Fab * Blog by InvitationConsultants.com

Christmas Invitation of the Day

Merry Poolside - Christmas poolside is warm and cozy!

{Fab*Bride} A Bridal Spotlight on Natasha!

This week's Fab*Bride exudes all of the qualities in a person that I wanted to showcase when I started this series of features.  I do not know Natasha personally, but throughout our e-mail correspondence and in answering all of this week's questions, she has proved herself to be truthful and a woman full of grace. Natasha was nominated by Lindsey Thorne of Lindsey Thorne Photography and The Jason Groupp.  Last week's contributor Sarah Rhoads Photography told me about Lindsey. I instantly loved her aesthetic and she happily nominated Natasha. The summer wedding took place at a beautiful park in Manhattan, with stunning views, beautiful gardens, and trees for days. When I asked Lindsey what made Natasha stand out enough to nominate, she had nothing but wonderful things to say; the story behind how she came to be Natasha's photographer is so interesting:

'My photography was a gift to Natasha from her friends; I had never met or spoken with her until the morning of her wedding. I walked in and saw the dress, the shoes, the bride -- amazing! Natasha is timeless, more graceful than I ever have been. I noticed how she carries herself, how she looks people in the eyes when she's speaking with them. Her friends and family love her very much, as was apparent in the first five minutes of my time there. As the day unfolded and I realized where her ceremony was taking place I was speechless. This wedding possessed so many qualities I would like to have at my own some day. I appreciated that Natasha is artistic and real, and it challenged me to photograph her in a way that would reflect that. Congrats you guys! I wish you all the best. xoxo."

Let's take a peek at the gorgeousness that is Natasha photographed by Lindsey Thorne!

And now for the grueling (aka fun!) ten questions:

The moment I saw your wedding photos, I instantly felt the love between you and Jeremy, and the happiness of everyone surrounding you both.  What does Jeremy inspire in you?  Jeremy and I are both artists. He is a painter and I am an actress. He understands the difficulties that come with a life where there is no day to day security. There sometimes are weeks where I don't have a single audition, or haven't booked a job and it's easy to feel listless, uninspired, and down on ones self. I often fall into that place, but Jeremy has a way of getting me out of those dark periods. He is the most disciplined person I have ever met. He wakes up every morning at 8 a.m. and paints no matter what his mood, no matter how tired he is. I've often said that that quality "turns me on" but all kidding aside it inspires me to get up every morning and pursue my dream.

Describe one of your happiest moments with Jeremy before your wedding day.  Now that you’ve tied the knot, share a happy moment you’ve had as newlyweds.  I'm going to cheat a little on this question and tell you about a moment that happened in a blurry area-- on our wedding day in between our ceremony and our reception. After our ceremony, Jeremy and I checked into our hotel room. We were both in complete shock to say the least and neither of us had eaten a thing all day because of nerves. So, still dressed in our wedding gear, we ordered room service: 2 cheeseburgers with fries and a bottle of champagne! It was the best meal I have ever had! We both ate our plates in record time and toasted our day. We were so happy to be married and having that hour alone with just the two of us after all the commotion was like heaven.

Your vintage wedding dress is so lovely – tell us about your search for the perfect piece and why you decided on ‘something old’ instead of ‘something new.’ How did you go about accessorizing to finalize your look?  I love the idea that things that I own have had a previous life and have seen other things. I wanted my dress to have a history so choosing a vintage dress was a no-brainer to me. You hear all these horror stories from brides about the quest to find their dress so I was anticipating a long and treacherous journey. I found my dress at the third store I went to! I made some alterations to it with the help of a tailor and my mom, which turned the already beautiful dress into something even my wildest dreams couldn't have conjured up. The dress is entirely made of lace thus making it completely sheer and the alterations had given it a unique shape making it impossible to find a slip. So my amazing mom fashioned me a custom one by deconstructing a store bought slip. As far as jewelry I too wanted it to be "something old and borrowed." I wore my grandmother’s wedding ring, my mother's pearl necklace and bracelet, and my good friend’s gold bangles. My friend who designed and made our wedding bands let me borrow a pair of earrings (which i eventually bought from her because I couldn't live without them and because I wanted something from my wedding that i could pass along to my kids). I opted not to go get my hair and make up done and chose to get ready at home with the help of some close friends, my sister, and mom. I knew I wanted fresh flowers in my hair-- but the final hair-do was a spur of the moment creation by my mom. In fact my whole look at the wedding was quite spur of the moment — I hadn't really planned the look; it just sort of came together as I was getting ready.

