{Inspiration} National Stationery Show 2013

Hey all!

Hope you're having a great week so far! As most of you know, last week I got back from my trip to one of my favorite cities {NYC} and a visit to a wonderfully inspiring event, the National Stationery Show. I came back full of ideas, affirmations, and inspirations...and as promised, I wanted to share some of the highlights with you!

I don't have many photos of the actual show (as cameras are restricted throughout the show), but I did manage to have my hubby snap a quick one of me, just to show my lovely readers! :)

It's basically a bunch of booths featuring all the latest and greatest in the stationery world...and the amount of creativity and talent in one place is overwhelming!

I wanted to highlight a few of my favorite designers from the show.

These designers seem to encompass the different sides of my personality; I am indeed inspired by them and collectively I hope to infuse a bit of their flair into 2 Hearts B 1 Designs!

First up is Curly Girl Design.

I have been a fan of Curly Girl Design for many years. I love her original artwork, illustrations, and sentimental quotes. I always seem to find the perfectly written sentiment amongst her products!

Next is East of India.

Again, I've been fan of theirs for many years. I love the modern flair on vintage and distressed paper. At the show, I fell in love with their porcelain keepsakes, spools of ribbon, and old fashioned keys. Swoon!

Lastly, I am a new fan of Ten Four Paper.

I love the typography, bright colors, simple clean designs, and her great wit and humor! I can't help but smile when I pick up one of her products. Also, I love the adorable story of how she developed the name for her company. You can check it out here.

These were just a few of the designers that I connected with and was inspired by this trip. You could literally spend days exploring the vendors and designers at this show!

I always love coming back home though, with tons of ideas brewing inside my brain, just waiting for the right moment to be realized on paper!

And besides talking, thinking, and dreaming about paper, I also did a lot of this....

Ended the days with something sweet of course!

Thanks for stopping by and be sure to stay tuned for a fabulous bridal tea invitation this week.

And don't forget, you can always keep up with us on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram!

Have a great week!

xoxo

{Inspiration} A Bachelor Wedding

We hope you had a wonderful three day weekend!

For those of you who watched the season premiere of The Bachelorette Monday night, we thought we'd have a little Bachelor/Bachelorette fun today. 

{via}

As many of you know, season 17's bachelor Sean Lowe proposed to Catherine Giudici on air a few months ago, and the couple is reportedly going to have their wedding televised on ABC as well. They haven't set a date, but rumor has it a summer wedding may be in the works.

{via}

The new Bachelorette, Desiree Hartsock, embarked on her journey to find love Monday night as she met 25 men competing for her heart. It was an entertaining evening, that's for sure!

{via}

We thought of Desiree (and Sean!) as were going through some of our invitation samples recently, and came across this little gem from 2008....and thought it would be a perfect "Bachelor" or "Bachelorette" wedding invitation! :)

It even has the "final rose" and everything! ;)

And this got us thinking about how we would plan a wedding for the Bachelor or Bachelorette. 

For Sean & Catherine, they might want to do something with a rustic flair (seeing as he's from Texas), so this inspiration board would give them ideas in the right direction....

However, since the couple's love story did unfold in LA, our "Movie Themed" Wedding inspiration board might also be a fun style to go with.

As for Desiree, since she hasn't decided on "the one" yet, and a wedding should be a reflection of the couple, we can't say for sure what style we would choose for her...however, knowing that she's a bridal stylist from LA, we think we can narrow it down to a few (love that she's a girl in our industry! :)....

Desiree seems like she likes things that are classic and timeless, yet with an element of fun.

She could totally do the Hollywood Movie Themed wedding, or something a little more subtle with a bit of drama, like our Red, Black, and White theme....

Since being on The Bachelorette is a bit like a fairytale, she might even like the idea of a Glamorous Ballroom wedding, which would seem suitable for a couple falling in love on a TV show....

Or perhaps she'll go with something classic and elegant, like our Classic White Wedding Inspiration board shows....

