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Thank you for all of the love and support this little corner of the internet has received over the past several years. As friends and family members were getting married, their weddings fueled the inspiration for this blog. But as seasons of life change, my focus, along with those nearest and dearest, shifted away from the wedding planning stage and I began to neglect this blog.

I have decided to indefinitely retire Calligraphy by Shannon in an effort to pour my attention into my lifestyle blog The Scribble Pad where I will be merging past and future inspiration boards and parties. You will still be able to place orders for calligraphy, custom invitations, and hand stamped items through my etsy shop. And as always, you can stay in touch with me under my moniker, The Scribble Pad on my blog, etsy shop, facebook, and even twitter! I look forward to sharing this new adventure with you.
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Showing posts with label Stationery. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Stationery. Show all posts

Bonnie Marcus Press - 20% Off



Shop Early & Save 20%

Visit Bonnie Marcus for a Great Discount
+  a free gift for orders over $30
while supplies last!!


Hurry!  Offer ends WEDNESDAY, November 17th!

Use Code: HOLIDAY20 at checkout.


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Paper Crush: Linda & Harriett



Linda & Harriett have redesigned their site. And their stationery is as adorable as ever. Check it out:

Plus, click here to read about their new direction.
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Paper Crush: Jonathan Adler


Paper Crush: \ˈpā-pər ˈkrəsh\, noun: 1. a lustful obsession for paper products, namely fantastic new stationery lines. 2. a desire for all things paper. Not to be confused with the destruction of pulp based products.



A new paper line from one of my favorite designers, Jonathan Adler. The paper designs are so beautiful, I would be hesitant to write on them. Of the designs, my favorite is Acapulco - perfect for upcoming Cinco de Mayo festivities.


Which is your favorite design?

Do you have a paper crush?
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Personalize Your Style: Gadabout


Hannah of Gadabout is incredibly talented and captures the essence of personalization like no other designer I have ever seen. Here is a sneak peek of a few of her fabulous notecards.

What better way for a Bride to begin her correspondence than with notecards like these?



Buy them for everyone you know: maid-of-honor, best friend, boss, secretary, teacher. Keep them on hand for hostess gifts and spur of the moment birthday parties.

Absolutely fabulous!



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Glorious Giveaways


Erin McDermott Jewelry giveaway hosted by: Southern Weddings. Check out Erin's fabulous jewelry and tell Southern Weddings about why you like them and you could can enter to win a pair of these pretty pearl earrings. Hurry you must enter here by February 17th.

Are you getting married near Chicago? Well than this contest is for you! Doug McGoldrick is offering free wedding photography to a lucky couple. The catch, his daughters get to pick the winner! You have to write your story and send a photo by February 22nd. For all of the details, visit Doug's blog here.

Need Invitations for your wedding? bridal shower? engagement party? Then check out Papermints. They are offering 50 free RSVP sets with purchase of 100 invitations.

Aregreyline & Lucky + Lovely have teamed up to offer free wedding photography and styling! To enter, your ideas of what your wedding will be must be super unique and you must face financial barriers. To learn more about the details, check out either of the posts above and enter to win! They will be deciding on the winner March 1st, so don't delay, enter here.


And my own very special giveaway:
A $50 discount on any calligraphy order in 2010!

3 Ways to Enter:
(in separate blog posts)

become a follower and tell me
tell me why you think calligraphy is important
blog about my giveaway and add the link in a blog post


Deadline: March 23rd
(my birthday!)

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Birthday Party Calligraphy

...and no gifts please!

I often have the joy of designing and creating invitations and cards for family events. This past spring, my grandfather threw a birthday brunch for my grandmother. Recognizing that her Alzheimers was not getting any better, he wanted to cherish the moments they would both remember. Well, when my grandfather wants to rally the family, he calls my mom and puts her in charge. And when my mom is in charge, she calls on me for the creative touches to pull a party together! So I started planning...

We canvased my grandmothers 3 daughters (my mom included) to build an address list of old co-workers and friends to share in the celebration. And we only had four weeks!

