Orange Blossom Ink

2011-11-25T10:27:00.002-05:00

Shop sale – TODAY ONLY! All items 50% off, including custom headbands. Enter code BLACKFRIDAY when checking out. If you want something that isn't listed, message me and I will post a custom listing, just for you. We carry a variety of fabrics, felt and headband colors - just ask!

Happy shopping!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/OrangeBlossomInk

Minted DIY Program Challenge

2011-05-16T22:02:00.010-04:00

Minted just launched wedding programs! To celebrate, they hosted a $1000 Blogger Program Challenge. Minted provided the programs and the challenge was for bloggers to creatively bind and embellish each program, using Minted's DIY Program template.

As a designer, I don't spend as much time crafting with my hands as I'd like, so this was a PERFECT challenge. It got me away from the computer screen and digging into my box of buttons, ribbon and other crafting goodies.

Today they announced the winners! Congratulations to Meg Gleason of Moglea who took home the grand prize of $1000. Victoria Hudgins of A Subtle Revelry and I were the runners up in this challenge and each won $500 gift cards to Minted. Be sure to check out Minted's Flickr page for other ideas on programs, as well as see the other entries.

My Cocktail Hour Handkerchief Entry was a runner-up.

Thanks Minted! I look forward to the next design challenge!

Baby and other news

2011-03-31T17:54:00.006-04:00

Hello again! Remember me? It's been a while since we've seen each other. So, what have I been up to the last few months?

Well in November, I gave birth to this little bundle of joy, Emmalyn Louise.

Between diaper changes and feedings, there wasn't much time for anything more than being a mother. I gave up trying to DO it all and instead just GAVE my all. I was so blessed to be able to spend three quality months bonding with my little girl.

Emmalyn is now four months old (growing WAAAAY too fast) and I'm back at it, 100%. I have a few changes in mind for Orange Blossom Ink this year, which you'll hear about in the coming months. I can't wait for what's in store and I look forward to growing my business in new ways. I look forward to sharing this journey with all of you!

{Real Weddings} Kayla & Tim

2010-06-03T15:59:00.008-04:00

My beautiful baby sister got married two weeks ago. Stay tuned for a full post of the entire wedding week and in the meantime, be sure to stop by the wonderfully talented Gina and Tony's blog for a look at Kayla and Tim's wedding photos!

All photos courtesy of Gina & Tony Photographers

We love it Wednesday: Engagement Stop Motion

2010-03-31T10:15:00.003-04:00

Sarah and I both heart this stop motion engagement session photographed, and edited by Sarah Yates Photography. Happy Wednesday!

tori and austin from sarah yates on Vimeo.

We love it Wednesday: Custom Portraits

2010-03-10T09:41:00.007-05:00

I found Nan Lawson's Illustrations recently, and immediately fell in love. Her drawings are so incredibly sweet. The best part of this discovery is that she offers custom portraits! It got me thinking, with wedding season coming up that these would make great gifts. At a affordable price, she'll even add in a pet or two! Be sure to swing by her Etsy shop to see more of her inspiring work.

All images are courtesy of Nan Lawson.

We Love it Wednesday: Vancouver Olympics

2010-02-17T07:00:00.001-05:00

It's that time of year, well, that time of year that comes every two years. I love it. It's an amazing feeling knowing that for 17 days, the entire world can come together and swell with pride for their home country. Language barriers cease to exist, as all athletes come for one goal - to support their country with the hope of bringing home a medal.

In honor of those beautiful tokens of accomplishment, here's a look at a few gold, silver and bronze finds:

1. Gold Olympic necklace by Made by Sam

2. Silver Moose necklace by Zooz Jewelry

3. Bronze Bird Postcard necklace by Chrys Designs Jewelry

Sometimes I want to be an Olympic athlete and wish I would have pursued all those activities my parents generously offered through my childhood. Then I sit back, think of my age and realize that I used my talents elsewhere. In the meantime, I'll gladly relax on the couch with a blanket and a glass of wine and cheer on those athletes. Go USA!

The snowboarding half-pipe is one of my favorite events to watch, along with speed skating.

Images courtesy of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Store

What about you? What's your favorite part of the Olympic games?

We love it Wednesday: Valentines Day!

2010-02-10T22:56:00.004-05:00

I know the romance should come first, but I really love Valentine's for all of the red, hearts, paper and sweets! Here are some of lovely finds that make this day of love oh so pretty!

1. Cupid's Arrow Necklace from Etsy seller It's a Stitch
2. Sweet cupcakes from Sprinkles Cupcakes
3. A bundle of paper hearts perfect for making Valentines - from Etsy seller Paper Treats
4. Vintage Valentines found on Flickr

We love it Wednesday: Cake Plates

2010-02-03T17:37:00.005-05:00

Wouldn't a table full desserts sitting on top of these recycled vintage cake plates be oh so beautiful? Etsy seller Style Garden has a shop full of handmade mix and match tiered dessert plates that are quirky while still being elegant. Plus, they come at a really affordable price! Looks like I need to have a party so I have an excuse to buy one!

All Images courtesy of Style Garden.

Ringing in the New Year with Good News!

2010-01-22T21:23:00.011-05:00

We kept joking that 2010 was going to be our year, and sure enough first thing in the morning on January one we received some VERY exciting news! We are thrilled to share that our work has been featured in Southern New England Weddings.

We worked with Ivy last May to create some menus for her Cape Cod wedding. We felt blessed to be apart of such a beautiful event, and you can imagine our excitement when we able to see how her whole day came together! Thank you to Ivy and to Southern New England Weddings for starting off our year with such wonderful news!

Our menu shown with the elegant table setting.

Ivy's completed menu art.

The full four page feature of Ivy's gorgeous wedding!
Wedding feature photos courtesy of Southern New England Weddings.

We love it Wednesday: Wedding Bells Cake Topper

2010-01-20T07:00:00.001-05:00

I have a weakness for pretty desserts and adorable cake toppers. I found DolciOdille's custom Wedding Bells Cake Topper this week, and had to share it! Each piece can be customized to a bride's wedding day colors, and it really couldn't be any sweeter! Also be sure to swing by their blog full of great DIY projects and wedding inspiration.

Photos courtesy of DolciOdille

Michelle & Travis: Sneak Peek!

2010-01-18T15:35:00.004-05:00

Our latest Save the Dates have been bundled and delivered to our bride and groom, Michelle and Travis. The white shimmer printed Save the Dates are mounted on a bright pink card stock topped with a photo Magnet of the lovely couple. The final piece will be sealed in matching white shimmer envelopes. Be sure to check back for photos of the entire package!

All the final Save the Dates ready to go, ...

... packaged in matching boxes and ready to shipped!

We Love it Wednesday: Team Orange Shirts

2010-01-13T07:00:00.001-05:00

It's been three days since our inaugural half-marathon, and while we're still planning a full blog post about the entire experience, here's a quick peek at what we wore on Saturday.

Custom designed race shirts! After choosing a race-friendly fabric for our shirt, we uploaded our layouts to Zazzle and used their easy-breezy, step-by-step instructions. Less than a week later, they arrived on our doorstep, ready to wear. Something about wearing matching shirts (and pants!) seemed to help make those 13.1 miles fly by a bit quicker.

Stay tuned for a full race day post in the upcoming week!

We love it Wednesday: something's hiding in here

2010-01-06T21:36:00.004-05:00

This week's find(s) comes from Etsy seller something's hiding in here's adorable shop of treasures! Every handmade item has charm, and would make the perfect gift for newlywed friends.

Vintage Paint By Number USA.

Colorful wishbones in a best wishes bag!

Cross my heart yo yo.

And of course, amazingly cute wooden mustaches!

All images courtesy of something's hiding in here

Happy 2010!

2009-12-31T10:21:00.006-05:00

2009 has left with great memories and proud accomplishments. We loved the chance to work with so many wonderful couples, and make new friends! Being a part of It's Better Together gave the opportunity to meet so many kind and talented people! It gave of us a sense of connection to Orlando that we had been looking for! Having everyone's support throughout the past year provided opportunities to grow as designers, and expand our business into something really exciting! And last but not least, training for our very first half marathon (which is only 9 days away!!) Go Team Orange!

We're so excited to see what 2010 will bring, and we have gone ahead and made a couple New Years Resolutions of our own:

• Launching our website
• Launching a new product line
• Trying new things.
• Dreaming and planning our future storefront
• Finishing our first half marathon!

Here is a look back on our year in photos. Happy 2010!

xo, Sarah & Lisa

Photo Booth from the It's Better Together Party Booth
set up by Becka and Nate of Studio222 Photography…

We love it Wednesday: Simply Sweet Prints

2009-12-30T16:24:00.007-05:00

Maybe it's because my mind is on the new year, or because I am in the process of packing and dreaming of decorating my new apartment, but I thought these prints from Farouche were adorable! I love the simple positive messages, and the brightly colored clean prints. They would be great subtle reminders to have around to stay happy and positive!

