Give Me the Names of Four Boys...

If you are my age (or close to my age), you'll remember the finger-operated fortune telling devices that we made out of notebook paper and then read on the playground.

After the tool was laboriously created (making sure that it was perfectly creased and folded), the "customer" would choose a handful of boys names, dwelling types, numbers and cities. The "fortune teller" would then insert the data into her folded hand-held device and the game began. After a series of back and forths, folds and unfolds, a final declaration was made: you will marry Trey P., live in a shack, in Paris, and have 26 kids.

Well, thanks to Sycamore Street Letterpress (and Design*Sponge who first posted this little lovely), you don't have to be on the playground anymore to enjoy such trivial fun. Thankfully, though, they've taken it to a new level.

The design is not only letterpressed, but the spaces are all filled in with witty and clever predictions. Ever wondered if Bob Saget loves you? Now you can know for sure.




Or tap into your younger years and create one of your own. Find the easy diagram below or refer here for step by step details.

Perfect for an invitation or gift, this creative and nostalgic trinket is sure to keep those you love entertained.

Sip and See: Lila Stuart

The reason I went to Boston last week was to help my sister. She's got an adorable 2-year old (Eleanor Louise) and just had her second beautiful baby girl (Lila Stuart) two months ago. My Mom and I threw a Sip and See for the new baby this past weekend and I thought - as the proud aunt and older sister - that I would help my sis travel back home with those babies.

This Sip and See has been in the works practically since my sister announced she was pregnant (at the start of her second trimester). While my Mom was responsible for putting the actual party together, I was responsible for designing the invitations.

I had such a great time thinking about what to design. I knew the invites had to be dainty, pink, somewhat old-fashioned, but still contemporary enough to feel fresh. Here's what we ended up with:


It was a side fold card. "Sweet pea" on the cover was inspired by the month of April's official flower. The color pink was a given and the color green was a natural fit. They were printed via letterpress by Inky Lips Letterpress on a beautiful thick, cotton-y cardstock by Crane's. (And the napkins we had done as an extra touch.)

The party decorations were a huge hit, too. My Mom had traveled to Mexico during this past winter and picked up several sets of darling plastic starburst streamers. Strung from the middle of the ceiling and secured at four corners with huge bunches of roses and lilies, it was a magnificent site. It felt a little like being in the middle of a striped carousel.

Underneath the middle of the ceiling, we placed a white, three-tiered cake with "Lila" written around each layer. The cake was placed on my Mom's cake plateau which was then placed on the pink striped tablecloth that was used for the bride's cake at my sister's wedding.


In addition to the cake, we served a variety of finger sandwiches, strawberries with creme fraiche, melon wrapped in prosciutto and homemade cheese sticks. Glasses of white wine and frozen pink lemonade with fresh mint leaves were passed. And a Mexican coffee bar was the perfect compliment to the cake.

The honoree, Lila, wore gold beads and one of her mother's baby dresses. Her sister, Ellie, was resplendent in her pink striped dress, her maternal grandmother's gold beads and her mother's pint-sized white gloves. All of the other female family members wore a beautiful combination of pink and white, while the gents dressed in blues and khakis.

All in all, it was a grand affair on so many levels. We are blessed with a healthy and happy family and live in a wonderful community of friends.