gram's party: the wrap-up

Oftentimes while planning a party, I will ask myself...why am I doing this?...putting the time, effort and expense into a party sometimes doesn't seem like the best use of resources. But just about every time I am so happy with the end result, that I forget about the hassles of party planning.

Gram's birthday was no exception. We were so thrilled with how the party went. Gram and his friends had a wonderful time ...we figured out he is one of those children that enjoys being the center of attention! I am slowly being won over to the 'rented-out' parties...we loved walking away from the messy clean-up after all was said and done. But I loved that I was still able to inject some personalized touches to the party to make it feel special. It was a perfect day and we made some fabulous memories that we will always look back at fondly!

for sources, look at the bottom of this post

bird themed shower

I'm particularly fond of these baby shower invites I did for my dear friend, Catherine. We've got no less then seven of our close friends from college having babies within months of each other! (With almost all of them expecting girls- so fun!).

another pretty

We received another beautiful wedding invitation the other day that I had to share. So beautiful, but I have to admit- the (tacky) thought crossed my mind...I wonder how much this one cost?! It's so pretty- the weight of the paper is so heavy and luxurious (with gold trim), the engraved type is quite lovely, and all of the details- including what I am assuming is the family crest- are so very, very pretty. Topped off with a customized flower stamp from Zazzle and this invitation quickly became a keeper.

the blooming quill

I got a couple of questions about the beautiful calligraphy on this wedding invitation we received last week. The bride divulged the calligrapher...Debi of the Blooming Quill. Lots of pretty things to look at here.

lovely mail

We received this wedding invitation in the mail yesterday and I was immediately smitten. Simple- yes, but oh the glorious textures! Invitation is letterpressed, interior and exterior envelope was calligraphed by the same person that did the invitations. So lovely.

where were you?

Oh- where were you, cute stamps, when I was recently sending out baby shower invitations? Or thank you notes? Or mother's day cards? Alas, I now have you in my possession...

I'm not loving the new cost of postage but I am sure loving these beauties. How long before you think we hit 50 cents?!

national stationery show

I can't believe the National Stationery Show is under way! I hope those of you attending the show will stop by the Hicks / Whitney English booth. I'm really excited about this collection...it's always the culmination of so much work on behalf of so many people. Whitney sent me this snap from her iphone. 

rifle design

I'm sure I'm late in the game discovering the brilliance of Rifle Design. I adore the illustrative style, and was thrilled to see she (Anna Bond) is an Orlando resident (just outside my hometown of Winter Park, FL). She even designed a whole suite of wedding items for a Winter Park wedding...the ceremony took place at my rehearsal dinner site. I love making those connections- sometimes the world feels so small!

verrry cute

from jordan, of course!

derby

Whitney and I were honored to be asked to design a collection of invitations for the official Kentucky Derby party website this year. It's the first time we've ever collaborated with another company, and it was fun to do something a little different. 

The party website is chock full of great tips for throwing a Derby party, if you've got one planned. Lemontree paperie has the full collection of 'official' invitations, including ones that incorporate this year's Derby logo. 

so lovely

I'm all about supporting the smaller letterpress guys out there, but I can't help but really like this wedding suite from Paper Source. The typography is quite lovely.

vintage treasures

Awesome vintage party invitations!

via...pink cupcake vintage

on the board

Speaking of invitations, how do you display yours? I kept mine in a folder for a while, but would find myself forgetting events. So I tried to do a nice display on a white magnet board, that has now turned into a mish-mash of everything- not the neat ensemble I had envisioned. The 'pretty' invitations I leave up way past the actual event...do you find yourself doing the same thing? 

The green one is an HPG design, the yellow square and moving announcement are from graphic designer Laura Crookston Deleot, and the orange fabric one was done by a costume-designer friend, Erin Korey Proud. 

spring is here!

No- not officially here (it's cold and rainy in Nashville), but I can see the beginnings now that the HPG spring line has started to hit the websites! A couple of my new favorites, above. From top: robot, candle cake, blue coral, fiesta hat, cupcakes, and lattice table. 

theme parties...

Holly from Decor8 has a post on Real Simple about theme parties. I was drawn to this aprés-ski party idea (love those cups) and soon realized why...that's a Hicks invitation in the back left corner! 

new stuff!

The new stuff from this year's NSS is finally making its way to the stores! I was so thrilled to see these HPG selections on Paper Buzz (I pulled a couple of favorites). 

HICKS giveaway!

Whitney gave me a heads up about this great giveway sponsored by The Paper Cafe and Magnolias, Marriage & Manhattan blog. For The Paper Cafe's Hicks selections, click here. Thanks, Whit!

guilty!

The latest issue of Cookie (with Amanda Peet on the cover) has a very interesting article in it called 'Party Police.' I am guilty of at least one of the sins it describes, including often putting the tag line 'no gifts' at the bottom of an invitation I've sent out. Sally Schultheiss, the author, makes quite a strong argument against this practice, along with her two other pet-peeves...those who put 'no candy' and those who put 'no siblings' on the invitation. While I don't necessarily agree with her point of view, it will definitely give me pause for thought the next time I consider a 'no-gift' party! It's actually quite an entertaining read.There are also a couple of other good (non-party) articles in the mag, including one on Amanda Peet (who voices strong support of vaccinations), and an article profiling four different women who made different child bearing choices.