Party Paper: A Father’s Day Bash for Dad

We often think of BBQs when we think of Father’s Day, right? But what about a sophisticated celebration for those dads out there that prefer bow ties over beer (or hey, even both!)! Menswear comes in so many fun patterns and that makes for great inspiration for a Father’s Day family gathering! Plaids, stripes and pindots? Now that sounds like the makings of a perfect party for Pop to me! —Kelly

Paper Party: A Sophisticated Father's Day Bash for Dad by Oh So Beautiful Paper

No. 1 Dad Glasses from Mr. Printables, No. 2 Striped Tableware from Shop Sweet Lulu, No. 3 Mast Brothers Chocolate from Urbanic, No. 4 Treat Printables from Paper & Stitch, No. 5 Labels from Present&Correct, No. 6 Cards from Ferme à Papier

{images via their respective sources}

Lauren’s Kentucky Derby Day Party Invitations

After moving to a new house last year, designer Lauren Chism is getting ready to host her first big party! Fueled by her husband’s enthusiasm for the Kentucky Derby, they’re planning a fun Derby Day party full of mint juleps, big hats, and bow ties. For the invitations, Lauren went with a preppy navy and green infographic design with a striped pattern on the back. So cute!

Kentucky-Derby-Day-Invitations-Lauren-Chism-Fine-Papers

From LaurenHaving moved from a condo to a house last year, we have enjoyed being able to entertain a bit more. We don’t typically host big parties, but are giving it a go this weekend and throwing a Derby Day party.

Kentucky-Derby-Day-Invitations-Lauren-Chism-Fine-Papers2

My husband has a real soft spot for the Kentucky Derby – it might be the bow-ties or mint juleps, I don’t know –  but his enthusiasm is infectious and is quickly turning this into an annual weekend for our family and friends. I can’t pass up an opportunity for paper goods, so I wanted to send invitations, but really struggled with a way to merge classic derby themes with the fun casual party we wanted to host. Also, when you run an invitation business, turns out there’s not a lot of time for your own invitations!

Kentucky-Derby-Day-Invitations-Lauren-Chism-Fine-Papers8

With a looming deadline of send invitations or just opting for an evite, I was pretty stuck. In an attempt to get me out of my designer’s block, my husband was listing themes, facts and ideas about the derby and it hit me: we should do an infographic! We then compiled all the details we wanted to included, and filled the rest in with fun facts about the derby. It all came together easily after that. They were digitally printed in a fun layout with a preppy striped pattern on the back.

Kentucky-Derby-Day-Invitations-Lauren-Chism-Fine-Papers4

Kentucky-Derby-Day-Invitations-Lauren-Chism-Fine-Papers6

I wanted it to feel casual and fun and get people excited to grab their hats, bow ties and cute kids and enjoy the Derby with us. It was a nice collaborative effort and I really love how they turned out. 

Kentucky-Derby-Day-Invitations-Lauren-Chism-Fine-Papers9

Thanks Lauren!

Design: Lauren Chism

Lauren Chism Fine Papers is a member of the Designer Rolodex â€“ you can check out more of Lauren’s work right here!

Photo Credits: Lauren Chism Fine Papers

Puerto Rico and Sophie at 18 + 19 Months

Sophie turned 19 months old earlier this month – and since my last update was just after the 15-month mark, I figured it was high time for an update! And it’s a nice opportunity to share a few photos from our trip to Puerto Rico a few weeks ago. But be prepared: Sophie still looked like a baby in my last update, and these days she is very much a toddler. I still can’t believe how fast time is flying!

OSBP-Puerto-Rico-Trip-and-Spring-Cherry-Blossoms-23

OSBP-Puerto-Rico-Trip-and-Spring-Cherry-Blossoms-27OSBP-Puerto-Rico-Trip-and-Spring-Cherry-Blossoms-29

The big news is that Sophie is walking – and running – everywhere and anywhere these days! There are times that she still wants to be picked up and carried, but typically she’ll request “down” or “walk” wherever we go. We discovered a little plaza full of pigeons in Old San Juan during our trip to Puerto Rico, and it was hands down Sophie’s favorite part of the entire trip. She wasn’t chasing the pigeons (at least intentionally) – she wanted to give them all hugs!

