Gone to the Beach

Hi everyone! I wanted to let you all know that our studio will be closing today and reopening after the new year (Jan 4) in order to catch up on holiday orders as well as spending some much needed time with our family and friends. 2009 was just the beginning for Seaside Invitations; I am so excited to see what 2010 has in store for us. Over the next couple of weeks, I will be preparing for 2010, finalizing our strategic plan to develop the brand and MAKE THINGS HAPPEN in 2010. Next year, we will be launching some new products including: hand painted invitations and stationery, custom drawn or painted maps, love notes and a whole slew of other goodies. I am so over the moon excited to see how Seaside Invitations will evolve and what it will become. In our short 3 months, we have worked with some amazing woman. I feel so blessed to have had the opportunity to work with some great wedding industry professionals as well as some amazing brides and clients. Thanks so much for your support and hope you all have a safe and fun holiday. I will see you in 2010.

Dear Santa...

It has been pretty busy over here at Seaside fulfilling last minute personalized stationery requests. I wanted to take a second and show you some cute out of the ordinary gift ideas for all those last minute shoppers who are still confused as to what to get someone.

This beautiful paper chandelier from the Pottery Barn made me look twice. We are in the process of redoing our studio and this would just fit perfectly into Seaside's new home. As soon as I saw it I couldn't help but envision what an incredible element this would add to a room. How fun would it be even to hang Christmas cards, note cards from loved ones, save the date responses or even old handwritten family recipes.

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Seriously, how cool are these shark salt n pepper shakers. I love the salt mound around it as if the shark fin is swimming through it. AWESOME! What a great gift for someone who has a beach house or just loves sharks!!

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How cute is this Kate Spade bag!! Its perfect for the winter time. It even looks like a peacoat. I love the bright red color, perfect for a grey winter day. I can totally picture myself wearing this with a grey wool peacoat, some Gianni Bini suede boots and a fun colorful scarf walking around London or NY... hmm. Okay its definitely on my Santa list.

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And lastly, what's a Holiday without some treats. I have seen these macaroons all over the wedding sphere and they are just soo elegant and yummy looking. They look like little clouds of sugar yumminess. These would make great Christmas gifts, just add a beautiful Christmas card and some personalized stationery and wa-laa a perfect Christmas gift your friends will be sure to appreciate. You can also use them as a cute way to say "Will you be my Bridesmaid?" your friends will be so excited to be a part of your wedding and then to have some sugary sweets to top it off - how can you go wrong. These macaroons will be the star of any food table at a Baby or Bridal Shower. This photo is courtesy of the Food Network Kitchen and click here to get the recipe for these Hazelnut Mocha Macaroons... enjoy!!

Happy Shopping!!

New Pet??

Okay so I came across this image and I just had to post it. It reminded me of a conversation I had with my husband as he was trying to convince me to get a pig for a pet. Here is a little of how the conversation went.

Me:: Honey, I think we should get a little hound dog

Hubby:: We have no room for a dog

Me:: But I really want one... we can name him Blue

Hubby:: Yeah that would be great... maybe when we have more of a backyard

Me:: :( (doing the best puppy dog face I have)

a couple days later....

Hubby:: Hey, I have an idea instead of a dog lets get a pig

Me: A pig!!

Hubby: Yeah a mini pig!! They don't get too big

Me:: and where are we suppose to put this pig I thought our backyard wasn't big enough

Hubby:: he can stay in the house

Me:: Umm no. Sorry no pig!

So I have to admit he is cute but the answer is still no.

Introducing the Personalized Stationery

Hi guys! I am soo excited to share my new line of personalized stationery with you. Everyone loves something with their name on it or something with school spirit so why not give the gift that keeps on giving with personalized stationery perfect for your friends, family, co-workers or even yourself.

ON SALE NOW!!!

Set of collegiate stationery:: $14 for 10 cards with matching envelope and liner

Set of personalized stationery:: $14 for set of 12 cards with matching envelope

Each set is printed on double thick 110lb cover white or ivory and paired with colored matte envelopes (your choice of color or assortment). Sets arrive packaged in a clear cello sleeve.

