Has it been a long week for you, too?  Just looking at this Irish Lager St. Patrick’s Day Invitation makes me want a cold one after such a stressful week.  Sometimes we all need to sit back, relax and take time to visit with family and friends…and a St. Patrick’s Day party may be exactly what you need!

We all know that trying to make your way into a bar on St. Patrick’s Day can be extremely hard as so many people love to celebrate this festive holiday.  So why not plan your own St. Patty’s day event at your home or a favorite spot and invite all of your friends and co-workers to join you?! 

March 17th is vastly approaching, but you still have a little bit of time to order your invitations, and we always offer rush processing and rush delivery services to help you receive your order on-time.  Most of our St. Patrick’s Day invitations even have coordinating stationery and stickers available to help you jazz up your envelopes or party favors.

Planning a St. Patrick’s Day party is pretty easy – you’ll just need a few key ingredients!  Choose paper plates, silverware and table settings in GREEN, of course, with some gold accents to remind your guests of what you find at the bottom of that rainbow.  Whatever you do, don’t forget the beer or a traditional Irish lager!  You can even look up a fun recipe for green beer!  Have a door prize for the lucky # 7 guest to arrive at the party, which will also encourage guests to arrive on time.  Bake up some green frosted cupcakes with a sugary shamrock in the center or green candy confetti.

Set the scene for your St. Patrick’s Day party with a festive St. Patrick’s Day Party Invitation from our lucky green collection.  Our St. Patrick’s Day invitations feature Irish stout, shamrocks, beer girls, clover patches, leprechauns and rainbows and Irish pub signs – everything you’d possibly think of when you think about Irish holidays.  Choose an invitation that best coordinates with your event theme, whether it’s formal Irish chic or a complete St. Patty’s Day Bash to recover from! 

It can be something sexy, or it can be something sweet.  No matter what, it just needs to sweep the groom off of his feet!  Lingerie showers can be one of the most fun showers a bride can have and she’ll be likely to receive some gifts that she may not normally purchase for herself.  Clothing the bride for each night of her honeymoon can also be really fun and adventurous!

With our spring releases of brand new invitations, our vendors have included several brand new lingerie shower invitations that will turn the heat up on your typical bridal shower.  The image to the left of this blog was taken from a brand new Noteworthy Collections invitation, called the Little Black Nightie Pink.  This sexy invitation features a bride wearing a black nightie with fishnet stockings.  She wears her engagement ring and carries an empty martini glass in her left hand as she struts her stuff.  Completely sassy, chic and sexy – just like the bride to be!

Remember that your chosen lingerie shower invitation will give your guests and idea of what type of lingerie the bride is in need of.  If you’re looking for racy and sexy, the above invitation is perfectly appropriate.  However if the bride has a more conservative, lace, linen and pretty lingerie preference, you may want to choose a more subtle lingerie shower invitation which showcases a more simple design or a card with multiple types of lingerie for a variety of items depending on her mood that day.  You’ll also want to check with the bride to make sure she is comfortable with you giving out her measurements to guests to assist them in purchasing the correct lingerie sizes.  Nobody wants lingerie 10 sizes too big, but at the same time, a tight outfit can make for an uncomfortable outfit, and anyone wearing lingerie wants to look their best.  We typically say to spread the bride’s sizes by word of mouth, however if she is comfortable, you may print it in the corner of your invitation, small.

Below are some of our brand new lingerie shower invitations that will get your heart racing…

If you’re an animal lover, you understand it when we say that a pet is truly recognized as a vital member of your family.  One of the coolest lines of products we’ve introduced at InvitationBox.com over the past year is our complete line of pet essentials.  Whether you’re announcing a new pet addition to your family with a pet announcement, celebrating a pet’s birthday with a pet birthday party invitation or simply decorating your pet’s meal-area with a personalized pet placemat, we have a little something for everyone’s favorite pets.  Choose from designs geared toward dogs or cats – or both!

