Fab * Blog by InvitationConsultants.com

Happy 4th of July!

Mom's Day Picks

Mother's day is just a couple of short weeks away, so I've rounded up my picks in this season's sweetest colors of the best gifts for any mom in your life.

From left to right:

Monogrammed lunch totes from Pottery Barn: Perfect for spring and summer picnics with the kid's or friends. 

Scalloped initial custom stamper from IC: M is for MOM or pick her initial and personalize it with the family address.

Spearmint Cotton Sweater from J Crew: Comfy and perfect for ladies who lunch or ladies who work & it can be monogrammed.

Aromatherapy Orange Ginger Candle from Bath and Body Works: It's cute and calming.

Two Pea's in a Pod Necklace from Etsy seller LuckyAccessories: There are several adorable versions of this to choose from. Pick one with as pea's as there are kid's or family members.

Maui Sunset Folded Note from IC: Updated blooms for a modern mommy.

Shiseido Skincare Set: This set is the height of pampering your skin, and would be a great indulgance for any mom this mother's day.

Something not featured: homemade & from the heart is ALWAYS perfect.

Happy Eastover

This is how we celebrate Passover and Easter at InvitationConsultants.com like a bunch of fun loving e-commerce bunnies! We had our annual egg hunt. I hide plastic colored eggs with papers in them. When they are opened they are even better than fortune cookies. They say things like:

Go claim your prize (always candy, that's how we roll), Come in 30 minutes late next week, Take an extra 15 for lunch all week.

Not only do we do an egg hunt but we also do a hide the matzah contest for a prize.

Next week is our spring breakast for April where we will decorate eggs. Can you tell, we like to have fun!

Happy St. Patty's Day

Happy St. Patrick's Day! What a fun day. Anyone can celebrate today, whether you are Irish or not. It's funny people always think I am Irish because I have red hair, but I am not. Also, people really think we are Irish because my son's name is Patrick, but we are not. We do celebrate this holiday because he loves it and so do we! So whether you are Irish or not, celebrate...

Have a great green day!

Allison

Shamrockin'

If I told you the last names of all of my grandparents and great-grandparents, you would think I was listing all of the Irish pubs within a tri-state radius. We're 100% Irish, and on St. Patty's I feel 110%. My mom bakes my great-grandmother's Irish scones and my dad goes to the neighbors for corn beef and hash (that's one Irish tradition my mom just can't cook). I am 10% happier and more excited on St. Patty's and this year won't be any different.

I am going to borrow my mom's scone recipe, throw some green sprinkles on them, and maybe even adopt a faux Irish accent. That last part will take a lot of practice. In preparation for the luckiest day of the year, here's some Saint Patrick's day shindig inspiration- sláinte!

Fit for any Patty's Bash: Martha's Irish Soda Bread (not as good as the scones, but there's no way I'm sharing that recipe!), Shamrock Dance and Clover Strings, Bakerella's yummy Mint Oreo Truffles, and 1800 Flowers Beer of Blooms.  

Valentine's Day : Love it or Leave It?

Let's face it Valentine's Day is only joyous if you have a Valentine and if that Valentine has preferably chosen you as their Valentine. If this is not the case, then the inundation of flower, chocolate and jewelry commercials may not be as appealing to you. Valentine's Day is very egocentric and all assuming, it assumes everyone has a Valentine's. Personally I do. But I am out there promoting the protection of those who do not. And what I say is, go out and enjoy this day no matter what. Cheesy I know, but make yourself your own Valentine and buy that pair of Jimmy Choo shoes you have been eyeing for-like-ever! I say "love thyself."

 

Now, if you are lucky enough to have a Valentine (and I must say I have 3, my husband and my two boys), go out there and spoil them rotten (it is good for the economy too!). Because I remember the days in high school of unrequited love, so now I am going to celebrate requited love. 

Happy Valentine's Day to all!

Lovely Little Inspiration

Valentine's day is less than a month away! Here are some of my favorite lovey dovey goods:

1. "Owl Love You Forever" Hand Towel from Target. I bought one for me, my mom, and my sister-in-law!

2. Sweetheart Dinner Invite designed by Oddballs. It reminds me so much of handmade doily valentine's from elementary school.

