Romantic and dreamy BHLDN

{images: romantic dresses and jewelry: BHLDN via aisledash; Unveiled invitation by Checkerboard at eInvite;
bicycle: mel barlow}

This caspian blue and golden brown dress stopped me in my tracks. I love all of the texture and patterns. A fun vibrant girl would wear this dress, as a bride or to a gala. It's quite versatile because of the length. The whole BHLDN collection is full of romance and old world charm, with simplicity and elegance of the gown above to more retro, rustic and edgy styles. I am looking forward to the short videos that accompany the line!

Heirloom dresses and invitations to inspire future generations. When ordering, remember to order a few extra to save for your kiddos as keepsakes.

BHLDN looks good with Unveiled by Checkerboard!

{images: headpiece, dress: BHLDN via aisledash; wedding: michèle m.waite; flowers: sprout;

invitation: unveiled by checkerboard at eInvite}

Sneak peaks of the new wedding collection by Anthropologie are all over the internet, officially launching on February 14th, the day of love. How excited I was to see how well they pair up with the Unveiled wedding invitation collection by Checkerboard. Just presently launching on eInvite, this exciting line has a global heart with a city spirit. The soft colors of natural ballet pink in this selection are accented with luxe satin creating a vintage allure with bohemian flair. The trifold invitation has a pocket behind to hold accessories.

Stay tuned for some more "Beholden" inspiration.

Hearts!

  (Images Top to Bottom: ffffound.com, Janoid, peredohni, hello naomi, cornflowerbluestudio)

Hello and happy Thursday! Just wanted to share a little Valentine's Day inspiration with you today. Hope these pics keep your heart warm and toasty until February 14th!

Seeing Red

As you head out for a bit of last minute shopping this week, don't forget the most important part... your holiday attire! Red is always in trend during this festive season. Here is a bit of eye candy to inspire the wardrobe for your whole family {even your dog)! Happy holidays!



{L to R from the top: Girls' ribbon flower headband; Burberry Studded Leather Wrap Bracelet; Slithering Rosette Heels; Alice and Olivia Carla jersey twist dress; Opaque Tights; Secret Wash point- collar shirt in large gingham; Collier Madame Necklace; Pups Classic Sweater; Lotta Stensson Nairobi printed silk top}

A Royal Wedding Gown

{Images from Top to Bottom: Vera Wang, Elizabeth Emanuel,  J.Crew, Jason Wu, Prabal Gurung, Rachel Roy, Tommy Hilfiger, Valentino, Badgley Mischka, Tory Burch and Christian Lacroix via AOL StyleList.}


Hello and happy Thursday, hope this finds you all well. I’m sort of giddy to share this post with you today because it combines a few of my favorite things; wedding dresses, fashion sketches and royalty! Oh my! These awesome sketches are from some of the world’s top fashion designers and feature designs for Kate Middleton’s royal wedding gown. Which one is your favorite? Mine is by far, the Tory Burch design, second to that, would be either the Vera Wang, or the J.Crew gown. Leave us a comment and let us know! I’m sure Kate would appreciate the input ;}

Veer Fonts

Still looking for a last minute holiday gift for the designer in your life? These two featured fonts from veer caught my eye, and would be more than welcome under my tree!



{L to R: Piel Script by Umbrella Type; Manicotti by Umbrella Type}

Cool Holiday DIY

{potato stamp: factorydirectcraft.com; paperchain: priscillabeau; magnetic advent calendar: twig and thistle; glass ornament: twig and thistle; paper garland: twig and thistle}

{ok, i fell a little in love with twig and thistle, a great gathering of unique inspiration}

The holidays are an especially fun time to make, bake and spend time with family and friends. I am always on the hunt for simple, fun and cool ideas. The paper chain is a wonderful holiday craft and is fun for small children and adults. I especially love this one shown, as each link is personalized with something to be thankful for. You can easily make a Christmas version of wishes, thoughts, lyrics, poems and of course, the words to The Night Before Christmas. May your month be merry and filled with wonderful moments, of new memories.

