Hiatus-san

Hey there, I'm taking a little break from blogging until the beginning of January! I'm going to get my shizz together while I go home to Panama City, Florida and visit my family, then be refreshed to start blogging again probably January 1. See below for a kick-ass NYE party I'll probably be at! I'll def let you know how it goes.

Blog you next year!

NYE 2007

http://www.clubnycharleston.com/

Cool Holiday Centerpiece

I was surfing through my friend Paul's photos at CharlestonPictureCompany.com and came across the recent Blackbaud Holiday Party at Charleston Place. The centerpieces were so fun and festive! I don't know who planned the party or did these centerpieces, but Feliz Navidad!!!

UPDATE: I found out the fabulous McRae Smith from Blackbaud planned the party and conceptualized the ornamental pieces, bravo!

Photo: CharlestonPictureCompany.com

Fez-tastic!

Friday night I had a girl's night out and we went to Le Club Fez, or just Fez, whatevs. It was REALLY good! The atmosphere was buzzing under the moroccan lanterns, and the rich decor and low-lighting made for an exotic epicurean experience.

The food was tres yummy and though the service was a little slow that night, the free bottle of wine and the attentive management made up for it. I'm even more excited that it's close to my hood on Maybank and the bar scene was calling my name for many future happy hours.

My fabulous lady-friends Maggie and Pam

Identity check

So my goal for December was to have a proper logo made so I can start the year off right with Social. After a couple unsuccessful and "blah" attempts at paying people to design one for me, I got on Illustrator myself and, with the help of my talented husband, I couldn't be happier with what I've created. Not only is it totally "me", but I'm proud to have something I created as a representation of my business. Here's a sneak peak, I'm sure there will be a couple more tweaks, but I think I'm getting it. Thoughts?

Let's go inside this time

Okay, now that I have my head screwed on straight from the gala, I wanted to thank and link to all the vendors that made it possible! We held the event at the Daniel Island Club this year, which is a beautiful space with a stunning view.

Our guests entered to the Kevin Hackler trio playing light jazz music and nibbled on scrumptious passed hors d'oeuvres of beef tenderloin carpaccio, bacon wrapped sea scallops and tomato mozzarella crostini. They viewed the auction items in the foyer and sipped on drinks for the cocktail hour.

After that, we opened the ballroom doors as we asked guests to "board the plane". Tables were draped in luxurious pin tuck linen from BB&J, and hydrangea centerpieces evoking fluffy clouds from Tiger Lily were beautiful in the various sized milky white vases. At each table setting was a gift from Chocolate Perfection with an edible copy of our invitation cover printed on it. OtherBrother Entertainment lit the room in cool hues of blues and aquas to complement the color scheme and provided an inviting all white dance floor. Stephen Duvall Decor created seating areas on each side of the dance floor.

Our emcee/flight attendant Trixie Layover (fabulous actress Mandy Denaux) introduced the evening's festivities with a witty monologue filled with flight attendant lingo. Vintage Velvet played as guests noshed on a four course meal of tomato bisque with lump crab and basil oil, boston bibb salad with goat cheese buttermilk dressing, thyme-roasted prime rib of beef and a duo of desserts of whiskey bread pudding and bittersweet chocolate mousse, for the men and women respectively. On the two large screens I played a looping video of clouds which transported guests through the air -- and the evening.

Doug Warner, Mandy "Trixie Layover" Denaux, and me!

When dessert was served, Doug Warner, our speedy auctioneer extraordinaire, ran through our six auction lots in less than thirty minutes with a few bidding wars over the jet-setter and travel-related auction items. After the auction, guests danced to VV's swanky tunes and made their way outside to the Sky Club Lounge where mod furniture from Stephen Duvall Decor, and OBE's red and amber uplighting on the columns, was the talk of the party.

Thanks to all our wonderful vendors, you ROCK!

Photos by Charleston Picture Company.