Images courtesy of Farouche

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-25T09:45:00.004-05:00

Photo from the It's Better Together Party Booth
set up by Becka and Nate of Studio222 Photography…

We wish you a Merry Christmas!

from, Orange Blossom Ink

We Love it Wednesday: Christmas Cards

2009-12-23T10:27:00.005-05:00

Christmas is one of my favorite times of the year – time spent with family, fabulous food, and especially Christmas cards! I love going to check the mail and seeing brightly colored envelopes with fun postage, mixed in with all the bills and direct mailers. What a surprise when I saw a poster tube sent from Billy Davis and opened it to find this:

Along with a certificate that read:

Item No. 12640
SANTA CLAUS CHRISTMAS DAY CONCERT
1966
unattributed (believed to be Gilbert Grzcki)
11 x 17 in. (27.94 x 43.18 cm)

Condition B– Tape stains on all corners; water stain on right upper corner; minor foxing throughout

This exceedingly rare poster for the 1966 Christmas Day concert given by Santa Claus at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco, is in fair to good condition. There are only thirteen others known in public
collections.

This item is prized for its scarcity and the quality of its design and illustration. Even though the poster is not signed, style and execution suggest this is a work by the late Gilbert (Griz) Grzcki of San Mateo CA.

This example is from a lot of sixty-five posters formerly of the Nicolas Cage collection.

Bids start at $1,265 USD

What a fabulous idea for a Christmas card! I love the fact that not only was this a non-traditional holiday greeting, but there was a story to go along with it! So thanks Billy, for making my day merrier!

Be sure to check out Billy's website, One Swell Illustrator.

Spring into Save the Dates

2009-12-21T22:26:00.007-05:00

The holidays have been keeping us busy, but we wanted to take a quick second to show some of our latest work. This Save the Date may not have made the final cut, but we were excited with how these Springtime postcards came out. This design could be made to match any bride's color scheme, and the backs would be customized to coordinate!

We love it Wednesday: Wintery Finds

2009-12-16T23:56:00.008-05:00

We may live in sunny Florida, but that doesn't mean we can't enjoy the coziness, and warmth of the Christmas season! In the midst of browsing for my last few holiday gifts this week, I found some wonderful holiday treasures to get me inspired and excited for my travels back home to the Wintery Midwest.

1. Poinsetta DIY Wreath Kit from Paper Source.

2. Mistletoe Comb by whichgoose.

3. Owl Ornament by Cuore.

4. Winter White Garland by Anastasia Jamin Home

5. Crochet Red & White Flowers by Ziemabir Crochet

6. Yule Log by Becky M

We Love it Wednesday: Christmas Traditions {Trees}

2009-12-09T20:14:00.011-05:00

Christmas is one of my favorite times of year. I love the lights, the music, the festive store aisles–but the best part about the season is decorating the tree. When I was younger, my parents always took my sisters and me to cut down a tree in early December. Mom and Dad piled us all in a sled, Dad threw the saw over his shoulder, and we trekked away to find the perfect tree.

Yes, that's me in the Charlotte Hornets Starter jacket. (Red and black plaid pajama pants, too!)

Fast forward to 2009. My husband and I have had three years of fake trees. While they're always perfect (in that bendable branches sort of way), I still missed the festiveness that a real tree brought to the house. In fact, last year during the after-Christmas sales, I had purchased a tree stand and tree bag with all intentions of getting a real tree the following year.

So, off to Lowe's we went to chose our 9-foot beauty of a tree.

A few days (and 1100 white lights) later, our gorgeous Christmas tradition was decorated head to toe. I love sitting on the couch with nothing but the glow of the tree. Sigh. Christmas makes me happy.

(Just because there's no snow, doesn't mean my sisters and I can't find something to take the place of a sled!)

So, spill the beans! Are you a real or fake tree household? Have any Christmas traditions to share?

One Month and Counting

2009-12-09T10:47:00.005-05:00

Today marks exactly one month until the Disney Half Marathon! We'll be honest we lost a little momentum over the Thanksgiving Holiday although, we did get up early to run the Orlando Turkey Trot downtown (that should count for something!) We can proudly say though, we are back at training and can't wait for the big day.

Here is a rundown of our stats since September 6th:

Completed: 79 miles
Calories Burned: 7056
Average Pace: 10:41 mile

And the winner is...

2009-11-26T17:00:00.001-05:00

A big thanks to those participated in our giveaway! We sure got a nice warm fuzzy feeling hearing about all of the things you're thankful for!

The winners have been chosen! The random number generator came up with a number 8 to determine that the winner of this handmade stationery set is the ever so talented Em of Kitchen M!

Congratulations and Happy Thanksgiving!

We love it Wednesday: Advent Calendars

2009-11-25T11:53:00.008-05:00

Okay, so Thanksgiving is tomorrow and we might be jumping the gun - but the countdown to Christmas starts in just days! I can still remember the excitement of opening up the little doors on my cardboard advent calendars every night before bed. I feel like an advent countdown is a must, and I enjoyed finding all of these cute different ways to do so!

Before you go off enjoying these finds don't forget that today is the last day of our Giveaway! Leave a comment on our "Thanks-giveaway" post and you'll have a chance to win one of two stationery sets with handmade boxes! Be sure to check back tomorrow evening for the winners!

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Photo courtesy of Paper Source.

Paper Source just posted this gingerbread advent calendar up on their blog. So cute, and fun to customize!

Photo courtesy of Thymbyl Designs.

I love the idea of little bags with treasures hidden within to open each day. This adorable idea comes from Etsy seller Thymbyl Designs.

Photo courtesy of Nice Package.

This last idea comes from the always inspiring Nice Package Blog. What a fun way to make a DIY advent calendar with their cute yellow envelopes and color dot stickers!

Vintage Finds: Printer Trays

2009-11-22T16:31:00.010-05:00

I spent the day walking the grounds of Renninger's Antique Extravaganza in Mt. Dora, Florida. With 117 acres of vintage treasures, it was a lot of walking and plenty of searching various booths for the perfect find.

Four hours later, I left with two beautiful printer's trays, once used to hold metal type years ago.

This drawer was completely intact with the typeface name on the drawer handle.

Two beauties for only $19 total. Now I have to decide how to put them to use. Any ideas?

We love it Wednesday: Felted Accessories

2009-11-18T18:18:00.007-05:00

I have realized today that I may officially have an Etsy addiction, and the simple task looking for a new headband has now cost me hours of browsing from shop to shop. I thought I would share some of my favorite finds from the day, which all happen to be adorable felted accessories. Now I just have to make up my mind which one to buy for me, and which ones to get for the beginnings of my holiday gift shopping!

These first images come from Etsy seller, Giant Dwarf. Her headbands all come in custom colors, and let me also mention how much I love the pinwheels!

All Images courtesy of Giant Dwarf

This next seller, A Alicia Handmade Accessories, I have been admiring for quite some time. I love her color choices and felt flower brooches.

All Images courtesy of A Alicia Handmade Accessories

It's a Thanksgive-away!

2009-11-17T07:00:00.001-05:00

Orange Blossom Ink is teaming up with Boom Box Bindery to give a big thanks to all of our friendly readers. It sure means a whole lot to us when you stop by!

As our way of thanking you for your bloggy friendship and support, we’d like to give you the chance to enter to win one of our collaborative projects. You may remember the stationery boxes we made a number of months ago in preparation for a craft market. We happen to have two of those left and would just love to send them out to a pair of our you! Each handmade box features a set of eight cards with four sweet patterns that compliment the boxes.

To embrace the spirit of the season, all you have to do is leave a comment on one of our Thanksgive-away posts and tell us about something you’re thankful for! Feel free to comment on both blogs to double your chances. While you're at it, click on over to follow Orange Blossom Ink on Twitter, Facebook, or Blogger!

We’ll use a random number generator to select a winning comment from each of our blogs and those winners will be announced on Thanksgiving Day! The winners will receive the stationery set pictured on the blog of their winning entries.

Happy Thanksgiving!

We Love it Wednesdays: Custom Maps

2009-11-11T09:39:00.001-05:00

There is not much more to say about this week's find than that the Couture Maps designed by Stephannie Barba are absolute perfection! We love it when an invitation can tell a story, and these maps make for a great personal touch. Her beautiful illustrations, paired with one of kind hand lettering make each and every map unique and worth taking a look at!

Is it too early for Holiday Cards?

2009-11-09T20:03:00.009-05:00

Although it's merely days past Halloween, it's tempting to get excited about the holidays (even if a little premature). Plus, it's never too early to plan out gift shopping and sending annual holiday greeting cards to avoid the last minute panic (that we are personally faced with each year!). Last fall we were honored to have two of our holiday greeting card designs selected to be sold over at the ever-so-wonderful Minted.com. Their site has seen exciting growth and changes in the past year, and this season you can find our cards for sale on their site, along with many other talented designers.

Modern Bird in blue

Modern Bird in green

Partridge in a Pear Tree

Partridge in a Pear Tree Yearline™

Not sure that either design fits your style? Well, of course we'd be happy to design a custom holiday greeting for you and your family this season! As an added bonus, if you order before Thanksgiving, you'll receive free shipping! For more information and a custom quote, please email designers@orangeblossomink.com.

We Love it Wednesday: Felt Flower Boutonnieres

2009-11-04T22:47:00.008-05:00

When I was in high school, I kept a box under my bed filled with all the corsages I'd received from proms, homecomings and Sadie Hawkin's dances. Each corsage was dried out and placed in it's own ziplock bag, labeled with the day, event and name of my date.

Okay–even typing that seems weird, but trust me, they had sentimental value!

These days I don't keep many dried up flower arrangements sitting around my house. When I came across these beauties, I couldn't help but think of how I would've loved ribbons and buttons, instead of the piles of baby's breath and carnations collected throughout the years.

