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There are so many things to love about this time of year–big football parties for the Super Bowl, the first hints of spring, and Chinese New Year!  You’ll start to see the crocuses soon.  Maybe even some blue sky between the snow flakes. Bits of happiness to carry us through until the real warmth of summer comes.

Bigger than bits of happiness is the Double Happiness of weddings.  I love this idea from Chinese culture with it’s pretty and symmetrical symbol of two characters, almost looking to be husband and wife, hand in hand. The red and gold glow with warmth and luxury, signaling prosperity for years to come. And that would be the wish for any mother of the bride, Tiger Mom or not. With modern twists like the macaroons and those ah-maz-ing shoes, it takes it from special to spectacular. There are, as always, lots more ideas over on our Pinterest Double Happiness Wedding board.  To check out this invitation and others, check out our boutique!

Deep reds are everywhere right now!  Reds with purple and brown undertones are lush and dramatic.  The colors are most at home on rich leathers, but they have been showing up everywhere from some amazing hats to even more amazinger shoes.  (Yeah, I know it’s not a word, but have you seen those shoes???)

I’ve never thought of these colors as a kind of neutral, but they fit nicely in many different scenarios.  Paired with touches of greenery and black and white, these colors are bold and sophisticated.  To achieve the look, you need to add just a bit of shimmer, some great flowers, and a bit of restraint.  Too much of the blood red or making your groom sparkle from head to toe and you’re venturing into Hollywood vampire flick territory.  If you were to take away the glitter and the black and white and replace it with more leather, brown tweed and cream, you’d have a steampunk flair.  Swap the black for navy and add more maroon and some stripes and it’s very preppy.

A touch or two will update your wardrobe–and I’ve got lots and lots of great jackets and bags pinned on Pinterest (and sources for all these things! Like the invite?  Check out our other work on etsy or our website!

The produce bins at my local grocery have been loaded with cherries lately.  We’ve been dining on them breakfast, lunch and dinner.  With yogurt, in salad, as dessert.  And every time they taste special and sweet and fresh.  You know what happened next?

Wait.
Let me try that again.

You *know* what happened next.

I started thinking about a cherry themed wedding.  I started with our beautiful and classic Rachel Wedding Invitation. White and gray subdue the red and make it a more sophisticated palette. The cheery red print bridesmaid dresses don’t have the cheeky feel of a rockabilly dress, but they are still undeniably fun and unique.  Grilled cherry cocktail?  Yes, please and thank you!  And one of my very favorite trends–wedding pie.  Pie pops, mini pies, pie favors. Just pie, pie, pie.  If you want a wedding that will make guests leave happy, consider serving pie.  Homey and lovely, but elevated to celebration.  Check out the board for the sources and feel inspired!

While we love all the quirky and wild weddings out there, some brides just are looking for classic. Subdued.  Sweetly sophisticated.  A little touch of vintage.  Those are perfect words to describe our Antique Rose Wedding Invitation.

I noticed a lot of people have been marking it as a favorite design on our etsy shop. I’ve always liked it, but it really comes together and is the unifying piece in this collection if ideas.  Suddenly it goes from a simple invite to the perfect thing to frame your day.  I love these subtle and warm palettes that look so lovely on the wedding party and really let their beauty shine.  Your wedding photos will be timeless.  The memories will be even more timeless…

Check our Pinterest ideas for more things that will go perfectly with this invitation and the sources for all this excellent ideas!

I was hanging out on etsy the other day, checking out how things were going in our shop, playing around with the shop by color feature (I could do that all day!!) and checking out some awesome things from some amazing vendors.  And then I saw it.  One of those mythical things you spot everywhere on Pinterest, but it always has a broken link that you can’t track back.  I thought it was a handmade, DIY that would go on my To Do list, never to actually be done.  But there it was.  The “hey y’all” sign. For sale.

Love it because it’s just that little bit of Southern your back porch needs.  Love it because it’s fun and perfect for an entry way hung over your Grandma’s sideboard.  Love it because for just $50, it’s a perfect little splurge for your new home. Love it for your little sister’s dorm room or for your Mama’s garden shed. Just. Love. It.  The seller has a zillion other designs for everywhere around the house and for all kinds of tastes. The barrel of monkeys monkeys would be fantastic for a little boy’s room. And ‘sweet tea‘ in the kitchen? Don’t mind if I do.  All the signs are streamlined with that handmade, slightly vintage, very cool look.  Reviews are good, prices are great and I’m just trying to decide which one I really need…

Some brides dream of candy colored weddings, some dream of small ceremonies in beautiful gardens, and some dream of an evening of elegance and drama.  This pinboard is for the last group.  It’s for anyone who has ever dreamed of a traditional evening wedding with a little bit of extra shimmer.

