Fab * Blog by InvitationConsultants.com

The Power of Girlfriends

I feel so lucky to have my girlfriends.  Who else could be your sister, therapist, partner in crime and confidante in one?  I have been blessed with 3 different friendships that have withstood the test of time.  Each friendship has grown over weekend trips, late night pizza, laughter, glasses of wine and life-changing events.  Back in high school, I used to live within miles of my best friends, and now, they are scattered all over the country.  As corny as it sounds, I know for a fact that if something really great (or really bad) happened, each of these women would be here in a minute.  That’s the great thing about this type of friend- you know that they are always there when push comes to shove.

Being surrounded by invitation orders all day, I couldn’t help but think about all of the events that start with great friendship between girlfriends- bridal showers, birthday parties, girls’ weekends, spa parties, cocktail parties, bachelorette parties, and so many more.  What makes for a better event than good friends?

This post is dedicated to all the great friends out there.  Keep those parties coming, ladies!

Images: Best Friends Note, Friendly Feet, The Hills Friends, Jennifer Aniston and Courteney Cox

You Say It’s Your Birthday… It’s My Birthday Too!

My birthday is a running joke between my husband and I for the fact that he says that I start celebrating my birthday a month before the actual day.  He is probably right.  I am sure that I am not alone in the fact that I love my birthday, and I love it even more because it’s a summer birthday.  The fact is that summer birthdays are arguably the best because of all the fun things you can do, especially if your summer birthday is accompanied by blue skies. 

Here are some of my favorite things to do for a summer birthday…

• Your birthday with friends at a lakehouse. 
• A summer-themed birthday barbecue
• Evening beach party
• A casual pool-side soiree
• A mini-vacation for the weekend

Happy birthday to all the summer birthdays!

Images: Cake from Martha Stewart, Tiki Bar Invitation, Glass Centerpiece from Martha Stewart, Orange Drinks from Hostess With the Mostess, Birthday Gift, Birthday Dog and Beach Scene.

Your Vision = Your Save the Dates

I can tell that love must be in the air, because our customers are all about Save the Dates, which is awesome.  Save the Dates are such an opportunity to show your guests what your wedding is going to be all about and to get your guests excited about the wedding.  Why waste an opportunity to turn your vision into paper?  Every couple has a vision in mind of what they want the wedding to be.  It could be tropical, fun, adventurous, classy, outdoorsy, relaxed, elegant, casual or a mixture of these. 

The trick is taking your wedding vision and incorporating it into your Save the Date.  You can pick one thing about your wedding that makes it unique, like a color you love, the location or the time of year and use that to guide you when choosing your Save the Dates.  If your wedding is a destination wedding, there are so many Save the Dates to choose from for every location.  You may know that you want your wedding to have a fun and unique feel, which can be the theme of your Save the Dates.  Or maybe you are not sure of your wedding theme but want to show off those great engagement photos.  Photograph Save the Dates may be the way to go for you.

Just remember the sky is the limit.  There is a Save the Date for every vision.

Images from top: Beach Scene, Tropical Shore Invitation, Green Centerpiece from The Knot, Penelope Lime One Invitation, Red Wedding Scene, Mod Fleur Invitation, Fall Scene, Perfect Spice Invitation, Las Vegas Skyline, Monte Carlo Invitation.

The Hunt for the Perfect Home

A month or so ago, an amazing thing happened.  My husband and I finally sold our house!  We have been living in another state from our old house and felt so relieved when it sold.  With the selling of our house, we began another journey- the quest to find our new (and permanent) home.  We are currently renting, so we have time to do our homework on this most important purchase.  There are so many important aspects in the purchase of our new home.  Here are my top five things I am looking for:                
1. A covered patio.  I am dying to buy a patio set so I can sit outside and read on those cool, breezy evenings. Ahh, relaxation.
2. An interesting front elevation.  I want a home that is a little bit different, not just like everyone else’s.
3. A spacious master bedroom, preferably with carpet instead of wood floors.
4. The kitchen I dream about.  If I am going to cook, I have to have the room to do it, right?
5. A spacious backyard.  I would love to be able to entertain out there.  Also, the dogs would be happy.   
Okay, I guess another thing would be a spot for a “man’s room” down the road or else my husband would not be happy.  Because of the current buyers’ market and the fact that we still see many moving announcements coming across our desks, I know I am not the only one who is looking to make a move.  So what you are looking for in a home if you are looking as well?  Or if you just bought a house, what was the aspect that made it obvious that this was the home for you? 

