Gary's 60th Birthday

Gary's daughter, Cari was planning a 60th birthday luau for her dad because he loves to wear Aloha shirts, and I was thrilled to get to design these awesome invitations. Cari wanted a little bit of a Tommy Bahama vibe, but still relaxed. I love a good hibiscus pattern.

She mailed the invitation in #10 sized envelopes in a dark blue color and I created a wraparound address label to coordinate.

A welcome sign graced the front door of the party.

Folded tent cards labeled the food for the buffet.

And a couple of 5x7 signs labeled cupcake flavors and drink options for guests.

It looks like the party was a blast, happy birthday!!

Julianna's 1st Birthday

I had a blast creating this ballerina-themed birthday party for Julianna. I love the fonts, the colors, and the sparkly star pattern I created for the party. I'm seriously considering adding this one to my Etsy shop.

I created wraparound address labels to coordinate:

Julianna's mommy, JoAnna asked me to make a Birthday Wishes card for guests to fill out since she didn't have one at her baby shower. 

We created a faux chalkboard with all of Julianna's first year stats too. 

Lastly, I created a thank you card using a beautiful photo of Julianna. 

Beautiful birthday girl!

Kari & Nathan

My cousin, Kari and her fiancé, Nathan were planning a destination wedding in Kauai and they loved the invitations I created for Joanna and Matt. So we stuck with the same basic design and added elements to make it their own. 

Everything was printed on linen card stock by Cards and Pockets. We also created wraparound address labels and the envelopes were from Paper Source. 

Friends and family members who had already committed to attending were the only ones who received an invitation. The inserts included a map to the ceremony and reception. (This was the very first time I saw less-than-stellar print quality come from Cards & Pockets. The blocks of color didn't print as vibrant as they should have.)

There was also an invitation to attend a luau with the bride and groom and their family in lieu of a traditional rehearsal dinner.

The back showed a map on how to get there.

This was one destination wedding I was thrilled to get to attend!

The long tables were decorated with orchids and ripe pineapples that smelled amazing. At each place setting was a menu that I designed with their graphics and an engraved luggage tag that served as both a place card and a wedding favor. Each guest's initials were engraved on the back of the luggage tag.

It was an absolutely GORGEOUS wedding and such an honor to get to contribute a little, take some photos, and share the special day with Kari and Nathan. 

Congratulations!!

Jackie's Bridal Shower

My sister Jackie got married last October, but before she walked down the aisle, her BFF Joanna and I planned a super fun 1980s-themed bridal shower for her.

When we got started, we were kind of at a loss for theme ideas. The venue was going to be the CrossFit gym where Jackie works, so that somewhat limited theme ideas. She had mentioned doing a "sporty spice" theme, but we really had no great ideas to go with it. 

Finally, Joanna and I ran across some inspiration on Pinterest for a 1980s theme, complete with big hair, leg warmers, Jazzercise, and lots of Spandex. We loved it! So we decided to change the theme and not tell Jackie about it. My sister is a planner and admittedly, a bit of a control freak. It was a struggle for her to not be involved at all in the planning of her shower. Joanna and I loved every minute!

I'm really proud of how the invitation turned out.

I printed them at my local Office Depot and mounted them onto Sour Apple card stock that I purchased from Cards & Pockets.

I created a wraparound address label that continued the theme and used Watermelon envelopes, also from Cards & Pockets. 

For favors, we filled cellophane bags with jelly bracelets, Pop Rocks and a Ring Pop and I created a tag that was folded and stapled to each bag.

I created a water bottle label too. Is the theme from Flashdance stuck in your head yet?

For refreshments we came up with foods that were popular in the 80s, so friends made Sloppy Joes, cocktail weiners, 7-layer dip, and deviled eggs. We also had Capri Suns and wine coolers. We tried to find the old school Bartles & Jaymes wine coolers, but the local BevMo didn't carry them.  

For the food labels, I tried to pair each item with a hit song from the 80s.

For a fun little extra, I created a cootie catcher that I had a blast creating. I was definitely chaneling Lisa Frank with the rainbow animal prints.

Just like the cootie catchers we created as kids, I created "fortunes" for the insides, describing your future, in full 1980s style.

These two futures say:

1. You will settle on an island in the South Pacific where you make exotic bath products with your wife of 20 years who looks just like Brooke Shields.

2. You will shack up with David Hasslehoff and work on the set of Knight Rider where your daughter Kitt will be both conceived and born.

These two fortunes say:

1. After a 6-week whirlwind marriage to Tom Selleck, you will become the graphic designer who builds a fortune putting a mustache on EVERYTHING. (This one is one of my favorites)

2. You will marry Kirk Cameron, have 6 children, and you will live in a seaside New England cottage where you make and sell jam locally.

I created six more futures that I'd be happy to share if you ask. ;-)

This shower was such a blast to create, I am going to try and create a version I can put in my Etsy shop! 

Ken & Carolyn's Anniversary & Reunion

My grandparents were celebrating their 90th birthdays and their 67th wedding anniversary. Our entire family made the trek to Kansas City to celebrate with them. Because it was the biggest event we were celebrating since their 50th anniversary, my aunts asked me to create an invitation to commemorate the occasion. It also served as a way to let guests know what get-togethers were happening throughout the course of the weekend.

I used Cobalt pocketfolds from Cards and Pockets and learned that six is the maximum amount of inserts that will fit into the pocket when they are printed on card stock.

I created wraparound address labels for matching envelopes and each pocketfold was held closed with a circle of the patterned paper.