Calligraphy Etc. Blog

Ghoul's Night In Spooktacular

This Halloween, how about throwing a Ghoul's Night IN?

We love the details from this party - especially the invitation and the "shocktail" station!

Here are the details pictured above: 

This invitation, housed in a manilla envelope, is a fun play on a medical examiner's record.  With a skull image printed on vellum and attached to the "Medical Report" with a paper clip, this invitation is definitely one that guests will remember!

For the table, each place setting is framed with a black paper shoe (originally in PaperCrafts magazine in October 2005, updated template downloaded from Ellen Hutson). The shoe is garnished with a striped stocking filled with candy and a personalized tag.  Such an easy (and fun) place setting idea (that doubles as a party favor too)!

A Cocktail Cart is a great way to get any party in gear - it gets people involved!  Guests are given the opportunity to mix their own "shocktail" - in this case, with Black Vodka (Blavod), while they mix and mingle.  The featured drinks for this evening were a Black Widow, Bad Moon Rising, and Olive You to Death (you can see the ingredients on the drink cart board).

Appetizers included Mini Caramel Apples, Horsey Shrimp Cups, "Choke" Dip with Salty Bones and Spicy Meatballs.

For dinner, guests were served "Heart" (of Palm) Salad, Pumpkin Gut Soup, Grill (Chicken) Legs, Scream Beans, Stuffed Shells  and "Coffin" Cake with "Eye Scream"

As a party favor, guests even took home "Spiderwebs on a Stick" (white cotton candy wrapped around a rock candy stick and garnished with a tag and spider ring).

All in all, a SPOOKtacular evening we think!

Thinking Outside the Take Out Box

When you "think out of the box", sometimes it pays off... and we think this custom invitation sets the tone for a GREAT party!

This invitation was for a Graduation Dinner at a Japanese Steak House.  Each guest received a box in the mail that included an invitation affixed to chopsticks and a take out box full of fortune cookies - such a fun surprise!

To recreate the look, you'll need to gather supplies.  We got the chopsticks and fortune cookies at World Market.  The mailing box, translucent "takeout" box and white krinkle shred came from Container Store.

The invitation itself is printed on white cardstock, cut out and then pasted on a layer of black cardstock.  We then used some "Asian" handmade paper that we had lying around and framed out a little rectangle on another piece of black cardstock (to create the top card).  After a quick google search for the Japanese symbol for "Happiness" online, we printed it out and tied both of the cards to the chopsticks with a red satin ribbon.

The copy reads " Join us as we celebrate the graduate and wish him good fortune!"

This invitation was definitely worth "thinking out of the box" for.  In addition to graduation, it would also be a fun idea to use for a Bridal Shower or Engagement Party ("Join us as we celebrate the happy couple and wish them good fortune!").  You could even use the Japanese symbol for "Love" if you wanted to.

Happy Monday everyone!

 

Now Available in 3D... Your Birthday Invitations!

Check out these fun designs JUST IN from Lemon Tree Paper.  Your eyes don't deceive you- these invitations are 3D!  Each box comes complete with 3D glasses for your guests to be able to read the party details.  How does it work?  Well, that part's a secret... but these invitations are so unique, they're sure to create a buzz about any party you host!  Stop by and see for yourself how cool these are, you'll want to keep them in mind for your next birthday shin-dig!

Is 3D not really your style but you'd like to see something different?  Maybe these invitations will scratch your itch for something cool and hip- they're scratch off!  Fun huh?  Just think of the possibilites- hide the baby's name (so it's a surprise) on a birth announcement, mask the location of the party (for a big reveal)... so many possibilities!

And you thought invitations were just "paper"...

 

 

hi

After seeing this idea on Pinterest, I was totally sucked in.   It's such a brilliant (but simple) idea!  It's basically the alphabet (minus the u, which no one ever misses anyway)... The downloadable setup below is made for a frame that's 16 x 20.  Just a quick tip on frames:  Sometimes it's easiest to find frames at local garage sales or estate sales and then convert them into the idea you've seen (adjust the format to fit)... you can also collect great frames from your "sale" finds over time and just wait until the opportunity is right to use that perfect frame! 

