Tulaloo

BESPOKE: destination belize!

2012-02-03T10:33:00.004-05:00

Check out these fun bespoke invitations Tulaloo designed for Leigh Ann and Jason's destination wedding in Belize! We started with a palette of aquamarine, ivory and sandy tan to evoke the beach. Leigh Ann and Jason had quite a bit of information they needed to incorporate into their invitation suite, so we

housed it all in a folder style invitation tied shut with raffia. The reply card includes a full dinner menu on the inside, with the reply information on the front. To inform guests of all the activities they could look forward to over the wedding weekend, we designed an accordian fold booklet detailing each event with a fun icon in aquamarine.

The booklet and reply card are tucked neatly into a sand colored vellum band, printed with the words "Join us!"

Working with Leigh Ann and Jason was lovely and we wish them great happiness at their wedding this Spring!

CELEBRATE: up the capitol steps

2012-02-01T22:29:00.004-05:00

McGee Financial Strategies recently asked Tulaloo to design the invitations to a very special event with Barbara Roberts, the 34th Governor of Oregon. Former Governer Roberts, the first and only female Governor of Oregon, recently published her autobiography, Up The Capitol Steps. McGee Financial Strategies planned an event to celebrate both Roberts' new book and the 100th anniversary of women's right to vote in Oregon. We were honored to play a small role in this special day.

The fine folks over at McGee Financial Strategies chose our Zion design as a starting point for their invitation. Because this event is taking place over Valentine's Day weekend, they requested a red and ivory color scheme. The invitation is a folded and layered card with a belly band, printed on red and ivory metallic papers.

We wish everyone at McGee Financial and Former Gov. Roberts a wonderful event on the 12th! Thanks for choosing Tulaloo!

TULALOO:2011

2012-01-06T00:01:00.003-05:00

What a fantastic year it has been! In 2011 Tulaloo helped to invite over 5500 guests to your weddings and announced the birth of your babies to more than 800 of your friends and families!!! And we aren't even counting your parties and showers into that mix! Do you have ANY idea how amazing that feels! Because it feels amazing. Really amazing.

As someone who strongly believes in the power and importance of celebration, playing an important part in your get-togethers and gatherings is a really big deal. I look forward to all the parties that 2012 will bring, and to doing our small part to help you tie the knot, present your little ones and celebrate the new year. Happy 2012!

Thank you to Heidi and Michael for the most cherished client testimonial of 2011. "You have really been such a huge part in making this a special event, and I can't thank you enough. I feel like we are celebrated, and that's not a small thing." Thank you for allowing Tulaloo to take part in your special day!

GIFTABLE: drawworm

2011-12-27T00:20:00.002-05:00

I've talked about Kelley McMorris of Drawworm before, and I'm going to talk about her again because she is just that great. This winter she drew a portrait of my good friend Kylie's baby boy, which I gave as a Christmas gift. And Kelley did a phenomenal job. Not that I am surprised, but it is so, SO good. The image above really does not do justice to the actual drawing. Kylie cried when she received it, so I think we can call it a successful gift.
Kelley included the finished portrait on her blog where you can also see some details from the portrait as well as some in-progress shots. Please check it out and leave her a comment!

BESPOKE: heidi and michael

2011-11-29T11:33:00.003-05:00

I am so happy to finally share this wedding invitation with you! Heidi and Michael commissioned Tulaloo to design and create a custom wedding invitation through our Bespoke design services. They wanted something really special and personal to invite friends and family to their intimate ceremony and dinner reception in November. Heidi and Michael live in California and celebrated their marriage with a winemaker's dinner, so we designed their invitation around that theme. In addition to incorporating the winery concept, we worked with a autumnal palette and lots of textures to give the invitation a warm and welcoming feel.
The invitation is letterpressed in a plum ink on Lettra cotton stock. After being letterpressed, the lovely Amanda Brooke of ARMart painted a watercolor border of grape vines across the top of each invitation. Yes, every single invitation had an original watercolor painting on it! The painted invitations were then wrapped in natural unryu paper and sealed with a wide mahogonay colored velvet ribbon and a wine cork. We packaged the completed invitations in a cork lined, burgandy linen box for mailing.
This was such a wonderful project to work on and Heidi and Michael woldn't have been more lovely. Congratulations to you both on your beautiful wedding!

GET WED: customization

2011-11-09T10:32:00.003-05:00

Have I mentioned that I love requests for customization on Tulaloo's stationery designs? I do. From simple changes, such as changing colors, to more elaborate, like incorporating the family tartan, our clients over the years have found ways to truly personalize our designs.

Recently, Kerrien and Raymond had a special request for their New Year's Eve wedding. In addition to an entirely silver and crystal color scheme, they wanted to incorporate two of our invitation styles: the pochette and the backpocket.

Kerrien really liked the unique way a pochette opens up, but also wanted to keep her enclosure cards organized neatly in a pocket. Combining these two styles gave them both elements!

We LOVE personalizing our designs for our clients! If you are looking for something a little different let us know!

GIFTABLE: handmade harvest

2011-11-08T08:34:00.002-05:00

So you may have heard that we had a freak Nor'easter here in Connecticut, dumping over a foot of snow on us Halloween weekend. New England winters are rough, but they usually have the patience to wait until at least mid November! There was no electricity for most of the state for a full week, and it was pretty chilly! By day 4 of no power our house was a balmy 46 degrees, so we ate breakfast while wearing in winter hats most mornings. Brrrrr!
Winter weather accessories have been on my mind (and body) recently, and I just love the Handmade Harvest shop. The hats and hairbands are cool (so cute!) but it really is the product photos that make me a fan. I love artists/designers with a sense of humor.

CELEBRATE: party kits

2011-10-18T20:07:00.006-04:00

I am so happy to introduce a new product from Tulaloo: Party Kits!

When clients order invitations from our Celebrations Collection they often ask for additional stationery items to complete their party. We are always happy to custom design any paper items our clients may want! We've made thank you notes, favor packaging and even shower game items, all coordinating with the invitation design. To make things more convenient and affordable for you, we are now bundling some of the most requested items in one easy Party Kit!

The two kits we currently have for sale are designed specifically for baby showers and wedding showers. Each kit contains invitations and thank you notes for the guest of honor, tags or seals for favors and the materials for two shower activities: Wish Cards and Gift Bingo. Wish cards are a way for guests to offer congratulations, wishes and words of advice to the bride/groom or expectant parents. Once collected into an album or pretty box these make a sweet keepsake! Gift Bingo is a fun shower game where guests can win prizes by getting "Bingo" based on the opened gifts!

As listed in our shop, the kit includes invitations, thank you notes, favor packaging and game materials for 10 guests. However, we can put together a package for any size guest list you need. Shown above is a party kit in our Nesting baby shower design. Party Kits are available for any design in our Celebrations Collection, and as always we will tailor the design to match your color and font preferences. We are looking forward to making your party planning easier!

PERSONALLY: dog people

2011-10-12T23:13:00.004-04:00

This is Clifford, our big red dog. We adopted him from Flora's Pet Project shortly after we were married 9 years ago. Sadly, Clifford passed away recently. It was unexpected and sudden. Did you see Marley & Me? Clifford was struck with the same awful stomach bloat/flip, and due to his age, the condition and some other health issues, we had to make the difficult decision to let him go. It was very sad and there were lots of tears. But, Clifford lived a good, long life, climbed lots of mountains, ate plenty of steak and was able to pass away while snuggled up to me. Those things make me feel happy.
What is strange for me, is suddenly finding out that I am, in fact, a dog person. Clifford was a wonderful dog and I loved him. But I never really considered myself a dog person. Maybe it is because when I was in highschool my family had this obnoxious dog that use to eat my toothbrush and steal my chocolate. Or maybe it is because I don't feel any desire for dog themed bumper stickers/keychains/Snuggies. Not that there is anything wrong with that mind you (ok, I do take a rather firm stance against Snuggies) It is just that pets have never been a primary focus of my life, although I've had cats and/or dogs since I was a baby. In fact, I told a good friend, just a few months ago, that when Clifford eventually passes away I will be terribly sad, but I'll also be happy not to pick up dog poop in the backyard any longer. I had no plans to get another dog.
So guess what I've been doing since Clifford passed away... Well, there has been a fair amount of tears. Every night when I go to let him out one last time and every meal when I actually have to sweep up the kids' dropped food, I get a pang of sadness. Didn't really expect that. And I have been obsessively checking Petfinder and all the local animal shelters, just in case there is an awesome dog there that needs to come live with us. Yeah, the lady who didn't want another dog REALLY WANTS ANOTHER DOG. So I suppose I am a Dog Person. Just not the kind that wears paw print Snuggies while reading Dog Fancy. Not that there is anything wrong with Dog Fancy.

INSPIRATION: vellum enclosure cards

2011-10-12T22:29:00.005-04:00

Vellum enclosure cards have been very popular with our clients this year and I couldn't be happier about this! I love incorporating vellum into stationery because it is a simple and inexpensive way to add some visual interest and texture. In fact you can mix and match all your papers the way Lindsay chose to (above photo). We combined ivory papers in pearlescent, matte and transparent finishes to complement her sophisticated wedding invitations.

Vellum also allows us to combine images in an unexpected way. For Melanie and Joseph, we stacked a yellow vellum reception card, printed with a crimson wren, over an ivory reply card printed with a magnolia branch. The resulting effect is that the bird is perched on the branch!

Vellum is available in many colors, and even metallic finishes. So it is a nice way to bring in an accent color or a bit of shimmer.

Soon I'll be sharing other ways to incorporate vellum iny our wedding invitations and special event stationery!

CELEBRATE: holiday special

2011-10-05T13:11:00.002-04:00

For those of you thinking ahead, we are offering a great special on our holiday greeting cards and party invitations! Place your order prior to Thanksgiving and we will discount the orice by 15%! This offer is good on all holiday cards and holiday party invitations.
Be sure to check out our new Keepsake Holiday Photo Cards. After receiving a great response to our Keepsake Birth Announcements, many clients asked for a similarly designed holiday greeting. These are available fully assembled with envelopes or with just the printed vellum band, ready for the DIYer. Prices begin at $1.90/each for full service and .75/each for the vellum band. Per card prices will be discounted for any order over 75 (on top of the early bird discount!). Please call or email to order!

TULALOO: studio progress

2011-09-12T10:40:00.003-04:00

It has been awhile since I've posted any updates on the progress of the new Tulaloo studio space. For several weeks most of the progress we made wasn't much to look at - important, but not glamourous details like fixing the foundation and roughing out electrical work. Finally though, I have some real, visible progress to share! The french doors and windows are in and we've started framing the floor. I feel like we are getting somewhere now and am so excited to move in and meet with clients in our own space!

Have I mentioned that we are building this ourselves? By "we", of course, I mean my husband is spending every spare moment he has outside of work and family obligations building the new studio (He is amazing). We are both DIYers and he is a talented craftsman, so we are enjoying the project. But we can only devote weekends to the build, so it is taking much longer than if we hired a contractor to complete the project for us. Initially we hoped to have the entire studio complete by the end of summer, and obviously that hasn't happened. Complications arose (don't they always on renovation projects?) and parties, weddings and other fun events filled alot of our weekends. We've reexamined the timeline and are confident we will be finished no later than Thanksgiving. Thanks so much to all of you for your patience ! I can't wait to welcome you into the new space!

THE WORLD WE LIVE IN: marriage equality

2011-09-02T16:50:00.004-04:00

This morning I had a brief phone consultation with a very nice bride. Partway through the conversation she said "This is for two girls. Is that ok? Will you do that?" And my heart broke just a little bit. I can't imagine how it feels to plan a wedding with the knowledge that vendors might refuse to work with you because of who you love.

For the record, Tulaloo does not discriminate based on sexual orientation. We are pro-marriage and PRO-LOVE.

Recently New York State legalized gay marriage (hooray!) and the fine folks over at A Practical Wedding threw a party to celebrate. And not just a party, but three weddings for LGBTQ couples followed by a fabulous celebration with some of the most excellent wedding vendors around. Turns out they are also making a short documentary about Yay New York in support of marriage equality. Check out the trailer for the documentary above.

