A Guide to Father's Day Gifting

Dad's are extra-special. Let's be honest, they deserve more than just a day. Regardless, this Father's Day we encourage penning a thoughtful card for the special dad or dads in your life, and pairing it with something from one of the ah-mazing makers and brands that we just can't get enough of. 

Unwind with a drink:

• Walker Feed Bloody Mary Mix from Turnip Truck Market
• White's Elixirs Moscow Mule Mix from Serendipity 12 South & online
• Bottle of Tito's vodka

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For those dad adventures:

• Hershel Supply Co. duffle bag from Urban Outfitters and Nordstrom
• Orville Tool Roll from Sturdy Brothers

Lookin' fresh:

• Alternative Apparel Tees: online
• Kilim Wallet from Res Ipsa

We wish all of you and all the dads out there a celebratory and joyful Dad's Day. Sit back, relax, and let the love pour down.

Our Breathless Paper Co. dad, Matt. 

XOXO, Breathless Paper Co.

Our Inspirations + Our Story

HOW IT BEGAN

It started with wedding invitations, baby announcements and party invites. 

But even before that, I (Jess) was hand-making cards to be sold in my mom's shop, Urban Cottage. I've always been infatuated with the idea of handmade cards and handmade letters, and sending mail overall. My family, friends, and even my two and four-year-old get mail from me (they are absolutely elated to get anything in the mail, even from me -- it's hilarious!)

My husband, Matt and I soon decided to take things to the next level and make a whole round of cards. I researched the ideal way to provide our future retailers with an outstanding, quality product for the best price point possible. While I did that, Matt began perfecting our aesthetic -- something unique to us (and he totally nailed it). 

Jessica and Matt Berinato

With a round of cards done -- our original collection -- I got on the road and "pounded the pavement" to gather retailers' reactions to our work. I was so energized by the support we received, and before we knew it we were on our way to becoming a full-fledged paper company! 

Matt, River & Scout

One of our faves from the original collection

We did our first trade show with less than fifty card designs, our catalog on cds, handwritten invoices, and fingers crossed. We were floored by the reaction we got. We wrote order after order and grew more and more thankful through it all. Now, we're ten years in and that thankfulness has only multiplied.

So, where does our inspiration come from? The everyday moments. The feelings we want to be able to give, the smiles and laughter we want to provide. Our cards are about having faith in oneself, learning lessons and loving everyone.

THE EVOLUTION OF OUR CARDS

When it comes to design, Matt has that on lock. He and I work on the concepts and end decisions together, but our team works because we both do what we are good at and let each other lead. The design of our original line was inspired by old advertising art that Matt purchased and redrew, giving it a new life while maintaining its vintage feel and authenticity. Then, we added Out of Breath, our adult humor line (if you know what I mean...) 

Then, we dreamed up our Baby's Breath children's collection. This line came from listening to the funny way our nephew thought and spoke; we found it absolutely endearing. Next came Mini Breaths -- itty bitty cards with a whole lot of character. After going small, we went loud, and added Fresh Breath. It's a line with a lot of bright color and a bunch of fun. 

Our birthday line, Blowing Candles is a hand-painted masterpiece! Matt went outside and got creative, painting a bunch of shapes and textures on paper. Those paintings were scanned into the computer and that's how the look of our birthday cards was born. This was also the first line that got colored envelopes!

Scout, our daughter, inspired our Deep Breath line -- darker, deeper and filled with notes that merge the inspirational and the fun. Matt did an incredible job developing this new aesthetic and I fell in love with it. This line just continues to grow!

Last year, I added my little labor of love: Tiny Cards. Big Words. These gorgeous, thick, hand-lettered cards come their own slide box, ready to be given or kept or passed along. This project was a long time coming; I'd been dreaming it up since we started our little company.

"Collect Moments Not Things" from our Tiny Cards. Big Words. collection

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In short, Breathless Paper Co. is a company born from creativity, passion, and a love of loving people. Tons of thought and laughter goes into each card, and Matt and I both make sure each one is just right for you guys. We're overwhelmed by the ten years worth of love you've shown us, and we can't wait to keep loving you right back and shelling out new designs that you can mail, hold onto, and pin up. 

Cocktails, Parties & Paper Goods!

Spring is quickly approaching, and we couldn't be more ready for warm weather and outdoor get-togethers. Get-togethers mean parties and parties mean cocktails. And where there are cocktails, you'll find our cocktail napkins!

They come in white and charcoal gray, foiled with gorgeous lettering. From "Oh, happy day!" to "Happy Hangover," there's a napkin for every kind of get-together and springtime throw-down. You can order them by emailing us HERE. 

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We're shouting out some of the awesome places that you can pick up a fresh batch of our napkins -- pay 'em a visit!

