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31 May |
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5:01 am Posted by Nicola |
With Father’s Day being less than three weeks away, now is a good time to get your kids started on a homemade craft to give Dad on June 19th. “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” is a common catchphrase for most elementary age school kids today; so why not emphasize this expression by making a craft with items found (mostly) around the house? 
This cute “World’s Best Dad” trophy is easy to make, requires very few materials, and can be customized to be a long-treasured keepsake on dad’s desk or shelf.
Detailed instructions for this craft can be found on parenting site Kaboose.com that features manychild-friendly crafts for each season and special event. With so manyhow-to sites to choose from, I find that Kaboose is particularly good with its designated age recommendations, clear list of required materials, and step-by-step photos to guide craft-challenged parents such as myself.
For further personalization, change the trophy label to include the child’s name or include a poem such as the one below:
Dad, I love youFor all that you do.I’ll kiss you and hug you‘Cause you love me, too.You feed me and need meTo teach you to play.So smile ’cause I love youOn this Father’s Day.Nothing beats a handmade gift or card for Father’s Day, but for other special occasions such as birthday parties, Bat Mitzvahs, or Anniversary parties, consider sending a professionally designed and customizable card. LookLoveSend is constantly adding new designs to its inventory of fantastic card designs. Subscribe to our mailing list to receive 20% off your first order with us.|
30 May |
Introducing Sneha Sheth, Designer of Striking Wedding Invitations |
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11:08 am Posted by Kristy |
We are delighted to introduce graphic designer Sneha Sheth and her striking collection of stationery designs to LookLoveSend.com.
Sneha hasattained a formal education in design by receiving hermaster’s degree in Communication Design from the Pratt Institute in New York City.After earning her degree, Sneha launched her design career by working at severalstudios in New York while getting hands-on experience in theareas of design editorial, packaging, promotion and branding. Exposure to these different design disciplines has allowed Sneha to develop into an exceptionally well-rounded and talented graphic designer.
Sneha has been creating designs for family and friends for years and particularly loves designing invitations that they will love to share to announce theirspecial life moments.
Like many designers, Sneha holds a strong appreciation for the sensory experience of touching high quality paper that holds a fantastic design. Sneha considers both New York City and Mumbai to be home – and this appreciation of merged cultures and vibrant city life is evident in her uniqueand highly sophisticated designs such as her wedding invitation style ‘Posy Blooms’ shown here.
Sneha’s designs exhibita distinctive modern feel and show her love for color. To see more of Sneha’s fantastic designs, checkout the LookLoveSend designs by category and search by her designer name.
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29 May |
Modern Day Family Realities Take on Traditional Wedding Invitations |
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5:01 am Posted by Kristy |
Present day family realities have many brides-to-be contending with some tricky wording on their wedding invitations. One of my friend’s brides had to place two separate orders for her invitations–to accomodate her divorced-and-no-longer-speaking parents’ insistence on “dividing” (as opposed to “sharing”) their hosting responsibilities. Each parent wanted their name and the name of their new spouse listed on the invitation, and then sent their invitations to their own separate guest lists. The only good thing about this cumbersome arrangement for the bride was choosing the wedding invitation design!
There are lots of nuances to every individual situation. You may have amicable, divorced parents who cooperate fully for the sake of your interests. Or, you may have bitterly divorced parents who can’t be together in the same room. You might have happily remarried parents. Or, you may have one parent happily remarried and another who is not. Whatever your situation, generally keep in mind the following:
- Start with your natural mother’s name first.
- Your natural parents names, remarried or not, should be listed on separate lines.
- Include a parent’s new spouse’s name on the same line if that step-parent has been an important part of your life.
- Include both step-parents on the same lines as their spouses if both step-parents have played big roles in your life.
So that solves that! Wait a minute, what about those remarried parents who divorce yet again? Yes, this is where a lot of brides throw in the towel. There is plenty of grace in the phrase “Together with our families …” to deal with multiple divorces, multiple steps, and all the multiple nuances that come with complicated families.
As for other protocol problems involving divorced parents regarding ceremony seating, table configuration, wedding party selections, and more, we’ll save that for another post. In the meantime, please send us your stories and solutions by commenting on this blog.
Now go ahead and get to the fun part… Browse our growing collection of wedding invitations at looklovesend.com to find the right design that suits your taste and style. Our designs are constantly refreshed, so check back often if you cannot decide. Subscribe with us today and receive 20% off your first order with us.
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28 May |
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5:01 am Posted by Kristy |
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- These are this summer’s big wedding anniversary years for couples around the country who’ve stayed married for 25, 40 and 50 years.
