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Today we shine the spotlight on Budd + Finn, a charming Portland shop filled with everyday gifts. It's been fun keeping up with them on Instagram and Facebook, but it's always great to dive a little deeper and learn about what goes on behind-the-scenes. We're so grateful to Kevin for taking the time to answer a few questions about his amazing store. Read on to learn about how rescue dogs and happy hour fit into the picture!

(image: Budd + Finn)

When did Budd + Finn open? What was the inspiration or motivation behind the opening of a brick and mortar store? 

We opened in November 2013. After an entire career in retail mainly doing buying and private label development for Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s, Tommy Bahama, and for a wholesale manufacturer, it was always on my bucket list to create my own vision and brand.

Is there a story behind the name? 

Yes, named after our 2 rescue dogs…they represent the essence of comfort and home to me - not too fussy and full of life!

(image: the famous rescue dogs, Budd and Finn)

Do you have a fun fact about Budd + Finn that most people wouldn’t know?  

We sometimes have happy hour starting at 4 pm especially during the hectic holiday months. 

What do you love about your shop’s neighborhood? 

We are located in the Old Town/Chinatown district of Portland just outside of the Pearl district. Old Town/Chinatown appealed to us because it is the oldest part of Portland so the buildings have lots of character and architectural detail - our building is a historic landmark. An interesting fact about Old Town/Chinatown that most people that live here don’t know: outside of New York’s SoHo neighborhood, we have the most cast iron facade buildings!

What’s the most memorable thing that has happened in your store? 

Since opening in 2013, we have been fortunate to have been featured in the New York Times Holiday Gift Guide, Sunset, and Rachel Ray’s Everyday magazines which gave us national exposure.

(image: Budd + Finn display featuring Smudge Ink's Gopher card)

What’s your favorite Smudge Ink product? 

Cards of course! Smudge Ink is one of our top selling stationery lines and you have the most incredible designs - customers love them!

(image: tea towels available at Budd + Finn)

What song or album is playing in your shop right now?  

Float On by Modest Mouse (psst...the lead singer is a good customer).

Is there a fun new stationery or gift trend that you particularly enjoy or that customers are responding well to? 

Patches and enamel pins are super hot!

(image sources: Budd + Finn)

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If we ever make it to Missoula, Montana, Noteworthy Paper & Press will be our very first stop! We've been following along with this gorgeous shop on Instagram, but we're even more enchanted after this interview! Not only is this shop well stocked with an excellent selection of cards and gifts, but they also host an annual "Letters to Santa" event! Read on to learn more.

(image: Amy and Taylor at Noteworthy Paper & Press)

When did Noteworthy Paper & Press open? What was the inspiration or motivation behind the opening of a brick and mortar store? 

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If you’ve ever been to Boston, chances are you’ve had the pleasure of shopping at one of the quirky yet quaint Black Ink shops. We could spend all day browsing Susan’s selection of unique and fun gifts, handy housewares, and pretty stationery and supplies all beautifully stacked from floor to ceiling. Don’t say we didn’t forewarn you, you’ll be hard pressed not to find several items that you just have to have! Though Black Ink has been a longtime customer of ours, we realized we knew little about the shop’s beginnings. Fortunately, Susan kindly offered to give us the scoop …

(image: Susan stocking shelves)

When did Black Ink open? What was the inspiration or motivation behind the opening of a brick and mortar store? Is there a story behind the name?

Black Ink was formed/created in 1994 at 101 Charles Street in Boston’s Beacon Hill neighborhood, back in the day when there were no on-line stores! Initially inspired by images from our collection of vintage books and ephemera, we designed and made thousands of rubber stamps from these detailed images to sell along with ink and stationery to stamp on. As black was my favorite ink color to rubber stamp with we named the store Black Ink, eventually becoming Black Ink, Inc.

(image: Black Ink's Beacon Hill storefront)

When I look back on photos of the newly opened store I laugh at how sparse it was! Still we were determined to build up our inventory and along the way we played and experimented with adding many new categories and unusual items. Over years of trial and error we designed our floor to ceiling green shelves to display our ever changing merchandise and our greeting card “islands” to stock an ever expanding assortment of cards. In 2002 we had an opportunity to join the Harvard Square community, and we opened our second Black Ink at 5 Brattle Street in Cambridge (our hometown).

(image: Rory and Finn, then and now!)

Do you have a fun fact about Black Ink that most people wouldn’t know?

Many people do not know that Black Ink is truly a family business. It was founded by my late husband Tim and myself, and we were soon joined by our first child, Rory, in 1995. She came to work with us as an infant and grew up “playing store.” Our son Finn was born in 1999 and has many memories of playing hide and seek in the store basements and making change as an eight year old at the cash register. Today both kids work part-time at the stores, so we’ve come full circle!

(image: Black Ink's Harvard Square storefront)

What do you love about your shop’s neighborhood?

We are lucky to be part of two iconic neighborhoods, Beacon Hill and Harvard Square. Both neighborhoods are destinations for travelers worldwide and have very active residential and business communities. We love seeing our “regulars” and also meeting new students and residents as they arrive each year. Many customers (and former staff members) come back to visit us whenever they are in town, as many have scattered around the world.

What’s the most memorable thing that has happened in your store?

So many memories, hard to say what would be my favorite. Each day unfolds differently; to me it’s like an interactive installation—ever-changing, but always consistently participatory.

(image: Black Ink shelves)

What’s your favorite Smudge Ink product?

The “local” Smudge Boston & Cambridge cards and canvas bags are classics. There’s lots of pride in our communities and our visiting customers love to take something truly local home with them.

What song or album is playing in your shop right now?

