Not everyone will be playing jokes or spreading humor on April 1. Serious socialites and hosts will be throwing discreet parties, serving cocktails and anticipating a continued rise in temperatures for a busy spring calendar of spring celebrations and events. Now is the perfect time to select Graduation Announcements: Galena, Knightsbridge and Monterey are available at Invitepapers.com. Send personalized cards or notes as party invitations in the form of Classic Frame Monograms, Elise Monogram, Damask Fashion or anyone of the 37 Best Selling Cards and Notes. All of our personalized cards and personalized notes were designed for much, much more. Celebrate the quality of your life and all of those people connected to it.

April Rain is a unique version of an Absolut Martini that will be perfect to try even if you don’t have a bar and bartender to mix a number of drinks you can always mix a few cocktails and arrange them in pitchers in a corner or on a separate table. Gilded Personalized monograms or a profusion of colors will be seen as an auspicious beginning to April. Perhaps the Classic Monogram, Paris or Oxford Foil Stamp Party Napkins will bring shimmer to any event. Savor the flavor the Absolut and lime juice. Try other cocktails like blossoms and apple blossoms. Keep Dubbonet Vermouth, Pere Magloire Vieux Calvados and plenty of extra party napkins with ice within arm’s reach. We were going to try the Gold Flourish Ensemble but Classic Foil Stamped Monograms made such an undisputed statement of classic style. The hors d’oeuvres are arriving now.

The back yard, dining room or patio is alive with the sound of conversations and people shuttling back and forth. The buffet table is artfully spread with this season’s most popular hors d’oeuvres and napkins. With a spread that includes Oysters Rockefellers, Asparagus and Ricotta Toasts, Boby Flays Mini-Burgers and Spicy Baby Back Ribs alongside your Monogram, Classic Monogram, Classic Monogram or even the Firenze Foil Stamped Napkins. Spring cocktails can be special. There’s a bit more light in the evening. Enjoy the food, festivities and people for a little bit longer. Your personalized napkins will let your guests know what they are worth with a dramatic color burst. What is your beverage of choice: Bud , Bud Light, Domain Chandon Imperial NV or Absolut?

Spring brings fresh herbs, new life and new sounds. Deviled Eggs, King Crab With Avocado Shooters, Cherry Tomato Tart with Basil, Wrapped Asparugus in Citronette, Shrimp or Crayfish Canapes, Vegetable Pagna, Mini Caviar Pizzas and maybe a Risotto with Shrimp. Spring enables you to have a wider variety of vegetables, herbs, water cress, cucumbers and mint that can metamorphosis into sandwiches, salads  or whatever? Whatever hors d’oeuvres you decide on serving make sure it is representative of a variety of needs. If you must have the Paris or Oxford Foil Stamp Napkins they can make the statement. “Life is too short” is a phrase that can be attributed to David Schwartz or Pat Benatar. Since the Domaine Chandon won’t stay chilled forever don’t count your napkins before your next spring event.  Order more, make sure you have enough, make the most of any spring moment.

A childhood of dreaming. Years of planning. Nine months of growth and preparation.  And then finally….the moment arrives!

Like most women, I grew up with ideals of who I would be when I grew up, what I would do with my life and how many kids I would have. I think it was around my late-teens that I scripted out my life’s plan: education, career, marriage then family. Exactly in that order.  And once that decision was made, it was set in stone.

After years of diligence, discipline and hard work, each of these events happened exactly as planned. Eventually, one amazing day, everything fell into perfect order. I had the loving husband, great career and beautiful new home. All that was left was a little bundle of joy to complete the picture.

Be careful what you wish for, because you just might get it.

6 months later, my wish came true. I was pregnant! Of course I informed the appropriate people immediately. Mom cried, Dad grunted an approving grunt and my sisters screamed until my ears bled. Wow! As for telling the rest of the world, well, my husband and I decided to wait to do it in proper fashion with a personalized birth announcement.

