Trinket findings at Ornamentea

If you're in to DIY projects and want to try your hand at jewelry or accessory making, I highly recommend checking out Ornamentea.com. This one stop shop has every little piece for making your fine craft, and much more! My favorite page is the Bits, Bobs, + Charms section, where you can find all the supplies to make those little details. The lovely ladies over at Elizabeth Anne Designs posted about their DIY Wine Glass Charms, utilizing some adorable cabochons and diamond glaze. That just goes to show you how many different projects you can come up with, using the little trinkets from Ornamentea.com. They even have those cute little memory frames that you can hook on to your bouquet!

If you're stumped as far as where to begin, check out a few project ideas here!

Unique accessories by Star of the East

Looking for unique and eclectic jewelry that won't leave you looking like "just another pretty bride"? Look no further than Star of the East. This accessory designer from Turkey has pages upon pages of hand made one-of-a-kind pieces that will absolutely excite your senses! Above are a few of my favorites...

You can also visit her blog, crammed full of creative goodness, here!

Wedding Chicks Surprise Giveaway

Don't miss the fabulous surprise giveaway from beegeebags.com over at Wedding Chicks. All you have to do is pick your favorite bag and comment on the wedding chick's blog before March 4th, 2009. What's my favorite you ask? Definitely the pink poppy!

Custom destination invitation design

A good friend of mine is preparing for her dream wedding in Jamaica this May, and she asked me to help her develop the perfect invitation for the event. We came up with a playful and serene starfish motif accented by tiny bubbles. The invitation, accommodations card, and the reception save the date all accented the couples laid back personalities. I love the way they turned out, and can't wait for the wedding!

Moroccan Sunrise by Sephora

The design of the new Sephora Moroccan Sunrise Collection initial caught my eye. That’s usually how I role, picking out a book by it’s cover, I’m basically a packaging snob. In this case, it seems the product is just as good, if not better than it’s pretty packaging! This limited-edition collection is made up of gorgeous sun-inspired shades that are travel-friendly… perfect for that destination wedding!

Pack up your goodies, like the eye shadow ensemble, pot of gold loose bronzer, or the lip gloss into an assortment of classy gold and white compartments that make up the matching bag collection.

I really love the fact that everything matches!

Who's on the bus?

Transportation for the bridal party is a pretty vital element on your big day. It will determine how the flow from the ceremony to the reception goes. I always thought it would be fun to have a bus, especially if you have lots of people! These busses can hold a boatload and look like a fun time!

Sources: Yellow bus, Wedding bus sign, Trolley bride, Double-decker couple, Red VW bus, Blue and white bus, Bus couple.

K. Rose cakes

Yummy and pretty, what could be better?! I love the amount of detail in these lovelies from K. Rose cakes! Check out the little cakes preserved under glass, on her website, they are divine!

Potted centerpieces

I really favor the idea of having potted centerpieces, instead of cut flowers. Understandably, it’s a more natural look and doesn’t always work for every venue, but it’s definitely something to consider when picking out flowers. You could also opt for half potted and half cut flowers, to shake it up a little bit. When it’s all said and done, and it’s time to clean up and head home, these would make perfect thank you gifts for your people who helped make the day come together perfectly.

This arrangement comes to you from Brides.com.

Double wedding ring pattern

What could be more appropriate for a wedding than a double wedding ring motif? This is a sample of a basic program design I recently produced for a client of mine, featuring their romantic monogram. This is the first time I've used the double wedding ring pattern, but it's definitely not a new idea. The pattern has a rich history dating back to the fourth century, and became very popular as it was featured in handmade quilts.

I really like the fact that this design not only has a beautiful aesthetic, it also holds a lot of meaning!

Feeling under the weather today

I think I may have caught the flu bug that's been going around. So today I'll be catching up on some reading and sipping chamomile tea until I recouperate. I leave you with this lovely image from favorstudio.com. I think these are just the most delightful favors for a bridal shower, and the colors are so inspiring. You could easily create an upbeat decor style just by using the colors on the tins!

Watters bridal gowns

I'm married. Have been for a year and 7 months now, but I still cannot resist browsing through wedding gowns. I strongly feel that us married gals should create a new social "norm", where every 5 years or so we get to celebrate our anniversary with a new wedding gown and a mini-reception. Styles are changing constantly, and there are so many gowns out there that I would love to wear now. Ones that weren't even available when I was gown shopping. Talk about not fair!

We will think about that one... but for now, here are my favorites from Watters Brides!

Color me pretty

I love color, that’s just a known fact. But aside from that I love shades of color… shades that have a common theme, and that flow together naturally. This is exactly why I love the latest bridesmaid trend of wearing different shades from a common color scheme.

Style Me Pretty had a beautiful example on one of her more recent blog posts, featuring the wedding of Day & Max.

All of the dresses are unified as they fall under the same sunny shade of grapefruit, and each girl can feel comfortable picking out a shade that is right for her!

How to cook everything

Ever since I met my husband, I’ve been enthralled with cooking. In college I loved experimenting with new ingredients and challenging recipes… making things for the first time was an incredible rush. I know, I know, I’m a food geek. But while enjoying cooking so much, I never really knew who the real “foodies” were.

