Abstract Expressionist Stamps

My grandfather was an avid collector of both stamps and coins, and as a kid, I remember spending hours browsing through his enormous collection. I have now inherited the stamp collection and although I rarely pull out the albums, each time the post office announces a new collection, I take it as a gentle reminder. I love the details in each tiny piece.



Abstract Expressionists stamps available through the US Post Office here.

The Occasional Blog Shout-Out

Every once in a while, we call out great blogs that provide us with information or inspiration. Here in the Northeast, it is raining as if it were the end of the world, so in honor of that I invite you to check out the beautiful photography of Andy Bell, whose abstract forms take me away from the dreariness of the day.

Image ©2010 Deceptive Media / Andy Bell

Keeping Current with Wedding Trends

{j.crew: gown, bridesmaid dress, flower girl dress, bracelet and tuxedo}
{photograph of wedding rings: michèle m. waite}
{flowers by sprout, worcester}
{sneak peak of unveiled invitation suite by checkerboard}

The current trends are so great for wedding. I am really into the understated hues and soft earthy tones. With a little accent of black or chocolate, these hues make a big statement. These colors are also elegant and timeless, so I have a feeling they will be with us for a while. Weddings are also trending toward the creative, organic, personal expression and an explosion of fun. Photo booths with great silly accessories are everywhere. Flowers are full of texture, like the ones shown here. These are such an amazing example of pulling color right from nature and running with it.

The invitation suite {a sneak peak to you readers of eInvite's insights}, features an oversized satin ribbon that just begs to be touched. The respond offers room for the recipient to write a personal note back to the bride. With a surge in guests not responding these days, the selections in Unveiled offer a creative prompt that in turn creates a very personal prelude to the wedding. How wonderful to open a response that includes a note from your favorite aunt, rather than seeing that she has chosen chicken over steak! The typography and the "stories" on the items in this book are so fresh. We look forward to offering them soon.

Today's brides are so lucky to have all this stunning eye candy, and oh the ruffles and baubles!

Blooming Favors

On Saturday, I saw the first sign of spring outside my kitchen door—gorgeous purple tulips, just beginning to bloom. I was reminded of these favor ideas from Martha Stewart. What a wonderful way to put a smile on the faces of your guests!



{images via Martha Stewart}

Developments in the World of Art and Invitation

Some interesting things happened in the past week in the world of invitations of art. Two of particular note were: an article in the New York Times regarding the much maligned R.S.V.P., and the Pantone Spring/Summer 2011 forecast.

Latter first, the Pantone Spring/Summer 2011 forecast was called "Symmetry" and was supposedly going to demonstrate symmetries through color. The palettes were strong but the superset of color selections was very broad. I think that Pantone intended to communicate the philosophical symmetries of creating a highly balanced colorway but that fell a bit short.

Instead, we got a collection of palettes that suggested romantic and cinematic themes that centered around slightly soft primaries and lots of tinted analogs. The presentation didn't create the concept of symmetries so well, but some of the slides did. Take a look below at two of the slides from their presentation regarding the "Vibrant Friends" and "Shocking Buddies" palettes.



I think part of the breadth in Pantone's forecast is due to the economic uncertainty and a certain uncertainty on their part regarding whether the trends will stay conservative (muted, darker palettes) or exuberant (primaries). As a result, we get a selection that combines both. I'd personally suggest that you look for a lot of variation in 2011 and guess that it will be difficult for many companies to accurately find the right colors for their products. I imagine that 2011 will continue the trend of niche companies and products rising to the top, particularly those that are handmade or made by small businesses.

The second, but former, development was an interesting article in the New York Times regarding the R.S.V.P. by Op-Ed contributor Rand Richards Cooper. He wrote about the difficulty of using and ensuring the use of the R.S.V.P. when planning parties or other events. After his editorial, a great number of times readers responded to his writing with a variety of views, many espousing their support for tradition, manners, and social graces. I highly recommend reading both the original editorial, and have included two links to various letters to the editor regarding the editorial.

The original Op-Ed by Rand Richards Cooper can be found here.

Letters to the editor regarding the article can be found here and here.

Something Sweet by Michelle & Cookie Creatives

{images of michelle's cakes and incredible orchids by jenn burkhart}

There is nothing like the flowers that Michelle Bohigian can craft. Her company is called Something Sweet by Michelle. The exquisite ruffly edges and the lifelike compositions are so stunningly beautiful. Many think they are real. Located right here in Worcester, Massachusetts, Michelle has been featured in so many top Bridal mags, including being the top of the top for Bride's Magazine. Michelle and I have recently collaborated on a project and she has been so amazing to work with. Brides, get to her early. Everyone wants a piece! She invited me to a tasting and I could hardly resist wanting to try them all. At her tasting she was bubbling over to introduce me to Jennifer Burkhart. Let me introduce you...

{images by jenn burkhart}

Look at how cute the cake cookie is!

Jennifer Burkhart is the Pastry Design Artist and owner of Cookie Creatives. I have been meaning to post these sweet treats for you for two weeks now! How cute these are. Jennifer was recently added to Style Me Pretty's Little Black Book. No doubt, her delectable treats are making her a huge success! Congratulations on all the new adventures Jennifer.

Pretty Paper Cutting!

Artwork by Aoyama Hina. Invitations by Paper Orchid.

