One of my surprise favorites from the show so far is the work of Girls Can Tell (booth 1377) and their collection of tea towels, lunch sacks, notebooks and little accessories all featuring the coolest illustrations inspired by architectural drawings, but with a playful twist. You know I logged a lot of hours drafting in my old architecture days so I love these!

Making their show debut in booth 1852, Sideshow Press rocked out a collection that has my name written all over it. With a vintage camp inspired vibe, their field notebooks, cards, gift wraps, packing tape and accessories play on colors and motifs that make me think of getting lost in the woods for a few days. You know, with a vintage cooler in tow.

Returning to the show for a second year, Belle and Union (booth 1853) brought loads of charm yet again with their impossibly darling cards, gift wraps, notepads and tea towels. They even introduced two new art prints this year that come framed on the underside of a barrel lid that I just love! It’s the whimsy of Meg’s illustrations paired with the simplicity of the overall designs that I just find so utterly charming.

I knew from her show preview that Sarah of Parrott Design Studio (booth 2168) was going to bring a whole lot of pretty to the show and that she certainly did. I am really loving her collection of letterpress cards even more in person, with their gorgeous color combinations. Sarah does all her own design, lettering and printing making her designs even more fetching in my eyes.

Sass & Peril (booth 2169) was at the show this year along with their new stationery line, The Paper Cub Co. With a whole bunch of crazy cute screen printed cards, I fell right in love. I am also really digging Sass & Peril’s art prints and little stuffed animal pillows. It would be completely appropriate to pile them all over the bed in our master bedroom, right?

Another new exhibitor, Thimblepress (booth 2167) made a real splash with me. Kristen has to be one of the most enthusiastic and sweetest people at the show this year and her collection is equally as sweet. From her oversized botanical United States map to her colorful letterpress cards, she has a little something for everyone. Plus her confetti poppers are a hit! Originally intended just as a show promo, they’ll soon be available for sale.

And that’s all she wrote for this installment, but you know I’ll be coming at you all week long with more paper goodness than you can shake a stick at…seriously. Does anyone have a favorite so far? More to come tomorrow! In the meantime, catch me on the flipside on Instagram!

[Photos by Cyd Converse for The Sweetest Occasion.]

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Next up, Yellow Owl Workshop (booth 1756) is rockin’ it at the show this year with a bold and bright booth loaded with their signature rubber stamp kits, party kits with fill-in party invitations and matching favor bags, and even an awesome carve-your-own stamp kit for you DIY enthusiasts. The bright rainbow colors of the booth drew me right in and I wanted to stay and play with stamps forever.

Headed into the show I was so excited about the debut of 9th Letter Press (booth 1754) and they certainly did deliver! With one of my favorite booths I’ve visited so far, their charming cards, prints and gift wrap are seriously too sweet for words. I also loved the gold foil-stamped luggage tags they were giving away as gifts, boasting the loveliest illustration of the Statue of Liberty. Too cute!

Returning to the show for the second year, Pei Design (booth 1774) delivered the goods this year with more of Pei’s adorable cards, new gift wraps in pretty neutrals and adorable art prints and calendars. Pei’s modern illustration style is just sweet and fresh in a really simple way that I love. And talk about one of the nicest ladies on the show floor!

Next up, I was loving some of the new treasures from one of my perennial show favorites, the ladies of Sugarcube Press (booth 2047). In addition to their signature cards, they introduced new DIY tea towel stamp kits that come complete with ink, stamp and flour sack towel – perfect for gift giving or making favors for a shower! Add in a whole host of new cards and darling favor tags and I was really loving the new goods this year.

Year after year I find myself completely enamored with the beautiful trimmings and ribbons from Studio Carta (booth 1762). From the loveliest rolls of fabric ribbon to big spools of baker’s twine, there’s a little bit of pretty for just about every package you could ever want to send. This year I was loving all of the new colors and once again decided I need a huge wall full of ribbon and twine in my office.

Last but not least, the ladies of Paper Boat Studios (booth 2264) always have a smaller but beautifully thoughtful collection, one that is loaded with goodness. Case in point, adding to their collection of paper board games, I love their new tangram puzzle – perfect for the backseat when traveling! I also loved their geometric calendar and all of their gorgeous letterpress coasters, some of which were printed with cocktail recipes. We know I love a good cocktail!

