Pink Is the New Pink

In a world of snow-covered everything (at least here in Cleveland), it's nice to hear that our old friend Hot Pink was chosen as Pantone's 2011 Color of the Year. More specifically, it's  called "Honeysuckle," and is paired with sherbet-y colors like orange and chartreuse. It's been referred to as "the color of the lipstick our moms used to wear." Our Fuchsia paper is the best representation of this color, with siblings Grapefruit and Azalea Metallic close behind. Go get 'em, Fuchsia!

-- Megan @ L.V.

Scratch & Whiff

Have you heard about the crazy scratch-and-sniff greeting cards that American Greetings released about a month ago? Of course, we had to venture out and see what they're all about. The cards have a little peel-back sticker where the magic happens -- and on the flip-side there's a unique little ingredient list. The FDA is everywhere!

We would like to remind everyone out there in Holiday Land that our cards are 100 percent fat-free with a healthy dose of fiber. If you want, we can even throw on a scented pine-tree air-freshener for the same effect! Add a rhinestone at the top of it? Sure, let's do it.

-- Megan @ L.V.

Holiday Card Trends

Fall is here, and you know what that means! Whether you like it or not, the holiday season is fast approaching. The predictions are already out for the hottest Christmas toys -- so what holiday card designs will be popular this year? Anything that incorporates the use of bright, cheery colors is a sure bet. Vivid colors and fun motifs are a great way to capture the joy and optimism of the holiday season. They also represent positivity in these uncertain economic times. When it comes to specific colors, turquoise, lavender and lilac are predicted to be popular this season.

More and more people are becoming environmentally conscious. Because of this, they're going green with their holiday cards as well. Expect to see some nature-themed cards on recycled paper. These cards will probably be done in earth-tone colors.

Whimsical animals will also make appearances on this year's holiday cards. You can expect to see birds and, of course, reindeer. Colorful interpretations of traditional holiday images will be another popular design theme.

If you really want modern and unique cards, go with holiday photo cards. These cards are a great way to show off your family and to show how fast your little ones are growing! Plus, your little one's rosy cheeks on the front of a holiday card will trump Santa and his reindeer every time!

Corporate holiday cards are moving away from the traditional red and green. Many companies are incorporating colors like charcoal, chocolate, teal and plum into their holiday card designs. Geometric shapes, understated florals and stripes are also great design options for corporate holiday cards. They give cards personality and can make a great impression on both clients and employees.

Are you still stumped about your holiday card design? Get inspired with our selection of modern holiday card and unique holiday cards.

Is It Eggnog Time Yet?

Holy cow, the new holiday cards we have for ShopLVC are simply stunning! The site makes it easy to customize any of our awesome cards with your name and personalized holiday greeting. There are dozens of design options that include layered Christmas trees, colorful holiday patterns and elegant photo cards. The colors are bold and saturated, making each holiday card truly unique for the person choosing it. Our selection of custom corporate holiday cards also includes sweet modern designs to highlight that special business in your life.

-- Megan @ L.V.

Please, Mr. Postman

A question that gets asked of us almost on a daily basis is, "What size stamps do I need to put on my invitations?"  Usually we hear this from people who are ordering personalized stamps or the like from places such as www.zazzle.com. It used to be that we would find a sample of the order (or a similar order), throw it on our handy-dandy lil' postage meter, and let the customer know what amount came up. Those were the good years, or as we call them now, "the times before the dark times."

OK, maybe that's being a bit melodramatic. But it's true -- due to recent changes in the way that the U.S. Postal Service operates, we absolutely cannot give out any postage information. Because there are so many different charges that could be applied to your order, we highly recommend visiting the post office from where you're going to mail your cards and get the information straight from the horse's mouth.

Possible charges that might apply to your cards:

-- is the card oversize?

-- is it rigid?

-- is it overweight?

-- is it square?

The answers to these questions and more can be located here at the official U.S.P.S. Web site. While we'd love to be able to answer your questions about how much your mailing will cost, we simply can't. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask in the comment section.

Thanks,

Rob @ L.V.