New to the Shop - Digital Invitations and Thank You Cards!

A few new sections have been added to the shop for custom digital invitations and digital thank you cards!  These listings provide you with a digital 5x7 JPEG file for you to print at a photo lab or printing center.  There are invitations of various themes for birthdays and baby showers, as well as coordinating thank you cards.  The invitations are custom made to include the information for your event, while the thank you cards are an instant digital download (yup, instant!).  I hope you like the selection offered, and hopefully, I'll be posting more very soon!  If you're looking for a certain theme and don't see it, we're happy to take custom orders!

Here are the links to the listings:

Baby Shower Invitations - https://www.etsy.com/shop/NotesbySherryLLC?section_id=14106601
Birthday Invitations - https://www.etsy.com/shop/NotesbySherryLLC?section_id=14111650
Thank You Cards - https://www.etsy.com/shop/NotesbySherryLLC?section_id=14102718

Welcome Melanie! Our Newest Addition!

The newest addition to our family arrived just about three weeks ago!  Melanie Reagan Steed was born on July 27, 2013, weighing 7 lb 3 oz and 20.5" long.  She'll be three weeks tomorrow!  Here are a few photos of our third little munchkin.

 

 

 

 

Ten Funny and Clever Baby Onesies

Since being on "maternity leave" from the Etsy shop, I've been searching for new outfits for our little peanut on the way. I've come across some pretty clever baby onesies and figured they were worth sharing (some were funny but inappropriate, so we'll keep it PG here) .  Here's what I found! 

1.  "My Mother Doesn't Want Your Advice"

This onesie is so true!  How many times have you been out with your little one and someone offers unsolicited advice?  I feel like I could write a novel!  I'm sure you all have your own stories, too, so please feel free to leave a comment and share!

Img Src:  My Oliver Flower Etsy Shop - https://www.etsy.com/listing/82692043/my-mother-doesnt-want-your-advice

Mother's Day Hand Embossed Greeting Card

We've added a new handmade card to our shop.  Perfect for Mother's Day, which is right around the corner!

To learn more about this greeting card, check out our listing on Etsy! 

https://www.etsy.com/listing/129484726/mothers-day-handmade-embossed-greeting

How to Care for Your Tutu

I get a lot of questions for customers regarding how to care for their tutus.  Tulle is great for many reasons, but it can easily become wrinkled during shipping and storing.  Also, as the tutu is worn, it may become dirty or the tulle may begin to fray at the ends.  Here are a few tips that I give my customers to help them care for their tutu.


Pastel Rainbow Hand-Tied Tutu:  https://www.etsy.com/listing/122487607/pastel-rainbow-hand-tied-tutu

Unpacking

Despite the tutu sellers' best efforts, it's hard to ensure that a tutu remains completely unwrinkled during shipping.  Remove the tutu from the box, and give it a little shake.  Using your fingers, gently comb the tulle to remove any twists or tangles.  Hang the tutu to prevent future wrinkling.

Fluffing


We all want fluffy tutus!  In order to get a fluffier tutu, gently separate the pieces of tulle using your fingers.  Hanging a tutu upside down during storage is also a great way to keep your tutu fluffy.

Removing Wrinkles

When trying to remove wrinkles from a tutu, steam works best.  If you have a clothing steamer, that can be used to remove wrinkles.  Another way to remove wrinkles is by hanging the tutu in bathroom while taking a steamy shower.  Also, if you have a humidifier, hanging the tutu above the steam and combing through the tulle can help remove wrinkles.

Frayed Ends

After wearing the tutu, sometimes the tulle can fray at the ends.  To get rid of frays, simply cut to remove the frayed portions of tulle using a pair of fabric scissors.

Washing

Our hand-tied tutus should be hand washed only, as they may not be able to withstand a washing machine.  Spot-washing is preferred, but if the entire tutu needs cleaning, very gently hand-wash.  Hanging your tutu to dry is preferred; placing in the dryer is not recommended.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions!

 

Butterfly and Flower Themed Birthday Party

For my girls' first birthday party, I decided to go with a butterfly and flower theme.  Here are some of the things that I made for the girls' party.  It was a lot of fun coming up with ideas!

Invitations

Invitations provide the "first impression" of the party.  Not only do they include the necessary information of where and when the party is, but they also send an indirect message to the recipient regarding the party.   Invitations state the theme of the party, set the primary colors for the party, and set the tone of the party.