Photo Credits: Office by Pottery Barn, Living Room, Yellow House, Outdoor Scene with Tables and Chairs, Already Unpacked Announcement from InvitationConsultants.com, Patio Scene from HGTV, and Bedroom by American Signature.

Be My Baby…

After one of my best friends had her little girl, I began begging her to send me photos of her new baby.  When she finally did, it was an email from her daughter’s newborn shoot, which is where a photographer does a photo shoot with a newborn baby and the proud parents in very naturalistic settings.  The pictures were absolutely breathtaking.  After talking to my friend, I found that newborn photo shoots are quite the trend for new parents because of the amazing photos that are produced.  These photos become treasures as the baby grows, and are often given as gifts or used for birth announcements.
I found a photographer, Lisa Russo, who’s company, Lisa Russo Photography, is based in Atlanta has done some beautiful newborn photo sessions and has agreed to share some of her favorite photos and tips with me.

“As a photographer, there's nothing more wonderful to me than photographing newborns. Being a mother myself, I know just how special and fleeting that first month is, and it's such an honor for me to capture it for my clients. I prefer to photograph newborns when they're under two weeks old, and sessions are very quiet and soothing as our goal is for baby to sleep soundly. At each session, I like to capture a variety of images: portraits of baby, perspective images that show just how tiny and new baby is, the love between this adorable little bundle and his or her parents, and then a few creative images using my selection of antiques, baskets and bowls. Getting to meet and cuddle so many sweet newborns...I truly have the greatest job in the world!”

All photos by Lisa Russo Photography.

It's Ladies' Night...

It seems that the terms “classy” and “bachelorette party” are not usually used in the same sentence.  The fact is that the elements of bachelorette parties are changing… These days, many brides are throwing the same bachelorette parties, minus the raunchiness of the past.  These bachelorette parties are more like nights on the town or a girls night out, complete with martinis, friends and laughter.  For my own bachelorette party, I opted for a joint bachelor/bachelorette party.  All of our friends were invited, both men and women, to a dinner at our house and after the dinner, the guys and girls split up and went out separately.  At the end of the night, we all met up again.  I loved this idea because so many of our friends are couples, and I loved how everyone got to know one another and felt totally comfortable.  Basically, your bachelorette party should be about what makes you comfortable and not anyone else.

From top to bottom: New York City Skyline photo by Henri Silberman Photography, City Bride Invitation, Christian Louboutin Shoes image by Fashion Indie, Bride tank top from Victoria's Secret, Cherry Cocktail from Real Simple, Handbag From White House Black Market, and Sex and the City image from HBO.

Not Kidding Around

Since moving to a new city a couple of months ago, I have been out and about, doing my share of exploring.  Last weekend, I (finally) found myself at the design center of the world, the IKEA store.  For those of you who haven’t had the pleasure of visiting, it is basically a giant 4 level store, filled with enough décor ideas to make even a seasoned interior designers’ head spin.  What really stood out to me was the selection of kids’ furniture.  I saw colorful furniture, trendy colors, bright light fixtures, and everything else you would need to make your child’s bedroom  one that you would be proud of.  And it’s not just IKEA.  Pottery Barn Kids has amazing designs to furnish a bedroom, from furniture to décor and even linens.  Designs for children’s bedrooms rival their parent’s in some instances!

It got me thinking about kids’ invitations.  The trendy designs are similar to the latest and greatest furniture designs.  The newest party invitations for kids come in creative shapes and bright colors.  They are anything but boring.  So do you see any similarities between what you like to use for room designs for your children and the invitations that you choose for them?  Let us know!