Archive of ‘green quince’ category

The most adorable cake toppers ever

It used to be that if you wanted a cake topper for your wedding cake, you had only a handful of choices, and they were all pretty boring and plastic. These days, there are creative personalized options that bring a super personal touch to your wedding cake. Lulu’s Little Shop is one of my all-time cake topper shop faves! Their origami wedding couples are full of gorgeous details that will have you swooning.

 

Lulus Little Shop Cake Topper

This intricate couple is all decked out in their wedding finest!

One of the most special things about customized cake toppers is that you can build a couple that really reflects you. If you have different skin tones, or if you are a same-sex couple, you might have been frustrated by the lack of cake topper selection in the past, but with Lulu’s Little Shop, you can tailor your toppers to reflect you. How fun is that!

Lulus Little Shop Cake Topper

Don’t you just love her dress?!

 

Each pairing arrives in a cute little tin, and they have magnetic feet and a metal base, so you can place them exactly as you would like. They’ve thought of everything!

Would it be weird for me to order a cake topper set for my husband and I to put on our anniversary cake? Because I am looking for any excuse to order a pair of these!

Here are a few more of the many examples you can see in their Etsy shop.

Lulus Little Shop Cake Toppers

The boutonnieres on the guys are the perfect touch!

In addition to the cake toppers, Lulu’s Little Shop also has the most amazing little origami diamonds that I’m envisioning as the perfect table decor for an engagement party or rehearsal dinner. You can even purchase a DIY guide so you can learn to make them yourself!

Lulus Little Shop Origami Diamond

Origami diamonds

Definitely take a peek around Lulu’s Little Shop and explore what they have to offer. There is so much creativity on display.

If you would like to follow Lulu’s Little Shop on Facebook, you can like them here.

(All photos used by permission and designs copyright of Lulu’s Little Shop. Thank you!)

 

 

Have you ever wanted to be in a secret club?

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Join the Green Quince Secret Society

. . . you know, the kind of secret club where you would tell each other secrets and pinky swear not to tell? The kind where you would meet in a hidden treehouse, solve mysteries, sneak in chocolate, and pass encoded notes in class that no one else could read? (You can probably tell I grew up on a succession of Encyclopedia Brown, Babysitter’s Club, and Nancy Drew).

Well, this is your chance to join a grown-up version of a secret club: The Green Quince Secret Society! As a member you will get sneak previews of new designs before they hit the shop, special discounts that will never be released to the public, and fun e-mail surprises. You’ll be in my inner circle, and I pinky swear that I won’t tell your secrets.

To join, go to the sign-up page and plug in your deets. I can’t wait to pass you top-secret notes when the teacher isn’t looking.

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Registering for your Honeymoon

I don’t know about you, but I’m dreaming of being in a tropical location right now . . . sandy beach, sparkling aquamarine sea, and the scent of salt water and tropical-scented sunscreen . . . I want to go to there.

Now picture your dream honeymoon. Where do you see yourself and your significant other? What sorts of activities will you be enjoying on your first trip as husband and wife? Will you be adventurous and sporty or relaxed and pampered?

Whatever your destination, you might be thinking about registering for your honeymoon. It can be a great option, especially if you are a couple who don’t really need (or want) a lot of the traditional wedding gifts like china and kitchen appliances. Here are a few tips and hints that will help you navigate the process. I’ll share from my personal experience, so you have the inside scoop!

The first thing you’ll want to do is choose a honeymoon registry service to help keep things organized. I highly recommend Honeyfund. Their fees are pretty low, and any gifts you receive via check or cash are fee-free (as of the time of this posting–be sure to check out all the specifics before you sign up for any registry service!)

What I love about Honeyfund is the way you can break down your trip into smaller chunks so friends and family can choose specific activities they would like to sponsor. It’s interactive, and your guests will imagine how much fun you’re going to have at that candlelit dinner in Paris which makes them feel more connected to the gift giving process. This is the key to making your honeymoon registry fun for your guests.

Speaking of describing your trip . . . you’ll want to provide lots and lots of small, bite-size activity “chunks” for your guests to choose from. For example, which would you rather sponsor:

  • A day excursion to the rain forest in Costa Rica with a traditional Costa Rican breakfast of gallo pinto, cheese, and fried plaintains followed by a guided tour of the nature preserve

OR

  • $100 towards airfare

See how much fun it can be to imagine that excursion? Your guests will love options like that. The items on our registry that were snapped up first were all the fun excursions and items that guests could picture us enjoying.

