Louella Court

Philadelphia Wedding Project

{ posted by Nicole, director of sales }

Two Paperdolls is thrilled to be a part of the Philadelphia Wedding Project.  When Geoff Horowitz of Leapfrog Photography told us about this exciting venture, we couldn't say "YES" quickly enough.

 

Philadelphia Wedding Project brings together six of Philadelphia's finest wedding photographers to offer a unique experience for one deserving couple. 

The project will select ONE COUPLE who has a story to tell and is getting married sometime in 2010 and offer them the amazing package below:

Photography Coverage Includes:

• Engagement Session
• Boudoir Session (if desired)
• All Day Wedding Day Coverage
• Custom Designed Album
• Two Parent Albums
• Online Proofing Gallery

Along with this free photo shoot, the lucky couple will be fortunate enough to receive amazing discounts from Philadelphia vendors such as Feastivities, Beautiful Blooms, Innove Events and, of course, Two Paperdolls.

Please visit the site to tell your story, but move quickly! The deadline to submit is October 15, 2009.  The winning couple will be announced on October 19, 2009.

The Bennett Putting Green Experiment - Designing the Perfect Putting Green {Part Deux}

{ posted by Amanda, VP }

see part one here

The flooding subsided just in time for more seeds and fertilizer to arrive on my doorstep. It was quite possible that in the midst of the storm my husband went on-line to place another order because he knew his first attempt was a wash (pun intended). After re-rolling, re-seeding and re-covering the ground, we were back to our lawn before it was decimated by Hurricane Bennett, who thought he would be able to take us down with one blow. Not so fast...

Jeff was unstoppable in his pursuit of a putting green. This meant amping up his efforts, with a water timer from Vigoro, as if he had any control over mother nature. 

This is a digitally programmable timer that has a wireless moisture sensor, preventing excessive watering if the ground is already the desired moisture level.

This piece of equipment would be key in starting a green in the hottest month in the northeast with temperatures in the 90's and humidity at its peak. 

This is how it looked hooked up to my hose nozzle... much like a large tumor sticking out of the side of my house.

The sensor is located directly in the center of my yard, certainly to draw enough attention to passers by... now all I need is a spy camera to view when this thing goes off while we are at work. If you were worried, it's calibrated perfectly to only cover our grass, not the neighbors lawn or sidewalk.

And after much rolling...

Fertilizing...

And videotaping his swing indoors in his down time...

He is now in a place to trim it daily.

Cheers to beers and putting on the perfect putting green this Fall. 

mental cool down

{ posted by Chris, designer }

As the recent days have been sweltering hot I’ve been cooling myself down mentally by checking out snowboards for the upcoming season. Of course the core type, suspension and factory finish of the board are important, but as a designer the most important thing to me is the look. My favorite designs are always the ones that incorporate awesome typography. Here are a few examples of boards that have me pumped for the season and are keeping me mentally cool during the dog day afternoons. 

My personal favorite is the Salomon board (middle) with the fun illustration and hand drawn type; it will be number one on my Christmas list.

this is no shotgun wedding...

{ posted by Colleen, director of letterpress }

Sometime not too long ago, I stumbled upon the blog of Anna Bond. She is the illustrator and designer behind Florida based Rifle, who really has a good thing going when it comes to wedding invitations.

I love her illustrations. She offers stationery, calligraphy, save the dates, invitations, and even items like paper fans if you are interested. Every job is tailored to the client and even though they have their obvious differences, each one is undoubtedly hers — I think that's a rare thing these days.

timeless tradition with Laura Novak

{ posted by Vanessa, owner + creative director }

I met photographer Laura Novak in 2004 and instantly I knew she just "got" it.

