Wedding favors that may outlive you!

I have a secret.
I'm kind of in love with trees.  There.  I said it.  Well, that was maybe a little too dramatic... I don't mean Mary Katherine Gallagher in-love... more like an intense affinity toward big old trees.

Maybe "love" is a strong word, but if you appreciate tree's... take this survey.

So every year when the Arbor Day Foundation "survey" comes in the mail (make no bones... I know it's just a way to get you to be interactive and then give $10), I very happily fill out the silly survey and give my annual meager donation.  Yes, I climbed tree's when I was a kid.  Yes, I played in a tree house *did you pay a marketing research team to formulate these questions?*.
At the end of the survey you get to swoon over the "free" stuff you get.  This is the part I revel in.  10 free tree's!  2 flowering shrubs?!  Seriously?  Awesome.  Sign me up.

This year- just this morning actually, I filled out the survey online (sorry USPS). When I was tooling around their website, I found THIS!  Tree's as wedding favors!  I did this at our wedding many moons ago.  The tree's survived with moderate success rates, but that was because I tried to go all rogue with it and ordered them too early.  If you order through the Arbor Day Foundation, they come in a neato tube and a personalized message!

Eco-brides... take heed!  Embrace your inner green-goddess (or green-geek, in my case).  Give the gift of trees, support the Arbor Day Foundation, and breath a little easier (hehe, get it...).

And of course as much as I love trees for real, I also love doing tree-inspired invitations!  This one was for a fall wedding in Pennsylvania. Laura and I clicked immediately discussing ideas of how to really showcase leaves, and the tree, and the natural setting of her wedding.  This is how they turned out:

For additional tips on how to green your wedding, see the Chicago Green Wedding Alliance website: www.greenweddingalliance.org

AND... we hope to see you at our "green" wedding show, Committed, that the CGWA is hosting on February 26th at the new Greenhouse Loft.  Meet the members of the Chicago Green Wedding Alliance, sample sustainable catered foods, learn about local beer and spirits, enjoy the sunny new Greenhouse Loft for an afternoon!
See here for details and tickets: www.committedlovechicago.com

CRAVE Chicago, The Urban Girl's Manifesto

Two years ago I was working a wedding show and a stack of books on a vendor's table with a snappy hot pink logo on the cover caught my eye. I've been following Crave Chicago ever since.  Basically, Crave is a network of female business owners, a book with featured entrepreneurs, and they conduct workshops and networking events throughout the year.  The book contains a short bio of the lady-superstars, sharp and bright photographs, and interview-style question and answers that give you a tiny bit of insight into what drives them, what inspires them, advise for others, etc.  Also at the end of the book are deals and discounts for many of the businesses featured.
The second edition just came out and Spilled Ink Press is a proud member of the group, along with friends from FIG, Urban Worm Girl, Village Paperie & Gifts, and I've already started to connect with so many others from this 2nd edition through twitter and events.
To be honest, I was a little nervous about joining the group (perhaps "intimidated" is a better word? "humbled"... "shy"... I know, these are counter-productive emotions for a business owner to have), but spoke to one of the example business owners from the Crave website.  She said, "Crave will be for you what you make of it- if you put yourself out there, you'll meet a lot of great people", and so far it's been amazing.  This is so true for almost all things in life, isn't it?  Hesitation melted...
The official launch of the book was last week.  I sat down a few days later to dive into the contents on a quiet Saturday morning when Tony was out running errands.  Just me and my coffee... and wow.  Suddenly, it wasn't just me and my coffee... it was me, my coffee and over 100 examples of just awesome.

...I think I may send a book to Craig Ferguson and Terry Gross.  Meh, why not?

I've got lot's of books of my very own now... and only 1 Mother and 1 Mother-in-law, so there's many more for the offering.  Let me know if you'd like one!

PS- Amy Boyle did the photography, she did a great job and she's one of the featured business owners.  I learned from that day that I'm MUCH more comfortable when my invitations are being photographed instead of me, but she made me feel at ease despite that.