Tag, I'm it.

I’ve Been Tagged!

A couple days ago I was tagged by a reader/blogger Jaime from It's A Jaime Thing...

These are the rules and I'll be a good sport: Link to the person who tagged you and post the rules on your blog. Share 7 random and/or weird things about yourself. Tag 7 random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs. Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

1. I drive a pick up truck with a #41 sticker on the back window that looks like I love endorsing racecar drivers, when in fact it's a Dave Matthews Band sticker for the song #41.
2. Sometimes I go for about a 2 month stretch watching shows like The First 48, Prison Nation, and Cold Case Files late into the night, alone, scaring the be-jesus out of myself.
3. My favorite food to bring to parties or pot lucks are my home made egg rolls. Even though I am half Thai and should probably know more about cooking Asian food, egg rolls are the only Asian dish I know how to do... so that's all I ever offer.
4. I know how to tap dance.......................... Bombershay, cramproll, shim sham!
5. I am a hurricane magnet. I don't think you understand, I have been through Hurricane Andrew ('92) while living in Homestead, FL, numerous hurricanes and tropical storms living in Panama City and Orlando , FL ('93-'04, Opal, Ivan, Charley, etc.), and probably the most infamous to date, Hurricane Katrina ('95) while I lived in New Orleans. So naturally, I moved to Charleston, a beautiful east coast city that hasn't been devestated by a 'cane since Hugo in 1989, watchout!
6. I was a cigar girl for 4 years at a private club called the Montecristo Club in the TD Waterhouse Center in Orlando, FL. While there I served cigars to such interesting patrons as Dr. J (that's right, Mr. Julius Irving himself), Mike Piazza, Scott Stapp-- yes, the douche from Creed, Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, *N Sync, Roy Jones, Jr. and other athletes and entertainers. Yeah, college was fun!
7. Dang, coming up with seven things is tough, I'll leave on a high note and say I will no longer be at the Gibbes Museum of Art beginning in January. I will always love the Gibbes and am grateful that I've had so many amazing opportunities presented to me while I was there. I am going full-time with SOCIAL Event Design & Planning and can't wait to see what's in store!

I have tagged: My husband and new blogger Greg Bradley of Being GB, my brother and sister-in-law and new parents to the cutest bebe evah Rich and Em, great friend and woman of style Jesse of Girlbydesign., lovely lady and dear friend Laura Kate Whitney Harlos of Sense Charleston, fabulous band mates and parents-to-be Regina and Frank of Vintage Velvet and their adoption blog Never Say Never, dad-in-law Gerry at The Potato Pastas, and one more... coming soon.

The photos are rolling in!

Chocolate Perfection made our invitation edible!

The Ready. Jet-Set. Go! Gala was a success! Here are some photos and the rest are downloading, I'll post more lata. See them here at Charleston Picture Company, thanks Paul and Andrew for some amazing shots! More photos and links soon!

Above, Tiger Lily's arrangements were fluffy clouds of beautiful Hydrangea

Vintage Velvet was a hit as our in-flight entertainment

OtherBrother Entertainment's all-white Starlite dance floor was beautiful

Photos by Charleston Picture Company.com

Can't get enough of...

The song from the iPod Touch commercial. You'll know the song as soon as you play it. By Cansei de Ser Sexy, a Brazilian band from Sao Paolo, Music is my Hot Hot sex (hey they said it, not me) is the perfect pick-me-up on this "can't wait for the weekend" friggin' Thursday.

The video is.... not so interesting, but I just press play and go on about my work. Music is MY boyfriend bitches, enoy!

Charmer- a practitioner of folk magic

This holiday season a couple of girlfriends and I decided to see if we could put our gift-wrapping and design experience to the test (Dillard's holiday '05, what what!) and make some sweet moolah.

Along with chic and precision wrapping, we'll personally shop for those last-minute gifters (with their sweet moolah, of course), help any procrastinators plan their holiday party, and also decorate the same procrastinator's home or office for the season.

