Let the celebration begin!

Super Duper Food Photography-Fabulous Finds Friday

2011-11-11T07:46:00.002-07:00

I saw this piece on CBS Sunday morning and was blown away. Here it is again and well worth your 6 minutes. The segment is all about Carl Warner, an amazing food photographer and creative genius. Makes you look at food in a completely different way.

New Holiday Cards Line Up-Sneak Peak on Facebook

2011-11-08T15:14:00.002-07:00

We have given folks on Facebook a sneak peak at some of our newest holiday photo cards and Christmas cards. We would love to know what you think, and for sharing your thoughts, we will enter you to win 40 holiday cards and 40 return address labels. So, head on over to Facebook and tell us what you think.

I Spy-Marry Me Monday

2011-10-31T07:47:00.000-06:00

I LOVE this idea---asking guests to take their cameras and spy the following shots. Some of the best pictures from my own wedding were from the disposable cameras we put on each table and I just love giving guests a little guidance...Great idea.

Let the celebration begin!

Unique Guest Book-Marry Me Monday

2011-10-24T07:29:00.003-06:00

I found this great idea on pinterest and just loved it. I think that if you were to use this idea, have hand wipes at the ready and a skinny pen so guests can sign their name near their thumb print.

Thumbs Up of an idea! (he, he).

Let the celebration begin!

Say thank you in a wonderful way-Fabulous Finds Friday

2011-10-20T16:23:00.006-06:00

This year I have asked to host Thanksgiving and I am already thinking of how I can make the day really special. Here is one idea that I have come up with that is easy and very inexpensive to create: placemate full of things that I am thankful for.

I literally spent just a few minutes on this, but wanted to at least give you the idea. I printed the first layer of the placemat on a colored card stock 8.5 x 11 and then glued it to a rust paper in a larger size (in this case, it was 12 x 18). Each paper has a little bit of texture to it, and when set at each person's place setting, I think it will be a really pretty and meaningful addition to my table. I also may modified this and have the person's name on the placemat as well as why I am thankful for them. That would make the placemat even more personal and thoughtful...What do you think of this idea?

Let the celebration begin!

500 Likes is well under way

2011-10-20T09:45:00.002-06:00

Urbanity Studios set a goal to reach 500 likes and we are well under way and so far we have awarded two $25 gift certificates to two lucky fans. We are getting closer to posting our 30% off coupon code, so get in the action and "Like" us on Facebook!

Save the Date Postcard - Take Ours and Make it Yours Thursday

2011-10-20T09:22:00.010-06:00

I love this mason jar wedding save the date design and I love it even more when I see brides putting their own spin on the colors, what it says, etc. This couple chose a great picture to include that shows them playing in a pretty field. A perfect accompaniment to the save the date mason jar design.

The original design includes a red background for the design:

This couple chose a green that goes so well with their picture.

Turned out great, don't you think?

Let the celebration begin!

Butcher Paper Table Cloth-Marry Me Monday

2011-10-17T13:01:00.002-06:00

I saw this and thought what a great idea for a rustic wedding (or a thanksgiving feast). Just take butcher paper, and cut it to length for the width of the table and then either draw, stamp (or leave blank) some decorations on the paper. Love it!

Let the celebration begin!

Clever Halloween Party Favor-Fabulous Finds Friday

2011-10-14T07:00:00.001-06:00

I LOVE this idea. So simple, so stinkin' cool and so easy to make. I'm definitely using these for my upcoming kid-friendly Halloween party. Martha, you've done it again with these great Witches Broom Favors.

Let the celebration begin!

Bird Wedding Invitations-Take Ours and Make it Yours

2011-10-13T06:59:00.001-06:00

Our Bird Wedding Invitation is a popular option and we have seen so many great color combinations with this invitation. We recently had a bride change the wedding invitation colors to royal red, walnut and cream. Her finished invitation said "Fall" and "Beautiful" all in the same sentence.

Original color scheme

Her color scheme

Let the celebration begin!

Rainbow Wedding-Marry Me Monday

2011-10-10T07:00:00.002-06:00

Can't decide what color combinations to use for your wedding? Are just a few colors not enough? Too boring? What about using the colors of the rainbow! Here are just a few ideas from Brides.com to get your colorful, creative juices flowing.

Tastefully incorporate multiple colors with paper umbrellas and different colored shoes. The look is tied together with the bride's multi-colored bouquet and the bridesmaid's black dresses.

Simply give each groom a different colored tie for a fun and cheery look.

Add a bright splash of color to the bar with these great sodas and line them up by color to make a really fun, happy display:

These beautiful table decorations show off all kinds of color without hurting your eyes. In fact, it does just the opposite and draws you in with a smile.

This beautiful ceiling creates a stunning look and makes for a very stylish, beautiful, (and colorful!) reception.

Let the celebration begin!

Alice in Wonderland Party Ideas-Fabulous Finds Friday

2011-10-07T07:00:00.002-06:00

Our Alice in Wonderland invitations have been a huge hit, so I was so excited to find that Better Homes and Gardens did a whole spread on a Alice in Wonderland/Mad Hatter's themed party. Here are just a few of their ideas:

Cut out silhouettes of different characters and frame them in all kinds of different frames (I would head to your thrift store to find the frames). BH&G gives you silhouettes that you can print and create, but some of their patterns have a Halloween slant.

Create a key cookie that can either greet guests at the door or that they can take on their way home.

Set a beautiful buffet with funky hats, tall and short candle sticks (to hold plates of treats), grab your grandmother's serving dishes and you have a table that's fit for a tea party!

Grab a large clock and tip it on its side for the backdrop for the bar. With these delicious concoctions, no one will notice that you're not serving tea at the party.

Entertain guests with this fun guessing game. Create "tea bag tags" that give a quote from the movie and ask guests to guess who said that line. Alice can keep track and give the winning guest a prize.

To see all of their ideas, visit Better Homes and Gardens. Don't be Late! These ideas will make your party that much more special.

Let the celebration begin!

Postcard Christmas Cards-Take Ours and Make it Yours Thursday

2011-10-06T07:00:00.001-06:00

With daily talks of bad economic news, we are constantly trying to think of products that we can design that will be a great value. This year, for our Christmas Photo Cards, we are offering fabulous postcard options. Not only are they a fantastic buy (as low as $.55), but they also help you save on postage when sending well wishes to friends and family. Below is a sneak peak of some great designs that you can customize with your beautiful face and wording, witty or otherwise.

This first design, our Playful Pictures Holiday Card Postcard, holds four great photos of you and your family and is designed with a simple curved sign to hold your well wishes. When personalizing, you can change the sign's colors, as well as your font choice, type and color. The back holds plenty of space where you can include information about what you've been up to and or anything else you'd like to share. Lastly, for a small fee, we can incorporate your recipients address in the "send to" space. All you have to do is affix a stamp and send them on their way.

This simple, yet whimsical "Let is Snow" holiday postcard, has a thin string that loops to say "let it snow" and holds handcut snowflakes. The entire space can be filled with a great picture of you and your family and the back boasts plenty of room to update your friends and family about your year and or future plans.

This postage stamp-inspired Christmas Postcard is designed so that you can easily change the colors and load in the photo of your liking. The stamp in the lower left reads "It's the most wonderful time of the year" and the text running on the right can be changed from "Happy Holidays" to whatever you prefer.

This is just a small taste of the great Christmas Photo Cards that we will be offering this year. We can't wait to see how you change them to make them reflect your personality and style this holiday season.

Let the celebration begin!

Get 30% off by Liking us on Facebook!

2011-10-05T07:48:00.002-06:00

Sounds too easy doesn't it? Here's how it works:
UrbanityStudios has set a goal to reach 500 Likes by December 1st and if every week we get closer to our goal, we will pick a random winner to receive a $25 gift certificate. The first winner will be drawn on October 11th and every week there after (that’s a total of 8 winners - so if you don’t win the first week, don’t fret, we’ll enter you again the next week). Then, if you help us reach our goal of 500 likes, we will give all of you a 30% off coupon code to use site wide! To participate, “Like” us on Facebook and tell your friends to “Like” us too. To be considered for the drawing, or to get the awesome 30% off code, you have to be a fan (and to become a fan, you “Like” us). Questions? Let’s have some Likin’ fun and, yes, it really is that easy!

