Bella Ink Blog

It's Time To Send Those Holiday Greetings!

Now that the turkey leftovers are almost gone and December has arrived, seemingly out of nowhere, it's time to start writing those holiday greeting cards.  If you have many to write, keep it simple.  For example:

"May your holiday be merry and your New Year filled with joy."

   
(Pictured Above: C-33, C-35 and C-34) 

If you plan on sending out a more personal greeting, consider using a photo card.  A folded photo card will give you all the room you need for your annual newsletter on the inside, while on the outside you may feature a favorite photo.  A flat photo card provides you enough space for that same photo and a simple greeting to sit side-by-side.

 
  
(Pictured, Clockwise from Left: PC-49 (flat), PC-44 (flat), PC-39 (folded), PC-35 (folded))

Holiday Party Etiquette & Styles For 2009

 
(Pictured above, left to right: Bella Ink's CH-12 and CH-18) 

As a stationery manufacturer, we are asked all the time about printing, wording, punctuation and when to mail an invitation or "Thank You" card.  Those decisions can be stressful for any host or hostess, but guests experience their own anxieties, including what to wear and how late an arrival is unfashionable?

With Thanksgiving only a day away, and the holiday party season hot on its heals, we thought it would be a good idea to interpret and share a couple tips from Allure Magazine's party etiquette article, which can be found in their December 2009 issue. 

If you've ever been confused by the dress code listed on some party invitations, you're not alone.  From casual to business attire, festive to black-tie, there are enough dress code categories to make you wonder what the difference really is from one to the next.  Here are three, according to Allure, that you may see this holiday season:

Cocktail: Dress up your everyday look.  You can wear pants, a dress, or a skirt.  Top yourself off with some sparkle by embracing the current statement jewelry trend, and add some less than demure heels or boots... how high you go is up to you.

  (Necklace: Kenneth Jay Lane at Shopbop.com, Outfit: Styled by Fashion Nerd at Shopstyle.com)

Festive: Festive also implies cocktail attire, but since the wording is a bit more lighthearted, feel free to infuse more personality into your look.   

  (Outfits, styled left to right by: Historie Girl and HanounaQ at Shopstyle.com)  

Black-Tie: This category remains a bit more traditional.  A dress, short or long, is usually expected. We fully support busting up gender norms with a fabulous pair of tuxedo pants or a tuxedo jacket embellished with sequins,though.  Just don't wear them together! 

  
(Outfits, styled left to right by: Historie Girl and if this is your look, on the right, let us know so we may credit you... Shopstyle.com) 

Now that you know what you'll be wearing to the party, here are Allure's guidelines for making an entrance:  

30 Minutes Late: Do not arrive any later or you may as well stay home!

15 Minutes Late: If your host or hostess has planned a sit-down dinner, you do not want to arrive any later than this without a phone call, and a very good excuse.

10 Minutes Late: When you have a group going out to dinner, don't keep them waiting beyond 10 minutes without calling. Many restaurants won't seat you unless you're entire party is present.

5 Minutes Late: Meeting a friend for lunch?  After 5 minutes, he or she may begin to wonder, as they sit alone, whether there was a miscommunication about time and place.

0 Minutes Late: Never be late to a wedding, funeral, performance, or any event that your arrival will disrupt by requiring you to scoot to your seat.  Just try this at a Blue Man Group performance and you'll learn your lesson.

In the past we've surveyed Bella Ink retailers about being fashionably late, and here's what they had to say:

"Not at all to a formal event, and between 10-20 minutes to a more casual party." (Sheryl of Stationery Station)

"Late enough to be noticed, but not too late that it angers others." (Jill of Westwood Paper Company)

"Five or ten minutes." (Sarah of The Inviting Place)

"Not good!" (Candy of Where's the Party)

Now you can get to Thanksgiving dinner on time, and in style.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!!!

BELLA INK'S FOLDED NOTE CARD FRIDAY

 

Can you believe that Thanksgiving is next week!?  In honor of the upcoming holiday we're sharing a postcard and folded note card from Vintage Holiday Crafts, a website that offers select images of vintage clip art and stationery, for free.

On the left is a postcard that reminds us of a Thomas Kinkade painting.  The copy reads:  "For love present, ills past and good to come, may our hearts rejoice this Thanksgiving Day.  May your joy be as countless as the golden grains."  

In stark contrast to that kind sentiment is the note card on the right, which has an offbeat sense of humor with it's poem: "You feed me well but I can tell that you're no friend of mine because, my dear, I greatly fear, it's near Thanksgiving time."

Happy Thanksgiving!

Give a Gift Card in a Mailer by Bella Ink!

(Bella Ink Gift Card Mailers, Clockwise: GC-22, GC-26, GC-24, GC-32)

The National Retail Federation predicts that gift cards will be the #1 gift purchase this holiday season.  A down economy has shoppers watching their pocketbooks and retailers choosing to hold less inventory, while offering smaller discounts than last season.

Some shoppers view gift cards as an impersonal fall-back purchase when stumped for what to buy a friend or family member.  If you purchase a general gift card from a credit card company, you do risk falling into this category, but Bella Ink Designs believes these hurdles can easily be overcome with a little thought.

Before purchasing a gift card, take a moment to understand the recipient.  Here are three basic questions to ask yourself before heading out:

1. Where does he/she like to shop?  

2. What, or where, do they like to eat?  

3. What are their hobbies? 

Your answers to these questions should help you select a retailer, or other business establishment, from which to purchase the recipient's gift card.  For example, if your father likes outdoor activities such as fishing or camping, select a gift card from a nearby outdoor/sporting goods store.  Do you have a friend who's a major Foodie?  Get them a gift certificate to the hot new restaurant in town.  If your daughter is a Shopaholic, take note of where her allowance goes each month.

By purchasing a gift card for their general interests,  you allow the recipient to get what they want or need, and may not be able to splurge on at this time.  And you don't risk going to their favorite store and picking out the one thing in there that they would never buy for themselves.  

Now that you know how to select a gift card, you need to know how to wrap the card.  No other present would be handed over without the appropriate accouterments.  Continue to make the present personal by selecting a Gift Card Mailer from Bella Ink Designs.  A Gift Card Mailer is a folded note card that has all the room you need on the inside for your hand-written message (a must!), while on the outside you get a signature designs from Bella Ink, along with a sparkly envelope in which to securely "wrap" the gift card.

Merry Shopping!

     

(Pictured, Above: GC-27, GC-31)

BELLA INK WISHES YOU A FREAKY FRIDAY

               It's Friday the 13th!  Some people are on high alert today, keeping an eye out for bad omens or impending doom, but others feel the day is actually lucky.  One of Bella Ink's fabulous employees, Sue Ann, swears up and down that really good things happen to her on this day.  

So, does Friday the 13th have a bad reputation, or is there really a history of disastrous events in this date's wake?  We'd like to debunk the myth.  Tell us about the best thing that has ever happened to you on Friday the 13th.