Halloween Invites Sent!

I just got my first message (and RSVP!) that my Halloween invites were received, so I think it's safe to share now.

Note: If you haven't gotten one and want to come (assuming you know me and where I live), send me an email - I probably just don't have your address right.

The last two years I did elaborate paper crafted invites with lots of layers and special envelopes and all sorts of "ingredients" like glitter and stickers...I've liked the results, but the time and money I put in seemed better placed elsewhere. I still couldn't give up a paper invite of some sort - I just think it shows you're really serious about the event and sets the tone for an extravaganza - so I decided, instead, on postcards.

I've ordered postcards before from vistaprint.com and I've been really happy. They're pretty much always having a "free" sale where all you pay is the shipping ($5for "slow" - which says 21 days but has always come much sooner) for 100 cards. They are 4" x 6" with a full color glossy front and free black & white matte back (you can upgrade to color for more $$).

A couple of caveats about Vistaprint - 1. They spam you once you've ordered. I get a sale notice nearly every day - but that doesn't bother me too much, and I always have the "sale" code around when I do need to order. 2. Between the last time I ordered and this time, they've apparently decreasted the thickness of their cardstock. This was mildly disappointing, but hey - for $5 I'm not complaining too loudly. 3. Sometimes they charge an "upload fee" for artwork - but again, sometimes it's part of the "sale" that it's free. They also have a ton of their own art and layouts to choose from too.

And speaking of my image....How do you like cheshire cat ME? Did you recognize me? Solocosmo on Etsy morphed a head shot of deal little me into the classic yet slightly creepy Cheshire cat, complete with a scary moonlit background. I was ECSTATIC with her work! She got it done very quickly, instantly grasped what it was that I wanted, and her prices are really reasonable (this was just $15...but I'd expect her prices to go up as she builds her store). She even featured me on her blog and asked if she could add it to her portfolio.

I chose the Cheshire Cat for the invites so that I could use his haunting quote from the book "We're All Mad Here." I thought that embodied some sense of the creepy, dangerous, and wicked Wonderland theme I'm going for.

So on the actual invite, the front of the card was this image with the quote across the bottom in white script. Then the reverse was set up as a postcard - it had a phantom shadow of the image on the front as the background, party details on the left and an address area on the right.

So far I'm getting good reviews and I'm so thrilled to hear that others are getting excited about the party as well! Thanks everyone, I'm going to do my best to make it EPIC!