Holiday Photo Cards

I hope your Cyber Monday shopping is going well! Last month I shared a few of my favorite holiday cards and today I wanted to share eInvite.com's fabulous holiday photo cards. These fun cards below, from Checkerboard, are available at 10% off through 11/30. Happy shopping!



{L to R from the top: Delicate Frame; Hot Pink Holiday; Calligraphic Greetings; Moments; Regalia; Ornamental Greetings}

Party Perfect!

Looking to throw a great party in the near future? Well, whether it be a holiday party, a new Year’s eve party, or maybe just an excuse to have a party, eInvite has some really fun designs available for any such occasion. We just recently released a new line of party invitations that feature, playful die-cuts, whimsical graphics and beautifully applied ribbons and crystals. Above, I’ve shown just a few of my favorites, but be sure to check out the full selection here…happy browsing!!

Butterfly Bat Mitzvah!

{Images L to R: eInvite, Linzi Events, Hostess with the Mostess, Pink Cake Box and The Knot.}

Hello and Happy Friday folks! I’m excited to share with you one of my favorite Bat Mitzvah invitations that is new on eInvite. The design, Spirited Flight, features colorful hand-layered papers and raised printed thermography. I just love the charming pair of butterflies and the vibrant combination of hot pink and chocolate wood grain. In general, I think butterflies make for such a fun Bat Mitzvah theme. Not only are they beautiful, but they’re whimsical and suggestive of nature, which makes them perfect for any size celebration - whether it be a casual affair, or an extravagant blow-out. Are you or your daughter considering a butterfly theme for her Bat Mitzvah, or perhaps know someone who is? Well here are just a few ideas to get you started…Enjoy! Not interested in a butterfly theme? Then be sure to check out our full collection of Bar and Bat invitations here…happy shopping!

Decked Out in Sequins

I normally put sequins firmly into the category of "New Year's Eve", but the new Michael Kors catalog I received in the mail this weekend is prompting me to break out the sparkle a bit earlier this year. How fun would a holiday party be decked out in sequins?



{L to R from the top: West Elm, Starry-Night Pillow Cover; West Elm, Chunky Sequin Stocking; JCrew, Sequin Mesh Bell Skirt; Meri Meri, Party Silhouette on eInvite.com; Michael Kors, Sequin Tee; Potterybarn, German Glitter Bird Vase Filler; Potterybarn, Noel Sign; Shopbop.com, Zilla Reversed Sequin Pumps; Michael Kors, Sequin Belt, Coin Purse & Wrislet}

Sweet New Holiday Photo Cards by eInvite!

{ Images via eInvite's new holiday collection, Crate and Barrel and Martha Stewart }

The Embellished Bride

{Images via Project Wedding, Style Me Pretty, Flights of Fancy and Martha Stewart Weddings }

If you’ve been to eInvite.com recently, you’ve probably noticed that we have a new and exciting line of invitations called the Embellished Collection; featuring Swarovski crystals, hand-tied ribbons and layered papers. One of my favorite designs from the collection is this Serene Scrolled Border invitation, showcasing an elegant pattern of flourishes and scrolls in soft pewter gray, and adorned with a hand-tied, contemporary, black ribbon. The clean look and classic colors complement any style, and the soft green accents add a punch of color, that is both refreshing and fun. Be sure to check out the full collection here and peruse the many beautiful designs available...Enjoy and happy shopping!

Holiday Cards

Happy Nov 1! Whether you are already in the holiday mood, or not, there is no stopping the fact that it is slowly creeping up. This is one of my favorite times of year, and I am kicking off this season by choosing holiday cards. Working at a stationery company (and especially in the art department), sets a expectation for my cards, so I always have such a hard time deciding. This year seems tougher than ever! Below are a few of my favorites, but you can find all our photo, non-photo and business holiday cards (plus fun accessories) here.



