Meet Alexa Pulitizer and a wonderful giveaway!

Hi there, today my fair readers, you  are in for a royal treat. When I discovered the beautiful and timeless work of Alexa Pulitzer  stationer extraordinaire.....I was admittedly totally smitten. I mean, what's not to love, you know I always say in my former life I was a grandiose stationer, floral designer and creator of fine monogrammed linens. Alexa takes beautiful elegant traditional stationery to an entirely new level. I am in the process of placing my own order and simply cannot wait to sit at my desk and write away (hardest part is narrowing down which magnificent design/color to choose)!

These beautiful works of art could seriously singlehandedly resurrect the fine art of old fashioned letter writing. There is nothing like getting a handwritten anything in the mail, do you not agree? I am sorry but I come from the school of thought where an invitation, thank you note or party invite simply cannot be done with the same elegance via text message or email. I simply cannot warm up to the idea.....call me old fashioned but nothing comes close to receiving a beautiful card of piece of stationery in the mail!

In any case for those of you who do not know of Alexa Pulitzer, today is a double treat because I am blessed to have been able to interview Alexa herself and she has been ever so kind as to offer up a lovely giveaway!  I am including many examples of her breathtaking work in between, be ready to drool. I found her early inspirations and story of her background totally fascinating and intriguing and just know you will too. Clearly the good taste gene is alive and well! Say hello to Alexa Pulitzer.....

 What do you recommend for someone ordering monogrammed stationary
for the very first time? What are some general guidelines?

While my style is classical which translates to less is more; I am not a rule
follower and therefore have no guidelines in which I follow or project. When
creating personal stationery, I urge others to allow me to create a personal
signature  something that reflects their personality. If we pen a note on
stationery that reflects who we are as individuals, then we will enjoy using it.
When working with individuals, I ask questions about what color a client might
identify them self with or what size their penmanship is, as this knowledge
helps me create something well suited.

 Have you seen a surge in the demand for monogrammed stationary? It seems to me at least, that for a brief while, people were happy to communicate via text and email but there seems to be a return (thank the Lord) to the lost art of old fashioned communication......writing on beautiful stationery, what have you noticed?

Texting gratitude or appreciation may be acceptable as an immediate action
to a fabulous soiree but it should always be followed by a thoughtfully written
note. While 90% of my clients order Ecru flat notes stationery with an
engraved or letterpressed cipher, others request one of my whimsical royal
animals, damask textile designs or stylized fleur de lys paired with their name.
Individuals come to me when they want timeless stationery  something their
ancestors may have used back in the 1800's or their future generations will use
in 2100's.

 What makes up the biggest part of your business? Wedding? Social? Party?

The heart of my business is creating bespoke design for individuals (logos,
thank you notes and wedding invitations) in addition to proprietary
collections for retailers.

How did you get started in the business?

I was reared first in the textile industry in Italy and France. Born into a family
of like-minded artists and entrepreneurs, my training began in my family's
textile company, Wembley Corporation. As a child, I accompanied my father,
Arthur on design and buying trips to Lake Como, Italy, designing my first tie to
carry the Wembley brand at a mere 16. After earning my BFA, which included
a year in Florence, I headed back to Lake Como to apprentice for Ratti,
designers and esteemed silk printers behind haute couture collections such as
Versace, Prada and Ferragamo. This led to further apprenticeships in Paris
and Milan. In 1994, I returned to New Orleans, bringing my newfound skills in
design, fabric and color to Wembley. I also brought the language, sensibility
and aesthetic of Italy into my daily life and artistry.

