Where have all the pressed flowers gone?

Although I would like to believe that Purple Raincoat invented the concept of framed invitation keepsakes, the truth is that people have been decorating and framing invitations for many years. One popular style, which has been around since at least the 1970s, involves using pressed flowers as decorations for invitations.

Crafting with pressed flowers first became popular during Victorian times. The creation of modern pressed flowers involves – no surprise here – the use of a flower press to flatten the flowers and remove all moisture. A pressed flower has a beauty all its own; for example, the pressed version may be richer in color, and have a different “geometry”, than the live version.

A beautiful dried pansy (in my favorite color, of course). You can see other examples of pressed flowers at the Pressed Flower Store.

Pressed flowers can be incorporated into invitations themselves – see how a pansy is used in this elegant invitation, one of a series of pressed flower invitations by Pressed Petals.


I think pressed flowers are beautiful and I think that many beautiful framed invitations have been made using pressed flowers. If that style appeals to you, that’s great. But it’s not my style. From my perspective, in many cases the floral designs are beautiful but it’s not always easy to see how the design are connected to the “tone” of the invitation.

One reason I started Purple Raincoat was my belief that each invitation uniquely reflects the personality of the person (or people) behind it. Consequently, each invitation keepsake should be uniquely designed to capture and preserve the spirit of that specific invitation. To achieve this, I use a broad range of materials including paper, ribbon, mesh, metal brads and eyelets, wire, buttons, skeleton leaves, and silk and fabric flowers. So far, no pressed flowers, but I promise to keep an open mind about incorporating them into my design should the right invitation come along.

I do love using flowers when they are appropriate to the spirit of the invitation. Here’s a recent Purple Raincoat wedding invitation keepsake that incorporates small pearl-centered silk flowers as well as a beautiful stephanotis floral accent.



The invitation itself has two layers of paper, white (with hunter ink) and navy. Beneath the invitation are a hunter green vellum, a textured glossy white paper, and an embossed navy paper. A subtle blue and green printed paper is used as the background, topped by a textured white vellum anchored by white metal accents. A vertical strip of textured green paper is accented with dark blue mesh. A double knotted piece of hunter green ribbon tops a horizontal strip of embossed white paper. White silk flowers with pearl centers decorate two corners of the invitation. The design of the framed invitation features a beautiful stephanotis bouquet as an accent. The washed blue frame softens and completes the design.

And take a look at the statement made by the large pink flower on the birth announcement featured on our homepage. Read more about this birth announcement and see many more examples of our work to get a better idea of what the Purple Raincoat style is all about.

The bottom line: Diffferent strokes for different folks
Just as some people like to listen to National Public Radio while others prefer oldies or current popular music, different styles of preserved invitations will appeal to different people. If you’re looking to preserve an invitation in a way that is unique, contemporary and timeless, and you’re not insistent on dried flowers, you’ve come to the right place – visit our ordering page to get started.

Please Mr. Postman, part II: "Deliver the letter, the sooner the better"

“How much is it going to cost to mail my invitations?”

That’s a question I often was asked when I designed and sold invitations. I always said, “there’s no way to know until you take a full invitation, complete with all inserts, to be weighed at the post office.” Unless you’re sending one folded piece of paper in a standard business (#10) envelope, determining the postage required for a mailing may be more of an art than a science. You’ve got to be persistent sometimes to get the “right answer” that will make sure your invitations reach their intended recipients in a timely manner.

One of my Purple Raincoat clients wanted to order personalized postage stamps for her daughter’s bat mitzvah invitations, so she took a “fully loaded” invitation to the local post office to find out how much postage was needed. The invitation fit into a standard invitation envelope but included several layers and multiple folds; the invitation also included a ribbon tied into a bow. The post office has different postage requirements for mail depending on its size, shape, thickness, and what is enclosed. My client was told that her invitation was “borderline,” meaning that it could qualify for one of two different postage requirements. A recommendation was made to go with the lower amount of postage and personalized stamps were ordered.

