If you ever find me enjoying a day off, you probably wouldn’t be able to tell right off the bat. That’s because 1] I don’t give myself very many days off – between working with and for clients, keeping DJC in order, working on new things for Signature Paperie , and creating material for my book, I really don’t see the need to take a day off when I’m having so much fun. [Yes, I am a workaholic, and yes, I love that about myself.] And 2] If I do give myself a day off, I’m probably doing the same things that I do for my clients – shopping. That’s why I love this job so much.
I love to shop. But, seeing that I’m constantly growing and my body is changing so much these days, shopping for clothes [my favorite kind of shopping] is really a moot point. So instead, I’ve been spending the few days that I’ve taken for myself to shop for things for my home. And you’ll never guess where I went the other day…
I absolutely love this place. Half of the things that I own is either from Z Gallerie, or looks like something from the store’s website. [It is rather annoying when they don’t have something in stock. I’m not very patient when it comes to getting things done.] This place is a godsend for me. I love room planning and interior design [I’m considering taking classes to get me started in that field], and every time I walk into Z Gallerie, I get bombarded with so many ideas for every room in my home. Whether it’s redecorating the living room, moving furniture around in the guest room, or trying different accessories in the kitchen and dining room – I’m never at a loss for things to do when I come out of that store.
Of course now, I’ll have to be more careful in my redecorating endeavors, with the baby and all. But that doesn’t mean that I can’t reposition a picture of seven…
So, where do you love to shop? Tell me all about it. Maybe I’ll check out a few stores and talk about it here.
Filed under: Great Finds
I was reading this month’s Gloss when I came across an advertisement for the Urban Retreat, a spa based in Houston.
This is one of my favorite places to send clients who need a break from the madness. Their spa services are great, and their hair stylists can perform small miracles when it comes to getting ready for the latest event.
The Urban Retreat is owned by Francie Willis, and has been around for nineteen years, so they definitely know what they’re doing. I hope that they stick around for just as long – I have a feeling that I’ll be stopping by their sometime soon with the way the holidays are treating me.
In other news, an email came across my inbox from The Daily Candy. The Daily Candy is a favorite of mine. I get little updates every day on style and fashion, travel, and even some quirky stuff that I’d probably do better not knowing about. If you ever get the chance, sign up for their daily news. It’s free, and you can learn a lot about what’s going on in the world just by what some crazy designer is concocting in his studio today.
Filed under: Great Finds
Everyone knows that I love to plan events. Parties, showers, luncheons, brunches – you name it, I can make it happen. I love coming up with new ideas and [finally] getting to use themes and visions that I’ve come up with in the past. A lot of my clients ask me how I can keep up with all the little details, and I’ve told them time and time again – it’s all about proper organization.
When planning an event, there are certain things that I have to know before I even get started. From the answers to the questions that I’m about to share with you, I gather a list of lists. It sounds silly, I know, but you’ll see what I mean in a second. For now, here are the questions that I ask before designing any event.
1. What is the occasion?
2. How many people are going to be there?
3. What’s the age range of the invited guests?
4. When is the event going to take place?
5. What is your [the person hosting the event] goal in having this shindig?
From there, I gather the lists that I’ll need. Let’s dive in further, starting with question number one.
Depending on the occasion that the event is for, I’ll need a frame of reference for themes, meals, agendas and activities, and what vendors, services, and arrangements I’ll need to start working on. For instance, if it’s a benefit, I know that I’ll need to choose the menu, find a caterer, musicians, furniture and accessories, plan for guest speakers and possibly a red carpet entrance. If it’s a bachelorette party, the activities will be a little different, and the food may not be as important.
By having even a ballpark estimate of how many guests will be attending the event, I know a number of things from the beginning. I know which vendors to call [I categorize partners based on a number of criteria], and what meals and activities will be feasible for the client. I also know how to divide the budget [based on percentage] to allow for the feeding, seating, and entertaining of each guest.
While the age of the invitees may seem like a rather silly question, it tells me a lot of things. For one, I prefer to have a separate menu option for any event where there will be children under the age of ten. Also, having a section for children to lounge and play isn’t such a bad idea if the event isn’t too formal – otherwise, they’ll be next to their parents. Also, based on the ages of the attendees, I tend to choose certain meal options, musicians, and seating arrangements, to suit the needs of all that are invited.
Knowing when the event is going to take place of course gives me a timeline of when I need to have things set in stone, and gives me a delivery date for my corporate partners. That’s self-explanatory.
The goal of the event is extremely important. Even if it seems silly or pompous, the goal of an event can make or break the entire planning process. If your goal is to wow the neighbors, there are certain ways of pulling the event off that have to be done – and no expense can be spared. If your goal is simply to celebrate a special occasion, there are certain things that you don’t do, which would ruin how your guests perceived the event and spoil what they take from it.
Planning an event isn’t a cakewalk – don’t let me give you that impression. It’s just a little different when you have the proper gameplan in place.
Filed under: Great Finds
Thanksgiving Day is coming up in a week, and I don’t know whether to be excited [I do love food and parties] or dismayed.
Everything Thanksgiving, it’s always the same thing: dry turkey and stuffing [my mom’s is the best, I must admit], football, and someone’s crazy story about the time his foot got stuck in an alligator’s mouth [a lot of my family’s from Louisiana]. So, seeing that I’d rather miss out on the party rather than suffer through the same old agenda for Thanksgiving evening, I’d decided to have my own little shindig. A lot of my friends won’t be seeing their families this holiday, so I’d figured I’d spread the love. And, as no two households are alike, I thought it would be okay to share some of the things that I’m going to [hopefully] dazzle my guests with. [I’ll update you Monday on the outcome of the evening.]
I’m going to stick with the traditional turkey and stuffing, but I’ve decided against the full bird – seeing that I don’t have enough time to cook the whole thing. Instead, I found a recipe for stuffed turkey breast on FoodNetwork.com [an online go-to for me when it comes to cooking and trying new things. For sides, I’m giving my guest a choice between greens beans with new potatoes, fried corn, my aunt’s famous broccoli and cheese casserole, and scalloped sweet potatoes with marshmallows. I’m also going to offer up some homemade biscuits, cornbread, peach cobbler, apple pie, and cheesecake – although I’m sure I’ll be hogging the cheesecake. I think I may even try my hand at creating a signature cocktail. Whatever it is, vodka will be a key ingredient.
As for decorations, the one thing that I can say about traditional Thanksgiving décor is that it always seems to involve the color orange [my signature color]. So, I won’t be straying too far from the norm in that respect. I found these cocktail napkins at Crate and Barrel that will most than likely serve as the basis of my design. From there, I’m sure there will be a plethora of orange and autumn symbols to go around.