If you are interested in larger or smaller quantities, send me an email and I will set up a custom listing for you -- alicia@seasideinvitations.com

Below is just a glimpse of the stationery line to come. Check out more at my Etsy shop

Inspiration Boards

Hello Readers,

I am so sorry I have been MIA lately with my blog. With Thanksgiving, visiting family and friends, working on Christmas card orders and launching my new stationery line, I have had little time to write on my blog. But I am back, although still going a mile a minute. I will have more to blog about in the coming week. Check back to see posts on my new line of stationery.

In the meantime here are a couple beautiful inspiration boards designed by brides and readers of Style Me Pretty to drool over. I know I sure am!!

Introducing Tis the Season Holiday Cards & Address Labels

I am so excited to introduce my new Holiday Collection of cards & address labels. This year's holiday cards are inspired by kisses & holiday cheer. All cards are available on our ETSY page and come in packs of 10. Most of these cards have matching address labels. If you see an address label you love and no card to match, just let me know and I can create a custom holiday card. Looking for photo holiday card, let me know and I can custom create a card just for you. The holiday cards start at $1.80 per card and the custom holiday photo cards start at $2.60 per card. All cards include a colored matte envelope to match.

Here is a glimpse of the "Tis the Season" cards & address labels. Check out the rest on our Etsy site.

Gift Ideas for your Bridesmaids

Wondering what to get your Bridesmaids and Maid of Honor for their "thank you for being a part of my big day" gift? With the holiday's around the corner it's a good idea to take advantage of all the sales going on, especially during Black Friday. When thinking about what to get your girls make sure to keep their personalities & interests in mind. You want to get them something that they can use outside of your wedding.

Also think about how you can help keep their costs down. We all know your girls are shelling out a lot of money to be a part of your special day and they do this because they love you and want to see the bride with a big smile on her face. A great gift might involve helping them save a little $$. Instead of making them buy their shoes, jewelry or hairpieces think about those as gift options. Here are a couple gift ideas to get your ideas rolling.

Row 1 - Cute clutches for bridesmaids are getting easier to come by thanks to JCrew and this Etsy designer.

Row 2 - These ultra adorable necklaces from Anthropologie are a beautiful addition to any bridesmaid dress, but will also dress up a casual outfit of jeans & a tee for a girls night out.

Row 3 - A beautiful hanky for your girls and even your mom and mom-2-be makes a touching gift. Personalize the hanky with their name, a poem or a special saying that only you two know about. This gift will be sure to bring a tear to their eye.

These oh-so-cute shoe clips are fabulous. I love how you can dress up any pair of shoes with these cute shoe clips. If you want all your girls to have the same shoe, this is a great way to help them save $$. Just have them all get a solid colored shoe (which every girl has a pair of black heels in their closet) and add a flowered shoe clip for a touch of style & elegance.

2010 Hot Spring Colors

Even though the holidays are around the corner, in the wedding industry, spring is even closer. We may be filling holiday card orders but we are always thinking about our upcoming spring & summer brides. For those Spring brides that are still trying to decide on a color palate check out the Spring 2010 Pantone Color Chart to help you decide.

Time Flies When You Are Having Fun

Today, my husband, Pat and I are celebrating our 6 month anniversary. It's hard to believe that 6 months have already passed. The statement "time flies when you are having fun" really is the truth. I can say without a doubt, the past 6 months have been some of the best months of my life. To think just 6 short months ago, we were celebrating our love on our wedding day with all of our friends & family around us and then we jetted off to the Greek Islands to spend 2 amazing weeks with no worries surrounding us; just lots of love and of course the beautiful scenery and amazing food. How lucky we were to have that time together in one of the most beautiful places on earth. It was there on our balcony in Santorini over looking the Caldera we started to talk about our dreams and what we really wanted out of life. We talked about Seaside Invitations and the hopes and dreams I had for it and how we could make it a reality. I felt invincible, perhaps it was the swim in the Aegean, the beautiful setting we were in or the fact that I just married my best friend. I was ready to put my fears aside and take that leap into entrepreneurship and "live the dream".