Her and her future fiance's style have yet to unfold! Whatever they decide, though, we know it will be fabulous, and we know the perfect people to do her wedding invitations! ;) (wink, wink)

And the same goes for Sean & Catherine! We'd love to have the honor of creating invites for such an adorable couple :)

What style do wedding do you predict Sean & Catherine, or Desiree & her future fiance will have?

{Frosting Friday} Sweet Love

Happy Friday 2 Hearts readers!

It IS Frosting Friday, which means we're here to inspire you with some kind of delightful dessert...

and what is more delightful than pairing a delicious dessert with an adorable couple like this one?

{Photo by Taylor Lord, via Inspired by This}

We came across this photo on the Inspired by This blog, and fell in love!

This sweet couple did their engagement shoot in San Francisco, and frequented many of their favorite places. The colors, the scenery, the lighting....pure deliciousness! We can't get enough of the adorable way they displayed her ring on the macaroons! To view more photos of the session, go here.

Macaroons also remind us of things you'd serve at a tea party, which is appropriate since we'll be featuring tea-themed invitations and events next week on the blog :) So check back next week for all kinds of tea party inspiration!

We hope all of our readers have a wonderful, safe three day weekend!

And a heartfelt thank you to all our men and women in uniform who faithfully serve our country! We remember those who've given their lives in protection of us, and are ever so grateful to those who presently serve. You are some of the true heroes!

Have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend everyone :)

See you next week!

Back In LA...

I am back this week from my quick (but wonderful) trip to one of my favorite cities, NYC!

Oh New York City skyline...I miss you already. Until next time :)

Although it's always hard to leave this city, I have returned filled with amazing ideas and inspiration from the National Stationery Show, and can't wait to share with you!

Plus, we have lots of recent events, invitations, and details to show you, sure to inspire any summer fetes you are planning! Can you believe it is the end of May? The unofficial beginning of summer is just around the corner!

See you tomorrow with a high-tea inspired bridal shower post!

xoxo

{Frosting Friday} Ice Cream Inspiration

It sure has been a warm hot week in Southern California!

Whenever the weather turns warmer, it always makes me in the mood for one thing...

Ice cream!

{Photo courtesy of Sweet E's Bake Shop}

So for Frosting Friday, we wanted to share this amazing dessert display from our friends at
Sweet E's Bake Shop for a sweet little girl's 4th birthday.

Isn't that cake amazing?!?

I want to eat it right now!

We are in LOVE with the ice cream theme of all the desserts. I love how they used sprinkles as filler to hold up the cupcake cones on the right.

And the adorable birthday sprinkle cake pops in front are adorned with our scalloped cake pop tags!

You can check out Sweet E's array of birthday desserts here, or contact them for your special order.

And no dessert table is complete without custom cake pop tags or cupcake toppers for
the guest of honor!

Contact us today to create custom tags for your next special occasion!

For another ice cream themed party we're swooning over, check out this party by
Sugar Coated Mama (via Kara's Party Ideas):

{photo via Kara's Party Ideas}

Happy Friday!

{Wedding Wednesday} Black & White Invitations and a Bridal Tea

Happy Wednesday 2 Hearts readers!

We hope you've had a great week. As you can imagine it's been a busy week here at 2 Hearts B 1 Designs, between Mother's Day, birthdays, and wedding season! And this week I am headed to one of my favorite places ever....New York City :) I'm traveling there for the National Stationery Show, and can't wait to be inspired by all the amazingly creative talent there. More on that soon!

But today, we are sharing some beautiful letterpress wedding invitations
I did for dear friends of mine, Laura & Harshit.

They wanted a timeless and classic design on mat board.

The edges of the invitation and rsvp card were gilded and edged in gold.

The rsvp was also printed using the letterpress technique.

Elegant, classic, beautiful!

 I also had the honor of attending Laura's bridal shower.

It was held at The Parq in the Montage in Beverly Hills.

The scrumptious fare! It was a royal tea affair!

 and here's the beautiful bride-to-be :)

Thank you Laura for allowing us to be a part of this special time! It was a pleasure and a joy.

For more classic white wedding inspiration, visit our Pinterest board here:

And stay tuned for more bridal tea inspiration coming next week, plus an exciting announcement! :)

Have a Sweet Mother's Day!

