#663: the coolest invitation ever.

you like?

i love.

click here (or the image below) to read the entire thing.


via manolo for the brides.

#635: ellie's back.

congrats ellie!


via mint.

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you know she's going to share lots of visual goodness. first up, her invitations. are you as inspired? can't wait to see what's next.

#596: done.

inspired by ellie, i gocco'd our envelopes with a little squiggly something.

they're addressed, stamped, and will be entering the big blue bin later this morning.

i wonder what peoples' reactions will be when they receive them. or if there will be a reaction at all. i wonder.

#594: peek it.

they're pretty much done. ready to go out on monday.

guess who's happy about it.

me.

other things to do this weekend:
*DIY a bouquet. just for fun.
*sleep.

#588: translucent paper.

i picked up a few sheets at michaels last night. i'm still stuck as to what i'm going to do with them. if anything.

in the meantime, my projects for tonight (i'm trying my best to knock things off our list and stay sane by taking it one day at a time) include:
1) address the rest of the envelopes and
2) gocco our return address.

anyways, i saw this today and thought these few words would make a sweet addition to any invitation. or programs. or a wedding website.


via a cup of jo.

#586: glassine.

via greeting arts.

hey. so apparently, you can sew glassine.

inneresting.

#585: not done.

when in doubt, just don't.

i've decided i don't like the flap idea. fiance and i spent a long night last week cutting, folding, constructing, and goccoing a million of these...but i'm not satisfied.

so we're headed to michaels tonight to see what other goodness we can find. i'm thinking something a little less papery, maybe a bit more glassiney, or waxy. i dunno.

in the meantime, i've also decided to gocco our return address on our envelopes. and i might also add a little something something to the front.

almost kind of exactly like this.


via mint. p.s. ellie's site is a trove of design goodness. just sayin.

#583: more.

things i did this weekend:
1) visit our venue.
2) check out the local park for our rehearsal picnic.
3) drop off my dress for alterations.
p.s. it fit.
p.p.s. barely.
4) address 50% of our envelopes.
5) eat a lot.

things to do this week:
1) make more flowers.
2) assemble all invitations.

oh. btw. question for you. because i can't figure out what to do.

our rsvp card isn't a return card. it includes a space for the # of guests and our email address for people to rsvp.

but at the very bottom, there are two blank lines, like this:

_________________________________________

_________________________________________

and i don't know what i'm supposed to write on there. i suppose it's up to me. but i'm stumped. should i say "please let us know if you prefer chicken or fish"? or "please include a song selection in your response!"? or should i mix it up for different guests?

eh? help.

#578: printable press.

hello.

meet kimi. (hi kimi!)



you might remember her from her amazing dress or her overall badassness.

and if you hadn't guessed by now, her background is graphic design. and these are the invitations she created for her own wedding.



that kind of talent = i don't have it. which makes me think...not everyone does. and the ever practical meg (who, as you know, exudes general badassness as well) was just as bowled over by kimi's STUFF.

because it was obvious to us. that kimi's totally got it.

the heart, the patience, the mind, LE GIFT.

and actually, we're not the only ones who noticed. once kimi's talent was showcased, it became the most popular kid in school. she started getting requests for her designs from friends and then friends of friends...and then friends of friends of friends. because really, who doesn't like to impress for less (and impress she does)? and really (in my opinion), what's the point of a gift if it can't be shared?

thus became the idea behind her ideas. why not make her designs affordable and available to everyone.

the answer: printable press. she provides the design and you print as you like.

*pricing guide
*paper sources

i can go on and on about how special this launch is (because it really is), to try to express all the fuzzies i feel about how she's taking the leap into starting her own business (THANK YOU FROM ALL OF US), and how proud i am that such sensible and fabulous options like printable press are becoming more and more available to all of us.

but i won't.

let me just show you the why.







all designs available at printable press.

i know. i have a feeling i'll be her cheerleader forever.

#575: haiku it is.

we'll be printing something like this i think.

this upcoming may
boy and girl say their i do's
prime rib to follow
(unless you want chicken or veggies.
in which case, please let us know in your response.)

so. what do you think?

i double dog dare you to come up with another one for us to use.

#574: toying around with the flap.

so.

at first, i thought to print a quote. maybe the pooh one. or maybe just a simple "love is cool".

and then, i thought to create a website and print our webpage address. (btw, thanks for all of your suggestions. this idea is still live and i'm going to mess around with the sites you mentioned. a lot of talented webpage builders out there. very. cool.)

but out of fear of totally failing (and i'm sure it also has something to do with being met with reluctance from the fiance after dropping hints of could he build said website), i'm thinking of other things i could possibly print on the outer flap of our invitation. just in cases.

*haiku
fiance and i are BIG into haikus. and we always try to outdo each other. as in, i'm funnier, no I'M FUNNIER. anyways.

*the food options
"prime rib, prime rib, or prime rib?" just kidding. there's chicken too. so maybe something like: "prime rib or chicken or vegetarian?". hm...that's kind of boring. ok, so i'd step it up a notch with the wit (i'm dry right now) but offer the food options since they're nowhere else on the invitations. what was i thinking? nothing, apparently.

what say you. which should go on the flappity flap. and just one thing? or a combo? or none?