So after 9 months of sleepless nights, mood swings, eating everything in site, maneuvering an ever-growing belly, endless doctor appointments and a truckload of Tums, our beautiful, healthy daughter joined us on a cold winter morning.

As soon as we got home, the first thing I wanted to do was scream to the rest of the world about how in love we were with this little girl. But of course, I had to do it in my own creative, quirky way. Designing the perfect birth announcement was so easy and so much fun! I had total control over the color scheme, font, design and every word that went on the card. I could even add a picture of my little angel. How cool is that! After I was completely happy with my creation, I ordered my personalized birth announcements and sent them out right away, beaming with pride. All with just a few clicks of a mouse.

Hold on, she just had her first poop. I think I need to mail out a detailed announcement about that………KIDDING!

April showers will surely bring May flowers and the infectious urge to go out and enjoy the best weather, settings, venues, people and events. They will be harder to resist with the days getting longer and the sun smiling down on your outdoor stage or setting for a few more stolen moments. Who knows if your venue may be inside the perfect club, perfect grill with a breath taking view of the street or the park across the street. This is the first time to consider the setting, lighting and the impression you want to make. What will be the overall color theme and mood you want to create? The most impressive or memorable buffets will be made by truly original combinations.

Personalized Color Mist party napkins make the perfect complement  for a Spring Cocktail Party surprise. Combine custom napkin colors in original combinations, a color explosion for your cocktail party? Green, Yellow, Gold, Orange, Emerald, Pistachio, True Blue, Bright Blue and all the related shades of Purple and Pink. Your color combinations should stimulate the eyes while refreshing fruit combinations reawaken the palate. Present a wildly wicked rainbow of colors that will properly introduce spring cocktails as well as hors d’oeuvres that will wash everything down in the most delightful. Whatever your favorite beverage napkin is Firenze Embossed, Metro Foil Stamped or Brittany Personalized Party Napkins, color Splashes will be what makes your event. Spring Fever mock tail with apple, lemon, orange and mango juice should be first on your list. Try alcoholic and nonalcoholic concoctions: April Rain, Long Island Iced Tea, Easter Egg Cocktail, April Shower, Green Grape Glacier, Yellow Bird, English Rose and more. Friends don’t let friends drink alone or drive drunk home. Have plenty of personalized napkins, notepads, cards, notes and related custom stationery in case of emergency.

“In your Easter bonnet with all the frills? ” remember that ? Is there an Easter Parade or Easter egg hunt coming to a location near you? Will it be a bright blue, sunshiny day that allows you to see the houses down the street that encase your neighborhood? Are visions of an early Easter Sunday brunch or early dinner dancing in your head along with your Lemon Charlotte Lady Finger Cake, peach cream pie, coconut cake, ham, roast leg of lamb, sweet potatoes, cream spinach, grilled corn, biscuits and more of your favorite side dishes?  You’ve probably arranged some of your favorite customized napkins in some of the most appropriate places: near the plates, the center of the table, on the corners of the table and in some cases in the center of the plates. Cocktails may not be in order but if you’re going to have wine, Domaine Chandon Champagne, Bacardi  and Coke, Bud, Canada Dry Ginger Ale, Absolut, Seagrams Gin and Tonic, you might as will order extra personalized Easter napkins.

This Easter select from seven personalized holiday napkin designs that will show case your dinner and add that little personal touch to the scene, creating a warm and inviting setting that will linger like the sights, sounds, smells, joy and laughter of the best Easters ever. Cross Foil, Fancy Flourish, Bunny and Eggs Foil and Bunny in Basket Personalized Foil Stamped Napkins are a few of the designs that will bring memories of past Easters to life while creating more of the same for the future. The custom napkins are there for all the possible accidents with the Cadbury chocolate rabbits and cream eggs, marzipan eggs and jelly beans. We are at your side while you dine,  dotting your chins, nose, and corners of your mouth while you drink and offer toasts with our rainbow colored foil stamps In Easter tradition. Believe in the magic of Easter just like all the of the holidays. We never say much about our personalized napkins. You already know our party napkins are fine quality. You see our personalized napkins at weddings, anniversaries, special dinners, anniversaries, graduations, familial and friendly gatherings. You see them at those golden moments of dining, laughing, dancing, celebrating and you’ve never questioned their magic before so why should you know?

