Announcing the Text

For those of you in the DC area. This exhibition at the National Gallery of Art is quite interesting. It's all about how the title page. This exhibition will be at the National Gallery until May 21, 2010


 "As the printed book emerged in the 15th century, its early design mimicked that of the manuscript. Printers, however, soon developed their own forms and techniques. One of their most obvious innovations—the addition of a title page—puts information about the production of the work right up front, at the beginning of the book. (In a manuscript, such information is found in the colophon at the end.) Over time, printers not only included more information on the title page but also presented it within carefully wrought designs.
Presenting select examples of early books of the 15th century through modern books of the late 19th century, this exhibition traces the development of the title page as its role expanded and new printing technologies impacted its design."

Events this weekend

Wedding shows to attend this weekend.

the Mid-Atlantic Green Wedding Showcase
February 21, 2001, 1pm to 5pm (fashion show @ 4pm)
Tickets: $15 online until midnight 2/19; $20 at the door
event at the Samuel Riggs IV Alumi Center on the University of MD campus, College Park
http://www.greenweddingshowcase.com/

Event Showcase on Sunday, February 21st from 12-5pm
BlackRock Center for the Arts in Germantown Maryland
http://www.blackrockcenter.org

Have a fun weekend!

vera wang bridal gowns

things we are loving...
Vera Wang's 2010 bridal gown collection.

hot off the press: save the dates

Just a little peek to see what we've been up to in our studio. I'm so excited to feature these save the dates and its just a hint of what's to come for the invitations. These round save dates featured the couples wedding date, travel details and accommodations for the their event.

hot colors for your spring wedding


For those getting married in the spring and haven't chosen your colors, pantone has projected their 2010 spring fashion forecast and fashion and events just go hand in a hand. The projected colors....

Google Docs Wedding Tools + Style Me Pretty



"Google Docs has recently launched 20 individual Google Docs templates, geared exclusively towards the bride, groom and their adventures in planning a wedding. With these little gems you can not only keep track of your guest list and your budget, you can literally plan your entire wedding in one, uber-organized little place…from booking your photographer to managing and collecting your addresses. Oh, and because these documents live online, you can share them with your bridal party, you can access them from work, you can even edit them using your smartphone. It’s wedding planning genius filtered through Google’s smart, simple approach."

Style Me Pretty has teamed up with Google Docs to give each of the spreadsheets a dose of what they do best…incredible tips, ideas and inspirations from some of the country’s best vendors. And a little bit of pretty of course. So while you’re working through your templates, you can read expert advice from such vendors as Michelle Rago, Jessica Claire and Mr. Boddington. It’s invaluable information that people literally pay thousands to hear. To try out these tip-infused templates and check out docs.google.com/wedding.

This is such a great tool. I know I use google for everything from the Google Docs to the Google Calendar and this tool will be great in keeping your wedding organized and your bridal party informed.

Happy Valentine's Day

We appreciate our customers and those who have supported our business. Every year we do something special for those who have contributed to keeping our business going. This year we've collaborated with an artist to create a one of kind valentine's day cards. Artist Tara Hannon with Meant for a Moment Designs drew up some very cool drawings that inspired the design of our 4 cards and packaging. "Hearts for you".











Tara Hannon, the creative artist of Meant for a Moment Designs, has been illustrating since she could hold a pencil. She began Meant for a Moment in 2008 and since then has illustrated hundreds of whimsical customized drawings for prints, books, and gifts. She is a hopeless romantic and is so excited to spread the love this Valentines day. For more about Tara, visit her website.

Thanks Tara for such a great job on the illustrations!

Have a great weekend and enjoy the moment!

DIY Valentine's Day Cards

We are sharing the love this week. In case you missed this in our newsletter. Today you can download our DIY Valentine's Day cards designed by Carla David Design and illustrated by Tara Hannon. Print, cut, address and share your heart this Valentine's Day.

You'll need adobe acrobat to open the file.

