Thinking of Summer

...and the bright colors seen by the beach - like luscious lime, and Caribbean-hued blue. These pops of color can enliven a summer wedding, and cool down guests on a hot day.


Clockwise from top left: Jar candle holders found on marthastewart.com; Fans from theknot.com; Blue martini from marthastewart.com; Teal card by Crane on einvite.com; Lime polka-dot cake found on theknot.com; Union invitation on einvite.com; Green cocktail found on theknot.com.

Peonies

If I could do my wedding all over again, I would pick a date in the spring, JUST so I could have in-season peonies. I love the gorgeous pink hues shown here. When huge buds open, they are truly stunning.

{L to R from the top: Peony and Cymbidium Bouquets, Snippet & Ink; Pink Peony, Real Simple; Rebecca, Checkerboard, Ltd.; Pink Peony Vase, Freckle Chick; Peony & Dots, Good Fortune Press by Hello! Lucky; Red Peonies, Real Simple}

Invitations on Behance

There are many online artist communities out there but one of the best (in terms of consistently excellent work from members) is Behance.net . It's a bit different, similar to the early days of gmail, where membership is available by invitation only (or you can apply to become a member). Once you're accepted you can post portfolios and participate in the site. I haven't been overly involved so far, but there is a large percentage of working creative professionals on Behance, and on a lark I decided to search for "invitations."

Check out this beautiful, modern, hand-crafted set by Primaluxe Design Studio. I like the use of a monogrammed sticker to seal the invitation here:



Pimaluxe uses the pocket format that has become so popular, and incorpates an interesting use of rivets and an interesting grid pattern that gradiates from the top of the card to the bottom. Check it out:



I just love all the small details, the motif in the top left corner, the common letterspacing from accesory to accesory. It's work that really appeals to me.

It's also chocolate (or a warm slate, maybe) and cream. I don't know how much longer this trend has, but it's still very compelling.

Love the radiator

I wanted to share this awesome exhibit at the Museum of Arts and Design. It's called Totally Rad: Karim Rashid Does Radiators. Karim Rashid is one of my favorite designers and in this exhibit he showcases amazing new radiator designs. Designers and manufacturers demonstrate a totally new and exciting design perspective on this clunky everyday object. These designs really make you rethink your boredom with the regular domestic radiator. Never thought a radiator could look so beautiful!

Color Full

{images of girls playing and bouquet courtesy of the very talented Michèle M. Waite}

{images of dress via J. Crew and jewelry via beijoflor on etsy}

Inspired by the whimsical captures of Michèle M. Waite, this board is alive with color and life, like the vibrant Caribbean. I can hear the music and the bustle! The calliope of color in the bouquet, seated on painted chairs is just electrifying as the spontaneity of the girls playing in the fountain.

Striking Silhouettes

The drama of high contrast brings an aura of old-school glamour to your wedding or party that is sure to have your guests inspired to celebrate.


(Clockwise from top left)
The ring that inspired today's post: Out of the Blue on Etsy
The velvet and silk flowers: Nicholas Kniel
The gorgeous invitation: Chandelier
The teal dress: Anthropologie
The amazing lacey cake: Real Simple

Color Trends

NET-A-PORTER is a great stop when you are in the need for a bit of visual inspiration. Besides showcasing the hottest fashions on the runway, they do a fabulous job of grouping trends in color and pattern. Citrone, Neon Pink, Sage, Lapis, Ultraviolet, Smythson Coral and Lime have been named the top colors for Spring/Summer. Good to keep in mind whether you are picking your wedding colors, throwing a summer party or shopping for shoes.

{L to R from top: Orange Birthday Band by eInvite.com, Radiant Monogram by eInvite.com, Palms on Black by Starfish & Dreams, Pink Cupcake Invites by The Paperdoll Store, Purple Bouquet by eInvite.com}

Artsy Jewels

{left top, center top, right bottom and right - necklaces by riddhika}
{bottom center - necklace by michelle may}

I draw inspiration from the combination of beautiful colors and composition of artsy handmade jewelry. The fusion of metal and stone, vintage and new, the materials, the colors, the boldness, I love it all! These are some of my favorite pieces designed and created by my two of my amazing designer friends and here's a sneak peak into their creative minds:
“I draw inspiration from everything that's around me. From my travels to simple things that I love. From the intricate architecture of Churches in Prague to the Temples in South India, from the serene beaches in Oman to the hustle and bustle of the streets of Bombay, my fun friends in New york to my mother. My last collection was inspired from animals, food and colors.” - Riddhika Jesrani
“Inspiration for my designs comes from my love of the natural and precious stones I use. The colors of the earth are spectacular. This turquoise is one of my favorites, reflecting the two main colors in nature, blue and green. I love pairing the rugged elements with faceted, sparkly crystals and onyx that really bring each to life. The contrast between the refined and natural stones echo what I love in people.”- Michelle May