And that’s it for now, friends! So many of you have been following along on Instagram and Twitter, which I love. There’s so much more to come over the next few days. So be sure to stay tuned! There’s a whole lot more paper action coming at you throughout the week.

[Photos by Cyd Converse for The Sweetest Occasion.]

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[Photo from Topshop via Fashion Gone Rogue.]

• Homemade Treasures: 10 DIY Candles
• Setting the Table: 10 DIY Cloth Napkins
• 10 DIY Kids Room Decor Ideas
• It’s Party Time! 10 DIY Party Balloons
• Summer Style: 10 DIY Totes

• Loving this color of sunshine
• The most amazing DIY painted tablecloth
• And some DIY gold placemats, too!
• Amazing! Peanut butter cayenne ice cream
• 8 cocktails with a vintage flair
• Super pretty and colorful cakes
• 3 ways to arrange lilacs
• I want to take this class summer – anyone want to join me?
• Homemade banana granola? Yes, please!
• The most beautiful film about ice cream (Seriously!)
• Don’t forget to make yourself some infused vodka this weekend!
• My absolute favorite pin of the week

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Tomorrow morning I leave for the 2013 National Stationery Show! If you’ve been reading for a while, you know I’ll be sharing countless photos here and on Instagram as I walk the show, bringing you a sneak peek of the paper goods that will be hitting retailers near you soon. I can’t exaggerate how much I love show week. If you’re not familiar, NSS is like fashion week for paper. It’s a trade-only event where designers unveil their latest collections and buyers decide what new products they want in their shops. For a girl like me, it’s some kind of heaven.

Today I’m kicking things off by sharing my favorite NSS previews from around the web. If you’re attending the show, be sure to pop by and check them out! (Oh and be sure to let me know so we can hug it out. I’m a hug it out kind of lady.) For loads of stationery show coverage also be sure to also follow along with my girl Nole at Oh So Beautiful Paper and get ready for a week a paper madness. In a good way. Click through for 15 NSS previews!

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Today’s DIY tutorial comes to us from Maxine, creator of Tulle Box Designs, and a lover of packaging and DIY. (Yup, she’s totally my kind of lady.) Maxine is showing us the sweetest little idea for making ombre stripe favor bags. Perfect for parties, weddings, showers or even gift wrapping, I love how colorful and fun these favor bags are – and we all know about my love affair with stripes so I don’t need to fill you in there. Many thanks to Maxine for sharing this fabulous project! For more of her packaging ideas, pop over and check out her DIY gallery.

• Cardstock in assorted colors, in shades that create an ombre effect
• Paper cutter
• Glue
• Cellophane party favor bags (available at craft and party stores)

Using your paper cutter, cut 1/2″ strips of cardstock measuring the same width as your cellophane bags. You’ll need strips of each of your cardstock colors to help you form the basis of your ombre. These bags feature five stripes, each in a different shade of the respective color, but you can play around and see what you like best on your bags!

Apply glue to the backside of each cardstock strip. A glue stick works great or you could also used a double-sided adhesive, typically scored in the scrapbooking section of your local craft store.

Starting at the bottom of your bag, stick your cardstock strips to the bag, applying pressure to adhere them fully. You’ll want to start with either the lightest or darkest of the colors and repeat with the other colors, leaving 1/2″ space between each stripe. Allow the glue to dry and set completely and you’re all done! Now just fill up your bags with goodies or treats in color-coordinated colors and you have basically the coolest favor bags going.

[Photos by Tulle Box Designs for The Sweetest Occasion.]

