We are thrilled to see some of our Elum letterpress wedding invitations featured in the October / November issue of San Diego Style Weddings Magazine! Flip to the Invitations & Favors section to see our Alchemy, Fifth Avenue and Luxe letterpress invitation designs featured in their mix of favorite wedding stationery. Look for their magazine in stores, or check out the Digital Version.
Thanksgiving is around the corner, so, as we prepare for the big day known for cooking, overeating, and lots & lots of football watching, we’ve come up with some tips on bringing thanks back to Thanksgiving:
[typography font=”Oswald” size=”18″ size_format=”px” color=”#8d8580″]GET PERSONAL[/typography]
Incorporate a beautiful letterpress note card with each place setting so guests can write a note to the person seated on their right about why they are thankful for that person. Recipients can open their notes of gratitude when they get home.
[typography font=”Oswald” size=”18″ size_format=”px” color=”#8d8580″]SHARE THE THANKS[/typography]
Provide small enclosure cards for guests and have them anonymously write down one thing they are thankful for and drop it into a bowl. Then later on, each guest can pick one at random and read it aloud, while everyone tries to guess who wrote it.
[box]“FEELING GRATITUDE[highlight]AND NOT EXPRESSING IT[/highlight] IS LIKE WRAPPING A PRESENT AND NOT GIVING IT.”
– William Arthur Ward[/box]
[typography font=”Oswald” size=”18″ size_format=”px” color=”#8d8580″]THANK THE HOSTESS[/typography]
If you are not hosting the holiday at your home, you can do something thoughtful for the one who is. Bring one special card for the hostess that everyone signs. Discreetly leave the card behind at the end of the evening for the host/hostess to read after all have gone home. You can even go one step further and get a fabulous hostess gift from the entire group.
[box]GATHER THE CHILDREN AND HELP THEM [highlight]CONTRIBUTE TO THANKSGIVING[/highlight] IN THEIR OWN CLEVER WAY. [/box]
Gratitude Garland by Carina Gardner
[typography font=”Oswald” size=”18″ size_format=”px” color=”#8d8580″]GET CRAFTY[/typography]
Offering a “thankful craft” is a fun option, particularly if there are a lot of kids attending your Thanksgiving dinner. Thanksgiving craft ideas are plentiful on Pinterest, but our favorites are this Gratitude Garland or this Thanksgiving Tree .
[box]WHAT ARE SOME OF [highlight]YOUR FAVORITE WAYS[/highlight] OF BRINGING THANKS BACK TO THANKSGIVING?[/box]
[pinterest count=”horizontal”] [fblike style=”standard” showfaces=”false” width=”450″ verb=”like” font=”arial”]
Whether you’re headed to a holiday party with co-workers, a White Elephant gift exchange or an Ugly Christmas Sweater rager, bringing a hostess gift shows good party-going form. Instead of turning to the usual hostess gifts for the holidays, like wine, flowers or scented candles, first consider these en vogue alternatives:
[typography font=”Oswald” size=”18″ size_format=”px” color=”#8d8580″]BIG STACK NOTE BARS[/typography]
Our line of Big Stack Note Bars (our fancy way of saying uber-thick & totally awesome note pads) is a fan favorite, particularly this time of year when shopping lists, To-Do lists and Honey-Do lists are in abundance. We have a spectacular “Butterscotch” metallic gold dipped version or you can go with our fun new “Naughty or Nice” Big Stack with bold red painted edges, offered especially for the holidays.
[typography font=”Oswald” size=”18″ size_format=”px” color=”#8d8580″]GOLD SHEARS BY NATE BERKUS[/typography]
These high style Nate Berkus brassy gold tone scissors are a shear genius gift, especially now, with the holiday wrapping madness that is about to begin. And? They’re offered at Target. Win-win.
Photo Credit: Studio Neat
[typography font=”Oswald” size=”18″ size_format=”px” color=”#8d8580″]NEAT ICE KIT[/typography]
We are in love with this item (family and friends, don’t be surprised if you see this under your tree this year). With this Neat Ice Kit, you can chisel your own giant ice cubes or any custom size cube for that matter.