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Summertime has long been the high season for weddings, so it’s no surprise that summer brings families together once again to celebrate wedding anniversaries. Families can travel more easily with kids out of school, and better weather makes outdoor events possible in more parts of the country.
If you are planning an anniversary party this summer, there’s a remarkable variety of regional influences around the country from which to draw inspiration. Here’s a look at some theme ideas we’ll be featuring in a blog series starting today:
- Wine Tasting
- Seafood (Clambakes and Crawfish Boils)
- Barbecue (From Memphis to Kansas City to Dixie)
- Southwest Fiesta
- Travel-inspired
West Coast Wine Tasting The options for people who live in this part of the country are truly endless. This is especially true when you consider the number of wineries in well-known Napa and Sonoma Valleys, or also in areas like Woodinville, Washington, which boasts more wineries per square mile than any other region in the country!
For wineries with family-friendly eateries where large groups can gather, these regions also have much to offer. Outside of the big wineries themselves, hosting an anniversary party at highly original, visionary, artistic restaurants like Ubuntu in downtown Napa The Restaurant at Meadowood are two safe bets at well-known destinations. Luxurious, limo guided wine tours such as Beau Wine Tours is a classy option for the anniversary couple who are true wine enthusiasts.
But if you don’t have access to Napa, or the budget to dine out in large numbers, you can recreate a West Coast wine tasting experience in your own backyard, or at some other scenic outdoor location. All that’s needed is an informed, thoughtful selection of wines from your local shop and maybe an expert on hand to serve. Add in California-inspired cuisine (a.k.a. fresh ingredients) from a local caterer, or assign guests wine-paired dishes, and you can recreate an elegant wine-tasting feast. Check your local wedding reception listing for outdoor or patio areas facilities to host your event.
Around the World wine tasting Another fun wine tasting party idea is to broaden the scope of regions from which you draw your wines. Introduce guests to the fine young fruit wines of the Loire Valley or the smoky aromas in South American wines. With a little research and some expert input, you can give people a new appreciation of mixed wines. Most of all, don’t pretend you’re the expert–just an experimenter!
To find the perfect anniversary party invitations, browse our expanding collection of party invitations at LookLoveSend.com. Subscribe today and receive 20% off your first order with us!
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27 May |
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5:01 am Posted by Kristy |
In the spirit of improving upon the annual Christmas letter many of us send each year with our Christmas cards, we recently blogged about a kind of intervention for those sometimes boastful, over-the-top letters. The push was to focus letter writers on being natural, humble and short. Another idea that would boost your letter’s sincerity and authenticity: get your children to contribute to the family Christmas letter in their own words.
Start with Your Writers Children’s own thoughts and unique experiences, written in their own uniquely chosen words, could produce an authentic letter that would delight friends and family. This idea works best for kids of reading and writing age, starting as young as first grade and going on up through college. (Admittedly, the high school senior or college student who is willing to do this may be the exception.)
With a little direction and a lot of emphasis on the spirit of the season, provide certain ideas to help them focus their topics. Try telling them to think about the following questions, and direct them to just write a sentence or two in response:
- What was something that brought you great joy or made you feel very thankful this year? (this is a good alternative to the more self-centered “something you accomplished” statement)
- What is something you hope to change or do in the New Year? (e.g. a personal goal)
- Was there something very special that happened to someone in your family this year? (This is a great way to talk about accomplishments or achievements worth sharing, but it’s done in a way that shows consideration among family.)
Even the Littlest Ones Have Something to Say If you have younger ones who aren’t writing yet, you can easily adapt the letter writing to accomodate them by transcribing their spoken words to paper. Have some fun with this by phonetically spelling their unique pronunciations in the letter. For example, let Christmas be “Krickmas” or Santa Claus be “Santie Craws” if that’s how they say it. Simple ideas work best here. Use the ideas from their holiday preschool work as source material, for example:
- All I want for Christmas is ________
- When I meet Santa I will ask him ________
- I will leave __________ for Santa and his reindeer
Rotating Writers Another approach that can work well is to have one family member write the entire letter each year. This lets everyone take a turn playing author and can infuse your annual letters with a lot of personality. One of our personal favorites is such a letter. This letter arrives each year from a family we’ve watched grow in size over the years. Their four children now range in ages from six to sixteen. While the six year old is not yet a Christmas letter author, the oldest two have taken their turns as Christmas letter authors as a sort of rite of passage. To do it well, I would follow these tips observed in their letters:
- Set up the idea about rotating authors in the letter by writing a brief introduction of your author.
- Retain some control by providing your author-at-large with a few guiding topics.
- Always emphasize the need to keep in the mind the spirit of the season when writing.
If you have any thoughts you’d like to share about letting your little authors write your Christmas letter, please comment on this post! For a peek at our growing collection of Christmas cards, including customizable photo Christmas cards, visit looklovesend.com. Subscribe today by clicking on the Join Now button below and receive 20% off your first order with us!
