last day of early bird special!

hi lovelies!  just a friendly reminder that it is your LAST DAY to redeem the early bird special offer!!  if you put down your $100 deposit by 11:59 p.m. tonight, you can still get 25 free cards included in your order.  it’s good stuff.  either email us (callie@calliespondence.com) and we can send you a paypal invoice, call us (404.290.8491) and leave your cc number on the voicemail (we will promptly delete) or check out with this listing on etsy to get all taken care of.

for pricing and lots of other info, here is the holiday info document.  just let us know if you have any other questions!

if you missed them, here is a sampling of the new holiday cards we’ve recently added to the website…

thank you so very much to all of my early birdies who are in the queue already!  i can’t WAIT to design your holiday cards this year.

now, don’t be a late worm.

or something like that.

xoxo

the holiday calligraphy collection

i think it’s pretty apparent that i am a BIG FAN of calligraphy.  you just can’t beat it, and there ain’t no computer font that can replicate those beautiful nuances of a hand drawn letter or flourish.  our slanted calligraphy birth announcement design continues to be a best seller, and i thought – why not employ some of that one of a kind beautifulness on a holiday card?  before i dive in, let me clearly state that i do not do calligraphy – i work with talented calligraphers and employ their artistry.  i actually used to practice calligraphy, many, many moons ago.  i took a class with my friend shannon in 2006ish and actually tried my hand at a couple of friends’ wedding invitation envelopes before i figured out that i was not going to be the next love, jenna.  it takes MOUNDS of patience to hone your skill as a calligrapher, and i have so much respect for the calligraphers that i know at the top of their field!

i am so, so excited to show you these.  i’ve been working on them since early summer and have been so thrilled to unveil them!  if you place an order for holiday cards with calliespondence (pertinent details HERE and you can still nab the early bird special until 9/30!), any of these designs are available to use on your card – and it does not have to be in the way that we’ve shown in.  you can use it any way that you please, in any color, with any liner.  just let us know what you’d like to see and we’ll make it happen!  also, we can always make recommendations for color and placement based on your photograph if you’re on the fence about what to do.

first up: a delicate “Merry Christmas” with lots of pretty flourishes…

i mustn’t forget to add that it is possible to get your family name (1 line) written in coordinating calligraphy for an additional $30.  how cool is that!

i love this in a vibrant, unexpected color…

then we have this “warm holiday wishes” with hand-drawn mittens.  i mean…adorable.

i was feeling wild and crazy the other night and added a bit of red glitter to the mittens on a printed sample.  i’m digging the bling!

we also have a version without the mittens…

peace on earth with a hand drawn dove…

with or without the striped background!

i adore the idea of a #10 anything – invitation, card, you name it.  it’s unexpected and i like that!

holly jolly with hand drawn holly leaves…

last but not least, a large and in charge “Noel.”  it’s really such a pretty word, isn’t it?

these photographs were all from my personal collection – credit goes to aharon hill photography, dylan blue photography and laura negri photography.  thanks for sharing your talent with our family, ladies!

hope you love the new collection as much as i do – and let us know if you want to use any of the artwork for your holiday card this year!

xoxo

all about holiday cards + early bird special!

i truly cannot believe it’s already time to talk about holiday cards.  i feel like i was just at the pool yesterday (i swear i was…?) and haven’t even had the chance to duly break in some of my new summer frocks yet.  but alas…here i am, pumpkin spice latte in hand, planning my holiday card photo outfits!  so – i’m excited to let you know that all of the 2013 holiday card info can be found HERE.  most of the new designs are up on the website (HERE), save for a couple of holiday birth announcement designs and our BRAND NEW collection which i am uber stoked to unveil later this week!  you pop up shop attendees already know what i’m talking about :)

changes from last year if you’re a regular around these parts:  there will be no thermography option, just letterpress and flat printing.  what’s not different is the pricing – take that, inflation!  we have lots of new liners to choose from, which i am so thrilled to show you!  i weeded out a lot of the ones i wasn’t crazy about and found patterns that i just adore.