[box]IT’S CERTAINLY A [highlight]GREAT CONVERSATION PIECE[/highlight] AND IF YOU GIVE THE GIFT PRE-FROZEN, THE HOSTESS (and party guests) CAN HAVE THE IMMEDIATE SATISFACTION OF WATCHING THIS SUPER COOL GADGET IN ACTION![/box]
[typography font=”Oswald” size=”18″ size_format=”px” color=”#8d8580″]REFLECTING JOURNAL[/typography]
A gorgeous linen wrapped journal with super soft cotton rag paper is an awesome for gift for any hostess. She can use it for memoirs, recipes or daily planning. Or, put a creative spin on it by scribing “Deep Thoughts” provoking questions on a few of the inside pages, then leave it out at the party for guests to comment. For example: Red or White Wine? or If you had to describe yourself in one word, what would it be? Or, What I really want from for Christmas this year is . . . Your hostess will get a kick out of reading through the responses the next morning.
[typography font=”Oswald” size=”18″ size_format=”px” color=”#8d8580″]ORB COPPER SHAKER[/typography]
Metallics are where it’s at this Holiday Season so consider giving the hostess with the mostess one of these uber-cool metallic shot glasses or a copper martini shaker from Crate and Barrel. All season long she can channel her inner Don Draper and prepare martinis in style.
With Halloween only a few days away, I wanted to share this super easy, inexpensive, DIY Punk Rock Halloween Costume that my daughter Uma and I created last year. Check out the transformation . . .
While walking the PUNK: Chaos to Couture exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art last year, my art-loving daughter and I studied every exciting detail. Some of the earliest works featured were crafted from basic household items; newspaper, tape, bubble wrap, old sweaters, safety pins, and more. We both walked away feeling incredibly inspired and couldn’t wait to start creating new looks upon returning to San Diego. This DIY Punk Rocker Halloween Costume was our first project and we had a blast making it together. [box]AND [highlight]HERE’S HOW[/highlight] WE PUT IT ALL TOGETHER[/box] 
THE SHREDDED PUNK LOOK
To get this look, first cut the front graphic off an old sweatshirt and then safety pin it back together in a more form fitting fashion Cut slashes down the arms and do the same to an old pair of leggings or tights. The first cut may be daunting, but seriously you cannot mess this up–the messier the better. Then take an old pair of shorts, or pajama pants hacked into shorts, pick up a roll or two of decorative duct tape that’s all the rage and start taping like crazy.
[highlight]TIP:[/highlight] Put the safety pins in while the costume in on for best results and make sure to put the shorts on before applying the first basic layer of tape, otherwise the taping can cause the shorts to shrink and you won’t be able to put them on again.
THE PERFECT FEMME FAUX HAWK
No Punk Rock costume is complete without a Faux Mohawk. Just cut the top off of dad’s old socks and then make a series of sock buns down the center of the head. Then, spray with hair colorant and voila.
[highlight]TIP: [/highlight]Tinted hair spray is an awesome alternative to the well-known egg whites that, albeit effective, are just downright stinky.
ALL TATTED UP
A full sleeve of (fake) tats is a must to complete this look. Simply use the store bought temporary tattoos strategically placed, or plain ‘ol Sharpie markers. You can go to town and get creative drawing skulls, roses, and a few “I love Mom” hearts.
[highlight]TIP:[/highlight] Use rubbing alcohol, nail polish remover or hand sanitizer to get the “ink” off the skin at the end of the night.
FINISHING TOUCHES
You’ll want to finish off the look with some chains, dog collars, and the typical hardcore accouterments. We used old costume jewelry, belts, and yes, dog collars. They can be tacked on with a simple safety pin, just about anywhere.