And I furiously worked on an invitation and lost sleep over how to convey to a lifetime of friends that no gifts were needed to celebrate another wonderful year! I tend to throw my heart into all activities involving my grandmother and this invitation was no different. The wording was very important to me, and here is what I came up with:


May your presence and good wishes be your only gifts



I decided to skip the easy route (much to my husband's dismay) and hand stamped each and every invitation...twice! Here are the supplies I used, all from Paper Source:


And the final product:

(I blurred the details for privacy)


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More Nautical Invitations

Searching for Nautical themed invitations has recently taken over my spare time. I have forgotten how much fun it can be to search through millions of wedding invitation options. (...and what a daunting task it can be!) I have been focusing on "Not Just Navy." After coming across quite a few colorful, but yet still elegant nautical invitations, I thought I would expand my search. Here is what I came up with:
I love the deep orange coral of the top left invitation. The yellow boarder and evelope liner work so well with the turquise shell of the invitation on the right. And the Save the Date on the bottom left has a sublte touch of glam with gold embossed seashore items.


Teal, turquise, aqua and more. I love the light and airy feel. Any of these invitations would be perfect for a summer beach wedding, yet they all remain refined enough for a semi-formal affair. The bottom left, with the partial shell is my absolute favorite!


(all invitations above can be found at: Papyrus)





Finally, for a nautical invitation suite with an updated look and feel, check out Joycebella Invites:



I love this invitation suite so much, I am racking my brain for an occasion to use it! Perhaps I can have a second wedding planned around this incredible invitation? I am not so sure my husband would go for that one. :-)

Thanks to Michael of Smith Photo Studios for the great tip!
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Bonnie Marcus Valentine

Bonnie Marcus Press is offering a fabulous 15% off for Valentine's Day! Take advantage of this wonderful discount. I have a full shopping cart already!

(click on image to view larger)

PS - the adorable "Peace, Love, Joy" card in the center of this flier is under the "holiday" collection and perfect to let your girl friends know you love them!

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Etiquette: Addressing Wedding Invitations

When preparing your guest list, many questions are likely to arise regarding formal salutations and address etiquette. Here is a guideline of common addressing situations.

Married couple with no children invited
Outer: Mr. and Mrs. Robert Smith
Inner: Mr. and Mrs. Smith

Married couple with children ages 12-17 invited
Outer: Dr. and Mrs. George Peterson
Inner: Dr. and Mrs. Peterson and Miss Jane Peterson

~ Note: Children over the age of 18, but still living with their parents should receive a separate invitation. Also, the phrase “and family” should not be used in formal addresses. ~

Married couple with children under 12 invited
Outer: Mr. and Mrs. David Schwartz
Inner: Mr. and Mrs. Schwartz and
Master Schwartz
Miss Schwartz

~ Note: Children under 12 should not be mentioned on the outer envelope ~

Unmarried Couple
Outer: Ms. Susan Cunningham
Mr. Richard Vient
Inner: Ms. Cunningham
Mr. Vient

~ Note: The woman should be listed first. ~


Single man with guest
Outer: Mr. Stephen Hart
Inner: Mr. Hart and Guest

Single woman with guest
Outer: Ms. Lauren Anderson
Inner: Ms. Anderson and Escort

~Note: The word escort may be replaced with the word “guest” if desired. The word guest/escort should never appear on an outer envelope. If you are certain you know who the guest will be, include their name on the inner envelope rather than referring to them as "guest." ~

Married doctors with the same last name
Outer: Doctor Jane Eckhart and Doctor Thomas Eckhart
The Doctors Eckhart

~ Note: The woman should be addressed first, and Doctor is spelled out, not abbreviated ~

Married couple where both use different last names
Outer: Mrs. Beth Hermann
Dr. Bradley Jones
Inner: Mrs. Hermann
Dr. Jones

~ Note: Both names appear on both envelopes on separate lines – the woman should always be the first line ~

Widow
Outer: Mrs. William Edwards
Inner: Mrs. Edwards

Male Judge
Outer: The Honorable and Mrs. John Baker
Inner: Judge and Mrs. Baker

Female Judge
Outer: The Honorable Chelsea Dennis and Mr. Charles Dennis
Inner: Judge Dennis and Mr. Dennis


You can also Download this information for your convenience.



These etiquette "rules" apply for formal correspondences and are more subjective when sending informal invitations or when only using one envelope/outer envelope only. Should you have any questions, please feel free to email me.


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New Name :: New Stationary

To truly embrace your new married self, indulge in new stationary sporting your new monogram, new last name, or even both of your names together! Check out Sarah & Abraham. Their line of Grown-Up cards are too cute to pass up. Here are just a few of their cheeky designs:



I personally love the Jill & Todd...hmmm...maybe I will just have to get some myself!

Also, check out the Sarah & Abraham Blog!

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11th Day of Christmas

You didn’t think my 12 days of Christmas would stop at 10 did you? The next two posts will be the post Christmas wrap up, guiding you though the days following the whirlwind holiday (or wedding) weekend.