This free printable is a pdf, so if you need to resize it, go right ahead! 

I hope you guys (and gals) enjoy it this image's quirky playfulness as much as I have!

Download hi alpha poster

Keep that Coffee Cozy!

It might still be 104 degrees outside, but we're doing a little wishful thinking around here (If you wear a sweater, will the cold front come?)!  So we thought we would showcase these chrocheted little beauties today... Each cutesy coffee cozy is adorned with flowers that have rhinestone centers, and they definitely take coffee from being HOT to HAUTE!  It's function for the fashionista.

We also think this is a great gift idea!  Take your favorite co-worker a hot cup of coffee with the cozy on it- what a pleasant surprise!  Or take your kid's teacher a Starbucks gift card inside an empty cup with the cozy on it- that would just be oh-so-thoughtful!  You can even personalize it with her name on the cup, or give out several as party favors to a morning coffee/brunch get-together (can't you just see a tray full of these little guys all lined up and waiting to be taken home by your guests?!).

Are you someone who has a "stash" of gifts to give on a moment's notice(because you just never know)?... Then this idea is perfect for you!  Buy a few cozies to keep on hand, and when you need a super quick gift, just swing by your favorite coffee shop (even on the WAY to the party,perhaps?) get a gift card, an empty cup and lid, and you're good to go! With a cute gift in your hand, nonetheless.

 Check out all four colors available online

Cheers! 

Pancakes & Pajamas Party

How fun would it be to wake up in the morning and go straight to a fabulous birthday party?  Just take a look and see!
We absolutely love this Pajamas & Pancakes theme from our customer Kelly L., especially all the little details she used to make this morning shin-dig a memorable one for her daughter AND all of their guests.

We were excited to create this custom invitation for the party, and can't believe how it worked so perfectly with Kelly's planning!

{Don't miss the "pancake" sugar cookie favors at the bottom- they look so real ...great job, Kelly!}

 

Don't miss the details:  A dining table with a fun sheet and propped up pillows serves as a fun (and functional) serving table - Pancake Toppings make it fun for everyone to build their own (and food coloring in the pancake batter makes it even more magical!) - Several varieties of syrup take regular pancakes from drab to fab (a great investment for just a little money) - Colorful lanterns and a pinata add color to the porch area with brightly colored table cloths - Let kids have their cereal and play with it too with a Fruit Loop necklace station - Make a "stack o cake" using cake batter on the griddle (Kelly said it was a little tricky at first, but she got the hang of it- and we think the effort was worth how great it looks!) - For party favors, mini stacks of "pancake" cookies are the perfect ending to this sweet birthday party ( again, great job, Kelly!)

Woodfire Grill

At my last trip to Atlanta for Market, I was more than thrilled to get a reservation at Woodfire Grill.  The past two times I've been, they haven't had any openings during the time I was in town, so this felt like a "win" to me!

If you're a fan of Top Chef on Bravo, then you might already know who Chef Kevin Gillespie is.  I was so intruiged by his dishes while on the show (and I'm not gonna lie, his cute red hair), that I wanted to make it a point to eat his food at some point while in the ATL.

Now, I can say that I have.  And it was wonderful (totally met my expectations).  I was also glad that I had two, very fun and easy-going girls to go with (because most of my friends aren't as adventurous as I am with food).  Since they were the perfect gals to go with, we braved the Chef's Five Course Tasting Menu (sigh... as I remember how delicious it was.  All of it.).

Here's the menu from that evening.  It was just too good not to share:

Chef's Five Course Tasting Menu (July 16, 2011)

Amuse

local nectarine with crispy tasso, onion relish and aged sherry

First course

local tomatoes. marinated cucumber.srawak green peppercorns. fried bread. smoked aioli. micro basil.

Second course

pan fried north carolina catfish. creamed summer squash. confited tomato vinaigrette.

Taste **

watermelon pearls. mascarpone. cyprus black lava salt.

Third course

wood grilled honey laquered local quail. potato emulsion. oven roasted summer squash. pickled padron peppers.

Fourth course **

wood smoked berkshire pork loin and slow roasted belly.  BLT salad.  stewed turnip greens. tomato jam. basil powder.

