New York Chocolate Show

The chocolate show turned out to be lots of fun and there were some interesting displays including a vitrine filled with vintage chocolate molds and whimsical costumes constructed completely of chocolate.

After tasting lots of delicious samples, my two favorite exhibitors by far were Oliver Kita (www.oliverkita.com) and Chocolate Springs (www.chocolatesprings.com).

Oliver Kita's chocolates were visually stunning; many had interesting metallic patterns and gem-like shapes and surfaces. The Scarlet Caramel and Lavandre Citronade were delicious. These would make impressive individual favors or would be lovely served with coffee at the end of a meal.

Chocolate Springs's individual chocolates were also intensely flavored but had an extremely light texture which went well with the delicate Japanese-inspired surface illustrations.

I especially loved the special New York City illustrations created for the chocolate show. This assortment would be perfect to include in a welcome bag for out of town guests...

So, it's been a while...

It's been so long, I hardly know where to begin! Let's start with a recent wedding project for Blue Ribbon. This was so much fun to work on; this suite included everything from the basic invitation set to ceremony programs and favor packaging, all done in a soft and feminine lilac & lavender colorway.

A detail of the invitation suite
(This is the Rococo design)

The prettiest favor box

Petite program booklets with a fitting quote chosen by the bride for the back cover

And last but not least, the thank you notes

In the Studio: Cupcake Flags

I am always trying to come up with new ways to use some of the leftover trimmings and letterpress scraps I have here my studio. In the past I've made mini gift enclosures and favor tags, and now I've started making these little cupcake flags. Since they are made from scraps, the alignment of the artwork is a little different on each one - which I like, since it keeps everything from looking too formal - I think cupcakes should be fun!

New York Cake & Baking Supplies

My six-year-old niece received an Easy-Bake oven for her birthday so I thought she would enjoy some fun decorating supplies to embellish her mini cakes with. This was a great excuse to visit New York Cake & Baking Supplies. If you are planning to make your own cake, cupcakes, candies, or cookies for your wedding this store is a fantastic resource.

They have just about every size cake pan, cookie cutter and pastry tip you could possible want, as well as sprinkles, nonpareils, icing dyes, and pre-made sugar paste flowers. They also sell packaging and display items like cake stands, cupcake wrappers, baker's twine, and cellophane bags. Plus they have an impressive selection of candles including those tall skinny ones - I love those.

Be forewarned though - the store is cluttered and a little dingy (this is not Williams-Sonoma!) and the clerks are not exactly known for their customer service. But if you are serious about baking and planning to make your own sweets, this is the place to go.

New York Cake & Baking Supplies
56 W 22nd St (between 5th Ave & Avenue Of The Americas)
New York, NY 10001
(212) 675-2253
www.nycake.com

Inspiration: Wine Labels

I got married at a vineyard, so I have a soft-spot for wine country weddings. Regardless of whether or not your wedding takes place amongst the vines, wine labels can be a great source for interesting layouts, graphics and typefaces.

I love the calligraphic swirls and crests on old-fashioned and vintage-style labels. If you are after a more modern look, the packaging blog, The Dieline, has photos of some great contemporary labels, like the ones created by Duffy & Parnters (left) and ilustrator Yiying Lu (right).


Images:Wine bottle table numbers and wine favors (upper left), marthastewartweddings.com; Table numbers, save the dates, wine favors, and invitations by Blue Ribbon; Misc. Wine labels from mmdusa.net, Wolffer Estate, Laurent-Perrier, Bonny Doon, St. Supery, Polaner Selections, R. López de Heredia, and theartistslabel.com; Duffy & Partners and ASDA California labels via The Dieline.

Fran's Chocolates

Valentine's Day is almost here and if you like to give the traditional gift of chocolate, Fran's offers some of the best in the country. My personal favorite is the gray salt caramels (pictured below), but they have lots of other delicious offerings including chocolate stuffed figs and single malt whiskey truffles. Unless you live in Seattle, Fran's delicacies can be difficult to find (I've only seen them consistently at one specialty food store in Great Barrington) so it is best to order directly from the company's website, www.franschocolates.com.

Gray Salt Caramels (image from franschocolates.com)

Paulette Macarons

I was just reading about this in the new Spring/Summer issue of Town & Country Weddings: "Beverly Hills pastry shop Paulette will bake macarons in your wedding colors..." ($4 for a box of 2 cookies).

