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People are constantly asking us about this adventure and business of ours and we’d love to elaborate.
We met at Clemson University through mutual friends. After many dates at Monterrey’s, tailgating with friends 
and study sessions in the library – we became engaged. Our favorite past time, though, in college and still to this day is making an old fashioned road trip. Even in college on our college budgets, we would throw our LLBean and Vera Bradley bags in the car and off we would go. Usually, it would be visiting friends in Charleston or an quick jaunt to Augusta. Sometimes it was a weeks affair to Cape Cod to visit family and enjoy the cooler summer breezes at the family beach home. And our favorite, a road trip through Germany, Switzerland and Italy. (Yes, a road trip in a foreign country is fabulous and a test of any relationship 
)
Thus, long road trips lead to long conversations. We talked about everything under the sun, including owing our own business in Lowcountry South Carolina. We knew two things. We respected and knew each others work ethic would welcome the challenge of long hours and the stress of a small business. We also knew that we had an ability to work with people well. Our experience had long been in customer service and we knew what it takes to provide excellent customer service.
As life does, it moves down a path that isn’t quite as planned as we thought. We got married and celebrated on Fripp Island, SC. It was a fabulous gathering of our loved ones and re-affirmed our love for the Lowcountry. However, we both had a semester to finish at Clemson, where we lived. Paul was recruited by a company in Indiana and it was an offer we both agreed that we couldn’t refuse.
So, our business owning plans were put aside so we could both gain experience in the “real world”. Paul’s background is in graphic communications (printing and graphic design, among other things). My experience was English literature, focused on Southern literature. While we enjoyed the amenities of a big, Mid-Western city – after one winter we realized the corporate life and the cold were not for us. We decided it was the best time to move back to South Carolina.
We knew we made the right decision to settle in the Lowcountry when we took a walk in our new neighborhood and felt the shade of the old oaks and passed neighbors walked their dogs, waving. We both decided to glean more experience in our job markets (and to pay the bills!). Paul worked for a small print company and I began a job in retail. My road was a bit bumpier with breaks to substitute and finish a Master’s thesis for my English Lit. MA and soon Paul brought me to his company to help with customer service. We learned how to work together in a small business atmosphere and that gave us the confidence to think about going out on our own.
Our experience led us to a creative conclusion. We began brainstorming and with Paul’s experience printing and my experience selling gifts (including stationery) in a boutique, we decided we could create a fabulous Lowcountry product in house. As we began the research process, we felt that the niche was truly open for
Southern themed stationery.
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what a great story! I love love love stationery..wish my husband loved it as much as I did!
We are Va Tech fans..and I believe we do not play you guys this year!