The Little Prince First Birthday Party Invitation

Hi everyone! Just a quick housekeeping note before we jump into today’s post: Registration for the Blueprint Model 2018 closes at 11:59 pm TONIGHT! Check out my blog post with all the details from earlier in the week, or go here to register!

We can all agree that The Little Prince is one of our all-time favorite children’s books, yes? I love that artist Kristy Rice of Momental Designs used this beloved book as the inspiration for her son’s first birthday party invitation! If you’re familiar with Kristy’s work, then you know that she always goes the extra mile to create the most special and thoughtful invitations. You’ll just have to read below to see all the details she incoporated into this “The Little Prince” first birthday party invitation – it’s absolutely dreamy!

The Little Prince First Birthday Party Invitations by Momental Designs

From KristyIzzy’s beautiful and unique first birthday invitations were a high art twist on Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s beloved children’s story “The Little Prince.” All of the artwork for the stationery was developed in a more detailed and realistic style compared to the original book’s illustrations.

The Little Prince First Birthday Party Invitations by Momental Designs

The Little Prince First Birthday Party Invitations by Momental Designs

Perhaps the most special piece for the whole event was a calligraphy backdrop written by Sarah of Flourish Grace. We wrote a letter to Izzy and gave her the text, so all guests could share in our sentiments to him. Here is what we wrote:

“Dear Isaac our Izzy Wizzy baby guy,

You’ve shown us what it is to live, really live…to love bigger, to trust more, to make time for what matters, to pay attention, to put our phones down, to listen to God more, to love mornings, to marvel… to blow raspberries and let it be the best part of the day. 

Love, Mama and Papa”

The Little Prince First Birthday Party Invitations by Momental Designs

For the invitation itself, we created a custom game board-style box inspired by the Little Prince. At 17 inches by 10 inches, it was even the size of a board game! A spinner asked guests “What will the Little Prince teach today?” and allowed them to indulge in a bit of play as the explored the invitation. Each box had specially sized compartments to hold a copy of the book, a sheet of custom watercolor stickers, and small trinkets inspired by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s beloved words.

The Little Prince First Birthday Party Invitations by Momental Designs

The Little Prince First Birthday Party Invitations by Momental Designs

And we could not send our guests home without special favors! We curated a case full of fun stuff, with the title “A Visual Map and How-to Guide to Seeing with Your Little Kid Eyes.” Each mini suitcase was stuffed with time-honored goodies guaranteed to turn back the hands of time, even just for one afternoon; candy cigarettes, garbage pail kids, balsa wood airplane, bazooka bubble gum, Lip Smackers lip balm, Pop Rocks and a Slinky!

The Little Prince First Birthday Party Invitations by Momental Designs

In the lid a watercolor map was custom fitted, calling out the “steps” to revisiting your childhood fun! To name a few: “Pop some rocks and swig some soda if you’re brave”, and “Read The Little Prince, it’s weird and wonderful and witty, just read it…k?” We really wanted our guests not only to read the book, but to experience the lessons of this classic story in a fun and interactive way, and to take a child-like perspective on life, even just for a few minutes.

The Little Prince First Birthday Party Invitations by Momental Designs

The Little Prince First Birthday Party Invitations by Momental Designs

The Little Prince First Birthday Party Invitations by Momental Designs

Thanks so much Kristy! BTW – you can see Kristy’s whimsical adoption baby shower invitations right here!

Design: Momental Designs

Calligraphy: Flourish Grace

Momental Designs is a member of the Designer Rolodex – you can see more of their beautiful work right hereor visit the real invi­ta­tions gallery for more wedding invitation ideas!

Photo Credits: Dolci Momenti Photography

Glamorous Mixed Metals Wedding Invitations

It’s the first wedding invitations of 2018 – and we’re going glam! These glamorous mixed metals wedding invitations from Taryn of Twinkle & Toast bring an extra dose of sultry drama, with gorgeous gold foil on matte black and metallic gray paper. And can you believe these invitations were created for a wedding in Malibu, California?? We love that Taryn and her clients chose to deviate from a typical bright and cheery aesthetic for a darker, moodier aesthetic. To round out the look she included amazing custom stamps and a custom watercolor envelope liner she painted herself!

Glamorous Mixed Metals Wedding Invitations by Twinkle and Toast

From TarynMelanie and Matt are both from the east coast, but currently reside in Southern California. Since many of their family and friends still live on the east coast, this was going to be a destination wedding for several of their guests, and they really wanted to create a special, effortless California evening. They found the most beautiful venue in Malibu: a working olive tree farm that overlooked the ocean in the rolling hills. It was romantic and charming with breathtaking views. Their wedding was in October, which called for lots of moody dark colors of burgundy, gray, and black with mixed metals and vintage flair. This couple had a laid-back attitude and a great eye for design (the groom is an art director himself).

