We’re back from NSS and had a great couple of days in New York! The show was, as expected, absolutely full of talented designers and nifty goods. And, as expected, we barely scratched the surface of all there is to see.

We were so focused on actually making it through the entire show that I never actually pulled the camera out of my bag. I know, terrible. There was so much good stuff, too!

Thankfully, a few other bloggers are keeping great tabs on goings-on (and actually taking photos!). Be sure to follow Vane‘s (otherwise known as Brooklyn Bride) guest blogs this week over at Design Sponge for some delicious wedding invitation goodness. Nicole over at NicEvents (who we were able to finally meet in person on Sunday!) took quite a few photos of some great booths and has been posting them with details for the past couple of days. Visit her blog here.

We were really excited to see our good friend Ja of Ilee Papergoods at the show for the first year – she has been selling her sweet cards and gorgeous calendar on Etsy and in a couple of local stores for a while now, but it looks like things will really take off for her after participating in NSS this year. It was also great to finally meet several of the designers that we’ve talked to in this virtual world (somewhat comforting to see that they’re real people! With faces!)

images from nationalstationeryshow.com

Jonathan and I will be leaving Saturday to attend the National Stationery Show in New York City. We’ll be walking through for the first time – while we’ve talked about attending for the past four years, time, money, and circumstances never seemed to mesh well. We are so excited to attend! This is a show we’d love to be involved with in the future, so it will be a very educational trip!

That being said, take a look at the sheer monstrosity that is the floorplan:

Holy Cow. With a capital H and a capital C. I think I’ll need comfortable shoes. (Stating the obvious, something I am so good at…) We’ll only be there for two days, so there’s no way we can take it all in. Yikes!

We’re very excited to meet some of our favorite designers and suppliers and see their new stuff in person! I’ll definitely try and post as much as possible about the show next week!

As a side note, I’ve started following the Stationery Show’s blog – it’s been so interesting to see set up in progress and read about the process (yes, I know – we’re total nerds for finding that interesting…). If you’re in the biz, or just interested in seeing how a massive trade show operates behind the scenes, check it out!

The book arrived! Woo-hoo! It’s gorgeous…I haven’t yet had the chance to absorb everything in it. It’s a very well-compiled collection.

Two of our designs are included – the letterpress suite we designed for Mariana and Dan last summer, and the offset suite we designed for Hailey and Clinton last year.

We’re so excited to be included in such a fantastic book amidst such talented designers!

I love the color palette of this invitation suite we delivered last week – rich navy and wasabi green. These invitations have not been mailed out to guests yet, so I can’t say too much…but aren’t the colors fun?

Thank you, perpetual bridesmaid, for your insights! Gifting is so personal that you’ll likely have a good idea of what would be really perfect for your friends – whether they are foodies, homebodies, etc. Here are a couple of my current favorite gift ideas (a completely random sampler of really cool budget-friendly items!)

For the foodie newlyweds:

• Oha placemats ($3.95 each) and table runner ($14.95) from cb2.com
• one year subscription to Saveur magazine ($19.95) from saveur.com

Personal note – we received a subscription to Saveur from friends (thank you – we know you’re reading this!) and we LOVE it! We read a lot of cooking and food magazines and this one is by far our new favorite!

For the performer newlyweds:

• Video ipod karaoke system ($60.00) from fredflare.com

For the entertaining, dinner-party-throwing newlyweds:

• Recipe binder set (includes a signature binder, 15 section tabs, measure equivalent chart, 40 recipe pages, 50 recipe cards, and 60 menu planning sheets) ($60.00) from russellandhazel.com
• Lapis petals apron ($38.00) from anthropologie.com

For anyone (cause these are so cute!):

• Ceramic pigeon vases ($45 for 4 inch pigeon, $60 for 6 inch pigeon) from threepotatofourshop.com

You have had a lot on your mind with your role as a bridesmaid. The showers, the girl weekends, the dresses, etc. Suddenly, you have this pressing feeling that you are forgetting something important and the wedding is only a few weeks away. That’s right! The wedding gift! Unfortunately, at this point you are most likely pretty dry of funds. What can you get for under $100 that reflects thoughtfulness and of course your love for your friends?

First of all, the bride and groom deeply appreciate you being in the wedding in the first place, and they recognize the time, energy, and funds you have already contributed. As a close friend, you are in a position to give them something personable and memorable. That doesn’t mean that you have to go into debt to give them the gift of a lifetime…just reflect on their needs and loves, and gift accordingly!

Whitney is going to follow up this post with some of her top picks for gifts under $100 – stay tuned!

We were thrilled to find out last week that some of our work has been included in Rockport Publishers‘ newest design book, Design for Special Events, written by Peleg Top of L.A.-based Top Design. Our copy is on its way, so once it arrives, we’ll post more info about the book itself and which of our designs were included.

In the meantime, read more about the book and its contributors at designforspecialevents.com.

We delivered these invitations a couple of weeks ago and are excited to finally share a sneak peak! This bride came to us asking for an invitation inspired by the beach – but not in a palm tree, mai tai kind of way. Her request was for a Mediterranean feel, inspired by the Bougainvillea flower, which happens to be found all over Greece – coincidentally, Greece is also where she and her fiance became engaged!

With that inspiration in mind, we designed this pocket panel invitation in hot pink, bright white, and two shades of aqua, reminiscent of Mediterranean waters. The rsvp and rsvp envelope fit conveniently in a custom pocket on the back side of the invitation, which is accented by doubled faced satin wrapped tightly around the pocket. Each piece contains a modern, clean type paired with a more formal script and adorable polka dot accents.

Kelley Moore designed this year’s Opera Gala, held at McCaw Hall and benefiting the Seattle Opera’s education and outreach programs. She approached us to assist with favors – we were honored to be included in a project for such a great cause. Laura Hooper of Laura Hooper Calligraphy also got involved, hand-lettering gorgeous place cards and table numbers.

Read more about the Gala on Kelley’s blog, Here’s the Story.

We were honored to be approached last month by lifestyle expert Kelley L. Moore, who has a regular column about stylish entertaining in Seattle Magazine and also a regular Friday morning spot on KONG news, Moore to Life with Kelley Moore. Her current project? The Breakfast Club, a unique and relaxed approach to entertaining friends and family on a monthly basis.

We created an invitation for the club using a fresh green daisy motif and then carried that feel through in recipe cards that were included in guests’ parting gifts. Kelley’s article is full of great entertaining tips for a comfortable morning with friends – I especially love the Bloody Mary Bar!

Check the article out in the latest issue of Seattle magazine or online at their website. You can also view Kelley’s Breakfast Club feature on king5.com here.