GeekSugar

Would You Eat This Sweet Seven-Layer Dip?

YumSugar — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 16:00:55 PDT

I'm not going to lie; I'm looking forward to Cinco de Mayo for one true reason. So I can eat as much as I want of the cool, creamy, and spicy gastronomic delight known as seven-layer dip. And I'm not alone: the writers at Evite love seven-layer dip so much that they created a dessert version of it, with peanut butter, Nutella, marshmallows, shredded coconut, chocolate chips, salted peanuts, and gummy bears, to serve with Ritz crackers and Nilla wafers. Does this sweet-tooth version seem like something you could dig into?

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Geek Tip: Send Your Holiday Cards Online

GeekSugar — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 15:00:27 PST

I'm not really good at sending out holiday cards, which is why it's still sitting on my to-do list with just two weeks to go until Christmas. If you're a card-sending procrastinator like me, make things a little easier on yourself by sending your holiday announcements or cards online!

One of my new favorite online invite sites, Pingg, isn't just for invitations - you can send cards, too! Pingg offers a beautiful selection of images to choose from, or you can upload your own images to customize your holiday cards even further.

What's more, you can send your cards out via snail mail for those relatives that aren't so tech savvy. Trust me, Pingg makes it totally painless to send out cards - no stamps or licking of envelopes required!

Finally, an eVite Competitor: Pingg

GeekSugar — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 07:30:06 PDT

I've loved eVite for a long time and think it's a great tool, but it's high time someone else jumped into the online invitation pool - enter Pingg!

Pingg is a fun alternative to eVite and offers designs that are a bit more stylish and SurroundSend, which allows you to send your invites via email, text, and even print. The designs must be nice - Martha Stewart is backing it!

I may just have to plan a soiree as an excuse to test Pingg out. . . !

The Scoop: Evite Adds a Pet Party Invitation Section!

PetSugar — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 15:30:06 PDT

I love parties (North does too), so how exciting is it that Evite has added a special section for pet-centric events? Wheee! Just looking through the choices made me think of a bunch that I'd love to plan – do you have any furry fiestas coming up? Even if you haven't made plans yet, I'll soon be sharing tips for throwing a Howl-oween bash for (you guessed it) . . . dogs! Check out more of my fave invitations when you

Website of the Day: The New and Improved Evite

GeekSugar — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 14:00:15 PDT

The popular online invitation and party-planning website Evite has just stepped up its A game by introducing an updated Evite. The site you've already grown to love now has a fresh new design and so many more enhanced features. Currently in beta, the new Evite gives users the ability to go crazy customizing their own invites with pictures and other types of media - yes, now you can say good-bye to boring templates. You'll definitely notice that the interface is much cleaner and more user friendly. To check out the changes, just log into your Evite account, click on Invitations in the toolbar, and then "try our new invitation" under the invitation tab!

To learn how to post your favorite websites to our Website of the Day group,

I know that this long list looks scary, but trust me, once you get the hang of it, it'll be a snap the second time around.

First of all, join the Website of the Day group.
Click the pink "Share" menu on the top left side of the page.
Choose "Blog" and “Regular Post.”
Give your story a “Title.”
Fill in the “Body” with a link to your favorite website and the reasons why you love it.
Click “Next."
Choose the audience for your story to “Website of the Day” in the drop-down menu
Add keyword(s) (for example mine for this photo was "Website of the Day").
Change channel to “Technology and Gadgets.”
Fill in tag field with relevant tags.
Click “I’m done” to submit content.

So join the Website of the Day group and share information about all your favorite sites! Yours just might end up on the geeksugar homepage!

Geek Tip: Create Your Party Personality on eVite!

GeekSugar — Thu, 08 May 2008 13:10:07 PDT

How many geek tips come to you in the pure, unadulterated name of fun? Because that's exactly what this one is all about. The next time you're replying yes (and leaving a fabulously witty comment) to an eVite, create a talking response with a Party Personality!