Mason Jar Wedding Invitation-Take Ours and Make it Yours Thursday

2011-09-29T14:19:00.005-06:00

One of our newest designs, our mason jar wedding invitation, has captured brides imaginations and color inspirations. Our online tool makes it very easy to change the color behind the mason jar from red to orange to blue. This bride changed the red to a navy and the dotted line to our Tropicana (a light orange). We had to change the dotted line for her (as this can't be done in our tool) but it turned out great. She also changed the mason jar response card, as well as the mason jar thank you card to match her invitations.

Original Color Scheme:

Her color combination:

Let the celebration begin!

Superhero Birthday Party-Take Ours and Make it Yours Thursday

2011-09-15T16:58:00.006-06:00

This customer had a great idea to use her son's photo in place of the superhero kid's face. This superhero party invitation is certainly one we'll remember. We thought it turned out great.

Original Design

Let the celebration begin!

Affordable Centerpieces-Marry Me Monday

2011-09-12T12:52:00.004-06:00

The team at Martha Stewart put together 24 affordable wedding centerpieces and I picked a few of my favorites. With a little imagination and grouping things together en masse, you can create a very beautiful look for very little money.

Take for instance, these platters of oranges and flowers. So simple and very easy on the budget.

Or, how about these potted plants? These can do double, double duty-they can hold your guests place card, double as favors for guests to take home all the while creating a very pretty centerpiece.

This table of fresh fruits are also a great, inexpensive option that give the table a very welcoming feel. You could even core out some of the apples and use a votive holders.

Other inexpensive options include putting together a bunch of mason jars with tea lights, wide clear containers holding a single blossom and floating votive, tall sticks in glass vases or even glass picture frames (where you can see photos on either side). Just think about what represents you, your theme and you'll be surprised at how beautiful things look when several are put together to make a large statement.

Let the celebration begin!

Inexpensive, but beautiful table runner-Marry Me Monday

2011-09-06T07:00:00.000-06:00

There are some things I see that induce a head slap and make me think "I should have thought of that!". This was one of them. Martha and her team came up with this great idea to use beautiful wrapping paper as table runners.

So smart, inexpensive and with the mass variety of wrapping paper, you are sure to come up with something that will match your theme. Love it!

Organize the Closet-Fabulous Finds Friday

2011-09-02T07:00:00.002-06:00

I have been on a MASSIVE organization kick lately (much to my husband's dismay). Just a couple of weekends ago I pulled everything out of my hall closet and my living room looked like it had just survived a bomb attack. It was incredible all the stuff that my husband and I stuffed into this closet. Too many coats to count, clothes, hiking boots, tennis rackets (of which we haven't used in five years) and other random things (phone book-does anyone use those any more?, a dictionary, a thesaurus...). Ugh.

After sorting, donating, throwing away and purchasing some great storage boxes, I put the hall closet back together. It now looks great and I don't get pissy every time I open it.

When I came across this closet organization post (thank you Real Simple), I became so excited! It is all about organizing your closets and some neat storage items that you can purchase to make your closets look fabulous and space smart.

Here is just one of the many closets that they shared as to how to redo (notice the tennis racket, top shelf...apparently it isn't just me...)

And, (tune happy music) this is how it looks when organized.

Take a look and you never know, this could be your weekend project (don't tell your partner where you got the idea).

Let the celebration begin!

Ladybug Baby Shower Invitation-Take Ours and Make it Yours Thursday

2011-09-01T07:00:00.001-06:00

I have always really liked this ladybug invitation because it reminds me of old illustrations that you would see in children's books in the 50's. This customer created her beautiful lady bug shower invitation in our online tool and took our original colors of lemon vanilla and blue and changed them to this happy butter yellow and pink. Perfect for helping mom-to-be welcome her baby girl, don't you think?

Customer's color combination:

Original color combination:

Let the celebration begin!

Unconventional Wedding Bouquets-Marry Me Monday

2011-08-29T07:00:00.003-06:00

The original use of a wedding bouquet may surprise you. According to Wikipedia,
"an upper class bride was required to hold a bouquet of roses or flowers as she walked down the aisle to prevent body odor from spreading and to drive away evil spirits." It wasn't for glaming up the ceremony or for the ritual of throwing the bouquet to the single women at the reception (or for giving the bride something to do with her hands). It was making sure she didn't smell bad on her wedding day.

Now that our hygiene is in check and evil spirits aren't part of most wedding vernacular, it could be fun to think of your bouquet in an entirely different light. Instead of flowers, have you thought of a giant pinwheel?

Or a bouquet made out of Grandma's Costume Jewelry?

What about a beautiful bunch of wheat?

Or (my absolute favorite) a whimsical bunch of butterflys?

With just a little bit of creativity, you can have an unconventional wedding bouquet that is probably easy on the budget and just another fabulous detail that guests will talk about for a long time to come.

Let the celebration begin!

Star Wars explained by a 3 year old

2011-08-26T07:00:00.000-06:00

Okay, so over 18 million people have seen this video (I'm a little behind) but thought it was cute and makes you happy on this fine Friday. Enjoy.

Itsy Bitsy Spider Party Invitations-Take Ours and Make It Yours

2011-08-25T15:59:00.004-06:00

We recently had a customer call and ask us if we had any itsy bitsy themed invitations. We jumped on the chance to design an itsy bitsy spider themed invitation with coordinating items. It was so fun and such a cute theme that we wanted to share (and add it to our product line).

The wording for the invitation was cute too. "...the Itsy Bitsy Spider went up the spout again to celebrate Jessica's 2nd Birthday!"

I just think that this theme has so many potential ideas. One could be to make a waterspout of out gray paper and tape on the wall. Make paper spiders and the kids "pin the spider on the waterspout" as an activity. Or create a musical chairs game with the song "itsy bitsy spider" playing and of course, when the music stops, a chair is removed. Cute little cupcake spiders could be made for the dessert and this darling rendition of the itsy bitsy spider book could be given out as favors.

It sells for $2.00 on Amazon.

To see our entire Itsy Bitsy Party Invitation Collection, please visit us and know that you can change colors as well as what the spider is wearing in our cool personalization tool.

Let the celebration begin!

Inviting kids?-Marry Me Monday

2011-08-22T07:00:00.002-06:00

We get this question A LOT: "How do we nicely say "no kids" on our wedding invitations?" Our advice: You spread the information via word-of-mouth. Guests will talk with one another and if you have any close friends or relatives who do have kids, you can say "Please get a sitter" which will result in them helping spread the word.

There are also subtle ways you can "hint" at no children. The first would be to address your invitation envelope to only the family members you are inviting. So, for instance, don't write "The Smith Family." You would only write "Mr. and Mrs. Smith". Better yet, if you are having a more casual affair then you could address your invitation to say "John and Nancy Smith" and make no mention of the children's names.

If you think that your guests won't pick up on these hints, then you can say "Adult only reception". Etiquette is split on this advice. Some say that it is inappropriate to add information such as this. Others say, it is okay but not strongly recommended. And, you will find a few "wedding experts" that will tell you "of course you can put that on your invitation." Now that we have explained the etiquette side of things and made it clear as mud as to what you should do, know that some feelings will be hurt. Some parents will be sad that you don't want their children included on your wedding day. But, remember, this day isn't about their children. It is about you and the future you and your partner will promise to make. Furthermore, I bet that many parents will look forward to a fun event away from the kids.

Let the celebration begin!

LXD Dancers-Fabulous Finds Friday

2011-08-19T12:28:00.004-06:00

This 17 minute video is well worth a watch. A film director found street dancers and had them show off their talents to simple, yet beautiful music. He was not only inspired by these incredible talents, but discusses how the dancers are inspired by others from all around the world. Take the time to check it out:

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Football Invitation-Take Ours and Make It Yours Thursday

2011-08-18T10:32:00.003-06:00

Our customers are so creative! This particular customer took our football party invitation and made it into a birth announcement and she changed the typical birth announcement wording to fit the football theme. For baby's birth date, she changed it to read "Game Day" and for all of baby's vitals, she said "stats". The last sentence reads "Coaches" (for the parents) and "#1 Cheerleader" (for the big sister). She also had return address labels made to match that said "We have a new team member!" Below is how it turned out:

The original design:

Her Football Birth Announcement Variation:

Congratulations to her and her "team"!

