A Taste of Design

I hope everyone had an excellent 4th of July weekend. . . now get ready for the heat.  Recently I worked on the Second Annual Award Winning Taste of Design for the Paoli Design Center along with Mainline Magazine.  I fell in love with the venue from the second I walked in the front door.  One of my favorite tasks as a planner is taking an every day space or business and transforming it into a magnificent event venue.

If you haven’t seen The Paoli Design Center before, you need to.  It is a masterpiece all on it’s own.  The design center is located in (you guessed it) Paoli, Pennsylvania in the heart of the Mainline.  It is the one stop shop for all of your designing needs.  Their website states that visiting the center is “like walking through the pages of a luxury interior design magazine”.  They hit the nail on the head.  “The Paoli Design Center’s open showroom spans 24,000 square feet and provides the most elite collection of the industry’s finest product lines including, lighting, tile, marble, furniture, accessories, home theaters, home security systems, state of the art electronics, hardscapes, landscapes, outdoor environments, saunas, wine storage systems, steam showers and more.”  Comprised of six prestigious design businesses (many of them multiple award winners) The Paoli Design Center is your one stop shop for all of your home design needs.  Scattered throughout the center you will find Audio Video Consultants, Lighting by Design, Baltic Leisure, Closet and Storage Concepts, Volpe Tile, & OuterSpaces Landscaping.  You also need to be sure to take a look at the work of Cassandra Ellis.  She does a great deal of the graphic design work for the businesses of the center, including the invitation for the event itself which you can see above.  She is amazingly talented.

The Second Annual Taste of Design took place on June 10th from 6:00pm – 9:00pm.  The 420 attendees were combination of prospective clients, past clients, friends, family, and local residents.  All proceeds of the event (donations and raffles) were raised to benefit Habitat for Humanity of Chester County.

Everyone in attendance got to experience a phenomenal evening.  Hors d’oeuvres & cocktails were sponsored by Franco’s Trattoria, Carlino’s Specialty Foods & Catering, Crystal Rose Catering, Chaddsford Winery, Cupcakes Gourmet (yum!), Firecreek Restaurant & Bar, & Doghouse Gourmet Burgers.  We were also joined by special guests EuroMotorcars of Devon, Matt Cleave of Studio XI Photography, and the clothing of Van Cleve Collection shown throughout the evening by glamorous models.

Everything was fantastic however; I was most appreciative of the gorgeous weather, which allowed everyone to enjoy the stunning outdoor area created by OuterSpaces Landscaping.  It reminds me of something from Tuscany.  I could sit out there and relax all day

Thank you to everyone who worked to make this event possible, and a huge thank you to Matt Cleave for all the great images!  Through every one’s hard work we were able to produce an incredible evening enjoyed by all.

Studio XI Photography

www.eventsbymonroe.com

Gartner Studios Invitations (Philadelphia, Bucks County Event Planner)

Over the weekend my parents had my fiance’s parents over for dinner.  During the evening the topic of an engagement party came up.  They discussed everybody’s schedules, and since we have already been engaged for about six months, they wanted to make it soon.  The only date that could work is less then a month away, and of course on a week we have three other events occurring. . . so here’s to the fourth

I am very excited for the party, as it will be our first “wedding activity”; however I am also feeling a little panicked.  Ever since I began planning events nine years ago, the simple celebratory party became non-existent among my family members.  Every party we have has a theme with matching decor, drinks, etc. down to the smallest detail.  So now we have less then a month to pull this all together, don’t worry. . . I work best under pressure.

First thing’s first – invitations.  The date was picked on Sunday evening, so we need to have the invitations out by tomorrow at the latest.  My first concern was how we were going to create/find eye appealing invitations, get our guest list together, gather all our guests addresses, and send them out, all before Friday.

Target and Gartner Studios to the rescue!  We stopped at Target in desperation, hoping to find something that would meet my standards (I’m pretty picky).  We headed over to the stationary section and there it was,  an invitation kit that does a great job of imitating professionally crafted invitations.  It even comes with cards that can be used to print response cards on (which I will no doubt be using for my thank you notes .  Inside the box are easy step by step instructions on how to find the template online to type your wording in, as well as directions on how to set your page margins on your printer.  They came out looking fabulous!  I am beyond pleased with them.

If you would like to get these for your next party, they can only be purchased at Target or on Target’s website, as well as on Gartner Studio’s website.  On their site you will also find gifts, favors, and some great decor ideas.