Etsy sellers Sara and Kaity of Heart Felted Creations, create felt boutonnieres adorned with ephemera of all kinds. These individual pin-ons sell for under $10 - and you won't need to worry about them wilting by the end of the night.

All images via Heart Felted Creations

Its Better Together: Part Two

2009-11-01T21:08:00.009-05:00

We can't even express how happy it has made us to meet and connect with so many wonderful young professionals in our area, and we have Trisha, Becka and Anna to thank for it! We enjoyed an evening of meeting new friends and catching up with everyone from our first get together back in July. A big thanks to Seven Sister’s Coffee for welcoming us into their cozy space and to Becka's CPA Peter Nieves, for sharing his financial insight with us!

Everyone arriving, catching up and enjoying the Seven Sister's coffee!

Ashley & Anna

More chatting, and getting to know you!

Trisha & Sarah

All the attendees gathering in the main room for Peter's helpful small business accounting tips!

We are looking forward to the next It's better together meet up, and in the mean time be sure to swing by the site, stay informed on future events and check out some of the talented attendees we had the pleasure of meeting!

Its Better Together: Part One

2009-11-01T21:07:00.009-05:00

We had such a good time at last week's It's better together meet up, and just as much fun getting ready for it. We met with our friend Trisha earlier in the week, and she had the idea of putting together some type of take home business card bag for everyone attending. Therefore, a good craft night was in order. We ordered some pizza, Sarah pulled out her sewing machine, and we used a mixture of old and new patterned fabrics to put together these little business business card take home bags.

The night of the event, with everyone's business cards laid out and ready to be stuffed in the pouches.

Anna Bond also brought along these adorable get-to-know you name tags to help break the ice for the evening.

Be sure to check back tomorrow for part two of our delightful evening at Seven Sisters Coffee House.

Rebecca & Joe: Winter Wedding Invitations

2009-10-28T07:00:00.001-04:00

We instantly felt a connection to Rebecca and Joe when we met with them for afternoon coffee to discuss their wedding plans. It was just an added bonus on top of them already being so pleasant, that Rebecca had a background in events and weddings. Therefore, she was able to give us a clear picture of her big day, and everything she wanted to go into it. As they described their modern winter wedding we immediately started to get a picture of what we wanted to create. We can hardly believe that fall has arrived and their wedding day is already around the corner!

We used their subtle monogram in a snowflake motif as a unifier throughout their pieces.

Choosing a simple typeface compared to a ornate script helped create the clean, modern feel we had hoped for.

The ice blue and crimson were carried throughout each piece and mounted on black linen to give each separate piece contrast. The R.S.V.P cards were printed front and back to be used as a postcard.

We tied each invitation off with a crimson satin ribbon, and sealed them in ice blue envelopes.

We love it Wednesday: Pretty Packages

2009-10-21T12:20:00.005-04:00

I know it's not the holiday season quite yet, but I realized as of lately that I am always eying beautiful gift wrap no matter what time of year. I guess the saying is right, presentation is everything, and if I could get my gifts to look like these I would be a very happy girl.

Photo found via oh, hello friend

You have to imagine my excitement while looking at one of my favorites inspiration stops, Creature Comforts, last week that I saw the opening of her Nice Package online shop. Thanks to these two amazing bloggers with a great sense of style, I will now be able to buy the perfect little touches to make my packages exactly as amazing as I envision them. I can't wait to make a purchase!

Images courtesy of Nice Package

They carry hang tags, gift bags, paper garland, vintage ribbon and my personal favorite, bakers twine, among many other treasures.

Images courtesy of Nice Package

And they have such a cute ideas on how to use everyday things like these delicate lace dollies to dress up simple cupcake arragements or twistie ties to make gift wrap bows.

Featured Friends: Carolyn & Johnny

2009-10-20T22:09:00.004-04:00

This past Saturday we had a lovely evening witnessing the wedding of our new and dear friend Carolyn to her now husband Johnny. Carolyn was one of the first brides who came to us for custom invitations, and it was wonderful getting to see her walk down the aisle and share in her beautiful wedding! The weather was perfect for an outdoor ceremony, and all of the details from her deep red and purple flowers, to the elegant cake made for a gorgeous reception. Congratulations to Mr. Johnny and Mrs. Carolyn Edwards on your new life together!

The happy newlyweds at the reception.

All of the details came together so nicely. Her lace gown, white cake and bouquet of calla lilies and roses carried the vintage elegance theme throughout the evening.

The original invitation package designed we created for Carolyn and Johnny.

We were so excited to see Carolyn's talented day-of coordinator and our December bride, Rebecca, who helped to pull off the beautiful event!

Sarah and her hubby Jason anxiously awaiting dessert.

The two of us enjoying the night!

We Love it Wednesday: Cancer Awareness

2009-10-14T09:47:00.013-04:00

Cancer. It's a scary word. It's a foreign invasion of the body, yet the word itself has become so commonplace in our everyday lives. October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, but I think that every day of every year, we should become educated on all types of cancer.

Cancer knows no race, religion, age or sex. It affects family members, friends, co-workers and celebrities. Cancer doesn't care how much money is in your bank account or the type of life you've lived. It's cruel, unforgiving and completely undeserved.

Former UW-Madison classmate and friend of mine, Lindsay, was diagnosed with liver cancer at age 24. In January of 2008 doctors told her she had a month left to live. Today she's fighting hard, but she's alive and surrounded by the support of many, many people.

A friend of our family, Dan Kenneavy was diagnosed with bone cancer at age 17. Now 20 years old, he's in the Phillipines undergoing experimental treatment when he was told that chemo was no longer an option. Only a few months ago, when the cancer had spread through his arm, he chose have his right arm amputated because, as he told his mother, he's "choosing to live."

Dan and his sister, Erin

Dan and his doctors in the Philippines

So this month, as you're thinking about breast cancer awareness, remember all the people in this world fighting this horrible disease - cancers of all kinds.

The links below are artists and/or retailers who donate portions of all proceeds to cancer research:

Save the Tatas

Susan G Komen for a Cure

Dove of Hope

Three Essentials

Crystals of Hope

Do you have a story to tell? Links to fundraisers or causes for the people in your life? Please post in comments below. Together we can support those fighting and hope for one day, a cure.

We love it Wednesday: Kansas City Wedding Hive

2009-10-07T09:38:00.007-04:00

I arrived in Kansas City today for a week of date nights with the boyfriend, catching up with friends, a family reunion and to enjoy the beautiful October weather. Therefore, I thought this would be a good week to share my latest exciting discovery, the Kansas City Wedding Hive. With a tagline like "If a regular bridal group is Vanilla, this is Super Chunk, Toffee, Coffee, Mint, Nut, Chocolate Madness Extreme," I was instantly intrigued. This Midwest group of wedding professionals pride themselves in being eclectic, custom, artistic and creative. It would be just the type of group we would hope to someday be associated with. They participate in events all over Kansas City, and have an upcoming show this January that sounds like a bride-to-be's dream! If you happen to be living in the heartland I would recommend to check them out for a great list of vendors, and beautiful unique work!

Images courtesy of the Kansas City Wedding Hive

Below are some links to some of the Hive's talented participants:

We Love it Wednesday: Fantastic Fall Finds

2009-09-30T07:00:00.007-04:00

While the current Florida temperature may not show it, fall has officially arrived. Pumpkin bread, crisp nighttime strolls, scarves and fabulous boots; all are reminders of what might be my favorite season (though my northern roots still miss the leaves changing colors!).

So pull up a chair, grab a cup of pumpkin spice latte and enjoy these fabulous fall finds.

1. Handcrafted feather headband with beaded accents by Bethany Lorelle
2. Silver owl necklace by Dance with Silver

3. Caramel Apple Soap (vegan-friendly!) by Sun Basil Garden

4. Vintage Pumpkin hang-tags by My Whimsy Life

Rose & Chris: Thinking Pink

2009-09-28T07:00:00.002-04:00

We have been in concept mode the last couple weeks, and have been really enjoying our new projects. We met Rose through our dear friend, Karry Castillo, a talented wedding coordinator and owner Uniquely Yours Weddings. We fell in love with her pale pink and ivory color palette and soft, romantic ideas for her wedding day. We went right into looking for inspiration for color and imagery to match her vision.

1. Pink Cotton Candy via Tumblr 2. Candy Center Piece via Martha Stewart Weddings 3. Bouquet via Martha Stewart Weddings 4. Paper Butterflies via A Field Guide 5. Pearls via JCrew weddings 6. Flower pin by The Honeycomb

Once we had a good idea of what direction we wanted to go, we came up with several different concepts for Rose. We have already handed off the Save the Dates to the bride and groom, but we thought we would share one of the early type treatment concepts that did not make the cut. We can't wait to share the final piece, and in the meantime we'll be hard at work on her invitations!

We love it Wednesday: Custom Cake Toppers

2009-09-23T08:21:00.003-04:00

I can remember having a conversation with my newly married friend Monica, about how she struggled to find a cute, unique and affordable wedding cake topper before her big day. So, last night when I stumbled on to Etsy seller Goose Grease's wedding cake toppers via Design Sponge, I thought they would be perfect to share for this week's post! Not only are her custom bride and grooms' quirky and sweet, I love that she also offers a more affordable DIY kit you can order from her Etsy site if that's more in the budget! I can see these looking perfect at any wedding, on any cake.