GIFTABLE: clocks

2011-08-31T22:49:00.004-04:00

Not that long ago we remodeled our bathroom, and there is a space next to the medicine cabinet that is just begging for a fantastic clock. I think I may want to get a really great wall clock for the new Tulaloo Studio as well (we're getting there....slowly but surely). I've had my eye on the clocks above. What do you think?
Top row, left to right: mb art studios, say hello shop, uncommon
Bottom row, left to right: decoylab, vinylclockwork

INSPIRATION: the elevated envelope

2011-08-24T23:08:00.006-04:00

By now everyone has received their "elevated envelope" from Tulaloo, so I can finally share it with you! The theme for the project was "summer", and we were instructed to get off the computer and work with our hands as much as possible. I spent quite awhile thinking about what summer means to me. It means warmth and sunshine and growth and a slower pace. For a long while I considered doing something about camping and hiking (a favorite summer activity for my family) or Maine (our most favorite vacation spot). But ultimately I chose to center the design around live music.

Summer has long meant live music for me. My dad is a musician, and when I was little we spent many summer weekends at bluegrass festivals while he played. Since then I have always tried to fit in shows and festivals as often as possible. Live music is always a nice experience, but there is something wonderful about an outdoor concert in the summer - even if it is just the weekly community concerts on the town green. I tried to capture a bit of that feeling in my envelope design.

Now technically, all the envelopes were supposed to be exactly the same, but I cheated a bit. I started each with a line drawing of an instrument, but after the first four mandolins I was itching for something different. So there are a couple of banjos and guitars as well. After penciling in the addresses, I indulged in some themed doodling. Again, none of the envelopes are the same, but they follow the same general concept. They each have vines and flowers climbing all over the place, most have some sort of sunburst in the background and they all have bright, happy summery colors.

Each of the envelopes is lined with a bright color, and holds a CD with a sampling of some of the music I've been lucky enought to hear live in the past 12 months. I fashioned a protective pocket out of scrap cardboard and wrapped it with a green vellum band printed with an explanation of my design. Hopefully at least some of my recipients will find a few tracks on the CD they like, and discover a new artist to listen to. The track list, for those interested:

The Elevated Envelope ~ The Soundtrack (corny, I know)

"Heart in a Cage" ~ Chris Thile

"Barton Hollow" ~ The Civil Wars

"For Good Again" ~ The Devil Makes Three

"Apothecary Love" ~ The Low Anthem

"Dirty Dishes" ~ Deer Tick

"Victory" ~ Trampled By Turtles

"Love is All I Am" ~ Dawes

"Paper Airplane" ~ Alison Krauss and Union Station

"Lover of the Light" ~ Mumford and Sons

"Why Don't You Do Right" ~ Carolina Chocolate Drops

"November Blues" ~ The Avett Brothers *

"Run Chicken Run" ~ The Felice Brothers

"Yes, Maria Yes" ~ David Wax Museum

"Lost In My Mind" ~ The Head and the Heart

"Whisky River" ~ Willie Nelson

*I actually haven't seen Avett Bros live. Yet. But I have big plans to go see them in September so I jumped the gun and included them on the CD.

ARTIST I LIKE: kelley mcmorris

2011-08-22T22:31:00.003-04:00

It is so exciting to find an artist relatively early in their career and then have the pleasure of watching their career blossom. Such is the case with Kelley McMorris, illustrator and portrait artist extraordinaire. In 2009, I purchased a few gift certificates for custom portaits, to be given as wedding gifts, from her Etsy shop Drawworm. She was gracious, and lovely to work with and I knew she was going to find great success. Fast forward 2 years and Kelley has fully devoted herself to this career and gone back to school to study fine art. She has branched out, and while still offering custom pencil portaits in her Etsy shop, she now has her sites set on illustrating children's books. As an artist and parent, there is not much I love more than a excellent story with excellent illustrations. I think Kelley is going to take off in this field fast. What do you think?

INSPIRATION: the elevated envelope

2011-08-18T15:37:00.002-04:00

If you like Tulaloo on Facebook then you may have heard that I am participating in The Elevated Envelope project, hosted by the lovely and talented Tara at Ephemera. Basically, we all had the task of designing and creating beautifully adorned and addressed envelopes that fit the theme of "Summer". We each made about 10 (except for Tara who is exchanging with all 85 of us! Yikes!!) and then mail them to one another. I'm going to share Tulaloo's envelopes with you next week, after they have been safely delivered. The above are three of the envelopes I've been lucky enough to receive in the mail so far!

In addition to the pretty envelope, we were each asked to enclose something within that explained our creation. I've received a few recipes, from people who relate summer to BBQs and family vacations, as well as a Starbucks gift card from someone who likes to kick back with an iced coffee. My kind of girl right there!

I can't tell you how nice it is to open the mailbox to discover little pieces of art on top of the usual pile of bills and junk. If you would like to take part in the fun sign up for Ephemera's mailing list to be in the next Elevated Envelope exchange - probably next January. This is not just for professional artists and designers! I hope to see some of Tulaloo's friends and clients on the list this winter!

THE WORLD WE LIVE IN: copyrights

2011-08-16T12:19:00.003-04:00

After spending more time than I would like this morning dealing with some copyright issues, I would like to take a moment to revisit the topic here on the blog. When you are shopping for stationery, please choose a designer who abides by copyright laws. We wrote a brief guide for choosing a ethical designer two years ago, and it is worth reposting.

Thank you for supporting Tulaloo and other talented and creative artists!

TULALOO: on vacation!

2011-07-28T12:32:00.004-04:00

From July 29th through August 7th the Tulaloo studio will be closed for vacation. All phone calls and emails will be returned on the 8th, and any orders placed during our vacation will begin processing then as well. I know several of you are curious what we will be up to...

Tomorrow afternoon I am hopping in the car with ony of my very best friends (the wonderful Jessica of Sparetire Design) and heading out to Newport, RI for the Newport Folk Festival! I'm really looking forward to seeing lots of great music, particularly The Civil Wars. We even scored tickets to Deer Tick and Friends afterparty show Saturday night.

Promptly upon my return from Rhode Island I will load my family into the car and head up to Ogunquit, where we will eat a ridiculous amount of lobster and watch the ocean. Maybe we'll even take a boat ride with the boys! Have a wonderful week everyone!

CELEBRATE: superhero party!

2011-07-22T09:58:00.003-04:00

As I mentioned earlier this week, we celebrated the boys' birthdays with a big backyard superhero party. Because their birthdays are only 9 days apart, and because they are such good friends (I know, we're lucky. Very lucky.) we throw a joint party for them both each summer. To make it easy, we stick to a basic backyard picnic and throw a kid friendly theme on the top. Last year was an Intergalactic BBQ, and this year we all became Superheros!

The best thing we did was order a party pack of capes and masks from LotsoCapes. The capes and masks did triple duty as party activity (the kids decorate their own with self adhesive felt shapes!), party favor (no bag of candy and junky toys!) and even party decor. When you have 20 kids runing around in superhero costumes you don't need to do much else for decorations! LotsoCapes was wonderful to work with and had super quick shipping. AND, the pack is completely customized! You get to pick your colors, initials, shapes and they even offer baby and toddler sizes! Really, these capes and mask made the party.

I didn't take many photos of anything but these adorable pint-size superheros, but you can see our "Pin-The-Mask-On-The-Superhero" game in the back of the above picture. I painted him on a small piece of leftover plywood and then cut out mask shapes for the kids to stick to his face. We also had "Superhero Training" with an obstacle course through our backyard - up the steps, down the slide, sling webs (silly string) from the fort, fly Wonder Woman's (almost) Invisible Plane. At one point I believe we had 16 kids on the not quite invisible jet!

It was a great party and lots of fun for the kids and parents alike. Thanks to everyone to came and played with us!

PERSONALLY: 9 years ago....

2011-07-19T23:18:00.004-04:00

On July 20, 2002 I said "I Do" the most wonderful man I know - the best decision I have ever made. Nine years and two kids later we are still here, stronger than ever.

Happy Anniversary Mike! I love you!

Wedding Day Photo by my friend Jeanna.

BW Portrait by Meg at Creative Image Collections

PERSONALLY: happy birthday chunk!

2011-07-18T09:55:00.003-04:00

It has been a whirlwind of celebrations around here! Over the weekend we celebrated both boys' birthdays with a Superhero Birthday Party (pictures coming soon!), and today is Chunk's 4th birthday! Since we are still recovering from the weekend festivities we are going to keep it low key today with a run through the sprinkler and dinner out at Maggie McFly's, one of his favorite restaurants.

Happy Birthday to our very sweet and very silly 4 year old!

TULALOO: affordable letterpress

2011-07-12T14:30:00.002-04:00

Letterpress is lovely. It is textural and soft and adds a touch of subtly luxury to wedding stationery. Letterpress printing is an art form, and the cost is reflective of that. If

your budget allows, letterpress wedding invitations are worth every penny. But, let's be real here - not every wedding budget is going to include letterpressed stationery. Flat printing is a perfectly acceptable altrnative, and can be perfect for formal events if you and your stationer work together to choose the right papers, colors and designs (a specialty of ours here at Tulaloo - we are great on a budget!). But if you really, really LOVE letterpress, but can't afford to have your entire invitation suite printed this way, consider having just part of your invitation letterpressed!By having just the invitation letterpressed, with the remaining pieces such as the reply card and envelopes flat printed, you will save quite a bit of money. Tulaloo recently created an invitation suite this way for Angela and Robin. Their ivory and blue, garden themed wedding begged for a letterpress invitation, and by flat printing the coordinating elements we were able to create this at a price point that fit their budget.

Almost all of the designs in our Wedding Collection are available in letterpress. If you are interested in this option please contact us for a quote!

Congratulations to Angela and Robin who were married on Friday!

PERSONALLY: happy birthday captain!

2011-07-09T09:55:00.002-04:00

As mentioned in the previous post (Free Guest Addressing), July is a very special month for my family. Today is reason number 1!! Our oldest son turns six years old today! Today we are celebrating quietly at home with a massive Lego build and his favorite dinner. Happy birthday to my sweet, smart and funny little boy!

Of course we are celebrating at Tulaloo as well! Don't forget our July Special - just a few more weeks to take advantage of this great deal!

OPPORTUNIY KNOCKS: free guest addressing in july!

2011-06-30T17:50:00.002-04:00

July is a special month for us. My husband and I celebrate our wedding anniversary in July, and both our children were born in July. It is 4 weeks filled with parties and celebrations!

Tulaloo will be joining in the celebration this July as well, with a valuable offer for our clients. From now until the end of July, any order of wedding invitations, party invitations or birth announcements receives free guest addressing services! Guest addressing is normally $1/envelope, but it is your free this July!

The Fine Print:
This special offer is only for new orders and not applicable to a previously placed order.
You must place a deposit on your order no later than July 31st to receive the free guest addressing.

TULALOO: wedding wire rated 2011

2011-06-27T21:38:00.002-04:00

We are proud to announce that Tulaloo is officially Wedding Wire Rated for 2011! Your reviews are so helpful to engaged couples using Wedding Wire to find vendors for their weddings. Thank you so much to everyone who has taken the time to contribute a short review of our services. If you haven't yet had a chance to do so, would you please share your experiences on Wedding Wire? It is quick and easy and can be done right here!

TULALOO: studio update

2011-06-15T23:49:00.004-04:00

Slowly, but surely, the new Tulaloo studio is coming along. At the moment there is an unfortunate emphasis on the "slowly" part, but that is the way it goes with big projects sometimes. We are still aiming to be finished by mid summer, and hopefully there will be no more unexpected bumps in the road.

This studio renovation project is most definitely a family affair - that is how we do things around here. That is my youngest son in the safety glasses up top. My oldest is seated on the Kubota with a look of pure glee on his face, and my wonderful father in law has pitched in as well. My husband is deserving of a trophy in all this. He is a skilled craftsman and is doing 90% of the work himself. Some men show their wives love with flowers and jewelry. Mine says I Love You with hammer and nails. And sometimes hydraulic cement.

In other news, we are inching towards July which is a very special month for me. In celebration we'll be running some great promotions. We are going to announce them on our facebook page, so make sure your friends and family "like" us so they can take advantage of the deals!

