Pretty wipes

Ever since The Wedding Cafe opened up their second location at Ward Warehouse, I find myself wandering in and out of the neighboring shops a LOT. I used to be a shopaholic, but thankfully I've learned the joy of window shopping. Imagine my delight when I passed by the window of Executive Chef and saw the colorful sight above.

I literally stopped dead in my tracks at the sight of these fun, festive, maybe too-cute-to-use paper napkins! I don't ever remember going ga-ga over napkins before, but that's probably because I'd never seen such a stunning variety. I actually want to throw a themed party based entirely on the chic black and white ones in the top right corner. My husband thinks I'm crazy, but he just doesn't understand the gloriousness of these napkins!

I didn't have time to take a closer look so the best I could do was to whip out my camera phone and snap away. Next time, I'm going in...and I'll start planning my black and white affair.

Bands and bottles

Earlier this week, I had the chance to stop by one of my favorite stores, Red Pineapple at Ward Center. It was a welcomed break in a marathon day of client meetings and post office runs...actually, it's a welcomed break any day! If it were possible to be in love with a store, Red Pineapple would definitely be my "one and only." Every nook and cranny of this charming shop is jam-packed with cool goodies that you see splashed in mags like O, InStyle and Real Simple.

I used to visit the store religiously, but after a while my husband noticed that I'd never buy anything. I explained to him that it was because there were so many things calling my name that I just couldn't decide. Of course, I eventually took the plunge and made my first purchase. And I've never looked back.

Among my latest finds was a pack of rubberbands. Not just any rubberbands, mind you, but extra large, super-sized rubberbands. My beautiful cloth-covered binder that I take EVERYWHERE has one flaw -- no inside pockets. I wrapped one of the rubberbands around the front cover and voila! My important notes have found a safe and secure home!

I also treated myself to an early Valentine's gift in the form of a SIGG water bottle. No more environment-unfriendly plastic bottles for me. From now on, wherever I go, I'm bringing along my SIGG. Red Pineapple has a whole bunch in different sizes, colors and patterns, but hurry because these things fly off the shelves!

XOXO

Happy Valentine's Day!

Sending you lots of love from Emi Ink...

Hold the dip

I was chatting with one of my clients last week and she mentioned that she needed to pick up some paint chips to match her wedding colors. If you're still early on in your planning, this is a SMART thing to do. It's a great way to show your vendors exactly what colors you'd like to incorporate into your big day.

Fabric swatches are also helpful but sometimes the beautiful sheen in textiles such as satins and organzas make them difficult to match. In regards to invitations specifically, matching inks to matte paint chips is a much easier task than pairing them up with luxe fabrics that could have different tones in various angles/lighting.

Who knew that a trip to the hardware store could be such an important part of your wedding planning?

Sweet tiers

Click over to Brides.com to see some of the most beautiful cakes from around the country. Then, vote for your favorite for your chance to win it!