Search Results

Bonnie was beautiful and she was adventurous too. Bonnie was a loving mother of 5; 4 girls and 1 boy. She was also a sister, an aunt, a lover of children, a crafter and loved photography. She had adventurous spirit, was very positive and would brighten any room as well as anyone's day. She loved holidays and would never miss a birthday. You would for sure find a little box of goodies in the mail from her. Well... Bonnie left this world tragically and of course too early. Bonnie was... my mom. After her passing, in the craziest places, I would see a yellow butterfly or a group of them. When I went to have my wedding dress altered, a yellow butterfly was right there when I opened my car door. When our best friends threw us a wedding shower at a night club here in Houston, we looked up and there were painted yellow butterflies on the ceiling right above where we were having our celebration. Everyone was in awe because they knew the significance. And just last week, I had a yellow butterfly land on my office window! I'm 14 stories up - this never happens! I'm not saying the butterfly is my mom, but I do feel like it is God's way of letting me know everything is going to be alright and to keep pushing, to keep growing and to keep transforming. ♥ Just like my mom, I like to paint, craft, and I see beauty in skyscrapers, landscapes, clock towers, light poles (especially in New Orleans), and I see beauty in people in this not so pretty world. When I created Infinity Paper in 2013, I made sure to incorporate a butterfly within the company logo. Even with something so tragic and scary that my mom went through, I'm still a very positive person. On our Instagram/Facebook account (Instagram: @infinitypaperBTQ), we always give positive advice or positive outlooks on life. If anything, her loss reminds me how precious life is. Also her loss reminds me to not be afraid and to always go for it as we may not have a tomorrow! My mom was very talented but never took the risk of putting herself out there for the world to see. She was so afraid of "what people may think". Or that they would critique her imperfections. (which I could never find!) What a loss of talent and beauty this world didn't get to see! So everyday that I am designing, creating and/or shipping an order, I don't hold back. So if you are an entrepreneur, don't be afraid; go for it! Yes, without a doubt, you are going to make mistakes. Yes, they might laugh or not get it; even your family and friends. Who cares; put yourself out there because this world needs you. This world needs your talents! As for me and my team, we want to share our talents with you and what we are capable of doing. We all may be still timid of posting pics or posting on social media in general, even writing and sharing this story - we are not perfect, but we are sure trying! So every time you see a butterfly, remind yourself to not hold back or be afraid and that you too can become something beautiful! You can transform! Remind yourself you are loved and that your time on this planet is short. If you are wanting a change, the time is now; do it NOW. Share your talents! Share your skills! Don't let your talents be wasted. One more thing, not everyone knows this but since 2013 we have donated 10% of all our proceeds to charity. (including any shipping costs.) For the month of September, (the month that she was taken from this world) we will donate 10% to our local (Houston, Texas) domestic shelter. This will help with better security (which my mom needed), Emergency Alarms, housing, food, transportation, etc. P.S. Be kind to all, as you never know what someone HAS been through or IS going through! Creator and Owner, Michelle (Oldest daughter out of the 5)

Meet Michelle McLaughlin of Infinity Paper Boutique in Downtown LOCAL STORIES - http://voyagehouston.com/interview/meet-michelle-mclaughlin-infinity-paper-boutique-downtown/ Today we’d like to introduce you to Michelle McLaughlin. So, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story. Hi! I’m Michelle, creator of Infinity Paper. I am the oldest of 5 and in my younger years, I grew up in Corpus Christi, Texas and I’ve been in Houston, Texas since I was 15. Growing up, we didn’t have much and I always had to be creative and think outside the box to help all of us kids be entertained. We had to be resourceful and create “games” out of nothing. I remember creating our own board games out of poster boards, I had to sew my own Barbie clothes and I watched Painting with Ross where I learned how to paint! A few years after I graduated from High School, I stopped being “creative” for about 11 years. During this time, I ended up pregnant and was a single mom to my daughter. I was more in survival mode and working as much as I could. And that is when September of 2006 rolled around and took my life on a 360⁰ roller coaster! (I’m mentioning this story as I feel like it is a big reason why I started creating again and it is the biggest reason why there is a butterfly in the logo!) So here we go (with my hand over my mouth) …. In September of 2006, my mom was murdered by her then husband. It was headline news because it happened in a woman’s shelter with my little brother present. I know this sounds horrible and you can’t even imagine but with this incident happening, I no longer take life for granted, I’m kind to everyone around me as you never know what someone is going through, I thank God every morning for another day, I always make it a good day no matter what is going on and most of all, I started creating again since her passing. In 2010, I picked up a paint brush again and my artwork sold in some