Shadowbox; Chattanooga, TN

Savi Provisions; Atlanta, GA - Midtown & Brookhaven

Isabel; Miami, FL

Shed Boutique; Chagrin Falls, OH

The Treehouse of Smyrna; Smyrna, GA

Isabel Gifts

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Now that you know where to snag napkins for your next party (or after-work drink), we're sharing our favorite cocktail recipes. Get shaking & stirring!

OLD FASHIONED

COMBINE WHISKEY, SYRUP AND BITTERS IN A TALL GLASS WITH ICE. STIR FOR APPROXIMATELY 30 SECONDS. STRAIN INTO A WHISKEY GLASS. GARNISH WITH ORANGE PEEL. 

1/3 OZ. SIMPLE SYRUP

1 LITER CLUB SODA

2 OZ. RYE WHISKEY (OR BOURBON)

2-3 DASHES OF ANGOSTURA BITTERS

ORANGE PEEL

Photo from Cocktail Crate

SOAK THE SUGAR CUBE IN THE BITTERS. ONCE SOAKED, DROP INTO CHAMPAGNE FLUTE AND COVER WITH CHAMPAGNE. GARNISH WITH LEMON OR ORANGE TWIST. 

1 SUGAR CUBE

ANGOSTURA BITTERS

CHAMPAGNE

LEMON OR ORANGE TWIST

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We hope you choose our paper goods as your go-to for celebrating life's best moments. Feel free to reach out and talk to us or order here.

Cheers to spring! 

Happy Dad's Day from Breathless Paper!

It’s no secret that Breathless Paper Co. is all about celebrating. Our cards revolve around amplifying even the littlest of moments and making them into celebrations of life. Family is one of the things we emphasize most; it comes first. 

Breathless Paper Co. founders Matthew & Jessica Berinato with their kids, River & Scout.

With Father’s Day upon us, it’s time to highlight dads, what makes them extra-special, and how we can show them just how important they are. Our rockstar Breathless Paper dad, Matthew Berinato, is the most generous and kind-loving father. He puts his children first one hundred percent of the time, whilst designing Breathless greeting cards and products, and laughing all the while. Yeah, he does a lot. 

Without a doubt, you probably know one or two kick-butt dads who also do a lot. We’ve got some ideas on how to show them you care: 

We’re all busy, so chances are that quality time with dad is the most valuable gift. If you want a place to maximize dad-time, try this: 

Top Golf, Midtown Atlanta or Alpharetta: Whether dad is a golf fanatic or barely a fan, Top Golf puts all the fun of playing sports with dad into one family-friendly experience for various skill levels. One experience with tons of ways to play, a KidZone, and “grown-up” drinks. Or, give dad a gift card and he can go have some “quality time” of his own. 

Write dad a note in this card…

Sometimes, a night on the town is what it takes to let loose after a long day/week/month/year’s worth of hard dad-work. Here’s a way for dad to have a night out that’s the perfect balance of relaxed and fun, from one of Atlanta’s up-and-coming hangouts: 

City Winery: A new addition to the Ponce City Market area, City Winery is exactly what it sounds like and more. The winery has a line-up of concerts these summer months, and they’re the perfect way to enjoy a classy, music-filled evening. This is for the “wine over beer” kind of dad. Bonus! They even have winemaking classes. Yeah. Best gift ever.

Some notable upcoming shows:

June 19 (Dad’s Day!): Todd Snider with Rorey Carroll

June 24: Carl Verheyen Band & Andy McKee

June 29: The Weepies

July 3: Don McLean

(And tons more! Visit CityWinery.com for more details!)

Write dad a note in this card…

For the dad that isn’t “wine over beer” Atlanta is filled with top-notch breweries to tour and brews to taste. Take dad and let him take his time being handed some of the best beers in Atlanta and the southeast. See our recommendations below! 

Orpheus Brewing: Orpheus Brewing overlooks Piedmont Park and the Beltline. That’s hard to beat. Noted for their artisan packaging and off-the-wall beer names, the year round offerings plus “Bone Tablet” IPAs, sours and limited addition brews will not disappoint. Faves: Transmigration & Serpent Bite

Second Self Beer Company: Second Self is a beer company characterized by brews that pair well with foods and experiences. A company led by two foodies, if dad’s all about having the perfect beer with lunch or dinner, this is for him. Faves: Thai Wheat

Monday Night Brewing: Monday Night is becoming an Atlanta staple. The iconic “man with fit in air” logo is the company’s claim-to-fame, and if you or dad doesn’t think they’ve heard of Monday Night, you’ve probably seen the colorful cans around. Does “Weekends Are Overrated” ring a bell? Faves: Eye Patch Ale & Slap Fight. 

Write dad a note in this card...

Whatever way you celebrate, do so with joy. Happy Father's Day from our family to yours! 

Our rockstar dad (Matthew Berinato) with Scout. 

Southern Town Visit.