Glamorous Mixed Metals Wedding Invitations by Twinkle and Toast

Glamorous Mixed Metals Wedding Invitations by Twinkle and Toast

The whole invitation suite featured custom oversized spot calligraphy throughout. The main invitation had a pale gold foil print on a super silky pitch-black noir paper. To incorporate some burgundy, we had custom painted deep florals featured on their RSVP card and insert card. The accompanying cards were printed on a smooth ivory paper to tie in their vintage touch. The main envelope was a metallic black and the RSVP envelope was metallic gray, which gave it a smoky dark feel. Both metallic envelopes had a pale gold foil stamp return address, with metallic gold pointed pen calligraphy ink for the guest address.

Glamorous Mixed Metals Wedding Invitations by Twinkle and Toast

Glamorous Mixed Metals Wedding Invitations by Twinkle and Toast

Glamorous Mixed Metals Wedding Invitations by Twinkle and Toast

We also designed custom postage stamps with the burgundy floral design on both envelopes. One of my favorite features was the custom painted envelope liner on the main envelope. We wanted to showcase the Malibu setting, but do it in a dark and moody way. Instead of a bright and airy sunset, I painted a sunset with hues of purple, black and blue, showing both the ocean and mountain setting surrounding Malibu.

Glamorous Mixed Metals Wedding Invitations by Twinkle and Toast

Glamorous Mixed Metals Wedding Invitations by Twinkle and Toast

Overall their vibe was moody, chic, sultry and romantic. The invite really set the tone for an intimate, elegant autumn evening for everyone meet in Malibu.

Glamorous Mixed Metals Wedding Invitations by Twinkle and Toast

Glamorous Mixed Metals Wedding Invitations by Twinkle and Toast

Thanks Taryn!

Invitation Design: Twinkle & Toast
Florals: Catalina Neal 
Ring Box: The Mrs. Box
Styling Surface: Simply Rooted Surfaces
Postage: Zazzle (custom designed) 
Rings: Marrow Fine

Check out the Designer Rolodex for more tal­ented wed­ding invi­ta­tion design­ers and the real invi­ta­tions gallery for more wedding invitation ideas!

Photo Credits: Jenna Joseph

January Advertising Special!

Good morning everyone! I have a big announcement for my stationer friends this morning! January can be a rough month, since we’re all just coming off all the holiday sparkle and heading back to reality after spending time with loved ones during the holiday break. So! I decided to make January a bit brighter by offering 30% off BOTH sidebar advertising and the first year of membership in our Designer Rolodex!

OSBP January Advertising Special

All new Designer Rolodex members will get 30% off their first year of membership from now until January 31. The application process is so easy, just fill out the form on this page! I can’t WAIT to hear from you! And while I was at it, I thought I might as well extend the same offer to anyone interested in sidebar advertising! And yes, this offer also applies to multi-month ads, so book up now and save big! You can get in touch with us for ad rates and more info right here.

If you aren’t already familiar with the Designer Rolodex, it’s our curated directory of wedding invitation designers and a fantastic resource for couples looking to find the perfect designer for their wedding stationery. When I got married in 2008 – back in the early days of blogging! – I had a tough time both finding unique and creative design inspiration for my wedding invitations and finding an independent stationer to work with. I spent countless hours searching the internet, browsing portfolios, and collecting images (pre-Pinterest!) from magazines and online. So I started OSBP later that year with the goal of showcasing amazing wedding invitations and helping connect readers with invitation designers. All Designer Rolodex members are hand selected by me, and every single member produces the most gorgeous invitations you’ll ever see. I won’t claim that the Rolodex is the largest directory of invitation designers, but I truly believe that the Rolodex membership represents the best of the best.

So! If you’ve had an invitation featured on OSBP in the past and you’re looking to make 2018 your best year in business yet – or if you’re a super talented new designer just starting out – join the Rolodex! Membership is normally just $300/year and will absolutely pay for itself if you book just ONE client through the Rolodex in the next year. Designer Rolodex members can display their portfolio, get discovered by location, style, and printing methods, share links to their social pages – and there’s even a link to past editorial features on OSBP. We’ll also be resuming our popular Meet the Rolodex posts (but on the blog this time!!) in 2018, so now’s the time to become a member!

Engaged couples, be sure to check out the Designer Rolodex to browse portfolios and find your perfect invitation designer!

And stationers, if you’re already a Rolodex member, now would be the perfect time to update your portfolio and present your newest, bestest work to all of our new visitors. Here’s to a fabulous 2018!

Invitation Photo: Athena Bludé Photography from these Romantic Blush and Gray Wedding Invitations (one of my faves!) by Designer Rolodex member Coral Pheasant

Best of 2017: My Favorite Projects!

Today I’m wrapping up our 2017 recap with a look back at some of my personal favorite posts from 2017! We’ve already covered fun DIY projects, favorite cocktails, sweet baby shower invitations and birth announcements, playful and colorful wedding invitations, and romantic and understated wedding invitations – all of which I absolutely love – but the posts below are a bit more personal in nature. I’m planning to write a bit more about my goals for 2018 next week, but one of those goals is to share more personal content, from conversations about motherhood and family to sharing more behind-the-scenes peeks to exploring more of DC. I used to share way more personal content, before Instagram became the thing it is today and before I had two kids (I honestly have no idea how any of you with 3+ kids manage to stay sane!), and I really miss it! I’ll also be doing a reader survey next week, but if there’s anything in particular that you’d like to see from me this year, please let me know in the comments!

