Wednesday, February 24

Zentangle Workshop Today!

{Zentangle by Maria Thomas}


So excited for the Zentangle workshop at our offices this afternoon.

ANYONE can do this...


If you want to lose yourself in the artform that is spreading all around the world, check out their website and galleries! We are lucky to have Maria and Rick close to home to share first hand with us. They will be joining a long list of amazingly talented people at the GEL Conference in New York City.

Gel 2010

Thursday-Friday

April 29-30, 2010

The Times Center

New York City

If you would like to pursued your boss to go to GEL, they have a cool info section on their site. It reminds me of a giant Pecha Kucha.

Budget Friendly Invitations

Birthday Scroll WSP-QIV-I


Skateboard Tricks WSP-KLQ-A

Olive WSP-SEH-S


These three items were selected from eInvite's signature line. You really can't beat custom printed invites with envelopes at 10 for $24.99. I love the olive one for St. Patrick's Day or an intimate gathering with friends. There are so many styles and colors to choose from...like Bar Mitzvah to wedding and every birthday, anniversary and dinner party in between!
I especially love the cool skateboarder guy. Perfect for the little guy (or chica) who is over animals, trucks... and pink. What a cool invite to send to friends!

Thursday, February 18

Cabin Fever





{images of sunny san juan, except for the top one of a tasty champagne on the shores of washburn island, ma}

Officially, I have it. I am down and out with it...that late in winter cabin fever that sneaks up on you in mid February. I NEED sunshine and sand. I need fun music and adventure. It's calling. So I thought I would share some sunny pictures with you, as we are about to enter the second week of the Winter Olympics, where the downfall of snow and Vonn, White and Ohno golds are celebrated. I am just wishing for a few days of 80 degree weather to get me through the melt. Like the little crocus that pops it's head out of the mulch just to freeze the same day...........sun, shine on me soon.

Monday, February 15

Daily Drop Cap

A few weeks back I was smitten with the 300&65 Ampersands project. Equally as engaging, is the Daily Drop Cap project by illustrator Jessica Hische, which features an illustrative initial each day. You are free to use the drop caps on your website or blog (within limitations). How fun!

Sunday, February 14

2010 Vancouver Olympics and Design

I have been watching the Olympics off and on, and had the chance to catch one of my favorite events, Freestyle (moguls). As I watched, I noticed the U.S. Freestyle team's suits. Freestyle outfits are designed to intentionally showcase the knees and minimize the torso, because the upper body should travel calmly and the knees should be positioned together and show the movement of the skier's legs and ski-tips (a significant portion of an athlete's score is derived from style).

The torso is higher and therefore more easily seen by the judges. As a result, in order to draw the eye downward, bright patches are placed over the knees, and solids tend to cover the torso. I was very surprised at how utilitarian the U.S. team's suits were. They were not particularly good looking, and functionally achieved their purpose (you noticed the knees and didn't focus on the torso). They looked a bit like they were wearing pajamas in royal blue with star print.


Hannah Kearney wins gold (Photo: Streeter Lecka / Getty Images via USSkiteam.com)

This lack of flair (in the suits - the skiers themselves compensated magnificently) made me wonder if perhaps the design had been significantly influenced by the economic morass in the United States. Is our collective emotional state influencing our cultural representation? Ralph Lauren designed the ready-to-wear collection that you see U.S. Olympians wearing on the podium, and this sort of pattern does remind me a bit of his style, but I could not find if he was responsible or not.

What do you think? Is our stoic presentation due to our current economic environment? Or do you think that the design above is just as bombastic as previous U.S. Olympic designs? See below:


I feel like our presentation on the world stage is a reflection of our emotional state as a country (and I couldn't help but overhear my compatriots this weekend remarking about the lackluster economy and the rising Chinese star). It's fascinating to think of a cultural subconscious having such an effect on art and design.

