When Penny Post, a stationery shop in Old Town Alexandria, wanted to host a fall event inspired by You’ve Got Mail, they reached out to me to bring the experience to life visually. The goal: drive foot traffic and celebrate the movie with a themed “freshly sharpened pencil bouquet” bar.

Penny Post envisioned creating a cozy, nostalgic atmosphere where people could build their own bouquets of pencils—a nod to one of the film’s most iconic lines—and buy themed stickers and stationery.

Design graphics and event materials that:

• Celebrated iconic moments from You’ve Got Mail

• Captured the warmth, romance, and fall energy of the film

• Brought people into the shop—and got them to stay, browse, and shop

• Elevated the pencil bouquet bar into a memorable experience

Initial requests included:

• Social media graphics

• A “sushi-style” pencil menu for the bouquet bar

I began by listing memorable scenes, quotes, and icons from the film—everything from “Tall Decaf Cappuccino” to the iconic daisy bouquet. From there, I designed 15 custom illustrations in a whimsical, hand-drawn style, each serving as a loving nod to the movie.

The illustrative direction blended warm fall tones and playful references, making the designs instantly recognizable. The illustrations were then repurposed across:

• The pencil menu

• Sticker sheets

• Hang tags

• Stamps

• Social media graphics

• Life-size Polaroid-style props for an in-store photo opp

The event exceeded expectations:

• Foot traffic was significantly higher than usual

• All 50 pencils set aside for the event sold out

• Guests who came for the pencil bouquets also left with journals, cards, books, and more

• The shop owner reported a clear positive ROI, noting:

  "The suite of products and graphics set the tone for a successful effort that was shown in a positive ROI on this investment... I would definitely recommend and work with Paige again!"