Houston restaurants and stores. Selling my items I created to the public gave me the confidence I needed to not worry about what others think. (creator’s and entrepreneur’s do fear this!) Since my creative juices were flowing again, in 2013, while planning for my wedding, I of course made my own wedding items. From my decor, to swag bags, programs, and butterfly-shaped advice cards, I created and made everything I could. The one product that seemed to grab guests’ attention was the Wedding Fan Programs that I created. They told me how amazing our wedding programs were as well as all the other details. I casually mentioned to my hubby, “I could make these for other brides and grooms”. He thought I was crazy! I posted a few pictures and BOOM, the orders started coming in!! I didn’t know how to keep up with demand so that is when my hubby stepped in with the technical side of things and set up a cutting machine for me. (Yes, everything I created before was by hand; I know crazy!) The orders still kept coming in to where it forced us to buy another machine to keep up. I then had to call in the troops; my girlfriends. I lured them in with wine and food to come help me! Then it became so much that I had to hire production help, designers, and photographers and pay hourly for their time. A year goes by and at this point, the two machines were still not fast enough so we had to upgrade to more professional machines which we still have today. The product line grew from one product to many more products based on the clientele’s demands while using quality items! Today, we create, we customize, we design to whatever the customer needs. We are infinite on ideas, creativity and products. Thus, why we are called Infinity Paper Boutique! As for the butterfly in our logo and for the butterfly confetti added to packages, this is to remind us all that life is so precious, so short, and to not take it for granted. The butterfly is to also remind us all that we can all transform into something beautiful if you just give it time. Has it been a smooth road? Oh my… it has not! I first want to say, I just like to create and help people. Running a business is not my thing! My husband had to help in many areas along the way; especially the technical and business law side of things. It was all a growing and learning curve throughout the whole process. From having to figure out the next step of things when business is on a high demand, to having to figure out things as business slows down. The managing of employees, to tax ID set up, staying on top of the new trends, to figuring out social media, and the biggest heartbreak from running a business that I learned is to NOT hire friends. In August of 2018, my business was doing extremely well; sales were abundant and feedback was at its ultimate high. My team at this time was perfect! They knew how to create, prepare and ship custom orders on a high demand basis. And just when I thought my business was on the right path, I was hit hard with identity fraud. I had to shut down my platform that I was so successful on. I lost most of my clients. (Some have taken the time to search for me again.) I lost all my product pictures, 900+ feedback postings, and most of my listing details. As a result, I lost 5 years of hard work and sacrifice with a click of a button! Regretfully, I had to let go of most of my employees and begin again from the ground up. So to answer the question, business is not easy and it hasn’t been smooth but you have to learn from the hard hits, dust off your knees, be vigilant and keep persevering. So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Infinity Paper Boutique story. Tell us more about the business. Infinity Paper is a custom paper goods studio located in Houston, Texas. Formed by passion for all things that are creative and a team of superior experience, Infinity Paper works with brides, event planners and clients around the globe creating customized programs, cards, signs, tags and other beautiful paper goods. Every item in this shop is handcrafted and unique. We design, print and assemble each piece with attention to detail and truly love what we do. All materials and employees are carefully sourced because quality is extremely important to us, as we hope it is to you! – Our paper products feature beautiful shimmer stock, high-quality matte stock and original designs. – My handpicked team has the same values as I do. We care about each and every order; we want each client to be wowed when they open their box. – Each order is carefully packaged. Your products are beautifully wrapped, placed in plastic bags and shipped with love. – I’m soooo proud to be featured in Wedding Bells Magazine, Beautiful Things Magazine, Essence Magazine Bridal Bliss and Bridal Guide plus many other sites where the bride and groom’s wedding was featured. – The sky’s the limit! If you don’t see something in the shop, just ask prior to ordering. Custom requests are highly and openly accepted. – Lightning speed responses and we work over the weekends as well! We also can design and send a proof in 24 hours or less. In this day and age, everyone wants things now so we do our best to accommodate and perform in this manner. (with keeping quality the same) – 10% of every order is donated to Show Hope (A movement for Orphans) Bottom line, we are a group of women that truly care about your order. We design for free till you are completely satisfied and when approved, we print on high-quality paper/cardstock. Give me your ideas and I’ll make sure it comes to life! How do you think the industry will change over the next decade? We are starting to see that people these