Meet "Deep South Social"

If you know me, you know that I'm passionate about bringing makers and entrepreneurs together, sharing talents, collaborating, and celebrating creativity. For all those reasons, Deep South Social was born.

For those of you who don't know, Deep South Social is a creative consultancy that represents a collection of lifestyle brands, all born and raised in the South. Our focus is on brands and people who have mastered their craft and create quality, unique products with pride and love. We've grown to an amazing 17 brands, including Breathless Paper Co., and we're loving the incredible collaborations and successes that come from this collective. Keep reading to find out more!

Me, Jessica, one of the Deep South Social founders (and your Breathless Paper Co. gal!) 

Born from a love of Southern designed goods, business collaboration and great ideas, founders Jessica Berinato (of Breathless Paper Co.) and Ashley Schoenith (of heirloomed + IceMilk Aprons) want to help bring these like-minded entrepreneurs together and share how wonderful they are with the world. The community of Southern brands makes for a collaborative group of amazing companies that continue to appeal to the same audiences and that support each other as a team.

We truly love working with passionate people to support them with marketing, public relations, design, tradeshow services, sales materials, wholesale representation + more.  Between us, we have over 15 years experience in being business owners, marketing agency, retail store owners & wholesale expertise - but most importantly we are entrepreneurs ourselves who run our own businesses. Through our own efforts, our small businesses have been featured by media outlets such as Oprah, Martha Stewart and a variety of the Southern, decor, food and lifestyle publications out there, and we have worked with such companies as Nordstrom, Target, & Hallmark, as well as a large variety of independent retailers across the country, and world-wide.

Ashley, my partner in crime, co-founder of Deep South Social, and designer at heirloomed! 

Check out our family of brands below... we're pretty obsessed with them. 

Gift Guide: Mother's Day & Graduation

The months of April, May and even early June are full of celebrations of two important groups of people: moms and grads, both of which deserve the best of the best when it comes to rejoicing in their accomplishments and hard work. You probably know (or maybe you are) both a mom and a grad and if so, this gift guide is for you!

We compiled some of our favorite goods from makers and entrepreneurs we love, and paired them with some of our best cards. Click each card to find it on our site. Check it out!

Mother's Day gifts we love...

Joe Malone Red Roses Perfume from Nordstrom 

Fresh Flowers from Amelias Flower Truck in Nashville

Bellocq Tea from Paris Market in Savannah

Essential Oils from Love Your Mama

 

Graduation gifts we love...

"Hustle" Ring by Katherine Smith Jewelry (buy at Urban Cottage or Louette Boutique)

Glossier Phase 1 Set

Dopp Kit from Sturdy Brothers

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Happy Spring + Happy Celebrating!

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. 

Meet Our Retailers: LOUETTE BOUTIQUE

Community is everything. Here at Breathless Paper Co. we're fortunate to have an incredible extended community that reaches across the nation. We thank people like YOU for that! We also thank our retailers and stockists - those people and shops that latch onto our designs and buy into the Breathless Paper Co. philosophy. 

This time, we're giving a HUGE thank you and an even bigger hug to a retailer and close friend of Breathless: Louette Boutique in Hilton Head, SC. 

We talked to Heather Quinn, owner of Louette Boutique, about her relationship with Breathless Paper, her successful premier lifestyle boutique, entrepreneurship, balancing work and family, and celebrating four years in business (congrats!)

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Q + A

Breathless Paper Co.: Tell us the story behind your shop. How did it start?

Louette Boutique: Louette opened in March, 2013. My Grandmother, Louette, is the inspiration behind the shop. We wanted to capture her love of style but also her way of living - loving art, classic style and the "finer things in life." 

BPC: What is your shop "philosophy"? 

LB: We appreciate the simple loveliness in life. Louette is a lifestyle boutique specializing in clothes "you live in" and gift/home items that marry "vintage classic style" with the new. The shop has been carefully outfitted with reclaimed wood dating back to the early 1900's. Its a family affair - my husbands company The Twelve Oaks Group designed and built the shop. I wanted to create a shopping experience - to bring back the "old" way of shopping, where you knew the store owners name, you could pop-in and chat. We want people to feel at home in Louette. I love my clients come in and say "I just wanted to pop-in, its so lovely in here. I love coming in here."

BPC: How long have you carried Breathless Paper Co. products? 

LB: I have carried BPC since we opened! Its one of our staples. People run into Louette saying "I need to grab one of your cards...I just love them." BPC is a great representation of brands we seek out. Its a small, woman-owned, southern company. I seek out local/regional brands when possible. And...its a bonus that me and Jess are life-long friends. 