Thursday, February 11

Marella Ferrera



{images from Marella Ferrera.com}

Ooh, I was kind of taken away by the organic and free form sweetness as well as the edgy advantgarde style that is Marella Ferrera. This is her line "Goddesses" for Rome Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2010. I love the earthy and bright colors together giving way to a surprising palette of sorbet under layers and flowing lightweight fabrics. They are mystical and fantastic.

She also mixes in semiprecious stones, yarns and unexpected bits-clues and styling derived from her goddess inspiration. The lines are loose but so feminine. I am drawn to the texture and the organic visual nature of every piece. Read her bio, Marella Ferrera seems to be ethereal herself.


I have been working this week with flowers from our favorite flower shop, Sprout. The image I shot with my phone reminds me of the organic layers and natural colors that I see in the clothing. I love the grays and neutrals with lavender and pink tones. Don't you want to touch it?




{image of Ambrosia Rose from Sprout flowers}

This rose is also my prediction of one of the most popular new flowers for bridal bouquets this season. Like the Mocha rose, tones of chocolate make this flower an amazing and unique choice for wedding. They can be paired with almost any color and look so dramatic with touches of dark chocolate and black.

Monday, February 8

Fabric Inspiration

Marimekko fabrics are some of my favorite textiles. On trend but still quite unique, I am captivated by their use of pattern. Below are a few of my current favorites. Wouldn’t this make an amazing quilt?



Children's Books and Wedding Styles


The books that they took inspiration from, image via Brides.



Kate Spade invitation, right at the top! Image via Brides.

When we found out we were going to be featured in a children's book inspired spread in Brides local magazines, I was so excited. Given the recent children's books to movies craze (Where the Wild Things Are, Alice in Wonderland) this has to be one of the coolest ideas around. Brides took several different children's books and designed wedding inspiration boards around them. The Yellow Poppy invitation by Kate Spade that we carry was part of the Waiting for Wings - inspired board. The entire look is just so gorgeous and summery, we love it! Thanks Brides! You can pick up a Brides local magazine anywhere you are, since they're everywhere from Boston to Colorado.

Friday, February 5

Behind the Scenes

We here at eInvite are working on a collaborative story about the colors of the season - using invitations, flowers, color, and emotion to create beautiful looks. Stay tuned, and for now - enjoy some behind-the-scenes photos of the stunning colors and flowers (click the image to continue)!

Drawing with Paper

{image courtesy of simonschubert.de}
Ghostly interiors and architectural renderings by Simon Schubert created by folding and manually embossing white sheets of paper. These amazing works brilliantly use the paper itself to model light effects and details and shows how ingenuity can redefine the concept of drawing.

Design for Joy

I wanted to share some touching design inspiration - The Dream Ball project by Unplugdesign. These aid boxes are designed to bring joy to poor children in countries struck by war, poverty and natural distater. The boxes are designed to easily be recycled into footballs that these children can play with. This recyled box can bring a world of joy to a child who loves to play but cannot afford to buy a football.
Read more and view on Unplugdesign.



Thursday, February 4

Signs of Spring - Save the Dates!

As we start seeing some signs of spring up here in the frozen Northeast like the sun setting after 5pm, there seems to be another sign of spring happening - wedding save the dates! I don't know about you but whenever I open up a save the date I immediately run to the fridge to tack it up. Even a month after getting them, seeing them every morning makes me smile and reminds me that I have this really exciting, cool event (and invitation) to look forward to. So here are a couple of suggestions for save the dates that not only fit the bride and groom well, but are guaranteed to make your guests smile every time they see them.



This Suzuette save the date by Marmalade Ink is a gorgeous reminder of spring and summer in an otherwise bleary season!



Aptly named, Storybook Romance by Carlson Craft is a magnet (which I love!) that lets you tell your relationship story through four pictures.

I have a personal reason for including this Modern Rectangle save the date magnet from Pioneer Color - it's on my fridge right now. One of my good friends chose it for her save the date for her wedding in April, and the bright spring greens look even better in person!