TULALOO: new studio

2011-05-16T23:24:00.003-04:00

Since debuting 4 years ago, I'm proud to say that Tulaloo has enjoyed steady growth due to our wonderful clients and the amazing people we have working behind the scenes here in the studio. But this little studio is getting a bit cramped. Since the start, Tulaloo has operated primarily out of a small home studio tucked into the corner of my family room. Our little stationery studio has officially outgrown its humble starter studio and is in need of a new home.

In the coming weeks we will begin a major renovation project that will create a dedicated space for the Tulaloo studios. The new studio, while still home based, will be light and airy and offer plenty of space for my assistant and I to work together as well as provide a nice setting for consultations with clients. We are hoping to complete the new Tulaloo studios by mid-summer.

I'm really excited about our growth and so grateful to our wonderful clients for choosing Tulaloo and recommending us to friends and family. Thanks for being the best clients possible. I look forward to welcoming you into our new studio later this year!

INSPIRATION: if mary poppins wed james dean

2011-04-23T11:07:00.002-04:00

Sam, Chief Froster at The Frosted Petticoat, and I were blown away by your creative and fun theme suggestions for wedding inspiration boards! We picked a few of our favorites and Sam is hard at work gathering the best products from the best wedding vendors and pulling them all together to create some seriously pretty and pretty silly inspiration boards. The first board was inspired by one of my very favorite past bridal clients - Lauran B. She was wondering what a wedding between Mary Poppins and James Dean would look like,and here it is! To quote Sam, it makes me want to eat a spoonful of sugar and rebel without a cause!

Cruise on over here to find out how to get your motorcycle cake topper and every other awesome detail inthis board!

INSPIRATION: inspire us!

2011-04-11T19:53:00.005-04:00

Calling all clever, witty, fun and silly brides!* The Frosted Petticoat and Tulaloo have cooked up some wedding fun and need your help!

We've all the seen the ubiquitous Wedding Inspiration Boards, on all those wedding planning sites, yes? And truthfully, many of them are pretty great and filled with all sort of wonderful eye candy. But after seeing page after page after page of "inspiration" you realize that there is something missing...FUN! and JOY! Even the "whimsicle details" are taken pretty seriously (and usually involve mustaches on sticks). We believe a beautifully designed wedding, injected with a healthy dose of fun, is exactly what the wedding industry needs right now.

Help us create some really gorgeous and really fun wedding inspiration boards. Suggest a clever idea for a theme and The Frosted Petticoat will create an inspiration board to illustrate it. Not sure what we are talking about? Check out some of The Frosted Petticoat's awesome inspiration boards:

Little Red Riding Bride

If Katy Perry Was a Wedding Planner

Steampunk Ocean of Whimsy (shown above)

If Jane Austen Married Willy Wonka

Tell us which two unlikely people you would like to see get married, or what two opposing themes you want to see brought together in a wedding wonderland. What celebrity do you secretly wish was a wedding planner? Give us your best ideas and we will pick our three favorites to make very fun and very pretty inspiration boards for. All submissions can be posted to our Facebok walls or added in the comments of this blog post. We need your brilliant ideas by Friday please!!

This no-strings-attached, joyfully silly contest is sponsored by:

Jessica, the lead designer of Tulaloo

(who provided retro style temporary tattoos for all her wedding guests to wear) and

Sam , head froster at The Frosted Petticoat

(who topped her wedding cake with a vintage King Kong statuette)

*you don't actually have to be a bride to participate. So long as you have a sense of humor we welcome your suggestion!

INSPIRATION: a promise to our clients

2011-04-07T13:20:00.008-04:00

Two or three times a week, you can find me at our small town Post Office shipping packages of Tulaloo invitations and stationery. It occured to me today that, although I am familiar with every one of the front desk employees, it is rare that any of them acknowledge seeing me so often. When I smile and say good morning to the same woman that has helped me every Thursday for the past 6 weeks, I get an empty "How can I help you?" in reply. This morning, after yet another impersonal visit to our Post Office, when I was asked for the 200th time whether I wanted infomation about getting a passport, I had a moment of inspiration.

I don't want any of my clients to ever feel like I do when I visit the post office. I really do care about you and about the stationery we are creating for you. Excellent customer service is something that has always been a priority at Tulaloo, but after this morning's lackluster shipping experience I am inspired to kick it up a notch. I don't want you to be satisfied with your order - I want you to LOVE the invitations and stationery you receive. I don't want you to have an OK experience working with me on your design and proofs - I want you to feel like the valued and treasured client you are.

Last year I received a thank you note from Connie, one of our past wedding clients, and in it was the nicest compliment Tulaloo has ever been gifted with. Connie confessed that she was initially very anxious to order invitations online, from a designer on the other side of the country, but her experience with Tulaloo was so reassuring, personal and helpful that she felt like she was "working with a friend in the business." This is our goal at Tulaloo - to make every single one of our clients, whether they order online from Switzerland (hi Clara and Fabio!) or at a face-to-face consultation here in Connecticut, feel like they are working with a friend in the business.

Inspired by my post office and Connie, I am making a promise to all our past, current and future clients. I promise to personally answer every question or concern you may have. I promise to create a design you love and not add extra charges just because you need more than two rounds of revisions on your proofs. I promise that no matter what budget you are working with, I will give you the most possible bang for your buck and never pressure you into spending more than you feel comfortable with. I promise to welcome you back happily when you return for party invitations or holiday cards.

I promise to make you feel like you are working with a friend in the business.

INSPIRATION: the frosted petticoat

2011-04-04T18:35:00.003-04:00

Who doesn't love a great wedding inspiration board?!? There are lots of fun ones to be found over on The Frosted Petticoat. The two here feature Etsy finds (that is Tulaloo's Aberdeen Save The Date in the cheerful pink and fuschia board above!).

The title of this board just makes me smile: Schoolmistress Chic. Another fave I found over on The Frosted Petticoat - "If Katy Perry Was A Wedding Planner." Go check out the blog for more eye candy and fun finds!

WEDDING INVITATIONS: simple and elegant

2011-03-24T14:54:00.004-04:00

Many of the wedding designs here at Tulaloo feature illustrations. Vintage botanicals, modern graphics and whimsical vines feature prominently through our portfolio. Imagery like this is a great way to infuse your personality into your wedding stationery and to add a bold look and lots of color. But sometimes you want something a bit more subtle, and that is where the wedding design we call "London" comes in. The save the date above - created for a current clients who will be married at The Society Room in Hartford, Connecticut - is an example of "London".

When a couple is planning a very formal and sophisticated wedding, frequently they want an understated invitation. "London" wedding invitations rely almost entirely on beautiful fonts to create a traditional and elegant first impression for a wedding. Often we incorporate small flourishes throughout the text, and sometimes we pair the invitation with a pretty patterned paper. But for the most part we let the lovely fonts shine.

Like all our designs, "London" will be customized with your choice of colors and fonts as well as style. It is perfect in our Naked style or wrapped up in a pocketfold. Interested in "London" for your summer wedding? Now is the time to get started - call or email and we will guide you through the process!

CELEBRATE: keepsake birth announcements

2011-03-11T13:06:00.003-05:00

I love everything in our new Celebrations Collection, but I'm especially excited about our keepsake birth announcements. These birth announcements spread the good news with all the fun details about your new bundle of joy, plus they incorporate a photograph that your friends and family can remove for framing! The designs featured in this post are 5x7 layered announcements, with a wallet size baby photo tucked into photo corners. I love how the photo corners give the feel of a vintage scrapbook! The design above - Birch - can accommodate your two favorite photos, with one used as a subtle backdrop for your announcement text. (The little cutie in this example is my new nephew Colin - isn't he adorable?!)

For a fun little surprise, we can print a favorite quote beneath the removable photo! Above design is called Clematis.

Just like the rest of our special event stationery, these birth announcements can be personalized with your choice of colors and fonts. Above design is called Spruce. Beautiful baby portrait compliments of Petrizzo Photography.

We are looking forward to helping you announce the arrival of your little cuties!

GET WED: when to mail wedding invitations

2011-03-04T22:53:00.003-05:00

"When am I supposed to mail my wedding invitations?" and "When do I need to order my wedding invitations?" are questions we get asked daily here at Tulaloo. Considering your wedding is probably the biggest event you've ever planned, it makes sense to be a bit unsure about details like this. Some general guidelines for your reference:

If you are sending Save the Date cards, plan to mail them 6-12 months ahead of your wedding date. Depending on what sort of save the date cards you order, you should order 2-3 weeks ahead of your mailing date. While Save the Date cards are not a neccesity, we do recommend sending them if you are having a desitination wedding or are getting married on a holiday weekend.

Plan to mail your wedding invitations 6-8 weeks ahead of your wedding date. We are often able to complete small orders in 2 weeks, but we suggest you order wedding invitations at least 4 months prior to the wedding date to allow plenty of time for revisions on the proofs. You should check with your caterer or wedding venue regarding when they need a final head count, but we typically suggest asking your guests to reply 3-4 weeks prior to the wedding date. This allows enough time to take care of seating assignments and follow up with guest who did not rsvp (there is always at least one or two!).

Ceremony and Reception Stationery, such as programs, escort cards and menus should be ordered 4 weeks before the wedding date. Wording for programs and table assignments are often not finalized until late in the wedding planning process and we understand that you will need a quick turnaround on these items. We suggest you order these items 4 weeks ahead of time so that we can gather the appropriate materials and begin preliminary proofs for your order. By having as much prepared ahead of time as possible, we can insert your content as soon as you're ready and get everything through production immediately for you.

If you have any questions about the timing for special event stationery we would love to help you out! Feel free to call, email or simply comment on this post!

GET WED: bee and thistle inn

2011-02-24T13:28:00.003-05:00

Not too long ago we had the pleasure of collaborating with other Connecticut wedding professionals on a photo shoot at the Bee and Thistle Inn. It was alot of fun to work on a "fantasy" wedding and the pictures, by Cynthia Brown, are just fabulous. The look for the wedding was rustic elegance. Tulaloo provided the invitations, menus, table numbers, escort cards and bride and groom chair signs. We combined a sophisticated and traditional fonts in sage green and chocolate brown with handmade Amate Bark Paper, which has a very rich, wood texture. Check out more of the photographs on Cynthia Brown's Blog!

If you like what you see, please visit the talented Connecticut wedding vendors involved in this pretty photo shoot:

Wedding Attire: The Wedding Embassy

Hair and Makeup: Dana Bartone and Company

Floral Designer: Dirt Floral

Venue: Bee and Thistle Inn

Photography: Cynthia Brown

Stationery: Tulaloo

THE WORLD WE LIVE IN: devic's disease

2011-02-21T23:06:00.003-05:00

My friend Jasmine is a runner. She runs 5Ks and marathons. I've always been in awe of the dedication and perseverence displayed by long distance runners. Jasmine has dedicated her marathon training to her mother, who suffers from a very rare autoimmune neurological disorder called NMO or Devic' Disease. Devic's is a nasty disease that attacks the optic nerves and spinal cord, often causing blindness and paralysis. There is no known cure for Devic's and because it is such a newly identified disease, treatment options are very limited.

I encourage you to visit Jasmine's running blog. It is very inspirational, celebrating her mother's grace and strength in the face of this disease. Knowing her mother Patti personally, I can attest to this. She is a wonderful, optimistic and generous woman; she is truly an inspiration.

If you find the writing and the story as inspirational as I do (and you will) please consider donating to the Guthy-Jackson Foundation. They are devoted to research for prevention and treatment of NMO. Every penny of your donation goes to NMO research and is tax deductable.

Additionally, from now until Marh 20th (the day of Jasmine's next marathon) Tulaloo is sponsoring a fundraising effort for NMO/Guthy-Jackson Foundation. Proceeds from the sales of all note card sets in our online store will be donated to Guthy-Jackson in honor of Patti Lellock. Notecard sets range in price from $8 to $12. Please consider purchasing a treat for yourself or a friend and supporting this worthy cause.

INSPIRATION: pink inspiration board

2011-02-14T21:54:00.002-05:00

Hopefully you all had as sweet a Valentine's Day as we did here at Tulaloo! In the spirit of this day of love, check out this romantic inspiration board from the fine folks over at Wedding Wire. So pretty, it makes me want to get married all over again!

Wedding Invitations are from Tulaloo.
Dresses are J.Crew.
Cake from Martha Stewart.
Centerpiece from Elizabeth Anne Designs.
Bouquet from Weddingbee.
Tags by shoprhubard.

