New products are showing up at InvitationBox all the time. InvitationBox is very excited to announce our very first line of kids calling cards from IB Designs, our own brand!

Calling cards are a wonderful product because they can be used for so many different purposes. Use them as a decorative gift enclosure card, a safe way to mark your belongings, a method to help your child remember and give out their parent’s contact information or emergency contact numbers or maybe to use to write a small note. Each kids’ calling card is printed on high-quality 100 pound white flat card stock.

IB Designs calling cards feature a fun, whimsical or bright design in an array of themes and patterns. Choose from our jungle and safari calling cards with baby elephants, giraffes, monkeys or lions. Go south with an adorable boy or girl penguin. Fly north with one of our bird or chick subtle designs. Need something more generic? We also have fun kids’ calling cards with bright striped or polka dotted patterns. Take a look at some of our new designs below…

Check out the above designs and many more at www.invitationbox.com! We think you’ll be as excited as we are about these new whimsical designs!

Create your fairytale wedding and ride off into the beautiful scenery that helped create your magical day with a mountain wedding, whether it be a destination wedding or your backyard, (if you’re lucky enough to live near one of these large wonders). Mountain weddings offer a great relief to funds for decorations as they offer such beautiful scenery that everything else needs to be elegantly simple or classic.

At InvitationBox.com we have a great array of wedding stationery to help you plan the perfect mountain wedding. Start off with a Mountain Save the Date card, like this one here by Bonnie Marcus & Co., BSP-MDI. This gorgeous save the date card is printed on 100 pound card ivory card stock and includes matching ivory envelopes. The top of the card features a copper and yellowish-gold rustic pattern and an old stamp stating “Celebration Mountain Destination”. A drawn photograph of a mountain scene at sunset adorns the top center of the card with a black silhouette of an embracing couple standing in front of it. Add your save the date text below the graphics and let your guests know of this important and upcoming event!

Your mountain wedding invitation can go from simple to formal depending on the type of wedding your will be having. Our Mt. Retreat Invitation by Odd Balls, NOTE-OB3267, is a perfect invitation for a casual wedding invitation. This flat white invitation is printed on 80 pound card stock and features a watercolor design of a mountain lodge porch on the side of a mountain. Simply stunning. Need something a little more formal? Embossed Graphics offers an array of layered and simple formal wedding invitations with simple detail, floral accents and nature scenes. This layered invitation, EG-BA-EA440M features an embossed lovebird design on the inside and is placed inside a tan folder with a floral design. Perfect for a nature lover’s wedding.

When planning your rehearsal dinner, you can also include the mountain theme into your décor and rehearsal dinner invitations. Our Rustic Place Setting invitation by Inviting Company, IC-1-2056, is printed on 80 pound white card stock. The card features a brown and white border and focuses on a wooden table design of a copper place setting with rustic-looking silverware. Add your invitation text to the plate in the center. Remember when planning your rehearsal dinner it is also a nice gesture to include any traveling out-of-town guests.

After the wedding don’t forget to send thank you notes to all of your guests! Go with a floral or nature theme or maybe go GREEN with one of our stationery sets that is printed on recycled paper!

This week seemed to be the week for grammar questions! I try to share the small little things with our readers, especially when a customer stumps me on a grammar question we all feel we should know, but in fact the rule has just slipped our mind. I thought I’d share some grammar tips on the use of plurals, as for most of us the days of 4th grade English class are long over…(thank you WikiHow for your tips):

-An apostrophe should not be insinuate a plural
When trying to make a word plural (more than one), an apostrophe is not necessary. For example, the plural form of dog is dogs. The plural form of block is blocks. Not dog’s or block’s. The apostrophe actually makes the word show ownership rather than indicating more than one.
This also tends to happen in words that end in vowels like orange or hippo. The plural form should still be oranges or hippos. Not orange’s or hippo’s.

-An apostrophe that indicates possession
An apostrophe should go before the “s” when using singular possession. For example, ‘Amy has a dog’ to “Amy’s dog” or “In the back shelf of the refrigerator” to “The refrigerator’s back shelf”. If the singular word ends in an “s” you can use an apostrophe “s” or “s” apostrophe. For example “The Adams” to “The Adams’ house” or “The Adams’s house”.
If plural, the apostrophe should go after the word. For example with the word “cooks”. The plural version of this would be cooks’.

For more etiquette and grammar advice, visit our website, www.invitationbox.com.

At InvitationBox.com there is more to us than just pretty invitations! We have a wonderful gift shop of many ceramic gifts, baby décor, baby gift items and more. One of our baby item vendors, 3 Marthas, has just introduced a plethora of new products which we are offering on InvitationBox.com.

The materials used by 3 Marthas are simply superior – thick 100% cotton terry for their towels and bibs, double-napped 100% cotton flannel for their blankets, and extra thick 100% cotton burp pads with an 8 ply center for extra absorbency! Their products are made with high thread count ginghams, imported grosgrain ribbons, fabulous waffle pique and more. 3 Marthas is known for their beautiful appliqués in which they take the art of the appliqué and tweak it to create designs that delight modern mothers while retaining their hand-made appeal.