For our wedding in July 2007, we received this book, How to Cook Everything, by Mark Bittman and Alan Witschonke. My husband was actually the one squeeled with delight at the sight of the book, he obviously knew who this Bittman character was. It didn’t take me long to realize that Mark Bittman is a food genius, and this book was a godsend. (Also available is a vegetarian version of this book)

Anything I could ever think about making was here, no phone call to mom needed! If you haven’t already checked it out, flip through a copy at your local bookstore… it will save your life, and any dinner party at that!

Image courtesy of amazon.com

Estilo giveaway at Weddingbee

Check out this awesome giveaway over at Weddingbee... that's right, a $150 gift certificate to Estilo Weddings! Don't miss it!

Bridal shower invitations

I don’t know what it is about these last few days, but I cannot get my mind off paper! One thing we don’t yet offer at RSVP Invitation Studios are bridal shower invitations, so I’m always on the lookout for inspirational styles. I found this one at my favorite store… Paper-source! These letterpress shower invitations are printed in a bright pool and moss color scheme and are actually circular! This set wouldn’t be complete without a matching envelope. The set of 8 invitations will run about $18.50.

Calling cards from invitedink

To go along with your new name, your definitely going to need calling cards! If you're in a profession that doesn't provide business cards, or maybe you're a stay at home mom, calling cards are the perfect accessory! I love these letterpress calling cards by invitedink on etsy. So adorable!

Namebirdie Giveaway

Don't forget to head over to the Wedding Chicks blog and enter for a chance to win the gold package from Namebirdie! This includes everything you need to change your name (think passport, voters registration, etc.). Could it be any easier?!

Stamp it up

I have a secret… I’m a closet philatelist, and have been on and off for years! Okay, technically I don’t spend my days studying stamps, but I do love to collect those pretty little things, sometimes even assembling them into a framed piece of art!

I think it’s a combination of my love for detail, color and drawing… not to mention the fact that I’m still amazed that they can get a tiny masterpiece on to one small piece of paper.

This is also the reason why I’m in love with the idea of plastering a small collection of colorful vintage stamps on to the envelope of your wedding invitations! I love it when people are able to arrange their stamps, starting at the top right corner, from largest to smallest. That really tickles my fancy!

The best part about adorning your envelopes is that you can choose stamps that fit your personalities. They have stamps for just about any event, organization, location, etc. Above, images from Elizabeth Anne Designs, and below, a few of my favorite stamps...

Sources: Botanical congress stamp, sunflower, beautiful blooms, carnivorous plants, dragon fly, garden flowers, tropical flowers, tropical fruit, pink florals.

Paper-source office

Doesn't this just make you want to get out there and get yourself organized? I absolutely love all of the office products from Paper-source... not only are they pretty, they're pretty darn useful too! Plus, having file folder like these would sure make paperwork a little more interesting!

Baby announcement

I just wanted to share with you an adorable design I mocked up for my sister-in-law.

She loves antiques, and her house is decorated in a very beautiful shabby chic style, like something straight out of a magazine! A few years ago I took a photo of her daughter (now 3) and created a vintage-looking portrait out of it, by highlighting elements of the black and white photo with color. I think she really liked it, because she was the one who suggested doing that same style for a baby announcement. I love the way this turned out, and am thinking about possibly adding some vintage lace or cording (depending on if the baby is a boy or girl).

mix and match boutonnieres

The floral details aren't just for the ladies anymore! Lately it seems like I've seen some pretty impressive boutonnieres, in featured weddings and in magazines. I love the spurts of color and pattern found in these tiny lapel accessories, which is why I have to share JlovesS! This etsy shop is the mastermind of duo, Jurine (a fashion designer) and Stephen (a photographer). Together they create one of a kind pieces, and would happily create a custom item for your wedding! 

Above are a few of my favorites from their shop. Visit Jurine's blog for more fun snippets!

New Invitation Line Unveiled!

The time has fianlly come to reveal a few new designs from our 2009 VintageFleur collection! Take a look at the RSVP Invitation Studios website for more updates, coming soon! Right now we have 4 floral designs available; clover, magnolia, poppy and daisy, and will be updating the site soon, so stay tuned.

All of our classic invitations will still be available as well!

Welcome wreaths

Having flowers at your ceremony site can be a bright way to welcome your guests and symbolizing a special occasion. This is exactly why I love having floral wreaths or arrangements on the front door or church steps. Here are a few inspirational images to get you thinking!

Sources (starting clockwise left): pink, green + brown, black double doors, S monogram, blue monogram, small pink, black chapel doors, bright yellow, wreath on tree, green + orange on doors.

Embossed italian favor boxes

I don't think I've ever really elaborated on favor boxes yet... maybe that's because they are very popular already, and if you've ever been to a wedding, you've most likely seen a few. Even though they're pretty common in the wedding favor department, I think little boxes like this can be customized to look pricey, and still keep you under budget!

Take for example, this adorable monogrammed box from beau-coup... It can hold the simplest of gifts, like jelly beans or snowcaps (think of your favorite candy), and still look polished enough to fit in with your decor and wedding colors. These boxes come in packs of 10, come in a wide range of colors, and run about $8.50 per pack. If you're buying for a large crowd head over to sam's club or costco to bag some bulk candy or snacks for fillers!