INSPIRATION: party tips from oh happy day

2011-01-27T22:23:00.004-05:00

Parties are so important. Because what is life without celebration? Boring, that's what. The Mister and I love hosting parties and I was happy to find these party planning tips from the super stylish event planner, letterpress printer and lifestyle blogger Jordan Ferney on Oh Happy Day. If there is one thing that girl knows how to do, it is throw a wicked fun party. Take, for example, the dinner under the Garden Gate Bridge. Or the Backyard Movie Party. Clearly she is a party planning genius. But here is what I really love about her parties: the focus is on creating a great experience, not just making it pretty. Yes, aesthetics can play a huge part in creating a fun experience for your guests (as you'll see in her party tips) but if your party has 100 precisely placed, handmade paper flowers but no sense of joy and playfulness....well, that's not a party. It is a spread in Martha Stewart's Living.

Check out her tips for taking your party to the next level. Then pull out your fondue pot, fill your living room with 500 balloons and invite your pals over for some fun.

TULALOO: wedding wire brides choice 2011

2011-01-25T20:56:00.002-05:00

I am ecstatic to announce that Tulaloo has been awarded a prestigious Bride's Choice Award by Wedding Wire!

Recognition for the Bride's Choice Awards is determined by recent reviews and extensive surveys of over 750,000 Wedding Wire newlyweds. Tulaloo stands among the top 5% of wedding professionals in the Wedding Wire community, representing quality and service excellence within the wedding industry. Awards were given to the top professionals across 20 service categories and were based on the overall professioanl achievements across the past year.

We are so happy to have our hard work and dedication recognized by Wedding Wire, a leading wedding planning resource. Thank you so much to our clients from the past year! We are honored to have been part of your wedding and appreciate all the kind things you said about Tulaloo in your reviews.

Get Wed: invitation wording

2011-01-24T20:16:00.004-05:00

Understanding the anatomy of a wedding invitation is vital, whether you plan on sending a traditional and formal invitation or a casual and modern invite. While it is perfectly acceptable to depart from tradition in some aspects, there are also key invitation components that are important to stay true to. The following guide will help you write a lovely invitation set that is perfect for your wedding.

The Host Line
Traditionally, the parents of the bride hosted the wedding and their names appeared first on the invitation in the host line. But times have changed and these days the both sets of parents often contribute to the wedding along with the couple themselves. Perhaps the couple is paying for the wedding themselves, but still want to include their familes on the invitation. If parents have passed away, divorced or remarried it gets even trickier. All of these factors have made the host line a difficult and sometimes sensitive part of the invitation to write. A few examples follow, but there are many appropriate ways to word the host line. Ask your stationer for advice regarding your wedding.

One Set Of Parent’s Hosting
Mr. and Mrs. John Smith

Both Parents Hosting

Mr. and Mrs. John Smith and Mr. and Mrs. Robert Brown

Parents Divorced/Remarried (mother is generally listed first)
Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Jones
and
Mr. John Smith
Parent Deceased
The pleasure of your company is requested
at the wedding of __________
daughter of Mrs. Susan Smith and the late Mr. John Smith

Couple and Both Families Hosting
Together with their families

Request Lines
The request line simply lets guests know what they are being invited to. The two most common wording choices are "request the honour of your presence” for a church or synagogue wedding, and “request the pleasure of your company” for a wedding taking place in a hotel, reception hall or other venue. Follow both of these examples, with “at the marriage of their daughter/son” or “at the marriage of their children” as appropriate. If you are having an especially casual affair feel free to let the request line reflect this with something like “invite you to join in the festivities as they join together in marriage.” Additionally, you can replace the terms marriage and wedding with “commitment ceremony”, “civil union”, celebration of commitment”, “relationship blessing” or any other term that you feel best represents your event.

Bride/Groom Lines
Allow the formality of the wedding and invitation dictate how the names are written. Often just the first and last names of the couple are used, however it is also appropriate to include middle names if you like.

Date and Time Lines
A formal invitation will have the date and time written out in full, with the year being optional:
Saturday, the seventeeth of July
at half past five o’clock
Casual wedding invitations do not need to have everything written in full:
July 17th, 20105:30 pm

Location Lines
The name of the location, whether it be a church, synagogue or reception hall, should be followed by the city and state. A street adress is not typically needed unless the wedding is taking place at someone’s home. For example:
St. Peter’s Church
Danbury, Connecticut

Reception Lines
Formal invitations will have a separate card inviting guests to the reception. It is also appropriate to note the reception directly on the invitation, if there is enough space. “Reception immediately following” is a standard example. If the time or location is different than the ceremony, be sure to include that information. If you are having a cocktail reception or another non-traditional reception, it is wise to mention this so that your guests don’t arrive expecting a meal.

RSVP Lines
Most formally, the request for a reply is printed on the lower left hand corner of the invitation, implying that guests should write a response to the hosts. However, most couples include a separate reply card and envelope with their invitation. The reply card should let guests know when their response is requested by and leave space for them to fill in their names. If you need guests to choose their meal ahead of time, it can be included on the reply card as well. A standard reply card looks like this:
Kindly reply by the tenth of August
M ___________________________
( ) accepts with pleasure
( ) declines with regrets

If your wedding is more casual, feel free to be playful with the reply card wording - “will be there with bells on/will celebrate from afar” is a fun alternative.

If you are having difficulty wording your wedding invitation, the best thing to do is consult your stationer. A good stationer will be able to guide you through proper wording so that you have a beautiful and appropriate wedding invitation.

REAL WEDDING: melissa and greg

2011-01-11T21:03:00.002-05:00

I was so excited to find an email today from former Tulaloo bride Melissa, with wedding pictures attached! Melissa and Greg were married last June and we were lucky enough to create an array of stationery pieces for their wedding.
Melissa and Greg chose our Melbourne design in pink and green and the Belly Band style. In addition to the invitations we also created save the date cards, menus and seals for their favor bags.
Their baker used the vine imagery from the wedding stationery as inspiration in decorating the wedding cake.
Don't these chocolate covered pretxelrodslook delicious?! Mellisa says she made 45 extra, just in case, and people loved them so much they were all gone by the end of the night!

Thanks so much Melissa and Greg, for sharing your wedding pictures and for letting us contribute to your special day! Congratulations!

GET WED: january wedding

2011-01-07T10:53:00.002-05:00

The Avett Brothers are one of my favorite groups. Captain and Chunk love them too; they sing Kick Drum Heart to themselves while playing frequently! I know it is kind of corny, but wouldn't this track be a great first dance song? You know, for a January wedding?

GET WED: calendar guest book

2011-01-06T20:24:00.002-05:00

Stumbled upon this genius guest book idea today, while persuing the Swoon blog. What a fun, affordable and practical idea!

PERSONALLY: from our family to yours

2010-12-23T16:36:00.002-05:00

I recently had the extreme pleasure of a photo shoot with the very talented Meg LaBarbera of Creative Image Collections (You may remember Meg from this gorgeous wedding we both worked on last year). I asked Meg if she would be able to take some pictures of my family as well as shoot some headshots of me for the Tulaloo website and I couldn't be happier with the results!She captured some sweet moments of my husband and I together as well as of Captain and Chunk and all of us together. They are natural, beautiful and very "us". While it is kind of silly, the image above is one of my favorites. As soon as Meg took out her camera, Captain decided it was time to break out as many silly faces and poses as he could muster up. Despite his craziness Meg still grabbed many really beautiful portraits, but this one photo makes me smile every single time I look at it!

Happy Holidays from our family to yours! I hope every one of you has a joyful holiday filled with family and friends, and I look forward to sharing many new designs and products with you in the New Year.

REAL WEDDING: laura and elliott

2010-08-15T20:57:00.004-04:00

When Laura described her plans for a grey and white wedding, with subtle color accents, I was really excited. REALLY excited. I've been wanting to work on a super elegant grey/white wedding since October of 2008. So yeah.... I was pretty stoked to work with Laura and Elliott. They chose our Aberdeen wedding invitations, and we recreated the stationery for them in shades of charcoal, light grey and white, with a soft pink envelope liner (picture of that pretty number coming soon!). I love how her invitations turned out and so did Laura (her exact words were "dreamy and fabulous!").

You are going to love these shots from Laura and Elliott's wedding. My jaw literally dropped the first time I scrolled through their wedding photographs - no lie. Gorgeous venue, amazing flowers and killer photography by Rustin Michael. Of course, a beautiful, obviously in love couple helps too!

I love a good "getting ready" shot. And I love a great pair of heels.

Laura and Elliott were married and held their reception at the Palos Verdes Country Club.

Possibly the prettiest bouquet I have ever seen. Flowers by Flower Art.

Elliott is a firefighter, and the ringbearer carried the rings down the aisle in his helmet. Afterwards, Elliott's helmet was placed on an empty seat next to Laura's father in rememberance of her late mother.

See this moment? THIS is what a wedding is all about.

We were honored to create Laura and Elliott's ceremony and reception stationery as well their invitations. In addition to the placecards shown above, we designed ceremony programs and small cards for each guest with information about Habitat for Humanity (donations were made there in lieu of favors) along with the lyrics to "That's Amore!" (there was a spirited singalong at the reception!).

Did I mention that Laura is a fashion designer? And that she designed and created her own amazingly beautiful wedding gown? Yeah. She did.

Laura and Elliott singing "That's Amore!"

A grand exit. Honestly now, don't they look like fabulous celebrities here?

Congratulations again Laura and Elliott! It was an absolute pleasure working with you!

Thanks to Rustin Michael for the photographs. Check him out here.

ARTIST I LIKE: mila's daydreams

2010-08-03T00:04:00.002-04:00

I was torn between categorizing this one under INSPIRATION or ARTIST I LIKE, because it is both. Mila's Daydreams my new online destination for a bit of zen during a hectic day. Who isn't instantly calmed by a peacefully sleeping baby, let alone one in a fantasy dreamscape? Admittedly this gives me a bit of mom guilt. When Captain and Chunk napped as babies it was a good day if I spent the time doing a bit of laundry or sweeping the crumbs from the kitchen floor. Crafting and photographing my napping babes in an imaginary dream never once popped into my sleep deprived brain. Looking back, this would have been a more meaningful use of my time.

PERSONALLY: outer space birthday

2010-07-22T00:00:00.002-04:00

We celebrated Captain's 5th and Chunk's 3rd birthdays a few weeks ago with an Intergalactic BBQ in our backyard. Although the news threatened "torrential downpours" we lucked out and it barely sprinkled! It was a fantastic afternoon with lots of friends and family and plenty of rockets!

Last month Family Fun magazine featured cupcakes based on the squeaky, pizza planet aliens from Toy Story. They were a great fit for our Outer Space Party!

For goodie bags I filled silver buckets (from the dollar spot at Target!) with some fun outer space goodies: a small air rocket, glow in the dark bracelets, alien finger puppets and Moon Mints (Junior Mints with a custom wrapper).

We kept the food simple - burgers, pasta salad and watermelon. And I'm gonna come clean - I didn't even bake the cakes and cupcakes. I did, however, painstakingly decorate each and every alien face!

For activities we had two large rockets - and air powered stomp rocket and a water powered hydro rocket. They shot REALLY high and by the end of the night most of our rockets were in the neighbors yards. We also had Area 51 - a martian lab where the kids could create their own aliens from model magic, googly eyes and pipecleaners. And last but not least, the Tin Foil Hat making stations so that the aliens couldn't read our thoughts. At one point we had every child and several adults rocking foil hats!

Overall, it was a really fun party. Thanks to everyone who celebrated with us!

REAL WEDDING: eadaoin and daniel

2010-07-12T23:18:00.002-04:00

I mentioned Eadaoin once, back here, and showed you her really lovely photograph of the wedding invitation we created for her and her hubby Daniel. Lucky for us, we now get a little peak into their big day too! I'm including a few of my favorite shots here, but for lots more of their vintage style wedding goodness check out City of Blackbirds and Dandelion and Grey.

The wedding took place at Holycross Abbey in Ireland, where Eadaoin grew up.

Thank you for sharing your special day with us!

All photos by the super talented Shane O'Neill.

PERSONALLY: happy birthday captain!

