Tuesday's Tips & Trends: Gift Ideas for Your Sweetest

Figuring out what to give your loved ones for Valentine's Day can definitely be a challenge. To help you out, we have compiled some creative, out of the box, Valentine's Day gifts to pass along! We hope that these ideas will give you some inspiration for this Hallmark Holiday.

Getting snail mail, although it seems to be out of date these days, is still one of the greatest joys that we believe should come back to the 21st century! Come by the shop today to get some adorable cards to send to your other half for this Valentine's Day.

  

Does your sweetheart enjoy a good cocktail when they get home from work? Create these quick, and easy, cocktail mugs to present to them on February 14th! We can guarantee they will be thrilled by these mini concoctions.

Do you have a whiskey lover in the house?! These cards are an adorable way to show you are thinking of them and to treat them to their favorite alcoholic beverage.

  

We seriously think these are the cutest, and cheapest, gifts to give to your sweetest! Gather their favorite snacks and put them in unexpected places to surprise them. Not only will they get a kick out of them, but will enjoy the little sayings that came along with them!

"Open When..." cards or packages are one of the most thoughtful gifts you can give to your honey. It is definitely the gift that keeps on giving! They will be able to cherish them for years to come and they will always remind them of why you are their Valentine.

Is it Valentine's Day you have totally forgotten about a card for your significant other?! No stress! This card is an easy solution and a cute way to show your loved one they are your missing piece.

Cards from The Silver Starfish

Mason Jars

Whisk Me Off My Feet

Cheesy Hubby Valentine's

Open When

Perfect Fit Card

What Should Be Included?

When it comes to what you need in your invitation suite, it can get confusing and overwhelming. How many envelopes should go in? Do I need to send out information for the wedding weekend with the invitation or when they arrive? Does the thickness of the actual invitation matter? Many questions can arise when debating how to create your wedding invitation suite, but lucky for you, we have the answers for you here!

What's traditionally included in an invitation suite is the outer envelope, invitation, RSVP card, and the return envelope. For those of you who don't know what those items are, here are the details: the outer envelope is where you put your guest's address so they can receive the request, invitations include the details for the actual wedding day such as your names, date, time, etc. Your RSVP card is where your loved ones will state their status and, as you can guess, the return envelope has your address on it for the attendees to send their RSVP card back in (make sure to add a stamp for your guest's convenience).

Now looking to spruce up that traditional invitation with some fun flare?! We are full of clever ideas.

Is your wedding more of a full weekend affair or just the wedding day? We always suggest adding in an information card that lays out the timeline for the weekend. What events will you be having and where will they be hosted. In addition to that, we love to make custom maps that correlate with your timeline of events. Your map will mark where the ceremony is in relation to the reception, dictate where the rehearsal dinner is being held, and whatever other parties you have on the schedule!

An envelope liner is a creative extension of your wedding invitation. Have it match the color of the font on your invitation and your guests will be blown away by the thought that went into your cards. A double envelope can also be a great way to preserve the liner of the envelope and to announce exactly who is invited to your special day. Adding a belly band around your invitation, which is a piece of paper that wraps around your invitation like a present, creates a finishing touch to your wedding introduction.

Calligraphy, thicker paper, lace or ribbon accents and foiling are all other fun touches you can make to your invitations, but of course not necessary like an RSVP card is.

Now that you have learned the ins and outs of what comes in your wedding invitation suite, you are ready to get the planning going! Cheers and we hope to see you in here soon.

Photography // Dana Cubbage Weddings

Tuesday Tips & Trends: Let's Get Festive!

When it comes to wrapping Christmas presents, we like to get creative and festive here at The Silver Starfish! So today, we are sharing some of our favorite products and ideas on how to dress up your holiday gifts.

If you are looking to go a more traditional route for wrapping your presents, then we suggest going with gold and silver. You can never go wrong with metallics, especially over Christmas. We personally love this wrapping paper because it matches the classic color combination but has a bit of a modern flair to it. These fun Christmas tags and wrapping paper can be purchased right here at the shop!

Have some extra time on your hands and are looking to do something unique on your packages this year? We love this chalkboard paper idea for under your tree. Writing with chalkboard paint pens is easy to do and it makes a fun project for you and your loved to complete together. Black and white is always a fun contrast to your Christmas tree too!

We also love the idea of creating your own wrapping paper! All you need is some white craft paper, fun paints, and a creative mind to get going. Having each gift with a different design on them will make it even more entertaining Christmas morning to unwrap all the fun treasures.

We are all about craft paper here and love wrapping our gifts in it! Adding a fun ribbon to them or going all out and personalizing them with a painted picture or saying make for beautiful artwork under your tree. And I can guarantee, all of your family members will get a kick out of the fun creations you make! (Some may even be more excited about the wrapping then what's inside!)

This gift wrapping can be made with things you have in your house right now! Instead of going to buy those large Christmas bows (that usually cost almost as much as the actual gift), why not make them out of old magazine clippings. This is an enjoyable way to personalize all of the presents you are giving out this year!

Wrapping Paper

Christmas Tags

Chalkboard Paper Idea

Create Your Own Paper

Painted Paper

Christmas Bows

Tuesday Tips & Trends: Dressing Up Your Holiday Table

Looking for creative ways to dress up your holiday dining table but don't know where to start? Well look no further! We have some fun and easy ideas for you and your loved ones...

Put a couple of "Dear Santa" notepads on the kid's table at Thanksgiving so they can start to sketch out their wish list for Old Saint Nick. This will keep them occupied and excited for the coming holidays!

These rosemary place cards can be great for any dinner. Easy to make and inexpensive, they would be a great addition to your family gathering.

Wanting to do something a bit more festive for your holiday feast? Bring in items off of your Christmas tree to hold your place cards! You'll probably have a couple extra ornaments and tinsel laying around so why not spruce up your table with them?

These gold leaves will look lovely for a Thanksgiving dinner fit for a king. Luckily, there are still plenty of leaves laying around outside so get some spray paint, a pen and get creating!

Creating personalized seating cards out of cranberry wreaths is a beautiful addition to any table setting. We love how inviting and welcoming place cards can be and these little wreaths do not differ!

Having a formal dinner but want to do something a bit unique? Write the evening's menu on a brown paper bag and place the starter course right in there. Because who doesn't like to sit down to a warm baguette specially wrapped for them!

Another menu option is writing your delicious meal on a chalk board or mirror for guests to be greeted by when they arrive. Knowing exactly what's on the menu will prepare everyone for an exciting evening!

Holiday Pads

Sprigs of Rosemary Place Card

Ornament Place Card

Golden Leaf Place Card

Holly Wreath Place Card

Bread Bag Menu

Chalkboard Menu

I Dos and Don'ts: Including a Dress Code on Your Invites

Mentioning the formality of your wedding to your guests is always a great idea. Everyone appreciates a heads up when it comes to attire. There are a few ways to do this and choosing one that fits your day and style is important!

On your invitation- Simply including, "Black tie optional" or "Semi-formal attire is requested", on your invitations is perfect. The only time including dress requirements on the invitations is truly necessary is when it's a formal event.

On your info card-  You have a little more flexibility with making it casual or funny when you include dress requirements on an extra insert sent with your invitations. If you're having an outdoor wedding and you're looking for a way to inform your guests to be a little more casual you could try something like, "The ceremony & reception will be in the sand; choose your footwear accordingly." Or some brides have fun with statements like, "Anything goes just please don't wear a wedding dress".

On your website- Choosing to include what you'd like your guests to wear on your website should only be done for more casual weddings. Since not all your guests will visit your website, if you're having a black tie event it is much better to inform everyone on your invitation.