Style Tiles...Genius

I thought this was such a great idea from PB Teen. These style tiles are perfect for your office or any other room of your home. I thought this would be perfect for an inspiration board or just holding great memories too. If you want to build your own with a little assistance visit here. Feel like taking on a DIY project here's a sample of the various styles and tile options.

Great Gift Idea

I think these stylish recipe boxes by Jack and Lulu are perfect, what I love even more are the creative ways you can make this stylish gift become a wonderful keepsake with these ideas:

If you're hosting a bridal shower send one of the cards from the recipe box to all the guest and ask everyone to share their favorite recipe. You can collect those cards during the shower then package and give them to the bride to be. She will have a multitude of recipes to try and all of them filled with love.

Another idea is to change the categories to things you love like "desserts" "cocktails" "dinner parties" "great impressions" "brunch/breakfast" and ask friends to share their best recipes for each of these sections like if your aunt's favorite dish to serve to her mother in law. Even if you're not hosting a party send them to friends and family and delight in what comes back to you in the mail. *This idea would be perfect for a housewarming too just insert the cards into the invites and collect them at the party and you have a complete box of recipes for future dinner parties and more.

Stylish Fabric=Great Inspiration

**Sorry all for sporadic post been a bit under the weather but slowly getting back on track.

I'm not really sure what I would do with these lovely fabric patterns I've got my eye on at Ikea {since sewing isn't a specialty} but I'm really loving the patterns and some of these designs would look great on a note card.

Fialena


Belinda


Check it out maybe it could inspire you to create a pillow or tote.

Trend Spotting...

Are posters becoming the new way to invite guest to your wedding? These two ultimately creative designs are posters and wedding invitations and when you think about it most events have posters so why not your wedding? Sure many of us will still covet the traditional styled invitation but for those brides who want to do things a little differently.... Poster anyone?


found this via Black Eiffel and it came from here


discovered via The Scoop or you can learn more about it here

Inspiration...

Quotable Cards

I'm such a fan of quotes. They can be thought provoking, motivating or just plain funny. For weddings there's one quote I always write in the bride and grooms card because I feel it always seems to capture that special moment. Sometimes the only way you can say what you need to say is through the profound words of someone else. If you need the right words to say...visit Quotable Cards . I'm sure you've seen these before in stationary or gift stores, these wonderful designs and use of various fonts to display a quote on a mug, calendar or note card. Now they have wonderful thoughts on canvas that you can hang in your office and gaze at on those days when all you really need is encouragement. Here's some inspiring stuff....

CALENDAR


NOTE CARD SETS


WALL CANVAS

DIY Inspiration

Numerous blogs have talked about inspiration boards and even I have made my fair share, but after reading wedding bee and learned about a cool feature from big hudge labs, I couldn't resist playing with it. Sure there were probably more productive things I could be doing {but not today}. Big Huge Labs has a feature where you can create your own "mosaic tiles" or what I call an inspiration boards. It's effortlessly easy. If you have a flickr account or know the url's of the pictures either way you can create as many boards as your heart desires. So if you're trying to formulate a wedding concept or think about how to redecorate a room this is perfect. Here's one I made. Want to make one or two of your own click here.

Fashion Inspired

While gazing at all the beautiful things featured for fashion week I thought I'd share some inspiration. If you're planning an event or wedding in the Spring, then use the Pantone 2008 fashion color report as your guide. In my own little twist, I found invitations that feature some of the coming fashion season's colors.


If your planning a spring wedding and thinking about color, design etc... be inspired.

Packaging the Details

When it comes to party favors for your wedding or party, it's all in the presentation. There are so many simple and easy ways to incorporate your style and theme into the packaging of your party favors. Here are a few examples...


Heather & Andrae gave guest dark chocolate favors in beautifully wrapped paisley print paper.



Emily & Christopher blend pale pink, ivory and green in their own unique way. The cohesive blending of their escort and menu cards and favors.



Katie & Robert in Jacksonville, FL
Green polka dot accents and a modern vibe created the perfect day. The favor boxes and other decorative details carry out their modern theme.

Its All In The Wrapping

I was in need of chocolate and as I was thinking about what would soothe my cocoa craving, I thought about some of my favorite chocolate places online and near home and as I visited site by site while munching on my steady standby {m&m's}, I thought I need to talk about Allison Nelson's Chocolate Bar in NYC. If you haven't been to visit them... Go. If you haven't seen their site...visit. Why? Because the wrapping for their chocolates is not only stylish but completely artistic and what better way to combine the two things I love....{paper and chocolate!} Once you see it you'll be in love too.

What better way to represent NYC than with the graffiti bars. Here's what is even better. Each Graffiti style is a exotic and delicious flavor like the Crash bar that is a blend of dark chocolate with rum infused ganache. {Oh yea, and you get some graffiti history}


The next wrapping has a more artistic style and its probably one of my favorite wrapper designs. Its the Stencil Bar Set. Buy in a set...



or buy individually....
Carmel Stencil Bar


Bittersweet Stencil Bar



Maybe you need something a bit more nostalgic, try the Retro Bar Set. It's the Chocolate Bars twist on a retro design but when you see all the flavors you know there is nothing retro about these bars {like salty pretzel}



I love chocolate but I love how the Choclate bar has used its wrapping to not only set it apart but also showcase its style. Besides while you're enjoying your chocolate shouldn't you have something good to look at?

Paper+Weddings=Beautifully Inexpensive.

