A few months ago at SxSW, I was sitting around a lunch table with Laura, Helen Jane, and Aubrey talking about doing a project together.
All of us like entertaining and planning events, and since “plan a retreat” is on my life list, we settled on a weekend away for a small group of Internet girlfriends. We reserved boon hotel + spa, a tiny place near the cabin, decided to call it the Broad Summit as a joke, and started in on planning.
I’ve been so inspired by all of Jordan’s amazing invitation ideas, and her philosophy of invitations as little gifts that get people excited about the festivities.
I’ve also always wanted to make an invitation in a wooden box, and because the retreat is in wine country, we wanted the invites to look like mini wine crates. Helen Jane works with a lot of wineries, so she called in a favor from Delgadillo Cellars who makes these custom adorables. Helen Jane pulled together a logo, and they silkscreened it on the lid.
When you have grand invitation ideas, it’s helpful to have a graphic designer as a partner. Helen Jane and I spent a weekend figuring out the wine labels (which are an enlarged version of the flag logo printed on trimmed Avery labels), and the included “map.”
We originally thought we’d put champagne glasses in with the wine splits, but settled on silly straws (from Target) because we loved the mental image of everyone sipping straight from the bottles. Because the hotel is in the Russian River Wine Country, the blue straws inspired us to make maps with a tongue-in-cheek legend that hints at our plans for the weekend.
We attached a little bit of bakers’ twine to the top of the map, so you can pull it out to reveal invitation details on a second sheet behind the map.
I’m so happy with the outcome, and I love the idea of friends all over the country celebrating early with mini bottles of bubbly. Cheers!
Mighty Girl 
Love it! Makes me want to follow suit right away.
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how in the world are you people so creative? Hope the summit is as good as the invite!
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Beautiful invites!
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Ah! I love the straws — great combo.
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This is GENIUS! I so want to plan something like this.
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love it.
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You have absolutely inspired me to be more creative with my annual girls weekend getaway…the girls WILL be getting something similar this year. Thank you for sharing this with us all.
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Maggeh! I want to go to this soooo bad! Funny . . . meeting you internet ‘broads’ is on my life list . . . two birds with one stone . . . wink wink . . .
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FABULOUS! Oh, how I wish I was a special internet friend because if I received an invitation this cool I would be FIRED UP! Inspirational, Maggie.
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LOVE this invite! So creative. The box is great because you can put photos from the retreat in it. It is the invite that keeps on giving.
Can’t wait to read all about the event.
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So jealous. Looks like you broads will have a superfine time.
~denise
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nice! i just moved to louisville and can help you out with the kentucky derby wish next year. you have two things left – what’s next? are you going to post about the french laundry and rolling a kayak?
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the blue straw as the russian river is all kinds of genius. nicely done!
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Uh, Maggie…still waiting for my invite.
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What a clever idea! I would be THRILLED to get something like this, and you’re right – it would make me even MORE excited about the event!
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effing awesome. i’m such a sucker for package design and those little extra details.
have fun!
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You have sooo inspired me! I’ve thought of so many different creative invitations and I’ve even designed a few for spa parties I used to have for my friends, but I haven’t done that in a while. I think I’m going to start again after seeing your wonderful design! Thanks for the inspiration!!!!
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As a lover of wine (especially drinking it with my broads) my head would literally explode if I got an invite like this! I’m impressed.
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I love the invite! I might have to use that one day!
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OMG. Seriously, the stuff of dreams. And as luck would have it, I will be down in SFO and Sonoma that very weekend. And as luck wouldn’t have it, I’m not invited. *le sigh*
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the straws are my fave.
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