Mykonos Blue

Mykonos Blue, what is there not to love about this colour! Doesn't it just send you into an instant state of relaxation?! A bold yet classic colour, the perfect fuse of cobalt and navy. Every scheme needs a grounding colour and we have seen over the last few seasons that grounding colour move from chocolate brown, to black and most recently grey. This year however, that grounding colour is all about navy/Mykonos Blue.  This colour paired with white will be a VERY popular combination, think nautical. For something fashion forward think about pairing it with Monday's colour feature of Emerald; a palette that is sure to sparkle with elegance and luxury! Or try it with 2013's Linden Green that will compliment the deeper shades found in the fall scenery.

{Top Row} Shutters, Favour Tags, Table Setting

{Bottom Row} Shoes, Florals

Emerald Green

Last week on the facebook page the Pantone hot colours of Fall 2013 were featured. If you missed seeing it you can view them here Swanky Custom Cards & Invitations Facebook Page. This week begins exploring each colour individually. The first colour up is the colour of the year, Emerald. This is a colour I have always loved and it works beautifully with every colour. I personally love it best when paired with golds. Champagne and antique golds create such a classy feel. I also love it paired with different orange tones. It's high in contrast and shows of a punchy exuberant personality.  If you are looking for a more 'royal' feel it works best when paired with a purple jewel tone.

Deliciousness

Each day that my guy and I are lucky to spend together it is inevitable that one of us, at some point during the day, will utter the question "what would you like for dinner tonight?" For most couples cooking is usually done by one person, every night, for the rest of their lives together. This is not the case with us. We love cooking together and everything that goes along with it.  It turns into somewhat of an event.  One of us finds 'the best recipe ever' and shares it with the other. We plan a trip to the little grocery store around the corner, or sometimes, if it's a more involved recipe we have to venture over to the big bad superstore. Once home, the groceries get laid out on the counter and it's music selection time.  In our opinion a good meal cannot be created without the perfect playlist; last nights playlist was solely devoted to Jack Johnson.  Now, prep time. This is when the real magic happens. We never discuss who is going to do what, it always just kinda happens. I will say that the clean up/dish duty is not typically my area...but the best part is that clean up is always done before we eat! We then snuggle in with our delicious creation, sometimes glass of wine and watch an episode, or two or three, of whatever television series we happen to be on. Currently we are almost finished season two of Parenthood

Last night was no exception. I found this weeks 'best recipe ever' and it has already found it's way into the favourites rotation. It is probably the easiest thing going and definitely one of the tastiest dishes we have ever made! The bonus is, it is SO healthy! When you need to eat gluten free and are dating a super (notice the bolding and italicizing, he's borderline extreme haha) health nut this is a must.  Finding the perfect recipe always poses an exciting challenge for us. Ok back to last nights dinner. Fifteen minutes start to finish will leave you with a pasta dish using avocados to create a creamy alfredo style sauce.  I found this recipe on Pinterest and it is care of Angela at Oh She Glows. Go to her food blog to see the lovely step by step pictures! I hope you enjoy this dish as much as we do!

15 Minute Creamy Avocado Pasta

Ingredients:

• 1 medium sized ripe Avocado, pitted
• 1/2 lemon, juiced + lemon zest to garnish
• 1-3 garlic cloves, to taste (I used 3 and it was perfect, but if you are not a big fan of garlic use 1 clove)
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt, or to taste
• 1/4 cup Fresh Basil
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 servings/6 oz of your choice of pasta (I used 6oz of Brown Rice Pasta)
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

  (we also added in 2 chicken breasts that we cubed, and cooked stir-fry style while the pasta was cooking)

Directions:

1. Bring several cups of water to a boil in a medium sized pot. Add in your pasta, reduce heat to medium, and cook until Al Dente, about 8-10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, make the sauce by placing the garlic cloves, lemon juice, and olive oil into a food processor. Process until smooth. Now add in the pitted avocado, basil, and salt. Process until smooth and creamy.

3. When pasta is done cooking, drain and rinse in a strainer and place pasta into a large bowl. Pour on sauce and toss until fully combined. Garnish with lemon zest and black pepper. Serve immediately. Makes 2 servings.

Please note: This dish does not reheat well due to the avocado in the sauce. Please serve immediately.

Invitation Wording

Struggling over how to word your invitation is enough to send even the calmest of couples into a frenzy of stress.  The last thing anyone wants to have happen is for a family member to be offended or feeling left out.  The rule of thumb is if your parents are contributing at all, then definitely include them in the invitation.  More and more couples are footing the bill for their own weddings so it is not necessary to include parents in the invitation.  That being said, out of respect, many couples still choose to include their parents and change up the wording from the traditional formality.

A lot of the text on your invitations is devoted to who is hosting the wedding and many times, as mentioned earlier, who is paying. There is a way to make it your own and bridge the gap between both which we will now explore.