Call me a paper groupie if you must but I love how such beautiful things can be made and created with paper. A new favorite blog Lucky Me features a wedding designed by Brides Magazine and my fave event planner, Tara Guerard of Soiree in Charleston and this event takes a paper element {wallpaper design} and incorporates it into all aspects of the wedding.



From the pictures in that post I was inspired to show how paper can be a wonderful and inexpensive way to decorate.

These photos capture behind the scene details of an inexpensive table design option from Today throws a Martha Stewart Wedding. The tissue paper pom-pom flowers hanging from the ceiling of your venue and tissue paper wrapped candle filled vases can enhance your decor, keep you within budget, and based on the color used can give you a lovely illumination throughout the room. {*another tip: use a decorative vellum paper and wrap around cylinder vases}




This photo from Brooklyn Bride's blog shows how you can take a basic metal can {rougly the size of a large coffee can} and create a stylish centerpiece by using wrapping paper from stylish designers like whimsy press; eieio; snow and graham and many more. That same wrapping paper pattern can be incorporated through your event like as wrapping for party favors; the backing to table numbers the ideas are limitless.



Another option is paper flowers. If you want to save on your floral budget and your wedding theme permits think about using kits from Paper Source and you can create lovely bouquets like this wedding from the knot


These floral poms by MacKenzie of Kenzie Kate invitations and Something Old Something New blog who created these lovely paper inspired floral poms that were the primary focus of the wedding.



If you're trying to determine how to cut cost for your wedding, think about paper. This simple yet stylish element can give your event character.

Who doesn't love Binth?

I recently visited the Binth website and thought how there are so many great things on their site and for you to have. Send a friend a creatively designed card. Purchase the cool memory cards for a little one's birthday. Really visit the site and find a reason to send something. I know the recipient will love it. Here's some wonderful eye candy all found from Binth.

Setting Up Shop

Organizing and getting things in order is truly a tireless job. While we're almost finished we're also getting ready to launch the next venture. As we begin to slowly get back into our posting routine here's a lovely yet organized display of our favorite Russell+Hazel products.

Oh the Places You Will Go...

I discovered these through orange beautiful's blog scoop and fell in love with this calendar. Yes, those amazing designs are part of a calendar. The patterns are bold rich and such artistic impressions from JHill Design of her impression of places she's never been. Enjoy these lovely designs and while many sit in anticipation for this calendar and it sells out quickly here's the link to at least keep watch for 2008's release.

Decor 8 Contest Inspiration Board

Ok, so here's the first Board. Its filled with patterns and the children's room is by far my favorite. Well I like the striped chair too ok... I love it all. Hope you do too.

Project

At the beginning of July decor8 posted I Dream of Cake where rooms were paired to match the design of the wedding cakes. Well, decor8 has done it again and announced a project where they have partnered with fabulous stationary asking that a card from the company's stationary line be selected as the inspiration of finding rooms that match the design of the stationary. The project details are on decor8's blog. We're jumping in and will spend the next few days creating inspiration boards for the selected cards. Tell me which one you like. Over the next few days I'll post a variety of boards and give you a sneak peak to the one I've decided to enter into this contest.

Prelude to the Party-102

Like my last Prelude to the Party post this one is no different. My new quest is to show how you can add color to your wedding and it can begin with the invite. Today courtesy of brides our red inspiration board with an invitation from Simply Unique. Enjoy!


(click on picture to enlarge)

Get Colorful

We've talked a lot about color and if you didn't notice I believe a colorful invitation is so valuable to any celebration. Now before you think you're budget can't afford color, you can accessories your black and white printed invite with colorful and printed ribbons, decorative paper and even colorful envelopes with stylish liners. The possibilities are endless, and will not strain your budget.

I have found this wonderful website via something old and something new. I was playing around and trying to see how this fun website works and as I was playing with color palettes, I thought wouldn't this site be great for trying to figure out harmonious color hues for your invitations or even your entire wedding. You can browse hues created by other users or create your own color palette (of course after creating a login). I know I'm a bit color obsessed but all because I want you to see more than just black and white when it comes to an invitation.



(sample color palette from colour lovers)

"I've Got News"

Getting Married, Moving, Having a Baby and just don't know how to share your news? Get creative and dare to be different! Ignore the standard cards that don't really represent you and tell your news with a design that makes a statement. At People St. Clair announcing good news is my latest area of creative interest. There are so many companies who have disovered new and creative ways to say "I've moved" "Its a girl" "We're Engaged" that its hard for me to not share some great and different ways to spread the word.


{left to right:minnie and emma; dauphine press; thats sky blue;blonde designs; pinkerton design;fabulous stationery}

Seeing Black and White

Most people would be surprised when I tell them my favorite color is pink. Since whenever anyone sees me I'm wearing something black, white or a combo of the two colors. Believe it or not, I love color, but for some reason recently I've been gravitating to all things black and white. I even had an issue deciding on a color to set off my People St. Clair logo. Well, in my blog reading I discovered a new blog called Social Design, and they mentioned a lovely paper website that is all about vintage wallpaper prints. I am in love with this site as it has given me a spark of creativity and ideas. As I searched the sight jotting down ideas and how to incorporate this paper into my own designs (I'm thinking belly bands and envelope liners) It strikes again…my eye sees nothing but black and white. I know what I love about the color combo (its classic, chic and simply elegant) plus it will go with anything. Enjoy some of my favorite prints below, I hope they inspire you! Hopefully the hint of red in the last print shows color and I may be back in each other's lives soon.