BPC: How do you know Jessica (of Breathless Paper Co.)? Tell me about your relationship.

LB: Jess and I met in 3rd grade in Catholic school. We were on the same summer swim team together - we pretty much lived together during the summer months. Jessica has always had a love of pretty things...I can remember we would spend afternoons re-arranging our rooms..looking back we were basically "merchandising". Ha! When I began the process of creating the concept for Louette, Jess was my first phone call. She has been my mentor through this whole process.

BPC: What's your favorite BPC product that you sell? What's your favorite card saying? 

LB: My favorite product right now are the Tiny Cards. They have been one of our top gifts this year. My all-time favorite card is..."Sorry" (with the horses a*s) Ha! I just feel that card says so much in so little words. The simplicity of saying "sorry" can go a long way. 

BPC: Do you guys have a "best seller" card or other BPC item? 

LB: "Happy Birthday You Old Bag" is our best-selling card and the Tiny Cards do really well right now. 

BPC: You're celebrating 4 years in business! Congratulations. What are the ups and downs of starting and maintaining a boutique? 

LB: Thank you! Honestly, this has been a whirlwind. Louette started off with a bang - we even had celebrity clients (like Stella McCartney!) seek us out in our first year. In the past four years...not only did I open Louette but I also had two babies. The upside and downside are kinda the same: the upside: I get to do what I love. But because I own my own business, I can spend time with my two girls. The downside: because I am with my girls so much, they are in the shop a lot. Its pretty stressful! I'm multi-tasking all day long and could not do it without my amazing team of Louette Ladies. 

BPC: What do you like about being in Hilton Head?

LB: Living in the Lowcountry is amazing - especially with kids. I feel super blessed. I get to take my girls bike riding through Sea Pines, we go to the beach. We are outside all the time. The people are lovely and laid back. 

BPC: Now that you've hit this 4-year milestone, what does the future of Louette Boutique look like?

LB: We are looking to build our online business. A lot of our regular customers live on HHI part-time. We are building our site to ensure that people can get items from Louette wherever they are. I would love to continue focusing on local/regional designers as well. 

BPC: What's your favorite quote?

LB: "You must do the things you think you cannot do" -Eleanor Roosevelt

BPC: Anything else you'd like to add about being an entrepreneur and a business woman?

LB: I get asked a lot about how I started Louette. The truth is...I don't really know. It was a dream and I just did it. I've had to learn from many mistakes and spend lots of time "outside my comfort zone." But, I feel so much pride knowing that I took a risk. I'm proud that my daughters see their mother working hard and honestly, I think the biggest gift I can teach my girls is how success is not always succeeding. Most of my success has come from making really big mistakes and learning from them.

You are only as good as the people you surround yourself with. I think its super important to surround yourself with people that don't always tell you what you want to hear. Jessica has been such a source of inspiration for me - not only is she a very dear friend, she is a kick-ass business woman. There have been many times that Jess tells me what I DON'T want to hear. That is a true friend. I'm so lucky to have such a strong woman in my corner. 

We Believe in Nashville!

Recently, our family and our paper company made the move from Atlanta to Nashville. It's been an adventure in setting up our new life and exploring the nooks and crannies of this city. We love where we are now, and we cannot wait to share with you our favorite places to eat, sip, adventure and shop. Read on! 

Favorite places discovered when exploring:

OMG (Old Made Good) - East Nashville

OMG has everything vintage, from a great band tee to an old map or antique chairs. It's a must-do whenever you're in East Nashville.

Judith Bright - 12 South

Judith Bright has jewelry made right on site by the nicest women -- they even made bracelets for my kids while they watched!

Bloom - 12 South

This place is one of the best little flower shops we've ever been to, also in the amazing 12 South neighborhood. Stop in to treat yourself or someone you love with a gorgeous bouquet! 

The kids' favorite find:

Philip's Toy Mart - West Nashville

Our kids can't get enough of this place. The toy selection is crazy amazing, and they have a train all set up that is mind blowing. 

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Visiting with Family:

This past weekend, my sister and my soon-to-be brother in law came to visit and our weekend was jam-packed. We went to the nearby Franklin and sipped on the amazing Franklin Juice Co. Then, we walked around downtown and popped into Whites Mercantile (one of my favorite Nashville finds) and Rock Paper Scissors, an awesome paper shop (which, of course, we love). 

For eats, we chose Flipside in 12 South for lunch, and The Pinewood for dinner. The Pinewood is also a bowling alley, and it made for an awesome "just adults" night. Afterwards, we grabbed drinks at super trendy Old Glory in Edgehill. Nashville is full of all kinds of eateries and watering holes, and we recommend checking out all the places we mentioned.

