Papaya, Papaya, Papaya!

I absolutely adore Papaya paper products! I could order everything they make! Check out these envelope sets (6 envelopes w/6 matching scalloped edged flat-note cards) and wrapping paper that will be in the store in June. I can't wait! I am already gripping my pen in anticipation of writing lovely letters on this beautiful stationery!
And wait 'til you see the home office products they came out with. Unfortunately, they will not be released until August, but you can be sure I will have them in the store! Enjoy these beauties and be sure to stop by and get your fill!
-M.

Happy Tuesday!

I hope everyone had a safe and happy Memorial Day Weekend! I spent the holiday in California. The crazy thing is that I left Arizona to enjoy some cooler temps and I sure got what I asked for! It was freezing and raining the majority of the weekend. In fact, it was so cold on Thursday when we drove over there that it snowed on the freeway! Snow! In Southern California! At the end of May! Thankfully that did not put a damper on our fun with family. On the other hand, the weather in Arizona was beautiful this past weekend. Oh well, you just can't win sometimes. And what was up with the traffic on the way home? It was smooth sailing the entire time! Didn't anyone else go out of town?
Anyhow, I thought I would share with you a picture of the cupcakes that I made in the 'Cupcake Class' at Blissful Living last week! How stinkin' cute are these!? I thought these would be perfect to make with black and orange fabrics for Halloween. Then of course, more for Christmas.
Have a great short work week!
-M.

Blissful Living

We all need a little creative inspiration at some point in our lives. Luckily for me, when I need some, I don’t have far to go. My friend Kristin, owner of Domestic Bliss, is possibly the most talented and creative person I have ever met! Whenever I am in a rut, either at the store, or at home, all I need to do is tap her creative energy. She can come up with a million ideas for anything at any time. And, she always aims for the stars. This is why she is so successful in her beautiful store and her recently opened “Blissful Living” studio.

Kristin opened the studio to offer a place where you can find inspiration to help you make the most of each day and live each moment with purpose and creativity. There is a great selection of fun classes like jewelry making, organizing your life, sewing, candle making, great gift making, (just to name a few) and the most amazing list of teachers! It will definitely boost your creativity just being around them! You can check out the schedule on the blissfullivingstudio.com website. I just took the yoga class (my first), and I cannot believe what a great workout it was! I am still sore – 3 days later! I have also signed up for a couple of sewing classes. (something I have always been wanting to learn) So next time you are visiting our store, or are just in downtown Mesa, make sure you plan time to check out the Blissful Living Studio. You won’t be disappointed!

-M.

*Photo from Sadie Olive

Weddings at M & Co. Papery!

Customer Shauna Hansen picks out her daughter's wedding invitations with the expert help from Stacie! The invitations turned out beautifully! Shauna and her daughter Brooke specially chose this William Arthur invitation to fit their 'Italian' theme. The two color font combination really sets off the monogram and names.

* We have a sample in store ** Note: We deleted personal information from the wedding invitations, we would never leave out dates or other pertinent information!!

Hamburger Heaven!

I don't know about any of you, but I have a hard time juggling work and dinner. In fact, if I don't plan ahead, we usually end up eating out, or having cheese quasadillas! I am not one of those talented people that can just throw together a meal out of anything in the fridge, so on the weekends I try to make a game plan for the week ahead. All I can say is, Rachael Ray rocks! I have several of her cookbooks and I love how easy and delicious they are. Perfect for dinner after a hard day at work! The above photo is the Open-Face Blue Moon Burgers with 'Shrooms from Rachael's Express Lane Meals cookbook. Dee-lish! (we just the above burger cookbook in the store - I will definitely be trying recipes from it!)
I also just bought some marinated meats from Trader Joe's this past weekend. I tried the curry chicken on Monday. It was really good. We cooked it in a cast iron skillet, then cut it up and tossed it with a little mayo, toasted some bread, melted some cheese on top, and made chicken sandwiches! We also found that arugula paired brilliantly with it. A very easy and yummy dinner option.
To add a bit of color and fun to our dining, I love to use paper napkins with fun prints. And, call me crazy, but if I can match the design on the napkin to the kind of food we are having, I feel complete!
So, back to burgers... the great American food. I have posted pics of burger napkins that we currently have in the store. Why not celebrate summer and friends with a burger party? You could set up a whole table of possible toppings and let your guests build their own! Entice their taste buds with our cute burger invite shown above.
-M.

California Dreaming....

I just spent a fabulous weekend in California with my husband. Thanks to my sister, who generously lets us stay at her beach house any time we want! Four days of beautiful weather, great reading, a wonderful house, and alone time with my husband. I can't think of anything better. While there, we always make a point of visiting the Ramos House in San Juan Capistrano http://www.ramoshouse.com/ . The food is delicious and the area is beautiful. There is a great new shop that opened right next door to the restaurant, (unfortunately I can't remember the name) where I purchased the thank you gift that I always leave for my sister. Usually, my husband and I like to check out the local restaurants, but this time, we ate in every night. Which is always a good thing when Bob is cooking!
I hope everyone had a fun and safe Cinco de Mayo!
M.