Pet Party Invitations - It may seem a bit strange to some to host a pet shower or birthday party, but if you and your friends are pet people, why not celebrate?!  Make it a day at the dog park with family and friends, whether they’re two-legged or four-legged!  Have a fetching contest as a party game.  Play a game of guess the breed as an ice breaker when guests arrive.  Hand out dog treats or pet toys as party gifts as your guests leave.  Pet parties can be really fun and interactive if you have all guests bring their furry friend along with them.  Choose from pet invitations with dog or cat paw prints, digital photographs or your pet’s favorite fashion color!

Pet Placemats – Chow-time is an exciting time for every pet, and there’s no reason that their food area shouldn’t be just as fabulous as your pet itself!  Our exciting collection of pet placemats features hard laminated pet designs with animal print, paw prints, dog bones and princess themes for your spoiled furry one.  Each placemat is water resistant for spills and can be flipped over to view a coordinating design.  Add your pet’s name or digital photograph to the placemat for further personalization.

Check out some of our awesome pet invitations and pet placemats below.  Your dogs will be wagging their tails in anticipation…

What happens in Vegas – Stays in Vegas!  One of the hottest trends in party themes and invitations is Vegas themed party invitations!  There’s really no better way to have all guests geared up and excited for a party than a night out at a local casino full of drinks, food, games and wildly good times!  We’ve even seen engaged couples choose Las Vegas or Casino themed invitations for their wedding, whether they’re eloping or simply incorporating the casino theme into their fun-filled wedding events.

Some of our brand new invitations truly encompass the Las Vegas party theme while picturing Las Vegas signs, roulette wheels, poker chips, playing cards, rolling dice or ticket stubs.  We even have formal Vegas themed invitations which are made to look like a large playing card, detailed with your event information.  These casino themed invitations range from casual, fun and affordable with flat and digital prints to flashy, extravagant, expensive and luxurious with thermography printing and highly detailed graphics on specialized papers.  So whatever style Vegas event you’re hosting, your invitation will coordinate.

Below are some of our most popular and new Las Vegas themed party invitations…

Planning your own Vegas themed event, (rather than taking a flight to sin-city)?  Remember that many local vendors can help you create your own casino in your own home!  Give each guest play chips as they arrive and set up card and game tables for all to play.  Host a raffle if you have the gambling types that want to leave with a large prize!  Or, take the group out on a casino cruise or head to the local casino to see if the cards are in your hands that night! 

Everybody loves a casino party and everyone wants to get lucky!  Set the scene  for your next party with a Vegas themed event that nobody will ever forget, (though they may want to depending on how wild things get)!

simply fabulous paper for simply fabulous people is their motto, and their invitation and stationery designs portray nothing less than an image for the fabulous, stylish, chic and trendy.  Introducing the newest addition to our vendor family: Doc Milo!  We are very excited to bring this chic stationery company aboard to offer the most stylish and trendy invitations for all different kinds of occasions! 

Doc Milo began in 1998 with a vision in mind to do what the owner loved and create stylish invitations for the fabulous!  Her inspirations have a very stylish Audrey Hepburn style but in a chic, modern way and are perfect for some of life’s most important milestone events.  We have added over 175 different brand new designs from Doc Milo which you’ll see integrated into our bridal shower invitation, baby shower invitation, engagement party invitation, graduation party invitation, cocktail party invitation, kid and adult birthday party and holiday party collections.  Doc Milo is so stylish and great to also include different looks and cultures to their characters from blonde to brunette to African American!   Let’s be honest, we all look different, so why shouldn’t your invitation own that?!  

Doc Milo also carries coordinating stationery and thank you notes as well!  A stylish girl may be chic, but she should still mind her manners and send a thank you!  Be sure to also check out their line of fill-in invitations and fill-in thank you notes for kids birthday parties.  They feature vibrant colors and whimsical designs that are just perfect for kids!  days…continue to be fabulous, and enjoy!

Below are just a few of the great Doc Milo designs you’ll see added to our website in the coming

Some of the best things come from Ireland!  St. Patrick’s Day is just one month away, on March 17, 2011!  If you’re like me, you’ve already picked out your St. Patrick’s Day outfit, fully equipped with an obnoxious leprechaun hat and a shamrock green shot-glass necklace!

