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Best of Big D

5 Questions with Best of Big D Winner Read Between the Lines

Shall you never show up giftless again.
By Caitlin Clark |
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Forget your anniversary? Need to hunt down a last minute hostess gift? Thanks to Melinda Jones’ flagship store for her eponymous paper line, Read Between the Lines, there’s no need to fret. Whether you opt for a set of Rifle Paper Co. notebooks, a witty wine bag, or a piece of Julie Cohn jewelry, the Victory Park store always has the perfect gift, which is precisely the reason we dubbed it our “Best Shop for the Occasion You Forgot.”

RBTL3
Melinda Jones behind the counter at her flagship store in Victory Park.

We caught up with the brilliant mind behind the clever card line to help you get a little better acquainted with the source of your next successful birthday gift.

 

{1.} We’re obviously pretty big fans of the shop, Read Between the Lines, but we’re equally crazy about the card line behind the name. How do you get your inspiration for all your fun expressions?

I’m often inspired by experiences in my life, as well as those of friends and family. The fact that my mother read a LOT of Dr. Seuss to me as a child has also had an enormous impact on the way I experience language. I love words – playing with them, letting them settle into ideas and expressions that get to the heart of things – usually by way of laughter.

 

{2.} What was the very first card you ever wrote for line?

The first one I can recall is ‘You Are My Bucket List’- it sums up that life-changing experience of looking love in the face, and how it can re-orient your dreams in such a positive way.

 

{3.} Your line is carried all over the U.S. (I even just saw Glamour feature one of your prints on their Instagram!). What made you choose Dallas to open your flagship?

Awww! Thank you – that’s a happy honor, for sure, as I grew up reading and admiring that magazine. I love ‘open kitchens’ in restaurants – where, while dining, you can see the team in the kitchen working their magic. Dallas presented the opportunity to have an ‘open kitchen’ style office and retail space – when shopping in our store, you can see through the glass wall into our studio, and all of us buzzing around like bees, running the wholesale and retail operations – and doing some dancing. We love our Pandora stations!

 

{4.} Your shop carries so many wonderful (giftable!) lines. How do you go about selecting which brands to carry?

They typically immediately strike a chord when I first experience them – it’s usually a combination of excellent quality in workmanship and materials, a unique and fresh perspective, and a product that I can envision my customers benefitting from in their daily lives and gifting – great products make life more beautiful, more effective and more fun.

 

{5.} If you could have any celebrity share one of your expressions on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, who what it be and what would the expression say?

Probably Ronda Rousey, the UFC fighter – she could hold up anything I’ve made, and I would be on the floor with happiness. She’s a hero of mine. Incredible life story, perspective and determination.

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