Let the celebration begin!

Save the Date Postcards

2011-08-17T10:11:00.007-06:00

I love it when things do double duty. For instance, a coffee table that doubles as a storage bin or a dress that can convert to a skirt. That is why I love our new Save the Date Postcards so much. Not only do they serve as a Save the Date card (telling guests of your date and location), but they have a space to include all sorts of nifty information, such as fun things to do while guests are in town, average temperature for your venue (if your event takes place outdoors), the best place to find that delicious meal... They do double duty! It saves you from having to mail out information cards or including extra pieces in your invitation. Brilliant. And, they are great looking to boot.

Did I mention that we can address them for you as well? All you have to do is affix your stamp and away the go. The best part!? They are as low as $.55. Take a look and let us help you with your Save the Date Postcards.

Let the celebration begin!

Personalized Kids Stationery

2011-08-09T10:21:00.004-06:00

We recently had a customer who wanted to get personalized stationery for her kids, her nieces and her nephews. She really wanted to make each design fun, different and reflect each child's interest. What we came up with was a sport-themed folded note card for each child and matching address labels. Here is a sampling of what she purchased:

Her niece loves to play soccer and her favorite color is hot pink, so naturally, this soccer note card was the ticket:

Her niece is a big lacrosse fan and player, and with her favorite color being blue, these lacrosse note cards were just the item:

Her son is a big college football fan and so this personalized helmet with the college's logo was a great option:

Her daughter is big into Plié and Pirouette so this ballet themed note card with ballet shoes was perfect:

Many of these designs weren't available on our site, but with a phone call and some quick designing, we had her order ready and out the door in less that one week. Now, her kids and relatives have great stationery in hand to write notes of thanks and appreciation to their friends and family.

Let the celebration begin!

Garden Monogram Menu Card-Take Ours and Make it Yours Thursday

2011-08-04T09:04:00.005-06:00

When this customer called, she was in a panic because she thought that the caterer was providing menu cards for her reception but found out that they in fact were not. She needed her cards in less than a week (she called on Monday and her wedding was on a Saturday) and she needed custom colors. We didn't have time for her to send us a ribbon swatch or something to match to, so she had to make it to her local library and get her hands on a color code book so she could give us the color specifications for her color gold. She chose our Garden Monogram Menu Card and the end result was just beautiful (and she put in on our shimmer paper which made it really shine).

Original Black and White Menu Card Color Combination:

Her Gold and Black Menu Card color combination:

Let the celebration begin!

BEST wedding gift-Marry Me Monday

2011-08-01T07:00:00.001-06:00

Want to give an incredible wedding gift for the wine-loving couple? Give the bride and groom wines that they should open 1 year, 5 years and 10 years from their wedding date. Visit your local wine store and ask to speak to the sommelier (wine expert). Have him/her help you with the specific wines for the specific years. The expert should be able to help you not only with this request but also with budget---there are some fabulous wines that age well that don't cost you your arm. Make tags for each bottle that say "open on your first anniversary", "open on your fifth anniversary" and so on. Tie the tags with pretty bows and you have a present that will be appreciated years after the big day.

Purse Hook-Fabulous Finds Friday

2011-07-29T07:00:00.000-06:00

Ever go to a place where you don't want to put your purse on the ground, so you end up holding it in your lap? This little stroke of genius will hold your purse off the ground in style. For only a couple bucks you can keep your shoulder bag clean and away from the dirt.

I found this one on Amazon. You're welcome. :)

Garden Party Invitation-Take Ours and Make it Yours Thursday

2011-07-28T07:00:00.000-06:00

A customer recently contacted us because she was having a couples baby shower for her friend. The friend didn't know what she was having so she wanted a gender nuetral baby shower inviation and wanted the colors to match the friend's nursery. What she ultimately chose was our Garden Circles Baby Shower Invitation and changed the colors to chocolate brown and mint to make a perfect match to the mother-to-be's nursery color scheme.

The original color combination:

The modified color combination of brown and mint:

Some of the wording was smudged on purpose as to not share personal information.

Let the celebration begin!

Win your very own Frameable Art-Fabulous Finds Friday

2011-07-22T12:30:00.002-06:00

Don't you just love winning? Check out our Facebook Page and enter yourself to win our new frameable art!

Let the celebration begin!

40th Birthday Party Invitation-Take Ours and Make it Yours Thursday

2011-07-21T07:00:00.003-06:00

Our 40th Birthday Party Invitation features a stylish woman holding a martini and a frame behind her that holds the words "40 is the new 20." The original color scheme includes blue and aqua, but recently many of our customers have been changing the colors to pink.

Here is the original design:

And, here is what one recent customer did with the colors. She also had them put on shimmer paper and had address labels made to match.

Welcome your 40th with this fabulous invite!

Let the celebration begin!

Frameable Art-NEW from Urbanity Studios

2011-07-18T10:49:00.004-06:00

Custom, personalized frameable art is now available through Urbanity Studios. With the launch of our alphabet line, your child's room can now have fashionable, alphabet art with their name and color preferences. All for just $18.95 (frame not included). Create a letter for your child's first name, middle name and last name and you have a great grouping to hang in your child's room. And, the finished artwork is sized to fit perfectly in off-the-shelf frames so you don't have to spend a fortune to have really great looking art that is customized just for you.

Let the celebration begin!

Shopping Cart Tray-Fabulous Finds Friday

2011-07-15T08:46:00.003-06:00

I recently received this little stroke of genius from my mother-in-law. It is a tray with a lid that snaps on to a shopping cart handle. Fill it with snacks and you have a happy kid while you cruise around the grocery store. On Amazon, it sells for $10.95. Happy grocery store shopping!

Garden Party Wedding Invitation-Take Ours and Make it Yours

2011-07-14T08:40:00.009-06:00

One of our newest additions to our wedding invitation line is our Garden Party Wedding Invitation. It features a potted tree in the center with wording on either side to give the details of the wedding. With a mix of fonts, it creates a sophisticated and classy look. If you change the colors, you get an entirely different look but a still beautiful looking wedding invitation.

The original invitation design:

How it looks when changed:

Of course, there are so many different color combinations that can be done to have this invitation match your event perfectly. The main background can be changed in Urbanity Studios' online design tool as well as the font colors and type. If you'd like the tree's pot to be changed or any other element that cannot be changed online, a designer will work with you to make it just right for you.

This garden party wedding invitation also has a suite of items that can be used for your event. From personalized place cards, to response cards, to thank you cards and address labels, you can have this look for all your stationery items.

To see the entire collection, please visit our garden wedding invitation section.

Let the celebration begin!

Bubbling Over with Fun-Themed Party Idea

2011-06-28T15:03:00.017-06:00

My little girl just had a birthday and I loved the idea of bubbles as the theme. I originally got the idea from Create My Event and thought it was a great way to go.

Invitations:

I designed my invitations knowing that I wanted to include a picture so I set off taking several photos (several times 10). After battling with the breeze, the sun, getting my little girl to focus, I ended up with a great shot that captured what her party was all about: smiles, fun and of course, bubbles!

I also created complete address labels to match and some fun stickers that would serve as favor stickers and envelope stickers for the thank you cards.

Party Elements:

I wanted a fun atmosphere where kids and adults alike could relax and have a great time. For the kids, we set up an outdoor swimming pool, a bubble machine, a bubble sphere (you climb inside and can be pushed around---it is really fun), and had many, many bubble wands available for making small, large and crazy sized bubbles.

These little ones liked to climb into the little baby pool that I set up for the tiny ones coming to the party.

For the adults, we had a well stocked bar, plenty of food and great music playing in the background. All around the yard, I hung signs like below that incorporated bubbles, but added to the overall feeling and decor.