{L to R from top: Tree of Expressions w/ Crystal, eInvite.com; Selfless Santa, Carlson Craft; Blitzen, Paper Orchid; Reaching Up, Carlson Craft; Triangle Trees with Ribbon & Button, Meri Meri; Under the Mistletoe Flat Card, Stacy Claire Boyd; Western Joy Foldover, eInvite.com; Penguins, Crane & Co.}

Harvest Party

Here in New England, autumn is one of the most inspiring seasons, with the changing colors and dropping temperatures which call for cozy food and decorations. In a few weeks, my friend is throwing a "Harvest Party", and I am imagining natural colors and textures, hearty foods and an overall feeling of warmth. Here are a few ideas, so you can throw your own party and celebrate this fabulous season!

{L to R from the top: Pumpkin Pudding; Leaf Motif Textiles; Salt-Roasted Pears with Caramel Sauce; Mini Indian Corn Vase Filler; Fall Pumpkin Invitation; Gourd Candles; Fall Pumpkin Roses Centerpiece; Cranberry Compote; Fall Decorating}

A Master Calligrapher and Zentangle

{video via newsletter of Zentangle.com}

The folks over at Zentangle, Maria Thomas and Rick Roberts are good friends of ours, and when I received this newsletter I had to share. LISTEN to the pen. SEE the penstrokes develop. LEARN the art of Zentangle...it's so easy to create amazing pieces of art in little time, even if you have never drawn a thing in your LIFE. I love watching them teach and inspire.

If you get on their email list, you will be rewarded and inspired EVERY time you see it in your inbox. Their blog and content is so very wonderful and creative. You will see your surroundings in a whole new way as they take you on pattern seeking explorations of their own. Look on their site for cool workshops all over the world. Zentangle is spreading like wildfire, no wonder why. Thank you Rick and Maria for this inspiration. More please!

Visit their website for more information and materials for learning the art: http://www.zentangle.com/

Unveiled by Checkerboard: Solstice

{images: boutonnieres, cute couple, bouquet, flower girl by michele m. waite photography, cake: something sweet by michelle, carpathian mountains by michelle may}

This invitation suite sneak peak, called Solstice by Checkerboard features an embossed folder and rich ribbon presented in a luxury Swiss Flap Envelope. The liner, called Aeronautica is imported from Italy, and features antique sketches of old world hot air balloons. It was made in a mill that was built in the 1400's outside of Florence. There is actually a town in Italy named Montisi, known for hot air ballooning.

All items from Unveiled by Checkerboard are coming soon...stay tuned!

4th of July Inspiration

{images: gazebo and the 4th banner marthastewart.com, porch: bhg, patriotic room: colorfulkidsrooms.com, desserts: celebrations.com, cocktail: coastalliving.com, fireworks: proteinpower.com}

Erin's post on nautical inspiration got my wheels spinning with red, white and blue sparks...about this weekend at the beach.

Things are getting festive all over town. As we approach the 4th of July holiday weekend here in Massachusetts, you begin to see homes decorated in patriotic colors. I love this time of year. Thoughts of Cape Cod, children with flags, sack races, boats adorned in red white and blue, festive cocktails and desserts, and rock-us celebrations of fireworks. Oh, and the Boston Pops and the Esplanade for those Boston "Patriots" make this weekend one of my top weekends of the year.

Have a fun, safe and sparkly 4th of July!

Anchors Away!

Nautical inspiration is everywhere this season. I am particularly smitten with stripes, but love the idea of throwing an anchor-inspired event. The charm bracelet would be an adorable bridesmaid gift!



{L to R from the top: Anchors Aweigh Invitation from Paper Orchid; Betsey Johnson 'Under the Sea' Multi Charm Toggle Bracelet; Anchor w/Chain from Meri Meri; Rampage Women's Rayanne Sandal; Dockside from Checkerboard, Ltd.; ASOS Collection Anchor Necklace; Anchor with ropes from Checkerboard, Ltd.; Sea Bags; Green Anchor from eInvite.com}

Modern House Numbers

I have been looking for new modern numbers for the front of my house and thought I would share a few of my favorites. Who knew there were so many great choices?

{L to R from the top: Neutra House Number from DWR, SoCal from modern house numbers, Letters and Numbers Window Film from brume, Backbay from modern house numbers, Sausalito house numbers from Chiasso, 4” Clarendon Medium from WestOn, Stainless House Signs from Adobe House Signs, 3” Ribbon from WestOn}