Floral Inspiration

{images via the knot, floral verde, and our the top left and

bottom two by our personal favorite florist, Sprout}

Designing a new line of watercolor floral invitations and considering what the trends are for 2010 brought me to our neighborhood source for all that is hot in florals. Cathy Walsh over at Sprout gave me some great input for what her brides are looking for in bridal bouquets. This is the first inspiration board I put together to get me going for day 1. Whites, and nautrals mixed with contrasting darks and subtle silvers. I just love the Mocha Roses (top left) mixed in with the baby green hydrangea and tones of white, those chocolatey red berries or dark brown uluhe fern curls. One of Cathy's favs are the phalaenopsis orchids, which she says are "so sexy and modern". I have to agree. White or purple, the petals have such a thick and sparkly magic to them. I will start with these and continue posting more of Cathy's suggestions and tasty images that I find.

Funny, I found some imagery from Floral Verde and what do you know ...she entered Sprout's 50 dollar challenge! The top piece was created for a client and the bottom piece was inspried from it.

I just love the wild grassy and multiple textures going on. A great little piece of eye candy.

Paradise Found

Recently, one of our very special vendors had some wonderful things going on in her life, so we all got together and decided to send her these spectacular flowers from Teleflora. We went back and forth over several amazing arrangements, but this one came out ahead. I have to say in the middle of winter, this beauty would certainly bring warmth and tropical imagery to mind. We also wanted our message to be personal. Many of us here at eInvite.com know this spunky, sparkly girl and have worked with her for years.




{charicatures by Scott Boliard: Denise from Dinky Designs and her new husband Brent and one of our own, Dan Thiffault who is moving to....India}

So, we have a special inhouse artist, that we take full advantage of. He has the uncanny ability to "see" and know a person by looking at them. The little details that make each person special are "enhanced". If you are cute, you get cuter, if your ears protrude even slightly, oh, well then you own them. I happen to have one eyebrow that slants slightly higher than the other, something nobody notices, but Scott the "amazing card guy" can see it all! Each birthday, retirement, wedding, baby, each special occasion celebrated in the office is touched by one of these amazing cards. One person said that they retired just to get one!

So, with the fun that you can imagine we have, the idea popped in... to extend one of these special cards to our friend Denise. So with the help of Victoria from Victoria Flowers and Gifts, a designated Teleflora designer out there in Peru, Indiana we arranged something special! We sent the card ahead and had her deliver it with the bouquet. With her help we were able to arrange the whole thing and extend a little bit of ourselves from Massachusetts to be delivered with the bouquet we chose for delivery all the way out in Peru.

With heartfelt congratulations to Denise and Brent and our own Dan Thiffault, we hope this year brings amazing things!

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!

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!

Giving Thanks

{flower arrangement top left by Ovando New York, all other images via sweet paul}

Almost all the leaves have fallen here in New England. The chill is in the air. Frost is on the lawns where the dew used to be. Bare branches and the color of bittersweet adorns. It's so easy to bring the outside in and warm your homes for the holiday. I love the image of the table from Sweet Paul, who has the best inspiration for subtle simplicity with a modern vibe. Don't forget to bring flowers to dinner. This stunning monochromatic explosion of flora would warm the heart of any host.

May your holiday be full of family and friends, your home bustling with laughter and cheer, and may there be plenty of leftovers for thanksgiving sandwiches!

Happy Thanksgiving to you from everyone at eInvite.com!

Like Butter

I cannot get enough of warm sunshine yellow paired with light pewter. Modigliani's painting of Jeanne Hébuterne's creamy skin inspired this collection. Holiday Filigree - Yellow by einvite, yellow room from Jay Jeffers via desiretoinspire, and succulent bouquet on oncewed.

InStyle flowers and eInvite Invites

Floral selections

paired up with eInvite's floral invites

{shown: california poppy, pink orchid, amaryllis all by eInvite, and

sweet pea by Checkerboard}


On InStyle Weddings today, I noticed the floral choices while checking out the latest scoop. One after the other were representative of our floral watercolor invitations on eInvite.com! We also have other interpretations of the flowers. Whether your choice is bold graphics or soft watercolors, if you are going with a floral theme for your wedding you will find a "bunch" of florals to choose from!

Color Trend: Purple

Purple has been inching its way back to a top trend color over the past year. And while I originally fought this (Purple? Yuck!), I find myself gravitating toward it more and more. With any bold color, I still think it’s best appreciated in small doses. Like this gorgeous Michael Kors bag, versus, say, Barney.

