I know what you’re thinking…Didn’t we have enough grammar lessons in grade school?  I’ll be the first to say yes, but when you think about it, it’s amazing how much we forget if we’re not practicing our grammar rules on a daily basis like we did back in the day, and using the proper grammar is essential in conveying the correct information to your guests.

One of the most common grammar mistakes we notice on invitations is the incorrect usage of apostrophes when trying to show (or not show) ownership, especially when pluralizing your last name.  Can you imagine having the last name of Adams and pluralizing it the wrong way for years?  No need to worry, we’re here to help!  One of the most easy things to remember is that when pluralizing a name or showing ownership, you never change the base of the name.

If you have a last name that ends with an “s”, for example, Adams, Jones, Rodrigues and you want to show ownership, the use of an apostrophe is appropriate.  When someone’s last name ends with a hard “z” sound, we typically don’t add the -s or -es, but instead simply add an apostrophe to the end of the name to read:

The Adams’ house.

The Rodrigues’ new car.

If you have a last name that ends with an “s” or an “x” and you are trying to pluralize the name, (make it more than one person, or referring to the family as a whole), you do NOT use an apostrophe to make a name pluralized.  Instead, you will add the “es” we spoke about in the prior paragraph.  For example:

The Adamses bought a car today.

The Foxes are coming over for dinner.

If you’re just not comfortable with the apostrophe and adding an “s” or “es” thing, make it easy on yourself and be specific.  Instead of saying, “Hosted by the Adamses” say, “Hosted by the Adams family”.  Much easier, right?  Many writers also think that this form of writing is much more specific and preferred to the pluralization forms.

“I’m the world’s best predator, aren’t I?  Everything about me invites you in – my voice, my face, even my smell.  As if I need any of that!  As if you could outrun me.  As if you could fight me off…” If chills just ran down your spine after reading that tactical and passionate quote from Edward to Bella as she learned he was a vampire, you know you’re one of us…the die-hard Twilight fans who just can’t get enough of their intense romance.  The ones who are just dying to see that November premier of Breaking Dawn Part One.  So which team are you…Team Jacob or Team Edward?  Personally, I am Team Jacob, though we all know who Bella is meant to be with.

The next time you’re searching for a party theme, consider hosting a Twilight Movie themed party.  Whether you’re just in the mood to get together with your friends, hosting a birthday party or having a release party for when the movies hit theaters or DVD’s, it’s a great excuse to get your vampire or werewolf on…and talk Twilight all night long – what could be better than that?!

Set the scene for your Twilight themed party with a Twilight party invitation that will make your guests thirst for blood, or feel the need to imprint.  Two of our brand new invitations that were introduced into our Halloween collection are absolutely perfect for your Twilight party.  If you’re Team Edward, we have a black invitation called Vampy Lips, from Noteworthy Collections which features a large vampire mouth at the top of the card with red lips and teeth and fangs dripping with blood.  If you’re a true Twilight fan, you’ll notice a very similar font used on this daring invitation.  If you’re team Jacob, don’t think you’re being left out either!  Our other Twilight-inspired invitation, Werewolf Eyes, by Noteworthy Collections, features a sleek black background with piercing orange and yellow werewolf eyes that adorn the top of the card.  This card is also available with vibrant green eyes…which will remind you of the night Bella collapsed into the woods with only a pair of eyes guarding her in the distance.  Are the Volturi more your speed…where you’d like to take control and lure your guests to dinner?  We also have ancient and Gothic themed invitations which will bring the life of a vampire upfront.  The Four Corner Scrolls Black invitation by IB Designs features an ancient dark silver frame on a black background invitation.  It will give the feel of a dark evening full of class and fear…as if the Volturi wold have it any other way!

Make an impression on your guests as you decorate your party scene.  Remember Alice’s decorating style when Bella graduated?  Decorate your porch and walkway with mini ivory lanterns or white tiny Christmas lights to set a little ambiance.  Play a Twilight soundtrack in the background of your party to set the mood.  Ask your local florist for a bouquet of red and white parrot tulips from the cover of the Twilight novels.  These will go great as your table centerpieces.  You can even hand out a red rose to each guest as they arrive.  If you want to add a little entertainment, assign each person with a secret character as they arrive to your event.  Throughout the party the guests will have to figure out who their partner is – but they’re not allowed to say the name of their character aloud.   The last couple to find one another will be eaten for dinner!