P.S. – Although these invitations are beautiful, and I would suggest them for any party, unless your budget simply doesn’t allow it, stick with the pros for your wedding invites.  There is no substitution for the hand crafted work of an artist.

Happy Birthday to The Phillie Phanatic (Philadelphia Event Planner)

The Philadelphia Phillies celebrated the Phillie Phanatic’s birthday at their game Sunday against the Marlins, which they unfortunately lost, but we’re keeping this upbeat.

Since watching the game I have been walking around for three days humming the TastyKake theme song in my head, and I’ve been really anxious to put up this post.

As an event planner cakes are something I deal with on a regular basis.  The more inventive and wackier, the better in my opinion.  The birthday cake they put together for the Phillie Phanatic was so cute and fun.  Thanks so much to the 700 club (www.the700levelclub.com) for sharing these pictures with us, since we weren’t able to be there to take our own.

I have adored the Phillie Phanatic since going to Phillies games with my dad at a very young age.  I actually think as a little girl, I was more excited to see the Phanatic then the game.  Known for taunting the other teams, stomping on their personal belongings, leading the fans in cheering on the Phils, and just being outright goofy, he often adds some comic relief when Phillies fans need it most.

Here’s some fun facts you may or may not have known about our green furry “phanatical” friend.

• The Phillie Phanatic was created by a New York based company known at the time as Harrison/Erickson which today is known as ACME mascots, after the 1977 Phillies season.  The company employee responsible for this adored creation was Denis Lehman who thought that the Phanatic was just what Philadelphia needed.

• He was created for two reasons.  The first, to emulate Philadelphia’s fanatical fans after an incident that occurred with a Dodger’s pitcher during the 1977 season.  Apparently, Philadelphia fans taunted him so much, he lost his composure, and was ejected from the game.  The Phillie Phanatic was also born to try to bring more families to the Vet.

• There were former mascots that the Phanatic replaced titled “Philadelphia Phil” and “Philadelphia Phillis” who were meant to be siblings that dressed in 18th century style clothing to promote Philadelphia’s historic appeal.  I can’t imagine them to have been even close to as much fun as The Phanatic.

• He made his debut April 25th, 1978.

• The Phanatic was voted best mascot ever by Sports Illustrated and by Sports Illustrated Kids.

• His mother is Pheobe Phanatic and his father is unknown.  He also has a cousin named Phred.

• He is the first mascot to drive an ATV.

• He is 300 pounds, 6′ 6″, and has a 90″  waist.

What’s not to love??  Thank you for all the   We are looking forward to another great season.  GO PHILLIES!!

Saving The Earth In Style – GreenChic Living (Philadelphia Event Planner)

Earth Day is April 22nd, and is quickly approaching.  Mainline Magazine & Bucks Life Magazine will be supporting the “Green Phenomenon”  next Wednesday at The Crystal Tea Room from 5:00pm – 9:00pm with their event titled GreenChic Living.

Events by Monroe is excited to be partnering with these great publications as well as LUXE Marketing to bring Philadelphians the most stylish and interactive green showcase yet.

There will be a vast assortment of eco-chic products for the home and body that compliment your lifestyle without compromising style, function or comfort.  In addition you will have a chance to hear Katherine Gajewski, the Czar of Sustainability for Philadelphia, speak, as well Greenandsave.com’s Charlie Szoradi discussing all the latest innovations.  There will be a fashion show taking place where you can see some great organic clothing.  Stop by PECO’s booth to hear about the changing energy laws, then swing by and speak to a few solar companies to see how you can reduce your electric costs to counter these energy law changes.

Other highlights include a beauty bar, solar innovations, green fashion and home goods, local wine and food companies and much more.  Cost of tickets are $15.00 in advance which can be purchased at greenchicliving.eventbrite.com and $20.00 at the door which includes cocktails & hor d’oeuvres. Proceeds to benefit the Sustainable Business Network and Schuylkill Banks.

Take a look at the Notes section on the GreenChic Living Fan Page to see a list of all the participants and sponsors. http://bit.ly/9wBl4v .

The Ultimate Surprise Party ~ Day One (Philadelphia Event Planner)

For those of you who may not have read the previous blogs about the planning of this trip, here are the links to part one http://www.eventsbymonroe.com/main/?p=470 and part two http://www.eventsbymonroe.com/main/?p=478 .  As promised . . here are the details of how the trip went.