Sounds like a fun idea, hope we see something from it this year, and if so you'll be seeing CHARM again next year!

Hope you can read the above, for more information go to charm.sensecharleston.com.

April Showers

My girl Allison's wedding is in April and her east meets west theme is coming along nicely. I pitched an idea about oragami invitations, how cute would that be? I think it can totally be done in a way where it doesn't look like a 3rd grader's art project-gone-awry. Thick, weathered paper, beautiful graphics and fonts and delivered in an interesting oragami pattern or simple paper crane.... or something that can be folded flat to send in an envelope... we'll see about this one.

For Allison's wedding I'm building my first large-scale lighting design, see my two concepts below. I think we're going with #2, forgive the 3rd grader's art project-gone-awry, but parasols in a beautiful Japanese pattern, above, bringing in her blues and purples will look stunning like this because you will be able to see all the architectural ribbing on the inside. So excited, thought I'd share.

above is a cluster of parasols with a bulb inside to illuminate.

I think we're going to try this, above, with 8 parasols attached in a

large circle and a bulb in the middle somewhere.

Do you see what I see?

Mirror strands, like the ones above will sparkle behind the stage

The Gibbes Ready, Jet-Set, Go! Gala is next Saturday, December 8. I'm starting to get all cloudy in my head because of all the last-minute details! I thought it would be a good mental exercise to post my design so I can see what it seems like all together.

The gala theme is retro air travel, hence "Ready, Jet-Set, Go!" and some items included in the live auction will be "The International" - a trip for 4 to a luxury golf resort in Ireland, "The Weekender"- tickets for 2 anywhere in the country and fine Gucci luggage to go with it, and "The Mogul"- a getaway to Beaver Creek, Colorado.

Ireland above and a diva-licious necklace from Geiss & Sons below

So, in the spirit of aeronautics I am focusing on making these jet-set guests feel like it's the best plane ride they've ever been on (not hard to do, if you're not really on a plane, right?). Here is a small sample of my design ideas.

Tiger Lily will create a few different versions of the arrangement above, to look like clouds

Groupings of two different shades of blue pintuck linen will add interest

got these customized wing pins made for staff to wear and guests to have fun with

There's a lot more--like flying through the clouds, the VIP Sky Lounge area, the all-white dance floor, furniture arrangements to mimic airport waiting areas, Vintage Velvet, etc. but I feel so much better now that I can see all of this together. Maybe I'll do the rest next post. What do you think?

photos: BizBash, Tiger Lily Florist, BBJ, istockphoto

Funny haha

I was at my friend Sara's house for brunch a few Sundays ago, where I was introduced to "omelettes in a bag", when you put two eggs and various accoutrement in a freezer bag and combine, then place the bag in boiling water for about 15 minutes. After time's up you have a perfect tasting and conveniently shaped omlette on your plate and eventually in yo belly.

Anywho, while I was there I was able to really take a look at Amy Sedaris' book I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence, and now it's totally on my Christmas list. It's the perfect gift for any contemporary hostess in your life as Amy's tongue-in-cheek version of being hospitable will probably have you rolling on the floor by the front flap;

Dear Reluctant Shopper,
Welcome to my flap. If you are reading this, I can only assume that you're hesitating to buy this book. Maybe you're thinking I don't know anything about this book; I would like more information. Should I buy it based solely on the exceptionally striking cover shot? Well, that's a good enough reason for me.

I'd seen it here and there, but for some reason never picked it up, now I can't get enough. Check out fredflare.com to get a copy and some other cool shizz.

photos: amazon.com

Whew~!

It's over, my first Thanksgiving as a rockin' hostess. I think I put Rachael Ray to shame a bit, here's a glimpse at our table, and as my friend Nikki pointed out, you can still see the can marks on the cranberry sauce... nice! A regular post in a bit.

