I used to take great pride in my business cards from back in my “working” days. They were something special - Double thick, textured, two-toned, embossed with copper foil and card stock like a brick on the spectrum of paper lbs. While my old career path is currently on hold and the cards are now used for a game of “52 card pick up” with my toddler, I have learned to channel my love of stationary into ordering special occasion and note cards. And there’s nothing more special or stunning than letterpress…

Debra Saba, owner and creative director at Luxe Expressions recently introduced me to her lovely line of letterpress. She also took the time to answer some questions I thought our readers may like to know:

Why is letterpress more expensive and is it worth it? Yes, Letterpress is special and because of the nature (each piece is pressed one by one by hand and by color to get the ink indention), they are on the higher price point than for Offset printing. However, we offer both print methods here at Luxe Expressions.  We do love Letterpress though. You can say the simplest things and it looks fabulous inked into soft cotton papers. Any baby design can be done in Letterpress or Offset and one can add embellishments with bows and other items to make them truly unique.

What is it like working with Luxe Expressions “Couture”? We are a couture design studio and our online pieces are used for inspiration but we find that for our baby clients, most people just want to change colors, names (of course), fonts, etc. For all things baby, we design baby shower invites, baby coasters, baby thank you cards, mommy calling cards, birth announcements, and family holiday cards. Luxe Expressions has endless possibilities for you to welcome the little one with style! Ask our design team how you can customize one of the collections you’ve seen on our site or work with them to custom-design a piece especially for you. Reach us by calling 770.424-6192 or email us at hello@luxeexpressions.com.  We will work up a quote, send an invoice, and begin the design process.  We will guide Project Nursery readers through the entire process.

Good News! Luxe Expressions is currently offering Project Nursery readers Baby Announcements and Baby Thank You Cards at 30% off for 1 or 2 ink colors through December 25^th.  In addition, our readers will receive 20% off family holiday cards in 1 or 2 ink colors. Designs must be in letterpress to qualify for the discount.  Offset printing is also available upon request.   Please use code LUXE4PN when contacting Luxe Expressions to apply the savings.

Tags: Announcements, Discounts, Letterpress, Stationary

Julie Blanchard, owner of Lemon Tree Paperie, created a sophisticated and classic nursery for her son Weston that we are pleased to share with our readers. When planning the nursery, Julie was instantly inspired by Serena and Lily’s fabrics and decided on the color scheme of navy, indigo and lime right away. One of Julie’s goals was to keep the colors and fabrics simple and uniform so that she would be able to easily accessorize.  One of our favorite elements in the nursery is the custom paint design featuring little Weston’s initials framed by a crest style border. Very Preppy and cute! Julie says, “The custom paint design saved on buying artwork.” What a brilliant way to give the walls purpose without having to find expensive artwork.

Julie customized the crib bedding by mixing the “Charlie” bumper with the “Blake” sheeting collection, both from Serena and Lily. With some extra fabric, she was able to customize a sweet pillow with Weston’s name for the her Dutailer glider. In addition, Julie used the extra bedding fabric and ribbon to create an adorable wall hanging for over the changing table. Other Details include a Pali crib, and Pottery Barn Kids baskets and liners. The lamp is from Target and the bookshelf is a custom made piece. Julie did an excellent job of mixing and matching pieces to achieve this tailored space she dreamed of for Weston.

Besides being a nursery design maverick, Julie has a passion for fine paper and stationary. After spending many years in the business she decided to open her own online boutique, Lemontreepaperie.com which offers baby announcements, calling cards, personalized stationary, family labels and much more. Through her online boutique, Julie advises clients on a national basis, and is personally involved in each and every order.

We are excited to announce that Julie has offered Project Nursery readers $15 off all orders of $100 or more! Use code NURSERY when placing orders. Offer valid through 9/30/08. With Halloween coming up what a great opportunity to snatch up some amazingly cute cards for the family. Thanks Julie!

Tags: Art, Baby Nurseries, Cribs, Discounts, Green, Inspiration, Monogram, Paint, Preppy

You’ve used the expression “warm and cozy” to describe a blanket but how about “healthy and elegant”? Two moms’ love of family, environment and fashion have come together to create Robbie Adrian, manufacturer of quality, organic baby blankets.

Mommy-to-be Tamara tipped us off on this hot find that celebrity mommies such as Christina, Katie, and Jessica know so well. Eco-friendly Robbie Adrian blankets are available in flirty silk ruffles or simple piping designs. Offered in plush 100% certified organic cotton velour or soft 100% certified organic cotton fleece, baby sizes start at $44 and they even make adult sizes. An ideal gift for welcoming a new mom or newborn into the world.