The invitations were mailed using the rate recommended by the post office. But a number of them were returned to the sender for “insufficient postage,” which meant considerable extra work for my client. Eventually, she negotiated a “compromise” with the post office – she added extra postage to mail going out of town, but the post office agreed to deliver the in-town invitations at no additional charge. That’s stress that no one needs during the preparation for any special occasion. All’s well that ends well, of course, and everyone told my client how much they loved the invitations, which were really beautiful. And she can laugh about it now. But it wasn’t much fun at the time.

Lessons learned:

• When in doubt, use the highest amount of postage recommended by your post office.

• Be aware that unusual shapes – even squares – usually require “extra” postage. But don’t let that stop you from ordering the invitation you have your heart set on – the cost of postage is literally “a drop in the bucket” of your event costs, and there are other ways to save money if you’re watching your pennies.

• Also, remember that not all post offices are created equal, so you might want to get a second opinion if your invitation is diagnosed as “borderline” postage. Many people have had poor experiences with customer service at our local post office, so we choose to visit the post office in a neighboring town. To make absolutely certain you’re getting the right price, it may be smart to get estimates from more than one post office.

If you’re working this hard on your invitations, or you receive one with personalized postage, you’ll want to be sure the design is preserved and showcased in a Purple Raincoat collage. It’s the perfect answer to the question, “what would be a good gift?” because it is completely personal and can be ordered at a variety of price points. Consider this your invitation to visit our galleries of bar/bat mitzvah invitation keepsakes, wedding and anniversary keepsakes, and special event keepsakes. No postage required!

Please Mr. Postman, part I: Putting the right “stamp” on your invitations

The postage required to mail an invitation often requires a stamp in a denomination without a lot of design choices. For many people, custom postage stamps are a creative solution that helps you send an additional message about your event as part of the invitation. Stamps also can be used to showcase something about the event or honoree that might not be reflected in the invitation. For example, I created a framed keepsake for a bar mitzvah invitation that was simple and very traditional, but the envelope included a personalized stamp reflecting the bar mitzvah boy’s love of music – we incorporated the stamp as a unique design element into the collage, which was given to the boy as his bar mitzvah gift. He loved it.



Detail from a Platinum bat mitzvah invitation collage featuring a personalized stamp as a design element.

And if you’re in the market for custom stamps right now, you might want to visit www.zazzle.com because for a limited time, they are holding the line on the cost of their stamps despite the fact that postage rates rose on May 12, 2008. These stamps also could be used on save-the-date cards and RSVP envelopes. But buyer beware: I would never advise anyone to order postage until just before you were ready to mail and had a firm estimate from your local post office as to the exact postage necessary. Ordering postage in advance may seem penny-wise but might turn out to be pound-foolish in this world where prices often change without notice.

Personalized stamps make great additions to Purple Raincoat invitation collages. Anyone who makes the effort to put personalized stamps on their envelopes is someone who is sure to appreciate a completely personalized, one-of-a-kind Purple Raincoat preserved invitation keepsake. Visit www.purpleraincoat.com to see samples of one-of-a-kind gifts great for any occasion, from a bar/bat mitzvah to a wedding, anniversary, graduation, birthday, or corporate milestone. Inspired to order? Find out how easy it is to have Purple Raincoat create and deliver a unique keepsake gift for every occasion. And there’s no need to visit the post office – just email or call us and we’ll get started.

The type is right

Just before Super Tuesday, I wrote about the influence of fonts on our choices – even our choice of Presidential candidates. An analysis of the logos of the candidates in both parties correctly predicted the success of Barack Obama and John McCain. It may not have been written in the stars, but the handwriting – in their fonts of choice – certainly was on the wall for those who did not win.

It will be interesting to see if either one of the candidates makes any changes to their logos as we move into the general election campaign.

Impressions of the candidates based on their logos (from the Font Bureau’s analysis) suggest the enormity of the choice we face as a nation:

Obama: “contemporary, fresh, very polished and professional… the feeling of a hot new Internet company...This typography is young and cool. Clearly not the old standards of years past. “

McCain: "in between, moderate, not too far in either direction...Everything about this logo says you can buy a car from this man. From the perfectly centered star to the perfectly spaced type, the entire design looks like a high-end real estate company.”

As I always say, "fonts have feelings." You want those feelings to be the right ones, whether you're running for President or celebrating a bar/bat mitzvah. So keep this in mind when you're designing invitations for your special occasions.