Flower festivals, wedding anniversaries and cocktail parties are generally things that take place in spring. There is a Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington DC that runs through April. It includes a parade and a Japanese Street Festival. The Easter Egg Roll will take center stage in May. Carefully peruse events happening around the country and you’ll find lots more flower festivals peeking out over the horizon. Whether you’re planning a wedding reception, small party or a five course meal our personalized napkins and guest towel napkins provide the perfect touch of color. Color Mist Napkins add a unique hint of color. For an eruption try your favorite personalized  napkin style: Whitlock, Estate or Classic Monogram in a unique color combination: Yellow and Emerald or Mocha and Orange. Flower festivals will be held all over the country this spring. Daffodil Days in April or May. Tulip and Lilac Festivals in early May. Rose and Lupine Festivals in early June.

Inspiring fragrant aromas filling the air will inspire wedding ceremonies and guests long after the party is over. They will be the detail along with our Personalized Napkins and Towels that your event just can’t do without. Check out a flower show or coordinate your color scheme of the flowers so closely with all the other details for your wedding, reception, anniversary, garden party, engagement announcement or even your club meeting. Believe it or not people feel more at ease in more relaxing and streamlined environments. Color can make a huge difference depending on their schedules and the right time of day. Color coordinated custom napkins, guest towel napkins, accessories, flowers, tablecloths, bridesmaids gowns and grooms tuxedos can have a “stunning” effect, catch a flower show and picture the correlations. It may be a great time to see what a little splash of color can do? Drinks at the bar, with mini cheeseburgers and tapas, chilled Domaine Chandon Imperial sitting next to an arrangement of flowers someone presented to you. “Who says they don’t bring you flowers anymore?”

The holiday party season is now upon us. The kids are in school, the weather is turning, and our social calendars seem to fill up from now until spring. After awhile, one party tends to blend into another without much reverence.

That’s why the next time you host a holiday get-together, you’re going to make it more memorable. And it’s such an easy thing to do by taking the time to think of the little details. Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and what better time to welcome in the holiday season with a bit of flare.  If you’re having a Thanksgiving party, the invite itself needs to make an impact. First impressions are the most important, right? That’s why it’s important to take the time to create personalized save the date stationery that will attract attention. You want invites that will let people know that this isn’t just your normal everyday party. This is going to be a truly unique experience. With so many design options, you can make them quirky and fun, or simple and elegant, what ever your style it.

So have fun when planning the details! Go crazy, but what people will really remember are the small details, like the delightful food you serve and the festive table you set, which includes personalized decorative napkins as well. Create a memorable keepsake, and nothing is more memorable than foil-stamped napkins personalized with your name and cute little turkey. Or for an unexpected touch, put a few personalized guest towel napkins, monogrammed with your initials, next to the bathroom sink.  They are sure to get attention. Sometimes it’s the most subtle touch that makes a big difference.

Anniversaries are festive and joyous occasions. They are times to celebrate the love that has endured between two special people for an extended amount of time, and are particularly special because that love will only continue to grow as the relationship matures.

Since the occasion is so important, it’s equally important to pick out the best anniversary invitations for a party in honor of the event.

It’s easy these days to just send out e-mail invitations to your friends and family. However, this is much less personal than using traditional stationery to announce the celebration.

Anniversaries are such monumental occasions, as well, that it’s best to impress everyone you know by sending out invitations in the mail.

Anniversary invitations can be designed in many different ways. Some couples might choose elegant, traditional designs. They can use a heavy card stock and a fancy script font that displays both of their names, the time and place of the event, and how many years they’ve been together in a relationship.

