Ode to Weddingbee (part 2 of 2 + a Summer Sale)

Today we are doing a fun give-away on Weddingbee.com, so if you haven’t entered yet, you should — you could be the lucky winner of some (free!) custom letterpress-printed notecards, or a hefty credit towards a larger order. (Click here for details.)

Of course, there can be only one! Therefore, we are also offering 10% off our à la carte invitation prices to all Weddingbee readers who place an order on or before September 5th. Just submit an inquiry to get started.

As promised the other day, here’s my bizarro list of potential future bees. Believe it or not, this is the abridged version

Arborial	Greenery	Seasonal
Miss Maple	Miss Ivy	Miss Snowflake
Miss Evergreen	Miss Shamrock	Miss Sunshine
Miss Cedar	Miss Fern	Miss Rain
Miss Oak	Miss Heather	Miss Dewdrop
Miss Hemlock	Miss Moss	Miss Breeze
Miss Spruce	Miss Holly	Miss Icicle
Miss Willow	Miss Laurel
Miss Mesquite
Herbs & Spices	Nuts	Bread
Miss Parsley	Miss Pecan	Miss Baguette
Miss Sage	Miss Walnut	Miss Brioche
Miss Rosemary	Miss Almond	Miss Pumpernickel
Miss Thyme	Miss Hazelnut	Miss Rye
Miss Lavender	Miss Macadamia	Miss Pita
Miss Basil	Miss Peanut	Miss Bagel
Miss Pepper		Miss Tortilla
Cheese	Beer	MISC Deliciousness
Miss Cheddar	Miss Ale	Miss Honey
Miss Parmesan	Miss Hefewiezen	Miss Chutney
Miss Swiss	Miss Stout	Miss Marmalade
Miss Bleu	Miss Mead	Miss Mustard
Miss Gouda		Miss Wasabi
Miss Brie		Miss Ginger
		Miss Tabasco
		Miss Salsa
		Miss Cinnamon
		Miss Vanilla
		Miss Chocolate
		Miss Mint

Thanks for reading,
and good luck on the contest!

–Tara

Ode to Weddingbee (part 1 of 2)

If you haven’t ever been to Weddingbee.com, you need to click there now. It’s a really fun wedding planning site that is constantly updated throughout the day by select brides across the US and Canada, who blog under cute names like “Miss Lovebug” or “Miss Pearl.”  I love it because the bloggers discuss pretty much every aspect of wedding planning, and also provide DIY project tutorials, vendor reviews, insight into different cultural wedding traditions, tons of pictures, and even some very personal experiences. If you are in need wedding inspiration (or distraction), Weddingbee will take care of that for you. On top of that, I think it is such a fun site, and so, so smart.

I have a lot of alone time when I’m printing — once the initial set up is done, it can be fairly rote work, so I get a lot of my random thinking done during print sessions:

What should I have for dinner? Why do I keep forgetting to order more packing peanuts? Is Starbuck the final cylon? AM I???

How many of these am I printing again?

That kind of thing.

For some time I have also been keeping a mental list of possible future bee names. As you will see next week, it started out innocently and creatively enough, but quickly devolved into a list of my favorite foods. You’ll note the first sign of downward spiral as my cheese list, but come on — you know there is someone out there who is dying to be Miss Gouda. And I really think the breads are cool. (Miss Tortilla? Caliente!) I am mostly kidding about the beers. They are just too robust to be bridal, no matter how glorious. But they did give way to a cocktail list, which I believe the Hive has recently thought of themselves.

Anyway I hope it amuses you and who knows? Maybe we’ll see some of these bees in 2009…

OH THE EXCITEMENT! Stay tuned

–Tara

OMG

I’m back!

–Tara

stating the obvious

This will come as a shock to no one — we’re a bit too busy these days to post.  I expect it will be like this for awhile, but don’t give up hope!  Things will change (eventually).

Thanks so much for your interest

–Tara

out of the studio…

Just as I was bragging about all the posting I’ve been doing, I am now going away for a few days!

Ephemera will close for a short break Friday, May 9 through Monday, May 12. We’ll respond to all inquiries as soon as possible when we return Tuesday, May 13.

Have a great weekend!
–Tara

let the record show…

…that I posted a whopping 8 times in April. I think I deserve some sort of medal. Most improved, or something.