3. Candy Heart Cupcakes. Recipe from Bakerella- adorable and yummy.

4. Martha Stewart Mixed Rose Bouquet from 1800Flowers. I absolutely love the julep cup they come in!

5. Hearts Stamper designed by Noteworthy. I think it's the perfect gift for kids.

6. Sweetheart Dots Sticker designed by Picture Perfect. These little seals are great for marking gifts from the heart.

To Gift or not Regift

So Christmas and Hanukkah, or as some celebrate Christmakah, is over. The stores are packed with not only those looking for a great sale, but those returning gifts that were bought either with a lot of thought or very quickly by their friends or family. Either way, the subject of regifting comes up. 

There are a few reasons to regift items:

1. You are too lazy to wait on line to return the gift.

2. You project ahead that you will be too lazy or have a lack of time to buy a birthday gift for the next party you are invited to.

3. You have to save your spare change for groceries and can't be thinking about buying gifts for others, so you need to give the gifts you already have.

Let's clarify the meaning of regifting. It is not giving something you have already used like in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, Chevy Chase's aunt wraps up her cat and gives it as a gift. We are talking about regifting an item that was given to you and is not used by the giver or you (the receiver).

When to not regift.

Example 1. We had a Christmas party and everyone brought wine. That is 20 bottles of wine we received with no tags to say who they were from. So that means we cannot regift these bottles to any dinners we show up to involvimg any of the guests from our party.  

Example 2. If a friend or family member gives you a gift that they expect to see used by you. For example, I received a kitchen item that I do not need by my dad. And although I appreciate his thoughtfulness it will most likely lie in my cabinet...that is until he comes to visit. He always ask me about the item, so this is a case when not to regift.

All in all, don't feel guilty about regifting once in awhile, everyone does it. It's a trend!

 

IC Annual Ornament Exchange

Every year the Invitation Consultants team has a field day with glitter, buttons, felt, shiny necessities and little cheerful bits. I am referring to our Annual Ornament Exchange. We gather around a table filled with all sorts of crafting delights and supplies and set the clock. Each person has a styrofoam ball or a bare wooden shape to start embellishing. After one minute, Olivier shouts "TIME" and we pass it on to the next person. Let me just say that it gets messy and a little sticky (okay a lot sticky)! By the time your ornament comes back around, it is a big surprise (sometimes good and sometimes good BAD)!  When all is said and overdone, we end up with some very unique and special ornaments for our tree! Here is one that turned out pretty cute!

Awesome (Gifts for Her) This Christmas

Just like Oprah does her favorite things episodes. I am going to do my awesome recommendations for Christmas gifts for her.

Let's start off by stating the obvious: Women of all ages love jewelry. However, not all men's wallets love jewelry and especially not - in this budget squeezing holiday season. Isn't this economy a real shopping buzz kill? Anyways, I digress. Tip: Look for platinum jewelry this season. Very few people are wearing gold these days, so keep her in the trend with platinum. Recommended: Platinum bracelets. Try: http://www.bluenile.com/platinum-jewelry

Personalize this season and really always. Girls of all ages love to see their name printed, monogrammed, screened, glittered, bedazzled and well..you get the point. Tip: Look for a unique way for her name to be placed on all things...like paper. Tip: Look for personalized stampers for stationery, cards and envelopes. Recommended: Mongrammed custom stampers. Try: http://www.invitationconsultants.com/concept.aspx?p_concept=customstampers

All women like a man with a sense of humor. So remind her that you have one by giving her a t-shirt she can wear with a splash of humor. Recommended: Perhaps an inside joke or quote from her favorite movie can grace the shirt. Tip: Don't buy the shirt too big nor too small. Try: http://www.deezteez.com/womens-funny-t-shirts

Entertainment is huge for females. We love magazines, books and celebrity blogs. Tip: Take inventory of your girlfriend's or wife's movie collection to get a sense of her favorites and what she already has. The reason to do this is, you will not remeber the names of the chick flicks she has made you sit thru, so brush up on the movie names now. Recommended: Anything book or dvd related to Sex and the City, if already not in her possession. Try: http://store.hbo.com/sm-sex-and-the-city-view-all-sex-and-the-city--fi-1896557_cp-1885647.html

I hope my tips will help, because shopping for the woman in your life who has everything is difficult, but have some fun and make the gift(s) you give her something she will truly enjoy.