Friday, June 12, 2009

A Little Birdie Told Me About Mystic Paper

    

My local readers have most likely read this article I wrote for Mystic Paper for the Country Register. It is almost the article that was published. There were just a couple of small changes made. I have been forgetting to post it for those of you out of town. It is a little happier tale than what I have been posting about our "real" lives of late. I hope it brings a smile. Even if you are out of state you can visit their web site and blog site. They are hopefully going to be selling on line soon.




                                      A Little Birdie Told Me About Mystic Paper


CeCe knew she shouldn’t be out flying in downtown Mesa alone. Her mother had warned her to stay close to home. After all, she had only been flying alone for a week now. She couldn’t stop soaring now. She wanted to mind her mother. She really did. But after all, wasn’t this partly her mother’s fault? CeCe had watched her closely creating all those wonderful memory books. She was the one decorating their nests with all those creations made with vintage treasures. She was the one that insisted on teaching her children the value of cherishing the old and embracing the new.

        

CeCe wanted so badly to give her mother something special for her birthday. She made the decision to break all the rules about coming straight home after school. Her mother’s birthday was soon and she desperately needed a unique gift. She was running out of time when she overheard the new neighbors, living in the fancy nests down the block, chirping about a store named Mystic Paper. CeCe didn’t think much about it . The Scott’s were quite well to do and she knew if it was a store they were visiting, CeCe’s family could not afford to go there. 


To CeCe’s surprise, later that same day, when she was out with her dad searching for worms, she overheard another birdie chirping about the same store located in downtown Mesa.  She knew this family and she was positive they were not well to do. Now she was intrigued. The mother was going on and on about the classes, the papers, the inks, the embellishments and all the other things that she knew her mother loved. Most of all though, CeCe’s ears really perked up when she heard the chirp vintage come out of one of the birdie’s beaks. Vintage?, CeCe thought. Oh my, all of the things my mother loves, wrapped up inside of everything vintage?! This was getting too good to be true. She made a mental note, to use her allotted computer time to search for directions to the place called Mystic Paper.


 Later that night, as she carefully searched the web, her eyes lit up as she found the website Mysticpaper.com. She was delighted to find out it was not too very far for anyone living in the Valley of the Sun to visit  because it sat smack dab in the center of downtown Mesa. CeCe’s heart skipped a beat. Carefully she wrote down the  address ,---123 W. Main Street. Oh , there was excitement in the air. She almost let out a squeal of delight but caught herself just in time. She did not want to tip any of her family off to what she was up to. Quickly, CeCe sent an email off to her best friend, Bonnie, asking her to meet her at the swings right after school. 


  The next afternoon, CeCe told Bonnie the whole story, so it was time for the two of them to soar on over to Mystic Paper. Within minutes they found themselves at the door in front of the store.  As they peered in the window both of their heart’s skipped a beat. Even from the outside of the store looking in, they both could tell it would take more than a few minutes to see all the treasures this enchanting store showcased. From the first glimpse of Somerset publications, to the glass case holding beautiful examples of all kinds of mixed media art,  CeCe suddenly knew she had found her mother’s present. CeCe and Bonnie tentatively flew in the store. They were hesitant at first, as birdies are not welcome everywhere. They were both put at ease right away though as Kim, one of the owners, smiled broadly as she saw them and welcomed them to the store. After Kim’s greeting they quickly made there way to the back of the store where Jennifer, the other owner, was working on a new display arrangement. Bonnie liked Jennifer’s earrings. They were glitzy and looked like some she had seen in the old movies her family liked to watch. As the two looked at Jennifer, Jennifer explained to them that nothing ever stayed the same for long at Mystic Paper, as new products  arrived all the time.  CeCe and Bonnie were already thinking this very thing as they had never seen a store quite like this one. It reminded CeCe exactly of what she had thought earlier about her mother’s teachings. Cherish the old and embrace the new.  


Jennifer then began introducing some of the products available at Mystic Paper...

7 Gypsies

Amate Studios

Basic Grey

Cavillini

Character Constructions

Cosmo Cricket

Crafty Secrets

Creative Imaginations

Graphic 45

Heidi Swapp

Jenni Bowlin

LuminArte

Melissa Frances

Prima Flowers

Ranger

Rusty Pickle

Somerset Legacy Magazines

Stamper’s Anonymous

Tattered Angels 

Tim Holtz Rubber Stamps ” 

Kim, coming from the front and hearing the conversation noted all the vintage euphemism that’s mixed in just for fun.


“But how can just the two of you do all you do?”, asked Bonnie. Kim was proud to announce that Mystic Paper has a great design team and wonderful teachers who are always dreaming up inspirational ideas for everyone. You can see some of the ideas and keep up with us on the store’s web site and blog. Many of our customers become our friends. This is more than just a store. It’s a place to stop and smell one’s dreams. Dreams of the past, the present and the future.  CeCe and Bonnie smiled. What better present could she give her mother, for her birthday, than a place to dream, create, and make new friends. She thought to herself, Thank you, Mystic Paper. Thank you for already fulfilling my dream of giving my mother the best gift of all.  Then CeCe and Bonnie flew home as fast as they could to wrap the Mystic Paper gift certificate in time for the birthday celebration.


I am not a bird but one of the many customers of Mystic Paper who has had the honor of becoming a friend. Do your heart, hands, and eyes a favor. Visit Mystic Paper, a real dreamy art store!


2 comments:

Cristine's Story said...

CeCe, you wrote a great article for us! We have heard many compliments on it!

Caroline said...

CeCe I am so sorry for your troubles with your daughter, I just spent the last hour reading your blog from last week and my heart goes out to you. I to have had personnal legal issues with my husband and they are very trying and I have often wondered "when will this end?" He has been in court rooms for the past two years seems like monthly. He had an extreme DUI two years ago and is still in the legal system, he had a misdemeanor criminal mischief in Texas for destroying someone's car windshield and passing out in a public hotel, He punched a hole in our wall at home and I called the police and this was considered domestic violence so this was a violation of his DUI probation and has more money owed and classes to take to fulfill this violation. Anyway, I to have had many frustrations with him and want to "wash my hands" of him many times. I think those comments that others wrote are terrible and they are being very judgmental and I think that if people would only open up to each other, how helpful we all could be for eachother. I am also a very open person and seem to tell about my life to many that maybe I shouldn't but I don't care, I want to help others who are going through trying times because don't we all have our difficult time in our life and it would be nice to support each other instead of beat each other down. You and your family will be in my prayers and I thank you for your honesty and friendship.