When you've got your invitation just right, be sure to let Purple Raincoat preserve your memories with a personalized keepsake. We would love the opportunity to create something wonderful with an invitation to the 2009 Presidential Inaugural Ball...so stay tuned.

Of course, there are plenty of occasions to celebrate besides an inauguration. Birthdays, anniversaries, new babies...you get the idea. When you're celebrating, give Purple Raincoat a call so we can create a wonderful framed keepsake just for you.

In the meantime, congratulations to the winning Democratic and Republican candidates. The nominees are in place and the stage has been set – let the wild rumpus start!

The Ten Carat Anniversary

The 50th wedding anniversary may be golden but after that it’s all about diamonds, baby.

According to www.anniversaryideas.com, the gift associated with a 60th anniversary is diamonds. The 70th anniversary gift is diamonds and platinum; for an 80th anniversary, diamonds and pearls, followed by diamonds and emeralds for a 90th anniversary. So how do you top that for a 100th anniversary? The suggestion is a 10-carat diamond.

I don’t think anyone is going to need to buy a 10-carat diamond as a present for a 100th wedding anniversary any time soon – after all, Mayme and Clarence Vail are setting a record with their 83rd anniversary this year. However, there are a number of businesses and organizations that have passed the century mark.

How do they celebrate? Sometimes, they throw parties. That’s what the Jewish Home and Aging Services (JHAS) of metropolitan Detroit did – they held a gala at the Detroit Opera House to celebrate their 100th anniversary in September 2007. They also used the occasion to honor their executive director, Carol Rosenberg, who has played a major role in the continuing success of this agency with her incredible energy, compassion and respect for the oldest members of the community.

As the JHAS says on their website, “It’s not easy, growing old, but it’s a whole lot easier when a community cares.” Clearly, the Detroit community cares a great deal about providing services to the aging. They also have shown their ability to adapt to the changing needs of their population, expanding their outreach and support offerings over time to improve the lives of older adults in many new ways. Congratulations to the JHAS on reaching this amazing milestone.

And these people know how to party - by all accounts, the gala was a marvelous evening. However, it probably went by in a flash. To help preserve the joyous memories of that special celebration, we created a keepsake collage of the gala’s invitation and presented it to Carol.


JHAS 100th Anniversary Gala Keepsake Collage
Here’s the collage we made for Carol Rosenberg of the JHAS.

Whether it’s personal (milestone birthdays, milestone anniversaries, sweet 16s, bar/bat mitzvahs, quinceañeras, new babies) or professional (a collage acceptance, a promotion, a retirement, a new business venture, new facilities) Purple Raincoat keepsake collages are a wonderful way to celebrate the special events and milestones of your life.

And if you’re lucky enough to be celebrating that 10-carat anniversary, the gift of a Purple Raincoat keepsake is a unique, personalized way to preserve the memories of your celebration that won’t break the budget. Visit us at Purple Raincoat to see examples of keepsakes to get ideas for your own celebrations.

Why watching “Survivor” can help you live to be 100

In my May 15 post, I noted that May has been designated as a month to celebrate Older Americans. So I thought it would be timely to pass along these tips for living longer from Dr. Michael Roizen, chief wellness office of the Cleveland Clinic and coauthor (with Dr. Mehmet Oz) of You, Staying Young: The Owner’s Manual for Extending Your Warranty.

In an article in the April issue of Allure magazine, he was asked, “What’s the secret to living to 100?” His answer: “Watching Survivor. Seriously. Researchers have found that one third of centenarians watch reality TV shows, one quarter watch MTV or music videos, and some even surf the web and use an iPod. They’re also into current events, lead healthy lifestyles – exercise, eat right, avoid excessive alcohol and smoking – and consider faith and spirituality to be a priority.”

Sounds like a plan – and I know these tips work because my father puts them into practice (so long as you include watching sports as reality TV - my 97-year-old father remains an enthusiastic fan of televised games involving Detroit’s baseball, basketball, hockey and football teams, along with the occasional golf tournament).



My father with Carol Rosenberg, Executive Director of the Jewish Home and Aging Services, part of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit. This photo was taken just after the Bessie Spector Brunch honoring the Oldest Jewish Americans on May 9, 2008. My dad looks pretty good for 97, don't you think?