This year we’re working on a young Maleficent—we’ll let you know how it goes. [box]WHAT’S [highlight]YOUR FAVORITE[/highlight] EASY, HOMEMADE COSTUME IDEA?[/box]
In many ways process of sending holiday cards has become an impersonal well-oiled machine that can all be accomplished in one simple online transaction. A third party can take care of everything, making it so that the sender does not even need to lay a hand on the card itself, rendering the timeless tradition devoid of its magic, nostalgia, and meaning. By sending cards with pre-printed messages, signatures and envelopes, we are missing the real reason behind the season’s most popular tradition. We’d like to get back to a time when sending holiday cards is not looked at as an obligation, but rather an opportunity to demonstrate that we sincerely care.
1 – GO TACTILE & SHINY
There is something to be said for the tactile pleasure elicited from hand-crafted letterpress cards printed on the awesomeness known as cotton rag paper. But don’t just stop there–consider taking it to the next level by blinging it out with the shine of metallics or adding a special touch like luxe a velvet-lined envelope or a rustic wood veneer backer. Call us biased, but sending a designer card is like sending a miniature work of art. Who knows, they may even want to frame it and keep it out all year long.
2 – TAKE PEN TO PAPER
There is nothing quite like opening a card that is embellished with a hand-written greeting. Though time is something we are all short on during the Holiday Season, this year, take a night or two, sitting in front of your favorite holiday movie (ours is Elf) and sign your name to you cards along with a personalized message. The note doesn’t have to be a long one, but since this card may be the only time you engage with people on your list all year (not counting Facebook likes), your holiday card is the time to say something special, whether it is “I’ve been thinking of you,” or something more personal that pertains to your particular relationship.
Tip & Warning: Spiked eggnog can make the night of signing more fun, but don’t overdo it so as not to risk misspellings and messy handwriting.
3 – BUST A RHYME OR A MEANINGFUL SENTIMENT
Clever one-liners like, “Happy Everything,” are always fun, but why not take the opportunity to create a witty rhyme or personal sentimental wish that will really resonate with your friends and family. Think of it as making a meaningful toast with your holiday card.
Speaking of a meaningful toast, with our Holiday Toast card for example, you can either use the message pictured above or come up with your own heartwarming message of love and good cheer.
4 – AVOID THE OBVIOUS
Thanks to Facebook and Instagram, we get to see all our friends’ and acquaintances’ kids on a daily basis (sometimes hourly, but there’s no judgment here), so rather than inundating friends and family with more photos, go for a classic or snazzy holiday image instead.
Cards with clever images and captions, like our Bejeweled, “It’s the moose wonderful time of the year” card, complete with gold foil and a creatively unexpected message, will stand out among the masses.
Elūm Letterpress Holiday Cards range from sassy to sophisticated, playful to nostalgic. Our holiday line can be found at Papyrus and other fine stationery stores as well as our website. Choose from single cards or boxed sets and spread some memorable, meaningful holiday cheer this year.
Now that school is back in session I am reminded that the life of a parent is busier not just during the week, but all weekend long. The reason? BIRTHDAY PARTIES. The onslaught of invitations to these precious events has prompted me to write this post for a product that is not only near and dear to my heart, but one that I think parents (OK mostly moms) would benefit from immensely. I know I did. This is the story of the creation of “My First Thank You Notes.” These awesome kits are my personal attempt to keep the art of the written thank you note alive!
Growing up I was taught that you always wrote a thank you note for any gift. In fact, I remember not even calling my grandmother to thank her for the twenty bucks, but immediately sitting down to draft her a written thank you note. But Noni was ALWAYS sending us twenty-dollar bills, even on St. Patrick’s Day! So that meant I had to get creative. I remember developing a systematic and foolproof method for thank you note writing. I never actually thought that I would have a use for this until it came time for me to instill the “art of thank you note writing” in my own children, hence preserving the good manners my own mother tried so desperately to grace us with.