Dessert

blackberry blueberry pie. blueberry lemon puree. blackberry sbabyon. sour cream ice cream.

 

While the entire meal was divine, my two favorites were the watermelon taste (I think it was the black lava salt) and the pork belly (which I have never had before but will definitely be ordering again).

Here's to good food and good friends, and may they always surround you!

Red, White and Blue Fruit Salad

We hope everyone had a fabulous 4th of July weekend- full of friends and family, food, and fun! (Boy, that sure is a lot of "f"s!)  Well, what's one more then?  Fruit Salad!  That's right, we discovered this dish and just had to share.  It's the perfect summer recipe because it's super easy and delicious!  Although the fourth has passed, this dish proudly sports the red, white and blue- and it's beautiful!  Give it a try at your next cookout or summer picnic and let us know how you like it!

Macedonia (aka - Red, White, and Blue Fruit Salad)

INGREDIENTS

1 pound strawberries, hulled and quartered 

1 pint blueberries

1 pint blackberries

1 pint raspberries

Juice of 3 oranges

Juice of 1 lemon

2 Tablespoons sugar

Small handful of fresh mint, leaves picked and coursely chopped

DIRECTIONS

Chop the strawberries and add to a large bowl with the blueberries, blackberries and raspberries.  Add the orange juice, lemon juice, sugar and chopped mint.  Toss.  Cover with plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator to marinate for at least a couple of hours and serve.

Recipe and photo credit: cookingchanneltv.com

Mailing Tip of the Day

When I was young, I was always so impressed with how organized my grandmother was about sending birthday cards to all of the family and friends.  In January, she would go to the store with her list and buy about 80 birthday cards, specifically chosen for each person that she planned to send a card to that year.  I remember being amazed by her enormous stash of greeting cards in those early months of the year, and that's definitely a habit that has stuck with me over the years (because you're more likely to send a card if you already have one handy, right?).  After careful card selection,she would then go through her birthday calendar and organize them by the month they needed to be sent.  Then, in her free time over the next few weeks, she would methodically go through the cards and address them, even months in advance... 

I think the most clever part of her whole process was that she knew exactly when she needed to mail the card in order for the recipient to have it waiting in their mailbox on the right day, and she would write that date in the upper righthand corner of the envelope.  I remember asking her about it once. 

Glancing at the organized stack of cards for the month, I said, "Why does this card have May 25th written on it?"  My grandmother said, "That's when I need to mail the card so he will get it in time."  Of course I, the perfectionist, responded "But won't it look messy with that written on the envelope?"  to which she replied very proudly with a smile, "Not once I cover it up with a stamp."

So simple.  Yet so genius.  The perfect little "soon-to-be-hidden" reminder of when to mail the card so that it arrives on time, and with no more effort than addressing the envelope.  Do you have any tips for card-sending that make it easier on you?  We'd love to hear them!

Until then, happy mailing!

1-2-3 Easy Margaritas

Well, folks... when it's 109 degrees outside, like it is today in Texas, it's an understatement to say that a cold, refreshing beverage would hit the spot.  Since it's the weekend(and hey, you've gotta keep cool somehow), we would like to suggest making a fresh batch of these easy frozen margaritas to beat the heat this afternoon!

 

1-2-3 Easy Margaritas (from our friend Kate)

You will need:

1 can frozen limeade concentrate

Tequila (preferably Sauza Silver)

Gin (we Tanqueray, do you?)

Grand Marnier

Ice

Margarita Salt to rim glasses (optional)

Sliced limes for garnish

Directions:

1.  Throw the can of frozen limeade concentrate into the blender. 

2.  Fill the blender with 2 parts Tequila + 1 part Gin + a shot of Grand Marnier (just for fun) - you can make it as weak or as strong as you like, just keep the proportions in this ratio. 

3.  Add ice until you get the consistency you desire. 

Using a slice of lime to rim the edge of the glass, place face-down in the margarita salt and give it a good twist.  Pour the margarita mix in the glass and serve cold!  Garnish with a lime wedge if desired.  See now, wasn't that easy?  And it's the perfect treat for a scorching hot day this summer - give it a try!

Image courtesy of google