The sign that hung on the front door read "May your day bubble over with fun!"

The Cake:

The big moment for the party, was of course, the cake. Made to look like a bubble wand with bubbles coming out created a really great presentation (and a delicious treat for all the guests).

The Favors

After several hours playing in the pool, blowing bubbles and just enjoying the day, the kids were given these fantastic bubble wands before they went home. I found these gems at Target and tied on a small bottle of bubble solution, placed a sticker of my little girl (the same one used on the invitations) and finished it all with a bow. These worked great and the kids loved them.

Pirate Party Invitations-Take Ours and Make it Yours Thursday

2011-06-09T16:55:00.004-06:00

With the release of Pirates of the Carribean 4, what better time to host a pirate themed party!?Our pirate birthday invitation will appropriately invite your mateys without making them walk the plank (unless of course, you want them to).

We haven't had too many customers change the colors of this invite, but keep in mind, you are always welcome to. So, get planning your swashbuckling fun party and keep Urbanity Studios' Pirate invitation in mind if you need invitations.

Let the celebration begin!

Baseball Shower Invitaton-Take Ours and Make it Yours Thursday

2011-05-19T17:07:00.003-06:00

We recently had a customer call us and requested that we change the colors of our baseball baby shower invitation to a navy and red. The result completely changed the look and according to the customer, "a perfect fit" for how the mom was decorating the baby's room.

Batter up! Let the celebration begin!

Homegrown Wedding-Marry Me Monday

2011-05-12T14:18:00.004-06:00

When I read this post, I just fell in love with the couple, their wedding and how much of a personal touch they put into their day. They didn't lose sight of what they wanted their wedding to be and it shows.

You can read everything thing that they did by visiting Green Wedding Shoes. Thanks so much to them for sharing!

Bridal Shower Invitation-Take ours and make it yours Thursday

2011-05-12T10:03:00.000-06:00

I have always loved this simple, yet elegant Bridal Shower Invitation but I think I love it even more with how this customer took the colors from yellows and pinks to navy and magenta.

Here is how the invitation was originally designed:

And here is how the customer changed it. She chose colors that match the bride's color scheme for her wedding day:

So pretty!

Let the celebration begin!

Urbanity Studios Turns 5!

2011-05-03T15:34:00.002-06:00

Five, really fast years have gone by since I began Urbanity Studios. I cannot believe it has screamed by at such a crazy speed, but I will say that it has been an awesome ride. We have had the best customers, the best designers and the best team to help us grow and become who we are today. Thank you to everyone who helped us reach this milestone!

We are celebrating this month by launching a new look, new products (i.e. personalized place cards, the coolest-ever-seen address labels, favor stickers, etc) and a new and improved online design tool. So, if you are in need of any invitations, announcements or stationery, stop by and take 10% off. Use code birthday5 and let the celebration begin!

Graduation Announcements and Invitations-Fabulous Finds Friday

2011-04-08T16:35:00.003-06:00

Graduation is just around the corner and announcing and celebrating the big news can be done easily and beautifully with UrbanityStudios. Choose from a select, but fantastic variety of our Graduation Invitations. Because you are in charge of the wording, change it to be an announcement or a graduation party invitation or both! And, as with all of our personalized invitations, change the colors to reflect school colors for no extra charge. Here’s to you Class of 2011! If the designs above aren't fabulous enough, for a limited time, they have been made even more fantastic by being 10% off! Just spend $45 or more and use code APR10 during checkout and say "I'm Graduating!" in style!

Black and White Wedding Invitation-Take Ours and Make It Yours

2011-03-17T14:04:00.002-06:00

This elegant wedding invitation looks great in the classic black and white color combination, but this bride went for something a little different. She chose our steel blue and pastel green. It completely changes the look.

Let the celebration begin!

Rustic Garden Wedding Invitation-Take Ours and Make It Yours

2011-03-10T14:41:00.006-07:00

I have always loved our Rustic Garden Wedding Invitation. It has simple, clean lines and when I look at it, I feel as though I am in Paris eating at a bistro. When I saw this color combination come in, I found a new love for this design. Instead of being in Paris, I am in a field with lilacs and oranges. Furthermore, the sun is setting because of the glint of light that comes off the invitations on our shimmer paper. So pretty.

Not only do I love the color combination, but I really love what this customer did with the response card. She not only inverted the colors, but made it into a fill-in-the-blank-mad-libs-type of response card. So clever and so fun. I just know her wedding is going to be beautiful and full of energy.

Let the celebration begin!

Introducing Matching Party Posters!

2011-03-01T10:00:00.002-07:00

With so many customers asking for coordinating items to go along with their parties, UrbanityStudios has launched the first of several coordinating items: Party Posters! Hang one on the front door, behind the buffet table or wherever the party is taking place. And because each party poster is personalized (and designed to match your invitation), you can have it say whatever you want. For example, get a series of party posters and place them strategically leading up to the main entrance to the party or use different photos in each party poster to create a grouping for some great decorations. The options are endless, and as with all our personalized products, you can change the colors of the design for no extra charge.

For a limited time, each party poster is on sale for $6.95 (regularly $8.95). Each poster measures 12 " x 18 " and is printed on a glossy finish paper.

Let the celebration begin!

Circus Party Poster-Take Ours and Make it Yours

2011-02-24T15:41:00.003-07:00

Urbanitystudios' just recently launched party posters and when I saw this customer's circus party poster come through, I just had to share. So darling!

Let the celebration begin!

Dogs, how wonderful they are-Fabulous Finds Friday

2011-02-18T07:00:00.000-07:00

I'll admit, I couldn't watch this without tearing up, but it is great. Definitely worth your 3 min. 51 sec.

Sky Lanterns-Marry Me Monday

2011-02-14T07:00:00.001-07:00

I recently saw Tangled with my sister, who was unaware that the floating lanterns in the film were actually real and not some figment of the Disney imagination. In fact, you can purchase them on Amazon---they are absolutely beautiful and can be the perfect end to a beautiful wedding, or birthday party, or special event, or...

Let the celebration begin!

Tree House Love-Fabulous Finds Friday

2011-02-11T07:00:00.001-07:00

Have any big trees in your yard? Why not consider building a three story tree house in one of them? The art of the tree house has come a long way...forget the scraps of wood and rusty nails, check out this video with how creative folks are getting with tree houses, complete with full kitchens and fireplaces...(and just imagine the types of parties you could have in them).

Let the celebration begin!

Fall Tree Stationery-Take Ours and Make it Yours

2011-02-10T13:02:00.004-07:00

We recently had a customer who ordered several different sets of personalized stationery, and they all turned out great, but the one that she most dramatically changed the colors was our Fall Tree Personalized Stationery.
I think the result is totally funky and hip.

Let the celebration begin!

Handwritten Thank You Notes-Fabulous Finds Friday

2011-02-04T07:00:00.000-07:00

Who knew that sitting down and writing a thank you note could be good for you? In one man's case, it said it made him a better person. Checkout this interesting video and be inspired to take his advice.

Let the celebration begin!

A whale of a good time-Take Ours and Make It Yours Thursday

2011-02-03T07:00:00.001-07:00

This customer was celebrating her son's first birthday and changed our whale 1st birthday invitation to match her party colors: grass green and eggshell blue. It isn't a drastic change from the original, but it looks great and makes you want to dive right into the party!

Let the celebration begin!

10 Hairstyles for Your Wedding Day-Marry Me Monday

2011-01-31T07:00:00.000-07:00

When it comes to wedding hair, you get all kinds of advice, from "don't do anything differently from what you normally do" to "keep it simple" to "shellac, tease, shellac..." Throw out the advice and turn to this top 10 list. You won't regret this decision, even when you look back on your wedding photos 10 years from now.

Let the celebration begin!

The Gratitude Campaign-Fabulous Finds Friday

2011-01-28T07:00:00.000-07:00

There have been many times when I have been out and about and want to say "thank you" to the folks in uniform. I feel as though I would either say something totally stupid or would my eyes would well up and I wouldn't be able to say anything...so I don't say anything at all. Now, after I watched this video, I can say thank you with a small gesture...

