ON ASHLEY'S DESK

I have loved Ashley of Lemon and Lavender's sweet and feminine work ever since I saw it for the first time. When I got engaged, she was the clear choice to create my wedding suite. I couldn't have envisioned a more beautiful suite myself. She was so wonderful to work with and so very talented. Today she is sharing my Save The Date, and a sneak peek of my wedding invites...

Thanks Ashley! You have made me one very happy bride!

FROM SOMMER'S DESK...

I'm so pleased to have my friend Sommer here from Paper Anniversary Co. be sure to check out her awesome blog!To share her experience at Alt Summit with us. I met Sommer years ago through our mutual good friends Hi V + R!, and she and I instantly bonded over our love of all things creative, blogging- and much more. Sommer has an amazing knack for putting creativity on paper, and I thought she would be the perfect person to share some of the secrets she learned from Alt...

A BIG Thank you to Keely for having me over today to share my experience at the recent Altitude Design Summit. I couldn’t be more delighted to be here!

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The girl in the photo above - that would be yours truly – the girl behind Paper. Not my most flattering photo; however, I feel its worth sharing. It’s a snapshot of me listening (quite intently I might add) to my girls Alix and Dottie fromModern Kiddo. When I met Dottie the evening before in the Alt Lounge – we share a love for vintage eyewear - she encouraged me to attend her round table the next morning, and I did.

These ‘kiddos’ hosted a discussion entitled “Happiness is a better blog: Simple marketing & PR tips to benefit your blog” focusing on the importance finding and communicating your unique blog style. They also provided a well-crafted outline featuring fabulous advertisements such as this one…

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As you can see, this wasn’t your typical round table and Altitude Design Summit (Alt) was your typical conference either. Many of my fellow Alt attendees have referred to the Summit as a blogger summer camp. I couldn’t think of a better descriptor myself. We worked, we played, and we bonded. In the end, we left better prepared to face a new year.

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Here are a few things I took away from ‘camp’:

·      A better insight into how I can create a true sense of community with my blog

·      Options and alternatives for advertising on your blog

·      An unofficial guide to ethics and etiquette from the modern Emily Posts Emily, Grace, and Joy

·      Tips for hosting a successful event (to build your offline community) such as selecting “Invitations that Shine” according to party planner extraordinaire Jordan Ferney

·      Print is not dead! Whew! There is a basic human nostalgia toward print leaving room for digital and print to coexist symbiotically…perfect examples Rue and Anthology

But, the best thing I took away from Alt (much like summer camp) was the new friendships. I met some wonderfully kind and talented women who I look forward to learning from and collaborating with in the future. And, in the process I realized, the key to being a better blogger: be true to yourself and kind to others.

WE HAVE A WINNER!

I'm so excited to announce that (thanks to random.org)  Will from Bright.Bazaar is the Paper Anniversary Co. giveaway winner! He will be receiving a set of Paper Anniversary Co.'s super cute new paper line, as well as some of his own with "Cocktails, soon?" printed on them! 

Thank You so much to everyone who entered, tweeted, and told your friends. Its wonderful to have great followers and the opportunities to do these giveaways! And of course, a big thanks to Paper Anniversary Co!

A COCKTAIL PARTY DIY

I think we all love a brilliant DIY project, I certainly do!

But, I just might love a great cocktail party even more!

These super cute invitations by Anna Bond of Rifle Paper Co. look easy, 

and are sure to make a great impression!

Garden Party Guest Post!

Today I am guest posting over at Where the Sidewalk Begins for the lovely Sarah! I think it is my favorite post ever! I am going to tease you here with the inspiration board (sorry!), but head over there for all the tips and tricks for putting together the perfect garden party, and of course her awesome blog!

I Want Invitations

In apology of my absence yesterday, I promise today will be full of many great goodies.

Those of you who know me, know that the deer head has become a symbol near and dear to my heart, so when I saw these, I was SO in love. Not only are the beautifully printed and cut, but the linen envelope is a fantastically different way to make a statement.

I found these via Twig and Thistle, but they are made by Chelle Paperie.

These were made as thanksgiving invitations, but the company offers SO many beautiful prints, or you can make your own!