Bret's got it goin on!

Guest Girl

Alright, I mention her occasionally in my blog entries, she's one of my fave ppl and the most effortlessly fashionable lady drinking Beam in Kentucky; today Jesse Hendrix-Inman will be my guest blogger! As a writer, artist and rock-n-roll wifey, Jesse's an expert on all things "bitchin'", lol. Check out her blog, girlbydesign, and what she has to say about holiday partay fashion, thanks Jess!

"For me, holiday style is best expressed through the perfect balance of elegance and fun. ‘Tis the season for the Little Black Dress, the cocktail hat and shimmering, sparkling accessories.

J.Crew has an excellent selection of simply elegant party dresses, and the website even has a special section devoted to the Little Black Dress. There are also several great pieces that channel Audrey Hepburn or Grace Kelly in unexpected colors.

Above: The high neck and ¾ length sleeve make this dress a practical option for snowy evenings. Paired with glittery black tights and black ankle boots, this dress will make a chic, modern statement at any cocktail party.

Above: The amethyst hue of this simple silhouette is rich and unexpected. Could purple be the new black? The addition of a feathery cocktail hat like this one

By Boring Sidney at etsy.com adds a bit of vintage glamour to the look. Keep it elegant with simple black pumps and a black shawl.

Finally, our old friend Target (that’s Tar-jhay) has been offering some stunningly elegant dresses ever since they expanded into bridal territory.

Above: This dress is perfect for a night at the ballet, opera or museum gala.

Add this festive headwrap, also by Boring Sidney, and you’ve got yourself a modern update on the inspiring flapper vibe. Keep the rest simple by recycling the black pumps and wrap from the purple dress!

The holidays are an exciting time to express yourself. Just remember, fashion may be all about labels, but style is all about you!"-- Jesse Hendrix-Inman

week before Thanksgiving = chaos

I feel like I have been slacking on my blog lately, but I have to admit I've been very busy studying up on how to be the perfect hostess for a Thanksgiving feast. Our first year in our new home and my husband up and deemed our house as THE PLACE TO BE for 7 + our baby nephew. I had a great entry to post yesterday, Jesse was going to be my guest blogger about holiday fashion and style, because that's her thing. Alas, I couldn't open her file so, I'll have to post this juicy info next week.

You can check out my dear friend Laura Kate Whitney's new blog, Sense Charleston. LK's approach to exploring the senses will inspire you to do the same!

Anywho, as I'm basking in my turkey-frying virginity and figuring out the best way to organize my crazy shopping list, I'll try to post a bit here and there next week. I'll even post the pics of my triumph or loss-- for the record books. Ciao!

photos: Epicurious.com

Spirit Hands

I find the holidays a lil' stressful, what with all the different colors you're supposed to decorate with, and cookie recipes out the --s! This year, as I'm decorating my new-ish first home and looking for party decor ideas, I'll keep the word "festive" in mind. It doesn't discriminate; "festive" is just exactly that, and here's my idea of fun (you know I have to say, "and festive") holiday entertaining--

Fabulousstationery.com will personalize your party invitations AND make you look cooler than you feel.

I SO want these Illusion wine glasses. They would totally be the perfect ice breaker for a "jingle mingle" because they have an interestingly clever design... and they will most likely contain WINE!
Cast a cool shadow with the lumen candle, which projects flickering wintry wonderlands of cedar, magnolia, or pine trees on your wall. These were designed by Adam Frank, a Brooklyn based artist and inventor.

... And back to the alcohol, overindulge the ever present holiday sweet tooth by toasting to good times with chocolate shot cups. The price makes them sweeter than boring ol' shotglasses any day.

If I were ambitious enough, I would try to make this Spiced Hot Chocolate Recipe, but I'm not... so I won't.

photos: Domino Magazine, Fabulousstationery.com, Uncommon Goods, Red Envelope, Urban Outfitters