Inspired Gifting ~ Haute Papier Personalized Notepads

Notepads by Haute Papier

Here is a great gift motto: “Everything is prettier personalized!” Personalized gifts show the recipient that you put a lot of thought into getting them something unique. With this in mind, we are loving personalized notepads from Haute Papier.

With an increasing need for lists popping up during the summer {vacation packing lists, backyard BBQ grocery lists, babysitter lists for a day at the pool, etc.} what better way for you and your friends and family to get both prepared and excited for the fun times ahead?!

Starting at just $11 for a small size, these Haute Papier personalized pads are both pretty and affordable! Stop in to Salutations in Charlotte or Durham to order your Haute Papier personalized notepads today!

Inspired Stationery ~ Personalized Stationery FAQs

Smock Letterpress Stationery

Welcome to another Inspired Stationery post! This week we are answering some FAQs about personalized stationery. Everyone needs personalized stationery. From thank you notes, to casual correspondences, personalized stationery is the foundation of a great stationery wardrobe.

FAQ 1: Should I Choose a Flat Card or Folded Note?

Salutations Crane Stationery

We get this question a lot! Most traditionally, folded notes are used by women for writing thank you notes or concise messages. Flat cards are traditionally used by women for writing less formal correspondences. If you are shopping for a gentleman, or are a gentleman, flat cards are traditionally used for correspondences by men. So when choosing stationery, if it’s for a man think flat card and for a women decide what she will use it for most often and choose based on her lifestyle and needs.

FAQ 2: What Printing Method Should I Choose?

Bella Figura available at Salutations

This is also a common question. At Salutations we offer letterpress (and foil stamping), engraving, embossing, thermography and flat and digital printing. We have dozens of options in personal stationery available in each printing method.

More formal stationery is typically engraved. Engraving is one of the more expensive options, but your engraving plate can be used over and over again through your lifetime, which can offset the cost. Consider formality when choosing a printing method. Also, all of our printing methods have a unique feel and texture.  We highly recommend coming in and touching all of the different methods and seeing the difference in person before making a decision.

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Wedding Wednesday: Designers We Love ~ Bella Figura

Wedding invitation by Bella Figura

Welcome to another Wedding Wednesday! We love working with Bella Figura. Smock‘s sister company designs and prints beautiful letterpress and foil wedding, business and social stationery.

The 70 + member Bella Figura team includes staff, designers, calligraphers and printers that produce custom heirloom products. They work in a hundred-year-old warehouse on the outskirts of Syracuse, New York.

Bella Figura is also a green print shop {they print sustainably, use environmental papers, work to reduce their carbon footprint} and they support many eco friendly causes.

With so many unique designs, it was difficult to pick just a few to showcase here ~ each has its own personality! Below are a few save the date designs that we’re loving lately.

Save the Date by Bella Figura

Save the Date by Bella Figura

Save the Date by Bella Figura

Save the Date by Bella Figura

Fabulous, right? From bold and graphic to soft and sweet, Bella Figura has a save the date for every personality.

Next up are invitations. There are so many personalities that we thought it would be fun to invent brides perfect for each!

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Inspired Parties ~ Kramer Drive Invitations

Bridal Shower Invitation by Kramer Drive

Whether you’re planning a children’s birthday party, a bridal shower or an adult affair, the perfect invitation is a must! It sets the tone for the entire event and either sends the recipient racing to their calendar to mark the date or sighing to the trash to pitch “just another invite”.

Kramer Drive is a great company that both we and our customers can’t get enough of {obvious from all the blog love we give them!}! Their designs are fresh, fun and best of all totally customizable. You can change all ink colors, font styles and can even add glitter on any invite.

They are also well-priced {starting at $48.75 for 15} and have a quick turnaround rate {around 8 business days}. Kramer Drive doesn’t just do invitations, they also do gift tags, thank you notes and all sorts of custom accessories. Take a peek at a few invites we are loving this spring…

Cocktail party invitations by Kramer Drive

Cocktails? Yes, please! This cocktail party invite works for any occasion ~ keep the background in a pewter gray for a more formal couple’s event or make it bright fuchsia for a girl’s night out.

Flower invite by Kramer Drive

This birthday party invite is pretty for girls of all ages. We often see it dressed up a bit with glitter in the center of a few of the flowers.

Diamond birthday invitation by Kramer Drive

Picking out an invitation for a man’s birthday party can be tricky. You don’t want the invitation to be too “girly” {with the design or fonts} but you still want it to feel fun and not corporate. This invite accomplishes all those things in a modern style.

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Inspired Gifting ~ Graduation Gift Guide

Graduation Gifts from Salutations

Welcome back to another Inspired Gifting post, featuring our top picks for graduation gifts. Can you believe it’s that time of year again?! Time flies when studying hard! Whether that special person in your life is graduating from high school or college, Salutations has the perfect gift for them!