As spring sets in, and we prepare for our favorite green holiday, it’s a great time to keep in touch with family and friends.  Nothing sends lucky heart-felt wishes more than a St. Patrick’s Day greeting card, especially one with a photograph of your children, pets or family.  The photograph in the top left corner of the blog is actually the front of our Pure Irish St. Patrick’s Day Photo Card by Noteworthy Collections.  I love this photo greeting card, as you can tell from the sample photograph used that this little girl is pure Irish!  A white Irish stamping which reads “Made in Ireland – 100%” adorns the right corner of the card, with a shamrock in the center.  If you choose this fun greeting card, it is best to choose a photograph with a lot of dark colors or vibrant colors to ensure the Irish stamp shows up well in the corner.  The card opens top-fold for your St. Patty’s Day greeting and signature.

Our St. Patrick’s Day collection of digital photo greeting cards  features everything from traditional top-fold cards to flat cards which work great as greeting cards, save the date cards or party invitations.  The designs range from formal St. Patrick’s Day greeting cards with flourish and damask patterns in green hues to more casual or whimsical designs wish shamrocks, harlequin patterns, rainbows and vibrant green hues.

Below are some of our newest St. Patrick’s Day Digital photo greeting card designs…

Feeling lucky?  Spread the luck of the Irish to your recipients by sending them a little green in the mail with a photo greeting card.  It’s a great way to keep in touch with family and friends periodically throughout the year, as well as a great keepsake!

It’s Wednesday afternoon – no better time than now for an etiquette lesson!  A very close friend of mine is very happily engaged and she and her fiance are considering eloping rather than having a traditional wedding ceremony, followed by a reception.  They still plan on sending out marriage announcements and also inviting their friends and family for a large reception to celebrate upon their return. 

The big question at hand: Is it acceptable to register for gifts if you elope?

I did some research and the answer is that there really isn’t a right or wrong answer here!  A bridal registry is a service provided to engaged couples in the communication of gift preferences to wedding and bridal shower guests.  Most guests bring a gift to a bridal shower or wedding and many times the gift is one suggested from the bridal registry.  So the real question should be, if guests are coming to a reception after I have eloped, will they bring gifts?  The answer is that some guests may and some guests may not.   It really depends on your situation and the reason that you have chosen to elope.  Some guests may feel that you are more interested in the celebration, rather than the significance behind your marriage and the sentiment that goes long with it. 

Best bet?  I would say, go ahead and register, however DO NOT under any circumstances print this information on your marriage announcement or wedding reception invitation.  If a guest asks you where you are registered, you will know that they are okay with it and can then tell them where you have registered.  If they haven’t asked you, they probably do not want to know.  Perhaps only register at one location and simply go into your reception with it in mind that some guests may bring a gift, and others may not, which is perfectly acceptable.

Your wedding is about you and whether your guests attend your wedding ceremony, your wedding reception or both it should still be celebrated!  Celebrate your engagement and make the registry choice that is right for you!

Everything is better, down where it’s wetter, under the sea!  Thinking about planning a deep sea adventure for your child’s next birthday party?  For those of us in warm weather locations or simply those of us that love to plan ahead for the upcoming warm months, make sure you have the invitations (and flippers) to coordinate for your child’s next birthday party summertime event! 

The designers at IB Designs are working hard this spring season to create brand new summer themed kids birthday party invitations so that your children can have the coolest invitations on the block!

The adorable kids party invitation here on the left is the Pink Deep Sea Adventure Invitation by IB Designs.  This colorful masterpiece features a vibrant blue background of colorful coral and seaweed, just waiting for an under the sea adventurer to come and discover!  A blonde little girl in a pink bathing suit and flippers adorns the top of the card wearing a pink snorkel mask and carrying a pink starfish.  Two tiny fish swim along with her for the exploration!  This card is great for kids summer pool parties or trips to an aquarium.  We also carry the invitation the Blue Deep Sea Adventure, (boy version), too!   Match this fun kids party invitation with a coordinating fill-in thank you note or a pink deep sea sticker which you can use as a return address label, party favor tag or envelope seal. 

