Warm Things.

It will be snowing soon for some of us. We thought we'd revisit this great idea to warm your cockles.  Warm things and caffeine do wonders to brighten an evening, particularly post daylight savings time.

Not just a chocolate lolly, hot chocolate on a stick.  A taste-tempting D.I.Y, which also could mean Drink It Yourself.  Maybe curled up with a good book?

Recipes, ideas, and all sorts of chocolaty savvy featured on a great blog called Giver's Log. Which we found via Sew, Mama, Sew.

And wouldn't it be a lovely after dinner cup for a winter wedding?

Tartine Bread

One of our favorite local bakeries, Tartine, is coming out with a new book - Tartine Bread. Check out this cute video from the baker!

Real wedding: Nicole and Wolfgang

Nicole and Wolfgang's gorgeous wedding is featured on Martha Stewart Weddings! The couple choose our Orchid design for their Napa Valley wedding, featuring real orchids by Sharla Flock Designs.

The wedding took place at a private home of a friend of the couple. Dinner was served in the remodeled barn on the property, with catering from The Girl and The Fig, a local Sonoma eatery.

The couple choose Alison Events to help with the design and coordination of their wedding.

All photos by Anna Kuperberg. More photos here.

Possibly the most perfect wedding video ever created

Apologies for the insanely long title, but this video of model Coco Rocha and designer James Conran's wedding is so stunning and beautiful that nothing less would have been appropriate. To see the longer cut, please go here.

Via Refinery 29.

Real wedding: Erin and Jeremy

We are thrilled to report that the wedding of Eunice's best friend, Erin and her new hubby, Jeremy, is featured on Style Me Pretty today!

It was a truly fabulous and fun affair, designed by Alison Events, with lots of ingenious details, including a vintage card catalog that acted as the seating guide. Each guest's card was cross-referenced with other guests according to interests, life history, etc....

...and possibly the most amazing and hilarious first dance -  done to Hey Soul Sister by Train and including the Beyoncé's signature move from All the Single Ladies (need we say more?)...

...a photo booth by Magnolia Photo Booth - always a huge hit at any party...

We collaborated with Erin and Jeremy to come up with a charming array of stationery inspired by vintage ephemera and McSweeny's. The invitation was supposed to look like a page torn from a book...

The replies were Mad Libs fashioned to look like an old school Western Union telegram...

And the programs, designed to look like a vintage book...

This was one of our favorite projects so far this year!  We really loved their creativity and sense of fun.

All photos by Adi Nevo. Check out more details here.

Chandelier inspired wedding cake!

Foodie couple Natalie West (pastry chef) and Alex Nemeth (executive chef) were so inspired by our Chandelier wedding invitation that they used the motif on their wedding cake! The newlyweds enlisted baker Amelia Julio at Sweet Teeth Bakery to execute their vision for their Seattle nuptials at Herban Feast Sodo Park. Read more about their wedding menu here. Congrats Natalie and Alex!

Cheese wedding cakes

Speaking of food, check out these wedding cakes made entirely of cheese! A great option for gluten-intolerant brides (Chelsea Clinton requested a gluten free cake!), maybe not-so-great for those who are lactose-intolerant.

Via Cup of Jo.

A purple-themed picnic

Check out this picnic-themed inspiration shoot featured on the Southern Weddings blog! We created all the paper products to go with the floral theme.

See all the photos here.

Photos by Larissa Cleveland.

Real Wedding: Lily and Andrew

Did you see Lily and Andrew's breathtaking wine country wedding on Style Me Pretty? Can you say gorgeous? We worked with the bride and groom to create all their paper products - from the save the dates to the place cards, and everything in between. Inspired by our Classic Cowboy, Heartland and Biltmore wedding designs, we created a unique suite that fit their rustic chic theme perfectly.

The wedding was a true family affair. Andrew's cousin Jocelyn Arelt was their wedding planner, and  Andrew's aunt, Valerie Arelt, did all the flowers!