–Tara

fruity mcpretty

Adios, blue panther (aack)! There’s a cuter stamp in town:

While you may grumbling about the post office raising postal rates again, and messing with your invitation-mailing plans, there is an upside: It looks like the change has ushered in some adorable new postcard stamps. I know many a bride who has lamented the blue panther, so this is good news for all (except the blue panther, I guess).

I know it’s just a stamp, but when you work so hard on unique custom invitations (not to mention spend so much money!), aesthetics are important! I love cute stamps.

Thanks to Nyema for the head’s up

–Tara

Serendipity

I am lucky. I know this.

I have the best mom in the world who cooks us dinner almost every night when she visits us. She’s from Co. Mayo, Ireland — this means shepherd’s pie, people! I also have a funny, talented brother who remembers everything I remember, great friends who know far more than is good for them, and I can wear pajama pants while I work.

Where I really lucked out, though? My husband, Dave — he always makes me feel better. Sometimes things are just not funny until he laughs. And it’s a great laugh. And life is good. But I will have to write about him another day, because this post is about how he has a sister named Jenn. And now I have a sister named Jenn.

Jenn is great. Jenn is the kind of person who will answer the phone at midnight even though she has a job interview at 8 am that you totally forgot about. She will tell you she just baked 60 cookies from scratch for some PTA thing, and in the same breath say that kindness is generally too much to hope for. She is a paradox. She is full of it. I adore her.

She has a new job, and a new schedule, and I don’t get to talk to her as much as I used to (as much as I want to). It is so hard to make friends once you’re out of college, and out of state, and away from everyone. Working all by your lonesome doesn’t help. So when you accidentally become best friends with your sister-in-law, you run with it. (And you make her note cards — these ones feature her favorite of our ornaments, a really great vintage goldfish illustration.)

Jenn, I am so glad you are in my life. Hope you are enjoying the cards. (Call me!)

Anyone else luck out with great in-laws / future in-laws?

–Tara

speaking of candy…

Sweet!

We were super excited to be mentioned in today’s Daily Candy Seattle article. Check it out here, and then subscribe to Daily Candy (if you haven’t already) for the latest and greatest in fashion, style, travel, fun finds and more.

–Tara

debbie + mike = crazy delicious

Where to begin???

I suppose with HAPPY WEDDING DAY TO DEBBIE AND MIKE! Today is their big day, and even though we have never met, I am way excited for them — I’m pretty sure they and their guests are in for a wedding like no other.

Exhibit A:

What’s that, you say? Why yes, that is a wedding invitation. And yes, it has a typewriter on it. And candy! Loads of lollies, peppermints, and a swirling line of very cheeky gumdrops. And it’s going to be ok, because that’s just how these 2 roll.

Debbie is very creative and a writer, and wanted to do something totally out of the ordinary, so she came up with a theme of old fashioned typewriters and candy. You can read all about how she’s been weaving this into her wedding right here (she’s also the much-loved Miss Mrs. Lovebug from Weddingbee!)

All the images are quirky, cute, detailed custom illustrations, and were so fun to make. The invitations were printed in 3 colors: a very light blush pink, a deeper (but still light) petal pink, and silver, which looks like a pewter-y, graphite gray when printed on a white card). We also made a custom pink dotted envelope liner that complimented the set beautifully.

One of my favorite details, however, has to be the calligraphy that Brigitte Hefferan did for this project — she was able to mimic the “Feel Script” typeface used in the suite. It all came out so well that I actually asked Brigitte to address one to me just so I could keep it! I so wish I could do this:

All my clients are fantastic, but sometimes I get the feeling that I could become really good friends with a few of them — if only they lived closer. As a part of their wedding ceremony, Debbie and Mike will eat bitter chocolate and drink sweet red wine — to symbolize taking the good times with the bad in their new life together. Chocolate. During the ceremony. Doesn’t that sound like a couple I need to meet?! If you 2 are ever in Seattle, I’d love to buy you a drink In the meantime, I hope today is everything you imagined and more.

Much love,
Tara

PS. Thanks to fab Tucson-area photographer Chris Richards for allowing us to post these beautiful engagement photos. Credit for the letterpress pics goes to Debbie who was goodly enough to share.