days want instant gratification. I feel like Amazon has caused this so instead of being upset about it, we are now joining in on that train! You will now find some of our products for purchase on Amazon and we will continue to add more products on the Amazon platform as we have time. (We are still at the beginning stages.) We also have entered into one of the Boutique’s in the Memorial Area of Houston (location kept private) where we help the business owner revamp product lines as well as help create products that keep flying off the shelves! It’s a WIN WIN relationship!! So, instead of selling just through our website, we are venturing off to where instant gratification can be obtained. Pricing: Wedding Fan Programs – $3.10 – $3.90 Menu Circles – $.88 – $1.75 Stationery Sets – $3.75 – $16.50 Tags – $.40+ Place Cards – $.80 – $1.19 Invitations – $.96 – $9.75+ Contact Info: Website: www.InfinityPaperBtq.com Phone: 8322576980 Email: info@infinitypaperbtq.com Instagram: @infinitypaperbtq Facebook: fb.me/infinitypaper

We couldn't wait to hear what the new color was going to be and we are thrilled to see that it is Coral; Living Coral that is! Pantone has released the "Color of the Year" for 2019, and this one has us excited; especially paired with gold. It reminds us of all things destination - Can we come with??!!! According to Pantone's website, they say that this color is an animating and life-affirming coral hue with a golden undertone that energizes and enlivens with a softer edge. No wonder brides all over are loving it; as we are seeing all the mood boards surf the internet with ideas. So it is no surprise it is already a hit! Below you will see a bit of "coral" inspiration that you might like to implement into your wedding. Is it bad to start with the drinks first??!!! Isn't that why your guests show up?!! Mmmmm.... Peach Bellini! Peach Bellini cocktails are an absolute must-have! Decorate cocktail glasses with striped straws and gold toned flags – your guests will definitely want some of these delicious drinks. The Bellini's can double up as wedding favors and escort cards – simply add a flag with the name of each guest written on it or add a personalized sticker to the front of each glass and your guests can drink away! Bonus: They won't lose their glass!! Also, as an added jester, don't forget to add personalized "Don't Take My Drink" Cards to the tables or bar area- your guests will thank you for it! Ok... ok back to the important person - THE BRIDE! It's not your traditional wedding dress but it does give off the "destination wedding" vibe. With soft lace and with a tie-dye coral color, this dress sure gives off that beachy, romantic vibe. And now THE BRIDE TRIBE! Now these are dresses and skirts, we can definitely see them wearing again.... Oh! and maybe even gift them with some heels!! Yes Pleeeeaaasssee! And how about the Bride's stationery? Yep... got her covered! Now to the one that has been waiting for you.... THE GROOM Adding a bit of coral to either his boutineer or his tie will bring it all together -- Forever! Bon Voyage!

The best time of year is so much fun but it can tickle the pocket book at the same time. Don't want to leave anyone off the NICE list? Want to give to your kiddo's teachers a gift or maybe a neighbor or a good friend? Need some ideas that are around $5 or less to make? Then try these Cookies in a Jar! It is the best gift to give that won't cost too much to make and it is also a great thing to do with the kids - have them join in the fun! Cookies In A Jar– A Mason jar filled with pre-measured dry ingredients for cookies. Give the jar as a gift, and all the recipient has to do is add the wet ingredients and bake. SANTA'S COOKIES ​You will need: 1 quart Mason Jar, Label paper, spoon, sissors, paper funnel or regular funnel, measuring cups, measuring spoons and printer Dry Ingredients: 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 cup rolled oats 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar 1/2 cup M&Ms 1/2 cup semisweet mini chocolate chips 1/4 cup packed brown sugar 1/2 cup white sugar Clean your mason jar before making this craft. Layer the ingredients in a 1 quart jar in the order given. Press each layer firmly in place before adding the next layer; using a spoon to pack down the brown sugar and move the ingredients evenly is helpful. I highly recommend adding the ingredients as listed especially the brown sugar as this helps the layers to not shift or mix!! Screw on the top of the mason jar - fairly tight. Print and cut labels. Peel and adhere the Santa's Cookies label to the front and the directions on the backside. Add twine, ribbon or any other decor and presto! You are done!! CLICK HERE TO PRINT LABELS or we can print and ship for you. Click here to order. *Santa, Cookies and Star/Snowflake images by PrettyGrafik Design tips tips TIPS!! I have made these Cookies In A Jar for quite some time and these are my tips and tricks throughout the years.... Buy the Anchor Hocking Brand Mason Jars. They have a smooth front and back surface for easy label application. I purchase all my jars at Walmart. When adding the flour to the mason jar, spoon in to the funnel slowly or the flour will make a "cloud" of a mess! The best funnel to use when adding the flour is the paper funnel. This allows for the funnel to reach to the bottom of the jar and you can maneuver to where you want the product to go. It's brilliant! Use a butter knife wrapped in a paper towel to clean up the extra flour on the sides of the jar for a crisp, clean layered look! ​​ Use a spoon to press down the brown sugar layer till it is packed in and the layer is level.