She customizes everything down to the details of the clothes, so they match your actual day of attire!

Mini bride and groom for cupcake toppers!

The DIY cake topper kit, which even comes with a extra set of figures in case you mess up!

Rebecca & Joe: Winter Wedding Sneak Peak!

2009-09-18T11:37:00.008-04:00

Our latest invitations for a Floridian winter wedding, have been packaged and delivered to our bride and groom. The white shimmer pieces will be mounted on black matte paper and tied with a crimson satin ribbon. The ice blue, open-end envelopes will be handwritten calligraphy by the bride's sister. Check back soon for photos of the entire package!

We love it Wednesday: Birds in Chandeliers

2009-09-16T10:06:00.007-04:00

Sarah and I had a chance to catch up last night after our fun weekend adventures away. While I was off visiting Kansas, Sarah made her way to Hilton Head and Savannah and she of course came back with many inspired ideas! She referred me to the blog of Etsy seller, Birds in Chandeliers, whose work she came across at @ Home Vintage General and it was so beautiful that I had to share it for this weeks post!

I sincerely hope that she has more of these adorable pins she makes from left over scraps for sale in the future - I am thinking that I must have one!

I love her quirky fabric choices and great sense of color compositions she uses for her pin cushions!

All images courtesy of Birds in Chandeliers

And her flawless embroidery detail on the reverse sides is something to be admired!

We Love it Wednesday: Colored Me Inspired

2009-09-02T21:18:00.012-04:00

What we love this week is a new business venture by our good friends, graphic designer Trisha Hay and photographer Becka Knight. They've teamed up to create Color Me Inspired, a site of inspiration for brides, planners, and anyone who loves color and DIY.

Everyone has seen inspiration boards on the web, but what's different about Color Me Inspired, is that Becka and Trisha own all of the work shown. Becka shoots all of the photography and Trisha designs a free, downloadable template that corresponds with the color palette of the week.

While weddings may be a main source of inspiration, Trisha and Becka showcase beautiful palettes that can be found anywhere in the world, including favorite rooms in their home.

Do you have any favorite color palettes?

All photos courtesy of Color Me Inspired

Team Orange: In Training!

2009-09-02T21:16:00.007-04:00

This week marks the beginning of our training for the Walt Disney World 2010 Half Marathon! Our first run was last night, and I will speak for myself that it is good that I have until January 9th to get ready! Be sure to check back for updates on our progress. Wish us luck!

We love it Wednesday: New Art Supplies

2009-09-02T07:00:00.000-04:00

September always makes me pine for fresh sets of pencils, pens and folders. And, even though my back to school days may be behind me it doesn't mean that I can't look at new art supplies! Here are some favorite finds from my hunting...

Bakers Twine for wrapping packages & presents.
Buttons (which I can never have enough of) from Etsy seller, j antiques.
Amy Butler's beautiful patterned fabrics which I found via Etsy seller, Mimis.
New Loop Punch from Martha Stewart Crafts which I would love to use for place cards, or invitation embellishments.

Carolyn & Johnny: Purple Wedding Invitations

2009-08-27T19:04:00.004-04:00

When Carolyn and Johnny approached us with ideas for their October wedding, we knew right away that something elegant was in order. Carolyn's colors were deep purples with accents of red, so we carried the color scheme throughout her invitations. As we have been hearing from many, purple is the new black and we loved mixing the different shades and textures together to create her final package. We enjoyed so much working with the two of them, and we can't wait hear all about their big day!

We love it Wednesday: The Perfect Wedding Gift

2009-08-26T07:00:00.000-04:00

When I stumbled across Etsy seller Miniature Rhino's Heart Samplers I immediately thought these sweet keepsakes would make the perfect wedding gift. I could even see one hanging as a great addition to personalize your wedding decorations. Therefore, there was no doubt that I had to share them as this week's find.

When you order, the custom piece comes with choice of color palette, hand stained embroidery hoop and original embroidered design.

All images courtesy of Miniature Rhino.

She even offers these adorable, and more cost efficient miniature heart samplers with embroidered initials. I can't wait for an excuse to buy one for the next of my newlywed friends!

Pamela & Ben: Fall Wedding Invitations

2009-08-24T21:21:00.005-04:00

Here they are! Our latest completed invitation package for bride and groom, Pamela and Ben. From the start, these two have been a joy to work with, and we can't wait to see the pictures from what sounds like, is going to be a beautiful wedding. Their apple green and chocolate brown color scheme, and modern design were really fun for us to work with and we couldn't be happier with the results!

The overall design is clean and modern but still with a hint of Art Deco inspiration to compliment their reception venue.

Their invitation is mounted inside of an apple green holder with contrasting brown envelope, and all the printed pieces are on a linen ivory paper.

Printed R.S.V.P envelopes and address label wrap carries the design throughout all of Pamela and Ben's pieces.

Dessert party invitation with inside information as a separate glued in piece, so that they can use the remaining blank cards as thank yous and stationery for their newlywed lives!

We love it Wednesday: @ Home Vintage General

2009-08-19T18:59:00.004-04:00

I just walked in the door from the perfect get away trip with my mom to Savannah, Georgia. I am returning completely inspired by the cities charm, and artistic influence. We stayed at the historic Marshall House, and I was thrilled to find out when we pulled up that it was only blocks away from my favorite store, @ Home Vintage General. Among all of the things we could have done upon arriving, I insisted we run down the street to look at all of the treasures owner Elizabeth Demos had behind her doors. As usual, her store was filled with beautiful finds, furniture and many things to get a girls like me and my mom excited. Her warm hospitality was the perfect introduction to our days spent in town!

For this week's post I wanted to share her blog that always serves as a source of inspiration, and if you ever find yourself near Savannah I highly recommend you make a stop by!

@ Home's welcoming store front of Broughton Street.

Some of our great finds from @ Home: New dishtowel, vintage tin and soda bottle all in matching yellow!

Several favorites from my Mom's assortment of adorable ribbon and trim, and some great vintage paper pieces I can't wait to craft with!

Pamela & Ben: Sneak Peek!

2009-08-19T18:52:00.002-04:00

We just delivered our latest invitations for Pamela & Ben's fall wedding. We wanted to share a quick photo of the invites boxed and ready to go. Be sure to check back for photos arriving early September!

We Love it Wednesday: Grace Edmands Calligraphy

2009-08-12T07:00:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago, during our small get-together downtown, we had the opportunity to meet Grace Edmands, a local calligrapher. Not only is she smart and talented, but she's a pleasure to be around! Grace's love of the hand-written letter led her to become a professional calligrapher. While computer fonts can be beautiful, there's something about hand-dipped pen and ink that's oh-so-lovely. Don't think that envelopes are the only option to be hand-written-wouldn't an elaborate monogram be just stunning?

All images courtesy of Grace Edmands Calligraphy

Association of Certified Professional Wedding Consultants

2009-08-10T10:58:00.008-04:00

Several weeks ago we were asked by our new friend, Karry Castillo of Uniquely Yours Wedding & Event Specialist, Inc., to participate in a speakers day at the Association of Certified Professional Wedding Consultants Florida class. Of course, we were completely honored by the invitation and excited to get to work! The portion of the class was focused on creating a cohesive design scheme from invitations and related paper products to linens and floral design.

We met over drinks and dinner to get to know the other contributors; Lee Forrest of Lee Forrest Design for the flowers, and Rashida Erskine with BBJ Linens for the linens. We agreed on two themes as a group, Eco Enchantment and Midnight Escape. We planned on preparing two table spreads to use as visual tools to show how to create a look for a wedding from start to finish. We chose color palettes based on Rashida's gorgeous linen selection and Lee's amazing floral design ideas.

As for Orange Blossom Ink's contribution, we started with invitations and spread that design to the Save the Dates, Menus, Table numbers, and place cards for each theme. It was a thrilling experience for us to see our work along with the finished table design the morning of the class. We don't often get to see the completed look come together at the event. The two contrasting looks came together beautifully, and other than the nerves that come with speaking in front of a group, it was a perfect morning. We finished with a delicious lunch at the Hyatt where we were able to get to know the students, and enjoy Lee's pretty yellow rose and lemon center pieces.

Thank you to Karry Castillo for providing the opportunity for us to be apart such a talented group of professionals. And to all three - Karry, Lee and Rashida for their encouragement and for welcoming us with open arms to the group.

Eco Enchantment:

We started with the invitation and used the Bird of Paradise Flower as our motif throughout all of the items for the "Florida Eco" feel. The package is tied together with ribbon and small Sand Dollar.

The Menus, and Table Numbers were mounted on wood, and embellished with small starfish and ribbon. Place cards also featured the bird of paradise in varying colors.

The finished table complete with lighting! Lee's live orchid center piece and Rashida's rich textures in the linens really brought together the whole look.

Close up of menus and place cards at each setting.

Table numbers were tucked into Lee's tropical center pieces.

Midnight Escape:

Finished Save the Dates and Invitations. We used an intricate lace pattern and carried that throughout all of the pieces. Embellished with Rhinestone details and lavender satin ribbon.

Menus and place cards with black feather accents and Silver and Black Rhinestones.
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Close up of floral center piece, crystals and rich linens. I was in love.

Full table display for Midnight Escape. Lee's branches, orchids, roses and swarovski crystals were completely stunning.