We became fast friends, both twenty-something women, set out on a mission to build successful creative businesses (not an easy task, yet nothing was going to stop either of us). She got me. I got her. Laura has a hell of an eye for style and detail, she is so fun to hang out with, and has a fabulous business mind — so much so that over the years she has become one of my most favorite people to have dinner with and digress about life, business, and future. I was honored when she asked me to design all of her fabulous paper goodness for her wedding in February of 2008, and I always get giddy when designing her branding and letterpressing her business cards; she is just one of those people that lets me "do my thing." Ahhhhh, creative freedom. 

Laura started photographing my little guy Landon right before he turned one, and we've now done a photo shoot every late summer/fall since — he's now about to turn four. Yes, I said FOUR (going on sixteen). Landon loves Laura and talks about her on occasion. He was totally stoked for his pictures this year, so we decided to go somewhere new. We ended up in the cutest town ever, Phoenixville (my first time there, what?) and he had a blast. Landon loves music, and in honor of the late and great Michael J., he broke out in full break dance singing "Friller" for Laura during our session. We almost peed our pants.

Here are some favorites from the last four years:

age one:

age two:

age three:

age four (see the full slideshow here):

  

 

I have to say, being a mom and watching your child grow up and turn into a person is hands down the most precious gift in life, and I feel blessed to have these photos and memories. Every year I make an album of these photos and I'm hoping I make it to 18 before he refuses — but knowing Landon and the ham that he is, he will be down with it.

{ all photos by Laura Novak }

calendar countdown

{ posted by Brooke, designer }

It may only be August, but I am already counting down the days until some lovely 2010 calendars hit stores in the fall and winter. One of my favorite parts of a new year is getting the chance to ogle over all the pretty calendars and decide which one will be gracing my desk/wall.

Currently, I have this charming letterpressed and silk-screened calendar from ilee gracing my desk:

I can never choose just one calendar, though, so the ever-popular Orange Beautiful silk screened calendar is also in my office, beautifying my bulletin board:

Is there a particular calendar that you look forward to getting every year?

Whiteside - Kehoe Wedding

{ posted by Nicole, director of sales }

Fall Brides are making their presence known here at the dollhouse. I can't wait to share with you some of the amazing things we are designing! Looking back to last fall, I thought I would share some great shots from Brooke Whiteside Kehoe's wedding.

Brooke and Sean had a beautiful and elegant reception at Greystone Hall. Taking a spin on tradition, she chose a black invitation with white ink to tell her guests all about the amazing affair. You may have seen this invitation featured last week during our intern series by Cara. I loved working with Brooke and her mother Donna on all of the little details for the day of her event as well. From the classic programs, to the monogrammed menus, each had a hint of the invitation details. And, as you can see below, all complemented the beautiful bride and her handsome groom on their big day!  

{ photos by Clair Pruett }

designerds, part five

{ posted by Brooke, designer } 

{ see previous designerds posts one, two, three and four }

I'm pretty sure I'm going to need one of these cute Pantone messenger bags to transport my cute Pantone mug around town.

Or perhaps a book bag would be better for carrying all my daily necessities?

Regardless of which bag is on my shoulder, I'm pretty sure one of these wallets will definitely be inside.

simply beautiful...

{ posted by Colleen, director of letterpress }

We recently designed and printed new business cards for our neighbors and friends at Table Art. They plan "simply beautiful events" and needed a simple yet beautiful business card to match. I think that they got what they were looking for!

 The cards are printed on thick 220# Pearl white Crane Lettra, in a pale green and cool gray- and were die cut for the rounded corners.

The Name Game

{ posted by Nicole, director of sales }

Matlack Florists - One of my favorite florists (probably because they gave me my first job when I was 16, not because they did an amazing job on my sister's wedding) is running the BEST promotion I have seen in a LONG TIME! 

If your name appears on their outside AD board you get a free rose! They are featuring 2 names per week and it has drawn quite the following!  People have been calling in to request names and to see if it is their lucky week.  In an attempt to increase their walk-in business, they have built some lasting friendships and have some great stories to tell.  Read more about it here or drive by to see if your name is there!