Sara Delancey and Todd Nichols 10.23.10

Sara Delancey and Todd Nichols 10.23.10

New from SEDA FRANCE: Autumn Spice & Bon Bon Candles

Our favorite candle line in the store by far is Seda France.  You simply can't beat the bang for your buck with these outstanding candles, and the pretty packages make them the perfect gift as well!  We have carried them since we opened our doors almost 6 years ago, and they are still going strong!  There are 2 new fragrances that we LOVE and hope you will come by and try out.

Autumn Spice:

There is a warm, inviting feeling that goes along with the start of fall, as leaves begin to turn and there's just enough of a nip in the air to light the season's first crackling fire. Autumn Spice embodies that special, all-too-brief time of the year with a spicy fragrance that tantalizes like a cup of hot buttered rum, including the scent of ground ginger, cinnamon and rich brown sugar.

Bon Bon:

Nothing says "decadent" like lounging in the lap of luxury with a box of luscious bonbons. For our own Bon Bon we've spared no expense, with a gathering of ingredients that brings to mind a warm, delectable cherry cordial, including vintage portwood, French cassis, zesty southern Valencia, wild Himalayan cherry, Ceylon tea, a touch of Tupelo honey, and a heady trio of acai berry, cyprus nutmeg and sandal tree.

We hope you will stop by and pick up one of these to enjoy with the wonderful fall weather we are having lately!

The Importance of Thank You Notes!!!

You have planned the wedding, the honeymoon, building your new home together and a thousand other details regarding getting married and living happily every after. This is a busy time and there are a lot of things to do. It can be easy to get busy and let some things slip through the cracks. One thing to NEVER forget is sending out thank you cards for the wedding gifts you have received. Your promptness shows more appreciation and better manners, and it reassures guests that their gift was not lost or stolen. If you get gifts before the wedding, you should send immediate thank-you notes for them. This also makes it easier to remember.



It doesn't take long to express gratitude in a note and even the simplest note will go a long way in showing your thanks. Remember that wording does not need to be perfect. An imperfect note that shows heartfelt thanks will go much further than no note at all.



Ten Do’s and Don’ts of Thank You Notes - courtesy of Emily Post.



Do personalize your notes and make reference to the person as well as the gift.

Do remember that a gift should be acknowledged with the same courtesy and generous spirit in which it was given.

Do be enthusiastic, but don’t gush. Avoid saying a gift is the most beautiful thing you have ever seen unless you really mean it.

Don’t send form letters or cards with printed messages and just your signature; don’t use email or post a generic thank you on your wedding web site in lieu of a personal note.

Do promptly acknowledge the receipt of shipped gifts by sending a note right away or calling and following up with a written note in a day or two.

Don’t mention that you plan to return a gift or that you are dissatisfied in any way.

Don’t tailor your note to the perceived value of the gift; no one should receive a perfunctory note.

Do refer to the way you will use a gift of money. Mentioning the amount is optional.

Don’t include wedding photos or use photo cards if it will delay sending the note.

Don’t use being late as an excuse not to write. Even if you are still sending notes after your first anniversary, keep writing!

Congratulations! Now it's time to send out a wedding thank you to each person who has helped you celebrate your new life together.

(content by Inviting Company:  http://www.insideic.blogspot.com/)

Seeing it all come together

At Fresh Ink we have the pleasure of working with a number of creative individuals.  One of our favorites is Erik Kegler of Erik Jason Interiors - he loves luxurious paper as much as we do, and provided us with these delicious photos from a recent soiree he designed!  Because sometimes at Fresh Ink we only see the invitation or one of the party elements, and not the actual event, it's a special treat to see the products we designed in the beautiful setting of the event!

Rehearsal Dinner - how romantic with the lights!  Love the rustic and elegant elements mixed together!

Beautiful and soothing neutral tablescape - the textures and sparkle of all the pieces are really the stars of the design.

A close-up photo of the exquisite menu we designed for the rehearsal dinner.  An elegant detail like this will not go un-noticed.  The paper is a luxurious letterpress stock that was printed by Fresh Ink.

Photos courtesy of Karla Whitwer from Pound Photography - http://www.poundphoto.com/

My Jon Hart Obsession

It all started in college.  While working at Oxford Floral during college, I started a collection of Jon Hart Design luggage.  At the time my life was filled with car and weekend trips and it was the perfect luggage to fit the bill.  It's hard to believe that I've had some of our pieces for over (ehem) 13 years.  Actually, these items below were the 3 items I purchased in college.  Below, they are packed for a week at the beach this summer.  Do you know any Vera Bradley that has held up that beautifully?

I was even able to re-monogram the tags on my luggage from college with my new last name after I got married.  These bags have been on planes, trains, and cars - and I still get compliments on how good-looking they are.

I started my sister on the obsession with this bag.  It's a perfect carry-on size for the airport and fits in most overhead bins.  I see her with it every trip!