Personalized Notebooks {above} and Planners

Salutations Graduation Gifts

Whether taking notes in first semester college classes, or planning all of the important events of the coming year, we love personalized notebooks and planners by Dabney Lee. There are so many great colors and patterns to choose from, ensuring that that special graduate in your life stands out from the crowd!

Personalized Stationery

Salutations Graduation Gifts Custom Stationery

There’s really nothing like great, quality custom stationery. Currently we’re loving beautiful engraved and thermography options by Crane & Co. They are sophisticated, special and just as perfect for writing a quick note home to mom and dad as they are for writing a follow up thank you note to a potential boss following a great job interview!

Salutations Graduation Gifts Stationery

Custom stationery can be as formal or casual as you like thanks to an endless variety of color, font, motif and pattern choices. Because it’s functional, personal and versatile, we think custom stationery is the perfect gift for almost any occasion, but it seems especially fitting for graduation!

Custom Stampers

Salutations Graduation Gifts
We love custom stampers by Three Designing Women! You can even purchase the stamper and let the lucky grad choose from thousands of designs to truly make it their own! We love that!

Leather Envelopes

Salutations Graduation Gifts

The ability to tuck photos of family and friends inside make these leather envelopes, available in a plethora of sizes and colors, chic, functional and sentimental. That is a combination that is not easily found in many gifts. And we have been known to carry ours, by Graphic Image, as clutches during evenings out!

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Wedding Wednesday: Real Brides of Charlotte ~ Shervon Stoutamire

Shervon Stoutamire wedding picture

Sassy birdcage veil? Check.

Carrie Bradshaw drool-worthy shoes? Check.

Flawless complexion and brilliant smile? Check.

Too cute fiance that was also your high school sweetheart? Check.

And a southern chateau wedding located on a lush, private vineyard? Check, check check!

Shervon Stoutamire, turned Robinson {yes, she is now officially Mrs. Robinson…something Shervon often joked about in the days leading up to her wedding!}, had all the components of a dream wedding. At our first meeting, she couldn’t hide her excitement over marrying her high school sweetheart Robert at stunning Chateau Elan in at Atlanta. I loved chatting with Shervon over the months as we worked on her invitations and then programs, menus, table cards and thank you notes. Her warmth, excitement and kindness was always on display and Shervon is actually prettier on the inside than she is on the outside ~ a cliche that is very true in her case. Shervon’s color palate was a sleek salmon pink paired with chocolate and khaki browns. For her invitations and accessories we created all custom pieces using pocketfolds and cardstocks that look and feel like wood. An ornate vineyard motif completed the look and was carried through on all her paper pieces.

Take a peek into Shervon’s fabulous wedding below:

Wedding image

Is this picture even real?! Too gorgeous! Would it be weird if I framed this and put it in my own house? You’re right…totally creepy. But it is reeeally beautiful!

Shervon Stoutamire Wedding Image

This mermaid has nothing on Shervon. Sorry, girlfriend. Stunning shot of both the couple and Chateau Elan.

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Inspired Stationery ~ Treat Yourself

Salutations Letterpress Stationery

Welcome back to another Inspired Stationery post! This week we are excited to be highlighting luxurious personalized stationery as a gift…to yourself. How many times have you found yourself in need of stationery to write a quick, but meaningful thank you note only to have to scramble for a lackluster, generic option at the last minute?

One time is too many, which is exactly why we think indulging in personalized stationery now is a great idea and investment in months {if not years} worth of gorgeous correspondences.

Salutations Personal Engraved Stationery

One of the fabulous things about Salutations is that we offer endless options in personal stationery. We offer tons of options in letterpress, engraved, thermography and digitally printed stationery. You can choose everything from the print method, to ink colors, to fonts, to a myriad of embellishments {think edge painting, envelope liners, custom artwork, and beyond} to make your personal stationery as unique as you are.

Salutations Personal Stationery Letterpress

This customization will come in handy when you need to thank someone for a thoughtful gift they sent your way or to send someone an encouraging note when they are down. Having your own personal stationery means always being prepared and never scrambling for a note or card at the last minute.

Salutations Personal Letterpress Custom Stationery

We also love how personal stationery is long lasting. This season’s it handbag will be replaced next season, but a well-designed set of custom personal stationery will be useful for a lifetime of well wishes and thank you’s. Because we offer so many options, your stationery can be as stylish, if not more so, than any treat yourself gift that you may be tempted to grab at the mall. And because your stationery is personalized, every other person in your town will not own the same set as you, which we love.

Salutations Personal Stationery

Finally, we love the idea of gifting yourself an amazing wardrobe of stationery because it is as important and says as much about you as your clothing wardrobe does. In today’s world one’s image is as important as ever. Having great personal stationery will speak volumes about you, your style, and most importantly, your personality. A set of custom, beautifully designed personal stationery will make you stand out from the crowd.