2010-07-09T13:42:00.003-04:00

Today is Captain's 5th Birthday!!! Today we celebrate with his favorite mac n cheese dinner and finishing up the backyard fort The Mister is building for both boys as their birthday gift. Tomorrow is the big "Intergalactic BBQ" to celebrate both boys' birthdays (Captain and Chunk's birthdays are 9 days apart) with their friends and family. I plan to share photos of the outerspace shindig next week. We have lots of fun, crafty ideas that you might be interested in.

Happy Birthday Captain - you are one super duper 5 year old!!!

ARTIST I LIKE: amanda borozinski

2010-06-22T20:07:00.003-04:00

Frequently, the artists I feature on this little blog are also friends. I'm not playing favorites. I just have lots of crazy talented friends. Maya was in the photography program with me at Alfred. I played college rugby with Nancy. Amanda of BORO: Creative Visions is another college friend. Not only is she fun and sweet (and tough. she is a former rugger too) but she is yet another talented artist I am super lucky to know. Now you can get to know her a little too!

Amanda is a veteran photojournalist turned full time wedding/family photographer. I've said it here before and I will say it again. I think that photographers with a true journalistic background and varied professional interests make the best wedding photographers. They tend to be just a little more observant of the small things. And it is the small things that make the day special. Amanda's work was recently spotlighted on A Practical Wedding. If you aren't already visiting this blog, start. It is a fresh (and, um... practical) perspective on weddings and relationships and marriage.

While Amanda devotes most of her camera time to weddings, she also offers family portraiture. The kind that is perfectly personal. I'll take that over Anne Geddes any day.

How perfect is this pout?

This shot may very well be my favorite. The textures and colors are wonderful. I could look at it for an hour and be happy.

Amanda is based in New Hampshire. Check out her site and like her on facebook. You know you want to.

INSPIRATION: aesthetic outburst

2010-06-15T00:11:00.003-04:00

Just like everyone else on planet earth I am nearly obsessed with good blogs. For instance, right now I probbaly ought to be in bed since Captain and Chunk like to rise with the sun. But instead I'm cruising the party and design blogs. A new one for me is Aesthetic Outburst which I stumbled upon via Party Perfect. I love me a blog full of do-able awesomeness, particularly when delivered with a dash of humor. For example, this picnic table redo - love it. And the above wrapped sticks, which I fully intend to make my kids do tomorrow after our hike. And I am particularly taken with this snapshot of her little guy. Captain and Chunk usually look a bit like this when they dress themselves - including the winter hat in June. We "rock it sweaty" too. So I'll just add this to the growing list of daily reads!

Oh, and the cool party the author threw that led me to her blog is here!

REAL WEDDING: nicole and rob

2010-06-10T21:39:00.007-04:00

Nicole and Rob have been happily married for over two months now, and I was honored to create all their wedding stationery. With huge thanks the most fabulous Regina Holder, I am pleased to share their beautiful wedding with you!
Nicole's dress was elegant and gorgeous.

I love getting ready pics! Such a great moment of happiness and anticipation!

Wingtips!!

Nicole and Rob chose our Concord invitation in black, ivory and gold. For the day of stationery they kept the concord design, but switched it up to black, white and a bright pop of fuschia.

The new Mr. and Mrs.!

Congratulations Nicole and Rob!

REAL WEDDING: rachel and diego

2010-05-16T20:50:00.010-04:00

I first shared Rachel and Diego's wedding in this earlier article about bilingual wedding stationery. I may have also mentioned that Rachel proclaimed me an "Invitation Goddess" (her exact words. I plan to have that printed on my business cards). Now, check out their gorgeous wedding photos, compliments of Erica Eichelkraut of City Lights photography in Buffalo, NY.

First, their wedding invitation - our Orleans design in a pochette style with black linen and charteuse:

I can't get over how beautiful this veil is!!!

Rachel described this incredible moment from her wedding: "My favorite moment from our wedding might have to be our "goosebump moment" from the ceremony. The ceremony was delayed due to impunctual flower delivery and a missing heirloom handkerchief. Looking back, what seemed to be a serious wedding day snafu turned out to be truly serendipitous and blessed. The morning started as a really beautiful fall day with crisp autumn air and a bright sun in a clear blue sky. The flower delivery delay and missing "something old" stalled the ceremony 20-25 minutes! Once we got inside the sanctuary, the rain started to come down. It was such a calming sound as we knelt for opening prayer. The ceremony was lovely and finished with the string quartet playing George Harrison's "Here Comes the Sun" just as planned. Then a truly magical moment occurred as the ushers opened the large wooden doors just in time for us to see the last of the rainfall and the sun shining down outside. People later asked how we were able to afford the magical string quartet that could command the weather! Every second od the delay, caused by unplanned events, led to the most inspiring and breathtaking part of our day"

I love when bride's add a punch of color with their footwear!

Rachel and Diego had a school bus, decorated with Mexican papel picada flags and a cooler full of drinks and snacks, as the transportation for themselves and their wedding party. What a fun idea!!

A bright and beautiful day for a fantastic couple. Congratulations Rachel and Diego, and thanks for sharing your pictures!!

OPPORTUNITY KNOCKED: $100 gift certificate WINNER!

2010-04-16T19:50:00.002-04:00

Drum roll please..........

And the winner of our $100 wedding invitation giveaway is Natalie!!! Natalie is going for a vintage/shabby chic wedding in aqua, pink and black and think our Aberdeen design fits the bill. Congrats Natalie! I look forward to working with you!

PERSONALLY: fine friends are here

2010-04-15T21:22:00.004-04:00

Are you hanging out with Dan Zanes this Saturday? I AM!! Yes, it is quite possible that I am just a little more excited about this than my kids (refer to earlier post regarding Mr. Zanes). But Captain and Chunk are pretty psyched about it as well. We've downloaded a few of the songs we didn't already own, and they've been singing "All Around the Kitchen" all around our kitchen. We went to see Dan Zanes and Friends when they were in Connecticut last year and it really was a great show. It is "family music" not kid music, so although the songs are kid friendly it really is just good, fun folky music. After the show we went to the entire band was in the lobby happily talking to all the kids and offering autographs. That is Captain (gosh, isn't he tiny there!) getting a book autographed by Dan Zanes!

We are going to the show with some good friends in New Jersey, so I will be out of town for the weekend. Tulaloo will be closed Friday and Saturday while we are gone. HOWEVER, I will pop in tomorrow to announce the winner of our $100 giveaway!! You still have one day to enter!

GIFTABLE: lightbulb terrarium

2010-04-12T20:50:00.002-04:00

I think we can file this gift idea under "people who have everything", "quirky people" and "people with black thumbs". In other words, my mom. This terrarium in a lightbulb is pretty darn neato, and all you have to do is put it near sun and spray it with some water once in awhile. It would be perfect for an office too. Let's file this under "decor for the Tulaloo studio space" as well.

Buy it at Tiny Terra.

GET WED: galway

2010-04-11T21:47:00.005-04:00

"Galway" is one of the new wedding designs we debuted with the launch of the new website! It is shown here in pink and chocolate and a pocketfold style, however it can be created in any color combination you fancy and in any style found in our Invitation Style and Price Guide. One thing I really love about this design is it's versatility. Simply by changing the colors it can become the perfect stationery for a Spring, Summer or Autumn wedding! The invitation in the photo above would be great for a July wedding. Imagine it with a burnt orange color in place of the pink, paired with brown underlayer and a tan pocketfold and it becomes a lovely invitation to a September wedding. How about changing from a pocketfold to a white pochette, swap out the pink for a sping green behind the vine work, add dark green text and it is perfect for a early May wedding! There are lots of options with this design and I'm really glad it is now part of our Wedding Collection.

This design also work s really well as a party invitation, particularly for bridal showers. We change it to a horizontal layout and leave it "Naked", and it is pretty and fresh!

OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS: $100 gift certificate

2010-04-01T19:55:00.003-04:00

It is safe to say that everyone here at Tulaloo is excited about the new website. Really excited. Like, can't stop talking about it, dancing in the hallway, drinks are on the house excited. So, in that spirit we are celebrating with a big ol' giveaway!We're giving away $100 worth of Tulaloo wedding stationery! Wedding invitations, save the dates, ceremony programs, reception menus...whatever you need! You can even use the $100 towards Bespoke Wedding Design and get one-of-a-kind invitations, exclusively for you. Pretty great, right? Yeah, we think so too. Here is how you can win:

1. Visit our new website. Make sure to check out our new designs and the Style Guide!
2. Come back to this post and leave a comment telling us what you want to order and how you plan to personalize your stationery. Make sure to leave a way for us to contact you in your comment, in the even that you win!
3. We will randomly pick a winner for the $100 gift certificate on April 16th. We will contact the winner by email and announce on this blog.

If you have friends or family getting married, please be sure to pass this giveaway information along! Good luck!!

$100 gift certificate good for new orders only. Not applicable to orders already placed.

TULALOO: new and improved!

2010-03-31T21:34:00.005-04:00

I am SO excited to finally unveil what we've been furiously working on behind the scenes here at Tulaloo: Our Brand New Website!!!! We've done alot of renovating in our little corner of the web! The new site is easier to navigate and far more comprehensive and I hope you love it as much as I do. Here are just a few of the changes and upgrades you will notice:

1. Broader Wedding Section with subsections for save the dates and coordinating stationery

2. Several NEW WEDDING DESIGNS! We've also renamed all our wedding stationery to allow for the expanded selection.

3. Invitation Style and Price Guide. I'm most excited about this addition to the site. I've found that clients are often confused about our customization options for our bridal collection - probably we are one of very few companies offering this level of personalization to our ready-made line. In addition to matching to the bride's wedding colors, we also will personalize our designs with the bride's preferred style. We offer many styles, including pocketfolds, pochettes, belly bands and more. Brides can pick their favorite design, pair it with their favorite style from our guide and request it in ink and papers to match their wedding!

The new site is cause for celebration, so Opportunity will be knocking in the next few days here! Stay tuned to see what we have for you!!!

Big thanks to Jessica from Sparetire Design for creating our fantastic new site!

TULALOO: sneak peak!

2010-03-30T23:25:00.002-04:00

I couldn't help but share one little, itty bitty sneak peak of what is happening behind the scenes here at Tulaloo! Stay tuned for the big unveiling - along with a celebratory deal for you! - later this week!

OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS: twigs and honey

2010-03-17T14:58:00.003-04:00

Attention all fashionista brides!!!! This is a fantastic giveaway from Twigs & Honey (designer of amazing hair pieces), and sponsored by The Wedding Chicks (blogger of amazing wedding style)! You can win $500 worth of Twigs and Honey hair accessories just by checking out their website and etsy store and commenting about it over at The Wedding Chicks. This is a super opportunity so be sure to enter and pass along the link to every single bride to be you know!

GET WED: pretty in pink

2010-03-15T15:29:00.002-04:00

I have the nicest clients. Check out the sweet things Eadaoin wrote on her blog about working with Tulaloo on her wedding invitations. I enjoyed working with you too - thanks for the kind words! In addition to the lovely things she wrote in the post, check out the photos! I L O V E them!!! Especially the shots with her pretty vintage wedding jewelery. Obviously this bride has great taste and I can't wait to see more details from her wedding. Thanks Eadaoin!

TULALOO: supercalifragilisticexpialidocious

2010-03-12T20:52:00.003-05:00

A few weeks ago the in-laws and I took Captain and Chunk to see Mary Poppins on Broadway, and it was F A N T A S T I C !!!!! We downloaded a few of their favorite songs from the production the next day and both boys request to listen to them several times a day. Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious has become our special celebration song for all things wonderful. Between Chunk learning to use the potty, Tulaloo's feature on Style Me Pretty and Captain's super great parent teacher conference, we've been dancing around the kitchen to this tune pretty frequently.

Speaking of wonderful things worth celebrating, in the next few weeks there will be some exciting changes and announcements from Tulaloo!! I'm pretty stoked about it all, and think you will love what we have in store. I can't wait to share it all with you. I'm feeling pretty supercalifragilisticexpialidocious about it!!