[box]GROWING UP I WAS TAUGHT THAT YOU [highlight]ALWAYS WROTE A THANK YOU NOTE FOR ANY GIFT.[/highlight] IN FACT, I REMEMBER NOT EVEN CALLING MY GRANDMOTHER TO THANK HER FOR THE TWENTY BUCKS BUT IMMEDIATELY SITTING DOWN TO DRAFT HER A WRITTEN THANK YOU NOTE.[/box]
So it all started when my daughter, Uma, was in Kindergarten and she was writing thank you notes for her birthday gifts. As any mom these days knows, one is pretty much commanded by politically correct standards to invite every student in the class to the party, so in this case that meant 16 thank you notes. . . all hand written. . . by a five-year old. Needless to say, that took some time, about 2 weeks from what I recall; roughly one per day. It also took some serious effort and determination from both my daughter AND me. 
I began by drafting a fill-in style version of the thank you note, a cheat sheet so to speak, that my daughter could use. She copied the words on the card and when she got to the line left blank, we filled in the specific name, gift, etc. for each card.
The day that poor kid finished drafting her last thank you note, it sparked a whole plethora of emotions, but mostly pride in my daughter and motivation to make a product that would mean WE NEVER had to go through THAT again. The next day, I began the conception our My First Thank You Note card kits. I loved the idea for the fill-in note cards only slightly 
more than I loved the idea of doing my part in society to keep the art of the written thank you note alive for future generations!
BELOW ARE MY RULES FOR THANK YOU NOTE WRITING, each of which has been incorporated into these totally awesome modern thank you cards for kids. And even cooler (OK, not a word but just go with it), Uma got to put her own artwork and handwriting on the back of the box. She thinks she’s famous now. And in my eyes, she’s right.
Most Sincerely,
Melissa Foster
Founder
We are excited to share that our Labyrinth invitations from our affordable Umi letterpress invitation collection were featured on Style Me Pretty! The lovely bride Ashlee married groom Devin at a stunning destination wedding in San Juan Puerto Rico (talk about a gorgeous setting!). We letterpress printed their invitations in soft Charcoal gray and sandy Shell inks on luxurious 100% cotton rag paper, perfect for an elegant and modern beach wedding. Ashlee mounted the invitations on charcoal gray backers and made belly bands out of handmade paper that complemented the design beautifully. We’re so thankful that we’re able to be apart of these special moments and it’s always such a treat to see photos of the happy couple on their wedding day. Congratulations to Ashlee and Devin, we wish you all the best!
Click on the pictures below to read more about Ashlee and Devin’s gorgeous wedding or visit Style Me Pretty.
Inspired by ornate French tapestries and delicate lace from the lavish and romantic Baroque period, this stunning and utterly romantic letterpress invitation suite is updated with a color palette for today’s modern bride. We letterpress printed our Versailles suite in soft pink and deep navy blue inks. This beautiful letterpress wedding invitation suite is also a wonderful choice for shower invitations, Bat Mitzvah invitations or custom letterpress party invitations.
Further enhancing the grandeur and tactile experience, we incorporated an optional Navy suede invitation backer and an Arturo Gatefold enclosure, wrapped with a silken rayon ribbon and sealed with a coordinating favor tag. Visit our website to see more of the Special Finishes we offer as luxurious additions to any letterpress invitation suite.
Scroll down for a peek at the inspiration behind this romantic invitation suite, or for the complete inspiration board visit us on Pinterest.
Our Uptown wedding invitation suite demonstrates the flawless coalescence of modernity and timelessness. This modern letterpress invitation is paired with an optional soft, suede backer, which strengthens the approachable nature of the pieces. Neutral hues, clean layouts, and unassuming typefaces converge to impart the pieces with a sense of warmth and calm. The inviting suede is juxtaposed with rich double thick cotton blend paper that has a slight blush undertone, which gives the pieces an unmistakably luxurious and upscale feel. Uptown is sure to please both the bride and the groom with it’s perfect combination of feminine and masculine touches. The Uptown wedding invitation is also extremely well suited for a sophisticated Bar Mitzvah invitation, Bat Mitzvah invitations, or for custom party invitations with a refined modern vibe.
Scroll down for a peek at the inspiration behind this sophisticated invitation suite, or for the complete inspiration board visit us on Pinterest.