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26 May |
Multiples Birth Announcements with Photos: the Best of Both Worlds |
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5:01 am Posted by Nicola |
Would you be the kind of mother who dresses her twins in matching outfits or purposely different? 
Whether you would choose to emphasize their common bond or encourage their unique personalities, mothers of multiples certainly have extra childcare decisions to make. Wardrobe decisions and double stroller struggles aside, moms of multiples often have great survival tips that can help other mothers of one, two or six.
The June 2011 issue of Parents magazine features some helpful hints from mothers of multiples. A few of these hints are below and show the delicate balance between making mom’s life easier while allowing each child to retain his individuality.
- Encourage team work: when giving one twin a cookie, ask him to give one to his brother. The boys will soon learn to do this without asking and watching out for each other will become second nature.
- Stress individuality: refer to the kids by name and not always as “the twins”. Also plan for parent alone time with each child.
- Share socks: buy the same type of socks to help your laundry sorting sanity.
- Celebrate each birthday: let each twin blow out her own candles on her own cake. Twins will certainly share gifts and parties throughout the years, so let each have her own few minutes in the spotlight.
- I can imagine that maintaining this balance could be a challenge. But when announcing the birth of multiples, send a customized
- with photos to make mom’s life easier while allowing each twin to shine. LookLoveSend has a growing selection of
- such as this one by designer Sandra Roth. Online customizing is simple; most cards are available in several colors andone or morebaby photos can be easily uploaded to introduce each baby individually, but in an easy and efficient way.
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25 May |
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5:01 am Posted by Nicola |
This discolored, hole-ridden, ripped blanket has helped my family through countless fevers, dozens of tantrums, and too many sleepless nights to count. Sure, it is half the size and about 10 shades greyer than it used to be, but I think my son’s “blankie” was hands-down the most invaluable baby shower gift that I received. When my sister-in-law gave me this handmade crochet blanket nine years ago, I had no idea about the Power of Blankie. Since then I have easily spent 15 minutes at a time looking for this blanket, I have (badly) repaired at least 6 holes in this blanket, I have turned the car around to go home and get this blanket when forgotten.
So when you receive your next baby shower invitation, if you are close to the mom-to-be and have a little Martha Stewart inside; consider giving the gift of a homemade baby blanket. Whether you choose to knit, crochet or stitch this special gift, here are some basic hints:
- 36″ x 36″ is a good guideline size
- Try to avoid synthetic materials, search for organic yarns with natural dyes.
- Tap into online resources for patterns and photos. http://www.crochetpatterncentral.com/ has a fantastic collection of free crochet patterns.
Giving a homemade blanket is an incredibly personal and loving gesture. And while there is no guarantee that any blanket will be granted the Power of Blankie, it could just happen thanks to you.
If you are hosting a baby shower, check out LookLoveSend’s growing collection of baby shower invitations. All our invitations are professionally designed and can be customized with your specific details.
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24 May |
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5:01 am Posted by Kristy |
With temperatures climbing and the sun shining, our weekend agenda was packed with three parties in one day. Each party was entirely distinctive in theme and activities, and yet each one was equally a glowing success.
What was the secret? Party duration was just an hour and a half! Full disclosure: one of these parties was my son’s party. Yet each of us party planning moms had printed the start and end times on the birthday party invitations as an hour and a half. While some guests certainly left on time and others stayed on for a bit, by the end, almost everyone left wanting more.
3 Parties… 3 Themes… Only 1-1/2 Hours Each!
Pirate Beach Party The payoff here was low cost and lots of original fun. Keeping the duration of the party short, even at the expense of having to cut out one of the planned games, paid off when kids kept busy and left excited. Here’s what happened in an hour and a half:
- Arrivals got their pirate tattoos.
- Blackbeard tested potential mateys with Pirate Games such as Swab the Deck and Hook the Pretzel.
- The Treasure Hunt was the main event. Two teams, The Blackbeards and The Buccaneers, set off with homemade maps in hand to find treasure (candy!) buried in the sand.
- Chocolate Pirate Cake and Ice cream.
- Party Favor: Personalized paper bags stocked with spyglass, compass, eye patch and candy treasure.
Rollerskating Rink Party A party organized outside of the home by people who do it every day lets a hosting parent enjoy the kids and other adults. Roller rinks provide the energetic music and colorful lights. The biggest headache is watching out for spills on skates that bruise knees or bump heads. Here’s what happened in an hour and a half:
After choosing their skates and lacing up:
- Skated to music with friends.
- Rink’s party organizers set up barefoot races and party sing a longs.