Learn Watercolor Painting with Skillshare

One of my goals for 2017 was to get myself in front of the camera more often, which is DEFINITELY stepping outside of my comfort zone since I’m used to being the one behind the camera. But at the end of the day, it’s just me behind this mighty little blog, and it’s important to show my face more often. I teamed up with photographer Anna Meyer to visit some colorful walls in DC, and I can’t wait to do another installment in 2018!

The Best Walls in DC

Dallas Clayton’s #kindcomments wall at Union Market

The Best Walls in DC

The Best Walls in DC / Photo Credit: Anna Meyer for Oh So Beautiful Paper

2017 was a fairly big and transformative year – I celebrated my 9th blogging anniversary and introduced you to Common Room Studio! So far I’ve shared the design inspiration for Common Room Studio and we hosted our first set of workshops, but I still need to do a full reveal! Stay tuned in 2018. Oh, and if you’re in the DC area, you can sign up for our newsletter right here

Write Your Own Story / Frankie's Girl

9 Years of OSBP + Introducing Common Room Studio! / Image Credit: Frankie’s Girl via Instagram

Common Room Studio Style Board and Color Palette

Design Inspiration for Common Room Studio

On the home front, we shared our backyard makeover and talked about kitchen renovation inspiration! These days, my back yard looks more like a winter wasteland since everything has died back from the freezing temperatures, but I can’t wait until it looks like this again in the spring and summer! Oh, and we may have kickstarted our long-awaited kitchen renovation over the holiday break, so stay tuned for an update on that, too.

A Backyard Makeover in Washington, DC

OSBP at Home: Our Backyard Makeover / Photo Credit: Yetta Reid Photography

Qanuk Interiors Kitchen via House & Home / Photo Credit: Donna Griffith Photography

OSBP at Home: Kitchen Inspiration / Design: Qanūk Interiors / Photo Credit: Donna Griffith for House & Home Kitchens & Baths Fall 2013

That’s it for me this week! Have a wonderful weekend, stay warm, and I’ll see you back here on Monday! xoxo

Best of 2017: Understated and Romantic Wedding Invitations

After recapping some of our favorite playful and colorful wedding invitations of 2017, it’s time to turn our attention to the best understated and romantic wedding invitations of the year! Prepare yourself for some seriously stunning calligraphy, gorgeous textures, and beautiful details galore!

French Chateau Inspired Calligraphy Wedding Invitations by Paperglaze Calligraphy

These French Chateau-inspired wedding invitations by Brandi Smyth Photography and Paperglaze Calligraphy were easily some of the most romantic wedding invitations of the year. That calligraphed envelope liner! The hand torn edges! So beautiful.

French Chateau Inspired Calligraphy Wedding Invitations by Paperglaze Calligraphy

French Chateau-Inspired Calligraphy Wedding Invitations

A neutral color palette gives you the freedom to explore lots of different textures! I love, love, love the combination of traditional type selections with letterpress printing, a textured envelope, and white wax seal in these refined modern neutral letterpress wedding invitations from Bourne Paper Co.

Refined Modern Neutral Letterpress Wedding Invitations by Bourne Paper Co.

Refined Modern Neutral Letterpress Wedding Invitations

So many gorgeous details in these romantic copper foil wedding invitations from Samantha and Whitney of Gus & Ruby Letterpress! The modern copper foil “dip” on the main invitation, the sweet illustrated florals, and the incredible copper foil frames for the stamps on the envelope!

Romantic Copper Foil Wedding Invitations by Gus & Ruby Letterpress

Romantic Copper Foil Wedding Invitations by Gus & Ruby Letterpress

Romantic Copper Foil Wedding Invitations

A big YES to everything happening in these vintage-meets-modern floral wedding invitations from Atheneum Creative!

Vintage-Meets-Modern Floral Wedding Invitations by Atheneum Creative

Vintage-Meets-Modern Floral Wedding Invitations by Atheneum Creative

Vintage-Meets-Modern Floral Wedding Invitations

Meghan from 200 Spring wanted her wedding invitations to be an experience, so she created a gorgeous trifold invitation wrapped in vellum with a wax seal. The crisp white backdrop is the perfect canvas for her romantic gray calligraphy!

Romantic Gray Calligraphy Wedding Invitations with Deckled Edges by 200 Spring

Romantic Gray Calligraphy Wedding Invitations with Deckled Edges by 200 Spring

Romantic Gray Calligraphy Wedding Invitations with Deckled Edges

Love the understated blush-pink-to-gray ombré and non-traditional size in the save the dates from these blush and gray desert wedding invitations from Goodheart Design!

Blush and Gray Desert Wedding Invitations by Goodheart Design

Blush and Gray Desert Wedding Invitations

As always, you can visit the real invitations gallery for even more wedding invitation inspiration, and be sure to check out our curated gallery of wedding invitation designers – the Designer Rolodex – if you’re on the hunt for the perfect designer to make your own wedding invitations!