Just recently here at eInvite the Art department had its seasonal in-house trends review for Spring and Summer 2010. Among the many slides presented, there was one showcasing the artistic trend of paper cutting; widely known as Scherenschnitte. After the presentation, our Art Director commented that the slide reminded her of our Paper Orchid line on eInvite. So, to give you a sense for this amazing craft, I’ve shown here, a sampling of some of Paper Orchid's Invitations alongside the beautiful work of Aoyama Hina; a renowned Japanese artist living in France. And although the Paper Orchid designs are laser cut, not hand cut, as are Hina’s designs, their appearance certainly references this fine craft. So, if you’re looking for a touch of artistry in your invitations, Paper Orchid is a great option, be sure to check out more of the designs here on eInvite. Enjoy!

Modern Clocks

I am beginning to redecorate my house this spring, and as I was pushing forward my clocks yesterday morning, I realized I had one more thing to add to my long list. New clocks! Love these modern ones from Generate Design.

Gilt Weekend!

Did you catch our sale on Gilt.com this weekend? There were some crazy deals offered on a selection of invitations we sell on eInvite.com. If you saw them (even if you didn't buy), let us know what you thought!

Don't miss eInvite on GILT for Wedding Weekend!

{homepage of Gilt Groupe}

{image via Gilt Groupe. visit Gilt to join the party!}

You are invited to the Gilt Groupe Wedding Weekend! We have partnered with Gilt featuring Checkerboard and eInvite designs. Eight beautiful ensembles with luxury envelopes and premium liners will be featured alongside, Sylvia Weinstock cakes, Vera Wang and Alexander McQueen gowns and everything from hair and makeup at Privé to a glam honeymoon in Bali.

Sale ends 3/15 MIDNIGHT EDT

Decadent Champagne and Black

Images courtesy of 100 Layer Cake, Twigs & Honey and Weddingistas.

Hello and happy Thursday! Today I've got another fabulous color combination for you. Remember last week's Shimmering Pink and Gold pairing? Well this week, it's decadent champagne and black! I just love this classic combination; it maintains that timeless feel of black and white, but with a glint of glamour. The warm shimmer of the champagne, offsets the bold black just beautifully, and makes a truly elegant ensemble that is perfect for any wedding! What’s even more beautiful is that eInvite is currently offering 40% off this Champagne Decadence invitation for a limited time. So, be sure to head over to eInvite.com and check it out! It’s a decadent deal…

Ruffles

We saw this trend emerge last spring/summer, but its back this season. Big time.



{L to R from the top: Gabriella Dress; Waves of Ruffles Shower Curtain; Ruffle Bikini; Petal Sandal; Flutter-By Necklace; Flannel Ruffle Cascade Jacket; Cirrus Bedding; Tutu Tank}

Who Shot Rock?

We here at eInvite.com happen to be located in the heart of Massachusetts, just beyond the northern edge of Worcester. We're fortunate to have a number of fine museums in Worcester, the flagship being the Worcester Art Museum. This weekend marked the opening of an excellent show from the Brooklyn Art Museum, "Who Shot Rock & Roll, a Photographic History 1955 to the Present."

The Brooklyn Art Museum writes of the show:

"Who Shot Rock & Roll is the first major museum exhibition on rock and roll to put photographers in the foreground, acknowledging their creative and collaborative role in the history of rock music. From its earliest days, rock and roll was captured in photographs that personalized, and frequently eroticized, the musicians, creating a visual identity for the genre. The photographers were handmaidens to the rock-and-roll revolution, and their images communicate the social and cultural transformations that rock has fostered since the 1950s."

Rock and art have had a long history of interaction and cross-inspiration. I think it's a good thing to draw inspiration from many, many places - it's easy to get comfortable with what you know you like, rather than always trying new things that you might not enjoy. Inspiration is similar to trying out new cuisines, if you always eat the same dish, you'll be comfortable but you won't grow. If you try lots of new things, you might find a lot of things you don't like, but you'll find far more new, exciting things than you would without trying at all.

In the end, that's what "Who Shot Rock" is all about, underneath the veneer of those rock archetypes - self expression and identity. The great rockers and music photographers in history have been those to try new things. Sometimes, even often, they failed; when they succeeded, they reinvented the way the public (and youth in particular) saw the world.

"Who Shot Rock" is not a story of famous musicians, it's a story about humanity. So even if it isn't your cup of tea, I highly recommend reading the book or seeing the show. It's no less a history of culture than any other sort of journalistic endeavor, and sometimes even more so as many of the images were an attempt to create an context rather than remove it.

Barry Feinstein (American, born 1931). Bob Dylan with Kids, Liverpool, England, 1966 (printed 2009). Gelatin silver print. Courtesy Barry Feinstein

Shimmering Pink & Gold

Images courtesy of Flights of Fancy and Martha Stewart Weddings

Hello and Happy Friday! Today, I've got some perfectly pink eye candy for you to start your weekend with! How beautiful is this color combination of pink and gold? The pairing of a feminine pink with a burnished gold sets a sophisticated tone that is both lovely and lush. And fortunately, for the budget conscious bride, eInvite is currently offering 40% off this Shimmering Meadow invitation for a limited time. Be sure to head over to eInvite.com and check it out! It's a beautiful bargain...

Creative Chaos

{image courtesy of environmentalgraffiti.com}

Incredible projection sculpture by Tim Noble and Sue Webster made of found objects and trash.

Patio Inspiration

I have tried not to fight with winter this year. To just let it take its course. But these patios ideas from Sunset are quite enticing. Especially now as the calendar flips to Mar 1, and spring is just weeks away...

{images via Sunset}