right!?  What the hummph!?

Okay. I know there are no excuses, but here is why we neglected our duties on the blog.

1. Write_on.

This was our first year partnering, participating and promoting this incredible event in Saskatoon.  To say we were prepared, may be a stretch.  Yes we held our own and supported the campaign, but it left us stretched thin and the blog suffered.  Actually, so did our sleep.

2. Arrivals.

April, as it turned out, was one of our largest months ever - for new product arrivals from around the globe. The shop became stuffed with all the papergoodness for Easter, Mothers Day, National Letter Writing Month, Graduations, Spring arrivals and Limited Editions.

3. Limited Editions.

Our favorite pen & pencil companies (Lamy & Blackwing) released their Spring Limited Editions in the same month.  Almost within the same week!  Organized Chaos! Enough said.

4. Workshops.

The Write_on Kick-off, Mid-month Stationery Swap and the Wrap-up all took time to set up and host. We were unprepared for the overwhelming support and participation from the YXE community.  We also learned the maximum capacity of our workshop. Maybe next year, we find a school gym.

5. New Hires.

As crazy as it sounds, we also conducted a hiring blitz, to find our next victim, er, rockstar, er, family member/employee of the month. I know, crazy.

Now, with all the excuses and fussing out of the way, let us move forward and spring onto what is important in May.

The new May calendar is online (check it out here) and with that, so is the Workshop schedule.  However, for the month of May, NO workshops will be scheduled until our return from New York.  So look forward to something towards the end of the month.  Our Thursday Meetup is still scheduled. 

Yes. I said New York.  It is that time of year already.

Every May, we travel to NYC to attend the National Stationery Show or NSS. This tradeshow gathering, in it's 70th year, is a meeting of vendors, makers, suppliers & retailers of all things stationery!  As a paper shop, you know this is our paradise!  We train by drinking lots of water to keep our saliva glands at a high performance level. (drool). 

We have attended for 5 years, and have grown to appreciate it as a time to meet new friends, find great undiscovered goodies and review what we are bringing to YXE the following year.  But really, it is our only chance to meet face to face with all the incredible souls that create, make & share their world with ours.  We preach that 80% of our store are independents and it is.  This is the only chance we get every year to actually see half of them, in one place. 

So if you would like to see what we find, follow our Facebook &  Instagram for updates from New York.  We may even have a few live Periscopes from the show this year!