Oh So Beautiful Paper

Archive for July, 2010

Happy Friday everyone!  It’s so hot and humid at the moment here in DC that I can’t really think about anything other than giant iced teas and air conditioning.  I would wish for a hammock like the one below, but it’s almost too hot even for that!  Hopefully it’s a bit cooler where you are and you can get outside to enjoy your weekend.  But in the meantime…

…a few links for your weekend!

• A gorgeous studio tour from one of my favorite stationery studios (I’m kind of obsessed with that desk!)
• Quite possibly the cutest birthday invitation concept ever (via you are my fave)
• Gorgeous hand-lettering
• I love these red and blue birth announcements (via kristen)
• This week has been full of beautiful lighting – these two are my favorites
• Lovely peacock feather letterpress wedding invitations
• I’m really excited about the launch of the Virginia Johnson bedding collection!
• These fingerprint papercuts would be perfect for a wedding – either as invitations or as a gift to the newlyweds!

And in case you missed it, a few favorite posts from this week:

• An instant classic – vintage air mail-inspired wedding invitations
• Perfect for kids of any age – invitations and details from a Sesame Street birthday party!
• Invitations for an engagement party turned surprise wedding!
• Friends feeling under the weather?  Send them one of these get-well cards
• Aren’t these the sweetest Save the Dates?

That’s it for me this week!  I’ll be back on Monday, and I have a fun giveaway planned for all of you next week!  I hope you all have a lovely weekend and I’ll see you all back here next week!

{image source unknown – if you know the original source, please let me know!}

I spotted these save the dates and wedding invitations over on Paper Crave yesterday and they literally took my breath away.  From the delicate pink and gold color palette to the beautiful and flourishy Memoriam font, I just couldn’t resist sharing the gorgeousness over here as well.

The bride and groom, Kiera and Jean-Pierre, made both the invitations and save the dates by hand – from the letterpress printing to paper trimming to envelope lining – and chronicled the process on their flickr page.  First up, the Save the Dates, complete with gold edge painting, wrap-around address labels and a beautiful wax seal:

And of course, the beautiful wedding invitations, also with pink wrap-around labels and gold envelope liners:

Such a wonderful balance between whimsical, elegant, and modern!  You can read more over at Paper Crave and Jean-Pierre and Kiera’s blog – and definitely check out all the photos over on their flickr page!

{images by jean-pierre and kiera, found via paper crave}

Wouldn’t this letterpress print be a lovely wedding gift – or perhaps even a first anniversary (the paper anniversary!) gift?

Printed with antique wooden type by Starshaped Press – check it out right here!

{image credits: starshaped press}

*Starshaped Press is one of my fabulous sponsors; for more on my editorial policy, please click here.

Like most kids of my generation, I grew up watching Sesame Street and the show still holds a very special place in my heart.  So when Michelle from Lemiga Events down in Atlanta contacted me regarding this Sesame Street-themed birthday party, I was instantly in love with the entire concept.  And of course once I saw the photos, I just couldn’t resist sharing the party invitations and paper details:

Luxe Expressions created all the stationery details – starting with the gorgeous letterpress birthday party invitations complete with a red and yellow polka dot envelope liner.

Michelle made sure the kids were well-supplied with balloons, lollipops, and lunch bags decorated with brightly colored ribbon and custom tags with the birthday girl’s initials:

Michelle repeated the motif from the lunch bags on the napkins, coasters, and drink stirrers:

You can check out the entire birthday party right here – thanks so much Michelle!

{photographs by andrea taylor studio}

Eleanor from Oh Louise! sent over these bright and colorful tropics-inspired invitations that she designed for what she thought was an engagement party, but turned out to be a surprise wedding!  How fun!  So let’s get to the full story from Eleanor, and be sure to check below for photos from the big party!

From Eleanor: My brother-in-law Mark & his fiancée Ashley were originally planning to have a destination wedding in Jamaica or Turks & Caicos, but pretty quickly they realized a destination wedding would be more difficult and expensive than they had imagined.  Mark and Ashley told us that they’d decided to get married by themselves on their “honeymoon.”

We were a little sad to not see them wed, but wanted to respect Mark and Ashley’s choice.  A little while later, Ashley asked if I would create the invitations for an engagement party they were planning for the weekend before they would depart.

I was happy to do it and worked with Ashley to create a custom invitation and thank you cards with  bright colors – oranges, pinks, and reds – and a floral design that had a tropical feel.

The night of the party, Mark and Ashley looked happy and content as all of their friends and family celebrated them in the beautiful backyard of a gorgeous home in Dallas.  After a couple hours of celebrating, we gathered around the pool for what we thought would be a toast to the engaged couple.

To our surprise, music began playing and Mark and Ashley came walking out of the house and into the backyard dressed in wedding attire!  They were beaming with excitement, not only because they were about to get married, but they had pulled off  their secret wedding and totally surprised each and every one of us!

It was a beautiful wedding and a wonderful night & I was so excited when I realized I had not just made Mark and Ashley’s engagement party invitation, but their wedding invitation!

A huge congratulations to Mark and Ashley, and thanks to Eleanor for sharing the lovely invitations and story behind this surprise wedding!

{image credits: invitation photos by Oh Louise!, wedding photos by Katie Norris}