Download DIY Valentine's Day Cards

We'd love to hear your comments about these Valentine's Day cards.

5 gifts that say "I love you"

So what do you give that special someone in your life? I know this is where I'm suppose to say anything that is paper, like custom valentine's day cards, personal stationery, note cards, thank you cards, a personal monogram and stamp. But no, I'm just going to post our top 5 gifts to say "I love you".  The things that we appreciate. But do let us know how we can custom create that special gift for your Valentine. Enjoy!

Feburary Newsletter

Check out our February Newsletter!

You'll find DIY Valentine's Day cards
Featured Save the date idea
Inspiration board for a romantic Valentine's day event
Valentine cookie recipe

You don't want to miss this month's newsletter

custom cookies for the love in your life

Nothing says "I love you" like Valentine's Day sugar cookies, especially when they have a custom message. Check out these cookies from Sweet and Saucy Shop
 
 

great finds worth posting

This week will be all about love and hearts since Valentine's Day is a week away.  I'm going to start off the week with some great products that I've discovered and have had on my want list. I'm sure you will heart them too.....check them out. Some great gifts for those in your life.

1. QuicKutz Letterpress from Paper Source. Create letterpress cards at home.





















2. Gift wrap from Ecosaurus

 

3. Letter Coasters from Little Factory





 


keepsake guest book

I'm always looking for create ways my brides can create a guest book that is truly a keepsake. Here's an idea: Family tree with your guests finger prints. Each guests signs their name next to their finger print. Maybe you have a family member who can draw or paint a tree for you. All the more reason to frame and hang on your wall. Do you have a great idea for keepsake guestbook?



[image from Caroline Tran]

"Sea" inspired menu cards

This past weekend we designed some menu cards for Chef's Expressions Bridal Open House at the George Peabody Library. Here's a sneak peak at the design. More to come with photos of the finished tablescape and inspiration behind the design.
What do you think?

Upcoming events

There's an update to the Bella Bridesmaid Open House. The date has changed to Thursday, February 18.

There's another event coming up from ReMarriage Magazine and Positive Pareting Solutions. A free webinar "Consequences Everyone Can Agree On"


The Art of Consequences
Thursday, February 4, 2010
9-10 PM EST
Who Should Attend: Stepparents and parents of children ages 1-16 who want to reduce parenting stress and learn concrete solutions to correct misbehavior without nagging, reminding or yelling.
What You’ll Learn: Amy McCready, Founder of Positive Parenting Solutions will present a strategy-packed, interactive, live online webinar designed to teach you…
  • the real reasons behind child misbehavior
  • how stepparent & parent personality priority can encourage, even escalate misbehavior
  • why you, your spouse, and/or your ex need to know the difference between punishment and consequences
  • the proven formula for holding kids and stepkids accountable for behavior without YOU or your spouse being the bad guy
  • how to structure effective consequences that parent, stepparent and kids can agree on
 More info
sign up for this event

Here comes the Guide...

Dessy and Pantone Announced the PANTONE WEDDING color guide this month.
  "The color guide is the reference tool the wedding industry has been waiting for to connect and coordinate wedding products and services. Wedding vendors, brides and all wedding professionals now have the ability to communicate and match colors quickly and accurately from day one of the planning process.”
With over 190 colors to choose from, the guide provides inspiration for brides to develop unique color themes, as well as a professional, definitive way to express their creative vision for that all-important day. Small enough to fit inside a purse, it can be carried on shopping trips to eliminate any color guesswork and aid in color coordination. With the PANTONE WEDDING color guide, brides, wedding planners and wedding vendors can now speak the same color language when matching bridesmaid and flower girl dresses, accessories, menswear, flowers, invitations and tabletop design."

The PANTONE WEDDING color guide includes all 194 PANTONE WEDDING Colors available for spring 2010 from The Dessy Group, including PANTONE 15-5519 Turquoise, the 2010 color of the year.

The guide is available for sale at www.dessy.com for US $35