Fascinating Fascinators

They've always been all the rage in Great Britain and flaunted from Royals to gentry, but hair fascinators have officially crossed the pond and are making waves this wedding season. From simple vintage inspired florals to birdcage veil draped feathery delights take a peek at these fascinating fascinators... SO much fun!! These creative, inspired, handmade gems were all found on etsy.com where selection abounds at great prices!

Tied and Feathered via Etsy.com

Katina Pinka via Etsy.com

Myra Callan via Etsy.com or twigsandhoney.com

Kaang Accessories via Etsy.com

Myra Callan via Etsy.com or twigsandhoney.com

Jenny Pickle Designs via Etsy.com

Cool New Cards

Just received some cool new cards that are designed by one of our On Paper customers! The newly launched company, Milk Moon Designs, primarily features limited edition graphic prints but they have a tiny line of cards that we purchased for the shop. Here's a preview of some of the styles. Hoping for more designs... we love 'em and they're perfect for framing!

Which way do we go?

Planning an outdoor wedding? Don't drive your guests crazy...drive them to the right place with a handcrafted directional sign. Here are a few I found on Etsy that are really well priced, a bit more country chic and a perfect marker for the big day. And, they support handcrafted artisans!

These first two signs by The Wooden Owl can be single or stacked and made to mount on walls, furniture or have a ground stake to put in the grass.

The next two are by Back Porch Shoppe and are a bit dressier and available in several colors. Embellish with arrows or flourishs for a practical or a frilly touch.

Same Product Twice the Service

Did you know that most invitation vendors, such as WIlliam Arthur, now sell on line? That's great for them, but not so great for us. Or for you! For the same price, you can shop at On Paper... receive professional design advice, customization options, and twelve years of our expertise-all at no extra charge. So scout your ideas on line and book an appointment with us! Support your local business and we'll support you as well by offering the best customer service and making sure to make your next stationery project a perfect one!

Papaya Portraits

Just received more giclee prints from Papaya. These 14" x 14" square canvases have glitter details, gallery wrap 1.5" sides - and are ready to hang without framing - comes with hang bracket in place just pop it up on the wall. Perfect for dorm wall decor- not that we're thinking of back to school yet!!! ;)

Great art for under $50 bucks? Now that's what I call a summer breeze!

Addressing the Dress

My last post on frills and textured gowns had me roving fashion blogs and I just can't seem to take my eyes of dresses. After all, I was a costume design major in college and after paper- there's nothing like the feel of a lovely piece of fabric!

For brides seeking the simpler side of fashion check out these blogs/sites/dresses- some of my favorites from the last few days of dress hunting:

From Jenny Yoo - love the classic vintage inspired details and touches

From my newest fave designer- Elizabeth Dye... if I had the time I, for sure, would have had her make my wedding dress. Check out her wonderful designs and her inspiring blog...so great!

When speaking of classic, simple and chic, one has to mention the relatively new and hugely popular collection from J. Crew:

And if your wondering about my dress? Found it at Saks but they didn't have my size.

Luckily Bluefly did!

FIRST LADY FRILLS

Michelle Obama photos via hiphop.popcrunch.com

There's a new trend on the block and I'm calling it First Lady frills. It all started with a ballgown, but not just any ball gown... THE ballgown... worn by the lovely Michelle Obama. Designed by 26 year old Jason Wu, this relatively unknown designer has created a fashion sensation. And now it's popping up in bridal shop fitting rooms all across the country! And what better way to translate haute couture to weddings than a utterly stunning white confection!?

Here are some more great bridal fashions that incorporate texture, frills and inspired fluff...

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Photos #1 #2 #3 are dresses by the incredibly talented Elizabeth Dye. See more of her work here and her beautiful shop, The English Dept. here.
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Photo #4 is by "myrakim" on etsy.com. This artist creates flounces, fabric corsages, embellishments and hair pieces that incorporate a retro vintage textured quality while still being so sophisticated. Lovely and chic!

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And, of course, there is J. Crew and their simply elegant collection of bridal wear.

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Photos #5, #6, and #7 via jcrew.com
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And what would a conversation about bridal gowns be without the mention of the illustious Vera Wang? Here are a few glimpses of her 2010 collection- which takes textured fabric detail to en entirely new level- the epitome of cotton candy confection! Yummmm!

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Photos #8, #9 and #10 via verawang.com
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The enigmatic fashion house of Chanel took couture texture over the top to new heights in the most recent collection show a few weeks ago...

Photo montages via chanel.com
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And coming full circle, back to Mr. Wu. Check out more of Jason Wu's inspired collections here.

Last three photos via jasonwustudio.com