Pub Sign Birthday Party Invitation-Take Ours and Make it Yours Thursday

2011-01-27T07:00:00.000-07:00

If you're hosting a birthday party in a pub what better way to invite guests to share in beer and appetizers than this Pub Sign Invitation. This customer used the invitation for her husband's 30th birthday. She wanted to change the colors to her favorite combination: Grass Green and Aqua. Makes you want to go to the bar and toast the guest of honor...

Let the celebration begin!

Be Mine-Valentine's Cards for Kids-Fabulous Finds Friday

2011-01-21T07:00:00.002-07:00

Creating your child's Valentines Cards for the big love day doesn't have to be time consuming, daunting or even boring. Have your child wish their classmates a very happy Valentines Day this year with Urbanity Studios' personalized Valentine Cards. And, they are as low as $.40 each!

Let the celebration begin!

Theater Birthday Party Invitations-Take Ours and Make It Yours Thursday

2011-01-20T07:00:00.000-07:00

When the Alpha Chi Omega's called us with a request to change our Theater Birthday Party Invitation so that it fit the theme of their bid day, we were happy to oblige. They made this little girl's birthday party invitation more sophisticated with the use of black, red and white.

Hope they had a great bid day! Let the celebration begin!

Bridesmaid Gift Idea-Marry Me Monday

2011-01-17T07:00:00.000-07:00

Many bridesmaids gifts consist of a trinket or jewelry item or even clothing, but what if you gave the gift of time? We are all so busy and for your best friends to take such a huge amount of time of their life to help you with your special day, what if you repaid them with some of the following items that allowed them to have some of their time back?

House cleaning gift certificate
Dinner at an excellent restaurant (in the form of a gift card to use later)
A night at a local hotel to use later

Instead of a trinket (which isn't a bad idea), think of something that will really stand out and say thank you for all of your time.

Let the celebration begin!

Spoon Holder-Fabulous Finds Friday

2011-01-14T07:00:00.000-07:00

I purchased this pot clip spoon (aka little piece of genius)for my husband for his stocking and have already used it a million times since Christmas. It is so brilliant that you slap your head and think, "Why didn't I think of that?"

Blue Snowflake Winter Wedding Invitation-Take Ours and Make It Yours Thursday

2011-01-13T07:00:00.000-07:00

This blue winter wedding menu card with a beautiful snowflake is absolutely stunning and this customer made it even more so when she changed the background to navy blue.
She put it on shimmer paper to make it even sparkle further. Just gorgeous.

Let the celebration begin!

Look Up-Fabulous Finds Friday

2011-01-07T15:09:00.003-07:00

I came across this website and it was something I instantly gravitated to. The entire concept of the site is to put down your Iphone, Blackberry, texting machine, and engage, experience and take notice. The site reminds you what your missing while your face is buried in your phone.

Thank you cards-Take Ours and Make it Yours Thursday

2011-01-06T15:38:00.006-07:00

This customer was looking for some simple, yet classy personalized stationery for her ten year old son. She wanted a "timeless" card that could be used for any note of appreciation. What she ultimately chose was a thank you card that was originally designed to match one of our baby shower invitations and created a great looking thank you card.The color scheme of "sand" and "dark chocolate brown" with a splash of "steel blue" makes this a great personalized note card appropriate for any note of thanks as well as age.

Right now, Urbanitystudios is offering 20% off any personalized stationery. Use code WriteOn20 and use it before 1/10/2011 12 PM EST when the sale expires.

Let the celebration begin!

Tea Party Invitation-Take Ours and Make it Yours Thursday

2010-12-16T07:00:00.000-07:00

The idea of gathering with friends and enjoying a nice cup of tea sounds like such a great way to spend an afternoon, especially when it is celebrating a good friend's bridal shower, baby shower or even birthday party. This customer took our tea party bridal shower invitation and changed the colors to suit her event perfectly. The soft butter yellow and the striking black makes for a fun and cheery invitation.

Let the celebration begin!

Festive Holiday Drink-Fabulous Finds Friday

2010-12-10T07:00:00.002-07:00

I came across this punch in Instyle's book Instlye Parties and thought it would be a great punch to serve at a holiday party. The drink's color is festive and it tastes delicious (of course I had to taste test).

Players' Punch
Serves 12

6 cups cranberry juice
3 cups orange juice
3 cups vodka
3 tbsp sugar
1 1/5 tsp pumpkin spice
1-2 oranges, sliced into thin wheels

Combine all ingredients and let meld for at least 2 hours in the fridge. Serve over ice and garnish with orange wheel.

Drink. Pour yourself another. Repeat.

Bird Wedding Invitation-Take Ours and Make it Yours Thursday

2010-12-09T07:00:00.001-07:00

This bird wedding invitation is a popular option for many of our brides because it looks great in so many different color combinations. This color combination of chocolate brown and eggshell blue recently put together by one of our brides is so pretty. I never tire of
that color combination.

To learn more about how easy it is to change colors on Urbanitystudios designs, visit our color changing page (oh, and by the way, it is free).

Let the celebration begin!

Veil Alternate-Marry Me Monday

2010-12-06T16:22:00.002-07:00

For centuries, women have worn veils on their wedding day but after you see these beautiful hair pieces, you may just not have a veil at all. DailyCandy highlighted 13 Bridal Hair Accessories and these are just a few of my favorites.

This headband is so romantic. Notice the tiny jewels?

This is simply stunning and would make any bride shine just a little brighter.

This reminds me of a Victorian bride. Simple, yet so elegant.

See the entire collection here with all shopping and pricing information.

Let the celebration begin!

Christmas Tree Cake-Fabulous Finds Friday

2010-12-03T17:00:00.003-07:00

Feeling ambitious? Need to bring a dessert to an upcoming holiday party? Check out Cooks Country's beautiful Christmas Tree cake (you can sign up for a 14-day free trail if you don't already have a subscription) that gives you all the detailed instructions on how to create such a beauty.

Let the celebration begin!

Photo Holiday Card-Take Ours and Make it Yours Thursday

2010-12-02T09:02:00.005-07:00

This customer took one of our New Year's cards and changed it to a Holiday Card. She wanted the greens to change to blues and this is the end result. So great!

Let the celebration begin!

SAVE 40% TODAY ONLY!

2010-11-29T10:26:00.002-07:00

This smokin' deal only comes once a year and only lasts for 8 hours. Use ROCKON40 at Urbanitystudios.com during checkout and save 40% off your entire order. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and Good Cheer!! Take advantage NOW and have the most stylish Christmas cards around (we won't tell that you saved SO MUCH)!

Here are just a few of the many designs from which to choose:

Let the celebration begin!

Kate and Prince William's Invitations-Marry Me Monday

2010-11-29T07:00:00.002-07:00

With media all over the world sharing information about Kate and Prince William's upcoming wedding, they probably don't need to send out official Save the Date cards as everyone knows it will take place on April 29. But, it did get me thinking. What will their save the date cards look like? Better yet, what will they choose for their wedding invitations? With a rumored price tag of over $40 million for the wedding, you can imagine that the wedding invitations will be gold leafed, diamond encrusted, hand engraved pieces of opulence.

I decided to go shopping to see what is out there in terms of wedding invitations for individuals with an unlimited budget. Here is what I found:

This beautiful item will run you $35 an invitation. With over 2000 guests, that's $70,000. But, for Kate and Prince William, it is the least of their wedding items.

This one is a great option, especially because it is on sale at only $28 an invitation, but if money is no object then a sale won't be enticing:

Now, this one is another beautiful option. At $30 an invitation it makes a stunning statement.

Now, many of you may be thinking that these prices are outrageous, but remember...if you're the future King of England, spending a mere $50,000-$100,000 on invitations is expected...Furthermore, a mere $30 per invitation may not be grand or expensive enough. Who knows, they may end up spending over $100 per invitation. Wow...imagine what you would create for over $100 per invitation. They could have a knight on a white horse ride up to guests homes and read the invitation (which could be printed a beautiful scroll). Or they could have an artist hand paint each one so that they are all slightly different and have them set in ornate frames, which becomes a keepsake in itself. They could have beautiful kitchen garden boxes created with beautiful spring flowers growing and their invitation displayed among the flowers... As a designer, it would be really fun to imagine and create an amazing wedding invitation especially when there is no monetary limit.