Much to my younger staff’s amusement/horror, I choose the playlists and they are a bit heavy on classic yet eclectic artists like Wilco, Van Morrison, Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell …

Thanks, Susan! We love that Black Ink is a true family business. If you've become a shop fan like us, keep up with Black Ink here, here, and here.

(image sources: Black Ink)

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We're very excited to start a new blog series featuring the many fantastic shops that carry our cards and stationery! These are the businesses and people that keep the practice of snail mailing alive and growing, and nothing makes us happier than helping them stock their pretty displays and shelves. 

First up is Paper Delights in Seattle! Alicia and her mom, Kathy, have just celebrated nine years since they opened up their Wallingford storefront. And they recently opened up their second location in Seahurst. Being on opposite coasts, we haven't had the chance to visit in person but we know we would feel like we stepped in paper heaven. Luckily for us, Alicia was happy to kick off our new blog series. Read on to hear what led her and her mom to start Paper Delights and what's been captivating their customers lately!  

When did Paper Delights open? What was the inspiration or motivation behind the opening of a brick and mortar store?

We opened in March of 2008 right before things got really bad! In October of 2007 me and my husband were living in California and wanted to move back home to Seattle to start a family! So one night while my Mom was visiting us in California we sat outside with a bottle of wine and dreamt up and idea where we would open a stationery store and I would have a crib in the back and the baby would come to work with me every day!

The next day we got online found a space in Wallingford that was just being built, by Halloween the lease was signed! In November I found out I was pregnant! My husband moved to Seattle and worked around the clock for a month building the store out while I finished my job in California. We opened our doors on March 8, 2008. Then on July, 8, 2008, we welcomed baby Blake into the world!

It sounds crazy but I did bring him into work most days! Some days were better than others, but I always loved having something I was passionate about and not having to leave him behind was a huge plus! Peopled loved to stop in and see the "shop baby." As he became a toddler it got harder and harder and then when Blake was 2 we welcomed his brother Drew into family! At that point I had to take a step back and stay home with the boys, while Mom did almost everything for the shop. Now nine years later both boys are finally in school full time and I can work quite a bit more.

What led to the decision to open a second location?

When we opened nine years ago traffic in Seattle was nothing compared to what it is today. As our commute to Wallingford got longer and longer we had an idea to move our office closer to our homes. When we found a spot between our two houses and across the street from the boys' school it seemed like a good idea! We love how close it is to everything and are growing the business every day!

Is there a story behind the name?

Not a really great story, my mom suggested it and we both loved it! My boys call it the "Num shop" because when they were little they would pull stools over to the candy tables and climb up and eat candy while we weren't looking!

Do you have a fun fact about your store(s) that most people wouldn’t know?

We just turned our backroom into a classroom so now we can host classes without disrupting the store as much!

What do you love about your shop’s neighborhood(s)?

I love all the people that we have grown to know so well over the past nine years in Wallingford! It is so fun to work there and see familiar faces and hear about their lives and families! In Seahurst it's fun to see friends and meet new neighbors every day!

What’s your favorite Smudge Ink product?

All the amazing birthday cards! They all sell so fast we can hardly keep them in stock!

What song or album is playing in your shop right now?

I love the James Morrison station on Pandora!

Is there a fun new stationery or gift trend that you particularly enjoy or that customers are responding well to?

I would say calligraphy classes! We can't even really keep up with the demand for classes!

Thanks, Alicia! And big congrats on nine years of spreading stationery awesomeness! If you've become a shop fan like us, keep up with Paper Delights here and here.

(image sources: Paper Delights)

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Over here at Smudge Ink we LOVE Valentine's Day. You get to stuff yourself with sweets, give and receive fun stationery, and of course, celebrate the most important person/people in your life. We couldn't think of a better way to spend our Valentine's Day than baking some brownies and cookies and venturing out to some of our favorite local customers to make a special delivery. 

(image: special packages for some of our favorite customers!)

My first stop was the amazing, so-much-to-see, so-fun-you-can't-stop-browsing, Black Ink. Susan has worked with us for years, and she and her awesome staff let me interrupt their afternoon activities to talk treats and snow and peruse their fantastic collection of Valentine's Day cards. Then I headed up the street to another retailer of ours, Harvard Bookstore. If you didn't already know, I'm a complete bookworm, and Harvard Bookstore's staff recommendations are some of the best.

(image: Boston General Store display)

The Boston General Store is our new favorite place in Brookline for beautiful gifts and everyday wares. Plus, we love seeing our cards in April's (yes, another April!) beautiful vintage displays. I swoon over these bags and if anyone is looking to start an herb garden, look no further! We're so excited for April's second storefront in Dedham!

(image: Danielle, owner of Neatly Nested, sharing her baked goodies with customers)

In the meantime, Sabrina headed over to Southie's Neatly Nested, where you can outfit your home with a wonderful assortment of pillows, rugs, candles, prints and more! Danielle has been a huge supporter of Smudge Ink since she opened her shop's doors. As a interior designer and painter herself, she promotes many local creatives and makers, and that makes us happy! 

(image: cards racks at Brookline Booksmith)

True confession: I saved Brookline Booksmith for last because I always need some serious browsing time when I visit (which is, to be honest, at least twice a week). Kerri graciously took some time to chat with me and I tried not to gush too much about my love for the store, and not just because I like to spot our cards in their perfectly curated gift section.

All in all, making these hand deliveries to say thanks for being awesome is a major perk of the job. But really having such fantastic retailers is what makes us love what we do. I wish we could visit all of our customers in person but rest assured we love you whether you are one neighborhood over, several states away, or even across the pond! 

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