We Believe In Nashville & we can't wait to keep exploring!

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! 

The Season of Love & Giving

It's that time of year: Love is in the air and absolutely everywhere! Valentine's Day is about celebrating your significant other, sure, but it's so much more than that. We've got the perfect picks for you to gift to your best guy and gal friends, the littlest members of your family and your better-half. Read on for tips on where to grab cute gifts (and our cards, of course)!

For Your Galentine:

Grice Grove (245 N. Highland Ave., Atlanta, GA):

Grice Grove boutique in Virginia Highlands is teeming with unique gifts perfect for your best girlfriend, coworker, neighbor...or yourself. Our pick is the Pineapple Shot Glass paired with our Mini Breaths "You Are The Jam" card. This killer combo says "you're my favorite!" and also "let's party." 

Domaine South (110 Cleveland Ave NW, Huntsville, AL):

Domaine South specializes in wine, kitchen and home...a triple threat. We recommend getting some of their Sugarfina treats and a Mini Breaths "Love" card. Something tasty and something cute, a match made in heaven. 

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For The Gents:

Abode Mercantile (1002 Fatherland St #101, Nashville, TN):

Abode is one of our favorite Nashville spots. Grab one of their awesome Eli Mason cocktail mixer sets and pair it with Olive and Sinclair Chocolate and a "You're Really Hot" card from our original collection (you can order it all on their website, too!)

Beer Greetings (beergreetings.com):

Beer Greetings is one of the newest (and coolest) ways to gift beer. Pick your pack and your messaging and send it to your significant other or best guy friend (or girlfriend!) Craft beer given with love. 

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For The Littles:

Urban Cottage, Inc. (998 North Highland Ave. NE, Atlanta, GA):

Urban Cottage has a special place in our heart. Head there to get an always-popular Jellycat and a Fresh Breath "Love Muffin" card for your little one. 

Magpies (6019 TN-100, Nashville, TN):

Magpies has gifts and fun grabs for every occasion. For Valentine's we recommend a stack of books like our favorite, The Most by Anna McCoy.

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We're so excited for this wonderful season of love and the joy it brings. We should tell our loved ones how much they matter everyday, but sometimes we need a reminder, like Valentine's Day, to show us how grateful we all should be. Go tell someone you love them!

Happy Valentine's Day from Breathless Paper Co.

Holiday Roundup

The holidays are a favorite time (and a busy time) for so many. Here at Breathless Paper Co., we especially love this time of year because it's card season. We're all thinking up the best way to show and tell those we love how much they matter to us, and naturally that means searching for the perfect card. We also love this time of year because it's cocktail season, which means our napkins and coasters get the spotlight. 

Below we're shouting out some of our awesome retailers that have us in stock locally and nationwide. We love to brag on our vendors!

Thanks, Grice Grove, for loving our napkins!

Our friends in Hilton Head, Louette Boutique, have great Christmas gifts in stock (including our "Meet Me Under the Mistletoe" napkins!)

One of our favorite cards, shown here by Resource Serenbe!

New Orleans -- you can grab our napkins & cards too! Head to Waxing the City Elmwood.

Urban Cottage has a huge selection of holiday cards for every person on your list, we promise.

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We appreciate all of your love and support this season. Don't forget the cards to go with your Christmas gifts! Feel free to contact us for more information on retailers, or to buy wholesale. 

Happy Holidays from Breathless Paper Co. 

Back To School: Our Favorite Books!

Summer has reached its end, and it's time to look back on all the best moments. One of our favorite parts of this summer was reading all kinds of books with our little ones. We want to pass along some of the titles that we had our greatest laughs and lessons over these past few months. These reads are guaranteed to help your family start the school year off right. 

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Rosie Revere, Engineer by Andrea Beaty and David Roberts / An endearing story about what "failure" really is, with a cameo from Rosie the Riveter!

The Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss and Crockett Johnson / This book is by no means "new" -- it was first published in 1945 -- but its message about never giving up and holding fast to your beliefs is as relevant now as it was then.

The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt and Oliver Jeffers / There's something truly charming about a box of crayons going on strike. This story is as hilarious as it is cute and incredibly illustrated -- there's a reason it won so many awards! Plus, its sequel, The Day the Crayons Came Home, proved to be just as engaging as the first. 

Dragons Love Tacos by Adam Rubin and Daniel Salmieri / The title says it all. This is a story about a dragon who eats all kinds of tacos, but should probably stay away from hot sauce. 