How do you recover from the holidays with etiquette and poise? The first thing you need to do is make a list (before you forget any important details). Write down each gift, who it was from, and why you like or appreciate it. My best intention is to keep a list while I am receiving gifts, but this is not always easy so I make a routine of jotting thoughts down as I put things away. New socks, thank you mother-in-law. Delicious coffee and homemade peppermint brownies, thank you Aunt Robin and Uncle Bobby.

Now let’s tackle the task of writing the thank you note, and all the questions that come with it! First, remember that everyone has written a thank you note at some point or another, so you are not alone. Things to remember before you start:

- The thank you note is about expressing thanks, so remember to emphasize this
- The thank you note should be about the gift giver, not you. (try to limit the use of “I” or “we”)
- Be sure to mention why the gift is special and/or how you will use it
- All thank you’s should be hand written and hand addressed. No short cuts allowed for this gesture. And no e-mail thank you’s allowed!
- A thank you note need not be long, only thoughtful.

Who should you write a thank you note for?
Everyone. Anyone who gives you a gift, or opens their home as a host to you during the holidays should receive a gift. The one exception: there is no need to send a thank you for a thank you. For example, you are hosting Christmas dinner, and a guest show up with a bottle of wine. This hostess gift is an expression of gratitude and you should not send a thank you.

How long do you have after receiving a gift to send your thank you note?
The rules for this vary, but the sooner the better. I try to get my Christmas thank you note done the weekend after new years. A month is a good guide, but do not fret, a late note is always better than no note at all.
Wedding Tip: I took the week after my honeymoon off from work. This time helped me get established in our new home and also provided ample time to write my thank you notes almost immediately.

How do you get through a long list of thank you’s to write?
It is best to break up your thank you note writing into a few sessions, particularly if you have more than 10 notes to write. You want to be sure that each note is heartfelt and that your words do not get stale. Schedule a few different days to write your notes, and provide yourself an incentive to get each batch done. Here is a tip from Emily Post: “Take the time to yourself for writing out thank-you notes: don’t try and wedge it in between laundry, a TV show and extra work from the office. You’ll be able to think more clearly and your focus will translate to the page. Above all, try to enjoy yourself. Giving thanks shouldn’t be a chore—and doesn’t have to be if you make the effort to keep it interesting.”


A Thank you note has six parts. Follow these steps and you should get through your thank you notes with poise and etiquette in no time.

1. Greeting:
Be sure to write “Dear__(insert name)______,” This is really the only greeting line format you should use, all other formats are too informal for a thank you.

2. Say Thank You:
The first two words in the body of your note should be “Thank you…”
For example: Thank you so much for the slippers. Thank you for opening your home and hosting Christmas Dinner.

Beware: Never directly mention money. Instead of saying, ‘Thank you for the hundred bucks’ write, ‘Thank you for your generosity.’

Other useful phrases:
Thank you for your kindness.
Thank you for your hospitality.
Your generosity is greatly appreciated.
You were so thoughtful. (notice the emphasis on the gift giver/the person who you will be sending this thank you note to)

3. Explain why the gift is great or how it will be used:
Say something nice about the item and how you will use it. “The slippers are so comfortable, I wear them all the time.” If the gift was monetary, discuss how it might be used. “We look forward to putting your gift towards a new DVD player.”
Beware: Do Not Lie
Even if you do not care for a gift, you must be thankful for it. Find the one thing about them that’s nice and discuss it—but don’t get carried away.
For example: “Thank you for the sweater, it will certainly be warm for the winter.” Is more honest than, “Thank you for the sweater; I cannot wait to wear it.”


4. Focus on the Gift Giver
For example, “It was great to see you over the holidays, and we look forward to seeing you again soon.” Or “We missed seeing you for Christmas; perhaps we could get together this spring.”
Or if there are someone you will not likely see for a while mention that you think about them, “You are in my thoughts and I hope you are well.” Or, “We wish you the best in the coming year.”


5. Say Thank You (yes, again!)
Thanks again for your gift.
It’s not overkill to say thanks again. So say it.


6. Close the Letter
Here are some useful phrases for your closing:
Love,
Warm wishes,
Yours truly,
With love,
Warm regards,
Sincerely,

Then sign your name and you’re done. Just be sure to use a closing that is an appropriate representation of your relationship with the gift giver. (Tip: Don’t use “love” or “yours truly” for co-workers)
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4th Day of Christmas: Cards

What on earth do you do with all those Christmas cards? Well, there are plenty of fun ways to display them. These ideas also work well for engagement and wedding cards. (or save the dates if this is a crazy wedding year for you!) Here are a few of my favorites:

(click on the images to go to the websites)

Copy this board idea found in Domino Mag

Pottery Barn Tree
(PB also has a cute curly cue card holder you should check out!)

