Fab * Blog by InvitationConsultants.com

Happy Birthday to Me: How to be a Narcissist on this Day

My birthday is this weekend and I am beyond excited! As a Leo, it is in my nature to be a narcisst and want the world to revolve around me. Although it is not polite to admit this, it is ok on one day...and that is my birthday. These are my recommendations for indulging on your BIRTHDAY:

A. Throw yourself a birthday bash! Don't be shy. I see it all the time for birthday parties we do invitations for, people throwing themselves birthday parties. It's no big deal, afterall who knows what you want and who you want at your party better than you. Select your own birthday invitations, party favors, food, decor and place. Sky is the limit! B. Spend the day at the spa! Did you know that day spas are opening left and right in my area and probably yours as well. With a downturned economy, what better way to relax from a stock market crash than in a pedicure chair. Spa vacations are also growing in popularity, I can speak firsthand! But vacations are for a different post. Today, I speak of what to do on your birthday day. Schedule a whole day session with such services as a massage (I recommend the hot stone one), skip waxing (no pain on this day, get that service another time!), manicure, pedicure, facial, and do a signature treatment which the spa recommends.

C. Glam up your birthday suit! Buy that outfit you have been eyeing for two months before it becomes a hasbeen of last season. Treat yourself to a seasonal slice of fashion and buy a full price item instead of something on sale. This can apply to any fashion item. For my birthday I bought myself a Michael Kors bag I have been eyeing for quite awhile. I could not be happier! D. Forget South Beach! Go off your diet, whether it is South Beach, the Zone or whichever one is trendy these days. I personally do the Alli diet, it is a mixture of many schools of thought on dieting. On my birthday I plan on eating a slab of Carvel cake and two rolls at dinner. Save dieting for the morning after.  Spend the day pampering yourself, I know I will. Thanks: Michael Kors, Carvel cakes, Shoe Style from InvitationConsultants.com, Spa Finder

Hey, Baby...What's Your Invitation Sign? (Part 2)

Cancer (June 22 - July 22) is this month's astrological sign.  The mascot of Cancerians is the Crab (which I am personally all for—I’m a Marylander, so I have an innate love for crabs!).  They are said to be: Nurturing, Sensitive, Homebodies, Imaginative, Tenacious.  So in honor of all you Cancerians out there, I have selected 2 invitations some that represent you.   

I also asked our two resident Cancerians to choose an invitation they felt best defined their sign.  Now for all those skeptics out there who feel people born in the same month share no common qualities and that horoscopes are a bunch of hooey, here’s some food for thought.  Out of our 8000 and counting items on our site, they picked the SAME item (shown bottom right).  I was so excited!  From top to bottom: Carrie is a Cancer, From the Kitchen of..., and Tropical Paradise.  

When asked why she liked her pick Tropical Paradise so much, fellow blogger Sabrina gave this reason:

"It’s water related (us crabs love water!), but also soothing and imaginitive. Just looking at it makes me want to head to the beach and read a good book."

And fellow ICer Erin had this to say when asked for her reason behind her invitation choice:

"Since birth, I have lived in seven different states. So when asked the simple question, 'Where are you from', it's just not that easy for me to give a simple answer. One thing that all of my different residences have had in common is that they are a stone's throw away from a large body of water. Be it river, lake or ocean, I've always been drawn to the water. The sites, sounds and smells of the ocean make me feel at peace, they make me feel at home. In that sense, I'm a true Cancer... at home on the water."

Coincidence?  I think not, but you be the judge.  And please don’t forget to comment on your invitation pick(s) to represent your own astrological sign!

Zip It Up: Keep that Surprise Party on the DL

Are you throwing a surprise party? Well, I can relate, the pressure to keep the whole thing a susprise is intense! Here are some surprise party tips and trends I have seen:

Rule: Do not have the invitations delivered to your house. Have them delivered to your office, a friend's house or open a PO box. Also have your respond cards sent back to one of these places. If you list your phone number on the invitation, have them call your office but try not to have them call your cell phone.

Potential Problem: You are throwing a surprise party for your husband. He thinks he is being helpful by picking up your cell phone while you are in the shower. He says "hello" and your friend Mike says "hello." Immediately he thinks, you and Mike are having an affair!

Trend: Have every one holding your birthday boy or girl's favorite cocktail to welcome them. Hint: Girls love cosmos! Hint: Boys love beer!

Rule: Do not overindulge the person's age by having the number 40 everywhere in the room or blow up canes. This is tacky! I threw a triple surprise birthday party with three friends for our husbands and my friend put her husband's age on the invitation and later found out she was off by one year! Pay attention to the details.

Potential Problem: Guests showing up at the same time as the birthday boy or girl. Divert them by having a "runner" outside watching for cars and diverting them. Have this runner disguised in a baseball cap and sweatpants and sweatshirt.