So the next time someone suggests you get off the couch and turn off “The Hills,” maybe you should just tell them you’re working on extending your healthy lifespan. But be sure you don't wait until your 100th to celebrate - there are plenty of milestones worth marking along the way. And remember to preserve the memories of your celebrations of those milestones on our way to your 100th birthday with Purple Raincoat collage keepsakes that are as unique and individual as you.

Come visit us at www.purpleraincoat.com for unique ways to preserve invitations and honor the special events and special people in your life (including you).

Happy Older Americans Month!

Since 1963, May has been the month designated to celebrate our nation’s longest-living citizens – those who are at least 65 years old. Originally named “Senior Citizens Month” by President John F. Kennedy, the celebration became the more politically correct “Older Americans Month” thanks to President Jimmy Carter in 1980. The purpose of Older Americans Month is to encourage the nation to pay tribute in some way to the 37.3 million people aged 65+ across the country through ceremonies, events and public recognition.

I was fortunate enough to attend one of those events last week. On May 9, the Metropolitan Detroit Jewish Community held the Bessie Spector Brunch honoring the "Oldest Jewish Americans" - members of the community at least 95 years old. There must be something in the water in Detroit; amazingly, there were nearly 70 honorees, including several people who were at least 100 years old and one woman who was about to turn 110 years old.

Each of the nearly 40 honorees who was able to attend the event was interviewed and had something of interest to say. They talked about coming to America after being born in other countries, discussed their past and continuing volunteer activities and talked about their most memorable experiences. It was an astonishing event that reminds us of the importance of active living at every age.

What was striking to me was to see to many people at the brunch who still function at a remarkably high level. One of the prime examples among the honorees was my father, Ben Gurvitz, who is living proof that getting older doesn’t mean you have to get “old.” He is a marvel who lives independently, has an appropriate joke for every occasion, and enjoys an extremely busy social life involving for the most part people at least 20 years younger than he is who are eager to be in his company. He remembers more names, faces, facts and phone numbers than most people have forgotten. A retired pharmacist, he has aged so little that people still recognize him as the owner of a drugstore he sold more than 30 years ago.

And I’m not the only one who sees my father as special. He is a role model for many people of my generation. As psychologist Steven Ceresnie wrote in the June 2007 issue of Michigan Psychologist, my 97-year-old father is “one resilient human being who treasures each day, never complains, and helps everyone who knows him stay optimistic about the species.” He is living proof that getting older doesn’t mean you have to stop living life to its fullest.

Which is important because by 2030, approximately 75 million people – or about 20 percent of our citizens — will be at least 65 years old. The age group 85 and older is now the fastest growing segment of the U.S. population. So a lot more of us can look forward to being in that same boat. However, as my brother is fond of saying, “getting older sure beats the alternative.” Especially if you can keep a sense of humor about reaching an age where, as my father would say, “God is just a local call.”

So what do you give someone who is celebrating an 80th birthday or 85th birthday or 90th birthday or 95th birthday or even a 100th birthday? Help them keep smiling by giving the gift of memories. I recently presented my father with a Purple Raincoat collage based on the restored wedding photo taken of him and my mother. The look on his face when he first saw the collage was priceless. It was a joy to give him a gift that will keep giving him so much every time he looks at it.

Give the gift that celebrates the past in a way that you can enjoy far into the future. Let Purple Raincoat create a collage to celebrate the older Americans in your life. We can take those old photos and other memorabilia and turn them into unique works of art that touch hearts. What a wonderful way to honor their lives and say “thanks for the memories”.



This collage is similar to the one I gave to my father. The original black and white photo was restored and turned to sepia. Elegant muted papers in tonal prints of bronze, copper, cream, tan, and gold decorate the background of this collage. Read about it in more detail at http://www.purpleraincoat.com/anniversary-wedding-keepsakes.html

Invitation keepsakes start with great invitations, Part III: Wording

(One in an occasional series of tips for creating great invitations)



Don’t let this happen to you.
Most people work hard to get just the right wording that sets the tone for your event and makes your guests feel welcome. The wrestling over wording can get intense even under the best of circumstances. This "invitation" is an example of someone’s imagination running wild. I have to admit that I like the combination of script and block fonts – it’s quite elegant, actually. Looks can be deceiving, can’t they?