End the evening with a screening of your favorite Twilight Saga movie.

The holidays are a special time for everyone, but this particular holiday season will be different from the rest because, she’s expecting!  There’s nothing more exciting than a new addition to your family, and sharing that over Christmas is all that more special!

One of the newest trends in the baby world is having a holiday themed baby shower.  Seems a bit off the beaten path, but is a really fun and easy party planning idea, when you think about it.  Perfect for those hosting a shower through November – January, holiday baby showers will help you to add a little festivity into your already exciting event.

Need an invitation to set the scene?  This adorable holiday baby shower invitation on our left features a pink and red weaved patterned background.  ”Please Join US!  HOLIDAY BABY SHOWER” is pre-printed at the top of the card in festive lettering, next to an expecting mommy-to-be.  She dons a long black gown with a feathery bottom trim and accessorizes with a red handbag, jewelry and a Santa hat, of course!  It’s perfect for the mom-on-the go or the fashionable expecting mommy-to-be.  When setting the scene for your shower, use a holiday color like red or green and then pair it with blue or pink to coordinate the baby’s gender.  Ask your guests to bring a “baby’s first Christmas” ornament.  You can even do a ‘wishing well’ type gift where instead of a well you use a ‘wishing tree’ and can attach rattles, bottles, diapers, pacifiers and all the little things your baby will need to a small Christmas tree.

If you’re not only expecting during the holidays, but actually have a due date very close to Christmas, you may want to start browsing our birth announcement and holiday birth announcement collection to prepare.  Many expecting parents will double-up with their holiday greeting card and birth announcement to create one festive and exciting holiday greeting card.  We have a plethora of digital photo holiday greeting cards which will work great for your holiday birth announcement.  Use a fun phrase like, “Wishing you joy, peace and new arrivals this holiday season” and then attach one of your newborn’s baby photos to the announcement.  Be sure to include a small detail at the bottom of the card with the baby’s important birth details including their birth date, weight and length.

If you have a due date very close to the holidays, and you’re worried that you won’t get your holiday birth announcements out on time, no need to worry.  At InvitationBox.com we offer pre-shipment options for your birth announcement envelopes.  For $13.95 you can browse for the perfect birth announcement now and even purchase the item.  We will then pre-ship your envelopes to you, so that you can have them all addressed and ready to go before the baby arrives.  Once your bundle of joy is here, send us your baby’s details and photograph and we’ll ship you the remainder of your order.  Simply stuff, seal and mail and you’ll be all set!

An adult Halloween party needs one thing, and one thing only… killer cocktails!  I have been browsing for Halloween cocktail recipes this morning and I was amazed at how many creatively creepy Halloween cocktail concoctions there are out there!  From something as simple as spiced cider to things as complex as bleeding heart martinis – there’s no excuse for serving up boring old beer at your next adult Halloween party!

The eye-catching cocktail on the left of my blog today is a recipe from About.com which is called the Halloween Hpnotist.  It’s got an eerily uncomfortable blue glow to it yet still says class while sitting in your tiny martini glass…the real show stopper on this one?  The creator added a blue glow stick to make the cocktail glow.  You could really do this with any colorful cocktail – and then turn the lights down as people drink up!

Itching for the recipe so that you can make this ghastly cocktail at your next Halloween party?  Look no further…

The Halloween Hpnotist

2 oz. Hpnotiq
1 oz. Top shelf vodka
1 splash of lemon juice
glow stick for garnish

This is an easy one, cocktail lovers!  Simply pour your above ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice.  Shake well and strain into a chilled martini glass like the one pictured above.  Garnish with your lit glow stick and enjoy!

Need some Halloween cocktail party invitations to coordinate with those cocktails you’re concocting?  Your Halloween cocktail party invitation needs to be just as creepy and cool as the cocktails you’ll be serving at your event…and we have the perfect invitations to set the bloody scene!  Some of our favorites are shown below from classy martini masquerades to downright frightful mummies drinking a bloody cocktail with an eyeball swizzle from the grave!  Props to those of you that make your own Halloween cocktails that look like these, and then have the stomach to actually drink them after!