Photo compliments of Megan LaBarbera, Creative Image Collections

GET WED: tulaloo on style me pretty

2010-03-01T14:45:00.004-05:00

I was beyond excited when I found out that the unbelievably beautiful wedding of Lauran and Carlos is featured on Style Me Pretty today! I had a great time designing all of their weddings stationery, from the invitations to the programs, escort cards and table numbers! Head on over to Style me Pretty to see more images and the story behind their amazing backyard wedding.

GET WED: wedsy

2010-02-25T15:46:00.003-05:00

Love Etsy? Of course you do! And if you are planning a wedding there are abundant handmade wedding items for your ceremony and reception to be found. Everything from couture wedding gowns to original cake toppers can be discovered on Etsy. The only problem is that sometimes Etsy can feel a bit overwhelming, with lots and lots and lots of items to sift through to find what you are really looking for.

Wedsy is a website that collects and organizes the wedding items getting the most buzz on Etsy. Everything is categorized so that you can easily find garters, gowns or invitations. Updated daily, it lets you view the top 100 items as well as the most influential sellers in each category. Pretty nifty, right? I thought so too.

Guess who is a "most influential Etsy seller in Invitations", with four designs in the top 100!!

GET WED: customize it

2010-02-03T20:59:00.005-05:00

Check out how Mary customized her wedding invitations from Tulaloo! She started with our Botanical Invitation:

Mary knew she wanted dark brown and spring green for her colors - a very elegant combination. First we switched out the flecked tan pocketfold for a metallic brown one and changed the illustrations and text to brown and green. Then we added a shimmery brown liner to the ivory linen envelope.

The invitation, also on ivory linen, was layered on a coordinating green stock. Rather than include several extra enclosure cards for directions, hotel info and everything else, Mary chose to add just one card that directed her guests to her wedding website.

To add a bit of texture and interest to the pocket, the additional card was printed in brown ink on green vellum, rather than linen like the rest of the set. The tulip on the reply card can be seen through the vellum card, which featured a vintage peony illustration. Mary and I were both thrilled with the final result, and I think it is a wonderful example of how much personalization is available to our brides.

REAL WEDDING: margeaux and doug revisited!

2010-01-31T23:24:00.004-05:00

You may remember Margeaux and Doug from an earlier "Real Wedding" feature here on the Tulaloo blog. Margeaux and her hubby Doug were just super to work with, and I just found out that they are up for a chance at a two page wedding annoucement spread in Wedding Belles Magazine! This is a big deal for Margeaux and Doug, as Wedding Belles is a really fab publication in Georgia, where they are living happily ever after. If our lovely readers could help out a fellow Tulaloo client, and hop on over to Jenny Evelyn Photography and vote for Margeaux and Doug I know she would really appreciate it! Check out some of the other photography while you are there...definitely worth the visit!

GET WED: invitation wording

2010-01-19T21:51:00.003-05:00

The Host Line

Traditionally, the parents of the bride hosted the wedding and their names appeared first on the invitation in the host line. But times have changed and these days the groom’s parents often contribute to the wedding along with the bride and groom. Perhaps the bride and groom are paying for the wedding themselves, but still want to include their familes on the invitation. If parents have passed away, divorced or remarried it gets evem trickier. All of these factors have made the host line a difficult and sometimes sensitive part of the invitation to write. A few examples follow, but there are many appropriate ways to word the host line. Ask your stationer for advice regarding your wedding.

Bride’s Parent’s Hosting

Mr. and Mrs. John Smith
Both Parents Hosting(bride’s parents listed first)Mr. and Mrs. John Smith andMr. and Mrs. Robert Brown

Bride’s Parents Divorced/Remarried(mother listed first)

Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Jones

and

Mr. John Smith

Parent Deceased

The pleasure of your company is requested

at the wedding of __________

daughter of Mrs. Susan Smith and the late Mr. John Smith

Bride, Groom and Both Families Hosting

Together with their families

Request Lines

The request line simply lets guests know what they are being invited to. The two most common wording choices are "request the honour of your presence” for a church or synagogue wedding, and “request the pleasure of your company” for a wedding taking place in a hotel, reception hall or other venue. Follow both of these examples, with “at the marriage of their daughter” or “at the marriage of their children” as appropriate. If you are having an especially casual affair feel free to let the request line reflect this with something like “invite you to join in the festivities as they join togeher in marriage”. If you are planning a gay/lesbian wedding, you can replace the terms marriage and wedding with “commitment ceremony”, “civil union”, celebration of commitment”, “relationship blessing” or any other term that you feel best represents your event.

Bride and Groom Lines

The Bride’s name is always listed first. Allow the formality of the wedding and invitation dictate how the names are written. The most formal invitations, issued by the bride’s parents, refer to her by her first and middle name, while the groom is referred to by his full name and title (Mr. Anthony Gattone). Often, however, just the first and last names of the couple are used.

Date and Time Lines

A formal invitation will have the date and time written out in full, with the year being optional:

Saturday, the seventeeth of July

at half past five o’clock

Casual wedding invitation do not need to have everything written in full:

July 17th, 20105:30 pm

Location Lines

The name of the location, whether it be a church, synagogue or reception hall, should be followed by the city and state. A street adress is not typically needed unless the wedding is taking place at someone’s home. For example:

St. Peter’s Church

Danbury, Connecticut

Reception Lines

Formal invitations will have a separate card inviting guests to the reception. It is also appropriate to note the reception directly on the invitation, if there is enough space. “Reception immediately following” is a standard example. If the time or location is different than the ceremony, be sure to include that information. If you are having a cocktail reception or another non-traditional reception, it is wise to mention this so that your guests don’t arrive expecting a meal.

RSVP Lines

Most formally, the request for a reply is printed on the lower left hand corner of the invitation, implying that guests should write a response to the hosts. However, most couples include a separate reply card and envelope with their invitation. The reply card should let guests know when their response is requested by and leave space for them to fill in their names. If you need guests to choose their meal ahead of time, it can be included on the reply card as well. A standard reply card looks like this:

Kindly reply by the tenth of August

M ___________________________

( ) accepts with pleasure

( ) declines with regrets

If your wedding is more casual, feel free to be playful with the reply card wording - “will be there with bells on/will celebrate from afar” is a fun alternative.

If you are having difficulty wording your wedding invitation, the best thing to do is consult your stationer. A good stationery designer will be able to guide you through proper wording so that you have a beautiful and appropriate wedding invitation.

GET WED WEDNESDAY: my kate parker wedding

2010-01-13T22:34:00.004-05:00

My Kate Parker Wedding is a brand spanking new wedding planning resource that every bride simply must check out. I know what you are thinking, the last thing the web needs is another wedding planning site. But this one is different, I promise. For one thing, the experience is personalized to you, according to your budget, location, style and color scheme, rather than to the generic bride. There is a ton of great expert advice from wedding professionals as well as a fantastic blog spotlighting trends, tips, and even advice about how to get your groom more involved (this article had me laughing out loud). It helps you manage your budget and to do list in style. But what really makes My Kate Parker Wedding different is that it feels far more personal and 'real' than anything else out there. With other wedding planning sites, I always felt as if I was just viewing on online version of a typical wedding magazine, complete with coupon codes for kitschy wedding junk that nobody really wants. My Kate Parker Wedding, on the other hand, filters out the nonsense and offers you great style, inspiration and the best vendors in your area (did I mention they hand select vendors for quality, creativity and talent?).

I am so pleased to say that Tulaloo has partnered with My Kate Parker Wedding. Come on over check it out! Sign up for a free account - you will not be disappointed!

REAL WEDDING: lauran and carlos

2010-01-05T20:56:00.009-05:00

Happy New Year everyone! I'm so happy that 2010's first post gets to be some gorgeous photographs from the wedding of one of my favorite brides! Lauran and Carlos were an absolute dream to work with and I knew their wedding was going to be incredible. These are just a few of my favorite images from her wedding, shot by Meg, of Creative Image Collections.

Elisabeth at Blush Floral Design created the beautiful bouquets and centerpieces. I'm not normally someone who even notices floral arrangements, but Elisabeth's work makes me swoon. Reception stationery, including the programs, escort cards, table numbers and a few other goodies not pictured here, were all created by Tulaloo. I especially love how they skipped the traditional tented place card in favor of elegant flat cards tucked into baby artichokes! Genius!

There is much more to see on Meg's blog, so run on over and check it out!

GIFTABLE: for the handyman/lush/environmentalist

2009-12-05T22:51:00.004-05:00

I'm sending a wine/party themed gift basket to a good friend of mine (who does not read this blog, so hopefully this will still be a surprise). I wanted some fun hostess items to pack in with the bottle of wine I am sending, in the hopes she can use it all for her holiday party (which I sadly can not attend). I found a few gems including the quirky wine bottle stopped shown above from ikc Design. They offer all sorts of funky goodies made from upcycled materials, including a great assortment of wine bottle stoppers. I had had my eye on this one, but it sold before I could click purchase. So you better believe I snatched up the awesome screwdriver stopper before anyone else could get their paws on it! It arrived in the mail today (super fast shipping) and it is even cooler in person!

If you are looking for fun, one-of-a-kind items someone on your list, definitely take a peak at ikc Design!

YULETIDE CHEER: advent

2009-12-03T13:34:00.004-05:00

Initially I had hoped to make an advent calendar for the boys - something unique and fun that would allow for something other than candy each day. In fact, I've hoped to do this every year for the past few years. But after realizing that I still need to finish embroidering the denim stockings I made 4 years ago, I accepted that a handmade advent calendar is just not going to happen. At least not if I'm the one making it! And so began an Etsy search for the perfect advent calendar.

Most of the ones I found were simple fabric panels with attached pockets; pretty, but without the fun factor I was hoping for. Then I found Reeves Farm and the pattern to crochet a super fun string of Christmas light pockets! It is perfect: cute, fun and can be used again and again over the years. Since I know myself well enough to understand there was no way I was going to crochet a string of holiday lights, I asked my friend, and owner of this shop, Jaime to make it for me. It came out beautifully and is lovingly displayed on our stairwell.

There are a few lights with chocolate coins or mini candy canes hidden inside, but most of the "treats" are activities for the kids together. Making and sending postcards to relatives, going on a tour of the neighborhood holiday lights and buying food for the local food bank are all on the calendar. Yesterday's treat was to snuggle up with some popcorn and watch the Pixar cartoon special on ABC Family. So far it has been a nice way to make us all slow down and enjoy the holidays together.

On a side note, if you need kid gifts or warm weather gear for your children, stop by Jaime's shop. Her Danish earflap hats are super warm and really well made. It is next to impossible to find something so nice for children, and completely impossible to find it at such a good price.

GIFTABLE: for the police wife

2009-11-30T20:02:00.005-05:00

This one is for all my loyal law enforcement readers! The blue rose is a symbol for significant others of police officers and these handmade items would be great gifts for the police wife or girlfriends on your list.

Clockwise from top left:

royal beauty necklace by RachelleD

Glass Blue Rose Necklace by MiaLauren

Black Diamonds Hair Clip by Garden of Whimsy

Blue Rose Necklace by Blue Butterfly Designs

Rose Decorative Reed Diffuser by Melrose Fields

Gunmetal Locket by Peaches 4 Me

Rosalie Hale Necklace by Camelot Jewels

Of course, Blue Rose personlized notecards and Think Blue Line Wreath holiday cards are still available in the LEO Collection from Tulaloo. A portion of the profits from all LEO Collection sales goes to The National Police Wives Association - a non-profit support and outreach organization for the families of law enforcement officers.

Before I go, I just want to take a moment to let you know about Project Blue Light. I've borrowed this description from the Washington DC chapter of C.O.P.S :

"The color blue is a symbol of peace. Put blue lights in your window, decorate your tree in blue, trim the outside of your home or the police station in blue lights. Let our blue lights shine in support of law enforcement this season.You will be sending a dual message that you support America's peacekeepers and that you hope the coming year will be a year of peace."

C.O.P.S. (Concerns Of Police Survivors) is a non-profit group that helps the surviving families of law enforcement killed in the line of duty. Their work, and the message of Project Blue Light, is something I hope everyone keeps in mind this holiday season and particularly after the tragic murders of four Washington Police Officers this past weekend. Sgt. Mark Renninger and Officers Ronald Owens, Tina Griswold and Greg Richards leave behind spouses and children as well as a grieving law enforcement community. Please take some time to remember these brave men and women and keep their families in your thoughts and prayers.