One of Infinity Paper's couples, Shainna and Evan (now Mr. & Mrs. Borenstein) was featured in Style Me Pretty on January 22, 2018! What a way to start off the year and what a wedding! Check their story out here.

Below are the Top 10 Things I really wished I did for my wedding and do keep in mind that I did my research and asked friends that have been married before their thoughts and advice a year before the wedding and I still have these regrets. A bride and groom are so overwhelmed at this time in their life with “oh you should do this”, “buy this and don’t buy that”, “you need to go here for this appointment and here for this” that some things get overlooked or they end up wanting to save money since having a wedding can get very expensive. I was told “oh some things you can do without.” True, like I voted against an ice sculpture! BUT I do wish I did spend money elsewhere …. 1. I wish I spent money to have menus for my guests. I was so overwhelmed the last month before the big day that I didn’t even worry about it. So my guests ended up having a surprise dinner! What was I thinking… again… I was not! 2. I wish I spent money on a “day-of coordinator”. I needed someone on this day to make sure everything was in place. Instead, I had my mother-in-law running around with her head cut off and she ended up being one of the last one’s to get ready. This really bothered me because she is very special to me (since my mom has passed) and it would have been better to have her spend the memorable moments with me. Also, I found out the day of my wedding that the family members that I put in charge of decorating my tables ended up passing it off to people that didn’t really know me, what I liked and how I wanted things set up. I even made a booklet with pictures with step by step instructions but when I walked in to my reception, nothing was in the right place! We love our friends and family but these are not the people to hire. Spend the money on a day-of coordinator! 3. I wish I spent money on lighting, smoke and a décor crew. My reception ended up looking bare and boring. My hubby and I wanted everyone to have fun and have a party! Nothing in the room screamed let’s have a good time!! I didn’t realize how big of a difference hiring a lighting company would have been. It is one of my biggest regrets I have. I know it sounds like a little thing but it still bothers me till this day. 4. I wish I made after party plans for everyone. The after party was an after thought! It was more made up at the last minute since we had to leave the reception place by a certain time. Everyone just got “started” and wanted to keep celebrating. I had no idea this was going to happen or I would have planned it so I would have my sisters and maid of honor there. (You know, my bridal party!) 5. I wish I mentioned somewhere in my wedding program that we were going to have a photobooth or had signs placed letting guests know of the existence of a photobooth. My guests told me later that they had no idea we had a photobooth in the reception room. And going through the funny pictures after the wedding was one of our best moments! 6. I wish I had hashtag signs made. This way I could have more pictures to see after the wedding because I wanted to reflect on our amazing night. I wanted to see my guests having fun and enjoying our celebration. Your wedding will happen so fast, that you want to see these moments. The hashtag helps keep your photos all in one place so you can find them. Trust me, your guests will forget to send them to you! 7. I wish I hired a videographer!! This one is a big one for me. I was told to save my money but I really regret this decision. My daughter Aubrey said the most amazing speech to her Step Dad and now that we have a baby, I would love for the little one to hear what her sister said about her dad when she gets older. ♥ Plus, there were not enough pictures to capture the moments that I would love to see. I feel like I missed out on our wedding. I was so busy with go here, do this, take this pic, that it wasn’t as enjoyable for me. Watching a video would have given me this joy! Spend the money!!! 8. I wish I spent money on a Honeymoon. I was told book your Honeymoon before the wedding or you won't go. Sure enough, they were right! Still till this day, we have not had a honeymoon and I feel like getting away after the wedding to really connect would have been super memorable and special. Spend money on a Honeymoon! 9. I wish I had a second dress to change into and comfortable shoes. This would have made it more fun and I would have been more comfortable. Plus, we ended up going to an after party. I had to borrow an out of town friend’s sandals and mail them back to her later in the week. Btw, I’m a high heel girl and I wish I had flats! 10. And last but not least…. I wish I hired an Event Planner! I think a lot of my “wish I did this” would be eliminated on this list! I know I’m a planner at heart but I didn’t have the time and energy to plan it all. I think my reception would have turned out much better and I wouldn’t have the feeling of “I wish I could plan it all over again.” Spend the money on an Event Planner!! (I’m not paid to say this! lol) I did plan a lot of things right but these are my top 10 things I wish I had done if I could do it all over again. (And of course I don’t plan to do it all over again!) I now sell in my shop all the things you need in order to save you from the pain of “I wish I did….” Now my best advice, do roll with the punches as things will go wrong on your wedding day. On my big day, I put in my head… All that matters is to walk down that aisle and kiss the man I love to make him mine forever! The End!!!