This is the bag I got for Jeff.  It was a nice upgrade from the black patchwork leather duffel he was carrying (blech).  I had it monogrammed with just Upchurch as well so our son can use it, too!

The latest addition to my collection this year was this "off broadway" tote.  I actually use it as a bag for my laptop and traveling for work.  It's good-looking enough that I am not embarassed to be carrying it if I stop in somewhere to shop.  But it's not your normal "briefcase bag."  It does not have tons of inner padded pockets and dividers, but I find that sometimes a bag can have so many dividers that sometimes you can not actually fit very much in it.  This one is just a standard tote - (it has an outer and inner pocket) but I can fit tons of stuff inside it including my large laptop.  I have it in black - it's sleek and very hard-working!

Next for my collection is this backpack.  I plan to use it as a diaper bag for this fall and winter.  I am HOPING that because it's not so frilly and fru-fru that my husband will carry it.  But also, when I am carrying it, I think a backpack will be alot easier to navigate when we are somewhere like a museum or football game rather than a bag over one shoulder.  Pushing a stroller and holding a 5 year old's hand sometimes makes it hard to carry a bag on one shoulder.  Plus, I think when our son is a little older HE can carry some of his own items in this bag.

You can save now if you start or indulge in your Jon Hart obsession with the back to school sale!  We have a great selection of samples in the store so you can see the quality of this USA-made product.

Fresh Ink - 601.982.0235 - info@fresh-ink.com

Charlie's First Birthday

Little Charlie was anything but crabby on his very first birthday.  His mommy (a former employee of Fresh Ink) created the cutest first birthday party for a very special little boy!  Of course the invitation let everyone know what the theme was going to be - it was a Fresh Ink exclusive creation feauring a red, white, and blue polka dots complete with a precious little sand crab and a picture of the birthday boy!

The invitation read:

Pinch us, because we can't believe it's true...

It's Charlie's First Birthday, and he's inviting you!

So join us to celebrate with some swim party fun.

Come splash, play, and celebrate as he turns one!

Guests were welcomed by an adorable spread of snacks to enjoy while kids splashed outside to beat the summer heat.  I had to threaten my child to keep him from sticking all the delicious crab-shaped sugar cookies in his pocket!

The kids cooled off by splashing outside in baby pools and also in adorable little crab-shaped splash pools (far right).

The cake by Dream Cakes was delicious and adorable!

The birthday boy samples his own little "smash" cake while his mommy, Molly, and his other mommy, Boogie, look on.  It was a most charming first birthday for this very special Charlie!

If you have created an adorable birthday party that we can share with our customers, please do not hesitate to e-mail pictures of your event, along with the date you purchased your invitation at Fresh Ink so that we may feature it - to info@fresh-ink.com

Sound The Sirens for Elliot's Birthday!

We see lots of cute birthday party ideas at Fresh Ink, and it's really fun to help set the tone with a cute invitation.  However, it's especially fun for us to get to see pictures of how the event actually turned out!  Thank you to Wyeth Lackey Davis for sending us these adorable pictures to share of her son Elliot's birthday party at the Jackson Fire Museum!  If you are planning a birthday party for a little boy sometime soon, Wyeth had some adorable ideas you might want to note...

The invitation featured a pint-sized fireman!

Everyone had a fireman's hat at their place when they arrived!

The cake was so cute - it came from Dream Cakes.  Engine #4... Elliot's age!

Party favors were wrapped in red, orange, and yellow and tied with a toy fireman's shield!

One happy birthday boy!

Please share your party inspiration and ideas with us - we love sharing them with our customers!  Send them to info@fresh-ink.com along with the approximate date that you purchased your invitations at Fresh Ink, so that we can display your invitation and your adorable party ideas!

Elizabeth

Fresh Ink

Holiday Photo Card Special STARTS SOON!

We are so excited to start the FRESH INK ANNUAL PHOTO CARD SPECIAL on August 1st.  Due to the popularity of digital photo cards, we have pushed back our offer a month to allow a little more time to get that special photo.  Because of many requests, we now have LOTS of styles of adorable designs where we can print your picture directly on the card!

We will offer free text printing on a large selection of designer photo cards, and if you have already taken your picture, we can add your photo to the card as well for only $15.00.  Additionally, we have several albums of additional digital photo cards, and we are offering 20% off purchase from those albums during the special.  Just come in and we will help you navigate all the options and find a great card for you - at a great price!

Remember, it's not required that you have your picture to take advantage of the printing special.  We can print just the text on your cards and you can add your printed photo at a later date.  But if you do already have that family pic, we can print it on the card for you and save you some time during the holiday crunch!

We also now have Collegiate Licensed photo cards - for lots of schools including MSU, Ole Miss, LSU, and more!  So take the kids outside and take their photo in their favorite jersey and cheerleader uniform.

