Happy New Year Wishes

The very best New Year wishes from everyone here at eInvite in West Boylston, Massachusetts. Thank you so much for giving us the honor of creating your invitations and announcements. We look forward to 2010.

Noroc, Salud, Sláinte, À la votre, Beifall, Acclamazioni, Saluté, Aclamaciones, Jambo, Prost, Chia, Gëzuar, Shucram, Genatzt, Gan bei, Serefe, Na zdraví, Skål, Maljanne, Jamas, Kassutta, Okole maluna, L'chaim, Budmo, Apki Lambi Umar Ke Liye, Kampai, Saha wa'afiab, Sanda bashi, Salam ati, Mabuhay, Na zdrowie, Saude, Na zdorovje, Choc-tee, Oogy wawa

...and in most places all over the world, the word "cheers" is one that is pretty universal.

{If you don't see your language here, if you could add the word/language you use for "cheers" in the comments, that would be wonderful!}

8 Ways to RELAX…

{image via green-form}

Interim holiday break before the new year...a few ways to bring it in with some relaxation and refreshment tips!


1. Live in the moment – Stop the anxiety about what will happen tomorrow or the next day. Cleanse your thoughts of these worries. Take care of the things you have control over and don’t do yourself in over the things that are out of your reach. Live in the moment, enjoy your family, friends and personal time.

2. DEclutter your world – The space where you live and work can really influence your mood with subliminal messages. Take some time to organize your world and clean house on the “stuff” that has accumulated. Clean and cleanse your space. It is pretty amazing what reorganizing a room can do for you.

3. Reflect – Take a few minutes at least once a day to clear your inner space and relax your thoughts. A constant hurried life can take a toll on even the most organized people. Learn to silence your brain for a few moments and become FREE of the madness. Detach, go to a happy place and regroup. This kind of relaxation benefits you in so many ways. Try a Zentangle, deep breathing, yoga, or just stop and rest your mind.

4. Do what you think, and stop the procrastination – Relaxation is a product of something, of getting to a place where there is peace. Prioritizing your days and your life give you a long term strategy on relaxation. Create lists for your days and your year! Remember all the things you need to do and don’t forget the things you always wanted to do. Why live in a pressure cooker when you can reap the rewards of efficiency every day! Now have a chocolate.

5. Live YOUR dreams – Dream a little everyday. Believe in yourself and stop the natural tendency of trying to take care of everyone around you. Life is hectic and days fly by so fast. Listen to the inner voice inside of you and forget trying to be all things to all people. Remember all your big ideas. Use that energy to push yourself and plan for adventures. Remember that the thoughts and outspoken words of others can limit your ideas. Let them go and celebrate what your inspirations are. So many people are making huge changes to do this lately!

6. Unplug – Put your phone, computer, and electronic leashes down. Step away from the inbox, ignore the red flashing button, do not answer the chirp of the wild twitter birdy. Take time to concentrate on yourself, your friends and family. Be a little mysterious for a while, enrich your days with REAL stimulation instead of electronic mania that takes so much of our day! So, when you are finished looking over our blog, you can detach, disconnect and hit the refresh button. Wink.

7. Shake it up – Life can get very stale, and we humans are creatures of habit, which makes the whole monotony thing a constant balance. Change up your routine, your schedule, and your activities. Get active and try new things. Enjoy nature and the world around you. Your surroundings probably have a lot to offer and you just never stop to enjoy them.

8. Most of all, Remember the people close to you – We work, work, work and try to balance our lives. Take time to schedule meet ups with friends you haven’t seen, family that would love a visit, or a trip you have been longing for. Become inspired and excited for adventures big and small. They are addictive. Relaxing with friends is some of the best stuff life can offer!

Enjoy the last few days of 2009 and embrace 2010!

A New Year~

Cheers to all the little things and the wonderful people that make your life special! Now relax and pour yourself some bubbly.

Season's Greetings

We hope your holidays have been full of mirth and magic!

- the eInvite.com crew

Image: "Graphique" card by Checkerboard.

Simple Holiday Decorating Ideas

With a foot of snow outside our door, it is certainly feeling like the holiday season in Massachusetts! I love these holiday decorating ideas from Real Simple—perfect for the last minute, as they can be created with simple craft store finds like ribbon, blank canvases, bells and styrofoam balls. Happy Holidays!

{Real Simple}

Yay, for Houndstooth!

As of late, I’ve been noticing houndstooth everywhere and on everything. The lovely duotone pattern is no longer limited to woven wool or the Scottish Lowlands; instead, it’s become rather international. It’s been spotted everywhere from the runways in Paris, to the households of America, and everywhere in between. It's also shed its traditional color palette of black and white, opting instead, for more adventurous hues such as fuchsia, purple, green and pink.

Houndstooth really is one of those classic patterns that will never go out of fashion. It’s the perfect accent to any attire, whether it takes the form of a scarf, wallet, dress, or a pair of shoes, you can wear it anywhere and anyhow; it will always look classy. It’s also a great design element to work into any party theme. Oh, so perfect for a wedding, bridal shower, or even a corporate holiday party, it will add that special panache you’re looking for.