The new products include fabulous new designs that appeal babies, toddlers, children AND moms. The newest designs include trains, puppy dogs, fish and chicks in various gingham, stripe and plaid designs. Choose from a vast array of burp pads, bibs, hooded towels, wash cloths, stroller blankets, onesies and satin cold blankets.

The 3 Marthas collection includes items that are great for baby shower gifts for the mommy-to-be, birthday gifts for young children and for items for everyday bath and mealtime use.

Something pretty. Something sweet. Something sexy…to knock the groom off his feet! What kind of shower/gifts can you plan for a bridal shower for the bride-to-be that has everything that she and her fiance need? Bridal lingerie showers are the perfect type of shower for the bride that already has her kitchen gadgets, furniture and linens. Lingerie is a gift that she and her groom will appreciate and can range from lacy and racy to simple and sweet. Have guests bring anything from flannel pajamas and slippers to slips and nighties, depending on the bride and groom’s taste, and what they are comfortable with.

As this is such a personal shower, be sure that the bride is comfortable ahead of time with the guests attending and subject matter at hand. Nobody wants an embarrassed bride! If needed, you may want to ask the bride if she is okay with the hosts providing the attending guests with her measurements and size preferences. Also, be sure all guests include gift receipts for their gifts in case a received gift is not the bride’s style.

When choosing your lingerie shower invitation, choose one that reflects the bride’s personality and the type of lingerie she is interested in. Whether it is wild animal prints and fun colors, soft, cuddly and sweet or scandalous. Take a look at some of our most popular lingerie shower invitations below:

Need some lingerie shower game ideas? I found these great ideas from all about showers.com:

The Bride’s Poem
Start off by writing a sentence about the bride (or bride and groom) as if it were the first line of a poem. Then pass it around the room as the bride opens her presents. Each guest must write down a next line of the poem, following the previous line as logically as possible. Then, she folds the sheet of paper over, so that the next guest only sees the line she has written. The maid of honor or hostess reads the wacky poem at the end of present opening!

The Wedding Night
This one is particularly fun at a lingerie shower. As the bride unwraps her gifts, have a bridesmaid quietly write down everything she says, such as “oooh, this is pretty” and “where does this go?”. At the end, have that bridesmaid announce, “this is what the bride will say on her wedding night” and read the list out loud!

Groom in his skivvies
Tell each guests that the object of the game is to draw a picture of the groom in his underwear, but the catch is that the drawing pad must remain on top of the artist’s head the whole time she is drawing! The bride picks her favorite drawing to win a prize.

Have lots of pencils and paper handy. As guests arrive, encourage them to write anonymous advice for the bride on her wedding night. Read aloud as the bride opens her sexy gifts and get ready for giggles, laughs and a WHOLE lot of fun!

New item alert! At InvitationBox.com we introduced three new collegiate items on our site this week including officially licensed collegiate ID tags, enclosure cards and stickers. These items are from a multitude of colleges including UNC, Florida State, Auburn University, Texas A&M, University of Flordia, LSU and more! Each school features unique designs like ginham, colored patterns, circle bursts, borders, paisley designs and elegant damask patterns along with a college logo. Make the item yours with your name, address, school activity group or a favorite saying. Each item is only available in the font colors shown, which coincide with your school’s colors.

Take a look at some of our newest items below…

These collegiate ID tags, enclosure cards and stickers are a great gift for the college graduate, alumnae, a high school student heading to college or current student. Each gift will help the student with networking and showing off their school pride to the world.

At InvitationBox we realize the economy has taken a toll on all of us, including our customers! We decided that we don’t want price to be a reason that a customer has to shop elsewhere. This is why InvitationBox.com has introduced our Low Price Guarantee program.

The low price program guarantees that we have the lowest price available to you. And if we don’t, and you find one of our products on a competitor’s website for a lower price, we will match that price by 110%, thus giving you the now lowest price available.

(Example of price match: Competitor price = $100, Our Total Price = $110. Price Match Price = $110 – ($10*110%) = $99).

To receive the price match, just fill out online form that asks you questions about the item you want to purchase including quantity, item #, website and additions to your item, (return address, assembly, etc.). A representative will then research your item and respond to you within 1 business day. If the price will be honored a coupon code that is valid for 24 hours will be sent to you to use at checkout to receive your discounted price.

Decades parties are a great way to get all of your guests into the theme of your party whether you’re hosting a party for the 50’s, 60’s, 70’s or 80’s.. Spruce up your event for your chosen decade with these simple ideas…

50’s Themed Party: Decorate your party location with 50’s music posters, rock and roll memorabilia, records, guitars and a juke box. Be sure to have the girls wear a poodle skirt, tease up their hair into a beehive, and have the guys wear white leather and dress up like Elvis. You can have a karaoke contest for the singers in the group or an American Bandstand contest if you feel like dancing. Don’t forget 50’s trivia games too!

60’s Themed Party: For your groovy 60’s party decorate your event with beaded curtains, peace signs, candles. Have everyone come in their favorite tye dye shirts, flowered pants, John Lennon sunglasses and your hippie wig! Play 60’s trivia games, see who has the most flower power and bring Woodstock back to life!