So there you have it, if you are in a position to treat yourself, consider personal stationery from Salutations. Gone are the days of scrambling for a mediocre thank you note that says nothing about who you are as a person. Stop by Salutations in Charlotte or the Triangle to treat yourself to something truly special. We can’t wait to see you!

{Product images, top to bottom ~ foil stamped note card by Smock, engraved note by Crane & Co., letterpress envelopes by Smock, letterpress note by Bella Figura, engraved note by Crane & Co.}

Wedding Wednesday: Blissful Inspiration ~ Mint

Wedding flowers, invitations and cake in mint

Right: Flowers from Society Bride. Center: Hamilton wedding invitation by Dauphine Press. Right: Cake from Wedding Bells.

Mint is so hot…err cool, right now!

This perfect color pick is popping up all over and I couldn’t be happier! I have always been a fan of this heavenly hue ~ it makes me think of a mix between yummy cupcake frosting and the North Shore waters of Oahu. Also, I’m a redhead and I have to say that nothing compliments a fair complexion like mint {reference Jessica Chastain’s gorgeous Golden Globes look}.

But enough about me. “What does this trend mean for weddings?” you ask. Answer: Everything. Mint is shutting. it. down. in the wedding world right now. Peek at a few picks for ways to incorporate mint into your big day.

Mint Wedding Dress by Elie Saab

Dive in! If you are a modern yet feminine bride who wants to fully embrace the mint trend, this 2012 Elie Saab gown is perfect for you! The clean silhouette and floral details make it still feel like a wedding dress {which will make Grandma happy} yet the color makes the dress unique and truly special.

Mint Wedding Invitation by Bella FIgura

Bella Figura’s Rococo Elegance wedding invitation certainly makes a statement! This lush, letterpressed invite features pewter scroll work and mint botanical accents. The mint coloring doesn’t overpower the piece, but it still opens up the use of the color on the big day. Make an appointment at Salutations in Durham or Charlotte to look at this and other fabulous wedding invitations.

Mint necklace

Ok, so maybe you weren’t quiiite ready to jump into the deep end with the mint Elie Saab. It’s ok! Try just a subtle pop of color with this stone necklace from J.Crew. The color is soft enough to compliment any shade of white and is sure to brighten up your face for all those pretty pictures.

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Wedding Wednesday: Designers We Love ~ Oblation Papers & Press

Letterpress wedding invitation by Oblation

French Quarter wedding invitation by Oblation Papers & Press.

Oblation Papers & Press is one of our newer designers and we couldn’t be more excited about carrying them at Salutations! Their papers are some of the most thick and lush we have ever felt {seriously, I kind of want to rub my face all over their paper, Snuggle the Bear style…is that weird?} and their designs are interesting and eclectic.

Founded in 1989, this Portland, Oregon urban paper mill and letterpress print shop sprung from humble beginnings.  The owners and creators made their own handmade paper using recycled fibers, flowers and ferns in their kitchen blender! The addition of a vintage letterpress machine allowed them to start printing custom wedding invitations. Today, they use cotton paper from recycled fabric remnants and soy inks and citrus solvents Oblation’s environmental concern shapes each step of their creation process.

Here’s a peek at a few of our favorite Oblation suites…

Letterpress wedding invitations by Oblation

The Alhambra suite is dramatic, yet clean. The strong initials at the top offer the only design element to an otherwise basic invitation. We can just picture this invitation paired with the bright reds, yellows and greens of a vibrant Santa Fe wedding.

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Wedding Wednesday ~ Real Brides of Salutations {Charlotte}: Kristina Kuehnel

Save the date, thank you note, couple and bouquet picture

Kristina Keuhnel {now Burke} knew exactly what she wanted that day when, as an excited bride, she walked through our doors for the very first time. Little did we know that, after her first appointment, we would have the pleasure of spending much more time with Kristina! Over the course of nine months, we worked {which, as it often does, felt like playing!} with Kristina to create her totally custom invitations and accessories. It wasn’t uncommon for Kristina to grace the store with her cheerful presence several days a week with her laptop ~ brainstorming and creating. We enjoyed the time we got to spend with Kristina and truly loved sharing the whole wedding process with her.

With the Biltmore Estate as her venue, Kristina wanted a minimalistic invitation that still felt appropriate for a wedding in artsy Asheville. Kristina chose Smock to create her preppy and clean letterpressed invitations that set the tone for her entire wedding {check out her yummy blueberry cake below!}. The main focus was on her circle duogram that was accompanied by crisp dots, lines and borders. We also helped her to create save the dates, rehearsal dinner invitations, programs, menus, welcome letters, escort cards and thank-you notes. Kristina lived and breathed every wedding planning detail and we were honored to have been such a big part of her special day!

Blue and white wedding invitation with initials

Invitation with Smock liner

Basket with wedding programs

Wedding photo on terrace at Biltmore

Escort cards with leaf pins

Reception image from Biltmore

White wedding cake with blue initials

Welcome letter, menu, couple and table number picture

{Image credit: All images by Blend Photography}

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