The wedding and reception took place in the Sonoma Valley, at Lily's parents ranch. It was 106 that day! The ceremony took place in the middle of an oak grove.

Guests enjoyed dinner catered by the Jimtown store in a Zephyr tent.

Lily wore a Monique Lhuillier dress and Andrew donned a Thomas Pink suit.

Many, many congrats to Lily and Andrew!!!

All photographs by Verite Photography. For more stunning images, please click here.

It's all in the details

In addition to stationery, playing cards, custom stage and a multitude of other items, Eunice also designed a bunch of smaller pieces that served to tie her wedding together, including the signage and labels for slippers (above) and packages for confetti (below).

A custom wine label featured two stags and a cheeky name.

Drink flags added color to cocktails.

Fun labels helped identify unique condiments on the dinner table.

A cute sign indicated the couples signature cocktail (you can find the recipe here!).

Eunice also designed labels for popcorn boxes and donut holes - yum!

Read on for how-to instructions for the donut hole labels, jelly labels, and slipper labels. We'd love to see your photos if you make your own!!

Slipper Labels How-to Instructions

You'll Need:

• Slipper Label Template
• Inkjet printer
• 8 1/2" x 11" label stock (we used Strathmore writing label in Natural White) (8 labels per sheet, calculate quantity accordingly - we recommend allowing a few extra sheets for misprints and other mistakes)
• Craft knife
• Ruler
• Cutting mat
• Corner Rounder (optional)
• Slippers in various sizes (we got ours in Chinatown - cheap and cheerful!)

How to:

1. Fill out the labels. Open the labels in Adobe Acrobat. Fill in your information (you will need to have the fonts Rosewood and Buckle Bold, available through http://www.myfonts.com, installed on your computer. If not, a default font will be used).
2. Print labels. On your ink jet printer, print out the labels.
3. Trim labels. With your craft knife and a ruler, cut out labels, aligning the ruler to the crop marks.
4. Round corners. (optional) Round all four corners on each label with a corner rounder.
5. Apply labels. Peel backing from each label and apply to the center of the insole of each slipper, centering from side to side and top to bottom as you see fit (we applied the label to cover up the branding on the slipper's insole).

Download the template here.

Gypsy Pepper Jelly Label How-to Instructions

You'll Need:

• Gypsy Pepper Jelly Label Template
• Inkjet printer
• 8 1/2" x 11" label stock (we used Strathmore writing label in Bright White) (4 labels per sheet, calculate quantity accordingly - we recommend allowing a few extra sheets for misprints and other mistakes)
• Fiskars rotary trimmer
• Craft knife or straight blade on the rotary trimmer
• Ruler
• Cutting mat
• 8oz jelly jars
• 1/4" corner rounder (available at arts & crafts stores) - optional

How to:

1. Print the labels. On your ink jet printer, print out the labels.
2. Trim the labels. With your craft knife and a ruler, cut out labels, aligning the ruler to the crop marks. This can also be done on your rotary trimmer with a straight blade.
3. Round the corners (optional). Round all four corners on each label with a corner rounder.
4. Apply the labels. Peel backing from each label and apply to a jelly jar, centering from size to side and top to bottom as you see fit.

Download the template here.

Recipe for Sweet Gypsy Paper Jelly

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb gypsy peppers cut into 1-inch pieces (6 cups)
• 2 teaspoons dried hot red-pepper flakes
• 3 tablespoons Sure-Jell less- or no-sugar-needed pectin (from a 1 3/4-oz box)
• 3 1/4 cups sugar
• 1 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 3/4 teaspoon salt

How to:

1. Pulse gypsy peppers with red-pepper flakes in a food processor until finely chopped. (Mixture will measure about 2 1/2 cups.)
2. Whisk together pectin and 1/4 cup sugar in a small bowl.
3. Stir together pepper mixture, vinegar, butter, salt, and remaining 3 cups sugar in a 5- to 6-quart heavy pot. Bring to a vigorous boil over high heat, then continue to boil vigorously, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Gradually add pectin mixture, whisking constantly. Return jelly to a vigorous boil, stirring constantly, and boil, stirring constantly, 1 to 2 minutes (mixture will thicken slightly). Remove from heat. Season to taste.
4. Fill processed jars and store.