Above, I’ve featured just a few of my favorites that I came across while on the hunt for houndstooth. I especially love the Toffee Pumps by oh! DEER. That little touch of yellow patent leather, is oh so yummy! Also beautiful, are the invitation designs by Checkerboard. They would be perfect for a 30th birthday bash, or even a bachelor party, the possibilities are endless! Yay, for Houndstooth...now go get yourself some!

{Images L to R: Resonate Invitation by Checkerboard, Alexander McQueen Houndstooth Tote, Alexander McQueen Large Houndstooth Sweater Coat, GUESS? Black Houndstooth Split Dial Watch, Alabama Crimson Tide Houndstooth Cufflinks, oh DEER! Toffee Pump and Vogue Invitation by Checkerboard}

Mid-Winter Sprout

This past Wednesday, Worcester hit 18ºF.

What's worse than that?

Well, that was the high temperature for the day. Fortunately, as creatives, we're usually working about a season ahead in order to bring you delectable designs and inspirational images. This means that though our bodies and buildings may be in winter, our minds are in spring (though the opposite is also true... when we're in summer, our minds have to be in the holiday season, and that can be tough!).

One great way to bring a bit of spring into your environment (and in my case, into our photographs) is utilizing the power of flowers. Here in Worcester, one of my favorite vendors is Sprout. They are a floral boutique with many of the exotics that you can't find locally without going to Boston or New York.


Sprout's exterior is a little burst of color on this frozen street. The early snows have past, but the cold has set in deep and most vendors have pulled their advertising and storefront features inside. Thanks to Sprout's bright paint and distinctive sign, it's pretty easy to find. Far more important, however, is what lies inside:


When I look for a good florist or floral supply, I look for businesses that keep their merchandise moving and their displays fresh and well rotated. Every business needs to do this, but florists in particular, as even cut flowers are reactive to light, heat, water, humidity, and more. A shirt will gather dust, but a flower will actually react with its environment.


Even in these small photographs, you can see that the cut flowers are in clean, clear, cool water. Keep an eye out at www.einvite.com for promotional shots featuring Sprout's beautiful selection!

Happy Holidays from eInvite!

We took a little break from the holiday rush to run out and play in the snow.

To all of our customers, vendors, friends and families...
Happy, Happy Holidays from the entire staff of eInvite!

How to have fun at work...

Each division here has been challenged to come up with holiday shananagans that are in line with a classic holiday special. The Art department pulled "Rudolph" from the magic snowman's hat. All day people have been coming down to snoop, {ie, the santa here is a spy from the finance dept, who was caught up in the holiday spirit with Herbie and 'Ol Yukon}. We also have reindeer glasses that you see snow through, designed this morning, by another arty elf.

More fun pix from our holiday mayhem coming soon!

Amazing Stages

{image courtesy of Telegraph}

An amazing floating stage erected for a performance of Verdi's "A Masked Ball" at Austria's Bregenz Festival looms over the audience on Lake Constance. Click the Telegraph link above for more examples of their incredible productions. This is an older one, but definitely my favorite.

Touch Someone

{image via richbugger and writer_sheri on twitter...thanks!}

For more great typography, visit the entire post on richbugger.

Turquoise Celebration

{image of Brocatto holiday greeting by Checkerboard}

Checkerboard was spot on with their insight for trend spotting and delivered us this gold and turquoise greeting. The chocolate envelope really compliments the card and the gold ink pulls it all together.

Xia viridiflora var minor was the only turquoise flower I came across, dear Cathy (ref:comment on last post), and it happens to be indigenous of South Africa. It is pretty stunning with the aubergine center. Massachusetts cultivation may give you the petal up on Turquoise flora!

If turquoise is one of your wedding colors this year, send us your insight on how you would use it!

And the Color of the Year is...

Drumroll, please! Last week, Pantone announced the color of the year. To those of you whom follow the fashion and design trends (which we try to bring you here at eInvite's Insights), it should be no surprise that yellow (Mimosa Yellow, to be exact) is OUT and Turquoise is IN.


I have to admit, I am not a fan of turquoise. Not even remotely. However, it can be used beautifully in concert with other colors, and I'm quite certain we'll be on the lookout for good uses of turquoise in the future, to bring to you for your (and our) inspiration!

FREE GIFT for you!

Box of 10 beautiful notecards with any Checkerboard purchase ~

Just wanted to remind all of you lovely eInvite shoppers that it’s not too late to order holiday cards! Over the next couple of weeks, up until January 4th we are offering a FREE gift with any Checkerboard purchase. So, be sure to take a peek at some of the new designs Checkerboard has released. I’ve featured just a few of my favorites above, but you can see the full selection on eInvite.com. Once you’ve chosen the card you want, be sure to use code GIFT1 at checkout to receive your free gift! Enjoy and Happy Shopping!

Kseniya Simonova, an inspiration

Feel free to leave your comments! We love your feedback.

Apple Brand Identity

I came across this diagram of Apple’s logo, and thought it was very interesting how the design has evolved over time, from their first logo in 1976, to the second used from 1976-1998, to the current design.

Holiday Parties

a few things I love about holiday parties:
~ an invitation that sets the tone {eInvite.com}
~ a stunning red dress {ann taylor}
~ an exciting menu. cocktails and hors d'oeuvres with a twist {food network and elle décor}
~ stylish décor {west elm}
and of course, spending time with my favorite people!