Just in case you needed a last minute treat for your mom or the special ladies in your life this weekend...

We present to you these beautiful (and delicious) cake pops by Sweet E's Bake Shop, adorned with our lovely custom Mother's Day tags.

What a "sweet" way to show Mom you care!

Be sure to check out the array of delicious treats at Sweet E's here, and give us a call or email us for your next custom cupcake topper or cake pop tag order!

And wishing all the moms out there a very Happy Mother's Day!

So thankful for the beautiful women that they are and all they mean to us!

Love our Moms! :)

xoxo

{Calligraphy Monday} Make Mom a Card

Happy Monday 2 Hearts readers!

Mother's Day is this Sunday, May 12th. Have you thought about what you're doing for that special lady in your life? If not, don't worry, we're here to help!

If you're feeling crafty, why not....

This is a sign I created for a display at Paper Source in Beverly Hills. Paper Source is a wonderful place to find specialty papers, card stock, envelopes, and embellishments. Walk in and you'll immediately be inspired by all the creativity around you.

Why not make mom a special card, or if you're short on time, have us create one for you?

You could also buy her favorite sweet (like these beautiful cupcakes from Sweet E's Bake Shop) and have us create a coordinating custom tag to go with it.

If you still need more ideas, don't forget to check out our Mother's Day 2013 Gift Guide.

The most important thing is that you do something thoughtful for your momma this weekend. Whether it's buying her a special gift, making her a home-cooked meal, or spending the day with her, make sure you tell her just how much she means to you.

We are truly blessed to have our moms!

Have a wonderful Monday :)

{Frosting Friday} Mom Cupcakes

Happy Friday 2 Hearts readers!

With Mother's Day a little over a week away, we know you're gathering ideas and planning details to help make your mom's day special.

So for Frosting Friday, we're sharing these sweet cupcakes made by our friends at Sweet E's bakery, complete with a custom tented card.

Simple and sweet, yet beautiful and thoughtful!

Let us know how we can help you create a custom card, tag, or gift wrap for your mom.

It's the little details that mean the most!

Have a great weekend!

{Gift Ideas} Get Mom What She Wants

Have you started your Mother's Day shopping yet?
Mother's Day is officially less than two weeks away (which means still enough time to order online and have it arrive in time!)

If you haven't, not to worry, we have a nice array of gift ideas for you, sure to please the lovely ladies on your list!

Let's get started!

How about a beautiful new fragrance? Love the gorgeous pink bottle of this one.

A lovely lip gloss is always a winner; this one comes in a variety of colors and isn't too sticky.

What about a personalized charm necklace like this one from Stella & Dot? You could do initials, a birthstone, or one of the many adorable charms they have to choose from.

How sweet is this tea tin? What mom wouldn't enjoy opening this each time she wants a cup of tea.

Is mom more of a coffee drinker? Starbucks just released their 3 Region Blend, made with beans from each of the three coffee-growing regions in the world. I have yet to try it, but I can't wait to pick up a pound of this simply for the pretty packaging.

Personalized stationery is thoughtful, pretty, and functional. You can do her full name, a monogram, or a simple motif, such as a flower, fleur de lis, or flourish, for example.

This cool book, which includes interview-style questions to help capture your mom's thoughts and words, is a wonderful way to engage with your mom, while creating a keepsake for years to come.

Or how about a cute pair of sandals, perfect for warmer weather?

These adorable and delicious Sweet E's cupcakes are sure to satisfy your momma's sweet tooth.

Whatever you decide on for your mom this year, what better way to wrap it all up than with beautiful gift wrap and a custom tag?

Try a pretty patterned paper with a contrasting ribbon to make it pop.

Or a solid paper, finished with a patterned sash and beautiful satin ribbon bow.

And a gift basket is always a winner!

It's thoughtful, personal...beautiful! She's going to love it most of all because it's from you!

Hopefully our gift guide gives you a start in the right direction. We'd love to hear what other Mother's Day gift ideas you have, so please share in the comments below!