Etiquette books (and websites) suggest appropriate invitation wordings for almost every occasion, and every variant of that occasion – bar/bat mitzvahs for twins, weddings where the parents have divorced and remarried, and so on. You will also find many examples in the invitation books. If you don’t see one that feels right, create your own.

There are (almost) no rules (although it is generally accepted that you should not say “request the honor of your presence” unless a ceremony of some kind is being held in a house of worship).

At a minimum, you should make sure that your wording includes the name/s of those whose occasion is being celebrated, along with the time, place, and date of the event.

On more formal invitations, it is customary to use words rather than numbers for dates and times:

Saturday, the sixth of November
Two thousand and four
at eleven o’clock in the morning

But if you’re pressed for space on your invitation you may want to consolidate:

at 11:00AM on Saturday, November 6, 2004

Other things you may want to include either on the invitation or on a separate reception card:

• An opening “invitation” – “Please join us as we celebrate a special day in our family’s life…” or “We request the honor of your presence at the marriage of …”

• An indication of who is hosting the event: Join us as we celebrate our marriage” for a couple hosting their own wedding; “Sylvia Smith and John Jones cordially invite you to attend the wedding of our daughter…”. You can choose to use “Mr. and Mrs. Jones” or Sylvia and John Smith-Jones – use whatever feels right to you and is the custom in your community (again, ask your dealer for help).

• A statement regarding the formality of the occasion: “Black tie” to indicate that formal wear is required; “Business Casual” if khakis and boat shoes are acceptable; “Flip flops welcomed” for a seaside event. (By the way, I believe that an event should be Black Tie or not – the “black tie optional” option is almost guaranteed to make some people feel underdressed and some overdressed – but that’s just my opinion. I am fond of the “Creative Black Tie” option, as well as “Party Attire.)

• An indication of the length of the event: “Join us for dinner and dancing from seven until ten o’clock in the evening” – this is particularly helpful for events where parents may be required to pick up their children at the end of an afternoon or evening event.

If you follow these suggestions, you will be able to create "an invitation to remember" - one that captures the spirit of your event. Which of course you will want to preserve as a framed keepsake of your wedding, which Purple Raincoat will be happy to create for you. See our newest samples of wedding invitation framed keepsakes and bar/bat mitzvah invitation framed keepsakes on our website, www.purpleraincoat.com.

When your friends ask what you want for a gift, be sure to send them to our ordering page so they will get all the information they need to select the perfect gift for you.

Celebrating a 60th? Plant a tree for free

According to Wikipedia, the number 60 – the “natural” number between 59 and 61 – is “semiperfect”* and “highly composite”**. Sound like anyone you know who may have been born in 1948 and is celebrating a 60th birthday?

Even if "60 is the new 40," turning 60 can be tough for some people, particularly if well-meaning friends shower them with “over the hill” themed gifts. I’m not sure where the hill starts, but I don’t see any reason why you can’t keep going up at 60, 70, 80, or more. My husband and I went to see a Tony Bennett concert the other day. Tony is celebrating 60 years of “connecting to people everywhere through the magic of his music,” according to his official website. He may be 82 years old, but you’d never know it by listening to him. He played a solid 90 minutes and thrilled the 10,000 people in the audience with his wonderful performance.

Israel is also celebrating its 60th anniversary. In honor of this occasion, the Jewish National Fund (JNF) will plant a tree in honor of anyone who is 60 years old or has been married for at least 60 years. (Mayme and Clarence Vail, are you listening?) There is no charge – it’s absolutely free.


Visit the JNF website for your free tree

What’s so great about planting a tree in Israel?
From the JNF website: “Over the past century, the JNF family has planted over 240 million trees, built over 180 dams and reservoirs, developed over 250,000 acres of land, created more than 1,000 parks throughout Israel and educated students around the world about Israel and the environment. Through the support of donors around the world, the JNF family was able to ensure that Israel was the only nation in the world to end the 20th century with more trees than it had at the beginning.”

