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The mom of three suffered from a rare complication called amniotic fluid embolism (AFE) while delivering her son three years ago. And while she's ok now, she said the event left her shaken, causing her to re-examine her priorities and change her life. Working closer to home -- she had previously been a makeup artist in Manhattan -- was a priority.
The result? A full service boutique stationery store that will open on Monroe's Main Street in mid-October.
Autera, who's named the shop A Joyful Noise Paper Co. with a nod towards her middle name of Joy, said she's always been creative and in her spare time, would make her own cards that combined her love of calligraphy and her Christian faith. "I couldn't find cards with verses in the back and calligraphy on the front so I made my own," she said.
She began selling them online in December 2015 and was so successful, she decided to take the plunge and consider a brick and mortar location.
A Joyful Noise Paper Co. will feature a host of custom wedding invitations at a host of price points, along with lots of calligraphy supplies, greeting cards, notebooks, planners, wrapping paper and journals. Expect to find her own line as well as outside brands in addition to calligraphy classes.
Mostly, she hopes, people will feel comfortable lounging while deciding on what to buy. She plans to offer coffee and tea in the store, and feature a sitting area in the back where brides and grooms can look at wedding invitations or others can just hang out while the person they're shopping with is perusing.
"I'm a social person so making sure I had a social element in the store was important to me," she said. "I definitely want to encourage the community to come here, look around, and hang out."
Go to www.joyfulnoisepaperco.com/ for more information.
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