It’s times like this that I wish I were a better photographer! This sweet stationery suite is offset printed in peony pink and black. It just came back from press and I think we have come up with the perfect solution for a sophisticated Summer wedding scheduled for a star-filled night in the Virginia Mountains.

Andy and Jennifer took the approach of writing a personal letter to their wedding guests. Starting with “Dear friends and family” and finishing off “With love,” and a blank spot to hand-sign each invitation. I think it is a really sweet and personal way to send a wedding invitation, don’t you?

Oh Happy Day, indeed!! The RSVP card, reply side and coordinating RSVP envelope carry on the feel of their Wedding Stationery Wardrobe.

The reply side allows for the guests to select their meal at the celebration as well as to RSVP for other weekend events.

A pretty Weekend Festivities Card is placed in the pouchette so that guests can plan for a busy weekend. Their wedding web address is placed at the bottom in case the guests have further inquiries. The website is also a good place to inform your guests as to where you are registered for gifts.

Here’s what Jennifer had to say upon receipt of her stationery:

Hey Amy — YEAH!

– Jenn

I am delighted that she adores them as much as I do. It really is the best feeling when a bride writes to you and says she loves, L-O-V-E-S, LOVES her invitations! YAY!

No Comments » Posted by ABCD / ABCD Designs Bespoke Stationery and Final Product and Invitation Design and Thank You for the Thank You and Uncategorized and Wedding Stationery Wardrobe and Wedding Suite and YAY

I am delighted to announce that Grad To Great selected ABCD Designs Bespoke Stationery, inc. as one of the Top 20 Graduation Gifts for 2009! Hooray for Bespoke Stationery!!! Personal notes on bespoke stationery are the perfect way for a new college graduate to make a lasting impression. Really, (in a world of text messages and e-mails) what could be better than traditional thick and creamy bespoke note cards, coordinating liners and matching envelopes for the new grad? E-mail me for details and a bespoke quote.

Grad To Great is a helpful place for all new college grads who are looking for hints that will put them head and shoulders above the rest. Check out the website and blog or follow Anne Brown on twitter @GradToGreat.

Grad To Great, thanks again for placing Bespoke Stationery in the top 20. It is a thrill to be listed on such a prestigious career website!

1 Comment » Posted by ABCD / ABCD Designs Bespoke Stationery and Gifts and In The News and Thank You For The Mention and Uncategorized and YAY

You may remember Baby Jaya who arrived on the first day of Spring. Well, Mom and Dad decided upon a design! We went to print earlier in the week so these sweet announcements should be in the post by the end of this week. Here we have the digital sketches of a custom baby announcement that is sure to receive oohs and ahhs from all the loved ones it is mailed to.

They will be placed in a raspberry color envelope and sealed with a colorful label that wraps from the front of the envelope (out-going mailing address) around the edge onto the back of the envelope (return address) – the computer calligraphy matches the font within the card for a clean and coordinated look with out the hassle of hiring a calligrapher. This also makes things easy for a busy new mommy – who has time to address 100+envelopes? Just seal and stick. Done.

No Comments » Posted by ABCD / ABCD Designs Bespoke Stationery and Baby Announcement and Uncategorized and off-the-peg and ready-to-write collection

I totally want to see this with a watermelon color envelope that is lined with a lemon sorbet yellow envelope liner. So cute for a San Diego Baby girl, no? We’ll do a crack-and-peel coordinating wrap around label that will be printed with the outgoing address to make things super-duper easy for the new mama. All she has to do is lick the envelope, stick on the label and send in the post. Easy.

Stay tuned – more options will be posted tomorrow~!

1 Comment » Posted by ABCD / ABCD Designs Bespoke Stationery and Baby Announcement and Uncategorized

Typing my blog post pool-side today. Aahhhhhhhhh nice!

Yesterday morning we flew to South Beach as a “celebration” of sorts. Mr. D and I signed a power of attorney so that we wouldn’t miss a day in the sun to sit around and sign papers at the apartment closing. What’s the point, right? Once we the heard the “good word” that the final walk through happened (Yes, the buyer managed to complain that there were scratches on the dark wood floor. Dark floors NEVER EVER AGAIN. You simply look at them and they scratch!) keys and checks switched hands, the sale went through, we were finally done, DONE, D O N E – we sipped a few frozen rum cocktails at the pool side bar.

Oh-my-goodness were they good! With a cheeky name like “The Miami Vice” how can you go wrong? Coconut pina-colada mixed with a frozen strawberry swirl and a shot of rum. Yahoo-yummy-yum-YUM. I am gonna need to figure out that recipe! How much does a frozen slush machine cost anyway? A few of those cocktails knocked us off our feet. Mr. D and I thought we’d take a siesta about 5:30pm before dinner – only to awake up this morning at 6am! We completely missed dinner last night but to be honest I think we both needed a long nights rest to get over all the stress of the last few months. We made up for missed dinner with a decadent breakfast – eggs, nova lox, capers, crème fraîche and bagels. Delish!!!

I thought in the spirit of the sand I would share a few reminders of how wonderfully yummy beach house design can be. I can’t help but be reminded of the summer house that we rented each summer in Northern Michigan when I was a child – I am pretty sure the decor of that cabin was a formative influence on my decor taste as an adult.

The owner was a buyer for Hudsons Department Store (which eventually was bought out by Macy’s) and she collected goods from all over the world on her buying trips. The kitchen was made entirely of reclaimed barnwood as were the beams that ran along the ceiling of the 1800 sq ft cabin. The cabinets were stocked with mis-matched antique china. She collected shipping crates and used one as a cocktail table. Other crates were stacked under an open stairway for additional storage. The front door was a reclaimed apartment door complete with the original metal apartment number on it. The entire house was splattered with stained glass windows. The most amazing of which was on the landing of the stairway. It was grand in scale (no less than 9 ft high and 5 ft wide) and had red, gold, green and blue accents – it allowed for wonderful colored light to spill into the house – not unlike the fantastically colored vintage posters that I collect as an adult. She collected everything from antique quilts to wood duck decoys and Peruvian embroidery pieces that were framed and hung on the wall of the yellow bathroom, salon style – of course!

Do you remember last Fall when I dream decorated a beach cottage?

Or how about the fabulous B&B Canasta line? I am still completely loving it.

And last but not least – when decorating a beach house in the tropics you can’t overlook Suzy Hoodless wallpaper covered in Palm frawns, can you? Forget the fact that it will be humid and the paper will fall off the wall – What’s one bit of upkeep? Always keep a little wallpaper paste on hand for touch ups. *winkwink*

Click here to see the entire line which is chalk full of over the top, hugely proportioned designs or here for purchase details of the palm frawn pattern. It’s seriously too lush to overlook. I wonder if they’ve got it printed on fabric yet … a set of over stuffed club chairs or scatter pillows would be really nice in this print.

I may (or may not) be posting Monday from the beach. Regardless, have a great long weekend – I know we will!

3 Comments » Posted by ABCD / ABCD Design Inspiration and Design and Dream Decorating and Interior Design as Inspiration and Nesting and Personal and Travel and Uncategorized