I arrived at my parents house to meet them before leaving for the airport.  At this point my mother still had no idea that we were going to Rome, and thought that we were heading to Longwood Gardens and then out to dinner.  During the hour leading up to the car ride we all began to get a little anxious.  We had been planning this trip for a year, and couldn’t wait to tell her about all that we had been working on.

We got into the car, and pulled out of the driveway.  After about five minutes in the car we asked her to put the directions into the GPS for the restaurant we were going to (which we would give her the zip code to Rome to enter).  Of course, the GPS was in the other car.  Go figure, so we went to our default plan of giving her the present we had for her, which also had her plane ticket in it.  She was so shocked, she didn’t know what to say.  She even cried!  She was so excited, it took the rest of the ride to the airport for it all to process.  (Video Footage will be coming soon!)

We arrived at the Philadelphia Airport and met up with my fiance, Tim, who was waiting for us there with the bags.  We checked our luggage, got our boarding passes, and headed for the terminal, where surprise number two was waiting for her.  As we walked into the terminal she found five of her friends awaiting our arrival who would be joining us on our trip.  She was speechless.

While waiting for our flight we stopped into Chickie & Pete’s to have our last taste of American Cuisine for a few days.

The flight was on time.  Everybody took a nice little nap on the plane.  Everybody except for me that is.  Somehow I always see to get stuck next to an armrest elbower.  Not only was I elbowed the entire trip, but the large man sitting to my right was wearing a puffy winter coat the whole flight, which took up even more room. . . ugh.  Lucky for me I brought a great book for reading, and was equally excited about the new technology for watching movies on the plane.  Now each seat has a personalized screen on the back.  It is a touchscreen that allows you to choose from various movies, TV shows, news, games and more.  Everything is free except the games, and of course the $5.00 for a headset.

Our flight landed at 7:30am (Rome’s time).  Everyone else seemed pretty refreshed from their nap, I however was a little groggy but happy to be out of that seat!  I was less then thrilled to have to go to baggage claim and then wait in the long line to get through customs.  To my surprise, there wasn’t a long line at all for customs.  The agents actually couldn’t even be bothered to look up from what they were reading to look at our passports, let alone stamp them.  I have done a good amount of traveling in my life, and have never experienced this.  They didn’t even look at my picture, they just waved us all through.  It’s amazing how security differs from country to country.

Our ride to our apartment is another adventure all together, so I will use that to begin Day Two.  Ciao!

Think Big ~ EventQuip (Philadelphia Event Planner)

Donald Trump has been a public icon that I have followed closely since the beginning of my college career, when I really became interested in Business.  I many times find myself mesmorized by his ability to make deals, run effective organizations, and strive for excellence in every aspect of his brand.  In my career, if I can master half of his magnificence and business sense I will retire feeling successful.  One of my favorite books by Mr. Trump is Think Big.

Last week I had the opportunity to visit EventQuip in Lansdale.  During the tour of their facility, I couldn’t help but think of “The Donald”.  Everything EventQuip does is BIG.  Their organizational skills are incredible.  I have never seen such a multitude of equipment so neatly arranged, and efficiently categorized.  EVERYTHING was in place.  There was not so much as a single bolt lying on the floor.  As the tour continued I began to feel as though I was going through Willy Wonka’s Choclate Factory.  I was beyond impressed.  My favorite part of the tour was seeing the washing machine they use for the tents.  It looked just like the one I have at home, except about 65 times bigger and made of what appeared to be a steel-like material.

As Michael Sardanopoli, my gracious tour guide, explained the procedures they follow it became clear to me why EventQuip is known as “thee” tenting company in the Philadelphia area and surrounding counties.  Every  precaution imaginable is taken to insure the saftey of their clients and their guests/customers.  There is never a detail overlooked.  If Mr. Trump where looking to buy into the tenting industry, I would be sure to let him know where to start

Hats off to Ed Knight, Michael Sardonopoli, and the entire staff of EventQuip for creating and maintaining such a cohesively and efficiently run organization!

www.EventQuip.com

Do As The Romans Do. (Philadelphia Event Planner)

**This is the second part of the previous blog. If you haven’t read it, go back and catch up **

So. . . now that we had come up with this amazing idea, that would be the “surprise trip of a lifetime”, we had a LOT of planning to do.  We started by talking to all of her friends, and seeing if they would like to join us.  Seven of my mom’s friends were ecstatic to come along, making a group of 13.  13 people in Rome, now that’s a party!