If you have little ones attending your Halloween spooktacular, or maybe just a few non-drinkers / designated drivers, be sure to have some non-alcoholic spooky drinks on hand too!  There’s nothing like a ghostly vanilla shake, an apple cider punch or a candy corn drink to add some fun into an everyday drink!

Who has their costumes ready for Halloween this year?  It’s time to start planning your Halloween parties, if you haven’t already.  Trick-or-treating parties have become very popular in the last few years – which are typically made into a neighborhood get-together which allows the kids to have fun trick-or-treating with all of their neighborhood friends and some great socialization for the parents!

Halloween night can be a stressful time for some parents, with having to rush home from work in time to get the kids dinner and dressed in their costumes all before dusk.  Having a group Halloween party can really add some ease into a parent’s day.  Being the host, serve up dinner for the kids of mac & cheese and hot dogs, mini pizzas, spaghetti – or anything easy.  All the kids can eat a small dinner before they head out to go trick-0r-treating.  Let the parents munch on appetizers and have a beer or two, as well.

When ready for trick-or-treating, choose a group of parents to accompany the kids trick-or-treating and let a group of parents stay behind to give out candy to the other trick-or-treators.  You can even swap out the groups so that everyone gets a chance to trick-or-treat or give out candy.  Some neighborhoods will make this a fun yearly event and not only give out candy to the kids, but will hand out jell-o shots and beer to the parents accompanying the kids…totally a fun event for all!  When finished, bring all the kids back to the house to have their candy checked and to let them see how much candy they received!  The kids can play and eat their favorite kinds while the parents relax with their neighbors and friends before heading home for the night.

When planning your trick-or-treating party, make sure you set the scene with a fun, spooky or ghoulish trick-or-treating party invitation.  Our Halloween party invitations feature a variety of styles, from creepy to cartoony!  Choose from kids dressed up in costumes,  pumpkins, mummies, ghosts, jack-o-lanterns, digital photographs of your favorite trick-or-treator, witches, spiders and open houses.  Mail your Halloween party invitations out about 2-3 weeks before your event, to make sure everyone can attend.  And remember, the more the merrier.  The more adults, the safer the kids are during the spooky Halloween night!

Take a look at some of our favorite kids Halloween party invitations below…

Working with brides and wedding products on a daily basis, we sometimes forget that if you’ve never attended, hosted or been in a wedding before, you may not know exactly what goes into your wedding invitation ensemble…or what to write on the pieces you have, so that guests know all of the pertinent details about your event.

The question of ‘what is the difference between a reception card and a reply card’ has come up numerous times lately, thus I felt obligated to share.  A reception card is needed when your reception location is *different* than your ceremony location.  For example, your if your ceremony is at a church and your reception is at a country club that guests will have to travel to, you will need a reception card.  If you are being married in a garden with the reception immediately following at the same location, you do not need a reception card.  Instead, you would put “reception immediately following” on your actual wedding invitation, likely as the last line of text.  Your reception card should include a statement that the reception will follow the ceremony, the time of the reception, as well as the location of the reception.  This is also a nice place to list your wedding attire requests, should you have any.  Below is a sample of reception card wording, to get you started…

Reception to follow
at six o’clock in the evening
Windsor Manor South
142 North Main Street
Cary, North Carolina

A reply card is used for most formal and informal weddings which is a card and envelope used for your guests to inform you whether or not they are attending your special day.  The reply card should include your request for your guest to reply, the date you wish them to reply by, a line for them to hand write their name, as well as the choice as to whether or not they are attending.  It is also common to include meal choices for your guests, should you be having a sit-down formal dinner.  Your reply cards include a printed envelope where your return name and address is printed on the front of the envelope.  Remember to include a stamp so that your guests do not have to pay for postage.  When wording your reply card, try something similar to the below wording, so that all of your information is clear and concise…

The favor of a reply is requested
before the fifth of November

M________________________

____accepts with pleasure
____declines with regret

Please indicate entree selection:
____chicken     ____beef     ____vegetarian

Remember when composing your reply card and reception cards to keep your tenses, form of numbers/dates, etc. consistent with how you worded your invitation details.  In other words, if you wrote out your date formally on your invitation, you will want to make sure your reply cards and reception cards read the same way.

