Photo by Erin Nelson.
Patsy Howard reaches for a Sarah LeClere invitation card as she helps Carmelynn Bragiel, of Mansfield, Texas, while browsing at Village Press in Mountain Brook Village. Village Press is celebrating its 58th year of business in September.
Patsy Howard, long-time stationer and owner of Village Press, has served the Mountain Brook community the last 25 years, but the store itself has been in the area for more than 50 years.
Village Press opened its doors in 1965 with only a lab on the left side of the building, where they developed plates. Howard bought the establishment in December 1997 and became its fourth owner.
In 2008, Howard contacted Mary Farrar, longtime owner of The Petite Shop and asked if she could purchase the other side of the building, doubling the size of Village Press.
Howard has loved stationery for about 60 years. Before buying Village Press, she worked for a pharmacist to send her kids to college, but to make extra money she did stationery for weddings and invitations for people at her church.
“After my third child left for college and my house was paid for, I wanted to buy a business,” Howard said. “I learned from my own small business and moved into a business that was already available. I would have been lost if I had not invested in Village Press.”
Learning the skill set does not take any special schooling, just a vested interest.
“I think the secret is the love of paper, love of people and the love of creativity,” Howard said.
Village Press sells stationery from national companies such as Crane, Arzberger, Carlson Craft, Caspari and Embossed Graphics to clients including brides, businesses and individuals.
Howard’s favorite products to prepare include wedding invitations and sympathy cards because she is working directly with individuals to personalize a special time for them.
“I like weddings because the groom will come in with the bride and he is often so uncomfortable, and I’ll put him at ease,” she said. “The couple is so happy to see the invitations are finally addressed. As for the sympathy cards, it is uncharted waters for the man or woman, who has recently lost someone, and helping them choose the correct wording is a blessing.”
The top sellers at Village Press vary from day to day, Howard explained, but they usually include wedding invitations, thank you notes, sympathy notes, notepads, Sarah LeClere products, embossed graphics and blank invitations.
Although Howard is not a resident of Mountain Brook, she is fond of the community and the gratitude it shows to Village Press. The support the community showed during the pandemic, when the store was forced to close, was unmatched.
“The customers are loyal, too,” she said. “I have second generations of loyal customers — I’m doing their children’s weddings now.”
Village Press will celebrate its 58th anniversary the week of Sept. 18-22. There will be a guest calligrapher, Angela Welch, on Thursday, Sept. 21, penning names to be printed on stationery, cards, notes and more.
More than anything, Howard enjoys being a stationer and has put her entire life into the business. Each customer that walks through Village Press is cared for as an individual.
“It is my life and I’ve done it for so long,” Howard said. “I like making people happy. There’s so much gratification in that simple fact.”