Let the celebration begin!

Holiday Open House-Fabulous Finds Friday

2010-11-26T07:00:00.001-07:00

This year, my husband and I have decided to host a holiday open house. I am very excited about the party, but am starting to get a little nervous because our 60+ person guest list has no regrets so far. Our 1800 square foot house will be bursting at the seems, but hopefully not everyone will show up at once, giving us a chance to talk with all of our guests and be able to easily move from room to room.

About two weeks ago, we announced we were having this soiree by sending out these great Christmas party invitations.

I had them printed on Urbanity's Shimmer Paper (shown below) and the result makes me so happy. The belt buckle shines and the red has a subtle glow. Here is an idea of what the shimmer paper is like:

I also had matching address labels wraps made where one side said "Ho! Ho! Ho!" and the other side had my address. They look so great wrapped around the shimmer envelope. Apparently, it made a great impression as everyone (so far) is coming!

So, for the next several posts, I will share with you my ideas and my menu for this open house and hopefully, you'll get some good ideas for your party. Or, better yet, you can share some great ideas with me.

Let the celebration begin!

Martini Cocktail Party Invitation-Take Ours and Make it Yours Thursday

2010-11-25T07:00:00.001-07:00

This customer was having a surprise bridal shower party for her good friend. She wanted to make it clear that it was a cocktail party format and that it was a secret. She also wanted it to have a "sex in the city" type feel with feminine colors. She decided upon our Cocktail Party Invitation that uses the words of the invite to make the shape of a martini glass.

She changed the wording on the stem from "Let's celebrate" to "Shh...Surprise". The black and gray was changed to pink and hot pink and I think the end result is just fabulous. It makes we want to put on my black high heels, my cocktail dress and drink cosmopolitans.

Let the celebration begin!

Make sure your Christmas Cards turn out great-Fabulous Finds Friday

2010-11-18T09:01:00.013-07:00

Ordering photo Christmas cards online is now easier than ever. Just pop in your photo, add some text, and your fantastic, most amazing Christmas cards are on their way...Until you actually have them in your hands. The picture is a little grainy, the paper isn't what you expected and you aren't as happy as you thought you would be. Follow these 3 tips and I promise (yes, I promise) you'll avoid unhappy feelings with your holiday cards and you will say "I can't WAIT to mail my holiday cards."

Tip #1 - Composition and Resolution

To make a great Christmas card, it all starts with the photo. The composition needs to be great as well as the resolution. Let's start with the composition.

Kodak has a great 10 tip guide to help you when taking your pictures. You don't need a fancy camera or even an exotic location. Just follow the 10 simple steps and your off to a great start. Also consider clothing. T-shirts with big logos should be avoided as well as mis-matchy (is that even word?---You know what I mean) clothes on Mom, Dad and Kids. Also think about "action shots" instead of the posed shot. Here's an example:

So, have fun when taking your pictures and experiment with taking shots while the kids are at the playground, the dog is catching the ball or you are all playing in the leaves.

So, now you have taken a great photo, but is it high enough resolution for a printed card? To find out, open your image on your computer. You most likely have a default program like Windows Photo Viewer. Right click on your photo once it is open and you'll see Properties.

Click on Properties and a window should open with a Details tab. Select the details tab and look for horizontal resolution and vertical resolution. It will say something like 300 dpi next to both.

If your photo says 199 dpi or lower, your photo will not look great printed. Why is this? DPI stands for dots per inch. The more dots you have in a square inch, the more detail you have, thus creating a better photo for print. On your computer screen a 72 dpi photo looks great, but don't let that fool you---it won't look so great when printed.

With Urbanitystudios, when you load a photo into a design, a little warning will show if you don't have high enough resolution. A designer also double checks to make sure that your photo will look great when printed. Be aware that many design programs will tell you if your photo will work or not and if you're unsure how your photo will look, it is a good idea to contact the company and make sure what you have submitted will work.

Lastly, check your photo settings on your camera and or phone. The lower resolution photo you take, the more photos you can store, but for your Christmas photo cards, you'll want to up your resolution settings so that your camera will take 300 dpi photos.

Tip #2 - Paper

The type of paper on which your Christmas card will be printed affects cost as well as look. Many sites offer "Premium" paper. You'll want to see if that is a matte or gloss finish. A matte finish gives a more elegant and more "expensive" look. If writing a hand written note on your holiday cards is important, check to make sure the paper can be easily written on. Some papers have a coating or finish on them that doesn't take pen very well. At Urbanitystudios, "premium" means a heavy card stock with a matte finish where you can easily write a personal message directly onto the card stock.

"Photo" paper is another popular option for a finished card. This typically is a less expensive option but you'll want to also see what type of photo paper the card is printed on. Is it archival quality? Does is easily resist fingerprints? Furthermore, if you want to write notes, photo paper is not a good option as you'll most likely ruin the finish if you try and write on the card. We use photo paper that top photographers use, matte finish 150-year archival quality and resists fingerprints.

Tip #3- Be Creative

With so many great design programs where you can literally design your card real-time, you can get very creative with your Christmas card. Some ideas include telling a story, including a recipe or a writing a creative salutation.

Tell a story with your photos. If your little girl started kindergarten, your husband rode his bike cross country and your dog is still eating your underwear, share that! Choose a card that can accommodate several photos and add in captions detailing where and when the photos were taken or a "little story" about each member of the family.

Make your Christmas card a memento. One of my favorite ideas is to add in a favorite recipe. With the card below, you literally add your recipe within the contents of the card. Recipients can add your card to their recipe folder and be reminded of the year and the family who sent them the great recipe.

Use Christmas classics to create really fun salutations on your card. Instead of "Merry Christmas", you could say "And to all a good night" or "'Tis the most wonderful time of the year" or "Ba hum bug to you and yours".

So, happy shopping, happy holidays and dash away, dash away, dash away all!

Let the celebration begin!

A berry special birthday invitation-Take Ours and Make it Yours

2010-11-18T07:00:00.000-07:00

This strawberry birth announcement was originally designed to announce baby's birth to friends and family, but I just love how this customer used it for her little girl's first birthday party invitation. The opening line says, "For a berry special girl". Absolutely darling.

Let the celebration begin!

Tweeting during a wedding ceremony?-Marry Me Monday

2010-11-15T12:53:00.005-07:00

I recently came upon a post where the bride was really concerned that her bridesmaids and groomsmen will be tweeting during her ceremony and wasn't sure how to tell her friends to refrain. She was also worried that her friends would be posting pictures of her wedding dress while she was on her honeymoon and that her wedding would turn into a Facebook post.

An expert suggested she put some wording in her ceremony program like, "We’re so happy that you’re here to celebrate with us. Please be here in mind as well as body and refrain from tweeting, texting and posting during the ceremony and reception."

REALLY!? Am I that old? I would never even think about talking during a person's ceremony let alone texting and tweeting. I am truly at a loss for a suggestion here as I don't really like the "please no cell phones during my day" wording in the program. How would you suggest the bride kindly ask guests to not text, tweet during her wedding? I would think this falls in the realm of good manners to refrain so to actually have to ask guests to not participate, well, seems ridiculous.

Star Wars Paper Style-Fabulous Finds Friday

2010-11-12T10:14:00.004-07:00

Take 2 min and 40 sec from your day and check out this Star Wars remake told entirely by paper animation. Not only is the video so, super cool, the music is fabulous as well. Enjoy!

Jeremy Messersmith - Tatooine from Eric Power on Vimeo.

Let the celebration begin!

New Year's Champagne Invitation-Take Ours and Make it Yours Thursday

2010-11-11T08:35:00.005-07:00

For an upcoming New Year's Eve party/Engagement Party, this customer used our Holiday Party Invitation - Champagne Invitation. I absolutely love this invitation, but I love it even better after seeing what this customer did. She changed the background from royal red to navy blue. She also had the invitation printed on our shimmer paper. It turned out absolutely stunning.