Tired of the typical decades, cocktail or western themed parties?  Sometimes planning a party and choosing a party theme can be a frustrating task – it’s one of those ‘been there done that’ moments when you realize every theme you’ve come up with is one that you’ve done before or was done by X friend a few months prior.  Well, look no further because I stumbled upon a great party theme today that I just had to share with our dedicated readers!

Love to travel but just don’t have the funds this year?  We’re all in the same boat, and it’s time to set sail to an international party theme where your home becomes an international masterpiece!  The theme is called Around the World, and it involves you decorating each room in your home with a different cultural theme or location.  One room can be Paris where you can serve hors d’oeuvres and champagne.  Another room may be a fiesta themed room where you serve up chips, salsa, burritos and margaritas.  Choose the countries that mean the most to you and your guests.  Perhaps add a room for India if you have some Indian friends or Greece if you have a few Greeks in the mix.   You can even reach out to your guests and ask them to bring a dish or decor to share for that party room.  Sharing your culture with others is a great ice-breaker as most of us don’t get the opportunity to sail the world on a daily basis…or even yearly basis!  Ask your friends to each come dressed according to their native culture or nationality and really get festive.

Set the scene for your around the world party with an international party invitation that makes your guests want to travel to your event!  The above invitation is the World Traveler Boarding Pass Invitation by Noteworthy Collections, which is just perfect for this type of party theme.  The card features a white background with a dark brown wood grain outer border which creates a boarding pass effect for a trip.  Tiny colorful passport stamps adorn the bottom right portion of the invitation from famous countries like Italy, India, Russia, Mexico, Turkey and Canada, to name a few.  Fill in the different areas of the boarding pass with your party details, and include your party date as the ticket date.  This fun party invitation offers coordinating thank you notes and stickers to create a traveling ensemble…as well as a second boarding pass version which includes your digital photograph.

Remember, we also offer an array of nautical and traveling themed invitations which feature compasses, anchors, mock-up passports and more.  Take charge of your next party and host the party with the theme they’ll never stop talking about!  Cheers!

In the invitation world, the beginning  of your party invitation begins with a single sheet of card stock…which in a way can set the tone for your event without even having so much as a graphic or word printed upon it.  Crazy, right?  Absolutely.   But so true!  As any stationery snob knows, (present company included), the weight, texture and feel of your party invitation’s card stock gives way to how formal your event is.  The heavier or more textured your chosen card stock is, the more formal your event is, and thus the more expensive your invitations are.  Paper is never inexpensive.

Paper is measured and listed by density, in pounds.  It is listed in the mass of the product per unit area.  I remember years ago while working at a stationery company I was told that a card stock was 100 pound paper.  ”A hundred pounds for a sheet of card stock…” was all I could think of.  Little did I know, the term is not used in a traditional mass to unit sense.  It actually converts the pounds to number of pounds per 500 sheets of paper.  The higher the paper weight, the higher the quality of card stock.

We consider paper weight to be in the following categories…

Light Weight 70 – 100 pound card stock

Medium Weight 100 – 120 pound card stock

Heavy Weight 130 pound card stock +

When browsing on the InvitationBox.com website, we offer a range of paper qualities for all different styles, formalities and most importantly, budgets.  We begin with our digital card stock which ranges from 80 pound to 130 pound card stock.  It’s a smooth, matte finish, which works well with digital prints and ink jet/laser prints.  We also offer card stock upgrades with shimmer stock, for that added sparkle, as well as recycled invitations for the environmentally conscious.  Remember, shimmer stock looks best on lighter background cards so that you can see the shimmery nature.  Recycled papers look better with darker colors as the pigment is not a true bright white.  As you browse through more of our formal invitations, you will notice a variety of textured card stocks, as well as fibrous card stocks to which you can truly feel a grain of a paper, as well as see the difference.  These papers work best for higher-end printing, from thermography to engraving, letterpress or embossing.

Not sure what you’re looking for?  One of the best ways to find out is to order samples of your card stock prior to purchase.  Remember, we always list our paper weights and quality by each item’s description so that you are able to stay informed about the papers you are purchasing.