Close up of place setting with our table number, menus and place cards.

Orange Blossom Ink Photo Shoot

2009-08-08T00:49:00.001-04:00

Between Sarah's home improvements, finishing up several invitation packages and traveling we have been keeping really busy the last few weeks! I have been dying to find to time to share some of our favorite photos from our first Orange Blossom Ink photo shoot! The photos, taken by our dear friends Josh Holtsclaw and assisted by Monica Holtsclaw, were so beautiful, it made it incredibly difficult to pick which ones to post. We think they have a budding career in photography on top of their already amazing talents. Be sure to stop by to see Josh's other work, and even pick up a book or some adorable book earrings in Monica's shop. We hope you love these as much as we do.

We love it Wednesday: Anthopologie Birthday Presents!

2009-08-05T08:00:00.001-04:00

This past weekend was filled with great friends and fun events to celebrate my 25th birthday. My mailbox was filled with birthday cards, and kind wishes and among them was this curious little envelope from Anthropologie. To my surprise when I opened it, there was the cutest little fabric pouch detailed with mismatch buttons and embroidery thread. I was maybe more excited about the packaging than I was the 15& off coupon inside! So, for this week's find I knew exactly what I wanted to share, now I just have to decide what to buy!

Photo Shoot: Sneak Peek!

2009-07-30T07:00:00.001-04:00

Here is the first of many beautiful photos taken by the ever so talented, Josh Holtsclaw and his lovely assistant Monica Holtsclaw, for our first ever Orange Blossom Ink photo shoot! You can see how Josh and Monica were able to get this vintage effect over at Monica's blog. We couldn't wait to share them with everyone, so here is a sneak peek! Be sure to check back later this week for the full post! Have a wonderful Thursday!

We Love it Wednesday: Fabric Invitations

2009-07-29T07:00:00.001-04:00

There's nothing more stunning than combining textures while designing—especially fabric and paper. Adding fabric to your wedding invitation? Now that's beauty. Take a look at this week's finds:

Photo courtesy of Tango Design

Photo courtesy of Craft Stylish

Photo courtesy of Blue Magpie Invitations

Photo courtesy of Ice Cream Social

We love it Wednesday: Paper Wedding Decorations

2009-07-22T07:00:00.001-04:00

Who says paper just has be for invitations? I think any of these three finds would make beautiful, and unique wedding decorations! These clean and simple paper accents could either compliment traditional live floral arrangements, or it could even be a wedding decorated entirely with paper! ::sigh::

Photo courtesy of Milla Love

These colorful and adorable paper flower garlands come from Etsy seller Millalove. I can imagine having these strung all around a outdoor spring wedding. She also makes cupcake toppers and decorative mobiles out of the flowers shown above, which would just be more ways to incorporate her beautiful paper into a wedding!

Photo courtesy of Amble through Bramble

Amble through Bramble makes these whimsical over grown roses out of double sided German crepe paper. Wouldn't these be amazing center pieces?

Photo courtesy of Nancy

Keeping in mind being Eco-friendly, this recycled sewn paper garland made by owners of Nancy, Kate Greiner and Aaron Murray, is the perfect solution. Made from old paper samples and maps it would be a playful and adorable backdrop to a reception, or any type party for that matter!

We Love it Wednesday: Hand-drawn Wedding Certificate

2009-07-15T08:00:00.009-04:00

After spending last Friday morning with the ever-so-talented Anna of Rifle Design, we couldn't wait to share these beautiful prints. Take a look at this hand-drawn, completely custom wedding certificate:

All images courtesy of Rifle Design

I don't know about the rest of you married folks out there, but I can tell you where my marriage certificate is...in the office cabinet, filed under "Marriage & Wedding Papers." It's crinkled, folded, and not even close to being frame-worthy.

Imagine Anna's hand-drawn 18x24 print, framed and hung on the wall in your new nest. The perfect alternative, or addition, to the classic wedding photo on the mantel. Wouldn't this make a great heirloom to hand down to your children and grandchildren?

Young Wedding Pros: It's Better Together

2009-07-11T00:19:00.016-04:00

We ended the week with an inspiring get-together with other young wedding professionals in the Orlando area. We spent the morning getting to know each other, sharing small business advice and enjoying delicious pastries from Davis Bakery & Co.

Anna, from Rifle, graciously shared her adorable new studio space for our gathering.

We enjoyed chatting with other talented, wedding professionals. Those in attendance were:

• Rifle Design

• Anavi Ink
• Ashley Brooke Designs
• Grace Edmands Calligraphy
• Studio 222
• Boom Box Bindery
• Trisha Hay

Grace, Monica and Lisa chatting about business.

Thanks to Trisha for organizing the event, and Anna for sharing her space with us!

As an added bonus to our morning Nick from Mama's Sauce gave us a tour of his print shop.

He even took the time to show us the 1940's letterpress in action, and make us our own take home souvenir.

The finished piece, printed by Nick and illustrated by Anna.

We ended our morning with at stop at Winter Park's Gurtzberry for an early afternoon treat and great conversation!

We Love it Wednesday: Heartwood Prints

2009-07-08T08:00:00.003-04:00

In my early teenage years, I would daydream about meeting a boy who would profess his love for me by carving our names in a tree trunk. Of course, then I read The Giving Tree — and trees became my friends.

Looking for a perfect wedding gift that's not on the registry (and keeps our forest friends harm-free)? Take a look at these beauties, for only $25! Not only are these prints completely hand-lettered on an original illustration, they're ready to mat and frame for a unique gift. Michael Mojher is an extremely talented artist and illustrator in the central Florida area. His passion for detail and texture are evident in his work. Have a look and see for yourself–we definitely love it! (and remember those wedding and anniversary gifts!)

All images courtesy of Michael Mojher.

Happy 4th! {from the girls of Orange Blossom Ink}

2009-07-06T19:34:00.008-04:00

There's nothing like the 4th of July.

It's watermelon slices and homemade ice cream, sparklers and s'mores. It's the smell of citronella and the sizzle of the grill, an afternoon swim and an ice cold beer. It's hometown parades and fireworks shows, family traditions and laughter of friends. It's honoring our soldiers and remembering those gone before, reflecting and appreciating being a part of America. Here's to the United States and our 233 years of independence!

Lisa {Orange Blossom Ink}

Sarah {Orange Blossom Ink} and husband, Jason

We love it Wednesday: Rubber Stamps

2009-07-01T07:00:00.003-04:00

There are always questions when it comes to addressing envelopes for our brides' weddings, and after this week's find, I will always have an additional suggestion for them! I found these return address rubber stamps on paperwink yesterday and I can't wait to get one of my very own. I think any one of these clean designs would look beautiful on any invitation envelope, and not to mention, it would be much easier than hand lettering all of the return addresses one by one. Even better, these great little stamps are cost effective, and would be useful after the wedding for all the thank you cards!

All images courtesy of paperwink.

Chocolate Brown & Apple Green Wedding Invitations

2009-06-30T08:00:00.001-04:00

We've loved every single one of our clients, and I feel very fortunate to be able to say that. Not only are Lisa and I fulfilling a dream by running our own business, but we get to meet amazing couples who genuinely seek a design that will define them–and their once-in-a-lifetime day.

Pamela and Ben are a romantic and fun couple, who met while working for Disney. When it was clear that they soulmates, they went house-hunting and Ben proposed on their closing date, in the driveway of their brand new home! This November, they're getting married at a church in downtown Orlando. Their wedding reception will be at Atlantic Dance Hall at Disney's Boardwalk Resort.

Pamela and Ben were super-cute when we sat down to discuss invitations a few weeks ago. We pulled out swatch books and started taking notes. They were excited to get the ball rolling and ideas started to flow. They asked each other's opinion—and nothing makes us happier than a groom getting involved paper choices! They love the look of the dance hall and want to incorporate subtle Art Deco elements, and acorns (Pamela's very proud of her Alma Mater, Elon University). Champagne accents will complete their green apple and chocolate color palette.

While the final reveal of her chosen design quite is a few months away, we're sharing a few concepts that we started with.

Concept 1 invitation

Concept 1 in holder

Concept 2 invitation

Concept 2 in holder

It's always a pleasure when a couple incorporates their personality into the invitations. Stay tuned for the final product!

We love it Wednesday: Crepe Paper Place Cards

2009-06-24T07:00:00.001-04:00

I spend probably way more time that I should each week searching for inspiration and beautiful paper projects. This week I came across Once Wed, which I can already tell will be a daily source for inspiration! Emily Newman launched Once Wed in March of 2008—from DIY projects to inspiration galleries, it's a wealth of knowledge for brides. You can even shop for gently used wedding gowns! The site is filled with pictures of original weddings, and unique ideas.

I love these crepe paper place cards! What a creative way to welcome your wedding guests to their seats! With easy to follow instructions, complete with photos, these place cards could certainly get done in an afternoon with the help of your bridal party, friends and family (or maybe even your fiancé). This is a great way to incorporate your color palette. These place cards can definitely be a mix of patterns and colors that complement your overall wedding theme.

Image courtesy of Once Wed

Featured Friends: Josh & Monica Holtsclaw

2009-06-23T07:00:00.001-04:00

Who says you can't brand your entire wedding while still being thrifty? This week I thought I would share an example of how to create a beautiful custom wedding, while still being friendly to your coin purse. Featured below are two of my closest (and most creative) friends and their fall wedding.

