Enchanting Keepsake

Have you seen them?  Belle Announcements recently started offering beautiful Birth Announcement Wall Art.  Well, my “babies” are 5 and 3, announcements have long been done.   But I still couldn’t resist I needed one for each of my girls.  They are adorable, fresh and quite unique.

When I received my wall art I was blown away by the quality.  They are printed on Kodak Professional grade photo paper, mounted on 1/8 inch thick white matboard and look sharp!   I went with a ballerina theme, since my girls are prima ballerinas.  They were so excited to hang them in their rooms.  To the girls, they are pretty pictures with their names on it.  To me, it is a beautiful reminder of when they were brought into this world with the added benefit of reflecting their personalities. 

Obviously, this not the first time I’ve purchased from Belle Announcements but it is these types of purchases that inspired me to start blogging for them. 

What is in a name?

What is it about personalization that means so much? In this world where we constantly get lost in the shuffle, stuck on hold and are reminded more often than not that we are just a number– we long for that personal touch. When birthdays hit, we often get overwhelmed trying to figure out what to buy and we struggle as we search for the gift that will not only please, but accurately convey the feelings we have for the recipient.

When I was pregnant with my children, I had to find out what I was having. I couldn't wait to know, but also I wanted to give them a name as soon as possible. Something about naming them, even in the womb, allowed their identity to begin developing for me. Every gift I received that was personalized in some way with their name brought me to tears. 

Seeing your name printed communicates meaning. When someone receives a gift with their name on it, there is no question about the intention. This gift was bought for the recipient and no one else. You honor the recipient of the gift by showing them the time and care you put into selecting something for them and then personalizing it as well.

As you flip through the Stationery cards trying to select your favorite, don't forget that Belle Announcements customizes everything! If you are buying for someone that loves daisies, ask for a custom design featuring daisies.  Belle strives on personalizing and making every card perfect for you. There is no mass printing, every design is hand made with joy and passion for snail mail. 

Kids and adults delight when they see their name in print. It says: you have been and you will always be remembered. We would love to help you give meaningful, personalized cards and gifts this year that truly reflect the sentiment and love you seek to share.  

Baby Gender Reveal Party

How fun does this sound? The expecting parents have a party with a fabulously decorated cake. You know the one that looks too gorgeous to eat?! Instead of the usual vanilla or chocolate cake, the expecting parents have asked the baker to dye the vanilla cake pink or blue. No one knows the gender until the cake is cut. So the guests spend all night staring at the cake in anticipation of the great reveal! Boy or Girl?

To make the party even more festive, the guests are asked to wear their "team colors." If they believe it's a boy, they wear blue and if they believe it's a girl, they wear pink of course! I want to host one of these! I may have to beg all my pregnant friends, can I please host a gender reveal party!?

So next time you get pregnant, have a hip, gender reveal party to celebrate! Or if you are like me and two precious monkey's is plenty, host a party for your best friend. You can purchase your party invitation exclusively in our etsy store. 

A simple thank you

Thank you.  Two ordinary, easy words that we often forget to say, let alone write.  

The simple thank you note has been forgotten, saved for weddings and showers.   Something happened over the last couple decades that this customary etiquette has gone to the wayside. Email, Facebook, Twitter.  Has modern communication replaced the hand written note? No, it hasn’t and nor should it.  Whenever you receive a gift or an act of kindness it is considered good manners to send a thank you note.  

Etiquette aside, wouldn’t you want to let someone know their efforts were appreciated, noticed and enjoyed.  What a wonderful way to show your gratitude.  It doesn’t even need to be fancy or flowery, just a genuine, handwritten, thank you.  And who doesn’t like getting correspondence in the mail instead of bills and advertisements?  What an easy way to brighten someone’s day.

So let’s end 2010 on the right foot and start 2011 with a new habit, showing our appreciation and sending a thank you note.

Happy New Year,

Capturing unique beauty!

After only 400 years, we were treated to a total Lunar Eclipse on Winter Solstice. And what a treat it was, lasting three and a half hours.  The reddish-orange hues on the moon's surface made it worth standing in the chilly night at 3:30 in the am.  

If you take this occasion and turn it into a greeting featuring the Eclipse and first day of winter scenery just think of the joyous expressions on the faces of those with whom you correspond.  Turn your awe into their Wow!  Belle Announcements can help you capture exactly what you are looking for.

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree…

I really enjoyed Ed’s blog about the history of the Christmas Card.  There are many holiday traditions that we participate in but we don’t know the origin.  So I thought I would find out why every Christmas my family is compelled to chop down a beautiful pine and string it with lights in the living room; besides the fact it looks amazing.

Evergreen branches had been used by the Druids to decorate for the Winter Solstice. As time passed this custom was adopted by Christians. The modern Christmas tree came out of Germany.  In the 1600’s the German’s started decorating evergreen trees with paper and small toys. As they emigrated they took their tradition with them, even to the United States.  The earliest recorded Christmas tree in the United States was in the 1830’s. It was put on display by German immigrants in Pennsylvania. The tradition was most likely going on for longer, as the German community had been there since 1747.

Even though the Germans had brought over their tree tradition in the early 1700s, Christmas trees were not popular and still thought of as a pagan symbol.  That all changed when a picture of a woodcut showing the British Royal family with their Christmas tree was published in Godey’s Lady’s Book in 1850 and then again in 1860. By the 1870’s the Christmas tree was an American tradition as well and still is.

So when taking your photos for your Belle Announcement Christmas Cards, you might want to include that beautiful, big, old tree in the shot. I’m sure your friends and family would love to see how you decorate one of the oldest Christmas traditions. 

The Importance of Snail Mail

Daily in the museum profession we read old letters, cards, business records, military reports, etc. Without these we would have no history.  Sometimes these hand-written documents provide us with the necessary information to track a business or follow the flow of a battle.  At times, they provide us with the information to follow a migrating family from the coast to where they settled on the continent.  Letters tell us of family, religion, education and yes, even romance.

So take the time to reach out in writing to those you know and love. They will certainly appreciate it and who knows, you may be leaving an historical record that posterity will use to form that so critical bridge between today and tomorrow.