Robbie Adrian is also kind enough to extend a 10% discount to Project Nursery Readers. Please mention code “PN “at checkout. Oh and the gift box also happens to be just as pretty!

Tags: Blankets, Discounts, Eco-Friendly

Just last year I sent a customized storybook to a friend’s child and thought “How cool! It includes her name and birthday.” Little did I know that this was just the tip of the iceberg and I was missing out on a way better product. Meet that product: The First Adventures of Incredible You by the award-winning personalized storybook company, “Custom Made For Kids“.

Custom Made For Kids offers over 20 places in The First Adventures of Incredible You where details about a child, his/her family, friends, favorite places and family traditions can be seamlessly incorporated into the rhyming verse in the book. There is also a dedication page so they will always remember that this special gift came from you! Appropriate for boys, girls (up to 8yrs), all ethnicities and family structures, the Custom Made For Kids book comes with a 100% satisfaction guarantee.

Relish in your child’s cherished memories during story time. It will warm your heart. Take the virtual book tour to see for yourself. If you love it or know of someone special who will, write us a comment and one could be yours in our featured weekly giveaway. You know the rules…

Tags: Books, Discounts, Giveaways, Personalized

Decals add a splash of personalized creativity in any room but especially your childs. I can’t help but recommend these reasonably priced decals to friends and family. Hint to sister-in-law T: Wouldn’t this “Dandelion in the Wind” be great in your gender neutral, creamy, beigy (is that a word?), organic nursery? The baby’s coming in 5 months…no pressure

If you simply cannot commit to a single style, why not give decals a try? Forgo the agony of picking the perfect paint color, the cost of a mural, or meaning of a picture, when easy to apply decals can add a whole new dimension to your room. Best of all, the Lewa’s Designs’ blog provides a complete online tutorial to guide you through the application process.

So try something different for a change. Be whimsical and have fun with decals. Be confident and know that they can easily be removed if your taste or hobby should change. Mention this blog “Project Nursery” within the notes at Paypal check out to receive a 10% rebate.

Tags: Decals, Discounts, Wall Art

16 years of ballet class and what did it get me? Grace? Discipline? We’ll I am still pretty clumsy and I always cheat on my diet. It did however provide me with beautiful childhood memories of my parents chauffeuring me countless hours to class and a sincere fondness for tutus.

Tags: Discounts, Gifts, Giveaways, Toys, Tutus

It’s safe to say that we practice what we preach. We post what we enjoy, what we want, and what we buy. So we are sincerely excited to tell you about our super cool calling cards. A few weeks back we posted some great stationary and we cannot stress how much we appreciate Erin Condren’s designs. We had to order some for ourselves…

Tags: Calling Cards, Discounts, Gifts

We are all about the projects that come along with baby. And baby’s first birthday is a big one! It’s about baby, friends, family and most importantly the parents! Afterall, we’re the one’s who survived the first year. So why not keep it intimate and keep it in your backyard. There’s nothing sweeter than a backyard birthday bash and here’s some some sweet birthday decor to inspire…

Classy and Modern: Among the all Elmo, Sesame Street, and Barbie themes, there’s nothing better than two simple colors to theme your child’s party.

Go Crazy, Go Carnival: Caterers set the theme with traditional carnival foods and carts. Keep it bright and festive without the scary clowns.

Sweet and Lovely: Light and airy decor set the tone for this whimsical fairy theme.

A friend once gave me a tip and suggested that I catered my son’s first party. She couldn’t have been more right. I love to cook but cooking and hosting a party with babies crawling and toddlers running around the house is hardly like one of your pre-baby cocktail soirees.

So one piece of advice I would like to pass along to others is to order your party favors pre-packaged and in advance! I spent a silly amount of time and money putting together themed favors. I even ordered items that were not baby safe but looked so online. To avoid making the same mistake, visit our friends at Goody! Goody! for unique, hassle-free party favors on the go. Goody! Goody! currently offers 8 themes (from Hannah Montana to Thomas the Tank) and sells favors individually from $3.25 or boxed sets of 10. With advance notice owner Megan will even customize your favors to your party’s theme. Mention Project Nursery (Code: PN at check out) and receive free customized CD’s with your order!

Now you’ll have more time to decide whether to serve cake or cupcakes!?!

Tags: Birthdays, Discounts, Party Favors

Many of you have asked us to feature cool wall art in your effort to finish the perfect nursery. So here we found these clean and modern custom designs we had to share. Created by another set of NYC gals gone mommy, hipkidart will personalize your piece over heavy stretched canvas and have it delivered to your door in under two weeks time. You can’t help but enjoy these sweet, simple designs that compliment any kid’s room. Enter the promo code “APPLE” and receive 10% off.

Tags: Discounts, Wall Art