Photo taken by Steve Smith of Bella Pictures

Josh, an talented Illustrator, Designer, and Walt Disney Imagineer, met Monica, a brilliant book binder and owner of Boom Box Bindery while they were students at Savannah College of Art and Design. After several years of dating Josh popped the question, and they promptly began wedding planning. To me, their wedding was a perfect package from beginning to end, and you wouldn't even know that they did it all without breaking the bank.

1. Save the Dates

Save the Dates are the first impression for a wedding, therefore they should never be overlooked. A great look can still be achieved while saving most of your "paper" budget for the actual invitation. Josh illustrated this beautiful piece of art for their save the date that they continued to carry out the design through the rest of the pieces of their wedding. They saved on cost by using Modern Postcard for their black and white mailers. This also saved on postage, as there was no need to buy envelopes.

2. Invitations

Since they saved money on their Save the Dates they were able to make these innovative and intricate invitations. They used full color, and were able to go to Kinkos to print, but did all of the assembly themselves. Doing an R.S.V.P. postcard also saved them on postage and not having to supply R.S.V.P. envelopes.

3. Programs

Photo taken by Steve Smith of Bella Pictures

Josh and Monica used the same design elements carried over from the invitation for their programs, but did them once again in black ink only and printed from their home printer. This not only saved money but time too!

4. Extra Touches

Photos taken by Steve Smith of Bella Pictures

They were able to continue all the beautiful color and design throughout their wedding and reception. They printed these cute guest book pages on their home printer, on which guests drew or wrote. The illustrated frame was drawn in the same style as all their other paper goods. All of the hydrangeas were from friends' yards, and were dried before the wedding. They also had a great idea of using place names that were meaningful to their relationship in place of table names! Printing on the blue paper, along with the flowers, carried the blue color over from the invitations through the entire ceremony and reception.

If Josh and Monica could share one tip about wedding invitations, they'd like you to know that, "it's okay to think outside of the box and try something different. The most important things are to be happy with your invitation and feel like it says something about you as a couple. Who cares what's been done before? There will never be a wedding just like yours!"

We loved everything about Josh and Monica's beautiful wedding, and we would love to feature future innovative weddings on our site. Not already friends? Let us get to know you and feature your great ideas! Email us at designers@orangeblossomink.com.

We Love it Wednesday: Orla Kiely

2009-06-17T11:00:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I received a gift from good friend (and graphic designer!), Trisha Hay. Beautifully wrapped, complete with perfectly designed hang tangs, these Orla Kiely chocolates were indeed heaven in a box. So beautiful in fact, that Lisa and I spent nearly five minutes, in the middle of Panera, attempting to delicately open the box, so as to avoid tearing the paper. Fellow designers and lovers of all things creative, you get it, right?

Of course we loved what we found under the paper wrapping and hang tags–besides the chocolate.

Orla Kiely has a unique brand and it's everywhere. From Anthropologie to Target, her patterns can be found on dresses, dishware, notebooks–you name it. Now that's a versatile brand!

What are some other brands that successfully carry their design scheme across the spectrum of apparel, paper goods, kitchenware, etc?

Image courtesy of Orla Kiely

Signed, Sealed, Delivered...

2009-06-16T21:23:00.005-04:00

After a weekend of putting together the final touches here is picture of our invitations bundled up and ready for delivery to our October bride! Complete with matching purple boxes, and topped off with our new thank you cards and Orange Blossom buttons! We can't wait to see her face when she opens up the first one!

We love it Wednesday: Mix 'n Match Envelopes

2009-06-10T07:00:00.002-04:00

I love a great color palette–especially when it's woven throughout an entire wedding. From bridesmaids to bouquets, colors create a mood, evoke a feeling and set the tone to a great event.

Most of the wedding invitations I've received in the mail lately have been basic white, with an embossed silver text and a splash of colored ribbon. Yes, they all say wedding, but besides the time and place, they're pretty similar. Now, white can be absolutely fabulous, but if you're using color elsewhere in your wedding, why not carry it through to the envelopes of your invitations? This is an easy, inexpensive way to make your invitations set the mood for your wedding day.

We love these these sample invitations from Envelopements. Using one color for your Save the Date envelope, and another color for your invitation and RSVP envelopes keep all the pieces within the same color palette, but still with an overall cohesive look.

Besides, wouldn't a crisp, brightly colored envelope look great against the endless white business envelopes in which all bills arrive?

Coral, cream and honeysuckle – what a beautiful combination!

Love this deep red, gold and turquoise! Different colored patterns add a touch of elegance.

Pictures and designs courtesy of Envelopements

We love it Wednesday: Custom Buttons

2009-06-03T07:00:00.001-04:00

A good friend of ours, Maria referred us to Busy Beaver Button Co. when we were in search for custom buttons as a cute Orange Blossom Ink giveaway. From start to finish, our custom ordering experience was completely pleasant, and cost efficient. I was even able to visit their studio to pick up our order in person while visiting Chicago. The staff was welcoming and the project was something I was so excited about I wanted to share it in this week's post.

It got me thinking, wouldn't buttons make great wedding favors or a fun extra touch added to a Save the Date? I would love to order more custom buttons that have a monogram, icon, or wedding date that match back to the invitations and event for a couple! Because, who doesn't love to get a nice new button?

Logo courtesy of Busy Beaver Button Co.

Orange Blossom Ink Buttons!

Sneak Peek!

2009-06-01T22:04:00.005-04:00

It is always exciting to see a project come together. We spent last week getting all our envelopes and enclosures in the mail, and anxiously awaiting the arrival of our invitations from the printer. We are currently getting them ready to hand off to the bride, and can't wait to share the final piece with all of you! Be sure to check back soon.

We love it Wednesday: Personal Touch Favors

2009-05-27T07:00:00.001-04:00

In the spirit of Sarah's latest post about choosing a wedding theme, I had branding on the brain while looking for inspiration. I came across these cute summer handmade party favors on the ever so wonderful Martha Stewart website, and thought they would work perfectly to carry out the "brand" of a wedding. I would love to add a couple's logo, monogram, or symbol to any of the sweet treats and their packaging! While being cost effective, any of these gifts would be a great last note for guests to leave with, and would carry invitation brand from the beginning of a wedding to the very end of the night!

All images courtesy of marthastewart.com

Choosing the right invitation

2009-05-25T08:00:00.006-04:00

When I got engaged two years ago, it was one of the most exciting days of my life. A walk through the Magic Kingdom on Christmas Eve, a stop at the bakery and Hubs kneeling down in the spot we first met–perfect. Tourists snapped photos and I said yes.

The next few days were spent calling family and friends, looking through wedding magazines and enjoying a slightly heavier left hand. Being the first of my sisters and girlfriends to get married, I didn’t know where to begin. Pick a date. Find a venue. Buy a dress. The choices were overwhelmingly exciting, but intimidating.

With a year of marriage under my belt, I started thinking about setting the tone for a wedding. What most brides don’t think about at the beginning of the wedding planning process is the invitation. It’s generally down the list on priorities. There’s pertinent information that needs to be confirmed prior to the actual printing of the invitation, but you can start the planning process with the look and feel of the invitations.

Think of your wedding as your business and your invitation as your brand. While there’s not a specific way to choose your brand, I can assure you that you probably won’t find it in a book of invitations.

So how do you choose your brand for a custom invitation? Here are a few suggestions:

1.) Color. Maybe you’ve already picked your bridesmaid dresses, or you know that you absolutely HAVE to have chocolate and brown together. Either way, a color combination can be a great start.

2.) Flowers. Do you have a favorite, or one you’d like to have in your centerpieces or bridal bouquet? I had a beach bride who used a hydrangea as part of her monogram. This theme was carried out with hydrangea bouquets and centerpieces.

3.) Season/Time of Year. Maybe you’re getting married in December and you’d like a snowflake embossed on pearl paper. My friend got married on Halloween and designed her invitation to look like an old royal court announcement, inspired by The Count of Monte Cristo (complete with a wax seal).

4.) Location. Is there something special about your venue? Do you want to showcase the great tropical setting for your destination wedding? I knew a bride whose invitations were designed with a pattern from the ceiling tiles at her New York venue.

5.) Theme. Is your dress reminiscent of the 1930s? Maybe you’d like a vintage look with your invitations. Are you more of a modern bride? You might want lots of white space and clean lines. A favorite era or style can open a lot of doors to great designs.

There are so many options when it comes to your wedding invitations. Take advantage of opportunity to create something custom for you and your fiancé. Maybe it’s the lace from your dress applied as a pattern, maybe your monogram stems from a lyric of your favorite song, or maybe you just want to reference the bakery where you first met…

Do you have any ideas for ways to create your wedding brand?

Ivy's Wedding Menus

2009-05-22T08:00:00.005-04:00

We wanted to share a project we just finished up for a wonderful client of ours, Ivy. She had a beautiful black tie wedding in Cape Cod, and we were so happy to be able to help put the finishing touches on her reception!

We love it Wednesday: Green Invites

2009-05-18T23:04:00.006-04:00

What would be more fun for an outdoor spring wedding than a wooden wedding invite? A while back I received this beautiful postcard in the mail from a special someone; I followed the web address on the back, which lead me to Night Owl Paper Goods. A cute couple based out of Alabama with a passion for creating lovely letterpress cards and wooden products.