Here are a few ideas to get you started:

  • Excursions, active adventures, and any activities involving animals are winners
  • Specific dinners that you are looking forward to (Do some research and pick out your exact restaurants and the meals you will eat there. Not only is it more exciting for your guests, but you’ll have more time to anticipate your culinary adventures, making your trip more fun!)
  • Get creative! Imagine your perfect day and fill in all the little details that make it great. Have a day at the beach with a private surfing lesson, umbrella drinks, and beach chair rentals. Plan a day exploring the city with museum passes, a walking tour, and a symphony concert. Pick out an adventurous excursion like zip-lining or sky-diving, and guess which of your family and friends will sponsor that activity first.
  • Have a wild card gift. Whoever sponsors that gift gets to give you an adventure of their choosing.
  • Do something charitable. People love to sponsor activities that have a philanthropic goal such as saving sea turtles or helping to build an orphanage. Added bonus: you’ll make amazing memories that will last a lifetime.
  • Don’t forget travel books and language lessons!

Thank your guests right away when they give their gifts. Write a heartfelt thank you card describing how much you will enjoy the activity they have sponsored. Oh, and quick tip: it’s never ok to include registry information in your wedding invitation. Instead, share that on your wedding website, if you have one, or via word of mouth. You can enlist your bridesmaids, groomsmen, and a few family members to help in disseminating the details.

My last tip is something my husband and I, unfortunately, did not think to do on our trip, and we sooooo wish we had. That is to take photos of the two of you enjoying each of the gifts you’ve been given and then share the photos with the gift giver. It makes for such a special reminder of how much you enjoyed their gift.

One thing to keep in mind is that someone in your circle of friends or family might not love the honeymoon registry idea. This is new territory, and some folks might find this newfangled idea a little unusual.

A great option to keep everyone happy is to have a small selection of more traditional items on a standard registry at one of the usual big box stores. There are probably a few items you need for your home, and providing a variety of choices will allow your guests to choose a more traditional gift for you if they wish. This isn’t guaranteed to make everyone happy, but at least you’ll know you did everything you could to please the masses.

If anyone asks, share honestly about why you chose to do a honeymoon registry (We don’t value material possessions as much as experiences! We’re going to do some charity work on our trip, and we wouldn’t be able to afford to get to Africa otherwise! We have all the “things” we need! We live in a small space! We’ve always dreamed of a backpacking adventure in Europe, and we want to do this while we’re still young!) and they just might come around.

Our experience with the honeymoon registry was overwhelmingly positive, and so many of our guests raved about how much they loved the idea. We also had a small traditional registry, and that was also popular. We had the trip of a lifetime in Costa Rica, and every time we think of that trip we are overwhelmed with gratitude for the gifts we received that made it possible. We also love the other gifts we received for our home, and we feel surrounded by love everyday.

If you have any honeymoon registry stories to share, do tell!

Oh, and when you do escape to that sunny beach or snowy peak, send a little mental snapshot of that vacation bliss this-a-way! 

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Custom Letterpress Cards for Barbara of BMJNYC Jewelry

This summer I had the pleasure of printing custom cards for the ever-so-talented Barbara Michelle Jacobs of Barbara Michelle Jacobs, NYC. Barbara creates the most beautiful eco-friendly jewelry with recycled metals, including exquisite engagement rings and wedding bands. Her work is stellar, and her site is definitely worth checking out.

MixingTheInk

I was excited about this project and couldn’t wait to get into the studio to print. Once the design was complete and the letterpress plate was made, it was time to mix some ink!

I use Pantone color mixing guides which are really helpful, but it also takes a little testing, adjusting, and re-mixing to get the colors to be just right. This part of the process is really soothing because I spend a good 10 minutes just mixing and smooshing the ink around to get it warm for better printing results.

PlateOnThePress

 

The color looks pretty bright here, but as you’ll see in a moment, it’s actually a more muted green in print.

Then came time to set up the press for printing. At right you can see the printing plate all nestled into its cozy press bed.

There are lots of little adjustments that are made to the press before this point to get everything in optimum condition for printing.Once everything is just right, it’s time to get the printing party started!


CardOnThePress

Hot off the press!

And there is the finished card (well, before trimming and folding, anyway.)

Thanks Barbara for this fun project, and thank YOU for stopping by. Hope you have a great week ahead!

