Cook your way to the good life

I was racking my brain for the perfect gift for one of my favorite people, when I decided to go to one of our favorite stores (Anthrologie, if you must know) and see if anything jumped out at me. And sure enough, it did. Correction: Jamie did. Heather has a huge crush on Jamie Oliver, the super-cute chef, author, restauranteur. And she has an obsession with cookbooks. Oh, and did I mention that it was called, "Cook your way to the Good Life"? Jack. Pot.

Not that this was the most creative gift ever, or anything earth-shattering, but I knew it was something she would enjoy and sometimes that's all it needs to be. Overthinking a gift (which I have been known to do) can sometimes get in the way of the joy of gift-giving.

So, Happy Birthday to my sweet friend, sister, and partner - who is a gift all in herself. Hope this year is filled with nothing but the good life.

-Susan

Branded sweets

We've mentioned our delicious branded sweets before (here and here, to name a few) but now we have a comprehensive list of each item with a photo and explanation. If you don't see something you're looking for - just ask. We can pretty much cover anything that stands still in chocolate, and print a logo, design, message or photo on it. Email us for pricing.

A note on these printed edibles... Yes, they are a great way to personalize a favor, pillow gift, escort card, client gift, etc. Yes, the quality of the printing is top notch. But the best part is - they are really tasty! It's pleasantly surprising when you bite into the cookie and it tastes just-baked. Personally, Heather and I are hooked on the white chocolate-covered marshmallows. It's kinda like an episode of Entourage; when it's over, I'm left just wanting more.

-Susan

Current events

Once again, we have been up to our eyeballs in work, and unfortunately, haven't had one hand free to type out a blog entry. The frustrating part is - we have so much to talk about and catch you up on! So here's a teaser...

Projects we're either brainstorming on, in the middle of, or finishing up:

• A beer bottle with custom label, imprinted guitar-shaped bottle opener and coaster printed with schedule - as a rockin' invitation to a 40th birthday.
• Engraved soaps as a corporate event give-away
• Goodies for a circus-themed Quincenera
• A lush gift for a 30 person dinner party in honor of their IPO.
• Items for a Bat-mitzvah based around Sukkot

We were in NYC this week for a series of meetings, which is always exhilarating and slightly overwhelming. Two days in the city can generate enough ideas to make me run like a hamster on a wheel for quite some time.

Oh, and we had our own scene straight out of Ferris Bueller's Day Off - we swear the parking guys took the car to the Hamptons for the day. We're checking for sand in the tires.

- Susan

Printed totebag

Personally, I can't have enough totebags - I collect them like they are going out of style. There always seems to be something that calls on a specific size, shape, material or handle length; walking a trade show, dashing off to the pool, heading out of town...

So it makes sense that we'd offer printed totebags as ideal containers for welcome gifts. We love the idea that the guests can then use them that weekend; for the beach, walking around town, or to carry extra stuff back home.

Add a printed map of the town and it doesn't get better than that. Of cuorse, we can print any design, monogram, message or image in any color, and we have literally hundreds of styles/colors of totebags to choose from.

With three different uses, it's the ultimate "green" gift!

Oh, and another idea: use as a "giftbag" to hold a monogrammed robe for bridesmaids gifts.

- Susan

Event Signage: Flags

We actually can't take credit for this idea. We were in a meeting with a bride when she asked us if we could print their motif on a flag for the rehearsal dinner on a yacht. I could hear Heather's bells and whistles going off in her head at the same time they were in mine. BING! BING! BING! Great idea up ahead! And then, as we are prone to do, we kinda ran with it. "Golf flags... car flags... tournament flags.. welcome flags..." we couldn't spit out the ideas fast enough. Yes, this is the kind of stuff we love. I mean, does it get any better than hoisting your own flag up that pole? Nope.

This flag (shown above) was quite large at 3 feet by 5 feet, so we needed four printers to actually print it. But that just makes the story better.

We can do them in virtually any size, color, or shape - with grommets or a pole sleeve, if needed. Of course, custom printed with a logo, design or text.

Event Signage: Directions

When it comes to event signage, we practice what we preach. We are strong believers in marking directions, event spaces, bars, directives (such as sign in), etc. We feel that it is part of the host's responsibility to take care of their guests- and this means making their experience as easy and pleasant (exciting and entertaining too) as possible. So for my son Benny's birthday last week we included detailed maps with their invitations and gave them the clue to follow the signs to our party site. We placed the signage on the roads leading up to the site and on the path itself. It made life easy for our guests and in turn, for us!


When guests arrived at the party site, we had a banner strung between two trees that heralded their arrival and kept the theme going, "We Will Rock You". Guests and passerbys alike loved it!

Stay tuned for more signage ideas and Benny's party details!

- Heather

Know the Number: Invitations and Accessories

We've worked frequently on the q.t. before. But generally its for a celebrity wedding and the romantic details and our efforts are hush hush. In this case though, the project began shrouded in mystery with a call from Judith Ness. She shared a few details, just enough to pique our interest, about a private event announcing an environmental cause. The only thing we really knew while designing the invitation was that there was going to be an important "number" and a "counter". We also new that there was going to be some sort of unveiling of a permanent counter in NYC.

Fast forward 6 weeks and we (Nathan and I) are driving past Madison Square Garden and we see the Deutsche Bank Carbon Counter. Really exciting! According to the Deutsche Band Climate Change Advisors, the counter "displays the running total amount of long-lived greenhouse gasses in the earth's atmosphere, measured in metric tons." Learn more about how greenhouse gases cause climate change (and what we can do about it!) here.

We created the invitations (embossed with the counter) and glass paperweight favors for a private event introducing the cause and NYC counter. As a prop (for the event) we created a chalkboard and wood "counter" (2.5 x 7 ft) and the branded eraser.

- Heather

Lollies on marthastewartweddings.com

Oh, and check the beautiful pictures of our lollies by Mel Barlow on the Martha Stewart wedding site.

As always, for pricing and info, email us!

Bermuda Wedding Accessories

Bermuda is the perfect mixture of heaven and earth, so it seems ideal to get hitched on a little patch of paradise.

The bride came to us with this funky duo of orange fish and we personalized it by adding their initials, location, date and double circle. A great example of how a little tweaking can take something and make it purely yours.

We had a lot to play with for this wedding; a golf tournament, a rehearsal dinner aboard a yacht, a cool motif and color combo, and great location.

• Custom printed napkins for the rehearsal and wedding
• Personalized golf tees printed with the tournament and date, in their colors, of course.
• 3 foot by 5 foot custom printed flag for the yacht
• Custom printed matchboxes
• Branded shatterproof cups (great for boats!)
• Custom stickers adorned each welcome bag
• Custom printed visors