Felt & Wire

I just stumbled across this great new blog over at Strathmore Paper. Many companies (ahem, such as myself) have incorporated blogs into their corporate identity but this one stands out as one of the most innovative and creative ones I have seen. The writing is witty and does not necessarily focus on paper (which could get a bit boring after a while), but on how paper is used and who is using it.

The post that stood out to me the most was this one - a great plug for using vintage stamps to mail letters. This has become an increasing trend for wedding invitations recently and I think it's a great idea. What better way to inject some romance and timelessness into your special event? They even include some great links to places you might procure your own vintage stamps which I am going to have to bookmark for future use!

Her Morning Elegance

I saw this video today for the first time- apparently it has been making it's way around the web, but I thought I would share it here. The concept is so fresh and original- with most music videos rehashing the same storyline, hyped-up imagery, and half naked girls I loved the simplicity and beauty showcased here. And the song is pretty good too!

I Heart Cookies

Following in the Valentine's Day spirit I decided to make some heart-shaped Toasted Coconut Shortbread Cookies from this site (one of my favorites). Mmmmm...they smell delicious! But I am going to be good and limit myself to one. The rest are for my dog sitters (my gracious in-laws) this coming weekend, while hubby and I are away in Rhode Island.

Check out my cute apron too!

Grown-Up Valentines

Valentine's Day has not always been a holiday that I take much notice of. Sure, my husband and I would use it as an excuse to treat ourselves to a nice dinner and maybe, if I was lucky, he would get me some good chocolate. But it always sort of snuck up on me and it never occurred to me to get anything for anyone else. Now that the economy is in the dumps and it seems like you can't watch TV or read a newspaper without finding out something else depressing, I thought perhaps Valentine's Day wasn't something to overlook this year.

I know that most everyone I know would enjoy a little pick-me-up and so I set off to make some homemade valentines. In grade school I always made homemade cards for my classmates. I loved the lacy, heart-shaped doilies and bright red construction paper heart pockets that we would use to collect all of our cards.

To make my grown-up valentines I found some vintage graphics and funny sayings online, printed up the cards, cut them out, and to add a little special touch I made some pretty envelope liners embossed with hearts.


All I did was use an envelope liner template and some bright pink paper I got on sale at Michaels. Using a ruler and an exacto knife I cut out each liner and then using my Scotch tape gun I glued them down inside the envelopes. The trick is to slip the liner into the envelope before you put the tape on and fold the flap over with the liner to ensure that your crease is in exactly the right place. Then after you have the back taped up, you slip it back in and fold the flap again to seal the two peices together.


I think from now on this will be an annual tradition- I just hope I get some in return!

What I've Been Up To

January has proven to be a very busy month for me so far. In the last two weeks I have definitely seen the signs of Wedding Season approaching– I have received more inquiries in the last two weeks than I have in the whole four months proceeding. Which is great! I feel renewed and excited about the upcoming year.

One of the projects I have been working on was coming up with a base price list for customers to download from my website so they have a ballpark figure of what it might cost for their invitations. This was really hard for me because on one hand I wanted to make my invitations affordable for anyone, and on the other I kinda need to make a profit. Or else I won't be in business long! To solve this problem I decided to break my invitations into two categories: Stock Designs and Completely Custom.

So the next project was to come up with some Stock Designs that people could choose from. These would be the least expensive as all the work of layout and design would be complete already, and I would just need to plug in names, dates, places etc. Coming up with ideas has been easier than I thought and I think I will easily have 8 or so different styles to choose from. All of which can be paired with whichever style card people prefer. And of course they can customize the colors as well- so it is really the best of both worlds!

Here is a sneak peak of some of the designs:

Everything's Peachy

A while ago I was asked by VT Vows for a 'Peach' themed invitation for a photo shoot they were doing. I didn't have one in my repertoire but I wasn't about to pass the opportunity up so I quickly created a beautiful metallic pocket-fold with RSVP and Direction/Accomodation card.


I love the way it came out so much I wish it was really for someone's wedding! My favorite part is the vellum band around the outside that has the same pattern as the paper on the background inside. It's those little touches that inspire me the most. Creating a 'fake' invitation was really fun and allowed me to go a little crazy since it was just for a small amount and cost was not a problem.

{Oh, and in case you are wondering, I used the names of a couple of friends of mine- shhhh}

The new issue of VT Vows should be on newsstands any day now and I can't wait to get my hands on it!

Happy New Year

Truly Noted was born in 2008, but I believe that 2009 will really see its growth and potential. Starting your own business, while working full-time, is a long and arduous task. There are many steps to be taken, paperwork to be filed, groundwork to be laid, and I finally feel like I am getting somewhere.

In the last six months Truly Noted has become a legitimate business registered with the State of Vermont, launched a website, become an authorized Envelopments dealer, put together advertising, and attended one wedding show. I have made contacts with wedding planners and even received inquiries that were from people I did not previously know! The rewards have been amazing and I hope that the new year brings only more progress.

For my New Years Resolutions I plan to post more regularly to this blog (hopefully because there are lots of things to update!) and to launch my Etsy shop to sell my original designed stationery, note cards and invitations. This year will be a big one and I hope one of the most momentous on my journey to fulfil my dream of quitting my full-time job and working entirely for myself.

I hope that 2009 also brings all of you closer to your goals and dreams and that you find the courage and faith to pursue them. Because no matter what the risks are, the feeling of occomplishment is worth it.