You'll need:

• Inkjet printer
• 8 1/2" x 11" card stock in white or ecru
• Craft knife
• Ruler
• Cutting mat
• 1 1/2" ribbon long enough to hang the sign
• Scissors

Drink Sign How-to Guide

How to:

1. Print the sign. On your ink jet printer, print out the labels.
2. Trim the labels. With your craft knife cut out the sign along the light grey outline. Use a ruler to cut slots on either side for threading the ribbon.
3. Thread ribbon and hang the sign. Cut an appropriate length of ribbon and thread through the cut slots in the sign. Starting on one side, thread the ribbon through the front and out the back. Bring the ribbon across the back of the sign and thread it through the second slot, from back to front. Pull the ribbon through so that the sign is centered and tie around your drink container.

Download the template here.

Donut Hole Bags How-to Guide

You'll need:

• Inkjet printer
• 8 1/2" x 11" label stock (we used Strathmore writing label in Bright White) (4 labels per sheet, calculate quantity accordingly - we recommend allowing a few extra sheets for misprints and other mistakes)
• Fiskars rotary trimmer with scalloped blade
• Craft knife or straight blade on the rotary trimmer
• Ruler
• Cutting mat
• 1/4 lb glassine pastry bags available at PaperMart

How to:

1. Print the labels. On your ink jet printer, print out the labels.
2. Trim the labels. With your craft knife and a ruler, cut out labels, aligning the ruler to the crop marks. This can also be done on your rotary trimmer with a straight blade.
3. Trim the glassine bags. With a scalloped blade in your rotary trimmer, trim the top and bottom 1/4" off the glassine bags for a cute scalloped edge.
4. Apply the labels. Peel backing from each label and apply to a glassine bag, centering from size to side and top to bottom as you see fit (we applied the label centered from side to side and closer to the bottom of the bag).

Download the template here.

Happy crafting!

Cake Topper

One of the most unique elements of Eunice and Daniel's wedding was their adorable cake topper (featured on the Martha Stewart show!). Lian of Publique Living took the illustration of the couple from their save the date poster and laser cut it out of basswood. It was then stained a deep indigo with calligraphy ink, and mounted onto a styrofoam base covered in a pale green metallic crepe paper and trimmed with two tones of fuchsia grosgrain ribbon. The arch was created using floral wire, crepe paper, and tiny crepe paper flowers. The actual cake was made by Kelly Zubal of Inticing Creations.

San Francisco Wedding Fair

We're looking forward to the San Francisco Wedding Fair this Sunday, January 10 from 11 - 4 at Four Seasons Hotel.  Let's face it: most bridal shows are a kind of lame.  However, this one consistently attracts some quality vendors. If you're thinking of only hitting one of these events, it's the one to check out.

We'll be there exhibiting with partner Magnolia Photo Booth, an awesome photo booth company that just launched in the Bay Area. Magnolia will be demo-ing their booth, and we have some brand spanking new save the date designs that use the photos & photo booth pics!  Magnolia keeps a booth at our studio at 977 Howard Street (between 5th and 6th), so you can drop by use it for free to make awesome save the dates, thank you cards & more (just call ahead, as it's sometimes out on loan).

A few vendors to definitely check out at the show:

Cakes & Sweets

Sibby's Cupcakery

The Buttercream Studio

Cocoa Bella Chocolates

Calligraphy

Papineau Calligraphy

Florists

Floramor Studios

Rentals

Classic Party Rentals Hartmann Studios

Event Designers

Alicia K Designs

Check out the San Francisco Wedding Fair website for a full list of exhibitors. Enjoy!