- Cake and ice cream.
- Favor: Homemade music CDs.
Pool Party Swimming at a pool party is about the most fun a kid can have. No organized activity needed here–just close supervision! The highlights of a good pool party revolve around the pool. Outdoor kid-friendly food and favors are a plus. Here’s what happened in an hour and a half:
- Swim
- Swim
- Swim
- Hotdogs and cheese puffs, homemade monkey cupcakes and streamers with monkeys hanging from freestanding umbrellas lent a fun atmosphere to this pool party.
- Favor: water blasters
So next time you fret about what start time and end times to print on your child’s birthday party invitations, stick to the hour-and-a-half rule.
For fun, energetic birthday party invitations, check out the growing collection available at looklovesend.com. All our invitations are professionally designed and can be customized with your specific details. Subscribe to our mail list and receive 20% off your first order with us!
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23 May |
Look Out Tchaikovsky, Here Comes The Wedding Invitation Suite |
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5:01 am Posted by Kristy |
The Nutcracker Suite. The Wedding Invitation Suite. Both “Suites” parade out their acts as a way to organize the pleasures of the evening for their audiences. In the case of the annual holiday ballet favorite, those pleasures are from the perspective of a little girl dressed in white who dreams of candy in foreign lands.
In the case of your wedding, those pleasures take the form of witnessing your marriage vows (the Invitation!), followed by a celebration (the Reception Card!) with dining and dancing (the Place Setting Card!), toasts and gifts (the Thank You Note!). And yes, you are most likely wearing white.
Components of a Complete Wedding Invitation Suite
As featured at LookLoveSend.com, a complete wedding invitation suite contains several pieces of stationery. Each piece is designed to communicate to your guests what to expect at your wedding. For example, when you mail your wedding invitation envelope, it may contain the following components:
- Invitation to the Wedding Includes the names of bride and groom, date, time and location of the ceremony. Also identifies the host(s), who are traditionally the brides’ parents. There are lots of alternatives to this tradition, though, a topic we’ll blog more about later!
- Reception Card Recommended for a reception held at a different location from the ceremony. Includes the name of reception facility, location and suggested arrival time.
- Response Card This essential helps you track who is coming and who has yet to respond. If your reception includes a formal sit-down dinner, you may request guests to make their menu selections on this card as well.
- Menu Card This card excites guests about the cuisine you will offer at your reception. You may include them for either a buffet or formal sit-down dinner.
- Directions These are especially important if you have out-of-town guests. Include a visual map as well as written directions that originate from several different points of origin.
What’s Essential vs. Optional
You can order additional stationery pieces from the same design collection, but you don’t have to coordinate everything. A single design theme, however, is a strong way to express the look and feel you want for your special day. Consider your budget, and then decide what’s necessary and what’s not for additional items such as:
- Engagement Announcement
- Save the Date Cards
- Wedding Programs
- Place Setting Cards
- Gift Enclosures
- Thank You Notes
Check out The 3 Pieces of Stationery You Really Need, posted on theknot.com, which recommends a bare minimum suite that contains: (1) The Invitation (2) The Response Card and (3) Escort or Place Cards.
Well-designed wedding invitation suites tie together all components by applying a single design concept. Each piece in the suite uses the same colors, type styles and design elements, accordingly with the size, layout and purpose of that piece. To find the right look and feel for your wedding stationery, browse the growing collection at LookLoveSend.com. Subscribe today and receive 20% off your first order with us!
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22 May |
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5:01 am Posted by Nicola |
You have a new sparkler on your left hand, you can’t stop smiling, and you have a new title “fiance”. After calling your closest family members and friends to share your special news, how do you spread the word to everyone else? Weddings are special and rich with tradition so, rather than reaching for your phone to update your Facebook status, consider the benefits of a formal engagement announcement to spread the word.
A mailed engagement announcement will set the tone for your guests to expect a traditional wedding celebration if that is what you choose. The announcement card may be highly personalized and could include a photo of you and your fiance; which would be particularly appreciated by recipients who may not know one of you or who have not seen you in a long time. A mailed card also gives you control of the announcement, ensuring that nobody close to you gets offended by reading a tweet about your engagement before you tell them.
If you do choose to send an engagement announcement, make sure that everyone getting one will also be invited to the wedding, and make sure that it is not mistaken for a wedding invitation. The announcement can also double as a Save the Date card if you already know and include the date of the wedding.
You may reference dozens of wedding-related sites, apps, and blogs during your engagement months; so why not make your engagement announcement standout as a personalized quality card delivered via the U.S. Mail instead?
Checkout the growing collection of Save the Date cards available at LookLoveSend.com. Engagement announcements will be added soon. Subscribe today and receive 20% off your first order with us!
