Nearly two weeks ago, I wanted to visit a diner on Grand Avenue in Saint Paul. On Google Maps, it said that it was open till 4 pm on a Thursday. I got there at 2 pm and it was closed. So much for that visit. I drove along Grand Avenue to check out what was around the area. I saw Paper Source. It reminded me of a store in Winnipeg that I used to frequent. It was called The Paper Gallery. I loved it so much. If you are the type who loves stationery, greeting cards, pens, pencils, and more, you'd love this store. Paper Source gave me the same vibes. I turned around and parked on the street. It was free parking. Great! I walked into the store. My instincts were correct. The store had pens, pencils, greeting cards, and a lot of gift ideas. In short, I was in heaven! A post-Christmas sale greeted me. I saw ornaments, cards, and more all discounted. I did see the cutest felt penguin that was on sale, but the price after the sale didn't justify my getting it. I loved the pen section. From cute dog pens, to fountain ones, there was a pen for everyone. I ended up getting a disposable fountain pen. It writes well and it's the perfect size to carry in a small purse. Yet, it's the right size to write with if you have big hands. The plushies were adorable and deadly. I saw everything from avocados, to tacos. I loved the cookbooks. I wanted them all. I liked the one dedicated to soup. There were also book titles that made me crack up. If you can't think of anything to get someone as a gift, I'm pretty sure that you can find something in this store. I saw satin pillow cases, drinkware, candles, Spirograph, and more. If you're into sending cards, you can get extremely fancy by getting inkpads and stamps. I was into stamping in high school. It was nice to see how stamping has improved, but is still the same, if that makes any sense. I ended up also getting a sticky note dispenser in the shape of a typewriter. I have always loved typewriters, so I had to get it. I waited for a staffer to come to the payment area. She was pleasant and was helping another customer. I am a patient person who was not in a rush this day, so I was good. She came over and was extremely apologetic. She rang my items through her payment system. She then asked me whether I was a Paper Source, or Barnes and Noble rewards member. She uttered such magical words. I was the latter. It felt like Christmas. She let me know that my membership got me 10% off everything at the Paper Source. She also said that yearly, I get a premium tote for free. It's funny how I had eyed this tote when I first walked in. She showed me the pockets and keychain hook inside the bag that sold me. I loved it so much because the canvas thickness was perfect and it felt soft to the touch. I actually used this bag as my personal item on my flights home because it was more spacious than my purse and I could bring back more goodies! I paid with a credit card. I tapped and my transaction was done. She asked if I wanted my items in the bag. I said yes. I thanked this woman. She wished me a great day. I reciprocated and left with my new bag and goodies. I had a fun experience here. It's great when your original plans don't pan out, but you find a new store that you end up loving. (26) read more