When we returned we settled into marital bliss, wrote all our thank you cards and just truly enjoyed each other and our new married life. Seaside Invitations was born in August and we haven't stopped since. We started as a fully custom wedding invitation studio and have since added to our repertoire the monoLOVEgram, Tis the Season holiday cards (coming soon), personalized stationery, address labels and custom maps. We have partnered with various wedding professionals and we are currently in the process of being sold on Etsy.com and having our own Facebook page. Phew... I am tired just thinking about it.

All of this could not have been accomplished without the love & support from my husband. He has been there for me through out it all. I can see how proud he is just by the way he looks at me when I am telling him about my newest idea or what is on our very long to-do list.To see the love & support in his eyes and his embrace keeps me going and pushes me to be that much better. It is so inspiring and just fills my heart with joy. I am truly blessed to be loved by the one I love and to have a career that feeds my creative soul.

Vendor Review - Tampa Bay Watch

Each month I will be featuring a new vendor in the Tampa Bay area. To kick off the first vendor review I would like to feature Tampa Bay Watch. I have to admit I am a bit partial to this venue because it is where I got married almost 6 months ago. For my wedding I wanted to have a sunset theme and I wanted the reception to be on the water or overlooking the water. I searched for months and months and visited every venue on the beach or intercoastal and I still couldn't find "The One". We were looking for a venue that fit within our budget and that spoke to our personalities and I stumbled upon Tampa Bay Watch. It was like finding a needle in a haystack and I knew instantly that it was "The One". I instantly made an appointment to view the venue and by that weekend we had booked our site.

Tampa Bay Watch is located on the southern tip of St. Petersburg in Tierra Verde right before Fort Desoto. This beautiful venue has a spacious 2,500 square foot indoor and outdoor area for dining and dancing. The interior has a large open area with wall to wall picturesque windows overlooking the bay - perfect for those sunset photos. There is a deck that wraps around the back side of the venue so your guests can mingle on the porch and in the main dining hall. It promotes an open aired environment and a relaxed feel with stunning views. For those looking for a ceremony location as well, you can choose to get married on the beautifully manicured lawn overlooking the bay.

In addition to the beautiful venue and amazing views the price is very very reasonable compared to other venues on the water (they even provide the tables, chairs and linens) and the staff is just wonderful! You will work closely with Laura, their wedding coordinator, and she is awesome! She is so accommodating to what the bride wants and she will try to meet all of your requests. She will be there throughout the wedding to make sure all goes according to plan. They do have a couple of rules that all brides have to abide by but overall my experience at Tampa Bay Watch was top notch.

I could go on and on about this venue, but one more thing I will tell you before I end this review is that not only is this venue beautiful, but it is also works to protect our oceans. Tampa Bay Watch strives to counteract the huge loss of wetland habitats by expanding community involvement with hands-on restoration and protection projects around the bay. They work with volunteers, students, at-risk youth and civic organizations to participate in environmental projects such as coastal cleanups, rebuilding oyster domes and bars, restoring salt marsh grass and planting sea grass just to name a few. For me, it made me feel better to know my money was not only going towards a beautiful venue for my wedding but also to a good cause.

I hope this review has helped you and if you are in search of a venue, give Laura a call and visit Tampa Bay Watch.

loving this designer

Okay so I just came across a new wedding gown designer, Saja Weddings and I am totally in love! Her dresses are soo my style. Very classy, simple, casual and yet elegant. These dresses would be perfect for getting married on the beach or in a garden setting. Check out her newest styles and with the prices really reasonable you can't afford not to take a peek. Enjoy!

Introducing the customized Address Label

Last weeks inspiration board was Fall. This week I decided to go in a new direction and design address labels. The fully customizable address labels are our newest product at Seaside Invitations. They are designed to coordinate with the Fall season and your Thanksgiving greeting cards. At an affordable price of just $5 per sheet (1 sheet = 12 labels), all you need to do is send us your name & address and we will get these printed and out to you. Check back for our holiday card & address label debut in the coming weeks.