Floral Letters

{images found on the knot, instyle weddings and michèle m. waite photography}

I love the inspiration from the floral letters I have been seeing. These are all great do it yourself projects that your wedding party could do over a few sips of wine. I think these are great for small gatherings too. Some years back I did some framed dried flower monograms for a very special little girl, and the presentation was so impactful. They made her room a little wonderland. Use your imagination!

Hot invites, celebrity style

Is the paparazzi a problem? Well, you can feel like a million bucks when you send out hot invites. Your guests will be reserving the limo, the minute they open... the envelope, please! Whether you are having a wedding, a new baby, graduation, or friday night cocktails on the patio, spending time with family and friends is important. The little details, like the perfect invitation makes your guests feel the excitement of "the event".

It is the little things that mean alot, the introduction, there first impressions upon arrival. For a shower or a casual gathering, a welcome sign on the door, or in the driveway is a nice way to lead them in to your gathering. Little tokens of humor in the bathrooms, name tags for guest to meet, party favors with creative flair...all of these things show your guests that they are important to you and that they were thought of.

{images: flowers via Sprout, Worcester, velvet rope via pommpeacefulmoments, hidden camera via deviant art, invitations via eInvite}

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

{Images from L to R}
Herradura Green Agave Cocktail Recipe provided by Herradura
Milly Fan Print Silk Twill Sheath Dress available at Nordstrom
Vermeil Enameled Clover Necklace available at couturecandy.com
Recipe Cocktail Shaker available at Crate&Barrel
Shamrock Invite by Checkerboard, Ltd.
No Limit Dinnerware by Thomas for Rosenthal

The Paper Making Process

I spent the past week learning about paper making, a process that is the foundation to most of the stationery and invitation industry. Curiously enough, we don't always think about where the paper we use in our creative process comes from, or how it is made. We just want it to be "nice."

Paper essentially goes through five steps before it gets to the creative professionals who use it in their daily lives and art. The process varies from manufacturer to manufacturer (and from country to country) but basically, the list goes like this:

1. Pulp is made from a mix of wood, and sometimes, recycled paper.
2. The pulp is laid onto wire and its consistency is regulated
3. The watery wood slurry gets pressed into a series of rollers that use heat and pressure to make... well, paper
4. The edges of the paper are usually trimmed off and the paper is turned onto a roll.
5. The roll gets cut down to sheets and shipped to you and me!

Before this week, I had a general sense of how paper was made, but I didn't realize how much the process impacted the feel and look of the paper itself.

Look and feel are incredibly important to the printed product. eInvite uses a luxury paper to do our photocard printing, to ensure the best possible quality for you and your loved ones. Many of our competitors use a standard, glossy paper similar to magazine print.

eInvite uses a velvety, thick, matte paper, to underscore the importance of your message and photos. If your event is important enough to be remembered, then we want to be sure that your invitations embody that importance. After all, you can't hand down a wedding email to your grandchildren.

Feelin' Green

In honor of St. Patrick’s Day (Tues) and the official start of spring (Fri), I would like to highlight some of my favorite green wedding products on eInvite.com.

{L to R from top: Elegance by eInvite.com, Letterpressed Vine Invitaion by Crane & Co., Leg Poppin’ Proposal- Magnet by Carlson Craft, White Wildflowers Photo by eInvite.com, Fallen by McPhersons, Fab Beads Lime by Inviting Co.}

Outdoor casual elegance

{images of Kristina and Brock's wedding by Michele M. Waite, via Lovely Morning}

Casual elegance at it's finest for a lovely soiree in the desert! I am loving Lovely Morning and the lovely perspectives of Kristina, writer and recent bride. A Palm Springs evening complete with succulent centerpieces and swaying palms reflected in blue waters. Every wedding photographer should have the eye and patience of Michèle M. Waite. Capturing the essence of people and the aura of the day is intuitive. Retrospective visits to those wedding photos should be celebrated years after the event...and photos like these will take you back to that day and the people you shared it with. Visit Lovely Morning here to see more photos.