In an eVite, click on "Create Your Party Personality" under the Guest List. A window will pop up, allowing you to customize your Party Personality - complete with avatar, setting, and a recorded message so that when other guests see your name in the reply on the eVite, they can click it and hear you giving your response! The service is brought to you by Voki and you don't have to register to have your customized avatar appear.

I chose the classiest avatar, a hot dog, and I called in and recorded my sophisticated and articulate message: "Whoo hoo, party time!"

Yep, a partying hot dog. Totally sums up my party personality!

eVite Rolls Out QuickVite: The Invitation Service

GeekSugar — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 08:00:11 PST

If you're already familiar with the online invitation service eVite, then you'll be happy to know that eVite has just added quickVite to their line-up of goodies. Similar to the site Renkoo, QuickVite can be utilized by users to make plans with a group of friends via their computer or phone-without having to send a gazillion messages. With its group messaging capability, QuickVite recipients can respond to invites by email, text message or at Evite.com. They can also view the group's responses in one location. Discussed on Mashable, QuickVite is great for coordinating meetings on the go, party planning, or making a dinner date.

Evite: Love It or Hate It?

partysugar — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 01:18:33 PST

Now that the holiday season has started to unfold, my inbox is quickly filling with lots of invitations to festive events and fabulous parties. The majority of these invites are evites. I understand how evite is a quick and easy way to invite friends/family to a party, but I just don't get their mass appeal.

I hate how everyone invited can see who will or will not be attending the shindig. I despise how one is expected to leave a fun comment about the soirée. I find their images generic and their reminder emails annoying. Always a fan of handmade invites, I guess what it comes down to is I hate evite. Am I the only one? What do you think of evite?

Ecard Save the Dates - Cool or Tacky?

Anna Monette Roberts — Thu, 03 May 2012 12:17:17 PDT

Ecards have come a long way, but is it a faux pas to send wedding correspondence via email? While most couples still opt for paper wedding invitations, many are choosing to send save the date cards and invitations to less formal wedding-related celebrations via online services like Paperless Post and Evite, pictured.

Sending ecards is cheap, requires no postage, and saves paper; plus, you get an automatic count of the RSVPs. But guests still love opening wedding-related mail, just as handwritten thank-you notes seem more authentic than emailed ones. What's your take on email save the dates?

Wedding Etiquette: Who Should Be Invited to the Rehearsal Dinner?

Laura Marie Given — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 10:53:00 PDT

Between engagement parties, bridal showers, bachelorette parties, and all the day-of festivities, it can be difficult to know who exactly needs to be invited to each wedding event. The rehearsal dinner can be an especially gray area - who should host? Who should be invited? Traditionally, the groom's parents take care of the rehearsal dinner, but the two sets of parents can also split the cost, or the bride and groom can opt to pay themselves. Not sure who to invite? We're clearing things up with answers to the most common guest list questions.

Do I need to invite all the out-of-town guests?
That's entirely up to you, but it is a common practice. If you're planning a smaller wedding or there aren't many traveling guests, then it's a great way to spend more time with the people you rarely see. On the other hand, if it's a large destination wedding or several guests will be coming into town, it may be best to streamline your rehearsal dinner guest list.

Who absolutely must be invited?
Although the list can be flexible, you should definitely include the bridal party plus their dates, both immediate families, and grandparents. From there, see what kind of numbers your budget and venue will allow, then add to the group as you wish. Stick with a hard-and-fast rule - no cousins, no family friends, etc. - to keep things fair and avoid offending any loved ones.

Do we need to send invitations?
In general, it's a smart move, if only to get a head count for both the host and the caterer. Depending on the formality of the affair, there's no need to go all-out with the invitation expense. If it's an upscale event, sure, keep things classy with a nicer invitation. But if you're hoping to minimize costs, it's perfectly OK to go with a simple card or evite that outlines the basics.

How did you handle your rehearsal dinner guest list? Any tips for planning brides-to-be?

Photos by Katie Stoops Photography and Melissa Schollaert Photography via Style Me Pretty