This first example illustrates a more traditional feel where both sets of parents are hosting:

Mr. and Mrs. William Thompson 

together with 

Mr. and Mrs.  Fred Anderson

invite you to join in the marriage 

of their children

Olivia Leanne Thompson

&

Darcy Jason Anderson

Saturday, the seventh of May

Two thousand and eleven

at four o'clock in the afternoon 

The Estates of Sunnybrook

1075 Bayview Avenue

Toronto, Ontario

This next example illustrates wording where the couple is hosting and paying for their own wedding:

Please join us

for a celebration of love, laughter, family

and friendship

as

Sophie Emma Thompson

&

Andrew James Sullivan

join their hands in holy matrimony

Saturday, the tenth of July

Two thousand and eleven

at six o'clock in the evening

The Oakville Conference Centre

2515 Wyecroft Road

Oakville, Ontario

This last example illustrates wording where the couple is hosting but still wishes to include their parents:

Because you have shared in our lives

by your friendship and love,

we

Melissa Jane Murphy

&

Tyler Aaron Smith

together with our parents,

Kevin & Jane Murphy

and

Robert & Denise Smith

invite you to share the beginning of our new life together

when we exchange marriage vows on 

Saturday, the fourteenth of August

Two thousand and ten

at four o'clock in the afternoon

Crosswinds Golf and Country Club

Burlington, Ontario

These are just three examples I picked to illustrate today. I have so many more, and we can work together to create wedding stationery that sets the tone, creating the perfect first impression of how your big day will unfold. 

2013 Trends

For the last few months I have been taking note of trends in in the industry and have compiled a list of what I believe will be the hottest for 2013.

Trend 1: The colour Mint! I had posted a pic of this colour on my facebook page last April.  I just had a feeling it was going to be big and it was, however not as much as I had anticipated.  While it was gaining popularity last year, this year I see it exploding and becoming the colour of the year for weddings.  It coordinates well with so many colours and can work for all seasons. 

Trend 2: Prints! These also made their debut last year gaining momentum as the year went on. I expect that they will be even bigger this year with chevron being the most popular.  Keep your eye out for patterned bridesmaid dresses! As we get further into the year I predict that they will be the new choice.

Trend 3: Vintage! Specifically the '20's. Think the use of vintage suitcases as collectors for cards, vintage china for smaller receptions, bird cage head pieces and vintage furniture pieces for photos/out door ceremonies. Pretty much anything vintage that you can think of will be seen and incorporated in weddings this year.

Trend 4: Birds! Birds are huge in the fashion and home decor worlds and I predict they will transition this year into weddings. They create a whimsical and romantic theme as they are often shown in pairs and referred to as 'love birds.'  They also work wonderfully when paired with anything vintage.

Trend 5: Rustic! This was the hottest trend last year and it will continue to be this year.  I don't need to spend much time on this one just think mason jars, burlap and birch bark...chalk boards..the list can go on and on!  

Trend 6: Handmade! Let's be honest, weddings can be start to get expensive really fast. This trend is all about adding decorative elements to your ceremonies and receptions without breaking your budget. Think about adding a creative backdrop of fabric streamers to your ceremony or a garland of handmade paper flowers strung at your reception. Bunting is also a great option!

Trend 7: The Lounge! Consider creating a lounge space at your reception. It offers an away from the dance floor area for your guests to eat, drink and mingle in a relaxed setting.  It's the perfect spot to feature a signature cocktail or offer up finger foods, or have games out for your guests to play.

Trend 8: Lace! Ever since Kate took the walk down the isle in that gorgeous lace Alexander McQueen dress, lace has been a mainstay detail.  Think outside of the obvious choice of dresses. I have seen it used on invitations and even cakes!

Trend 9: Coloured gowns! Jessica Biel turned heads in October when she said "I Do" in a soft blush coloured gown. She hasn't been the first (anyone remember Gwen Stefani's dress from 2002?) and she certainly wont be the last as coloured dresses have been showing up all over the 2013 runways.  This trend wont be for everyone but for those that live for the shock and awe factor then this is definitely for you!

Trend 10: Sleeves! Ok so this one might be a stretch, or maybe more of a hope but I see strapless wedding dresses starting to be replaced with dresses with sleeves. Long sleeves, cap sleeves, or lace bolero's- a personal favourite! 

---

The Resolution List

I love this time of year for so many reasons. The opportunity to spend quality time with friends and family members and also the time to reflect on all the memories that have been created over the last twelve months.  It's also the time of year many of us, myself included, compile those lists of resolutions.  The list always starts out with good intentions but if you're anything like me, by March it usually turns into "what list?" This year I am vowing to be better organized. I discovered the Life Planner from Erin Condren while shopping for Christmas gifts for family members and fell instantly in love! Pretty colours, inspiring quotes, stickers AND it can be personalized!! Some of my favourite things all bound in one book how can I not be excited about getting organized!

Wishing everyone a happy and healthy 2013. Here's to a year of wonderful memories! Happy organizing :)

Sarah

When should I order my invitations?

is a question I have been asked a lot lately.  While learning and establishing myself in this industry I have learned tips about timelines which I will now share with you!

I like to recommend that you order your invitations 4-6 months before your event date. This gives us plenty of time to work together to custom design your wedding invitations and allow for time to make any necessary revisions to your proofs. Please note that this time frame also includes the 4-6 turnaround time  for production.

Your invitations should ideally be sent to your guests up to 8-12 weeks before your special day to allow plenty of time to receive your RSVP's.

I have also been receiving questions about how many to order.  I always recommend ordering extras. 10 to 15 to be exact.  Yes, I realize this may seem like a lot but from my experience there are always unexpected guests! Like those people your parents run into at the grocery that you haven't seen for years and after a 5 min conversation they have somehow been verbally invited to your wedding! It's also nice to have some extras for keepsake purposes.  It is easier and less expensive to order them at the time than having to reorder extras at a later date.  When deciding on how many invitations your should order, bear in mind that you will be sending an invitation to each household or couple and not each guest.

And last but not least! At what point should you invite children separate from their parents? The magic age is sixteen and over.


Happy planning :)