Trend: Surprise birthday party themes:  1. Have the evening center around the year they were born. Put up copies of newspaper headlines and ie. if they were born in 1973, have your guests don their favorite 70's attire. 2. Your birthday boy or girl was born, ie. in Hawaii. Have your guests don their favorite Hawaiian shirt (matching invitation) and have a luau themed party. 3. Your birthday boy is a sports freak, hold the surprise at a sporting event and have it arranged for him to throw out the first pitch! Selecting the right surprise birthday party invitation is key too!

Invitations shown: Shh! It's a Surprise, Surprise Exclamation, and Big Luau

sale

Go Green!

With the state of our environment all over the news, it's no surprise that more and more people are choosing to go green. Despite popular belief, going green doesn't have to stop at the home or office. Below, I have included some tips on how to throw a fabulous party that will impress your guests, and make Mother Earth proud:

Location - Take advantage of our natural resources. Instead of renting an indoor venue, have your wedding at a nearby beach. Local parks and gardens also work great when hosting a party. Try to find a place as close as possible for your guests. Less distance traveled by your guests = more energy saved! Lighting - Avoid harsh, overhead lights and use candles instead. Soy candles are nearly 100-percent soot-free and they also set a soft, relaxing tone...perfect for your event! Food - Go organic and choose naturally grown produce. Purchase wine from a nearby winery, and buy your fruits and veggies at a local farmer's market. Reduce waste as much as possible, and substitute disposable plates and cups with silverware, glass cups, ceramic dishes and cloth napkins. After the party is over, don't pitch uneaten food. Start a compost with the leftover scraps, and put the food to use.

Decorations - Sometimes simple is better. Pick a few flowers from your garden, put them in a vase made of recycled glass, and Voila! You have an elegant, eco-friendly centerpiece. A bowl full of organic fruit (such as lemoms, limes or apples) is also an easy way to splash some life and color into your party. Invitations - Save a tree, and purchase invitations made of recycled paper. Here at Invitation Consultants, we have tons of options to choose from. Shown above are some of my favorites invitations, all created with recylced paper. From left to right: Vintage Leaf, Naturally Expressed, Romantic Blush

Splash some Yellow into your Black and White

When thinking color explosion, I think of red and orange, maybe purple. Well today's designers are thinking yellow, but with a sophisticated twist. Someone up in NYC is saying "hey, let's mess with the public's mind and throw cosmopolitan black and white chic into a sunburst and see what comes out!"

Oddly enough, I find this concoction works! I was inspired to learn more about this trio of color because I am starting to shop for my fall wardrobe. Perhaps before this trend, anyone wearing black and yellow would have been thought of as sporting a bumble bee look; this season brings a new perception to looking like an insect. Check out these sweet and sassy shoes, sure to make you look like a honey! I enjoy a classic look for clothing and this combo, may be what I have been searching for to spruce up the classic just a notch. I have a friend who is a clothing stylist and she said to watch for this trend months ago.

So I decided, I was going to take this trend a little further and accessoirze and I started finding that I was getting into the matchy-matchy thing. So I found yellow, black and white stationery, invitations for a surprise party, and guestbook for a friend's wedding. 

Even this website and this website were inspired by black, white and yellow. Have a colorful day!

Amber is the color of your energy*

My neighbor had a garage sale this weekend, and she sold me the most gorgeous dishes I could ever imagine. They are amber and perfectly match an amber cake stand I recently purchased for a bridal shower I hosted. I've known my neighbor since I was 10, so she offered to sell me the dishes for $5 and the promise to remember her whenever I use them. I handed her the contents of my husband's wallet, roughly $13.75 and a piece of wintergreen, promised to remember her and smile, and we called it a deal.

I'm totally into the color amber right now. In the right light all of shades of gold reflect a perfect summer tone. Dim the switch, and the shade is perfect for an October bonfire. According to wikipedia, "Amber is fossil tree resin" which to me means it's really really pretty. For your summer soirees, cool the warm color down with bright sunflowers, jars of fresh lemonaide, and fresh white linens. In the fall, spice up your gatherings with arrangements of cinamon sticks, candles, and pumpkin pie or cupcakes. Check out my image board for some amber inspirations and let me know if there's anything you would add!

Toast to Full Fashion invitation, Pumpkin Pecan cupcakes from Bakerella, Spring Island Clutch by Kate Spade, Amber Plate (looks just like mine!) from a stock photo, Waves of Paradise invitation, and Amber image from Wikipedia.

*Amber by 311.    

Paper Snob

Sour

Much like a fashion maven would snarl at bad outfitting, I am really disturbed by bad paper. By bad paper, I mean stationery with no style, paper with no pizazz, and printing with no pop. Bad paper is like a cupcake with no icing. This being said, I was watching an Ugly Betty episode awhile ago in which Wilhelmina Slater (for those who don't watch, she is a classic anti-hero decked out in prada) and Bradford Meade (the duped billionaire with a complicated past) plan their wedding. The invitation appeared to be poorly printed last minute by the prop department on what looked like laser jet printer paper. There may have even been a coffee stain on it. I was so disappointed in the fictional bride who wore Vera Wang and had Victoria "Posh" Beckham serve as her matron of honor. I definitely expected better.