Can it really be time for Halloween shopping already?  Halloween is just a little over a month away – where has September gone?!  I was just talking with friends last night about what Halloween costume I was going to choose this year…assuming there’s a Halloween bash to attend, of course!  I was thinking a bumblebee this year or maybe a ladybug.  Friends of mine are going as characters from the Adult cartoon Archer.  What ARE the popular costumes this year?  It seems like pirates, greek goddesses, sports characters and movie characters are always popular during the Halloween season.  In browsing for Halloween costumes this year I’ve noticed a lot of movie themed costumes from Black Swan to digital games like Angry Birds.  Whatever you decide on this year, make sure you order early as Halloween costumes always seem to fly off the shelves!

If you’re searching for a Halloween costume, it can only mean one of two things…that you’re attending or hosting a Halloween party!  Set the scene for your Halloween party with an adult Halloween party invitation that will entice your guests to attend your ghoulish affair.  If you’re thinking of tricks and not treats this year, we have a fabulous collection of scary Halloween party invitations…whether you’re into zombies coming out of a grave, vampire teeth dripping in blood, voodoo dolls, extreme haunted houses, creepy skulls, eerie spiders or graveyard scenes.  These invitations are great for an adults-only affair, as nobody wants the little ones scared to go to sleep at night!

If you’re more about the treats this year, and the fun side of Halloween, you’ll love our Halloween invitations which feature traditional Halloween cartoon characters, jack-o-lanterns, werewolf eyes, Ouija boards, ghosts and people sipping Halloween cocktails.  These party invitations are also great if you are inviting children to your event.  If you need something a bit more formal, try one of our formal Halloween party invitations which feature ribbons and vellum, patterned pockets and fall hue patterned invitations in black, orange, red, yellow and green colors.

All of our invitations include rush processing options for last minute party planners, and since Halloween seems to be such a popular holiday, you’ll want to make sure your invitation is the first that your guests receive!  Pair your Halloween party invitation with a coordinating response card, thank you card, square sticker or round sticker to create a bloodcurdling Halloween invitation ensemble.  You can even use the stickers on your party favors, or your Halloween cocktails.

Take a look at some of our favorite spooky Halloween invitations below and start planning your upcoming adult Halloween party bash…

When your precious son or daughter arrives, how will you share the good news with the world?!  The birth of your newborn baby, whether it’s your first child or your third, is such an exciting time for everyone as your family is expanding and your whole life will soon be changing.  You’ll want to let all of your friends, family members, co-workers and neighbors know of the good news of your arrival, and there’s quite a few ways to share the news!

Facebook/Twitter - Let’s go with the most technologically savvy answer first – announcing your baby’s birth via call, text, tweet or through your status on Facebook.  It’s such an easy way to share the good news with everyone all at once, as well as share photos with everyone so that nobody misses out.  The reactions and good wishes will come pouring in, as soon as you make your first post!

Create your own Baby Blog - Being a blogger myself, I am a BIG fan of this one!  Blogs are a great outlet for parents to share the news of their baby’s arrival, as well as document her important moments and milestones – AND share it with family and friends.  It’s a bit more intimate than a Facebook post, and will allow you to share videos, photographs and fun memories with others.  Begin the blog during pregnancy and then update the blog as often as you want as your baby boy or girl grows.  Family and friends can check in periodically to see how much the baby is growing, along with your new family!

Share with the Neighborhood – Signs - One of the older yet more fun tricks in the book, there are actually companies out there that create wooden storks to stick in your lawn which post your baby’s arrival and birth details – be it the baby’s name, birth date and weight.  If you have a great relationship with your neighbors, this is a great way to share your news with those that you live close by.  Take a look at the stork sign above in the top left corner of the blog – which even features the siblings of the newborn baby and the new parents.

Birth Announcements -Let’s face it, good old fashioned birth announcements never get old.  The most traditional birth announcements featured a simple card stock in white, ivory, pink or blue which had the baby’s birth details, as well as a small graphic of a baby toy, rattle or ribbon.  The more modern birth announcements have come alive with color, patterns, themes and gender-specific designs.  Some of the most popular birth announcements feature a digital photograph of the newborn baby boy or girl along with their birth details.  Some also offer multiple photographs, in case you can’t decide on just one photo to share.  These birth announcements are sent about a month after the baby is born and are wonderful for keepsakes for your baby book, as well as will go up on the fridge of your recipients.

Take a look at some of our favorite birth announcements below.  No matter how you share the news, be it through Facebook, a blog, a stork sign or a birth announcement, make it personal and all about how happy you are about your newborn baby boy or girl!