Real Wedding: Sarah & Patrick

We are sure there is, in some peoples' minds, the assumption that the perfect English wedding should be held in mid-summer with small bridesmaids in pink voile running over emerald green, sun-dappled lawns, bright roses on the tables, food and cake a-plenty and all to the sound of laughter and clink of champagne flutes (or - to each their own - beer glasses!). The August wedding of Sarah McKee and Patrick Barry didn't disappoint on any of the above.

Sarah chose our classic Cherry Blossom design for her wedding stationery and carried the floral theme right through the whole event, even Patrick's tie managed to co-ordinate! The wonderfully relaxed atmosphere was captured perfectly in the photographs taken by Charley Smith.

We love the way that the table plans were strung-out on a silken washing line in the gardens of the house near Windsor where the guests strolled before being seated in the marquee for the meal. A perfect opportunity for showing-off that pink voile dress! Notice the touch of the tiny gold clothes pegs holding each one up - genius!

The flowers for the day were by Richard Elder one of the country's leading floral designers who combined the hot Summer colours in these charming baskets for the bridesmaids. The fabulous and mouth-watering mini cake stack was by Peggy Porschen and the talented Dan McEvoy from Real Cooking did the rest of the catering. We  just love the way that the cherry blossom flower has been picked-out again on the top of each cake!

Thank you so much to Sarah & Patrick for sharing these photos with us. Ah! roll-on next summer!!

Paulette Macarons

Yesterday at Jessica's 30th birthday party we got a taste of these amazing macarons from Paulette Macarons' new San Francisco bakery (their other one is in Beverly Hills).

The flavors are amazing -- including rose, columbian coffee, madagascar vanilla, caramel, and sweet wedding almond -- and so is the packaging!

We got our selection in one of these pretty boxes.

Each one is artful, delicate and delicious. These would definitely be an amazing treat for wedding favors!! You can order them online here.

Paulette Macarons San Francisco 437 Hayes St, (Cross Street: Gough St) 415.864.2400 Mon  |  12 - 6pm Tue – Sat  |  11am – 7pm Sunday  |  12 - 6pm

Photos from here.

Happy friday!

Thanks to Tomorrow Partners for sending us this box of delectable mini cupcakes from Sibby's Cupcakery by way of thanks for our doing some pro bono printing for Tools for Peace. Thanks, guys! They were SO delicious!

SweetAmb's beautiful cookies

How stunning are these cameo cookies by SweetAmb?

They're practically too beautiful to eat!

Such pretty, perfect wedding favors!  Available here.

Via Beautifully Ever After

one girl cookies (mmm...cookies!)

 We are totally enamored of One Girl Cookies (oh, if only we could live on cupcakes and hot cocoa with handmade marshmallows...)  They have an adorable shop in Brooklyn, and for those of us not fortunate enough to be able to pop by for an afternoon cappuccino and pointy cupcake, they ship! (well, maybe not the cappucino).

The walls (and their bakery boxes) are decorated with family portraits.

Remember those awesome sheet cakes from the 70's shaped like teddy bears, Darth Vader, Care Bears  (like the Barbie cake where the cake was a giant skirt with Barbie stuck in the middle of it?), covered with delicious blobs of frosting?  That's what this reminds us of! Perhaps we just have glorified memories of such cakes, since our mother was prone to making healthy (ish) desserts like carrot cake - delicious, but just not the giant sugar bomb one craves as a child!

So delicate!  These would be great in a dessert bar. So cute in their stripey wrappers.

Love the cheery colors...a fun take on your standard wedding cake!

They make favors such as this cute, individually boxed, mini cakes

Hilarious and adorable animal cookie encrusted cake.

Coveting the retro coffee cup, and oh, that marshmallow....dreamy!

