REETI by Chic Paier

Celebrating the Holidays Indian Style

2010-11-02T14:41:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone, it’s been a while since we published and a post is long overdue. Since this week is “Holi Week”, now is the best time to start fresh.

I call this week “Holi Week” because based on the Hindu calendar, every day starting today is religiously significant leading up to Diwali on Friday. Diwali is a holiday, where good conquers evil and light extinguishes darkness. Traditionally diyas are placed and lit around the home, rangoli grace the floors, kandils or colorful paper lanterns are strung and festive foods are prepared all while celebrating with family and friends.

Since it's autumn in the US, we can take advantage of the season, the changing leaves and the colors to decorate our home and reflect where we live. Bring a little autumn into your home and Fall in love with Diwali.

Paper Lanterns, Diya, NYPL Chandelier Covered with Oak Leaves, Flower Rangoli, P. Bailey’s A Fall Affair

A Word About Postage

2010-08-18T15:47:00.000-07:00

Receiving an invitation in the mail is always exciting and I can’t wait to open it up and see who’s getting married and where. But have you ever looked at the outside envelope or mailer and wondered why couldn’t one beautiful stamp work as opposed to the multiple stamps needed? Whether you invitation is a three piece insert in an envelope or box, it’s the size, shape and weight that matters. Brides often forget to include postage when selecting stationery which can add several hundred dollars to the budget and take up real estate on the envelope. For a South Asian Indian wedding which can typically have 300-500 guests, that’s a considerable amount in postage.

The USPS resolved this with a new stamp, the 64-cent Butterfly stamp, which was released this spring during the National Stationery Show in May. As a designer, I was lucky enough to attend the unveiling of this stamp at the show and learned that the stamp is designed to be used on cards that have an irregular shape and require additional postage. It was created in conjunction with the Greeting Card Association for the customer’s convenience.

While one stamp may not work for everyone, you may need fewer stamps and at least the invitation will look pretty.

Stationery Trends

2010-07-08T13:27:00.000-07:00

As we sail through spring and into the heart of summer, brides, mothers-to-be and party planners are looking for the newest and freshest ideas for their event. One of the many important decisions to make will be the stationery you select to help set the tone, the look and feel you want to present. You can be bold, daring or memorable by making a statement with your stationery.

Hottest Color
The 2010 color of the year is Turquoise. Turquoise paired with green to give that soft lagoon feel or kick your invitation up a notch and pair turquoise with lipstick red for a more sensual feel.

Black and white is classy and always in vogue or paired with red for a more formal feel.

On the horizon is purple and when paired with neutrals is a classic look or with truffle and browns for the fall.

Personalization
Personalizing is still going strong and more popular than ever. Name, monogram and initials are appearing not only on paper but also on note cards, magnets, travel mugs and more.

Going Green
More choices in how products are made like recycled paper or printing with soy based inks. People like having more choices and are searching for alternative products.

Other Icons
Our love of all things French, the romance of France, Fleur-de-lis, Eiffel Tower and scrolls are as popular as before. Still going strong are cupcakes and food in general and butterflies are making an appearance as well.