    We love visiting awesome Southern Towns we have not been to! {Plus, getting to go in to shops that carry our goods is always exciting, it never gets old. We always feel so very thankful.} And, we had been dying to go see Nashville and Franklin TN, so we went. And, we had a wonderful time and really LOVED so many things! OMG, the shops, the food, the music and the mountains. Let me tell you, we could not get enough.

The beautiful sky welcomed us! Here is what you see when you look up at The Factory at Franklin. 

    We arrived, after hanging out and listening to great music, just the two of us on the four hour drive. It was the very first time we left our little ones {except our one night, a few miles down the road staycation trial run}. They were with my parents and had a ball. We drove into Franklin first. It is such a sweet little town. And, also really cool! We drove around a bit and then headed to Nashville to check into our hotel and make our plan of action. 

    We decided to head to Hillsboro Village to visit Pangaea. This shop is the definition of fun!! You can get a perfect gift for anyone, for any occasion! It is filled with clothing, books, accessories, jewelry & more! I just had to get a super funny trick camera for our little guy. It is a Valentine’s Day treat. We love being part of Pangaea! Here is their site, check it out: http://pangaeanashville.com. Next, we went to grab a coffee and a snack at Fido, http://www.bongojava.com/fido-cafe/about/. We walked around a bit more and headed to the neighborhood, 12 South. 

Pangaea & the beautiful sky!

    It was getting dark when we got to 12 South and buzzing everywhere! We parked and walked around to check it out. We stopped in to one of our fave restaurants Bar Taco {we have it in Atlanta too} to grab dinner. We sat at the bar and had a great time! We did a little window shopping and were excited to visit during the day.

White's Mercantile (12 South), an AMAZING general store for the Modern-Day Tastemaker!

The amazing paper section in White's Mercantile! Check out those Breathless Paper Co. Cards!!

    We woke up to a little bit of a dreary day but it did get better as the day went on. We headed out to visit White’s Mercantile in the 12 South neighborhood. All I have to say is I FELL IN LOVE. This is seriously one of the most beautiful, well curated shops I have ever been to. Seeing our cards in their mix was sooooooo exciting. Please, visit this place if you ever get a chance. But shop with them online until then, because you will totally not regret it! Here is their site: www.whitesmercantile.com. Incase you have not checked out Holly Williams {she is not only so talented in creating the coziest most fabulous shop, she is a musician you will love!!!}. Next up was breakfast which we enjoyed at The Frothy Monkey. Great coffee! And a super relaxing atmosphere. 

Two Old Hippies

    Next on our we have to do list was going to Two Old Hippies! This has to be the coolest shop ever. It is a really great unique spot. They have an amazing selection of women’s and men’s clothing, candles, home goods, shoes, paper goods, a live music stage (yes! they have live music events), and The Vault. Matt plays guitar and he said it was just an unbelievable space! They sell beautiful awesome guitars. We will be ordering one for our little guy, we just could not decide when we were there. you MUST visit this place, that I would call a Lifestyle shop at its finest! http://www.twooldhippies.com

The Vault inside of Two Old Hippies.

    We went to East Nashville to take a look around and stopped by Kitty Nashville. It is filled with so much for us ladies to pick through. Beautiful, cozy and perfect ‘go out' clothing! You can take a look here: http://kittynashville.com.

Kitty Nashville

    From there, we went to spend the rest of our day in Franklin. It is only about thirty minutes from Downtown Nashville. We went to The Factory at Franklin. It is a super cool space. It is old warehouse space turned into offices, retail, a theatre and restaurants! We decided to get a snack from Franklin Juice Company, http://www.franklinjuice.com/juice. And, what a great choice! It was DELICIOUS!!! I got a smoothie and Matt got this crazy awesome (I had a bunch of bites) juice bowl. Ugh, now I want that, as I am writing. From the Factory we went to the super cute Downtown. We had to check out White’s Mercantile’s new Franklin spot. It’s ya know, awesome! We had lunch at Gray’s, http://www.graysonmain.com which has a great atmosphere. 

Franklin Juice Company. AMAZING.

White's Mercantile, Downtown Franklin 

    And, after the very full day, we had a dinner reservation at Husk, http://www.husknashville.com. Fantastic is an understatement! It was the most quaint and the most cool space. I am not sure how else to describe it. Just GO and check it out!!

    Ok, I have basically told you so much about our trip, and as you can see we just loved Nashville! We visited a ton of shops, I highlighted some of the most favorite stops and Nashville gave me all the feels!! Matt and I love folky country music so we fit right in;)! And, while I am talking about it, I just have to say you must check out CAM, I can NOT get enough of her right now. She is so so so amazing!!! http://www.camuntamed.com.

12 South

    We will have to make another trip back to make it to all the other wonderful customers we have there that we never got to! We can not wait to see you again, thanks Nashville!

We saw this #givethanks painted behind the Frothy Monkey as we headed out of town back to Atlanta, and it was the perfect message.