To Do: Create To-Do List

When visiting Boston last year, I fell in love with the stationary store Paper Source and bought copious amounts of thank you cards from their discount section. After bridal showers and a wedding, I can attest to the importance of feeling enthusiastic about your writing material. Nice stamps and address labels made me feel like the notes were half written before I even began.

So how nice would it be to feel that way about a to-do list? After browsing through these cute sets of five pads ($35), I think I know what everyone on my shopping list is getting for Christmas. Done! The best part of lists, after all, is crossing things off.

 

Dotted bands 

Jars

And if Wes Anderson were on my list...

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thanks for nothing

by Plexual

I absolutely hate writing thank you cards.

I came to terms with this fact after spending a restless night NOT sleeping and instead stressing about the thank cards I had still not sent for the lovely gifts Sweet Pea got right after he was born (he is now 3 months old). So with husband and child sound asleep, I got up out of bed at 4 this morning to finish up writing my notes and it all took my less than a half hour. Seriously. It is ridiculous as to how I can (and do) procrastinate over certain things. I am always on top of the laundry and dishes, but writing a friend back? Impossible for me to do in a reasonable amount of time. Maybe it's the perfectionist tendency I have when it comes to writing. It's something I'm supposed to be good at and so I obsess over it to the point of not doing it at all. So for those out there who are due a thank you note - it's in the mail, it I owe you an email - I'm working on it, and if you are waiting for any thing  else from me - write me a note and maybe I'll get back to you this summer.

Happy Thanksgiving!

We'll see you guys on Monday. Have a great Thanksgiving!

{Thankful Forest Card by Rifle}

Date? Saved.

vintage Polish stamp via http://stampdesigns.tumblr.com/post/340299879/poland-postage-stamp-kitten-c-1966-designed-by

{lots more postal prettiness to be found on that tumblr too}

Slowly but surely I'm getting the hang of this wedding planning thing.

The reason is because I've learned to "delegate" as my mother would say, but I am not ashamed to admit that what I'm really doing is pawning things off on my loved ones.

Case and point: the Save the Date cards (which, thank goodness, we've finally sent off). My future Mister* designed the postcard, found an affordable printer, and patiently dealt with me when I gave him useful critiques like - But is it too orange? And then we have my lovely friend Ruby who addressed these beauties with her graceful handwriting and dealt with sending out all of the last minute ones I forgot about.

Anyway, thanks to my wedding team (and eBay for the stamps) I was so happy with our Save the Date cards that I couldn't help but photograph the crap out of them in all their bright and mismatched glory...

The photo shoot was, however, interrupted by my one true love (a certain green-eyed cat) as her jealousy sent the cards scattering before she then decided to take a nap on them. Little did she know that her actions just made the postcards more perfect... after all, who doesn't love to receive mail with little bits of cat hair stuck under vintage postage?

*Sorry to steal your blog's term of endearment for your man, Celia. It's pretty perfect, but I promise to come up with my own soon... unless, of course, you have any suggestions?? Hey now - that's an idea...

Dear readers,

Can I delegate that responsibility of nicknaming my husband-to-be for use in the blog - to you?

I've been referring to him as BF ("the boyfriend") thus far, but that's only going to work for so long (until November - to be exact). Plus, "BF" as a nickname technically doesn't even work anymore since we had to go and got all French and fiancéd....

Anyway, any and all suggestions to nickname my man would be appreciated and carefully considered.

Sincerely,
Vivi

rubber stamp return

via Note Trunk

For someone who is supposedly trying to save money on her wedding, I do seem to be splurging a lot on pretty touches. For example, I've spent way too much time picking out this little extra - a rubber address stamp for my invitations.

I blame Lorelei for this new fixation since she has a lovely one that she got for her birthday from paperwink. Here are some of my favorites from that cute online boutique:

I am also crediting Lorelei with the justification of this purchase since it looks to be something I will be using on all of my correspondence long after the wedding. I just hope the phone company can appreciate the prettiness of the one I picked out from Note Trunk:

I also got this one from Note Trunk for a friend's birthday. Cute, right?:

Thursday, a "Save the Date" postcard, and Etsy

"Retro Vintage Inspired Balloon Save the Date Postcards" by FeliceDesign

Okay, so we've made a draft of a working guest list and have seen one potential place for the ceremony/reception so the "Save the Date" card is next, right? This looks to be a lot more fun than worrying about shelling out way too much money for a chain hotel ballroom with no windows... In terms of the "Save the Date" - we're thinking of going the postcard route and lucky for us that there are just so many unique and fun styles we could go with, don't you just love all of these? Now someone help me decide...

"Katie / Custom Save-the-Date Postcards" by paperjo

"Antique Save the Date Post Card" by jamiekonet

"Save the Date Vintage Beer Label Microbrewery Wedding" by shadowboxercrafts

"Save the date - York" by DIYpaperie

"Vintage Travel Postcard Save the Date (Rhode Island)" by beyonddesign

"Save the Date" by consideringlilies

"Claudia Save the Date Postcards" by greenquince

The prettiest stationary I've ever seen...

...is at Rifle Paper Company.


Anna Bond is the artist/illustrator behind these gorgeous products (and a gorgeous blog). And I want it all.

Especially the customized calling cards.


And the greeting cards.


And these recipe cards. Definitely need them.


And Anna Bond's customized wedding invites and save the dates and wedding programs make me want to get married again (to the same guy! The same guy!).


So really. Which one (minus the wedding stuff) should I break down and buy?

{All images courtesy of Rifle Paper Co. and Anna Bond}