When I was visiting my family over Thanksgiving, I spent half a day shopping in Havre de Grace. I was born there, and the town is part of my history, my story, and holds so many memories of my childhood. It was odd going back and in some strange way, meandering around the town last week was part and parcel of an ongoing process of healing and reweaving my own past….but I digress. Suffice it to say, I had one hell of a good time. Toward the end of my shopping, I stumbled upon this store, “Glyph”. I was delighted.
I have a love for fine paper, handmade cards, fancy pens, inks, teas, wrapping papers, jars, and the like. These things, like calligraphy, and the craft of letter writing itself are what i like to call grace notes of living. They make the world a more beautiful, more civilized, more enjoyable place. Walking into Glyph, I was in heaven. (I was also kind of shocked because there was *nothing* like this in Havre de Grace when I lived in MD!).
Stores like this are, more and more, a rarity. I was like a kid in a candy shop. The owners, Don Starr and Joseph C. Smith were pleasant, courteous, incredibly knowledgeable, and very helpful. It was one of the most pleasant shopping experiences that I’ve had in a long time. The store is large enough to have a variety of interesting items yet small enough to be cozy and welcoming. While I was reveling in the Italian paper they sold, I do believe they also do custom stationary as well as offering workshops and classes. Check out their virtual tour of the store here.
Like bookstores, fine stationary stores in my opinion should be celebrated and patronized. Nothing makes me sadder than going through an otherwise charming town but seeing no bookstores, no paper stores, nothing that speaks to these arts of the mind, the eye, communication, and contemplation. I think the exquisite yet somehow delightfully quaint elegance they offer is much needed in our world today. They bring a very quiet kind of joy.
Anyway, when I find stores like this, I like to let people know! I co-own a small gallery. I know how hard it is for small businesses to stay in business! So, if you’re interested in nice paper and neat things, check these guys out. They do online business too.
For those of you IN the area, check out these coffee shops as well. I went to both and they were both awesome, comfortable, and the coffee oh so good: Concord Point Coffee and Java by the Bay.
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