If you could label one song as the theme to your wedding, what would it be?  We asked our good friend Tania to officiate our wedding. As part of her ceremony she got the whole crowd to serenade us with the Bangles' "Eternal Flame" a classic 80's love ballad. It was amazing and I instantly burst into tears while simultaneously laughing my head off. That song and moment was the perfect theme to our wedding.

Santa Invitation of the Day

Cadillac Santa - Styling in this old classic car is Santa, ready for this year's holiday season!

{Wednesday Trendsday} Twilight: New Moon Party Resources

Around Halloween, I wrote about my True Blood party, but tackling New Moon is a whole different beast (sorry for the pun, Team Jacob members). The Twilight Saga: New Moon hits theaters this Friday and the excitement is palpable. This film is beyond a trend, it's a phenomenon. There are so many awesome resources out there for throwing a howling New Moon party, and here are five of my favorites:

1. Hostess Blog New Moon Printables and Twilight DVD release party details: Jen at Hostess with  Mostess has created free printables in two color schemes to represent the original black, red and white from the New Moon book art and new evergreen and woodland hues from the New Moon movie previews and posters. Both designs capture the essence of the book perfectly, and feature pivotal quotes. They would make awesome decor if framed and used on your party tablescape. 

2. A New Moon Playlist from Stephenie Meyer: Stephenie Meyer created a beautifully thought out play list based on the characters emotions in the book. Who better to associate the characters perspectives with songs than the creator of the characters herself? My favorite is Stephenie's association with 'The Scientist' by Coldplay from Edward's heart-braking point of view. Burn these songs to a CD and you'll have yourself an instant party soundtrack.

3. Team Edward vs. Team Jacob Cupcakes from Sweet Avenue: These amazing cupcakes are the perfect inspiration for New Moon sweets. It may be difficult to replicate these printed cupcakes at home, but use them as a jumping off point for creating your own tempting treats. Think of dark, devil's food cupcakes with rich chocolate ganache and drizzled with red 'blood' icing. Or, to be more appropriate for members of your pack, consider spice cupcakes frosted to look like a wolf.

4. Twilight Inspired Invitations: Think woodland chic for your New Moon premiere party. This Secret Passage invitation features a scene hauntingly similar to the forest atmosphere described so well in New Moon. 

5. Etsy Twilight Finds: This New Moon Collection of pins by manhandled would make great party favors for vamps and werewolves alike. The collection features adorable Twilight references like 'I Drive like a Cullen' and 'LaPush Cliff Diving Team'. If your New Moon party is in honor of a birthday and gifts are in order, consider these New Moon inspired jewels: a Lion and Lamb silver cuff by BrighidsForge and a Twilight definition pendent by hellobrowneyes.

And for party attire, look no further than the New Moon stars themselves. The images above are of Taylor Lautner, Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, and Dakota Fanning at the New Moon premiere this past week and they all look supernaturally elegant. Look for inspiration in their sleek dark suits and glamorous gowns and you really can't go wrong. Image Source: Mail Online and Starpulse.

I hope everyone enjoys New Moon this weekend and that all you twi-hards are not disappointed in any way with this epic story coming to life on the silver screen. Let me know in a comment below, are you TEAM EDWARD or TEAM JACOB? Or, perhaps you're neutral like Switzerland? 



Tweet with me @genreilly

Invitation of the Day

Peppermint Fizzles - Minty fresh holiday cocktails

Less Than 100 Days till the Winter Olympics: Vancouver

I am the first to admit that I do not enjoy cold weather. Eight winters up north was enough windchill and snow to last me many years. However, I do like vacationing in the cold. Since I live in lovely weather, I do not always like vacationing in utter warmth. For one of our vacations we decided that our kids should see snow for the first time, so we headed not to Vermont or Michigan, but rather to Vancouver, BC.

