halloween theme birthday party

what a fun theme for a birthday party, yes? my niece and nephews love costumes. costumes and cake? sheesh. it would be like christmas.

nautical theme invitations

i am pretty nuts over the nautical theme. i don't know if it's all the kitchy, outdoor weddings i've been reading about in martha stewart lately or if it was my girlfriend's jaw droppingly gorgeous wedding in lake geneva. either way, i am sold.

pantone colors for fall

according to pantone.com, these are the "it" colors for fall. just so you know. i'll be taking them all into consideration when designing for the holidays. i am assuming black is just a given?

{from pantone.com fall 2010 color report}

50th birthday party invitation

i'd say 50 years is worth celebrating, that's for sure. and how sweet it is for this couple to put this much time and effort into a party in honor of their buddy's 50 years? true friends right there.

handlettering wedding invitations

how gorgeous is this calligraphy? what a sophisticated and unique alternative to fonts and typsetting. and the white ink engraved on charcoal paper? wow. lovely.

{from martha stewart weddings fall 2010}

this weekend

...my parents are here...

...i wish i was here....

...i am actually here (which, by the way, is a good place to be).

one of my favorite families

as they welcome sweet little william, here is a photo of the three A family boys used on his announcement. good looking kiddos, don't you think?

have you seen madewell?

it is worth checking out. it's a sister store to jcrew and full of some cool separates and accessories. i will take two of the sequin jackets. yum. browse if you have a chance http://www.madewell.com/.

MCF

so i have new gal in my life. i'll refer to her as MCF. MCF is helping me to organize, stay on task and catalog all of my freebird ideas. one of those tasks is this blog. she will be making sure i keep this puppy updated. i'm sure you'll be seeing more of her great influence as we head into the holiday season.

thanks MCF. you have been more helpful than you know.

new stamp designs

i am always searching for new stamp designs to complete the look of the envelope. bills, thank you notes, invitations...it doesn't matter. i want to avoid the standard forever bell, if possible. i love when a stamp adds a pop of color or a suprise design element. here are a few new ones i stumbed across...

there are 10 stamps hidden on this sheet...so cool!

dennis the menance was an automatic read for me on sundays

actual artwork on a stamp

pigs and moose and gators and...

new goodies have arrived from linda & harriett, a designer out of brooklyn, new york. her stuff is too fun! greeting cards, letterpressed stationery and notepads...just to name a few. oh, and check out the surprise on the back of the moose notecards.

stationery $14

notepads $12

look at this seating chart!

inspired by a plinko board, this gorgeous creation served as a seating chart for a wedding in st. louis, missouri in september 2008. wow!
this seating chart was featured in the summer 2009 edition of martha stewart weddings.

manifesto for slow communication

there was a stellar article in last weekend's edition of the wall street journal about the art of good old fashioned letterwriting. couldn't agree with them more. it's a great read. check it out here:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203550604574358643117407778.html?mod=relevancy#articleTabs%3Darticle

free stationery promotion from fontaine maury!

the always impressive, fontaine maury, is running a free stationery promotion through the end of april. fontaine maury stationery and calling cards make great gifts for birthdays, mother's day, father's day, graduations, new babies and the list goes on and on. prices begin at $30.

free return address printing on stationery orders

it's not too late!

new! custom holiday designs

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new this year! custom holiday cards! here's how it works...

1. choose a design from the samples listed above

2. send us your photo

3. choose greeting, text and color

4. receive a color proof of your holiday card

5. after proof is approved and order is submitted, you will receive your custom designed holiday cards and envelopes in approximately 2 weeks

give us a call or send us an email for more details. prices start at $110 for 50 cards/envelopes.

'tis the season. celebrate with pink.

dsm ad

here is our dsm ad featured in the november/december/january issue. it is some of our favorite items for the holidays!

paper and ribbon from waste not paper

new styles for paper and ribbon have arrived from waste not paper. the red and polka dot wrapping paper is perfect for the holidays! the ribbon is double faced satin and is sold in 10 yard rolls for $9. the printed paper is sold in two sheet rolls for $6.50 and the solid paper is solid in 10 foot long rolls for $6.

new bella muse

bella muse has such creative cards. i can't help my smile and laugh when i see them. these are some of the best of the new bunch!