Save the Date Magnets

{magnets by pioneer via einvite.com}

Vintage, elegant, offbeat, colorful and most of all, kept, these save the date magnets are a great way to have fun and show a little personality before your wedding invitation arrives. I love the idea of the magnet being on the fridge of each guest. With their morning coffee, they can reflect of the upcoming celebration. There are so many to choose from, so there is something for the sophisticate to the quirky!

Cards!

Talking about cards is one of our favorite pastimes here at eInvite's Insights. However, I recently came across a fantastic archive which offers another genre of cards: playing cards.The Yale University Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library is home to the Cary Playing Card Database, an archive freely available through this link.

While one may never have thought to look to something as simple and ubiquitous as playing cards for visual inspiration, the contents of the database are rich with examples of bold patterns and detailed ornamentation. What I find interesting is the contrast of said bold and detailed patterns with others in the collection; there are plenty of examples of equally visually striking patterns, though wrought from nothing more than lines of various weights.

Have a look!

Match Maker

Not only as a designer, but also as a collector of vintage tins, I truly appreciate old typography and graphic design. Anything that dons the aesthetic of days-gone-by has a cozy place in my heart. At the moment, I’m particularly enamored with vintage matchboxes or anything resembling them in the slightest. Their illustrative graphics, paired with interesting phrases and colorful typography, are captivating and otherworldly. The fact that older boxes are made of wood, make them ideal for reuse, either to store more matches in, or perhaps small valuables. At a vintage themed wedding, old matchboxes could make for great favors, or decorations at each table. However, if shopping on Ebay for days-on-end, or scouring antique shops is not necessarily in your schedule, there are fabulous alternatives that would give the same old-world vibe. I’ve featured a few options above, as well as, some photos of the real deal. Be sure to check out wackystuff’s photostream on flickr. The Russian matchbox labels circa 1965 are amazing!!

{images L to R}
Vintage Belgian Matches from P.O.S.H
Daily Fortune Matchbooks by Rosebud Design Studio
Luxe Covered Matchboxes by Cori Kindred
Vintage Matchbox Labels via Wackystuff's Photostream on Flickr

Vintage with a Modern Twist: Gardenhouse

I'm currently loving and totally inspired by the fabulous colors and patterns of Gardenhouse's outdoor friendly furniture and fixtures! Be sure to check out the collection at gardenhousedecor.net