I wanted the girls' party to be fun and have a "vibrant" tone.  Here's a photo of the invitations.  I've included a sample photo of the design of the inside of the invitations, too (not the exact ones used for the girls' party, but it's the same idea).  We sell these in our Etsy Shop if you're interested.

Front of Invitations

Inside Design of Invitations

Decorations

The first thing I wanted guests to see when they came to the party was a decorated entryway.  Here's how I decorated to make sure the guests knew they were at the right place!

Guests were greeted with balloons and a sign that said "Butterfly Kisses and Birthday Wishes," which went well with the pink and purple favor boxes filled with Hershey Kisses.  To complement the favor boxes, I included Butterfly Confetti in various colors as well as handmade Japanese origami flowers (tutorial here).  I made the girls a Custom Triangle Banner, complete with their names and pictures of butterflies to finish the entry way.

In our house, we also have a fireplace, which was begging for some birthday decorations.  I made a second Custom Triangle Banner for the mantle.  I also framed two digital prints that I made for each girl, which included their names and birth information.

I thought it would be fun to summarize the girls' first year with a bunch of photos that we've taken throughout their first year.  I lined our wall with six poster boards full of memories from our first year.  Guests loved looking at the photos and seeing how much the girls have grown!

We also had a butterfly themed cake and two smash cakes for the girls to dig into.  Lots of appetizers, food, cake, and cookies!  The girls had a great time, and I want to extend a big thank you to all of the guests who spoiled the girls with lots of presents!  Speaking of thank you's, here are the "thank you" cards I designed for the girls' party.  I ended up having to send simpler thank you notes than these due to a three-week cold that was passed around our family.  I wish I had the time to make these butterfly cards instead of the ones I sent!

What are some of your favorite birthday party ideas and themes?  Please feel free to comment below!

Happy 1st Birthday Haley and Hannah!

Best Baby Shower Themes - Nautical

The nautical baby shower theme has recently become very popular.  It's truly an adorable theme for a baby on the way - ships, anchors, whales - what's not to love?  Before the little sailor on the way enters your life, host a great nautical themed baby shower with these ideas.

Nautical Themed Invitations

These nautical themed invitations are a great way to let your guests know the theme of your baby shower.  These are handmade specifically for your occasion.  These are fully customizable from the saying on the front of the card to the appearance on the inside.  These can be ordered online here or contact us.

Decorations

There are many ways to decorate for a nautical baby shower, such as banners, diaper cakes, centerpieces, etc.  On Etsy, there is a nautical Baby Shower Bundle (see picture below) that helps you get started.  It includes a custom handmade banner (with words of your choice).  It also includes a two tier nautical themed diaper cake, as well as three mini diaper cakes.  Also included in the package are 20 handmade invitations and 20 handmade  thank you cards (can be customized).  For more information, check out the listing here.

Food and Desserts

The food served will depend upon what time of the day the shower will take place.  For example, if you're hosting a brunch, you may consider a variety of cheeses, crackers, fruits, and juices.  If you're hosting a lunch or dinner, you may consider adding items such as a veggie platter, shrimp cocktail, salad, sandwiches, pasta, etc.  Just make sure the mommy-to-be can eat at her own shower - there are many dietary restrictions for those who are expecting!

Now for the best part - the desserts!  There are many ways to incorporate the nautical theme through desserts.  Check out this adorable baby shower cake made by Cakes by May.  

Img src:  http://cakesbymay.blogspot.com/2011/07/whale-nautical-baby-shower-cake.html

Also, here are some adorable cookies that are perfect for a nautical baby shower:

Img src:  http://www.etsy.com/listing/103200337/decorated-cookies-edible-images-baby-boy

If you plan on adding cupcakes to the dessert list, these make great cupcake toppers:

Img src:  www.etsy.com/listing/93925032/cupcake-toppers-blue-nautical-theme-with

Favors and Thank You Cards

Favors are the perfect way to say "thank you" for celebrating the special occasion with you.  Edible items are great because the guests can enjoy a special treat as a way to remember your baby shower.  Add these favor tags to a bag of candy, and your guests are sure to love them!

Img src:  http://www.etsy.com/listing/103384004/nautical-favor-tags-nautical-bridal

It is very important to remember to send your guests thank you cards for the gifts that were received.  Be sure to keep a record of who gave you each gift, so you can personally thank them.  These handmade thank you cards are handmade specifically for your occasion.  These are fully customizable from the saying on the front of the card to the appearance on the inside.  These can be ordered online here or contact us.

We hope your day is special in every way!  Contact us with any questions or suggestions!