Let's Go For A Drive (Elephant and Piggie Series) by Mo Willem / Gerald and Piggie are the best of friends and they're hitting the road with big plans. 

My New Friend Is So Fun! (Elephant and Piggie Series) by Mo WIllem / In this story, Piggie has a new friend and Gerald's not sure if he likes it. The lessons this teaches are as important as the illustrations are adorable! 

Happy reading!

Meet Our Retailers: 35th + Butter

35th + Butter is the product of a modern-day love story, and the vibrance behind the store and the brand shows it. Located in Walla Walla, Washington, the store opened just a few months ago and is already a fixture in the community. 

Breathless Paper Co. cards were lucky enough to be picked up by 35th + Butter, after owners Ben and Mary stumbled upon us at a trade show. We love that Breathless Paper now has friends in Walla Walla, and we're so excited to tell you the story of 35th + Butter. 

Breathless Paper Co. (BPC): Clearly there's an awesome story behind 35th + Butter. Tell me a little bit about it. 

Ben: Early on in our dating, Mary mentioned she wanted to have a shop someday and I was like, "no way! I want to have a shop someday too!" So the shop was an idea for a while, but when Mary hurt her back and was taking a break from work for a while, we realized that we had the perfect opportunity to follow that dream. 

BPC: Did either of you ever envision owning a shop like 35th + Butter? 

Ben: For me, it was a little different. I don't consider myself very "creative." If you put something on one side of the fireplace then you have to put something on the other side of the fireplace. That's how I think. I'm very social and I'm good at paperwork and organization and the backend stuff. If I had a store by myself all my merchandise would be right beside each other. Mary's strengths are creative and she makes the store look the way it does. I always wanted a store but I never knew what would be in the store. I remodel homes in my spare time and from that we decided that we should have a home goods store. 

BPC: What's your shop "philosophy?"

Ben: We wanted to make sure [our merchandise] is not something that's already in the town. We don't want to step on other retailers' toes and we want to give our shoppers something new to look at. People said we'd have to buy things we didn't like, but we don't do that; we want to like what's in our store. 

Mary: Slogans are cheesy, but if we had one it would be "accessories for life." Our store merchandise is about making things beautiful. We like interesting and unique finds for the home. We went to four different markets to pick our merchandise. With the card lines, we were very picky. We chose Breathless because it made us laugh. 

BPC: Tell me a little about where you guys are located, in Walla Walla. 

Ben: Walla Walla, Washington. It's a town of 25,000 people in the Southeast corner of Washington. It's backed up against a small mountain range, and any rain clouds that make it over dump in Walla Walla. It's a small town with really amazing restaurants. We've also had the number one community college in the nation for two years in row. You're hard pressed to find a small town with as many amenities. 

Mary: We're number two to Napa Valley in terms of wineries. We have 130 wineries. 

BPC: What was it like starting a business? Any advice for anyone trying to do the same?

Mary: My parents have started a lot of businesses. Ben has his masters in business, I have my masters in medicine, so we had our ducks in a row. We also did a lot of local research. I could see it in Ben and I've always known it about myself that I needed to have my own business one day because of my work ethic. We just went out and did it.

Ben: In terms of words of wisdom, we've only been open 8 weeks at this point. It's so new that we haven't even made all of our opening mistakes yet.  My advice would be to know your strengths and plans as much as you can. There are a million ways to make this happen, and if you really want it, you can make it happen. 

Mary: If you want it bad enough the money will come. If it's something you love to do, then it's just about putting in the hours.

BPC: How did you come across Breathless Paper Company? What drew you to their products?

Ben: Just walking through the market. The cards made us laugh, and we like to laugh.  Life in general is tough. There's enough stresses in life so we want people to come in and laugh. It's one of the joys in running a store. 

Mary: We also like that Breathless' cards are simple, but eye-catching. 

BPC: Is there any card or other Breathless product that's your favorite? What's your bestseller?

Mary: The number one seller is "You're Forking Awesome." People also love the "T.U.D. Totally Unnecessary Drink" card. 

BPC: What do you see as the future of the store and the 35th + Butter brand?

Mary: We worked with a marketing firm to develop the brand. We've put a lot of love into the store design and the local guys that have done the design did a great job. Someone even asked us if it was chain! In the future, our goal is to open 3 to 5 stores. We hope to hire amazing people that can help us move on and open another store in a couple years, and if we can figure out how to run a few stores then we will. 

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35th + Butter may be young, but their brand philosophy and love of good design will take them far. We love being a tiny part of their store and we really love that our cards bring joy to Ben and Mary, as well as customers. If you're in Washington, pay them a visit!