Merci Michèle for your permission to use your amazing photos. Your perspective and the way you capture the realism of the event is so clear. Your images convey the moment. We are so excited to share them.

Adorable Easter Brunch

Hosting an Easter brunch this April 12th? A quick search for "Easter" on einvite reveals that some of the birth announcements are perfect for re-purposing into Easter brunch invitations. Any child who loves creative Easter activities like egg decorating and being out in the yard hunting for eggs will be thrilled to receive an invite that hints at the upcoming spring celebration!


Clockwise from top left: Floppy Eared Bunny from Checkerboard; Bunny Ears from Checkerboard; Easter brunch from Pottery Barn; Peek-A-Boo Chick from Checkerboard; Embroidered Egg Table Runner from Pottery Barn

Numbers & Letters

Decorating with numbers and letters is something we are seeing a lot of right now. It’s a fun approach to design and an easy way to create an interesting pattern. The dresser on the bottom right could be recreated at home with stencils or vinyl letters for a fun conversation piece.

{L to R from top: letters, west elm; Candy-coated Cushions, Veer; Uppercase Scarf, Veer; Tired Old Dresser, Sweet Paul}

Painterly Invitations

I'm inspired by my best friends picks for her invitation. If you love flowers and art, here is a glimpse of some beautiful watercolors from invitations on eInvite.com

Saturday afternoon

{ image by Tina Rupp found over on desire to inspire }

This amazing centerpiece is not only showstopping, it is simple to make yourself. Use any color, with birds, butterflies, dried flowers or any that inspires you.

Friday night with friends

{ by Catherine Ekström via desire to inspire }

ah, indoors of course

Although I hear the temps will be climbing in the next few days, we are still buried in the white stuff and dreaming of sunshine! I love the bold giant florals and botanics on this tablecloth accented by the glow of candles and simplicity of the baguettes and poured wine....waiting for their guests.

Fantastically Faceted

This season I am hugely inspired by texture. Everything I am seeing has dimension and movement from fringe, to ruffles, to appliqued embroidered pieces and dynamic fabric on fabric layered magic. The trend is spilling over into home decor with faceted sophistication. When you think of facets, you think of diamonds and jewels. Facets add vibrancy, life, color and texture. Look around your house and I am sure you can find them!

{ TOP: Faceted leather chair found via Trifling Thoughts on Lifestyle and Milano chairs found on Elle Decoration . CENTER: Rings via HSN, Faceted Neutral Vase via House to Home, Faceted mirror side table via West Elm. BOTTOM: Santa Barbara Seville faceted chest by Stanley via dining rooms direct and dynamic faceted Artecnica mirror via MoCo Loco }

Fontify It!

Thanks to Jaime at Design Milk, I came accross Fontifier.com! It's an awesome website where you can actually create a font using your own handwriting. Great for scrapbooking, address labels, letter writing or table cards, once you dowload your font you can use it for pretty much anything! Well worth the $9. Above is a preview of what my font would look like. I think it could use some tweaking, but thanks to the genius that is Fontifier, I can do so, free of charge before I purchase my font! Fabulous!

Lighten and Brighten with Sunshine Yellow

Can't get enough of that mellow yellow. Paired with white, it doesn't get more clean, pure, cheerful or refreshing.
Clockwise from top left: White Yellow Floral Border invitation from einvite.com; Chamomile bouquet from marthastewartweddings.com; Becca Dress in Honey Eastern Shangtung by Jenny Yoo; Poetic Licence Women's Mint Julip Sandal from endless.com; lemon yellow cake found on theknot.com

Patchwork

Trends tend to begin in the fashion industry and work their way into interiors and beyond. And so it seems, patchwork is back! I will be interested to see how it translates into stationery and paper goods, but I am inspired by the mix of colors, shapes and patterns.

{L to R from top: Anthropologie Exotic Bird Hook Rack, CB2 kala pillow, oh...DEER! Women's Trapeze Platform Sandal, Marc by Marc Jacobs Mairead patchwork dress, Nine West Multi Colored Patchwork Hobo, WCM Belts Patchwork Belt}

Great Embossing

I really enjoyed the great designs on the clock slideshow featured in Elle Décor. One of my favorites was the embossed clock by Ran Lerner from the Conran Shop. I really love the tone on tone effect, the depth and shadows created by this deep embossing. Made me think of these cool embossed business cards on eInvite. They make a strong design statement!

{detail of embossed holiday card on eInvite.com}