PERSONALLY: dogzilla

2009-11-29T10:23:00.004-05:00

Captain is a quirky little kid in alot of ways. Long ago he invented an imaginary character - The Chinese Moose - that has been secretly living in our house and yard for the past two years. I think he may be in love with the Progessive Insurance girl. But his primary quirk is his persistant fear of random, non-scary things. Such as Grover in this book, the old lady in Ratatoullie and Count VonCount's girlfriend on Sesame Street. All of those things will send him into crying hysterics. For awhile I thought nothing could be more terrifying to Captain than the Count's girlfriend, but I was wrong. There is a horrible new monster in his world: Dogzilla.

We make a weekly visit to the local library for storytime and some new books. Captain and Chunk are both avid "readers". About three weeks ago Captain borrowed a book titled Dogzilla - a very cute and funny story about a city of Mice that is invaded by a Corgi when he smelled their BBQ cook-off. Dogzilla does not eat the mice - it is a decidedly non-violent story - but he does chew their furniture and bewilder them with stinky dog breath. Captain was happily obsessed with Dogzilla for an entire day. Then around bedtime he started to view it a little differently. He woke in the middle of the night with nightmares and actually came to sleep in my bed (something he hasn't done in years). The next day he started refusing to be in rooms by himself because an ancient volcano might erupt, releasing Dogzilla into our house. He tearfully told me he wanted to "return Dogzilla to the library and never ever borrow it again!!!". It went on like this for days and I cursed Dogzilla while I tried to find away to convince him that he was not at risk for attack by a gigantic dog. I finally stumbled upon something that helped a little bit. In the story, the captain of the mouse military is able to drive Dogzilla away by threatening to give him a bath; all dogs are afraid of baths of course! So we now have bottles of shampoo, bars of soap, washcloths and toy firetrucks (for spraying water) strategically placed throughout the boys' bedroom. If our house didn't resemble a mental institution before, I'm pretty sure it does now. We're just a few short steps away from wearing tin foil hats to ward off aliens. But at least Captain is sleeping soundly again.

OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS: bogo sale!

2009-11-28T15:45:00.003-05:00

Need a little something for a coworker? How about your childrens' teacher? Your Aunt Betty? Your Mom? Personalized notecards from Tulaloo are an easy, pretty and affordable personalized gift! And for a limited time we are running a BOGO sale!!! Buy one set of personalized notecards and receive a second set (your choice of design!) for free! Yeah, FREE! If you are purchasing on Etsy, just mention your choice of free design in the notes to seller section at checkout. And don't forget to enter the names/sentiment you want printed on your cards!

Personalized notecards are $10/set of 6. They arrive nicely packaged and ready for gift giving. This offer won't last long, so make your purchase soon!

TULALOO: happy thanksgiving

2009-11-24T22:02:00.004-05:00

We are looking forward to spending a wonderful Thanksgiving with our families and hope many of you will be doing the same! We are closing shop from Wednesday through Friday for the holiday and some much needed family time. All emails and phone calls will be responded to over the weekend.

Have a great Thanksgiving!

TULALOO: samples

2009-11-23T22:44:00.006-05:00

Several brides have recently asked why we do not offer personalized samples without a deposit on a bridal order. And if a handful of people ask, I figure there are several others who are wondering but not speaking up. Allow me to explain our policies and processes for samples and custom design, and explain the reasoning behind it all.

We offer samples of any wedding invitation in the Tulaloo bridal line for a charge of $10. They are not personalized with color or content (although your wedding invitation will be completely personalized). The sample will arrive as shown in the picture, or with the paper colors we currently have in stock. The $10 charge is credited to your bridal order with Tulaloo.
If you are taking advantage of our Bespoke service and having a custom invitation design created, we require a $50 deposit for digital mockups of your stationery. If you are combining elements of various designs from our regular bridal line, and would like to see a mockup prior to placing an order, we require the same $50 deposit. Mockups are tailored to your colors and design specs, but without fully customized wording. The $50 deposit is credited to your final order.
To receive complete, fully customized digital proofs of every element of your bridal stationery, we require a 50% deposit on your order.

I understand why this can seem daunting to some clients, especially when one can find shops on Etsy willing to give away customized invitation design samples for just a few dollars or even for free. Why is Tulaloo different?

Firstly, we don't customize our $10 samples simply because we don't keep all our paper selections in stock at all times. We match your invitation to your wedding, and in order to do that we work from hundreds of paper finishes and colors available from several different paper sources. Keeping all of that in stock would be both cost prohibitive and wasteful. We do have swatch books of our paper selection in the studio, and we use this to match to your wedding colors as closely as possible. If you are a Connecticut bride you can schedule an appointment to meet the designer and see the paper swatches for yourself. If you are not local, we will include swatches of applicable papers in your sample pack if we have them in stock. We don't cut up our swatch books to send to clients! Alternatively, if you have a swatch from your bridesmaids dresses that you can send to us, we will use that to match your paper. In a pinch, you can go to your local hardware store and find the paint chips that most accurately match your colors and send us those!

So, why do we charge so much extra for personalized samples and proofs? One reason is that it requires a significant amount of design time to do color alterations and rework design layouts. With the volume of bridal stationery inquiries we receive, it is impossible to spend time designing custom invitations for clients without a commitment to purchase. We show as much of our portflio as possible on Etsy, our website and our blog so that potential clients can get a feel for the type of design quality they can expect. After that it is, in a sense, a leap of faith that we will create something you will be truly happy with. I understand that can make clients nervous and I am happy to provide references of former Tulaloo clients. We have a long list of very happy brides willing to discuss their experience working with Tulaloo.

Another reason we require deposit before beginning any custom design work is to protect our copyrights. In the past we did offer complimentary mockups, and I'm sorry to say that we have had our work stolen by clients who decided to take advantage of this. As the lead designer for Tulaloo, I work very hard at creating original designs that our clients love. It hurts me to have my work and creativity stolen, and I have learned to be very careful about protecting my designs. If you were to look around, you would find Etsy sellers who do offer all this design work upfront without a significant deposit. There are alot of Etsy sellers who run their businesses as a hobby. There is nothing wrong with that, and I'm sure they have their own satisfied customers. However there is a definite difference in the work, knowledge and service of a professional graphic designer and a part time hobbyist. As a professional graphic designer and stationer, I can assure you that the design fees and payment structure we use at Tulaloo are customary for professionals in this field.

Lastly, it is important to understand that we do more than one round of revisions on your designs. If, after placing your deposit and receiving proofs or mockups, you are not satisfied with the design we will rework it until you are completely happy with it. We want each and every one of our clients to be thrilled with their stationery. Whether you order 50 invitations tailored from our existing line or 500 custom designed stationery suites, we will do everything we can to make sure the experience is a great one for you!

OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS: holiday photocards

2009-11-19T15:08:00.004-05:00

'Tis the Season! Christmas, in our house, officially begins the day after Thanksgiving. I'm not insane enough to hit the black friday sales. In fact, for the first year ever I may have all my holiday shopping finished before Thanksgiving! GASP! On November 27th we will deck the halls, sip some egg nog and listen to Christmas music. We're celebrating at Tulaloo a bit early with a holiday sale on our newly added holiday photocards! Custom photocard designs are normally $15, but through the end of November you can get yours for just $12. You can then take your photocard and have an unlimited number printed at your favorite photoshop! Want Tulaloo to take care of the printing for you? No problem - we offer photocards on photo paper, heavy matte or glossy stock or even as magnets! Just contact us for pricing and details at info@tulaloo.com or call the studio at 860-417-2587.

The images above are just a sneak peak - see the entire line up here.

REAL WEDDING: margeaux and doug

2009-11-11T22:28:00.009-05:00

I am lucky enough to know Margeaux through The National Police Wives Association, which we both are members of. She is fun and sweet, so I was beyond excited when she asked me to custom design her wedding invitations. I knew she would be a joy to work with!

Margeaux and Doug's wedding was a wonderful blend of sophistication and fun, from her amazing red Stewart Weitzman shoes to their matching his and hers beer koozies they carried at the reception! It is that sort of attitude - one that keeps everything in perspective - that makes a wedding go perfectly, even when it doesn't. On her way down the aisle with her father, Margeaux's veil became caught on a pew and fell off her head! But Margeaux didn't lose her cool; she kept walking towards her groom with a smile on her pretty face!

Margeaux also incorporated several nods to Doug's career in the day. On her bouquet she pinned a beautiful blue rose cameo (the blue rose is a symbol for police wives) and she wore a blue and white garter with a silver handcuff charm. And how can you note adore the killer "Guns and Roses" shot by Jenny Elelyn Photography?!?!

Congrats MJ and Doug!

THE WORLD WE LIVE IN: being green

2009-11-06T19:28:00.003-05:00

I try to be green. I bring my own shopping bags to the store. I recycle. I clean with vinegar. But, I also use disposable diapers. Occasionally I buy bottled water. I'm not living 100% green,

but I try.

I do my best in the management of running of Tulaloo as well. It can be tricky to be a green company when your business is paper. But I work hard at it and am constantly looking for new ways for Tulaloo to be eco-friendly. The most recent change I have made is the packaging for our notecards. As of today, all our personalized notecard sets are being packaged in Eco Clear Bags. These bags are a compostable and sustainable. Believe it or not, they are actually created from plants! The plastic, called PLA film, feels a little diferent from our old bags - more crinkly. But it is just as strong and still makes for a pretty package. From now on the Earth First seal will be on all our notecard packaging.

Of course we continue to be green in other ways as well. Whenever possible we work with recycled and sustainable cotton paper, purchased from a company that runs on 100% wind power. While not all our materials fit into this category, I would estimate that 75% of the paper and envelopes we work with do. Once these materials have been crafted into wedding stationery, save the date cards or party invitations, they are wrapped in recycled white tissue paper. The stationery bundles are then placed into a cardboard box we've saved from a received shipment. We shred junk mail, misprints and scraps and use that shredded paper to carefully cushion the stationery. It makes for practical and eco-friendly packaging.

GET WED: save the date photocards - new!

2009-10-30T23:42:00.004-04:00

I am so excited to share our new save the date photocards with you! The above samples are just a few examples from our new selection. Like everything else in the Tulaloo wedding line, save the date photocards are tailored to match your wedding colors! And all our save the dates are now available as magnets!

A special thanks to the amazing Maya Meyers for sharing her gorgeous wedding photography with Tulaloo for our new save the date cards! Beautiful work Maya!

GIFTABLE: cupcakes

2009-10-29T23:12:00.003-04:00

I'm a total sucker for beautiful packaging (I've been known to make purchases just because the packaging was pretty). When the product is as good as the packaging I find myself smitten! Check out this clever twist on the traditional gift basket by Gift-a-Cupcake. They offer baby and spa themed gift packs, all wrapped up to look like cupcakes! How adorable is that?

Right now they are sponsoring a contest and you can win some free spa products. Good luck!

YULETIDE CHEER: yarn wreaths

2009-10-28T22:58:00.005-04:00

Seeing store aisles lined with Christmas decorations in October make me cringe, so believe me when I say I thought long and hard about making a Yuletide Cheer post before Halloween. I tried to stop myself, but this Antartica Yarn Wreath was practically begging me to share it! Want to know all the reasons I love it? Sure you do!

1. Unusual color palette - not a smidgen of red or green!
2. It isn't holiday specific, so you can hang it on your door until the snow melts.
3. It isn't cute. Eeeeew.

But what I love most about this wreath, and others by Knock Knocking, is that it strikes the perfect balance between kitsch, homey arts and crafts projects and 60's mod. Cool, fun and cozy all at the same time. What's not to love?

GET WED: norwalk, ct wedding expo

2009-10-26T23:54:00.003-04:00

We had a fantastic time at the Wedding Steps Bridal Expo at the Norwalk Inn this past Sunday! It was a fun show with great vendors, lovely brides and super door prizes! And speaking of door prizes, we are looking forward to working with the winner of the Tulaloo Gift Card! Thanks for spending an afternoon with us. As always, if you have any questions please feel free to email or call us at: info@tulaloo.com or 860-417-2587.

And a special thanks to my husband Mike - who happily builds display shelves, drives to shows and chats with brides (and double checks all my math)!