70’s Themed Party: For your far out 70’s party decorate the room with bean bag chairs and that hideous old couch you kept in the basement all these years. Have everyone bring an old picture of themselves in their 70’s attire. Have a rainbow disco ball hanging from the ceiling and play your favorite 70’s tunes. Ask each guest to dress in their bellbottoms or come as their favorite “That 70’s Show” character. Wrap the evening up with a game of “guess that 70’s tv show” or karaoke.

80’s Themed Party: The most popular of them all, your 80’s themed party is going to call for some great costumes and rockin’ tunes! Have each guest don their jelly shoes, bangles, fishnet gloves, wigs, baggy sweatshirts and high-top sneaks. Play karaoke or rock band to your favorite 80’s tunes. Have a dance-off where the winner wins an old collection of 80’s tapes.

Whatever decade you choose for your party, this will be an event that each guest will identify with and be excited to take part in the fun of reliving their past! Rock on!

She lives in a castle in a far away land. She wears a pretty dress while carrying a wand in her hand. She’s nice, she’s pretty and she’s looking for a frog to turn into her prince…she’s a princess!

Celebrate her magical day with a princess party in her honor! Princess themed parties are one of the most popular kids’ birthday party themes around. Because every girl is a princess and deserves to be treated like royalty on her special day! Create your child’s very own princess party by incorporating the princess theme into your invitations, decorations, games, activities, cake, snacks, gift bag favors and costumes. Below are some great ideas that will help you create an unforgettable princess party for your little one…

Invitations: Sound the trumpets for this princess’s invitation! InvitationBox.com has a great selection of princess party invitations that are suited for royalty! The princess invitations range from castle themes, princess girls, magic wands, crowns and princess place settings. Our princess invitations are offered in a different variety including flat invitations, layered invitations, die-cut attachment invitations, stand-up invitations and die-cut shaped invitations. When planning the wording on your invitation be sure to include a princess poem or princess jargon like “her royal highness”, “happily ever after” or “come join us in a land far away…”.

Decorations and Costumes: When decorating for a princess party, make sure your décor is full of pinks and purples. Include jewels for some added sparkle. Decorate your entranceway with streamers, balloons, a banner and flower petals along the floor. You can even create your own castle, or have the party guests create a castle out of boxes. Have each guest come dressed as a princess or their favorite Disney princess or have an array of costumes for your guests to dress up in upon arrival. Make sure the birthday princess has her very own birthday crown or even a princess sash so that everyone knows this is her special day.

Games & Activities: If you’re into arts and crafts, have each guest create their own magic wand out of streamers, glitter, sequins and jewels. Or, have all the princesses pose for a group picture that you can print during the party and have the guests decorate a princess frame to take home with the photo. For games you can play “pin the tiara on the princess”, hot potato but with a “poison apple” or dress-up princess relay.

Cake & Snacks: When making your princess cake many craft stores have cake molds in the shape of a castle, magic wand or princess hat. Decorate your cake with pink and purple frostings and even add edible glitter! For snacks you can serve up party mix, Hershey’s Kisses (that might just turn into a frog or a prince), cookies, scones, crumpets, tea and fun fruit juices.

Gift Bags: Send each guest home with a goodie-bag that you can find at a craft store or dollar store. Fill each bag with candy, stickers, a prince frog or a candy necklace.

…After this party she’ll live happily ever after!

Welcome to the fabulous Las Vegas! Put on your poker face and invite your guests over for a party full of gambling, cocktails, finger foods & swanky attire. Poker and casino parties are all the rage right now for adult birthday parties and even some sweet 16 birthday parties. Just remember if you’re planning a sweet 16 to use fake money and fake poker chips and serve plenty of mock tails!

For adult parties you can contact your local hotel and most actually have facilities and party planners that can do an entire casino night for you including real dealers, poker tables, etc. These parties are extremely fun yet rather expensive. If it’s not in your budget go ahead and create your own poker night – but just remember to have enough dealers for your tables. Have everyone do a specific dollar amount buy-in for chips as they arrive. This way everyone has the same amount of chips and can play until they win or run out! At the end of the night they can turn in the chips for money or everyone can donate the money to a favorite or local charity. You can also have each guest bring a gift to raffle/auction off in the end; things like gift cards, free movie rentals, wine, etc. When planning out your tables you can have popular games like roulette, black jack or poker. Download some swanky casino music or buy a CD filled with slot machine and coin sounds. Ask your guests to dress James Bond sheek or have a 20’s theme with flapper dresses, feather boas and long suit coats. Your guests will really get into the casino theme. Throughout the night you can also do a raffle for more or less poker chips which can really change your games up a little! Send each guest home with a photo from the night or a deck of cards!

When choosing your casino party invitations, be sure to choose one with a theme that directly reflects the mood of the event – be it fun, swanky or elegant. At InvitationBox we have a variety of casino and poker themed invitations including die-cut pop-out shapes, vibrant colors, poker chips, poker card themes, Vegas signs, dice and roulette wheels. Take a look at some of our most popular casino party invitations below…

And remember what they say…What happens in Vegas – Stays in Vegas!!