To my surprise they had an entire custom section to their site, where you can send an original designs and they print it on a variety of wooden card sizes. I will speak on behalf of both Sarah and I when I say, we would love to start using their printing service in some of our custom wedding packages! There is something so clean and sweet about a design once it is printed on one of these beautiful cards, and it even an Eco-friendly green product! What other ideas do you have for an Eco-Friendly approach to your wedding day or event?

All photos courtesy of Night Owl Paper Goods.

We love it Wednesday: Edible Invitations!

2009-05-12T23:02:00.005-04:00

Who says you can’t have your cake and eat it too? In this case, it’s cookies that take that cake…wedding invitation cookies! An edible invitation can be perfect for that fun bride and groom who want something unique, yet not over the top.

When the guest has penciled in the date and phoned in their RSVP, then all that’s left to do is indulge in the tasty treat. Marilyn's Keepsakes offers a great option to the traditional paper invitation.

What is the most original invitation (wedding or other) that you’ve received in the mail?

We love it Wednesday: week one

2009-05-06T12:05:00.007-04:00

We are half way through the week, and we are using today to kick off our new weekly addition to our blog! We are introducing "We love it Wednesdays!" Check back each Wednesday to see what have been looking at throughout the week for inspiration.

This first week of May we are featuring a designer whose wedding invitation we have been admiring for some time. We love the idea of invitations that tell a story, and this one does it better than any we have seen! Designer Ryan Masuga uses a handmade book to tell the story of each of bride and groom's childhoods, how they met, the proposal and all are accompanied with great pictures which gives the invite great personal appeal. The book is even has page with a cute pull out map for directions!

We hope to carry this idea of telling a couples story into some of our future projects, maybe we could even team up with Monica Holtsclaw of Boom Box Bindery to create our own take on a hand held book invitation! We can certainly dream!

All photos are courtesy of Ryan Masuga

Happy 1st Birthday!

2009-05-03T11:25:00.006-04:00

It's official, Orange Blossom Ink was born a year ago this month! We have had such an exciting year building our little company from the ground up, and we are so appreciative for all of the support and encouragement we have received from everyone. Thank you to all of you! We are looking forward to another great year, and new opportunities!

Congrats to Becca & Brent!

2009-04-21T18:05:00.008-04:00

This past weekend, one half of Orange Blossom Ink (Lisa) attended Becca & Brent's beautiful wedding in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It was a fun-filled weekend, and we could not be more happy for our newly wed friends! We thought after all of the hard work we wanted to share a couple photos from the event, and some of our final pieces for the wedding.

Lisa (right) with the bride and groom

The yellow flowers made for such a pretty spring wedding!

Our finished programs for the Ceremony that match back to the invitations & save the dates!

All of our finished pieces along with Becca's beautiful bouquet that Lisa caught at the reception!!

We're back!

2009-04-18T01:23:00.008-04:00

After a brief hiatus, we returned back to the blogging world! March was a busy month and we're so excited with what we've been working on. Lisa is up in the mid-west, performing Maid of Honor duties at Becca's wedding. We worked on Becca's wedding invitations a few months ago. Lisa will be returning soon, with plenty of photos to show everyone.

In the meantime, we've been hard at work with an October wedding. Carolyn's wedding will have a vintage feel, with colors of champagne, ivory, eggplant, lapis and hints of deep red. Since we're still in the preliminary phases and don't want to show the final invitation, here's a look at a few concepts she didn't choose.

Carolyn may also be our first bride to choose letterpress as her printing process! We're looking forward to partnering with Kent at The Nomadic Press .

Hope all is well elsewhere...spring definitely here! Enjoy the weather!

Cottage Industry

A day at Cottage Industry

2009-03-16T21:14:00.012-04:00

After much anticipation, and a couple late nights we finally made it to our first show this past Saturday, "Spring into Handmade", at Cottage Industry. We arrived early to set up and spent the rest sunny day talking with great people, listening to some live music and selling our first batch of handmade cards, gift tags and calendars!

This show gave us a great opportunity to work on new art, and ideas we had been wanting to get on paper for months! We wanted our work to be bright and cheerful therefore, we used imagery like owls, cupcakes and floral patterns throughout many of the cards and gift tags. We also added cute buttons, rhinestones and ribbons to our cards to give them an extra hand made quality. We are so proud of the outcome and hope you enjoy!

Sarah setting up our table very early in the morning
One of our new cards, with some of our cute new buttons!
Our final table spread
Sarah and Monica anxiously awaiting for the show to officially start!
We shared our table with Monica Holtsclaw of Boom Box Bindery, and her beautiful handmade books and book earrings! Plus, all three of us combined our creative efforts to create two boxed card sets. The boxes were made by Monica, and we designed the cards to match. We were really thrilled with outcome and hope to collaborate more in the future.

Some of Monica's sweet book earrings, and journals. They were a big hit!
One of the two box sets made by Orange Blossom Ink & Boom Box Bindery.

Spring Into Handmade

2009-03-06T11:25:00.005-05:00

Image courtesy of Cottage Industry
If you happen to find yourself in the Orlando area on Saturday, March 14th swing by our first Arts & Crafts market! Cottage Industry is great local artist Co-op and they are hosting Spring Into Handmade - a show featuring designers, artists, artisans, and crafters from around the Central Florida area. We are really looking forward to showing/selling our work and meeting fellow designers in the community.

We will be sharing our booth with our "sister company" Boom Box Bindery run by Monica Holtsclaw, the most talented book binder we know! She will be selling beautiful handmade journals, cute book earrings among other treasures. We recommend you take a look at her Etsy site frequently if you can't make it to the show.

As far as Orange Blossom Ink, we will be selling individual cards, card sets, calendars and of course, custom invitations! So, if you find yourself wondering what to do on Saturday from 9am -4pm come visit us along with other amazing local artists, it should be a great time!

For more information regarding the event you can check Cottage Industry or please feel free to email us at designers@orangeblossomink.com. And remember to check back with us as we will be adding photos of our preparation throughout this coming week!

Becca & Brent are getting married!

2009-03-01T01:09:00.013-05:00

This particular wedding has been a special project for us, because it was over a discussion of Becca & Brent's invitations that Orange Blossom Ink was born almost nine months ago! We are so excited to have finished this project, and could not have been more touched to have been a part of their big day. Below are pictures of the finished piece - packaged, tied with yellow ribbon and sent with love.

Getting all the pieces together

The completed Invitation

Adding the final touches

On it's way to Minnesota!

It's never too late

2009-02-10T23:22:00.004-05:00

It's still not too late to pick up your 2009 Orange Blossom Ink desk Calendar! During this dreary month of february, this calendar brings cheer and happiness to any desk! Feel free to drop by our new Etsy site or email us at designers@orangeblossomink.com to pick up your calendar today! Calendars are $15.00 total with shipping included. Happy shopping!

Flagler + Eye Noise = Road Trip

2009-02-07T12:44:00.016-05:00

On January 21st, Josh, Monica, and the girls of Orange Blossom Ink, took a Friday night road trip to St. Augustine. Flagler College had invited a good friend of ours, the owner of Eye Noise, to give a presentation in the local art gallery and have a week-long art show!

Thomas is an artist who makes incredible screen-printed posters. Thomas' work has received national recognition in the design journals Communication Arts, Print, How, Step-By-Step, the annuals of AIGA and Type Director's Club and is featured in the books Next: The New Generation in Graphic Design; Cool Type; SWAG: Rock Posters Of The 90s; and the forthcoming The Art Of Modern Rock.

Thomas is an amazing artist and has all his posters for sale on his website.

A New Year

2009-02-02T20:08:00.008-05:00

We have been getting back into the swing of things for the past month starting new projects and setting new goals. We are looking forward to an exciting year, and are so grateful to have celebrated our six month anniversary of Orange Blossom Ink!

We have high hopes for what this year is going to bring. Our big goal is to try and make a trip to the National Stationery Show in New York City this May, to check out what other designers have to show, and get inspired as we keep designing! It looks like an amazing event to attend, and we are really hoping to pull it together! Check back for updates on our progress! We are also continuing to work towards getting our work for sale at Cottage Industry, a cute artist co-op for hand made local arts! In the mean time though, be sure to keep checking our Etsy site where you'll be able to purchase our work, or order custom invitations.

To start off the New Year we have been working on several different weddings. Below are some inspiration and concept images from one particular project where we looked at Irish and Celtic Iconography along with the Bride's colors of Navy and Lime Green to come up with something meaningful for the couple.

All I want for Christmas

2008-12-15T21:28:00.007-05:00

The Orange Blossom Ink 2009 Calendar has finally arrived!

We are currently taking orders for this fabulous, and fun CD size desk calendar featuring 12 original illustrations themed to each month of the year. Calendars sell for $15.00 each and will be available through our Etsy page or you can direct order by emailing us at designers@orangeblossomink.com. Let us know the quantity and mailing address to where you would like it to be sent, and your beautiful calendar will arrive at your door soon after!

front & back cover

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy New Year...this calendar says it all and is the perfect gift for anyone!

It's colorful, unique illustrations make any day at the office more enjoyable!

You'll never forget a birthday (or anniversary) again with easy to read numbers!

Certain illustrations may inspire you. Take June for example...you may just feel like jumping on your bike to go fly a kite!