Blago's Going to Jail

Our former governor is going to be sentenced today, so I guess I won't be seeing him jog past Spilled Ink headquarters for quite some time. That's too bad, because I really wanted to give him one of these cards when he ran down our street. He did inspire it after all. I'm not sure if he'd find it all that funny though.

The Knot Chicago Magazine

It's always fun when a wedding that we've been a part of gets published!  The day-of stationery stuff is of course less glamorous than the actual invitations, so we owe Edyta Szyszlo Photography a huge thank you for snapping some pics of the invitations for Gene and Kristen's wedding.  Their beautiful fall 2010 wedding was featured in this season's issue of The Knot Chicago, including Edyta's lovely photographs.  Here are the original photographs from their big day.
Happy Anniversary Kristen and Gene, and thank you as well to The Knot for keeping their glam wedding in the spotlight!

And why NOT send a Thanksgiving Day card?

We tend to get tunnel vision when we're in the wedding invitation groove.  It happens.

But the other day I got a text from my darling friend Aileen and it just said, "I just bought your Thanksgiving Day card at Target".  Wha?  Ooooh... yes!  That's right! We do greeting cards and last year we did a Thanksgiving Day card and guess what, it's October now and they're in stores!  Time flies when you're wrapping purple ribbon around stuff (and having fun, of course).

So here it is folks.  You know the drill... go to Target, flip over the card, say to the stranger standing next to you, "hey!  I know these kids!" and then buy it.  An optional step is to tell the stranger next to you to buy it as well.  That's gravy.

Get it... gravy... 

Dana and Joe's Purple Invitations

We do a lot of wedding invitation jobs here at Spilled Ink Press headquarters, but every once in a while a job stands out. Usually it's because I really dig Amanda's design, but in one case this summer, it was because we were lucky enough to make the wedding invitations of an NFL quarterback. I think I was more excited about this job than Amanda was for once.

The purple invitations matched the quarterback's team colors, and that only leaves two options...the Ravens or the Vikings. As a big Bears fan it's a good thing it was the Raven's QB Joe Flacco, and not Christian Ponder or Joe Webb from our NFC North rival. If it had been a Viking player's invitation I might have had to call in sick instead of working on that job. Sure, I'm trying to run a business, but I have my priorities, and I'm loyal to the Monsters of the Midway. Of course when we got the job from our friends at Queen of Hearts Wedding Consultants, Amanda had to ask me who Joe Flacco was. The only NFL player she recognizes is Julius Peppers.

Luckily for Mr. Flacco and his new bride I have no ill feelings toward the Ravens, so their invitations turned out pretty great.

A nice close up of the escort cards we did for the reception. The "love" stands were provided by the bride, but we did get to print cards with names like Michael Oher on them. Photo by Jason Prezant Photography

Photo by Jason Prezant Photography ....check out his blog to see more of his great work.

Art Nouveau Photo Save The Dates

Sometimes it's hard to wait until it's time to send out the invitations to announce your big day to the world. Once your engagement photos are done, you might find sending a photo save the date is a great way to get everyone excited about the party you are so busily planning. The Art Nouveau graphics on these save the dates are a nice touch if you have a vintage style.
And what we especially like about these is that after the big day, Grandma can slip the photo out of it's place and put it into a frame and toss... er, recycle... the actual Save the Date!

In the home stretch/ go green all the way!

884 escort cards.

735 ceremony programs.

116 table number cards.

446 menu cards.

590 thank you cards.

This is what my to-do list looks like for this week.  Ok, so it's not all one wedding, it's a combination of 5 weddings... but its kind of fun to see the numbers.  And it's also interesting to take a step back and appreciate the amount of paper your wedding uses.  You of course think, oh yeah- we thought of that, our wedding invitations were totally recycled paper.  Awesome!  But don't forget about the homestretch!  Your day-of accessories are made of smaller pieces, but collectively just as much, if not more paper.

So as a guest of a wedding, or as the lucky couple hosting... remember the importance of coordinating clean-up/ recycling/ compost, and ask the same questions:  

1-  Is my paper post-consumer recycled

2-  Does it come from responsible mills/ forests?

3-  Can it be recycled when all the fun has ended (some coated/sparkly paper can't be)?