At Wembley, now called Randa Corp., I designed and merchandised ties and
boxers for popular brands such as Countess Mara, Tabasco, Save The Children,
ESPN and The Beatles. Stimulated by the challenge of these complex novelty
designs, I was also frustrated by the artistic and corporate constraints that
came with them. I found an outlet in the print shop on the first floor of the
factory, where I started creating notepads using designs that were meant to
be used on silk ties. It was here, unintentionally that my dreams took root and I
started creating stationery.
Wanting to thank my Italian employers, I spent extra hours in the paper shop
creating a collection of postcards from my photographs of my time in Italy.
Seeing these, friends urged me to show my work to The New Orleans Museum
of Art, who placed an order on the spot. From here on out for most of my 10
years at Wembley, I organically grew my hobby into a side business; filling
stationery orders at night and on weekends. The last Pulitzer to work at the
empire founded by my grandfather, Sam, I ventured out on one more creative
juncture, joining the couture linen company, Leontine Linens, before striking
out on my own. My company quickly gained a loyal following among
celebrities, socialites, and creative professionals.

As Alexa Pulitzer, the brand started to gain popularity, the product became
available on a national level. Today, my a collection of papers can be found in
over 1500 selective fine retailers across the globe, including Bergdorf
Goodman, Liberty of London, Fortnum & Mason, Calypso, KirnaZabete and
Anthropologie stores worldwide.

Everything that I create is made and printed in the USA, from the recycled
paper I select to print on to the soy based inks I print with. I print with two
local printers here in New Orleans (one of which is ironically stationed out of
the very building in which my family's tie company used to operate) and
another happens to be up in the northeast. Whenever need be, I can get in the
car and be at a press check in literally five minutes. It is important to me to
employ the community in which I reside and to keep resources circulating at
home.

Having been raised in manufacturing in my family's tie business, I have always
been intrigued by how things are made. There was a sign in family's factory on
every floor on every wall that read, Proudly made by quality minded
Americans. I'm certain this had its influences on me just as it did to those
employed there at that time. I like to support my own, am extremely fortunate
that my work has a presence peppered across the globe, and am proud
knowing that everything I do is done in my own backyard.

What is your favorite color combination for monogrammed social stationary?

I covet Charcoal Bristol stock engraved in Ecru or Rose Gold with an Ecru silk
moir lined envelope. I also adore Scarlet or Peacock Bristol stock engraved in
Ecru or Gold.

What was your dream stationery job and/or what would be your dream stationery job?

I love what I do. I wake up happy and eager to design something beautiful each
day. I have been very fortunate to design for some extraordinary clientele and
corporations. I suppose my dream job would be to design the birth
announcement for petite Prince George but one of the coolest jobs I did was
for Gwyneth Paltrow, who requested a special thank you gift for friend who
had eight homes around the globe. Since she had stayed in one of the eight
homes, she commissioned me to create distinctive, chunky pads for each of the
properties bearing the name of the estate in an unique way.

If someone wanted to order a gift that is reasonably priced from your line, let's say as a birthday or housewarming gift, what might you suggest?

I entertain using my personalized cocktail napkins and biodegradable plastic
cups bearing my hubby and I' AS cipher. A cipher is two letters intertwined
(the A for Alexa and the S for Seth.) A thoughtful and nice custom gift, starts at
$300 for 250 cocktail napkins, which includes a two letter cipher.

Any hard and fast rules that apply to monograms that we should know about?

There is something old world and romantic about monograms. I typically
create ciphers, which are two intertwining letters  not traditional three
lettered monograms (although I do those too.) When creating ciphers, I use
the first initial of the individuals first and last name, or the first letter from
the couples first or last names.

Are these things just not to die for!!!!!! My mind immediately races with the weddings, big birthdays, anniversaries and any other excuse for a grand soiree that could possibly warrant ordering these magnificent works of art! Love love love them.

Now you can have your very own little Alexa Pulitzer treasure.  Alexa has kindly donated this wonderful mousepad (surely to add a touch of elegance to any desktop). Love this design, what a charmer.

To be eligible, it is quite simple. Just visit Alexa Pulitzer here, take a look around (drooling allowed) and come back and tell me a favorite item from her site. If you want a second chance, like her on Facebook by clicking here. I will announce a lucky winner on Thursday. Good luck and thanks as always for stopping in!

Thank you Alexa!

If you missed my post on "Bonkers for belljars" click here, its a post worth seeing:)