Category Archives: Paper Goods

11.11.10

The Power of Paper.


No matter how advanced technology becomes, nothing beats the warmth and thoughtfulness of an old-fashioned thank you note. Two things that I like to indulge in (among others) are personalized stationery and fresh flowers. They make me happy.

 
Check out these tips from Southern Living on the five key elements of a charming thank you note:
 
1. Start with the date and salutation: Send your note, written in black ink, within a week of receiving a gift.
2. Say thanks right off the bat: Be specific about why you are writing the note. If you’re thanking someone for a monetary gift, refer to their “generosity” rather than mentioning the amount.
3. Compliment the kind gesture: Don’t be afraid to go over the top—everyone loves an effusive compliment, as long as it’s heartfelt.
4. Allude to the future: Anticipate another get-together, or if you’re writing about a gift, be sure to tell them how you plan to use it.
5. Finish with sincere regards: Reiterate your gratitude, then close the letter on an intimate note, signing your first and last name. Don’t forget to proofread before you postmark!
Now that you’ve been schooled on the how to’s, pick yourself up some fresh stationery. Check out the top correspondence cards that made it onto Kiki’s List:

1. The Point Pattern– $68 for 20 ***KIKI’S LIST FAVE
2. Simply Classic Notecards– $12 for 8
3. Cable Knit Notecards-$65 for 25 ***KIKI’S LIST FAVE
4. Fuschia Notecard– $272 for 25
5. Wild Things Notecards-$58.50 for 25
6. Modern Vintage Notecards– $31 for 25
7. Letterpress Elephant Cards– $238 for 25 ***KIKI’S LIST FAVE
8. Orange with Pink Piping Notecards– $68 for 20 ***KIKI’S LIST FAVE
9. Herringbone Notecards– $65 for 25
10.Petal Pop Stationary-$448 for 50
11. Starfish Notecards– $60 for 24 ***KIKI’S LIST FAVE
12. Oaxaca Correspondence Cards– $238 for 25

10.12.10

5.


As many of you know, my baby girl turned five last month. For their birthdays, I let my kids pick the theme, then the rest is up to Momma. You can see her first four birthdays here. Believe it or not, you can have a character party with style. This year, she chose a Princess and the Frog theme. I aimed for a whimsical, bayou-esque feel. Since Tiana is a chef (and so is E, might I add) I focused on the cooking element. You will see this theme repeated in the invitations, as well as the favors.

 
We had an absolute blast. Below are some pictures of the event, as well as the How To’s.

Invitations– The Plum enclosures were on clearance at Paper Source.
Poms– Pom Love
Pinata– Pinata Queen
Goody Bags– 1. Aprons- Bought aprons here. Printed each child’s initial (lilac for girls, chartreuse for boys) on transfer paper and ironed on. 2. Tiana’s Cookbook 3. Frog Cookie Cutters
Photographs– James Woo
Games– Pin the Kiss on Naveen, Hot Frog, Freeze Dance
Flowers– Remember those darn candy jars from Lou’s party? They have once again been re-purposed. We wrapped them in ribbon and added an E sticker glued onto lilac card stock.
Music– Princess and the Frog Soundtrack, as well as some other Disney faves.
Candy Cups– Michael’s.  I created the labels from Paper Source‘s 2.5 inch labels.
 
A special thanks to my bestie, MJ, who slept over the night before the party to tie together loose ends. As usual, there were a lot more loose ends than I estimated… We were up until 1:30 am.. she arranged all of the flowers- and what an amazing job she did! I have the best friends in the world. A big fat kiss to all of you.. MWAH!

10.05.10

Welcome to the World, Glory.


Last Sunday I hosted a baby shower for my dear friend, Aimee. Aimee is married to Mike’s best friend from high school, Will. They are truly like family to us, and we are so grateful to have them in our lives. She is having a little girl sometime in the next two weeks. Her original due date was November 3, but the doctors keep moving it up, so at this point, it can be any day.


Aimee’s mom passed away of cancer a year ago. Gloria Wedlake was an amazing woman- so charming, graceful and charismatic. Aimee was lucky enough to inherit some of her best traits. To honor her mother and Will’s mother, they have decided to name their little bundle of joy Glory Constance. I just love it. It is so fitting.