Otherwise, couples can opt to have more informal invitations. They could use a fun font and their nicknames!

The pattern or design could reflect hobbies and interests the couple shares, or could reflect a certain theme, if the party is going to be themed.

For instance, if the festivities are going to have an island theme, the invitations could have palm trees or beach balls on the front, so guests know what kind of gathering you would like to have.

It’s smart to send out anniversary invites because they’re more likely to be treasured by those who receive them. If they decide to take photographs of the affair and keep those in a special scrapbook, they could also include your invitation along with the photographs as a way of remembering when the event was held.

No matter what kind of party you might be having to celebrate an anniversary, it’s best to send out invitations in the mail to all your potential guests. They will have a tangible reminder of the date, and will also be able to put it somewhere in plain sight so they don’t forget it’s coming up.

Whichever invitation sytle to decide to go with, don’t forget to include the appropriate dress attire.

We don’t want someone showing up to your informal beach event in a tuxedo; likewise, it would be quite embarrassing for someone to show up at your formal event in a bathing suit and towel!

Anniversaries are wonderful times of celebration. They are a time to rejoice in a love that has endured many hardships and difficult times, but is still strong and growing stronger each day.

Therefore, it’s important to pick out the best anniversary cards to share your excitement about your everlasting feelings for one another.

In the midst of hardships and other couples opting to take time off from being with one another, the fact that an anniversary is taking place is a remarkable and noteworthy feat.

It’s best to mark the occasion with a beautiful anniversary card that can convey the sense of appreciation you have for your loved one.

Even if you might see someone every day, a hand written card is still an excellent way to let them know you care about them. Anniversary cards are the perfect vehicle to express this sort of sentiment.

This simple act can mean a lot to the person who receives such a note. It means they cared enough to take time out of their otherwise hectic schedule to compose something meaningful; in an age of instant gratification and communication, this is a special act that can let them know just how much you care about them.

If you write an anniversary note on a piece of personalized stationery, it is an excellent extra touch. The stationery could include something like an inside joke you that you and your partner have shared. It could even reflect a theme of a vacation you took together.

For instance, if you choose a card with a tropical theme that is adorned with seashells, this could correlate to a beach getaway you took together at the beginning of your relationship.

Or, if you traveled Europe together on your honey moon,  then including small pictures of the Eiffel Tower, beautiful Cathedrals and the Louvre would be an excellent and thoughtful way to remind each other of the fun times you’ve had and great things you did.

Anniversary cards usually are sent to mark a romantic occasion. Therefore, they tend to be rather formal. Elegant scripts and off-white card stocks are popular choices for stationery; however, fun and flirtatious choices are appropriate as well.

You can pick bright colors or interesting fonts that are arranged in an interesting layout on the card. Most common anniversary fonts include embellished forms of cursive, which add a beautiful, yet whimsical touch.

If you spend enough time putting together a beautiful card, your loved one will be sure to treasure it for many years to come.

September Is National Courtesy Month, So What Exactly Is The Meaning Of Courtesy?

I find ‘courtesy’ to be an interesting word, probably because we unfortunately don’t hear it too often. I assumed I understood the meaning of courtesy, but I looked it up, just in case.

The meaning of courtesy

Dictionary.com kindly informs me that ‘courtesy’ has a number of definitions; those most closely applying to our discussion include:

• 1. Excellence of manners or social conduct; polite behavior.
• 2. A courteous, respectful, or considerate act or expression.
• 3. Indulgence, consent, or acquiescence
• 4. Favor, help or generosity

I like it!

Striving for proper etiquette and the core meaning of courtesy

One of my career aspirations in younger years was to be an etiquette consultant – can you imagine the pressure of constantly trying to be perfect – and teaching others to strive to do the same? I’m glad I let that one go. I do still value and appreciate manners, and I think courtesy is a core value of good manners, as reflected in definition #1. Continue reading ‘September is National Courtesy Month’ »