It makes me want to raise a glass to toast the newly engaged couple and the new year!

Let the celebration begin!

Photo Christmas Cards-Side by Side Comparison---How does Urbanitystudios fair?

2010-11-10T09:38:00.008-07:00

Today I wanted to do something a little bit different: A side by side comparison of Christmas Photo Cards of two big companies against Urbanitystudios. I have taken one design from each of the "competitors" and one of ours and compared paper, design and price. Let's see how Urbanitystudios stacks up:

First I headed on over to Shutterfly and selected their "Retro Metro Christmas Card". Very cute design. Here are the specs:

Size: 5 x 7 inches
Paper: 110 Lb matte paper
Color Options: What you see is what you get
Price: $127 for 100 cards (that is with their current 20% off sale)

I then took a look at TinyPrints. I pulled their "Most Merry Spanish Red" Photo Christmas card. It is a stylish design in holiday brown. Here are the specs:

Size: 5 x 7 inches
Paper: Heavyweight Card stock
Color Options: 3 variations, limited
Price: $135 for 100 (with their current sale)

Then I headed over to Urbanitystudios. I pulled our "Holiday Photo Card Red". I like this simple, elegant design. Here are the specs:

Size: 5 x 7 inches
Paper: Heavy card stock
Color Options: Choose from over 60 colors and change to your specifications, FREE
Price: $109 for 100 cards (that is without any sale)

So, how do we stack up? At face value we are less expensive with the same paper quality and printing process. Dig a little deeper and we offer something that the big guys don't: A truly custom card. We allow you to change colors of any part of the design for a one-of-a-kind look...Now, both of the other companies have a much bigger selection but for less money, you get the same, if not better quality if you shop with Urbanitystudios.

One more thing the other guys don't offer: A final proof for FREE. Every order is double checked by one of our designers and then emailed to you so you can have one last look before we print it. That way, we ensure your card is going to look fantastic.

So, give us a try this season and see why "bigger isn't always better". Oh, and for a limited time, we're offering FREE priority shipping on any order in the US. No code necessary to take advantage.

Let the celebration begin!

Stunning Bridal Party Outfits-Marry Me Monday

2010-11-08T13:18:00.003-07:00

I came across this photo (click on photo to enlarge) and thought it was absolutely stunning. The bride clearly worked with her bridesmaids to come up with unique, yet really beautiful dresses for the bridal party. Can you imagine how striking this wedding was if the bride was as detailed for the rest of the day? Absolutely beautiful.

Let the celebration begin!

What size onion?-Fabulous Finds Friday

2010-11-05T14:27:00.010-06:00

Many recipes call for onions and it will say something like "1 medium onion"---but what does that mean? Is that 1 cup worth of chopped onion, 1/2 cup, 2 cups? These are the types of questions I find I ask myself---should I be concerned?

The folks over at Cook's Illustrated (my most favorite cooking/recipe resource) have peeled back the layers to tell us what the heck 1 medium looks like and how much it yields. This quick video answers this most pressing question.

Let the celebration begin!

Christmas Photo Card-Take Ours and Make it Yours Thursday

2010-11-04T16:59:00.003-06:00

It is amazing to me that I own a stationery company, am a designer and I still can't get my act together to order my Christmas cards in time. I usually start thinking about it at the beginning of November, but before I know it, it is December 23rd and I still haven't put together my cards! This year, I am going to do what some of our customers have already done, which is order my holiday cards next week. Ambitious you say?

Check out what some of our customers have already ordered! They are so on their A-game. Hats off to them (and thank you for the reminder that I need to get on it right away)! Please note, I didn't change the image from our samples online for privacy reasons---I would have to edit out too much information and then you wouldn't be able to see the design.

Our Holiday Photo Card Wish List card:

Our Christmas Card with Multiple Photos:

Our "Been Good All Year" Santa's Seal of Approval Christmas Card

I think that Christmas cards are just one of those things that sneak up on you and then hit you over the head with panic. Well, not this year Christmas cards---I am going to be on my A-game too!

As a side plug (and this is a shameless one): Urbanitystudios is offering free PRIORITY shipping with orders over $69 AND cards as low as $.59 (ahem, we're a better deal than the big guys like Shutterfly---unless you are ordering more than 250 cards---but if you are ordering in those quantities, lets talk). If that isn't motivation, I am not sure what is.

Let the celebration begin!

Make your own carmel corn-Fabulous Finds Friday

2010-10-29T07:00:00.000-06:00

Every Christmas I make a big batch of Carmel corn and to be honest---it is usually gone before I can share it with my family and friends. I have started to make Carmel corn for my Halloween party as well and it is usually the first thing to go on my buffet table... This stuff is sooo good.

So, I am going to share with you my super, duper, amazingly easy Carmel corn recipe. You may want to double it because once you start eating it, you can't stop, and you want to have enough to share with friends.

2 cups light brown sugar, firmly packed

1/2 cup light corn syrup

1/2 lb unsalted butter

1/4 tsp cream of tartar

scant tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

6 qts freshly popped popcorn

1 disposable large aluminum roasting pan

Preheat oven to 200 degrees

Place 6 qts popped popcorn in greased aluminum pan and set aside

Meanwhile, in large, heavy, dutch oven type pan combine sugar, corn syrup, butter, cream of tartar and salt. Heat over medium-high heat until boiling-stirring frequently

When mixture reaches 260 degrees remove it from heat and quickly stir in baking soda--the mixture will bubble up substantially---hence the large pan.

Pour mixture at once over popped popcorn. Stir popcorn until mixture until it is evenly coated. Bake popcorn in oven for 1 hour, stirring every 20 minutes.

Let popcorn cool and enjoy. Carmel corn can be stored in airtight container for 1 week.

Let the celebration begin!

New Baby Shower Design-Take Ours and Make it Yours Thursday

2010-10-28T08:51:00.009-06:00

Normally I post on Thursdays how a customer has changed one of our designs to make it fabulous for their event. This post, however is a little different and I am highlighting a new baby shower invitation.

A close friend of mine has been waiting quite a while to adopt a baby. Last month, her wish was finally granted and of course a baby shower was in order.

Along with my co-hostesses we decided on a "story time" theme. We chose this for several reasons, but the main reason is the symbolism of my friends' story having a new and exciting chapter as well as their son's story changing. This idea was the main driver for the baby shower and thus the baby shower invitation.

What I love about this invitation is that customers will be able to change the titles of the books and make it really personal.

For the table settings, we are going to make them look like beds. I found this post on Hostess with Mostess blog, which helped pull my vision together:

I will be posting the story time baby shower invitation soon on UrbanityStudios' site for sale, but for now, I hope that if your throwing a baby shower, this helps inspire your creativity---to take some of my ideas and make it yours.

Let the celebration begin!

Halloween Decor Ideas Part 2-Fabulous Finds Friday

2010-10-15T14:34:00.005-06:00

As mentioned last Friday, I am posting more ideas from the Halloween party I co-hosted last year. The party was so much fun and I just think that the mood that was set with the dry ice, the clever food signs and of course the full bar, made for a great night.

This was the sign that was in the center of the bar and wrapped on a large glass vase that held dry ice. The sign said "Pick your poison" and on either side there were spirits and mixers where guests could help themselves.

Each item on the buffet table was named something gross in the spirit of Halloween. These "flesh wrapped fingers" were pears, arugula, and blue cheese wrapped with prosciutto.

This is a larger look at the buffet table. We served carmel corn, white chocolate popcorn, spicy meatballs, cupcakes, candy, proscuitto wrapped pears, marinated mushrooms, and crab soup. It was delicious and kept guests going well into the night.

A skull on a cake stand with a sign that said "Bone Appétit" was the centerpiece of the buffet table.

From the ceiling above the buffet table, we hung large black paper lanterns adorned with rhinestones. In the candle light, they would sparkle here and there.

Revisiting what we did last year, makes me even more excited for this year's bash!

Let the celebration begin!