We love hearing from our customers how much they love the holiday photo card special for two reasons.... First of all, they love the savings!  If you normally order 100 cards and the printing is normally .60 each, then you are saving $60 by ordering during the special!    Secondly, they love the relief of HAVING IT DONE and marked off the list.  It's alot easier to pay for them right now, rather than during the holiday shopping pinch, and having them done and ready to mail early eliminates the stress of trying to get it done at the last minute.  You can have them addressed and stamped before the holidays arrive!

A fall photo card is also a wonderful option.  People get so many in the mail, sending yours a little early can be a welcome surprise in the early or late fall.  An added bonus is that friends and family can enjoy your card that much longer!

Pricing on our photo cards start at $1.15 each card with free printing.  Stop by to check out all the available options - we look forward to helping you!

Fresh Ink's Juliska June & July Event!

Fresh Ink's Juliska June & July Event! Great special savings - earn $20 in "Juliska bucks" to use on product for every $100 of Juliska you purchase. This is a fantastic time to purchase a wedding gift, finish your collection, or order a special item you have had your eye on. Come in and view the collection - or browse the catalog for special order items.

Leave us a post on the Fresh Ink Facebook Page and we will send you some bonus Juliska bucks to get you started!  601.982.0235 info@fresh-ink.com

Classic Calligraphy

There are few things more beautiful (and memorable) to me than beautiful, hand-penned calligraphy. It is truly a work of art. You use a touch of it on your invitations for an accent, or create your whole ensemble in this style for maximum impact. Here are designs from some calligraphic artists we have had the pleasure of getting to know....

Above designs above by Brenda Griffin, Sterling Calligraphy

http://www.sterlingcalligraphy.com/

Designs above by Calligraphy by Jennifer

http://www.calligraphybyjennifer.net/

Designs above by Allison R Banks Designs

http://www.allisonrbanksdesigns.com/

enjoy!
Elizabeth
Fresh Ink

Lemon-licious Bridal Shower!

Our adorable friend Mindy Weiss, has the cutest and most creative ideas!  Because it's hot as blue blazes in Mississippi right now - this shower idea seemed like a refreshing theme for our area.  You can view her post on her blog:  Mindy Weiss's Blog.  Or read an excerpt below:

"Hi Friends! Thought I would put together a few ideas for a fun shower. I start with one of my darling shower invites from The Inviting Company.  I found these beautiful flowers from Kim at the Velvet Garden for inspiration. Love the colors. 

A lemon drop passed as your guests arrive won’t only taste delicious but look fabulous too! I enclosed one of my favorite recipes. Instead of cupcakes or one big dessert look how precious this multi-cakes look..I found this picture on Marthastewart.com (love her!)

The shower gal has to look chic, I found this scrumptious dress on Katespade.com.

I loved this frozen drink blender found at william-sonoma.com (hostess gift to the bride!)

As the guests depart fill favor boxes with tart lemondrops inscribed with the phrase 'Here is something sweet and tart…celebrating the love in Emma’s heart' enjoy" xox Mindy"

Fresh Ink has this and other Mindy Weiss invitations in our store - call us with any questions!  601.982.0235 - or call us if you are making these Lemon Drop Martinis and need us to be your taste-tester!


Lemon Drop Martini


1 1/2 ounces vodka (use a good-quality vodka)

1/2 ounce orange liqueur (Triple Sec, Grand Marnier, Cointreau, etc.)

1 teaspoon superfine sugar or to taste*

3/4 ounce freshly-squeezed lemon juice

Ice cubes

Superfine sugar for dipping

Twisted peel of lemon

* Superfine sugar is instantly dissolving sugar that is typically used in drinks. If you want to avoid the shaking, make a Basic Simple Syrup Recipe to use in place of the sugar.

Mix the vodka, orange liqueur, sugar, and lemon juice in a cocktail shaker half-filled with ice; shake well (supposedly the cocktail is to be shaken 40 times to make sure the sugar is well blended).

Pour strained liquor into sugar-rimmed martini glass and garnish with a twisted peel of lemon.

NOTE: To create a sugar-rimmed glass, take a lemon wedge and rub the drinking surface of the glass so it is barely moist. Dip the edge of the glass into the superfine sugar.  Makes 1 serving.

Make a splash with a mermaid painting party!

Let's face it, Mississippi summer days are hot! There are alot of pool parties, and it's hard to find something different that will be entertaining for a group of 7 year little girls. Kristen McCaskill had a fantastic idea for her little girl's 7th birthday - a mermaid painting party!

The invitation from Inviting Company set the theme for the party - featuring "little mermaids" just the size of the guests!  The location, the Mississippi Craft Center, was the perfect spot to get creatively inspired.

Each guest had a canvas and paints, and the class was guided by an instructor. The creative juices were definitely flowing!

The cake was created by Kristen Mullen from Crumb - and not only was it adorable, it was DELICIOUS!

Each girl took home their creation as a wonderful memento from their friend's special birthday party, and no one even had to apply sunscreen!

Please share photos from your event by e-mailing them to info@fresh-ink.com - we will locate the proof on your invitation to share it along with the photos.  Our customers love to see great ideas!