Whoever invented the Tupperware party—a Saturday afternoon when your mom invites all the other moms over to buy kitchenware—opened the door for parties selling much cooler products. For example, bras (which, come on, totally trump plastic bowls). And last week I learned about a Tupperware-style shower idea: gathering the bridesmaids to create custom perfumes.

An electronic save-the-date? Not a faux pas in my inbox.

Pose Prints (poseprints.com)
Visit this site to create your save-the-dates in five minutes flat. Choose a background, then design a cartoon gal by picking from mini-images of hair color and style, eye color and shape, smile shape and size, shirt, jewelry, and headwear (go for the veil!). To change skin tone, look to the upper right corner of the screen. When done, you can do it again with a cartoon guy.

The site merges your characters with your background, then allows you to type any message. Sending is a little annoying—you can enter only one address at a time, then you have to hit “back” in your browser to do it again—but it still takes less time than addressing traditional cards. If you don’t agree, you can order printed versions of your design ($50 for 25).

What would your cocktail say about you?

Two years ago, then-DC resident Natalie Bovis-Nelsen quit her job in restaurant PR to launch a career as a writer. Cocktails? Not part of the plan. But after reading, traveling, and learning more about wines and spirits, she was hooked. Dubbing herself the Liquid Muse, she launched an all-about-cocktails Web site in April 2006.

Bovis-Nelsen blogs, offers a cocktail of the week, and runs a service called the Liquid Muse Signature Cocktails. The quick version: You decide you want a drink designed just for your wedding, shower, or bachelor(ette) party, she creates it, and you serve it to guests along with keepsake coasters printed with the recipe. Pretty fancy.

I had a phone date with Bovis-Nelsen—who now lives in LA—to hear all about her work with brides, grooms, and, um, Lindsay Lohan:

So you’ve been thinking about it a lot, and it’s finally time to pop the question: Will you . . . be my bridesmaid? If you really want to be en vogue about it, stamp, seal, and send one of these just-launched card designs.