Photo credits from top to bottom, left to right:
1. Vintage bird save the date tag magnets from SunshineandRavioli
2. Goldfinch among the budding maple trees 10×10 print by Raceytay
3. Large yellow tree necklace from JustineJustine
4. Grey and Yellow Rosette Headpiece from Houseoftelsa
5. Little Desert Flowers 5×7 Fine Art Print by Gandolphoto
6. Yellow silk roses bouquet by Patkas

Photo credits from top to bottom, left to right:
1. Mollie Collection Lined in Garnet Silk from Fiazco
2. Cabbage Roses Ribbon in Peony by Memrie Mare
3. Peony letterpress flat notes – set of 5 by Parrott Design Studio
4. Purple Peony Passion Ring Bearer Pillow by Mackensley Designs
5. Peony by jamelah
6. peony-2 by balookey

Photo credits from top to bottom, left to right:
1. Doily candle holders from Martha Stewart Weddings
2. Doily envelopes & liners from Martha Stewart Weddings
3. Doily girl framed print by Trace My Face
4. Doily cupcake stands from Apartment Therapy and Martha Stewart Weddings
5. Doily napkin holders from Apartment Therapy and Martha Stewart Weddings
6. Doily place holders from Martha Stewart Weddings

I love the packaging ideas from Nice Package and recently purchased several sets of their mini clothespins after seeing this blog post for a really cute and inexpensive way to incorporate photos in my home decor.

Recently, they posted another great DIY idea featuring DIY candy paper toppers and party decor as inspired by their patterned and printable gift tag templates.

Visit their shop to purchase the pdf templates and check out their DIY tutorial on the blog for ideas on gift packaging and party decor featuring DIY party toppers.

When I first saw this feature on pop-up decorations from Martha Stewart Weddings, I was pretty skeptical. I just haven’t seen too many pop-up decorations that look really great and although the pictures in Martha Stewart Weddings are always gorgeous, I wasn’t convinced that the concepts could be easily recreated without just a hint of tackiness.

Then I came across this lovely storefront image of the pop-up decorations at Fat Cat Paperie and decided to give the pop-up decorations a second chance.

With the right mix of colors, groupings, and other complementing details, pop-ups can be an inexpensive and beautiful way to add color and texture to your wedding decorations.

I think they look particularly amazing when used in large quantities and when the colors work together to highlight otherwise ordinary details. In the picture above, for instance, several golden and cream pop-up strands bring out the golden in the beverages on the table, and the pink and cream wall contrasts really well with the crisp, white table cloth.

A wall of garlands, as displayed above, would also make a lovely custom photobooth backdrop!

See more ideas and read the original post from Martha Stewart Weddings.

Photo Credits: From top to bottom: 1. Martha Stewart Weddings, 2. Fat Cat Paperie Blog, 3. Fat Cat Paperie Blog, 4. Martha Stewart Weddings, 5. Martha Stewart Weddings, 6. Martha Stewart Weddings.

Printable Press offers an interesting solution for wedding invitations. They make beautiful, chic invitation designs for you to browse and customize. You pick the one you want and then either print them on your own, or send them out to get printed. Below are several designs from their site…

The following description from their About page sums their business up perfectly…

Printable Press was created as an alternative to expensive stationery, but also as an alternative to the totally-from-scratch, do-it-yourself approach. It is a way to have professionally designed invitations for those on a small budget.

Whether you decide to print on your own or outsource your printing, they project that the average cost (including paper) for a set of 100 invitations comes out to about $200. This would obviously vary depending on the type and quality of paper you choose. Custom projects and designs are also available.

For more information, check out their FAQ section as well as printing recommendations and resources on their site.

Photo credits: Images from this post are from the Printable Press site.

After I did the post on the DIY Letterpress Machine from Lifestyle Crafts here the other day, I came across this blog post by Emily Ley Paper on her journey to find and restore a real letterpress machine. Reading it and watching this video showing a letterpress machine in motion definitely gave me a better appreciation for the work that goes into making real letterpress art.

Photo credit: The image in this post is from letterpressdelicacies via a Creative Commons Attribution License.

In the past, wedding planning organization involved big binders and notebooks such as this large spiral-bound notebook and this planning binder. While I know that there is still a role for binders, notebooks, and expandable files in wedding planning (think of all the materials you take home from bridal fairs or vendor consultations), I think a significant portion of wedding planning now occurs online via wedding planning blogs and sites, spreadsheets, and Google Docs.

