A couple more

These should round out the new DIY kit designs...

San Juan

Manhattan

Looking ahead to Fall

I've slowly started piecing together things for our 2009 line of stationery which we'll have ready to go by mid-Fall, 2008. One of the new things we're going to be offering is DIY invites. Basically, we'll be printing the imagery on the invite, but clients will be able to run the cards through their home printers and take care of proofing and printing their own text. The pricing will be about 1/2 of what our normal flat print invites run (hopefully $2 for an invite, reply card, invitation backing and 2 envelopes.) We're planning on having 6 brand new designs in 4 different pantone colors as well as over a dozen colors for invitation backings and envelopes so that people can really mix and match. Here is a preview of a few of the designs I think we're going to put into production...

Capri

Marseille

Sonoma

Mumbai

Singpore

Back to the Shower

So I've finally got my inspiration board for the shower together. Actually, it's not so much inspiration as what I have actually compiled so far to decorate the event. Coming up with enough wine glasses and silverware for a couple dozen people has been interesting, but I think in the end we're going to have a very mix and match, Anthropologie type vibe with a tea theme.

I've got my tea tins ready to go for the centerpieces, and smaller exotic tins filled with loose tea to hand out as favors. We're also going to set up a coffee and tea station with an assortment of Moroccan tea glasses. As for bringing in more jewel tones, we're doing a champagne bar with mixers like pomegranate juice set out in vintage glass bottles, and bowls full of raspberries and strawberries to garnish cocktails. I think in the end it will be a real reflection of all the things the bride likes, and really... isn't that the point? I had so many elaborate ideas, but this is what seems to fit her whole vibe and aesthetic. Oh.... and I found napkins that match the invites ... who would've thought?

The Big Kitchen Renovation

I know I said the next post would be a bridal shower follow up, but instead I give you a totally non-wedding related post. This is where my head is at the moment. So, we moved into an Antique Victorian Farmhouse a few months ago and have had 2 projects going on every since:

1. Build out the old barn on the land to house the print shop
2. Tear down and rebuild the kitchen

Now, it's fair to note that we had not planned to do this kitchen overhaul for a year, but upon closer inspection of what was here found it was a much much more immediate concern than we thought when we'd first walked through the house (aka, the drawers are falling out of the cabinetry and our dishwasher seems to be from 1977.) After a lot of planning, this week we finally started tearing things apart.

We are trying to go from this:

To this:

Uh huh.... big job. Big, big job.

So far, the wallpaper is down, and the base mouldings and walls are painted in the eat in section (not pictured since it's covered in pots and pans.) We've removing all of the upper moulding, we've gutted the cabinetry and hauled out all of the old appliances. Who knew you could save a couple thousand dollars by volunteering to swing a sledge hammer youself? The install job starts Monday and we still have a lot of work to plow through. My arms feel like rubber. We're doing dishes in the shower and eating anything our little pizza oven can cook. Fun, fun... Thankfully we we're invited to a party at a friends house tonight. They've assured us they'll have food and are willing to clean up after us.

Remember this photo the next time you think about remodeling...

Planning a Bridal Shower

So I may have spent the last 6 years in the wedding industry, but I am the first to admit that I have never planned a bridal shower. Actually, I think I've only attended one in my life and my own shower was an impromptu night of drinking in Jamaica which came much closer to a bachelorette party than an "open gifts with your mother-in-law" event.

My closest girlfriend got engaged last year and her wedding is fast approaching, so I guess there's no time like the present to figure this out. Oh, and I have help... lots of help. I've got 2 other girls who are my new partners in crime, and a little black book full of wedding contacts so this shouldn't be that hard... right? Wrong! What I've figured out is that I overwhelm myself with ideas. I've seen so many photos, and looked at so many different events that I'm constantly finding new things I like. It's time to whittle them down because the invites have to go out tomorrow.

Behold, what I finally came up with.

We're rolling with a tea theme. Not, tiny sandwich classic tea. More jewel tones, silk road type tea. The centerpieces are going to be Asian tins filled with flowers, and I thought the border on the invite resembled an old tea label. They were printed on a deep red paper with brown backing in brown ink. I hope she loves them. I've been waiting for an the right opportunity to use some of these images.

Next post... flowers.

I Have a Thing for Birds

I know.... nothing new, but for me birds and weddings just mix. I was trying to empty photos from my computer last night and found I had a ton of bird favorites saved. I thought I'd put together a little board for anyone dabbling in this "theme" for their event...

first row: lenox china, Ann Woods birds, etsy PeaceLily crane mobile, whiteaisle invite
second row: etsy Luxedelux necklace, Two's Company candles, etsy dearemma table cards
third row: bird centerpiece from brides.com, etsy letteria letterpress coasters
fourth row: gianna rose robin's egg soaps, elizabethsembellishments.com bird chandelier

Sparkly Bits

One of my jobs here is to track down new jewelry each season. I am continuously on the lookout for pieces that have just the right amount of sparkle, are the right tone of silver, are the right tone of cream, are just a bit vintage.... and on and on. Well, our new brooches and cuff bracelets just arrived and I couldn't be happier with them. I think they fit the bill.

Brooches aren't anything new on the wedding scene, but I do still love them as an accent on a bouquet, on a clutch, a shawl or as hair jewelry. Here are my new faves...

Now if I could only figure out a situation where I could wear one of these cuffs....

How Sweet the 4th Was ...

One of the things I've been looking forward to most with our recent move back to New England was the 4th of July. Nothing, and I mean nothing beats Boston for fireworks and fun! I'm lucky enough to have a very close girlfriend (who happens to be getting married .. more on that soon)with a fabulous roof deck overlooking the Charles River. I was over the moon when she called and invited Dade and I over for food, the fly over, fireworks and a giant pitcher of sangria. We couldn't show up empty handed, so I decided to swing into her favorite place for dessert, a cupcake shop called Sweet. I immediately knew I had to share this place with the wedding community!

Sweet just opened up a few months ago in Boston’s Back Bay at 49 Massachusetts Avenue between Marlborough Street and Commonwealth Avenue. Upon walking through the door, you get hit with the most amazing battery good scent, and then your eyes hit the case piled high with the most spectacular cupcakes ever. All of the frostings, fillings and batters are freshly prepared from scratch and from the highest quality ingredients available. They are baked each morning in the Sweet kitchen. Ready-to-eat, seasonal specialty flavors, special decoration and limited edition cupcakes are made, served and delivered with care. Custom and special orders are baked and decorated to order.



Dade immediately said, "we need one of each!" The young woman who helped us carefully packed each cupcake into a box, and made it ready to hand over as the perfect hostess gift. When we arrived at our friend's, she saw the box and a loud, high-pitched squeal followed. I can tell you that after dinner, they were devoured in minutes. The Boston Creme Pie and Lemon were especially well received. So.... if you're in the area and looking for cupcakes for a bridal shower, wedding, or just a gift for a friend I highly recommend giving this place a spin. I'll be back!

Photo: Eric Levin/Elevin Studios