This photo says it all...

Modern Creative Bridal Fair

 

We recently blogged about the fabulous Stacy McCain, and are thrilled to be participating in a bridal fair she's organizing with Dekker Photography on February 26th, featuring a collection of wonderful vendors, including Magnolia Floral Design, Cake Work, Best Beverage Catering, Amy Kuschel,  Got Light?, and Papineau Calligraphy.

The party will be on Thursday the 26th of February from 6-9pm and will be a low-key, intimate affair (unlike many of the large, impersonal bridal fairs out there!). There will be an open bar, delicious catering, live music and beautiful decor. So come on by, have some food and drinks with us and have fun! Tickets are available at

www.brownpapertickets.com/event/55135

Real Wedding: Ted & Angie

We've blogged about Ted and Angie, owners of Poketo, before...they are such a fabulous pair. Last time we saw them, we got to chatting about taco trucks at weddings and it turns out they had one at theirs! We were soooo excited, and then they made our day by sharing these pictures with us...

The ceremony took place on the roof deck of their Los Angeles loft...

San Francisco-based photographer Myleen Hollero did an amazing job capturing portraits of bride & groom and their family and friends...

The infamous taco truck - such a festive, yummy, and cost-effective idea!

Mmmmm....tacos!!

Guests were treated to a tower of mini cupcakes...

...first tasted by the bride and groom, natch!

Congratulations, Ted & Angie!

Photos courtesy of Myleen Hollero.

2009 Preview Party!

We recently held our 2009 Stationery Preview party and are thrilled to report that it was a huge success!  We collaborated with some of the most amazing wedding vendors in the Bay Area to transform our working letterpress studio into a beautiful event space complete with red carpet!  Above, the fab Morgan Doan, event planner extraordinaire and mastermind behind this event, and Sabrina chatting by the welcome table.  Our sponsor booklet featured our new Sparrow design by Joel Dewberry.

Guests arriving...it was a fantastic crowd - some of the best and brightest in weddings...

The studio on its way to being transformed. Got Light? did an amazing job with the lighting and draping - we were truly blown away by the difference a little "pipe and drape" made.  The back-lit bar was provided by Blueprint Studio Collection and Wildflower Linens provided the lovely table clothes. DJ John Jow turned the place into a mini-nightclub with his expert music mixing.

Jane Hammond Events provided the seriously delicious hors d'oeuvres, including bite-sized crab cakes, empinadas, and mushroom tartlets and the most amazing brownies of all time.  Andronico's Market provided the excellent wine (selected by the talented Jeffrey Porter).

We made these little buffet signs - the holder was just a standard restaurant sign holder that we spray-painted a matte pink and the orchid pattern on the sign is from one of our new collaborations with Joel Dewberry.

One of the things we were celebrating was the launch of our latest invitation collections including a collaborations with EIEIO, Joel Dewberry, Julia Rothman, and the always amazing Lab Partners.  They did a destination series featuring New York, San Francisco, Hawaii and London (London and New York pictured above).  We've already gotten such and incredible response, we're already thinking about adding some new destinations to the line!

Sharla Flock designed the gorgeous floral arrangments - we love her subtle use of color and texture.

She used pieces from our large collection of flea market found vases and bowls to create an eclectic look.

One of our talented printers, James, did demonstrations of the letterpress printing technique.

We were also celebrating the launch of our new website which we are SO excited about.  The dapper Mr. Daniel James of Three Rings and brilliant event planner, Lisa Feldman, check out the new look.

We had a whole selection of our work on display - this was a variation on our popular Cherry Blossom design - including fan programs, and round menus designed to fit into the dinner plates.  We were also introducing our new digital printing option - an excellent (and fast!) alternative to letterpress (or a budget-friendly way to augment beautiful letterpress invitations).

Gorgeous photography by Allure West.

Thank you so much to all our incredible partners in this event and to everyone who came out for the party!