Looking for different options on your child’s next summer or pool party?  Below are some of our brand new kids party invitations that are great for kids summer events or warm-weather locations, featuring kids passing a beach ball back and forth in a pool, little kid swimmers, furry friends floating and an under-the-sea adventure with your favorite ocean friends…

Say it isn’t so, is it really graduation season again?!  Well, not really, but before you know it your son or daughter’s graduation will be upon you.  What a great milestone for you and your child to share and commemorate!  Our vendors are working hard to create modern, chic and innovative new graduation party invitation and graduation announcement designs.  Now is a great time to begin browsing our graduation collection to start narrowing down the perfect graduation invitation choice.

Knowing that the plethora of choices we offer can be a bit overwhelming, we have completely revamped our graduation section to include sections that allow you to narrow down your choices.  You can search by gender specific graduation invitations, class of 2011 themes, school colors, photo graduation cards, cap & gown themes or professions, (dental, medical, MBA/Grad, Law or nursing).  Each category has been specifically selected for your son or daughter’s interests with a wide variety of styles from formal and elegant to chic, stylish and casual.  The image in the top left corner of this blog was taken from one of our brand new graduation invitations, the Glamour Grad Group by Doc Milo…perfect for the fashion-bound grad!

Below are some of our newest and favorite graduation party invitation designs…

Remember that graduation season can be a very busy time for your family as long as for other families with graduates.  Party dates can cross or be double booked!  We suggest sending your graduation party invitations out approximately 3-6 weeks prior to your party to make sure that all of your guests can attend and plan their other parties accordingly.  This will mean that you will want to order your graduation party invitations about three weeks prior to your mailing date.  This will give you two weeks to order, personalize, proof and receive your invitations, as well as a week to address, stuff, seal and mail the invitations. 

So when you think about it, graduation season has just about arrived!  Pick out the perfect graduation party invitation to commemorate your child’s very important day – the beginning of the rest of their life!

Who’s the hip mama?  If you, your best friend, co-worker or close family member is expecting, it may be time to start thinking about hosting a baby shower in her honor!  Baby showers are typically held1-3 months before the expecting mother’s due date, and we have the perfect baby shower invitations to set the scene for your baby-filled shower event.

Our vendors have introduced some brand new baby shower invitations for the spring season that are ultra chic and modern, just like you!  Whether the expecting mommy is having a baby boy, baby girl, twins or maybe a surprise there’s a perfect invitation to help you shower the expecting mommy-to-be with love and baby essentials.

Below are some of the newest and customer-favorite baby shower designs that will help you invite your guests to your baby shower.  The first item shown is the Boy Diaper Bag Baby Shower Invitation from Paper so Pretty.  This adorable card is actually three fun baby pieces including a die-cut diaper bag, a die-cut teddy add-on which slides into the diaper bag ‘pocket’ and a blue satin ribbon that adorns the teddy’s neck.  This fun card is also available in a pink girl version!  The second card shown below is the Baby Shower Soiree Invitation from Bonnie Marcus & Co.  This brand new design came to our site this week and is perfect for gender neutral showers with it’s green border and background screened with green shower presents.  A “baby shower” banner strings at the top of the card above an expecting mom in a purple flowing dress.

Hosting a couple’s shower?  Sometimes dad’s want to be included in the baby shower, too!  The third item shown below is our Expecting Boy Invitation by Inviting Company.  Perfectly simple with a blue striped bottom border and an expecting couple on the left, this card is great for couples having a baby boy.  This card is also available in pink and green for different gender showers.  Expecting a baby girl?  The last invitation shown below is the Beautiful Bassinet Girl Invitation by Bonnie Marcus & Co.  Another brand new design to hit our website, which is so adorable and sweet with a pink bassinet of presents sitting under a spring tree.

Got baby fever?  Checkout the entire baby shower invitation collection at InvitationBox.com for the above designs and so many more!