New E-vites from LeiMation

Animated aloha from artist Laura Margulies

Cowboys had the Pony Express. Native Americans had smoke signals. People in the '90s had snail mail.

Getting party invites out is an issue as old as time itself. And while we love the quaintness of pencils and cardstock (so retro!), this is the digital age. Enter new e-vites from local e-card website LeiMation. Just added to designer Laura Margulies' stock of hand-painted, animated cards this summer, are luau, party and holiday options. Cheery floating balloons, a picturesque beach scene or fresh Hawaiian florals will really get the message across. Margulies' latest design, which debuted last month, has a dreamy engagement theme featuring two interlacing rings against a blue sky.

You'll want to take note of Margulies' old-school animation style, which begins with sketches. Each frame is individually painted, photographed and then edited together with sound (often the original work of local musicians). She uses oil, watercolors and gouache for an organic, fluid look that says "aloha" down to the letter. Plus, the ease of email sure beats the Pony Express.

Do we have to paint you a picture?

$3.25 for single e-card or e-vite at leimation.com. Yearly subscriptions available.