Interview with Bonnie Marcus

Happy Mother’s Day to all of our camp moms out there! As summer is approaching, we are sure you are looking for the perfect goods to send your child away with. When it comes to stationery, look no further than the Bonnie Marcus Camp Collection! Her stylish and fun cards and envelopes are anything but ordinary, and will be an amazing treat for both you and your camper this summer.

Bonnie Marcus really knows her stuff – she’s a mom too! She is sending her two oldest sons to camp this summer for the first time, and is here to share her inspiration for her business, as well as her experience preparing for sleepaway camp for the first time! p.s. scroll down for a special offer for all you mamas and Summer 365 friends!

Tell us a little bit about the Bonnie Marcus Collection.

The Bonnie Marcus Collection is a stylish stationery company that I launched over 10 years ago when I was pregnant with my first child, and feeling very energetic! We started with a small collection of invitations, and today we have thousands of different designs, from baby shower and bridal shower to graduation, summer party, and so much more! My new line of Camp Stationery is definitely my most fun, fashionable collection yet!

How did you get started in this industry?

I was the Director of Special Events at the 92^nd Street Y in New York City for many years, and my job entailed planning events for the celebrities and authors speaking there each night. From Martha Stewart and Clint Eastwood to Al Pacino and Al Gore, the most challenging part of planning the events was actually finding the perfect invitations for my clients. Because there was nothing fun and fashionable at the time, I designed my own invitations for each event. My designs were soon featured in New York Magazine as a “best bet” and I was encouraged by retail stores to launch my own collection! My designs were soon featured in Saks Fifth Avenue, Bloomingdale’s and Henri Bendel.

What is your favorite part about your job?

My favorite part about being a designer is hearing from my customers about how my designs put a smile on their face! From Denny’s to Lester’s, I love getting photos from customers showing me the display of my designs on the shelves of their local store. Also, I love getting photos from parents of letters that their campers wrote on our stationery – it always brings a smile to my face, and I am so happy that I could bring a smile (& a letter home) to other moms as well!

What inspired you to create the camp collection stationery?

I have always viewed myself as a “problem solver” and when I heard from numerous friends that their campers weren’t finding stationery designs that they loved, I started designing to help fill the void in the market. I am thrilled that we now sell our Camp Stationery Collection to both Lester’s and Denny’s, as well as hundreds of other independent stores around the country!

We are so excited to hear you are sending your children to sleepaway camp for the first time this summer! How are you feeling as summer approaches?

Actually, my two oldest sons are attending sleep away camp for the first time this summer! We have many family friends who have attended the same camp, so my children have been getting a lot of “words of wisdom” – they are so very excited!

How did you make your decision on where to send them?

We had heard from a number of family friends about how special and beautiful their camp in Maine is, and we have seen their children grow and flourish in camp over the years. We are thrilled to send our children to Camp Modin this year!

How are they feeling about camp?

They are counting down the days!

What advice do you have for parents sending their kids to camp for the first time?

I think my children are so excited to go to camp for the first time because my husband & I really let them be the decision makers and have listened to their needs. My boys are now 10 and 11, and had never expressed interest in sleep away camp until this year, so we never pushed them. Now they are so excited to go for the first time!

We all know that pre-camp prepping is a whole process unto itself – do you have any suggestions for preparing for the summer or shopping for camp that you want to share?

I have been trying to let my children be a part of the process and let them weigh-in on the decision making, from the clothes to bring to the labels to order. I believe that if they are a part of the process, there won’t be many surprises and they will be more comfortable with the transition. (My 5 year old can’t wait for the day that he could go to camp as well!)

The Bonnie Marcus Camp Collection:

* A portion of the proceeds from the sale of each product will be donated to breast cancer research and education.

*Personalization available.

Summer 365 Tip: Getting letters home from your child is one of the best treats of the summer, so why not display these notes at home, or make a summer scrapbook for your camper? Bonnie’s stationery is perfect for those keepsake memories.