I hope you enjoy the pictures of the shower. Aimee is not your “cutesy” kind of girl, so I tried to make it sophisticated and earthy with a twist of bohemian flair. Just her style.

Here are the How To’s:
  • Invites- Tinyprints.
  • Mantle Letters- Cardboard letters from Paper Source. I cut strips of paper to create the patterns. This created a much cleaner look than paint.
  • Kitchen Table Flowers- Reused the candy jars from Lou’s Yo Gabba Gabba Party and wrapped them in this paper with pink velvet ribbon. I bought 9 yards of burlap at G Street fabrics ($7/yd) and cut it into (3) 3 yd pieces. MUCH cheaper than buying burlap table cloths. I bought the runners here.
  • Dining Room Flowers- For these you need a lot of flowers, a lot of patience and a lot of this.
  • CD’s- I had my graphics go-to girl, Jenna create the labels, and popped them on some of these.
  • Cake- Kristy at Tastefully Treated.
  • Menu- Sausage and Leek Casserole, Butternut Squash Soup, Arugula Salad (Pomegranate Arils, Bleu Cheese, Candied Pecans, Red Onion, Balsamic Vinaigrette),Fresh Berry Salad, Assorted Muffins and Danishes. Also, our other dear friend Melissa brought this as well as Mimosas and Bellinis. All of it was delish.
  • Elephant Table– Bought this beauty on clearance, here. I bought a tray of wheat grass and cut it to size then wrapped it in the pink velvet ribbon. How cute will that be in the girls’ playroom?
  • Gift Basket– I have a lot of go to girls. Mary is my go to girl for all things baby. Check out her site here.
I hope you enjoyed this peek at Aimee’s shower. Welcome to the world, Glory…We can’t wait to meet you!

09.14.10

Through the Years.

As we prepare for E’s 5th birthday bash this weekend, I get nostalgic thinking about her birthdays past. Mike thinks I am crazy, as birthdays were never a big deal in his family. If it were up to him we would have a pinata and a 6 foot sub. Never going to happen. I live for parties. Here are some shots of soirees # 1-4. Unfortunately, I was always so busy preparing for the parties, I never really took good pictures. This year will be different. My friend James Woo will be there to capture all of the details. Stay tuned!




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08.02.10

Nesting Baby Shower.

Remember this little nugget? Well, here are some pics from her Momma’s baby shower, hosted by yours truly, and my sister, Karen. It was quite a hectic day. We had the shower at 11:00, and a dance recital for E and her cousin Bella at 4:00 (about 40 minutes away.) Nonetheless, we had an amazing time.
Here are the pictures of the lovely Milena’s shower:

Here is the most amazing part of the shower. Remember this post on butterflies? Well, this one decided to stay for the ENTIRE shower. It followed E and Bella wherever they went and even sat in Milena’s hand. It literally gave me goosebumps. I would mark it as one of the most magical moments in my life. I am so happy to know that Neets is with us, and looking down on all of us- particularly on Milena and Olivia that day.
.and then it was time to get the girls ready for dance.
The end.
Invitation: Tiny Prints
Cookies: Kristy Stone

07.20.10

Yo Gabba Gabba!

My little Lou Lou bug turned two on May 1, and we had such a fun party. She is absolutely obsessed with Yo Gabba Gabba so of course, that was our theme. Nick Jr. gives you so many tools for projects, that it really was easy (but time-consuming.) We had a blast making everything. After posting the pictures, I was asked by many mommies about how I did it… Here are the details:

 

  • Bags: We bought the bags and transfer paper at Michael’s, and used the YGG Iron-Ons from Nick Jr.
  • Banner: I used a roll of fuchsia wrapping paper from Paper Source.
  • Jars: The jars are vases from Michael’s. 
  • Cut-Outs- I ordered the characters here. Then I needed to: 1.) Find foam board that was big enough 2.) Cut out the hole for the head and 3.)Painstakingly glue each character on the board. I wish I had not left this until the day before the party. (We used wooden stakes that we hammered into the ground to hold them up.)
  • Cake- The amazing Kristy Stone.
  • Cake Toppers- I paid about $30 for these at Christmas time. Apparently now, they are out of stock and are going for as much as $130.
  • Tee Shirts- Here.