Imagine the (delicious) possibilities! Yellow lemon, mint chocolate, pink grapefruit, dark brown Caribbean chocolate... well, you get the idea.




(All the stationery is by Blue Ribbon; All the photos of macarons are from the Paulette Macarons website, www.paulettemacarons.com)

Blue Ribbon in Town & Country Weddings

I am very excited to have some of my custom work included in the Fall/Winter issue of Town & Country Weddings. And it is one of my favorite patterns too - Vintage Tribeca. Below is a close up of the handmade favor box that was included in the shoot. I'm very proud of these - they are the perfect size for two petite macarons or a handful of something delightfully old-fashioned, like sugared almonds or candied violets.

Pop Art Inspired Packaging at Ladurée

As if their delicious macarons weren't reason enough for a visit, Ladurée always seems to have the most interesting packaging. In addition to the classic "Ladurée green" boxes, they often have limited edition boxes available. The pop art inspired boxes above are their latest offering.

If you enjoy traditional French sweets and their packaging as much as I do, you must check out the blog Paris Breakfasts.

Window Display at MarieBelle SoHo

I was walking by MarieBelle on Friday and spotted this gorgeous window display. I just love the color combination of the two shades of coral and the turquoise blue. The paper peonies poking out from the tops of MarieBelle's beautifully patterned coffee tins are amongst the most life-like crepe paper flowers I've ever seen.

MarieBelle SoHo
484 Broome Street
New York, NY 10013
212.925.6999
www.mairebelle.com

Lipstick Queen

Last night I attended a shopping event at Space NK, a British "apothecary" that recently opened it's first US outpost in SoHo. The space is wonderfully spare and the product selection tightly curated, which makes for a decidedly more relaxed and focused shopping experience unlike the harried beauty departments at Henri Bendel or Saks.


Anyway, I wasn't there for the free champagne or chocolates, my real purpose was to check out Lipstick Queen. I first read about the line's creator, Poppy King, when she was profiled in The New York Times Magazine last year (read the article here), and I was taken with how she described her fascination with the glamour, both real and symbolic, of wearing lipstick. Not only are the lipsticks wonderful (her reds truly are wearable), but the package design is gorgeous. I love the Arts & Crafts inspired packaging for the Sinner and Saint lipsticks and the Beardsley-esque backings for the Oxymoron glosses. Given the current minimalist and clinical look of most luxury cosmetic lines, it's refreshing to see a brand that has unabashedly decorative and saucy packaging - definitely a standout in the beauty department.

(Photos top to bottom: www.spacenk.com; www.lipstickqueen.com)

Les Parfums de Rosine

This tiny boutique is tucked away in the corridors of the Palais Royal - the gardens providing the perfect backdrop for a parfumerie dedicated to exploring the essence of the Rose. The perfumes are delightfully feminine and (of course) I am in love with the packaging.


LES PARFUMS DE ROSINE
Jardin du Palais Royal
105, Galerie de Valois – 75001 PARIS
Tel : 01 42 60 11 51
www.les-parfums-de-rosine.com

(Logo and boutique storefront images from the Parfums de Rosine website. Photos of samples and shopping bag from Blue Ribbon Design)

Ladurée

One of my favorite places to visit in Paris is Ladurée on rue Royal. Their macarons are known to be amongst the best in Paris and after having eaten here twice during my visit, I can confirm that they are indeed worth a special trip.

The shop's fabled displays of pastel pastries are visually inspiring and the flavors on offer are enchanting: cassis-violette, praliné, framboise, pistache, pétales de rose, caramel à la fleur de sel, fleur d’oranger, citron, pain d’épice...

As a paper person, I especially appreciate Ladurée's flair for packaging and printed details. Wouldn't the initialed tea handle cover above (which is made of a very soft paper, by the way) make a fantastic addition to service at a bridal tea or during dessert at a wedding reception?

And speaking of wedding receptions, if you are having a French-themed celebration, macarons or chocolates from Ladurée would be a wonderfully extravagant wedding favor, especially since Ladurée's sweets are not available yet in the United States and must be ordered directly through the shops in Europe.

Ladurée Royale
16, rue Royale - 75008 Paris
Tel : 01 42 60 21 79 - Fax : 01 49 27 01 95
www.laduree.com

(All photos by Blue Ribbon Design)