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Friday Glitter and Why Dance Breaks Might Be the Most Important Part of Your Day

 

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This week I flew off to Salt Lake City for a business conference with other female entrepreneurs to learn, fellowship, and even do a little dancing. I donned these glittery heels for a lively evening dance sess. Throughout the conference, there were little dance breaks built in, and I noticed that my attention was ultra-focused after each mini dance intermission. You know the afternoon doldrums that tend to hit hard when you’re sitting in a chair all day? Gone. My attention? Laser focused. The constant yawning? None of that.

It really got me thinking. There’s good research that says that breaks throughout your workday are really important for productivity. Plus, dancing has been shown to be good for brain health.So, will regular dance breaks sprinkled throughout the workday make us more productive, creative, and healthy? Based on my experience in the last few days, I’m going to venture a guess that that answer is “Yes!” Would you like to join me in this experiment?

Have a great weekend, and I’ll see you on the other side!

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Battling Wedding Burnout?

Wedding planning can be a TON of work, right? It’s likely the biggest party you’ll ever throw in your life, and it is simultaneously one of the most monumental events in your personal life story. That’s a lot of pressure to place on a single day, and the months (or even years) leading up to your wedding are a whirlwind of planning, prepping, and pinning. Well, I would like to suggest another “p” word that you might not have thought about in a while: “Pampering”. My challenge to you is to take some time out this weekend to do something decadent for yourself. You’re wedding date isn’t going anywhere. Take a little time to do some self-care, and you’ll come back to work and wedding planning on Monday (or whenever your workweek starts) refreshed and ready to conquer the world. To inspire you, here are a few ideas of delicious pampering activities for your weekend:

  • Have a lazy day in: Sleep in, read in bed, rent a movie on iTunes, finally crack open that bottle of wine, do some online shopping . . . whatever fun relaxing activities you can do in your PJs.
  • Have an adventure: Find a local museum, restaurant, hiking trail, farmer’s market, or local landmark that you’ve never visited, and go by yourself or with a friend. Get last minute concert tickets and go out dancing. Plan a little weekend getaway nearby. Dust off your bike and hit the trail.
  • Have a wedding-free weekend: Meet up with friends or family to catch up, and don’t talk about the wedding at all. Put it out of your mind for the day. Let everyone know up front that you would like to have a wedding-free day so you can enjoy their company and be totally present. Enjoy the moment and reconnect with people.
  • Get a massage, hit up the spa, or give yourself a mani/pedi and facial at home.
  • Sweat it out: pick an activity you love, whether it’s mountain biking or the elliptical, and work up a good sweat. There’s nothing like a good endorphin rush to clear your mind. Follow it up with a long bath and some relaxing music.
  • Try meditation.
  • Pick up a hobby you haven’t done in a while or practice an instrument you love to play.
  • Cook up a delectable home-cooked meal for you and your honey.
  • Go camping and enjoy fresh air and sunshine without distractions.
  • Go to the beach and watch the waves.
  • Spend the day with your bridesmaids or groomsmen and find little ways to thank them for supporting you during this exciting time in your life.
  • Volunteer for a day at your local animal shelter. It might sound more like work than pampering, but after a day spent with animals, your spirits will be lifted, and you’ll feel great for giving selflessly to our furry friends.

OR

Write your own prescription! Maybe the things I’ve listed here aren’t your idea of pampering. That’s totally OK! Write your own prescription for a relaxing day that will help you to re-center. What would your perfect day of relaxation look like to you?

Enjoy your weekend!

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Check out the new Green Quince blog

GreenQuinceLetterpressIt’s been a busy summer in the Green Quince studios.There have been lots of fun design projects and some amazing clients to work with. Now that we’re heading into fall, it’s time to polish up the ‘ol website and work on some planning for 2014. It will be here before we know it!

In the next few months I will be introducing a new blog series for the newly engaged with topics such as:

Choosing the Perfect Invitations for You

Navigating Invitation and Addressing Etiquette

How to be a Gracious Gift Receiver

Making Time for Yourself in the Midst of the Wedding Craziness

10 Great Wedding Day Gift Ideas for Your Bride- or Groom-to-be

And

How to Plan a Wedding Your Guests Will Rave About Without Breaking the Bank

If there are any other topics you’d like to read about, please let me know, and I’ll add them to the docket.

In addition we’ll be introducing some new features and contests, so keep it tuned right here.

Ciao for now.

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