Sweet

Beautiful paper doesn't have to be expensive. Case in point: our new line of Glazed Wedding Invitations. Glazed printing is an innovative printing method that makes the ink colors really pop and gives the wording a subtle texture. They are definately fit for a fashionista or fasionmista like Wilhemina Slater or even her sidekick Mark St. James. As an added bonus, they will satisfy your sweet tooth with their optional envelope icing. Envelope Icing is a wraparound address label which is affixed to the front of the invitation envelope and is wrapped around to the back of the envelope for a sugary finish. Icing allows you to write or print your guests' names and addresses on the front of the label. Better than a candy gram- send some fabulous paper to your fashion maven friends. You'll be at the top of their A list and may even receive a Sprinkles cupcake in return.

Floral Duet Invitation and Icing

Ordering Invitations; How to get from Math to Art

Placing an order for wedding invitations is unique in that you want to order extra because it will save you money in the end. As with ordering most printed material, orders come in increments. Invitation Consultants offers orders in increments of twenty-five and fifty.

You could be thinking "I have one hundred and twenty six guests. Do I spend more and place and order for one hundred and fifty invitations or do I tell my best friend that she’ll be getting an email instead and only order one hundred twenty five?"

My thoughts are that it is better to be safe than sorry because chances are there is someone that is missing from the master guest list or that you would like to add at the last minute. It is most expensive to place another order for just a few extra invitations.  So order a bunch and don’t be turned off by extras because they can actually be very useful and a platform for creativity!

Ten Creative ways to use your left over invitations!

1. For a dramatic entrance table at the reception, cut shapes in the invitations and secure open ends together to make cylinder. Place flameless candles inside and display them in mass. Put one Cylinder inside of another for a layered affect. Add interest by displaying your personalized matchbooks next to the placecards.

2. Make an invitation mobile for guests as they walk into the reception area. All you need is a hole punch, some wire, some string and an imagination!

3. Make a party streamer with them. Print out a decorative monogram on the bottom half of the blank sides. In an alternating pattern fold them in half over a very long piece of string and glue in place. Be sure the monogram is facing right side up!

4. At least half the guests are going to lose their glass at some point! Make everyone a special wine glass tag with circles cut from the invitations. Micheals craft store makes tons of die cuts to make the job easier. Punch a smaller hole in the middle to fit around the stem of the glass and a cut to get it on. Less dishes equals less wasted water!

5. Trace circles on them and cut out. Nestle them in frosting anywhere!

6. Cut out a 2” x 4” rectangle to send the guests who will be traveling very special luggage tags with their names on the back tied with some elastic string.

7. Staple a stack of them together, alternate one invitation with one piece of tracing paper, glue a wedding photo on each page and display!

8. Collage them in a large picture frame to create a tray for breakfast in bed. This fabulous DIY project can be found here.

9. Save them for after the wedding to use in a scrapbook along with other keepsakes.

10. Use the blank sides for bridal Shower bingo.

Images (Clockwise): Pink paper table and chairs; stock photo, Scissors and strings; stock photo, Coffee on tray; designspongeonline.com, Lantern; stock photo, Party streamers; stock photo.

Next time you find yourself trapped in the increment numbers game of ordering, order a bunch, forget the math, and have a blast!

Let your dog have it's day!

Any dog owner can tell you that their pooch is a part of the family. Whenever we leave for a party  or gathering we have to say goodbye to our furry little friends. So this time, I say we don’t! Call it a Yappy Hour, Puppypalooza, Bark Mitzvah or anything that comes to mind, but please don’t invite your cats!

Who: Your closest friends (and their best friends of course) What: A mixer for you and your pup! When: During the evening hours because let’s face it no one likes to be out in the heat with a fur jacket. Where: A fenced in back yard or a local park Why: So you and your mutt can mingle! The Spread Food For the human’s you can do a “Weiner-Dog Roast” including all of your favorite hot dog toppings, and for dessert “Puppy Chow” (no worries, it is a chocolaty, crunchy, yummy treat)! For the pooches you could attempt making “Doggy Ice Cream” to keep them cool, and keep some healthy treats on hand too. Drinks Please make sure your pooches are plenty hydrated. Keep large bowls around in every corner of the yard for the dogs to wander to. Please keep the humans hydrated too! Bottled water and soda are always a necessity. Try also having the makings for a “Black Dog Martini.”

So the next time you leave the house and you get the I-have-never-been-so-sad in-my-entire-doggy-life look, just remember that you now know a creative way to include your best friend in this summer’s activities! Invitations in image from left to right:Partying Cats & Dogs, Bright Martini, Desert Dog