4-  And different from your invitations- YOU have control over how these babies are disposed.  Will the venue space you hired to host your reception recycle or compost your paper waste?  If not, make it happen!

And a few tips for the couple...

1-  You don't need as many programs as you may think.  I like to estimate that you could conservatively order 50% to 75% of your expected guest count.  Not everyone will take one and not everyone will be at the ceremony.

2-  Assign someone to be in charge of gathering up paper waste (younger members of family love to be helpers!)  

3-  Double up escort cards and include couples instead of individuals (don't stress about having to say "Joe Smith and Guest"-- Joe should have known better to tell you his date's name.  It's not a big deal).

4-  You can always double up table numbers with the menu in lieu of an individual menu per setting.

The music stops, the kisses have been given, the tears of joy have been wiped clean.  Now... who's making sure 884 escort cards are being recycled?

Own your big day from day one until AFTER the clock chimes midnight.  

"Birthday Funny"

...why thank you Target Store stationery department, we kinda think so too!
We are happy to see our 8-card line featured at Target Stores nationwide.  All "Birthday Funny", all the time. Get them while they're hot, or early October when they replace them with Halloween cards.
Who sends Halloween cards?...

This one inspired by my lame birthday texts to my siblings.  Yes, that's you Mary.

Inspired by my dear friend Iwona... she's the nicest person alive, but godblessher, she can't remember my birthday to save her life.  It's June 5th, in case anyone wants to send me a gift.

Tony says you'll get this is if you're into music "trust me".  

I bought this bra just for this photo... so don't worry, it's not like one of mine or anything (double ew.).

We get alot of bills.  We DO kind of pee a little when we get something that isn't.

We aren't big fans of wearing pants.  I think that's why we have to work from home...  too much information?...

Sadly, oh so true...  I even broke the piggy bank right after this photo was taken (there wasn't anything in it, boo).

It's kind of funny to buy a baby bottle when you don't have a baby.  I keep salad dressing in it now and Tony refuses to use it.  He said it creeps him out.  

Don't Forget, Father's Day is June 19th!

When you're looking for that perfect card to go with the golf balls or tie you're getting dad this year for Father's Day, be sure to stop by your local Target. That's where you will find four brand new Father's Day cards by everyone's favorite card designers... Spilled Ink Press! And after you pick out one of our cards, you might want to shop around for a different gift. Dad is probably sick of ties by now.

BRIDESMAIDS!

Wed Shower invitation poking fun at being a bridesmaid

We are very happily jumping on the "you really need to see this movie" wagon.  We work with brides every day and many a movie has been made about the trials of a woman's path to the alter.  It's just plain refreshing and interesting to see the whole process through the eyes of a bridesmaid.  I've been reading a lot of reviews that are quick to point out the empowering and albeit hysterical female-centric voice of this movie.  The groom literally doesn't have one line, and the only "love interest" (enter tired old "chick-flick" formula) is a character that has the interest in the main bridesmaid character Annie (Kristin Wiig) and not the other way around.  Girl meets boy, boy likes girl, girl leaves boy's house in a commitment freak-out.  Aaaah.  Now, that's nice- add a heavy helping of raunchy hilarity and you're in for a good time.

And let me tell ya, playing the role of the bridesmaid is a rite of passage that many women have to... um, I mean, are blessed to go through.  And to prove it, for old times sake... here are my badges (and dresses) of honor:

My sister Tina's wedding, circa 1995.  Notice I was not allowed to have a dip in the front of my dress like the rest of the bridesmaids.  There was nothing to "dip" to anyway.  I still gag when I smell a Star-gazing lily.

My highschool friend's wedding... and one of the first wedding invitations we did!  This dress I bought at a Good Will in San Francisco and added some detailing to-- thanks for giving us the freedom to pick out our own dress Andrea!  I was seriously BROKE.  I also had my hair and makeup done with the rest of the wedding party but came home and washed my face and hair and had my sister Tina redo it.  I looked like a clown!

My oldest friend's wedding.  This is us doing a dance we've done together since we were probably 8.  I loved the candy-red apple dress.  Also my first time wearing one of those voodoo clear strap bra's. 