there’s also a new image on the website home page:

that’s right!  we’re bringing back our old favorite early bird special, and it will run through the end of the month.  if you place your order by loosely telling us what you’d like for your holiday card (we won’t hold you to it – it can be fluid!  plus, you do not need your photograph to place an order.) and putting down a $100 deposit to hold your spot by september 30th, you’ll receive 25 free cards!  that means if you placed an order for 100 flat printed cards with “real” photographs and lined envelopes, you’ll receive 125 flat printed cards with “real” photographs and lined envelopes.  yahoo!  it’s a good thing as ‘ol martha would say.

and, for those of you who place orders that total over $450, you’ll receive a free return address stamp + pad!  we have a few different options coming down the pipeline so you can take your pick.

OR we could do custom matching return address labels too if you prefer (we will coordinate design with your card).  we are flexible!

also, i should let you know that i am taking on EXTREMELY limited custom orders for non-holiday items during holiday card season (sept. 1 through dec. 20).  in years prior, i have taken on too much, and i’ve realized i just can’t do that for the sake of many things (sanity, kids, sleep, you know).  the etsy shop will remain open though with several invitations, notecard sets and such to tide you over!   and if you get into a bind, send us an email – we may have the perfect invitation already designed that we could easily suit you up with.

if you’d like to take advantage of the early bird special, you can let us know either via email (callie@calliespondence.com) or via the website contact page.  it all goes to the same place :)

so looking forward to helping you send your yuletide greetings this year!

xoxo

pop up shop wrap up

pop up shop day has come and gone, and it was the most fun!!  some background on this event – my friend cassie is a legit PR maven and is always coming up with these fabulous ideas for things i should do for calliespondence.  this event was brewing in her brain back in the spring, and the new kayce hughes store on the westside was the perfect partner!  i had the best time “working” with marissa and rachel from kayce hughes, and it was a blast catching up with a bevy of old and new friends!  the cupcakes courtesy of little cake bakery were to die – imo, they make the best cupcakes in atlanta.  they are not cloyingly sweet like some (cough cough gigi’s ahem), don’t have wacky flavors – just the tried and true delicious ones, and might i add even use real vanilla bean specks in their buttercream.  i mean…  that is dedication to vanilla, people.  (thanks to my friend shannon for delivering them!)  my friends brin and abbie came to help me “work,” and i can’t thank them enough!  i always feel like i should use air quotes when i say WORK because it really doesn’t ever feel like that.  i’ve had jobs, and they’re nothing like this.  working with delightful clients, serving cupcakes and making mail pretty.   i tell you what was work though – prancing around in heels (well, wedges) all day!  i hadn’t realized how far i’d fallen into the flats camp.  OMG i felt like i needed a salt bath or whatever people with old and tired feet do at the end of a long, arduous day.

if you missed it, it looked a little like this…

i’m wearing this dress from the new KH line – so comfy and cute!  i’ll wear it all fall, i am sure.

i loved the entire day, but one of my favorite parts was when my friends who closed down the pop up shop and i all walked over to JCT for dinner. it was such a fun group of girls, and i just had the best time telling old stories and hearing new ones.  i feel so lucky to be right where i am in my life, surrounded by such great people.  you throw in rbb and two sweet kids and i might as well have won the damn lottery.

thanks so much to all of the folks who made it out to the pop up shop, the wonderful gals behind the scenes at kayce hughes – and especially cassie, without whom there would have been no popping up!!

xoxo

ahem

these new “Cheers!” tags that have been just *waiting* for holiday season were none too pleased that i have not heralded their appearance at the pop up shop yet.  they were quite perturbed that i made such a big deal about the holiday gift stickers yesterday and demanded their own post.  what do you expect from a metallic gold item, i suppose?  #sassy

they come in red, green and turquoise…

they come in sets of 12 ($18) or 24 ($30) and will all be available at the pop up shop on thursday!  if you can’t make it by the pop-up shop, they are now listed in the etsy shop.