#565: maybe.

i may or may not gocco a little something something on the flap. if i do. it may or may not be this quote:

Piglet sidled up to Pooh from behind.
"Pooh!" he whispered.
"Yes, Piglet?"
"Nothing," said Piglet, taking Pooh's paw. "I just wanted to be sure of you."

~ A.A. Milne

#558: the suite.

fiance and i messed around yesterday.

with how to arrange the invitation, that is. because d-day is coming up in about 2.5 weeks.

we have a main invitation card and a smaller non-return rsvp card and i knew that a paper band coupled with happy thoughts just wouldn't work.

we tried sewing the smaller card below the bigger card. like a hanging sign. it was really cute...but seemed like, um, way too much work.

sanity = important.

i kept thinking about it...and decided that we should really make use of the papers we weren't going to use for our paper flowers.

after a few scores, cuts, folds, tucks, and gluey messes... we came up with this arrangement:




it's the invitation with the rsvp card placed sideways on top, both tucked into the faux envelope.

and i like it. check.

#538: update to the "i did a lot"s.

first up, the texturization of the invitations:




last night's stats:
cards per hour while watching tv -- 2
fingers pricked -- 2
number of times fiance yelled "it's not worth it!" -- 6

second, i tried the skinprep sample yesterday and my face felt effing nice all the live long day long. silky and matte. ladies, we have a contender. oh, and i figured out what the other sample from sephora was. it's a primer from hourglass. i'll be testing it out tomorrow. today, i'm giving the face a rest from makeup. because i want to.


third, there are zero sugar crystals on fiance's experiment. heh.

#537: i did a lot: part III of III.

so. i was hoping to take a picture last night of the third project i tested out over the weekend. but i forgot.

i threaded parts of the invitation. i used regular string, double layered it, and threaded a small section of the fuchsia tree. i used orange on top of the leaves...but it barely shows. it's very anthro-inspired...so i happen to appreciate it. but fiance doesn't get it because it's not obvious.

"you can't see it!"

but as long as a few people notice it, love it, and know that i've pricked my finger a few times for this shiz, that's good enough for me.

i'll try to remember to take a picture tonight to show you.

p.s. the fiance, aka scientist wannabe, is now experimenting with making rock candy. srsly. will let you know how it turns out. as of last night, nothing grew.

that's what she said.

#532: another decision.

i'm chugging along with the decision making. kicking ass and taking names. or something.

***

so for those of you who don't know what my invitations look like, here's a peek.



i was thinking and thinking what i could possibly do to dress them up a bit without busting the busted budget.

and i figured it out.

i'm going to texturize the cards with some good old needle and thread. yes. each card. by hand.

good thing our guest list is limited.

oh, and yes, this is a project the fiance could help me with. in fact, he actually does all the sewing between us (rips, tears, buttons that have fallen off, etc <-- he's your guy). don't judge.

happy friday y'all. and have a lovely weekend with your loved ones. not because it's v-day.

but just 'cause.

xoxo,
tto

#496: the invitations.

have you seen the latest kleenex campaign? you know. the one that goes:

touch touch touch touch touch touch touch touch...

...feel.

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yeah, well, i wish you all could feel the invitations i just received from april. because she did it. she captured what we were going for. and made it happen for us. with the lamest of directions.

the stock is so beautifully textured, the font is perfectly whispy, and the ink colors on the paper exude a tinge of vintage. it's everything i (and inadvertently the fiance) love but could never (and actually didn't ever) articulate.

so dearest april: you are brilliant, talented, awesome, and somewhat of a mindreader. in the best possible way.

t.h.a.n.k. y.o.u.






next step: decide on the packaging. i'm pulling the vintage stamps idea since they cost a lot. regular postage it is.

as for the invitations...i keep coming back to lace for some reason. hm. a lace cozy perhaps? or just a little trim on top?

idk. TBD.

#469: the package.

thanks for your comments! we've decided to go with option #1.


created by april of blu sky designs.

so we're going to keep it simple. the invitation, the rsvp card with our email address and the envelope. no liners or return cards or return envelopes. i might add some texture after i get the cards (you know. with a needle pulling thread or something...) but that is yet to be determined.

and because we're keeping the actual invitation simple, i think it might be fun to punch the packaging up a bit as inspired by this pretty envelope smothered in vintage stamps. yes?


via frolic.

#443: #1 or #2?

no, not that kind.

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i'm kind of really loving april right now for these two Loverly invitation designs. you know she's all sorts of awesome because the only criteria i gave her were my three words, this picture, and the fact that i like cursive.

and she created these beauties.

#1:



#2:



which would you choose?

p.s. i don't plan to include the above rsvp return cards. it will most likely just be a separate card with instructions to rsvp online and hotel info for our out-of-towners.

p.p.s. a real conversation:

me: oh...one thing i noticed...the first word is spelled incorrectly.

april: the repondez?...i double checked the spelling...i must be missing it...

an hour later.

me: i'm a complete loser. i totally thought it was supposed to be reSpondez.

april: no problem. have a great day!

moral of the story? she's really nice. and i don't know any french. mai oui!

#438: go get them.

major giveaway on style me pretty.

"The set includes 100 invitations and response cards, each with printed envelopes, all letterpressed on 100% cotton bright white paper."

you have until friday to enter to win.

p.s. i myself doth had my invitations designed courtesy of april, multi-tasker-of-the-universe, of blu sky designs fame. more to come on this.