OSBP-Puerto-Rico-Trip-and-Spring-Cherry-Blossoms-30

OSBP-Puerto-Rico-Trip-and-Spring-Cherry-Blossoms-13OSBP-Puerto-Rico-Trip-and-Spring-Cherry-Blossoms-16

OSBP-Puerto-Rico-Trip-and-Spring-Cherry-Blossoms-11

We’ve really enjoyed watching Sophie’s personality emerge over the last few months. She is generally a happy child, full of smiles, laughs, and the occasional high five for everyone around her. She has a wonderful sense of humor and, like any toddler, loves to play – current favorites include peekaboo, both duplo and wood blocks, and pretty much anything on wheels. She’s also independent and stubborn (just like her mama), and thoughtful and curious (just like her papa). And so many words! She seems to learn a new word every day. It’s amazing to see her verbal skills develop right in front of us.

OSBP-Puerto-Rico-Trip-and-Spring-Cherry-Blossoms-7

But as we leave Sophie’s babyhood, we’ve also started to experience some of the tantrums and frustrations of toddlerhood. She gets frustrated when she lacks the words to communicate something to us or doesn’t have the physical ability to do something she wants to do. And Sophie has already figured out that she doesn’t have to do everything we tell her to do, which makes for some interesting experiences as she pushes her limits and we try to reinforce good habits and boundaries. Parenthood!

OSBP-Puerto-Rico-Trip-and-Spring-Cherry-Blossoms-46

A few days after we came home from Puerto Rico, the cherry blossom trees (finally!) bloomed in DC. We took Sophie to our local cemetery one evening, where many of our neighbors walk their dogs, to see the blossoms in person. Sophie was in heaven, but not so much for the blossoms. She loooooves dogs and wanted to say hello to every dog she passed – she didn’t want to go back home!

OSBP-Puerto-Rico-Trip-and-Spring-Cherry-Blossoms-38OSBP-Puerto-Rico-Trip-and-Spring-Cherry-Blossoms-43

OSBP-Puerto-Rico-Trip-and-Spring-Cherry-Blossoms-36

OSBP-Puerto-Rico-Trip-and-Spring-Cherry-Blossoms-44

The last few months have been some of the most exhausting (so. much. toddler. energy!) but also some of the most fun in my time as a parent. I can’t wait to see what the next few months bring!

p.s. Sophie’s Hi romper from Baby Gap (but sadly no longer available online), silver moccasins from Freshly Picked, and navy dress from Egg by Susan Lazaar

Lauren’s Ikat Baby Shower Invitations

Happy Monday everyone! I thought I’d shake things up a bit and start the week with these adorable baby shower invitations from Alaina at Cheer Up Press. Created for a good friend, the invitations feature a sophisticated ikat pattern and a color palette inspired by the nursery. The invitations were letterpress printed in mint and navy blue, then paired with blush pink envelopes. So cute!

Ikat-Gender-Neutral-Baby-Shower-Invitations-Cheer-Up-Press4

From Alaina: I was commissioned by a good friend to design and print her baby shower invitation. I was inspired by the color palette she chose for her nursery: mint and blush with navy blue accents. Overall we didn’t want the style of the invitation to scream “baby” like so many baby shower invitations do, but rather put off a more sophisticated vibe that definitely reflects my Lauren’s tastes.

Ikat-Gender-Neutral-Baby-Shower-Invitations-Cheer-Up-Press3

We landed on a pretty simple design with an ikat background and added a trendy bow at the top. I pulled in the blush color on the envelope and digitally printed the words “It’s a girl”on the front in navy blue.

Ikat-Gender-Neutral-Baby-Shower-Invitations-Cheer-Up-Press2

Thanks Alaina!

Photo Credits: Cheer Up Press

Happy Weekend!

Happy Friday everyone! It’s officially spring here in DC – the cherry blossoms are blooming, there are buds on my lilacs, peonies are coming up, and green is slowly returning to our bare, brown yard. Yay! Sadly, Sophie came home early yesterday with a fever, so I’m heading out a bit early today to take care of my sweet girl – and hopefully she’ll be feeling well enough to enjoy some of this gorgeous spring weather soon. But in the meantime…

OSBP-Magnolias-Instagram

Photo by me via Instagram

…a few links for your weekend!

This week on Oh So Beautiful Paper:

Check back soon for this week’s cocktail! I hope you all have a wonderful weekend, and I’ll see you back here next week! xoxo