With all the emails, evites and text messages with which I get bombarded on a daily basis, a good old-fashioned paper invitation or note always serves to both catch my attention and brighten my day.  Indeed, I've come to develop a true fondness for and appreciation of a customized invitation, birth announcement or thank-you card printed on quality card stock that feels important to the touch.  I love sending out customized thank-you notes and birthday party invitations on behalf of my 4-year-old daughter Sadie and plan to continue this tradition with my 4-month-old son Ben.  So when the folks at Global Influence invited me to give Paper Culture a try, I jumped at the chance.  After all, in a sea of online stationery sites, Paper Culture stands out as an innovator in design and concern for the environment.

Paper Culture's mantra is "be modern. be eco," and to that end, they offer an impressive array of bold, modern designs placed on eco friendly products.  Whether you're looking for baby announcements, baby shower invitation, holiday cards, birthday party invitations, stationery or bamboo wall art, you'll find clean lines, bold colors and 100% exclusive, modern designs inspired by brands like Kate Spade, Design Within Reach and Marc Jacobs.  All of Paper Culture's personalized stationery products are printed on 130 lb, 100% post consumer recycled paper, and, in a twist that completely endeared this company to me, for every order placed, Paper Culture will plant a tree!  They've pledged to plant over 1 million trees and to date they are now more than 25% of the way toward that goal. 

I was provided with $50 to spend on Paper Culture's site, and, being the fair mom that I am, I decided to order a small set of personalized note cards for both of my kids (note - it still feels so odd to say "kids"!).  The hardest part of the process?  Choosing two from among the hundreds of gorgeous designs Paper Culture has on offer, and that's just in the note card category!  Ultimately, I decided on a race car-themed card for Ben and a princess-themed card for Sadie.  Once I narrowed down my selections, the ordering process was refreshingly streamlined and user-friendly - perfect for a tech-challenged person such as myself.  I was able to preview exactly how the cards would look when they were printed, and I even had an option to personalize the back of each card with text and/or a picture at no extra charge.  Paper Culture also offers a Mail & Message service, through which they will stamp, address and mail your cards on your behalf and all you pay is the actual cost of the stamp.  I'm definitely contemplating this option for my holiday card mailings!  As an added bonus, within a day or two of placing my order, I received an email notifying me that I'd been upgraded to expedited shipping, meaning my cards arrived in a super speedy fashion!

So, how did the finished products turn out?  I'm pleased to report that Sadie and Ben's cards are absolutely gorgeous!  The vibrant colors really pop and the cards feel luxuriously indulgent to the touch.  Indeed, the cards are almost too cute to send out - I'll definitely be holding at least one of each back for the kids' baby books!  I'm a sucker for good packaging, and Paper Culture's did not disappoint.  The cards arrived neatly packed in Paper Culture's signature keepsake-quality box, complete with a coupon for 20% off my next order.  And yes, there will be a next order! 

All told, I'm absolutely thrilled with the quality, selection and ease of ordering offered by Paper Culture and I definitely plan to make several return visits to the site!  For more information, visit www.paperculture.com. 

Disclosure:  I received a $50 credit to Paper Culture for purposes of preparing this review.  The opinions expressed herein are, as always, entirely my own.