The fine print: Please link with love! As with all of our posts, DIY projects featured on The Sweetest Occasion may not be copied, distributed or reproduced without express written permission. Love and links are always appreciated! If you’d like to share this post, please link to this post directly for the DIY tutorial and do not include the instructions in your own post. Thanks so much! xoxo

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1: Bourbon blueberry basil donuts | 2: Chocolate frosted cake donuts | 3: Baked apple cider donuts | 4: Grapefruit donuts | 5: Peanut butter cream filled donuts | 6: French breakfast puffs | 7: Carrot cake donuts | 8: Cinnamon sugar donuts | 9: Vanilla glazed yeast donuts

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Over the last year or so I’ve become quite the sucker for infused vodkas. They make incredibly refreshing cocktails and packaged in pretty jars or bottles they make really lovely hostess or housewarming gifts, too. Today I am thrilled to have the amazing Monica Wang sharing her method for creating infused vodka. You can experiment with whatever fruit or herbs you love best, but Monica made hers with rosemary, ginger and Asian pear. Talk about delicious! (I especially love the idea of the Asian pear – yum!)

• Vodka
• Fresh herbs and/or fruit
• Glass jars (Monica uses Weck canning jars)

Start by making sure your jars are completely cleaned and dried thoroughly. Then place your herbs or fruit in each jar. For rosemary infused vodka, first crush the rosemary a bit with the back of your knife to help release the essential oils before placing in the jar. For the Asian pear, peel and deseed the fruit then chunk it up – this will increase the surface area of the fruit and allow it to impart more flavor into the vodka. With the ginger, peel it and cut it into small pieces similar to the pear. Next, pour vodka into each jar until the fruit and herbs are covered. You’ll need approximately 1-1/2 to 2 cups of vodka per jar. Use your favorite vodka, but as is always preached around here – make sure to skip the cheap stuff! It’s not going to do you any favors. Ever.

Cover your jars and leave them in a cool, dark place to steep for a few days. Then give your vodka a little taste test to see how much flavor has been infused into the vodka. When the flavor level is how you’d like it to be (keeping in mind, the longer it sits the more flavor it will develop), use a cheesecloth and/or sieve to strain out the solids from the vodka. Then mix yourself up a cocktail!

Many thanks to Monica for sharing her infused vodkas – be sure to pop over and check out her beautiful blog!

[Photos + recipe by Monica Wang.]

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Many thanks to Sarah for sharing this little sneak peek and if you’re attending the show be sure to pop in and see her at booth 2168. I know I personally can’t wait to check out the entire collection in person!

[Photos by Parrott Design Studio.]

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Guys, I am so excited about sharing this project with you, because I have been wanting to make my own candles for what feels like eons. After doing some playing around and researching candle making I decided to start with simple beeswax candles. Beeswax burns cleaner than a lot of other waxes, even working to help clean the air in your home, and it has a natural color and fragrance that I really like. I will preface everything by saying that making candles is so much easier than you think. Since my first experiment I’ve since made two more batches of candles. In fact, our moms got homemade candles for Mother’s Day! You can make these as gifts, for stashing in about every room of your home, or for lining your dining room table for a bit of dinner party ambience. Seriously. Possibilities. Endless.

• Beeswax
• Wicks
• Double-stick adhesive
• Essential oils (optional)
• Wax pouring pot
• Thermometer
• Skewers
• Jars, metal tins or similar

Beeswax typically comes in 1 oz or 1 lb blocks – you can find it at local craft stores (like I did), but upon investigating I figured out the expensive way that it tends to be much cheaper if you buy it online. (Next time around I’m probably going to order mine here, but this first time around I got it at Michaels.) For reference, I purchased 3 pounds of wax, which made five of the smaller tart tin candles and three mason jar candles. No matter how large your block of wax is you’ll want to first cut it down into smaller chunks. This will allow it to melt much more efficiently.

Once your wax is in chunks, it’s time to start melting! Do this by using a double boiler. I opted to buy an actual wax pouring pot but you could use any heat-safe container and place it in a pot of water, then set the pot to boil. Keep in mind that the wax is going to be tough to clean out of whatever container you use (thus why I opted to buy the pouring pot) so you don’t want to use anything you aren’t ok with being permanently relegated to candle making. You want to use a thermometer in conjunction with your double boiler and melt the wax until it reaches about 145° – a little warmer is ok, but try not to exceed 175°. While it’s melting, you should be prepping your containers!