And my college roommate and dear friend's wedding at Disney World... Disney Land?  Whatever, the one in Florida.  That's the Disney Chapel we're in!  Yes, this time I had something holding up my dress and just noticed I was the only one who went strap-less.  Guess I was workin' it.  It's a shame you can't see the pretty embroidery at the top of the dress.

Springtime Invitations

It doesn't quite feel like spring yet here in Chicago, so hopefully these springtime invitations and their tulip design can kick-start mother nature into turning up the temperature. It is supposed to be pretty nice this weekend....we hope!

Green Wedding Alliance Membership Mixer

Spilled Ink Press is a proud member of the Chicago Green Wedding Alliance, and we want you to be a member too! Come and meet current GWA members for a drink or two at our favorite “green” drinking hole in the city, ask lots of questions, meet some other environmentally friendly wedding vendors and feel the love.

The Green Wedding Alliance will be taking applications twice a year, once in the spring and again in the fall. The spring application period goes through March, and the mixer is a great opportunity to learn more about the Alliance and its members before submitting your application.

Hope to see you there!

What: Chicago Green Wedding Alliance Membership Mixer

When: March 22nd, 7pm to 9pm

Where: Uncommon Ground on Clark

Chicago Green Wedding Alliance

For the past year Spilled Ink Press has been working closely with Pollen Floral Design, and many other dedicated volunteers, to create the Chicago Green Wedding Alliance. The Alliance's mission is to encourage greener weddings, commitment ceremonies, and social events.

We had our public unveiling at Indie Wed a few weeks ago, and are hosting our first workshop this Sunday the 27th at West Loop Studio.... Eco-Chic Weddings: An Event Planners' Workshop.

Are you a Chicago area event planner who wants to know more about green weddings? This workshop will provide the tools you need to work with clients focused on eco-friendly weddings. You will learn about the environmental impact of the wedding industry, and a range of greener options for each of the major planning categories, such as food, venue, decor, and stationery.

Presenters include:
Shannon Downey of Pivotal Production
Amanda Eich and Tony Vassallo of Spilled Ink Press
Lynn Fosbender of Pollen
Cleetus Friedman of City Provisions
Nina Interlandi Bell of Tweedle Press
Zina Murray of Logan Square Kitchen
Jamie Kelter of West Loop Studio
Molly Schemper of FIG Catering

We'll wrap up with an example of a real green wedding, and a light brunch will be provided.

Register here!

Three Words...

"Rustic. Button. Twine."

When adding a vintage edge to your invitation, I can't think of a better material to use. And when you're getting married at Salvage One, one of the premiere "vintage" venues (as well as Architectural Artifacts), why not have an invitation that reflects that?
...coming very soon to a Spilled Ink Press invitation near you. Details to follow!

43 years ago today...

Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad!
Looking at these pictures make me happy, 43 years of marriage, six kids, and five grandkids (so far!) is what it's all about. I can only wish every couple that we work with the same happiness and longevity.

And as usual, it all starts with the invitations...
(um, let's just say we've come a long way in invitation design! I personally love that my grandma spelled my Dad's name wrong...)

Mother and daughter. Grandma had such a beautiful smile!

Vintage Bridal

A vintage inspired pocket invitation

My mom used to tell me I was born in the wrong era, needless to say I've always had a flare for the vintage. Estate sales and antique stores are my friend. Hoard Antiques, on Damen and Leland in Chicago is literally 2 doors down from the Perfect Cup, where I have my design consultations. And my confession is that I kind-of-sort-of plan my route from Spilled Ink Press headquarters so that I have to walk past their window... very slooowly. I covet the lace, cracked leather, and patina-ed wood nestled behind that storefront.

Today I treated myself to a perusing of sorts after three back-to-back meetings (I needed some slow retail therapy to bring me down from the coffee high). And lo and behold, I found a treasure chest of vintage bridal yumminess- quite literally. Here are some of my finds:

Aside from these anatomically incorrect waistlines, these patterns are to die for!

50's A-line lace dress, either the start of another masterpiece or a gorgeous summer wedding dress all by itself.

These ALMOST came home with me.... almost.