If you are the sentimental type (me) you could create a scrap book of Christmas photos. Growing up my mom saved all the photo cards. Each family would get a page in a photo album and their most recent card could go on top. It was always fun to look back at our friends pictures over the years and update their page with their new card! You could also make an album each year like this one I found on Flickr:


VGK Chick on Flickr

Or if you are not in the spirit of saving, be sure to find a good use for your cards other than a landfill. You can recycle most Christmas cards or better yet, box them up and send them to St. Jude's Ranch. Click: here to learn more, or simply mail them to:

St. Jude's Card Recycling
100 St. Jude Street
P.O. Box 60100
Boulder City, NV 89006


Happy Holiday Card Crafting!
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Tulle and Toile Tuesday Giveaway

With the holidays just around the corner, it is time to firm up the details on that soiree you are bound to be throwing, so why not let me help? Invitations for any event set the tone, they are the party world's first impressions. Why not ensure your party gets off without a hitch? Today's giveaway is a set of {25} party invitations from The Bonnie Marcus Collection.



In addition, the winner may also be eligible for custom calligraphy on these invitations - a $70 value!

Here is how you enter:

1. To win these adorable invites, simply leave a comment.

2. To have a shot at the calligraphy too, you must post about the giveaway on your blog with a link back to my blog. (p.s. you have to let me know you are doing this when you leave your comment)

3. The contest ends Saturday at 9:00pm - just in case you need to get past the turkey dinner to think clearly!
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Tulle and Toile Tuesday

For the month of October, all Tuesday giveaways will be in someway or another Pink to help raise support and awareness for Breast Cancer. What better way to kick things off than with an adorable note card set from The Bonnie Marcus Collection?

The Rules: All you have to do is leave a comment on this post by Thursday at 9:00 PM. If you want to go a step further, you can post about this giveaway on your blog and link back to my blog to be entered in the contest twice. (just let me know by posting the link to your blog in your comment!) Please only one comment per person!


The Girl's Night Out Gife Box from Bonnie Marcus:
8 note cards & envelopes and acoordinating 100 page journal
All items printed on recycled paper.
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October: Breast Cancer Awareness Month

While this topic doesn't have much to do with weddings, it has a lot to do with women. Since most of you readers are women, this is an important topic!

I wanted to take this opportunity to tell you a bit more about one of my sponsors: Bonnie Marcus Press and let you know what they are doing for Breast Cancer Awareness:


EVERY MONTH is Breast Cancer Awareness Month at the Bonnie Marcus Collection, where fashion meets paper!



Although October is officially Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the Bonnie Marcus Collection donates a percentage of their sales to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation and other worthy organizations throughout the year to combat this disease. As a woman-owned and woman-run business, they feel incredibly strong about this important cause. Visit Bonnie Marcus today to get some great goods and help combat breast cancer at the same time!


http://www.blogger.com/www.BonnieMarcus.com

For more information you can:

Email: orders@bonniemarcus.com
Or Call: 203-341-0701

Please note: I am in no way required to write about or promote the companies which sponsor my website. I simply write about them because I love their product and support their causes.
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Tulle & Toile Tuesdays

It is giveaway time! I am officially kicking off my Tulle and Toile Tuesdays! I hope to make this Tuesday giveaway a weekly occurrence. The time line for which you have to enter will change week to week, the rules for entry may vary, but the giveaway will be featured on Tuesdays.

This week the giveaway isn't from me. (Sometimes I will simply direct you to other fabulous giveaways that fellow bloggers are offering!) This week I am directing you to one of my favorite letter pressers: Adrienne from Dingbat Press.


Her giveaway this week: Letterpress Recipe Cards:

::::: The goods :::::::
1 set of 15 letterpress recipe cards: Chocolate Covered Pear
2 color, printed on 110# Soft White Lettra paper
4.5" x 6" and boxed in a ClearBox for safe keeping until use!

Go to The Dingbat's Agenda and enter by simply leaving a comment! You should enter because her work is beautiful, and every woman needs beautiful things in her life. As an avid cook I am constantly passing on my recipes to friends. What better way to share tasty foods than with tasty recipe cards (cholocate covered pears) "from my kitchen to yours." I mean, does it get any better than this? Go ahead and enter!

If you want a special heads up for next week's giveaway, leave a comment here by Thursday!
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