also at the pop up shop, the ever popular original Cheers! tags…

also offered in sets of 12 ($12) or 24 ($24).  they think they’re pretty cool too since being featured in the AJC.

geez.  PLEASE come take some of these guys off my hands on thursday :)

xoxo

free gift at the pop up shop!

good afternoon!  i come to you today with the FREE GIFT for those that place their holiday card orders at the pop up shop this coming thursday at kayce hughes atlanta!   the pop up shop will be in operation from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m., and then again from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m.  (and just FYI, placing your order entails a loose idea of what your order might be – design wise and quantity wise – and a $100 deposit payable by credit card, check or paypal.  we will finalize design and the other details when your photo becomes available!)

so, if you come to the pop up shop – which why WOULDN’T you? – and place your holiday card order, you will receive a free set of 24 personalized holiday gift tags/stickers!  yea!!!

they are holiday versions of our ever popular gift stickers!  BUT they can be done with adhesive backs…

OR as cardstock tags if you prefer to tie on to gifts!

here are all of the choices you will have to pick from.  #wantthemall

i picked up the caffeine / juice drinks for the morning peeps today…as well as some fun bubbly bevvies for the night crowd :)  lots of snacks too including cupcakes from little cake bakery (my FAVE in atlanta) – so come on and hope to see you there!

xoxo

friday tidbits

phew! what a week.  we had the second week of school, a minor stomach bug pass through (eek!), lots of fun paper projects going on and preparation for holiday cards 2013 is steamrolling right along.  i have absolutely loved going through the 2012 holiday cards and getting them photo ready for the website!!  it’s so fun to visit these old friends.  i especially love this one…

it really shows how important good photography is to a holiday card – and also exhibits why it’s best to wait to design your card until you have your photograph!  we pulled out the green from that sweet baby’s dress and i think the square, up close format of the picture just works perfectly for this card design.  (btw, one of my favorite photographers, abbey with dylan blue photography took it.  she offers mini session all fall for holiday card photos – get you one!)  look for this and many more new designs up on the website soon!  OR you could just come to the holiday card pop up shop next week at kayce hughes to see them live and in person.  also, i know i alluded to a free gift if you put down your holiday card deposit at the pop-up shop.  i’ll show you exactly what that is on monday – i think you’re going to like it!

remember that old beat up chair i was getting recovered?  i picked it up and it is sitting pretty in my office right now…  LOVE how it turned out.

ok, so i went off on jelly a week or two ago…  now it’s bread’s turn.  i’m just doing all of the ingredients in a good pb&j one by one i guess.  anyway, if you live in atlanta, you need to know about full cup.  it is a small bakery in north buckhead that mills their own grains and bakes bread, muffins, energy bars, granola bars, cookies and more.  and here’s the thing – they sweeten everything with HONEY!  how awesome is that?!  a while ago, i started looking at the ingredients in the “all-natural, whole grain” bread i was buying to make sandwiches for the kids.  sugar or HFCS was always one of the first 5 ingredients, and i thought there had to be a better way aside from baking my own bread because i sure as heck am not doing that.  full cup is about as unprocessed as you can get when it comes to grains, and did i mention it also tastes great?!?!  all of their breads are awesome, and i stock up when i go and store them in the freezer so i always have some ready to go.  and their whole wheat chocolate chip cookies – don’t even get me started.  they also ship if you’re outside of the atlanta area – i knew we had something special here locally when my friend julia-leigh said that one of her friends in memphis gets their bread shipped to her!

lastly, this picture just makes me laugh.  girl is on point with the arm party trend.

hope y’all have a great weekend!!  we are going to soak up the last of pool time…always hate when it comes to an end.

xoxo