We went to Vancouver less than two years ago and right outside of our hotel they were already building the building for the Olympic's press. Sadly, we did not get to make it to Whistler because we did not have snowchains on the car that we rented in Seattle. However, we got to go to Cypress and Grouse Mountains. My first trip on a gondola was on Grouse Mountain! A little nerveracking. Next time I would like to be braver and head to Whistler to ride the peak to peak gondola Whistler-Blackcomb. Sea to Sky Highway is supposed to be amazing (the road to Whistler).

What winter sport are you going to be watching? My favorite is figure skating. But I know we will also be watching, cross country and the luge. When the spectators get tired of watching sports, they can head to Robson Street for great shopping and sushi or to Stanley Park to just relax. Other great sidetrips for the day involve taking a BC Ferry to one of the beautiful islands or to Victoria, the capital of BC (an island as large as Ireland).

I guess it's in my blood, being part Canadian that I am excited about the Olympics being there! Have fun watching. Check out the Winter Olypic Countdown clock.

Peak2Peak, Snowy photos thanks to me!, Whimsical Wintry Flurries, Snowflake Skates

Holiday Wish List | Top Etsy Picks

 

The holidays are right around the corner and that means shopping, and lists, and fun... but mostly shopping! For the next few weeks, the Fab*Blog team members will each be creating holiday shopping lists of their own with tons of great picks! Today, I'm up, and I have put together my "Top Etsy Picks." Etsy is a wonderful site for all types of artists out there and allows them (and us) to buy and sell handmade items of all sorts. From clothing and jewelry to paintings and sculpture, Etsy has a bit of everything.

1. Stay Toasty - This black and white cashmere hat is a great accessory and perfect for winter. Don't be caught without a great jacket to keep warm in. Stay toasty in this adorable gray wool jacket.
2. Stay Radiant - Be sure to stay gorgeous with cute handmade jewelry. This pair of leaf earrings and flower necklace are a great way to add a little extra pop to your favorite holiday outfit.
3. Stay Organized - Keep your belongings organized with these great finds. A delightful leather wallet clutch will keep your money in check. And you're sure to have visitors this holiday season, so keep your place in order with this great sun bookshelf.
4. Stay Calm - With all the chaos of the season, you're sure to need some time to yourself. Pick up some of this body scrub or a calming set of candles to relax and enjoy.
5. Stay Stylish - A bright bag or fancy headband is the perfect way pep up you're wardrobe.
6. Stay Creative - Add some flare to your abode with some great art. I've chosen a few pieces that call to me, but there's tons of great art to choose from with all different styles.

Last but not least Stay In Touch! Keep your family in the know with a Photo Holiday Card!

Image Credits:

B&W Cashmere Hat (sanchia845), Graydon Wool Jacket (FloremarkShop), Fiona Earrings (candysart), Arden Necklace (RachelleD), Leather Wallet Clutch (TheFigLeaf), Sun Bookshelf (briannakufa), Caicos Soy Candle (sydneyhale), Rock Star Detox Body Scrub (SpaGoddess), Pumpkin Bag (PloylyMingzyBb), Woodland Flower & Berry Headband (BeSomethingNew), "Reach It" Print (monjojo), Original Abstract Painting (nataera).

Photo Holiday Cards:

Candy Colored Holiday, Baby Reindeer, Hannukah Circles, Sweetest Greetings.

Invitation of the Day: Chic and Trendy

Merry Mixer - This girl knows how to have fun and dive in!

Little Artist's Contest! ENDS: Tuesday, 11/24 at Noon, EST

 
We  would love to see some of your favorite pieces of art- so email blog@invitationconsultants.com a photo or scan of your child's drawing before November 24th, 2009 and you will be entered to win 25 FREE Little Artist's Cards. Click here for more information on how to enter.

Invitation of the Day

Wooly Mittens - Hopefully the weather outside is not too frightful.