With Earth Day just past, a lot of us are thinking about what we can do to help protect our environment. So this is perfect: The earth needs trees. JNF will plant one for free. You feel great about something really cool in honor of a 60th birthday (or anniversary). The recipient is happy to get something that’s not another “you know you’re 60 when…” gift. Everybody wins.

And the JNF will send out a beautiful personalized commemorative certificate, which Purple Raincoat will be happy to turn into a framed keepsake that would help anyone feel great about celebrating this milestone. Visit Purple Raincoat to see our newest examples of unique special event framed keepsakes and anniversary keepsakes that make perfect gifts for life's special celebrations.

*semiperfect (10 times a perfect number)
**highly composite (has 11 different divisors).

Can a font make you lose your appetite?

A cautionary tale about menus (and invitations)

I believe that “fonts have feelings” – their emotional impact can drive you to make choices on a level that you may not even be aware of. In my February 4 post, I talked about an article analyzing the potential impact of fonts on how voters make their choices for presidential candidates. Well, that article was correct in its prediction that John McCain would be the Republican nominee. Time will tell if the article was right about Barack Obama winning the Democratic nomination.

A few days ago, a Boston Globe restaurant review started by wondering why so few of the people who looked at the posted menu actually came into the restaurant. Here is an excerpt from the review by James Reed (March 29, 2008) – I’m hiding the name of the restaurant (they’ve got enough problems):

“Twenty-seven. That's an awful lot of people we watched as they considered dinner at (the restaurant) and then quickly moved on down the street. It was a recent Saturday night, during the prime dinner hours between 7 and 9 p.m., and one by one, would-be diners lingered over the menu posted outside and kept walking…Eventually, though, we figured out why people kept strolling by. Let's start with the typography on the restaurant's sign. It sounds silly, even ridiculous, I know, but (the restaurant) suffers from what one of us keenly described as "hair-salon font." It's true: The slanted, curly-cue script, which extends to the menu, makes it hard to decipher even a simple word like "agnolotti." © Copyright 2008 The New York Times Company

The evening that the review was published, I started reading Much Ado About Jessie Kaplan by Paula Marantz Cohen. My husband’s sisters, Ellen and Laura, recommended this book to me as “light reading.” They never mentioned what the book was about, so it was much to my surprise that I discovered it began with Carla, the main character, fighting with her daughter, Stephanie, about selecting an invitation for Stephanie’s upcoming bat mitzvah.

Carla was unprepared for the confrontation. From Chapter One: “Carla hadn’t thought that picking out an invitation would be so complicated. After all, how hard could it be to choose a good paper stock with a colored border and some curly type?”

Sounds as if Carla was talking about the same kind of “hair salon” font that the restaurant chose for its menu. I think the reviewer was right – in addition to being hard to read, the "curly-cue" font sends the wrong message about the restaurant’s personality.

The first moral of this story? Pay attention to the message you’re trying to communicate when you select a font for anything. The same font that works for a bat mitzvah invitation may not work so well on an upscale Italian restaurant menu.

The second moral? Be prepared for the amount of emotion that gets invested in the invitation selection process. Again, from Chapter One of Much Ado About Jessie Kaplan: "The many trivial, hard-to-differentiate variables involved in picking out a bat mitzvah invitation were just the sort of thing liable to cause a meltdown." All the more reason to showcase the "winning" bar/bat mitzvah invitation with a framed Purple Raincoat collage - a great gift for the bar mitzvah boy or bat mitzvah girl as well as a wonderful keepsake for the parents. To get ready, you may want to start checking out the wide selection of invitations available online - eInvite, Purple Raincoat's online invitation partner, is a great place to begin.

The third moral? Get your hands on a copy of this book if you’re anywhere near the bar/bat mitzvah years. The story of how bar/bat mitzvah planning can take on a life of its own will resonate with you and make you smile – sometimes with laughter, sometimes in painful recognition of your own experience. I’m not done with the book, but in addition to choosing an invitation it has already covered the joys of building the guest list, selecting a caterer, developing a menu, hiring entertainment, and designing centerpieces – all done within the context of a community where “keeping up with the Joneses” can drive a family way over its budget. The book is a selection of the Hadassah Book Club, and includes a reading group guide. This would be a fun one to discuss over coffee – or better yet, a glass of wine. Happy reading!