{L to R from the top: Floral Arrangement, Utterly Engaged; Purple Floral band, eInvite.com; A Gathering in Plum, Checkerboard, Ltd.; Michael Kors Large Newbury Hobo; Miu Miu Suede Platform Pumps; RingsEclectic Oversized Stone-Embellished Ring}

DIY Flowers

{images of flower bundles fresh from the Boston Flower Market via Sprout}

{images of wedding flowers via mint design blog photos by ellie snow}

Weddings cost a bundle, plain and simple. There are ways a creative couple can use their creativity or the creativity of their closest friends and family to not only save the beans, but to create flower arrangements and pieces of the wedding together. Many florists will be willing to purchase flowers for you to DIY...just ask.

Our friend Cathy Walsh from Sprout here in town just did her first DIY flower sale. Today, while on mint design blog , I came across these colorful beauties in mason jars and thought of how fun it would be to make these with friends. Cathy will even give you a crash course in arranging! I think this is a great solution to saving a bundle and having time with family and friends.

A few bottles of wine for the workers, a couple rolls of ribbon, a few cases of mason jars, and fresh blooms from your local. For the worker bees that pull their weight, offering a little cheese and some olives would be the polite thing to do. There you have a memorable gathering of spirited revelers preparing for the wedding together. Back to basics with beans to spare.

I hope Cathy posts some images from her DIY bride. We will be looking forward to seeing them!

High Relief

Three-dimensional details are popping up everywhere. The Reaching Up invitation available on einvite.com uses embossing to give its blossoms a subtle texture that feels good and catches the eye. The new amazing Silk Dupioni Rosette Dress from J Crew expertly swirls silk into spiraling rosettes and wakes up the senses. The bouquet is from Housemartin and its Papaya Ecuadoran roses echo the "sweet papaya" hue of the dress. Rich and enticing.

Feather Bouquets

Feather accents are being used by a great deal of brides—on shoes, in hairpieces and now in bouquets. What a fun way to make your wedding unique!

{L to R from top: Style Me Pretty; Style Me Pretty; Emplume; My Wedding Flower Ideas; Michelle Rago}

Orange Blossoms

The bright orange and white contrast of the Dandelion Dance invitation by einvite inspired this collection of images. The cocktail infusion party favors from beaucoup are an interesting idea for a spring or summer wedding, bridal shower, or party - and the packaging is irresistible. The profusion of petals that constitutes a dahlia and the pile of pots (images via marthastewart.com) make me smile and get excited about the new blooms popping up!

Days in Sandy Linen

Today was hot. Really, really 92 degrees hot. Natural linen and cool, clear water are on my mind. Crane's Ecru Lettra Marquis Card on eInvite, J Crew's Goldwyn dress, Restoration Hardware's Del Mar Daybed, and Martha Stewart's striking pool hued blooms capture the feeling pretty well...

Found in eInvite's 25% Off Spring Sale

There are some real gems in eInvite's Spring Sale - last day today: wedding invitations with multiple layers and ribbons at deep discounts, stunning letterpress invitations, thank-you notes, party and baby, too. The white foil text on the rich black paper of Beauty in Black sets a formal tone for an evening event and lets brights colors stand out even more. The letterpress invitation Field Flower in summery tones of yellow and green calls to mind margaritas and lemon-hued orchids (found on theknot.com). Take advantage of great sale prices and browse lots of other new invitations on eInvite!

Gray Today

{ images: ceramic ecru bowl by isabelle abramson ceramics, porcelain mushrooms by roost via velocity, fray scarf on etsy via another shade of gray, vintage beaded mules by haberdasheryboutique.com, and stunning florals by dandelion ranch via 100 layer cake }

{ handmade paper and feathery eggs with nest and handmade recycled linen Fleurs on Canvas by fanciful designs, roadside thistles and spring crocus by me, butterflies of costa rica by cracker via webshots, porcelain jellyfish by Toronto based artists Alissa Coe and Carly Waito that are now on display in the front window at Magic Pony • 694 Queen St. West • Toronto }

Easter celebrations will be at my home this year and so, I want to do something different. Changing up the palette a big and trying something a little modern. I love how the hues of purple, lavender and white play off each other in these images and the complimentary colors of the crocus remind us of balance. The warm and cool tones feel natural and comforting.

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}

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

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

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

Painterly Florals

Spring is just arround the corner and I can't help but be inspired by these lovely hand-painted florals. Maybe it's because it's 71 degrees in the office right now, but I swear, I can almost feel the warm air and smell the spring grass when I look at these images...just almost.









Images from L to R:
Japanese Blossoms Journal from Galison, available at eInvite
Blooming Trio Invitation from eInvite
Works by Naomi Ito
Whitewell Fabric from Designers Guild