REAL WEDDING: hayley and bryan

2009-10-22T13:17:00.003-04:00

I am so pleased to share another real wedding from a Tulaloo Bride! Hayley and Bryan planned an elegant and sophisticated affair, and chose black and white Damask wedding invitations from Tulaloo. The happy couple was married on Sept. 6, 2009, at the amazing Z Mansion in Tucson. Black and white dresses and decor were accented with bouquets and centerpieces of black and red dahlias from All Party Solutions in Tucson. Wilson Henry Photography captured the entire beauitful event.

I asked Hayley what her favorite part of the entire day was...

"The best part of the wedding was the ceremony because that was the moment when Bryan and I were able to promise our love for each other in front of family and friends. I know it sounds cliche and corny, but really it is a special moment that you don't realize until you are doing it. I got butterflies and chills."

Congratulations Hayley & Bryan!

OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS: well, hello there! WINNER!

2009-10-19T11:38:00.003-04:00

Thank you to everyone who siad hello! Nice to see so many new faces! Captain and Chunk drew names from a bucket to choose our three lucky winners. Without further ado.....

Alissa

Sdonelly

Debbie Thomas

Please send an email to jessica@tulaloo.com to claim your prize! Be sure to note which notecard design you want, along with the personalization you would like printed on them!

GET WED: upcoming bridal expo

2009-10-15T14:39:00.004-04:00

We are thrilled to once again be exhibiting at a Wedding Steps Bridal Expo! Wedding Steps puts on a fabulous event, with great vendors, fashion shows and PRIZES! The next expo is October 25th at the beautiful Norwalk Inn, in Norwalk, CT. The location is not only lovely, but convenient to both CT and NY brides. We are really looking forward to meeting a great group of 2010 brides and grooms!

REAL WEDDING: leanne and don

2009-10-11T23:01:00.006-04:00

I really have a thing for beautiful backyard weddings. There is something wonderfully intimate, sweet and perfect about celebrating a marriage at a family member's home. Leanne and Don had Tulaloo create wedding invitations for them - our Botanical design - and were kind enough to share pictures and thoughts about their special day! From Leanne:

"My wedding was at my parents house, so it was very special to me. I don't have any living grandparents but the house and land was all part of my grandparents history, so I know they were there. We married under an arbor of white moon flowers (they hadn't opened for 3 days and they all burst open that evening). We had an acoustic guitarist play for the guests as well as the wedding. I walked to here comes the sun with my sweet dad. My favorite moment was later into the evening when my new hubby and I had our own little dance together. After the ceremony and all the reception details plus mingling with our friends it was nice to find each other when one of our favorite songs played and have a moment."

The first photo of Leanne walking barefoot is my absolute favorite. The second (and how completely joyful do the two if them look?!?!) shows off a beautiful handmade pearl headwrap, created by Sonseeahray. The incredible groom's cake, in honor of the couple's favorite band, was from Hana's Bakery.

Thanks for sharing Leanne! More Real Weddings to come soon!

OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS: well, hello there!

2009-10-07T22:16:00.003-04:00

I check my web stats periodically, so I know for sure that there are a bunch more people reading the Tulaloo blog than leaving comments or listed in our followers directory. You know who you are. If you really want to read in secret I certainly won't begrudge you that, but it sure would be nice to know who I am talking to! You know how I like free stuff, so we're going to have ourselves a little giveaway!

Come on out and say hello! I'm giving away free sets of personalized notecards to three lucky blog readers. All you need to do is sign on as a follower of the Tulaloo blog. Already a follower? Then you are already in the running! Three winners will be announced on the blog on Monday, October 18th. Each lucky reader will get to choose a set of notecards from the Tulaloo line of social stationery.

Looking forward to meeting you!

BESPOKE: mikey's 16th

2009-10-06T15:57:00.003-04:00

Mikey is one lucky guy, as he is being thrown a killer surprise 16th birthday party! When the party involved live music, a great location and a limo you have to set the scene with the perfect invitation. He is a talented magician and we based the design on his favorite card, the Jack of diamonds. The invitation is slightly larger than a playing card, with a Jack on the front and party details on the back. It is tucked into a black linen envelope with a coordinating playing card envelope wrap for addressing.

Happy Birthday Mikey!

GET WED: a rainbow of options

2009-09-23T11:16:00.005-04:00

In talking to our brides, all agree that the ability to customize their wedding stationery colors to match their wedding is one of the best services offered by Tulaloo. You can even send a swatch for us to match ink and paper to! The best part? Color customization is included in the package price of all our wedding designs. Tulaloo's Woodland wedding invitation (above) was very popular this year and we were able to create it in a wide variety of colors for our 2009 brides. It is always fun to see how much color changes the look of a design.

ARTIST I LIKE: cocopunkz

2009-09-01T22:50:00.006-04:00

After a few years off, our friends are getting married with a frenzy. We are attending four weddings this year, one of which is taking place outdoors, in October.... in upstate NY. Fortunately the bride has a great sense of humor and my husband's constant jokes about going sledding at the reception are met with laughter. And return jabs about the tough-guy cop being the only one complaining about being cold. But I digress...

I got an amazing little black dress from White House Black Market, specifically because it has sleeves. After my husband oh-so-cleverly suggested I wear snow boots with it, I realized that maybe I did want some fun new shoes to wear. I'm not the kind of girl who spends $260 on a pair of shoes, but I'm very tempted to make an exception for these. Cocopunkz hand paints shoes with original artwork. Even though I am pretty darn frugal, I do love shoes. Did I mention I used to be a shoe salesperson? And Cocopunkz shoes are A M A Z I N G!!!!! Plus the ones in the picture above are my size... somebody save me from myself and go buy these before I do!!!!!

ARTIST I LIKE: petrizzo photography

2009-08-24T21:26:00.004-04:00

I'm so pleased to share Nancy Petrizzo of Petrizzo Photography with you! Nancy is a family photographer in Buffalo, NY, specializing in on-location maternity, baby, child and family portraiture. Now, you can certainly look through her portfolio and see for yourself why she was named Nickelodeon's Parents Connect Top Family Photographer in Buffalo, but allow me a moment to tell you why I think Ms. Petrizzo rocks.

She makes her subjects feel comfortable. You can just tell by looking at the pictures. I've been through her entire portfolio more than once, and none of the photographs have that stiff, forced Sears Portrait Studio look. In a good portrait the subject looks happy and comfortable and relaxed - Nancy does that.
She has a knack for capturing moments. Do you have any idea how difficult it is to get a picture of a newborn smiling?!? It is pretty much impossible, yet she does it in a beautifully framed, well lit portrait. Which brings me to my next point...
Lighting and color in her photography is perfect. Really. She makes it look so easy and natural, but in reality it is crazy hard to make photographs look that good.

Word on the street is that Nancy will be available for Trash the Dress sessions soon! I will be anxiously awaiting her entrance into the world of wedding photography!

BESPOKE: ewelina & david

2009-08-19T14:16:00.005-04:00

Ewelina and David came to Tulaloo in search of custom designed wedding stationery for their August wedding. Ewelina wanted something sophisticated, elegant and formal but hadn't been able to find anything from the big album vendors that was just right for their wedding. Tulaloo's Bespoke Service was the perfect choice for her.

We chose a shimmery pocketfold in a subtle taupe and cream pattern to showcase her wedding colors - cocoa and crimson. The invitation panel is simple and beautiful, layered on deep brown metallic stock. Enclosure cards were neatly stacked inside the pocket and the entire piece was sealed with their monogram. Ewelina also took advantage of our guest addressing service as well as coordinating notecards for all that post wedding thank you note writing.

Ewelina and David celebrated their wedding this past Saturday - congratulations you two!

GET WED: les petits presents

2009-08-17T21:43:00.005-04:00

Out-of-town guest baskets are one of those things I find that lots of brides don't put a whole lot of thought into. And I can understand that, because by that point the bride is getting very, very close to her wedding date and is holding on to sanity by a thin thread. Consequently, most out-of-town baskets are less than inspired. I believe that if you are going to do something like that, you ought to do it thoughtfully, because no one really needs a bag of breath mints and the travel brochures they can pick up on their own in the hotel lobby.

Allow me to introduce you to Nina, of les petits presents. Nina creates custom gift baskets, out of town baskets and favors for weddings and other special events. These are the sorts of gift baskets that your guests will appreciate! The meyer lemon themed basket above was designed for the wedding of Mr. and Mrs. Meyer. It is a delightfully simple metal pail, filled with a personalized bottle of water, yellow and white jelly beans and scrumptious lemon cookies. A perfect way to welcome guests to a summer wedding! Check out the les petits presents blog for more clever gifts and gift baskets.

Nina currently offers her gift basket genius across Connecticut. If you are lucky enough to live in The Nutmeg State, I suggest you ask her to whip something up for your wedding. Your guests will thank you!

GET WED: inventing weddings

2009-08-16T13:27:00.003-04:00

I discovered this beautiful wedding blog when Bonnie at Inventing Weddings told me she was featuring Tulaloo's Roses Wedding Invitation in their yellow inspiration board. Every day is a new inspiration board created from handmade wedding elements found on Etsy. Lots of great wedding products and lovely ideas - check it out!

PERSONALLY: out of the stone age

2009-08-11T23:15:00.003-04:00

First of all... WOW! I have been very MIA on the Tulaloo Blog recently!! No excuse other than wedding season and sunny weather. I'm finishing up the last of the fall weddings (did I mention I love fall weddings?) and trying to spend as much time enjoying the steamy summer weather as possible before I need to dive headfirst into the Holiday rush for notecards and then Spring weddings. Captain, Chunk and I have been spending our days picking blueberries here and running through the sprinkler while The Mister sweats through his Kevlar at work. But I veer off of my intended topic...

The Mister and I finally joined the modern world and got ourselves a pair of iPhones! We are pretty frugal, and have always had whatever low end phone was being given away free with a contract. But after he told his buddies to stop texting him because it cost him money every time, they began texting him as much as possible just to be obnoxious. It is a guy thing. So, between that and the sad shape our old flip phones were in, we decided it was time to do a little phone shopping. It was a humbling experience since the salesmen looked at us like we were cave people when we explained that neither of us had ever sent a text message and fumbled with the various touch screens and keyboards. But we sorted it all out and were amazed when we realized that we could get the old iphone 3G for the same price as the so-so phone we saw at Sprint.

Of course, I don't need to tell you this since I am the last person on earth to use an iphone, but THESE THINGS ARE AMAZING!! They are so much more user friendly than the competitors versions, and have an app for everything. Texting makes it so much easier to talk the The Mister when he is at work (which is all the time). And I love being able to access my work email at all times. But my favorite little perk is probably the ability to read books on it. I use Stanza for my eReader, and it is just great.

And now I am curious...what is your favorite iPhone app?

GET WED WEDNESDAY: best wedding ever

2009-07-25T00:38:00.003-04:00

Ok, so once I again, I do realize it is Friday, not wednesday. I like to break my own rules.

You may have already seen this video on facebook or another blog, but it is worth repeating. I laughed so hard I cried. I wish I was at this wedding. Best wedding ever. Seriously.

PERSONALLY: happy birthday chunk!

2009-07-17T23:49:00.004-04:00

Chunk, today your are two years old! You are becoming such a big boy, even though it seems like just yesterday you were a squirmy little newborn! I remember when you were just a few days old, you would actually snort like a little piglet when you were hungry and rooting! You made us laugh from the very beginning. So, in honor of your birthday, here are just a few things that make you so special:

You have developed your own quirky sign language and prefer that over speaking. I think my favorite miht be the thumped chest and pumping arms when you are telling me you would rather walk than be carried.
Your vocabulary is expanding quickly, but you definitely have a few favorite words. "Mama" tops the list (thank you) but "cheese" and "num nums" are a close second and third. You like to eat.
You are far more wild and impulsive than your brother, and he gets a little crazier when he is around you. It will make me go gray, but it is probably good for your conservative big brother to learn to take a few risks. Thanks for showing him how much fun it is to dive off the couch. Sort of.
You think you are so much older than you are, and you want to be just as big as Captain. You'll only play with the big boy toys that he likes.
Even though you are a rough and tough, independent little monster of a boy, you are still very attached to Mama. And while this often drives me crazy, I will admit it is nice to get so many hugs and snuggles. Even at 3 am.

Happy Birthday Chunk!!!