Fab * Blog by InvitationConsultants.com

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

My Favorite Tablescapes

I took these photos of events I have had. The tablescapes are simple and really focus on the food. From birthday parties to holiday parties to baby showers. 

For my dad's party I selected navy and silver as the table colors to signify wisdom, maturity and a classy combination.

My friend's chose pink and brown for my baby shower because they are a trendy color combination that is both chic and sweet.

For our holiday parties I always incorporate red into the tablecloths and very often into the partyware. Mixing red with green or gold or silver is a festive choice. 

Choosing two inks for a tablescape is just perfect.

Martini Party: Stir One Up Quickly

Martini Parties are hot especially at this time of year. So stir something up. Here are a few tips for having a stellar martini party on the fly with not much time to plan, it's really just about getting friends together. First send the martini party invitations!

Be creative

Create a martini menu with everything but the kitchen sink. But here's the trick, find items you have in your home to use, in order to keep down the cost. Hopefully you have cranberry juice, other juices, fruits, olives and maybe pumpkin at this time of year. Research seasonal martinis for that fall and holiday feel.

Be thoughtful

If you have non-drinkers and pregnant friends coming, be prepared. Consider dessert martinis, like milk in a martini glass with a chocolate cookie as a garnish. And get creative with juices by simply placing pineapple juice in a martini glass with several small fruits as garnish on a toothpick.

Feed them too

Serving only alcohol may not be the healthiest thing, so use more martini glasses and serve small hors d'oeuvres and mini desserts in these chic glasses. For example, mini chocolates and marshmallows fit in perfectly. A spoonful of hors d'oeuvres fit in these glasses well, like salmon mousse on a small toast point, tomato salsa, and mini arugula salad with walnuts also fit in well and are light bites.

Pretty simple! Now all you have to do is practice saying, "Would you like that shaken or stirred?"

Martini Season, Martini Pop Art, Pumpkin Martini, Vesper Martini made famous by James Bond, dessert in martini, Virgin martinis, Cheap and Dirty Martini.

Halloween at Invitation Consultants

 

 

We take Halloween very seriously at Invitation Consultants. We had a delicious breakfast, performances, costume contest and our annual Parade around the office park, so everyone could enjoy our Halloween costumes. We had Lady Gaga, Kanye West and Flight of the Conchords present! Happy Halloween!

Proposing to Your Girlfriend Recessionmista Style

I loved the movie The Proposal and not just because I am a super big Ryan Reynolds fan, but because it was a solid movie. It may have not been the most common way to become engaged, but I do think that not every engagement involves a fancy restaurant with a dozen roses. Some engagements are more practical, while others are more whimsy and some are just plain sweet.

Here are a few ideas for a simple, and recession proof proposal. Some are fictional and ideas to share and others are tried and true:

Propose at a drive-in movie during a chic flick.

Propose on the steps of your high school (if you were high school sweethearts).

Bring a boom box and dress like John Cusack in Say Anything and stand outside her window. Play your "couple" song on the boom box and have her come out and propose.

Put "Will you marry me?" in a fortune cookie. 

Make her dinner and prepare soup, place alphabet pasta in the bowl and spell out, "Marry me."

Put the proposal in baked goods. Inspired by Bakerella.

My fave: sweet and never fails: Propose at a picnic on the beach at sunset.

These are cheap proposal ideas, the ring is another story!

Simply Save the Date, Letter Burst, The Proposal movie stars, Picnic stuff, Say Anything

Our Invitation was on the Today Show

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We're in PINK to Support the Fight Against Breast Cancer

We are wearing PINK today to raise money for Pink Initiative. We support awareness and finding a cure for breast cancer. Also check out the invitations we created for Pink Initiative, 100% of proceeds go to the organization.

Introducing the Launch of Preston Bailey Wedding Invitations

A few months ago we had the pleasure of meeting with Preston Bailey, the amazing and fabulous event designer. We exchanged many ideas about color, typography, brides and grooms and about how we can create a line of wedding invitations that are beautiful. We want to inspire the bride and groom with flowers. And we wish that these floral arrangements and designs created by Preston will be a source for inspiration in their wedding's centerpieces and room decor.

Preston is well known for his outstanding event design and focus on floral inspirations. The celebrations he designs range from Sweet 16's to weddings for celebrities and royalty. Today, October 15th we are launching a sampling of the line. We are so excited that after months of designing, they are now available for sale. Additional designs will be added throughout the fall of 2009. So check back often as we will certainly show more of these fabulous designs on the blog.

More Info: View more Preston Bailey for Invitation Consultants Wedding Invitations l Read more about Preston Bailey!

Announcing Pet Christmas Cards

Pets are the highlights of our life. Man's best friend. So many of my friends have asked me about sending Christmas cards with their pet's photos this year. I didn't realize just how sought after these holiday cards were. So we started designing a few. I have to admit the idea is genius, who wouldn't want to show off their sweet poodle or cuddly cat?

I wish we had a small dog but I am allergic so I can only live vicariously through my friends when I go to visit their house. The innate lovable qualities of pets are beautiful. So even though I am not a pet owner I can imagine all of the beauty that they bring to your lives.

Check out: LaLaDoggy has great pet trends, also check out pet fashion to dress your pets in for their photo shoot. I love these outfits! Purrfect Holiday and Happy Howlidays are my favorite cards!

New Photo Holiday Card Line: Prints Charming

We are so excited to add the Prints Charming line of digital Photo Holiday Cards and digital Photo Christmas Cards. The designs are colorful (a requirement for us) and the patterns are versatile. We love the usage of more colors than just the classic red and green. The use of blues, purples and browns are delightful. Some people choose to send Christmas themed photo cards and others like to send just plain pretty ones, and the patterned cards are my favorite because they can be used for any holiday. We are delighted to add them to InvitationConsultants.com.

These are my favorite Prints Charming photo holiday cards: Purple Damask Portrait, Pink Portrait Perfection, Woof Greetings, Glorious Frames,  Hungry Holiday Squirrel, Elvish Stockings.