Imagine these elegance in a dimly lit ballroom, candlelight flickering and shimmering,  reflecting off the bits of silver in the centerpieces.  You can almost hear those adorable silver bells chiming for a kiss. There is a very classic aura to this collection.  It’s formal, but not stuffy.  Beautiful, subdued, and sophisticated–the perfect compliment to our Rachel Invitation Suite, especially with the Lustre Shimmer layering paper.  You’re guests will be wowed by your exceptional taste and style.  You’ll be blessed with a collection of timeless pictures that will always look spectacular on your wall.

For the sources for these images, check out our Pinterest Board!

Ok, so you know how you look at wedding pictures and for the first time you notice ties?  Not the usual variety you find at your finer department stores, but the ones that make you “oooh” and “aaahh”? I love those ties.  The ones with color and pizzazz and a little bit of flash.  Ties that are custom made for your wedding, your tastes, your men. Imagine a well cut gray suit, a simple boutonniere and one of these fantastic ties!

Tux & Tulle is the sweetest little etsy shop.  They carry all sorts of great and interesting ties in an amazing selection of colors and patterns. For all ages and all sizes (Brides with tall husbands, take note!).  They even have a great selection of bow ties.  Ratings are stellar and the comments from customers speak for themselves.  If you’re looking for a way to make your groomsmen look even better than their best, this may be just the ticket.

As always, you can find the source for this and lots of other great finds on our Retail Therapy Pinterest Board.

You know how really good chocolate and butter can make transcendentally good brownies?  Or how a perfect fabric makes a skirt drape just right?  The way using the right elements can make something lovely into something spectacular?  That’s how I feel about these necklaces.   Name necklaces are always sweet and charming, but when you pair them with this amazing calligraphy, you get something fantastic.

Good calligraphy makes all the difference here and on an invitation.  These necklaces from Brevity. are lettered by one of our favorite typographers/calligraphers, Crystal Kluge.  Classic, with a twist of whimsy.  The ultimate bridesmaid gift, perfect for the wedding day, perfect for later, perfect for yourself.  Just perfect.

Picture courtesy of Brevity. (check out their chevrons, too!)
Calligraphy by Crystal Kluge,
Check out our Pinterest Retail Therapy board for other great finds.

Monday has arrived and with it comes a week full of excitement.  It’s such a great time of year!  Lots of amazing things shipping out, big doings in the studio (photo session!), gearing up for all those big and important days on the horizon.  I love that feeling of being at the start of something big–I suppose that’s a lot of what the stationery business is about.

But for now, onto our amazing ideas of the day!  And, oh, how I love this combination!  That cool blue and the cherry red always make me happy.  It’s bright and cheerful and fresh.  We’ve seen a similar combo for the holidays, but this works brilliantly for late in the springtime, too.  The pool blue is clean, clear and a bit more saturated than the winter shade.  The red has a bit of coolness to it that softens it just slightly.  Everything from the broach bouquet to the yummy looking slushy makes this a perfect palette.

Sources for all these pics, along with lots of other pool and cherry spottings on our Pinterest Board.

If you look back through our posts, a pattern starts to emerge.  We love that twist of the unexpected, a mixing of unusual elements–Rustic Glitz, Down Home Doily and Red Velvet Variations all have it.  Taking the typical and making it special and fresh.  This outfit is no exception.  Perfect for Sunday Brunch out with the future in-laws, great for a job interview where style matters, just right for whenever you need to feel dressed up, polished, confident and still you.

The necklace has a wonderful vintage feel.  The black gives it weight and substance, but the delicate strands keep it from being too heavy.  The dress is an interesting meshing of highly tailored sophistication, with a twist of whimsy in the lace detail around the waist.  The shoes are a versatile choice for this outfit and countless others.  And the bag (my very favorite element) is one of those perfect bags you search for years to find.  It’s polished enough to dress up, simple enough to be the emphatic exclamation point on just about any of your casual outfits.  Classic, well made, tailored, but not too boxy, just perfect.   What do you think?  Where would you wear it?

Of course, there are always other ideas at Pinterest.
Necklace: Etsy / Bag: Tory Burch / Shoes: Nine West / Dress: Karen Millen