So short of printing everything out or amassing bookmarked favorites in your browser, how do you organize all the information you’ve obtained and sifted through electronically? Enter Evernote: your virtual accordion file, or your tabbed notebook, or your filing cabinet, or whichever other filing system you prefer.

Evernote basically allows you to collect pictures and text from anywhere on your computer and assign tags to the information so you can easily find it again later. The process is very straightforward and the applications are limitless!

1) Create a free account.

Start by creating your free Evernote account.

2) Download Evernote.

Download and install the appropriate Evernote client for your computer or handheld device of choice. Note that you don’t have to download or install anything if you want to do all your work online via the Evernote site.

3) Install the Evernote Webclipper.

Don’t forget to download the Evernote Web Clipper so you can easily “clip” anything you see in your web browser and “paste” it into your Evernote notebook.

4) Capture ideas and inspiration.

Start capturing everything you’d like to add it via the “+ New Note” button in Evernote. You can copy and paste text you’re reading, highlight and “clip” text and images from websites via the Web Clipper, grab a screenshot, attach pdf’s or other files, or upload photos from your camera. (Note that the free version of Evernote allows 40mb of uploads per month, which is extremely generous if you’re clipping mostly text and web-sized images. If you’re scanning and attaching large pdf files, you may want to consider an upgrade to a premium Evernote account.)

5) Organize ideas and inspiration.

Organize your information by assigning tags to everything you’ve uploaded. For wedding planning purposes, I’d recommend starting with something like the following list of tags:

• ceremony
• reception
• budgeting
• photography
• florist
• catering
• wedding gown
• bridesmaids dresses
• accessories
• gifts
• traditions
• scheduling

You can make your list of tags as exhaustive or as minimalist as you like. The important thing is that you have enough tags that you’re able to instantly make sense of, and find, any information you’ve clipped into your notebook. If you were using a binder, the tags would be the names assigned to each of your binder dividers.

6) Plan Your Wedding.

And that’s pretty much it. Now you can refer to anything you’re looking for by searching for keywords in your text, titles, or tags. Evernote automatically syncs your desktop or handheld device client with your account whenever you’re online so everything is also backed up online in your Evernote account. Check out the Evernote video library to learn more about how to use Evernote to organize your wedding planning – and all your other personal projects.

Image credit: the image in this post is from the Evernote site.

Today’s Beautiful & Handmade feature is Whimsy & Spice, a Brooklyn husband and wife team who make delicious and beautiful handmade sweets for delivery throughout the US.

They have been featured on television shows and magazines, including Martha Stewart Weddings, the Rachel Ray Show, and Conde Nast Traveler, as wonderful options for baked wedding favors as well as scrumptious treats to try while you’re in the Brooklyn area.

There are several things that make Whimsy & Spice extra special in the world of handmade sweets and edible wedding favors.

• First, they combine his fascination with spices and culinary expertise, with her talent and experience in graphic design to produce beautifully branded and packaged baked goods. Not only do these sweets taste wonderful, they arrive looking gorgeous too.
• Second, I love the fact that they operate their business out of their Brooklyn home. I just love the fact that there are real people making my food – people with consciences who are accountable for what they make. People who care deeply about their products and the services that their businesses can provide. (Edited to change: Please note that while they operate the business out of their home, they bake out of a licensed kitchen. I’m so sorry for the misinformation for those who caught this post earlier!)
• And finally, they’re so transparent about their businesses, and they take time to share their thoughts and lives with their blog readers.

Visit their Etsy shop here and read about what they’ve been making lately here.

Photo credits: Images in this post are from the Whimsy & Spice site.

I love the beautiful, handmade pieces from Paloma’s Nest in Austin, TX and was so excited to hear that they would be coming out with a new site and blog today. Paloma’s Nest is the work of and art of Caroline Colom Vasquez. As she describes on her site,

Paloma’s Nest, is dedicated to creating Handcrafted Modern Heirlooms -pieces for the home and for the heart. Caroline is perhaps most known for inventing the original Ring Bearer Bowl™, and her works are intended to be passed on for many generations to come.

Visit the new site and blog to read more about Caroline’s exquisite heirloom pieces.

Photo Credit: Images from this post are from the Paloma’s Nest site.