...or what about November? A steaming pumpkin pie can inspire anyone to bake!

Plus, it's the perfect addition to your nightstand. Now when you wake up and groan, "Oh no, it's Monday!" you can rest assured when you realize it's still the weekend, thanks to your fabulous Orange Blossom Ink calendar.

Happy shopping and Merry Christmas!

April showers bring May flowers

2008-12-08T22:21:00.004-05:00

We have been working hard to get our Orange Blossom Ink 2009 Calendar finished, and now that we are getting so close, we thought it would be fun to give everyone a sneak peek! Our calendar will be available for order through our Etsy site, but for now, you can pre-order by emailing us at orangeblossomink@hotmail.com!

It's almost here...

2008-12-03T20:25:00.003-05:00

Baby! Baby!

2008-11-16T20:44:00.008-05:00

Minted has just opened their latest contest for voting, and we again, are so excited to be apart of it! This time around, The Baby! Baby! Design Challenge was to create a "sophisticated birth announcement for the modern family" using a photograph featured in the design. Minted provided these adorable baby photos for us to use, and we loved the chance to design our first baby announcements!

We have been incredibly grateful for everyone's support throughout all of the competitions, and it is time to vote again! You can click below to head on over to Minted and vote for our two designs.

Click here to vote for "Bouncing Blocks"

Click here to vote for "Welcome to the World"

Inspiration Field Trip

2008-11-15T19:40:00.019-05:00

We've been talking about taking a work field trip for a few weeks, so today we drove downtown to explore stationery stores, paper boutiques and any other hidden treasures north of our regular stomping grounds. Our first stop on the list was Cottage Industry, a cute, contemporary Artist Co-op.
Photo courtesy of Cottage Industry

The shop was attached to Infusion Tea and we had the pleasure of learning all about the different varieties of tea from our "tea connoisseur", Alex. We both enjoyed a cup of steaming hot tea, complete with a tea-steep timer!

After talking to the cashier (a fellow artist with work at Cottage), she gave us some information on leasing space in the store. We pay a set fee to sell our work in the store and would work four hours per week at Cottage Industry. We have an application, so now we need to get our inventory ready, fill it out, and hope the interview goes well! We were so excited at this great Orlando find and had the chance to see some talented local artists' work. For you Florida readers, we highly recommend checking out Cottage Industry and grabbing a cup of tea from Alex. We'll keep everyone posted on the potential store space.

After our tea and inspiration, we drove over to Park Avenue in Winter Park and stopped at a local invitation and stationery boutique, Maureen Hall. It was located in a charming courtyard, right off Park Avenue. Maureen has been at that location for 20 years and in the stationery business for over 30 years! She was a great source of knowledge, with an absolutely adorable store, complete with a cushy couch in the corner.
Maureen's boutique, up the flight of stairs on the right
View into the courtyard
Park Avenue

After a quick stroll down Park Avenue, we headed to Sam Flax to check out their paper selection for upcoming wedding invitations. We stumbled upon this incredible Art-O-Mat. These machines are retired cigarette vending machines used to dispense small works of art. There are currently 82 in the US. The art in this vending machine sold for $5 each. What a great way to collect eclectic pieces of art from all over the country!

Art-O-Mat

Our day ended with a delicious meal from Dexter's in Thornton Park. Who can resist those sweet potato chips? Stay tuned for our next field trip! We're feeling inspired and can't wait to see what happens!

Thank You!

2008-10-27T16:01:00.005-04:00

We were so thrilled to find out Friday that we won a runner up spot in the "Quickfire Wedding Menu Design Challenge" for the design below, "Fresh Ink!" Thank you so much to Minted and everyone that showed their support! You can click here to see our work along with all the other amazing winners!

Becca & Brent: Save the Date

2008-10-19T22:27:00.004-04:00

We just finished up a bundle of save the dates for Becca & Brent, whose wedding is quickly approaching this spring. Their colors for the wedding are yellow, paired with black and white, and they knew they wanted to have some kind of monogram to use as an mark throughout their wedding. We had a great time working with them, and are excited to get to work on the invitations! Take a look at some of our yellow concepts!

Thinking Green

2008-10-07T21:07:00.005-04:00

Minted has just posted their latest design competition, The Spring Green Wedding Invitation Challenge. The Invitation design had to center around a theme of spring using only bright shades of green and white. We must admit, this one took a lot of thought! In the end we came up with these two designs. Voting will open soon, so be sure to check back for updates!

On the first day of Christmas

2008-10-07T19:03:00.006-04:00

Today Minted launched their Holiday Card Section to the site, and we are extremely excited have our first cards for sale! You can now purchase Partridge in a Pear Tree and A Seasonal Classic on Minted's site and customize them with your photos and holiday greetings! We really have appreciated everyones support throughout all these competitions, and we are so grateful Minted has provided us with the great opportunities!

Click here to see Partridge in a Pear Tree!

Click here to see A Seasonal Classic!

Deck the Halls

2008-09-26T16:41:00.010-04:00

We were so excited and flattered when we were approached by Minted to participate in their Holiday Card Commission Program! Minted has launched a Holiday Card selection to their site this fall, and they have added a group of limited edition cards created by select artists. We worked with them on three different concepts for a holiday photo card, and through collaboration came up with this final design! We were asked to create two color ways, and address labels. Visitors to the site will be able to order our design and have it customized with their own photo. Be on the look out for our design this fall!

You can click here to purchase!

A close up of the second color combination available

Below are our initial concepts...

Quickfire Menu open for Voting!

2008-09-25T21:42:00.008-04:00

Voting is now open for the Minted Quickfire Menu. Please click here to vote. We have three designs in this competition and appreciate all your support! There is some great talent in the Minted design community and we're so happy to have the opportunity to showcase our work. Thumbnails of the three designs can be seen below. Look for these when you're voting!

Happy voting!

QuickFire Minted Menu

2008-09-22T12:40:00.016-04:00

Wow, do we really love Minted! They have great design competitions that not only let us get some practice in typography and design, but also a chance for some free advertising! At the end of last week they announced a "Quickfire Wedding Menu Design" challenge. A prominent wedding magazine is looking for some new designs for three themed weddings: Spring Garden, Metropolitan Evening and Tropical Destination. The catch was a quick four-day turn around, but hey, it sounded like fun and we work best under pressure! Wedding menus were provided and everything else was free for interpretation and design creativity. Voting should open sometime this week, so we'll keep everyone posted.
Elegant Evening inspired by Metropolitan Evening Wedding

City Chic inspired by Metropolitan Evening Wedding

Fresh Ink inspired by Spring Garden Wedding

It's the holiday season (part two) ...

2008-09-15T19:35:00.010-04:00

It's time for another design competition over at Minted! This time Minted is hosting an "Around the World Holiday Card Challenge," asking designers to create a modern, sophisticated holiday card inspired by a specific geographic location of their choice. The photo card needs to allow a Minted customer to upload and incorporate a family photo into the design.

We didn't want to limit ourselves to only Florida (although we did sneak a palm tree into one design!), so we researched other areas of the country, including our stomping grounds of the Midwest. Our designs feature regional icons to bring something fun and different to a typical holiday greeting.

We have really appreciated everyone's support for us over the past few competitions, and voting is now open for the current Holiday Card Challenge. When you have time, please head over to Minted, and look for the designs below. All you have to do is create an account at Minted (it's free!), and then click here to vote. Winners will have their designs sold permanently on the site, and earn a small percentage of all total revenue sold. These competitions are a great way for us to get our name out there, and showcase what we can do! Thank you in advance for supporting our new business!

We used inspiration from the Sun Studio in Memphis, Tennessee, where great rock legends got their start. The studio's signature guitar is displayed outside and is a popular photo spot for tourists. Memphis has a great music heritage and we wanted to showcase it with a holiday twist!

Sun Studio in Memphis, Tennessee

We used the bright tropical colors from the south as inspiration for a warm holiday greeting. The text has a stamped, letterpress look to it and is topped with a palm tree ornament!

Route 66 stretches across many states and makes its way through different scenery, weather and traditions! We used the classic song and iconic signage as inspiration for this fun holiday card.

New business cards!

2008-09-07T14:41:00.007-04:00

We've had a recent lull in our timeline of other projects, so took the opportunity to refine our logo and create some business cards! We chose our color palette and fonts and went with a vertical layout. We love the fresh and clean look and look forward to creating more collateral. We're working out our website, www.orangeblossomink.com, which will be coming in the near future. In the meantime, please use the contact information listed below:

Orange Blossom Ink
Sarah Matthews & Lisa Badeen
designers@orangeblossomink.com
407-406-4311

We look forward to your business!

Christina & Jim

2008-08-24T12:58:00.005-04:00

As promised, here are the final invitations for Christina and Jim's beach wedding. The total package consists of 75 invitations. Each invitation contains a front page with an all-over tonal pattern made up of the wedding information. The second page is the formal invite, followed by an RSVP postcard and a logo back-stamped on the end page. The invitations are held together by a raw-edge, pink belly band and finished with a straw-grass twine and logo tag. The pink envelopes have their logo printed on the back flap. Christina and Jim's logo contains their names and a hibiscus, which is also their wedding flower.

Christina and Jim's final invitation package.

Invitation shown with RSVP postcard.

Invitation put together with printed envelope.

Our first three put together!

Congrats Christina and Jim! Have a beautiful wedding!