I played around a bit with different containers, but I found the cutest little tart tins and I just knew they had to be made into candles. I also made a few with mason jars and you could also experiment with any pretty glassware or tins you might already own, as long as it’s a material that can withstand the heat of the melted wax. (Which is why I knew tart tins and mason jars would work because both are designed to hold up to heat!) I opted to use pre-made wicks but you can also make your own. I liked the simplicity of the pre-made wicks though for this first go at it. You’ll need one wick per candle, which you’ll adhere to the bottom of your container using double-stick adhesive. Keep the wick long and hold it upright over your candle by wrapping the extra length around a skewer (or a pen or pencil…you get the idea) and propping the skewer up between two glasses or whatever else you have handy. Once your containers are prepped, place them on top of a sheet of parchment paper on a heat-resistant surface – I used a cutting board. (This just helps to protect your counters from the heat and any wax spills that may occur.)

Once the wax is melted, carefully pour it into your tins or jars, being careful not to splash it on the container or yourself. Don’t fill your containers completely – it looks nicer with a bit of extra room at the top! I found with larger candles (such as the mason jars) the wax shrink a bit as it cools so you’ll want to reserve a bit of unmelted wax so you can go back later, repeat the melting process and top off your candle with more wax so it looks nice and full. Then let the candles cool completely (overnight is best) and then trim your wicks so they’re roughly 1/2″ tall. And that’s it! You just made candles. And they’re awesome. (Truth. All of your friends will think so.)

If you’d like to scent your candles (which is completely optional because the beeswax has a really lovely natural fragrance that I personally really like) you’ll want to add fragrance by way of essential oils once the wax is melted but prior to removing it from the heat. I used NOW essential oils which I scored at a local organic market. Simply add about 1 gram of oil per 1lb of wax and give it a quick stir with a skewer. Again, do this while the wax is still over the heat, just prior to pouring it into your containers. You can add more or less depending on the level of fragrance you’d like and combine oils to suit your fragrance fancy. I made a few scented candles but kept most of them natural – the beeswax has a light honey smell that I find quite lovely.

And that’s it, gang! I hope you give this a try – you’ll be surprised how easy it is and how cool it feels to be all like, “Yeah, I just made candles.” Or maybe that’s just me. But either way, have fun and let me know if you give it a go!

[Design + styling by Cyd Converse for The Sweetest Occasion. | Photos by Alice G. Patterson.]

Sources -
Candle making supplies from Michaels
Essential oils by NOW, purchased locally
Tart tins from Bed Bath & Beyond ($0.79 each)
Ball jars from Target

The fine print: Please link with love! As with all of our posts, DIY projects featured on The Sweetest Occasion may not be copied, distributed or reproduced without express written permission. Love and links are always appreciated! If you’d like to share this post, please link to this post directly for the DIY tutorial and do not include the instructions in your own post. Thanks so much! xoxo

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Yup. True story. That’s what my office looked like just over 24 hours ago. It’s scary stuff. You can see stray crafting supplies and photo shoot props covering literally just about every square inch. The desk (immediately to the right in this photo) looked similarly as though it had been ravished by an earthquake or tropical storm of some variety or another. Hell, I even think I spy a pair of my running socks in that pile. Real life, people. It’s not always perfectly styled cocktails over here.

A few hours later, we were working with something more like this. The first wave of getting the room back in working order is officially complete! I still need to get some more permanent and functional storage systems going. For instance, those boxes and bins you see in the closet contain just a fraction of my disgustingly large glassware prop collection. (There’s about twice this number of bins in our storage room, too, and that doesn’t even cover the glassware I actually display and that we use on a regular basis. I have a problem.) Having them stored like this makes it pretty tough to get my hands on what I need when the time arises so I need a better system, but for now at least I am once again sitting and working at my desk and the closet doors can be closed. Oh, and I can also get in and out of the room without fearing a broken ankle. It’s progress, right?

I share this in part to let you know a little bit about what goes on over here when I’m not sitting in front of my computer writing posts. But also, we all need a good reminder now and then that not everything is the perfectly organized and styled version of life that we see on tv. (Or on Pinterest, as the case may be.) I’ve been sharing a ton of near daily updates over on Instagram so if you’d like to laugh at the  madness, pop on over and follow along!

(p.s. You’ll also get a few sneak peeks at upcoming posts, DIY tutorials and projects because I can’t just can’t resist a good sneak peek.)

[Photos by Cyd Converse on Instagram.]

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