Circus Birthday Invitation-Take Ours and Make it Yours Thursday

2010-10-14T07:00:00.001-06:00

This circus birthday invitation will make you want to run away and join the circus, especially when you see how this customer changed the birthday invitation for her son's 1st birthday party. She wanted aqua to be the dominant color and it just turned out great. Makes you want to get front row tickets for the center ring and this circus birthday party!

Let the celebration begin!

Halloween Party Decor Ideas-Fabulous Finds Friday

2010-10-08T13:27:00.006-06:00

I co-hosted a Halloween party last year and am going to share with you some of the great ideas that we incorporated into the party. Some are incredibly easy and some take a little bit more time, but all are Spooktacular!

The party was just for the grown ups, so it started a little later and finger foods and drinks were served. The colors for the party were the classic Orange, Black and Silver. The area where we focused the most of our energy was on the buffet table.

We used black table cloths, filled large jars with dry ice and water and bunched a string of orange Christmas-type lights under black tulle fabric down the middle of the table. We also used tea lights in orange glasses on various parts of the table.

We made little signs with silver glitter that said things like "Bone Appetit" and "Tempting Treats". You can see on the candy jars, we just used double sided tape to adhere the signs.

We also used various sized glass vases to fill with cookies, candy and popcorn.

More to come next week...

Let the celebration begin!

Partner Monday: Halloween with Grandinroad and Martha's Halloween Costumes (homedesign.marthastewart.com)
Country Living: Halloween Home Décor
Halloween Door Decor

Mad Hatter Party Invitations-Take Ours and Make it Yours Thursday

2010-10-06T20:16:00.005-06:00

As many of you know, Urbanitystudios has launched a new real-time tool, where you as the customer can enter your info, play around with font styles, colors, etc and see what it looks like real-time. Though we have had a few hiccups with our launch (is it possible to not have hiccups with technology?), we are seeing some amazing creations from our customers.

Our incredibly popular Mad Hatter Party Invitation is no exception. Take a look at what this customer did with the layout of the text...angling some words, making other large and some tiny, it fits the design and concept of Mad Hatter perfectly! She also chose one of our preloaded background options to change the colors just slightly. Such a stunning invitation...Happy Birthday to her and unbirthday to you!

Let the celebration begin!

Ampersand-Merry Me Monday

2010-10-04T13:48:00.004-06:00

Here is a great little detail that is incredibly easy to incorprate into any wedding:

Just search for "ampersand letter" on Google shopping and you have over 1000 choices and price ranges. Thank you to The Knot for sharing this idea.

Let the celebration begin!

DIY Skull Stamps-Fabulous Finds Friday

2010-09-24T10:15:00.003-06:00

Martha has done it again. She (or her team) took a regular old potato, carved a skull and made it into a stamp. Looks pretty cool on the treat bags:
I think you could use this technique on things like table cloths, thick pillar candles and or spooky signs. I'll let your imagination take this one.

For the full tutorial, visit the how-to.

Let the celebration begin!

Cowboy Baby Shower Invitation-Take Ours and Make it Yours

2010-09-23T07:00:00.002-06:00

Celebratin' a little cowboy or cowgirl? This customer was having a cowboy baby shower for her friends' born-to-be buckaroo. She wanted a stronger color combination, so this is what she requested for the baby shower invitation.

Instead of the mint background and softer blues, she went with Navy and Red. Now, that's an invite I would hang my hat on.

Let the celebration begin!

Fall wedding favor inspiration-Marry Me Monday

2010-09-20T07:00:00.001-06:00

Fall weddings are so beautiful. The colors, the cool air, the comfort food. Here are some ideas to make guests say "I'm falling in love" (catchy, I know). :)

Serve Caramel apples for dessert or give away sacks of apples with your favorite apple pie recipe:

Thank you Hostess with the Mostess for sharing

Add leaves to pillar candles for decor or favors:

Another option is give your guests some Fall bulbs they can plant in their garden. Come next spring, they'll be reminded of the wonderful time they had at your wedding:

Let the celebration begin!

Boo! Halloween Invitations-Fabulous Finds Friday

2010-09-17T07:00:00.001-06:00

Halloween is coming quickly and if you're going to host a spooktacular party, why not invite your guests with some wonderfully designed Halloween invitations. Urbanitystudios has an assortment of invitations appropriate for little kids as well as the grown up parties. Here are a few of my favorites:

This little witch Halloween invitation is perfect for the little kiddies:

This goulish cocktail with an eyeball for the olive is perfect for the adult Halloween party.

This simple Boo! Halloween invitation is subtle but still spooky:

And, of course, the Witch Crossing sign invitation is clever and works for any Halloween gathering.

So, eat, drink and scare up a fright---all with these invites on Halloween night.

Let the celebration begin!

Love Bird Invitation-Take Ours and Make it Yours Thursday

2010-09-16T08:29:00.005-06:00

I love this wedding invitation, with the two little birds facing each other. Their little shapes form a heart and the wispy branches are adorned with heart shaped leaves. Many brides love this invitation too and they have changed it to match their colors. Some have done more drastically then others, and some have taken the subtle route. Here are just a few examples of how brides have changed the colors to make it theirs:

From left to right: royal red, aqua, lime green, original black and white.

Let the celebration begin!

Bridesmaids Gowns on Amazon...really?-Marry Me Monday

2010-09-13T07:00:00.001-06:00

So, I am not sure about shopping for bridesmaids dresses online, but after looking around at the selection that is offered on Amazon, I have somewhat changed my mind. You can not only see the reviews (which in my mind is HUGE) but they have a big variety. And, if your bridesmaids are scattered all across the country, this makes shopping for a specific dress very easy.

Let the celebration begin!

Inexpensive Football Decorations-Fabulous Finds Friday

2010-09-10T07:00:00.002-06:00

Football season has officially kicked off (pun intended). High school teams are selected, college teams have already played some games, etc. so inevitably, tailgating or some sort of football festivities will be a part of your life in the next several months. I found this party pack at Target. I am usually not a fan of the party packs, but this seems to have everything for a quick, easy party and the price is right too at $37.99:

If your in need of football party invitations to invite guests to your fan fare, be sure to consider Urbanity's football party invitation:

Let the celebration begin!

Over the Hill Birthday Party Invitation-Take Ours and Make it Yours

2010-09-09T07:00:00.001-06:00

I have written about this invitation before and how one of our customers turned our Western Wanted Party Invitation into a surprise birthday party invitation. Even though I have highlighted this party invitation before, I had to share how this customer changed the invite:

She found an old photograph of her dad as a little boy with his holster strapped to his hip. We incorporated the photo with much success. The customer also wanted this celebration to remain a surprise, so we also worked with the wording.

You can see why I wanted to highlight this customer's invitation. It turned out great and I hope that the party was a wonderful success!

Let the celebration begin!

Inspiration Board-Marry Me Monday

2010-08-30T07:00:00.000-06:00

If you are early in the planning process for your wedding, one thing to consider is to create an inspiration board. What is that you may ask? Well, it is a grouping of images that elicit the colors, mood, decor, look, etc for your big day. There are no rules as to how to construct your inspiration board, it just helps you pull together what you like, what colors you want to use and hopefully, make planning your big day much easier.

Here is an example of a Beach Wedding Inspiration board :

You then share your inspiration with the folks that will be helping you plan your day. For example, as an invitation designer, I would be able to see this inspiration board and pull in colors of subdued pinks, mints, blues, etc. to create a beautiful, beach-inspired invitation. I could use the details on the cake, the corral or even flowers as inspiration for the main design element. This inspiration board will also help you and your family when looking for centerpieces, linens, outfits for the bridal party, etc. If you can visual share what you want, you are well on your way to creating a cohesive, well designed look.

In order to create your inspiration board, either cut out things from a magazine and past them all on the same paper or, if you are computer save enough, pull some images from the web and make a digital collage. It will help you cement what it is you like and what you don't like.

Let the celebration begin!

Funny Dessert Plates-Fabulous Finds Friday

2010-08-27T07:00:00.000-06:00

Next time you serve up some cake, consider using these. With sayings like "Oh no, I couldn't." and "Have another, they're small", dessert becomes irresistible.

You can find these great plates at Target. And, for $19.99, why not?

Let the celebration begin!