We contacted my mom’s supervisor at work to let her know that she would be taking some vacation time.  Then we started the planning, the concocting of our story, and how we would get her there.

First we needed somewhere to stay, so we started looking around on all the top travel sites.  There are some gorgeous hotels, with amazing architecture, but so many of them only had rooms for two, which began to get pretty pricey.  We decided to see if we could find apartments to rent, which worked out to be much more cost effective, until my dad upgraded ours to the lap of luxury   He insisted that it’s a once in a lifetime trip, and we should enjoy it.  (Hey, I wasn’t going to argue)

We then began researching the area to plan our itinerary, and search for the perfect spot to host my mother’s birthday dinner.  We will be visiting all of the great tourist spots, shopping, and since we are Catholic, we acquired tickets to go to the Vatican for Mass on Palm Sunday.

My sister and my dad went out and bought her clothes for the trip, new make-up, and everything she would need.  My mom is VERY perceptive, if one thing was out of place she would notice (this is how I often found myself in trouble as a teen.  I was never as good at covering my tracks as I thought I was).  We couldn’t risk her realizing that something was missing, so new everything it was.

Now that we had her bag packed and tucked away in a closet she would never look in, we had to think about how we could get her there without her knowing.  We didn’t want to tell her about the trip until we were already on our way to the airport, so we tried to think of what would be in the same direction.  Longwood Gardens is a location our family has grown very fond of over the past year, and it just so happens to be in the same direction  as. . . you guessed it, The Philadelphia Airport.

My dad and I put together a fake email about a special Longwood Gardens, and an Authentic Italian Restaurant (the actual restaurant we will be having her birthday dinner at in Rome) was having for one night only.  This special was conveniently being held the week of her birthday.  It involves an hour tour of Longwood Gardens beautiful orchid display, followed by a five course dinner with fine Italian wines at the restaurant just down the road.  She bought it, and found it so thoughtful of us to find something she would enjoy so much (boy is she in for a shock )  My wonderfully amazing fiance has all the bags in his car, and will drive down to the airport and meet us there.  Meanwhile, while I am in the car with my family, about half way to the airport, we will ask her to type the address of the restaurant into the GPS, and when she asks for the city, we will tell her Rome.  I will, of course, be videotaping inconspicuously from the back seat, and will youtube her reaction for all to see!  Once we get to the terminal, all her friends will be waiting there already, which will be surprise number two!

I can’t wait to get back and begin my next blog series “The Ultimate Surprise Party”.  Stay tuned!

When In Rome . . . (Philadelphia Event Planner)

By the time you read this, I will be in the air on my way to Rome.  (A huge thank you to Amanda Ojeda for posting my drafted blogs for me while I am gone).  At this time I have hopefully just accomplished pulling off the biggest surprise party of my event planning career.  Although it has been killing me, since the person being surprised by this trip is one of my frequent readers I was not able to write about any of the plans in my blog. . . until now!

Over the years I have not only done event planning for my company, and other companies I have worked with, but also for friends and family.  There is never an occasion in my family that does not get an all out bash.  For my parents 25th anniversary we threw them a surprise party with an International Theme and 80 of their closest friends.  This was the perfect theme for them.  Through my life I have been lucky enough to live in three different countries, due to my father’s work, and have gotten to travel more then the average person.  While living in both England & Germany my parents took full advantage and traveled to so many places, Greece, Italy, Paris, Austria, Scotland, Alaska, Amsterdam, etc.  The list goes on for a while.  So what better way to commemorate 25 years together then to incorporate something they love!  The party was fabulous down to every detail.  Every room in the house was decorated in authentic decor from a different country, and food to go with it!  There were lawn inflatables, souveniers, etc.  We even got some of the guests to dress in costumes.  It was a phenomenal themed event, and an amazing time had by all!

For my father’s 50th we threw him another great surprise party with a fall theme as his birthday is in September.  He was utterly surprised, and had no idea.

Around this time a year ago we began to consider what we should do this year for my mother’s big birthday (we won’t say which one).  My father LOVES to party, and is very social.  If you put him in a room with 200 people he didn’t know, he would leave with 200 new friends.  My mother finds it more enjoyable to do things with the people she loves, and to experience unique adventures.  She specifically told me years ago she would much rather do something for her “big birthday” then to have a party.

For my parents anniversary party we gave their friend the option of putting money towards a trip to Italy for them, rather then a gift.  We knew they had been wanting to go for a long time.  To play along with the International theme we placed the check of all the money their friends supplied into a Pinata and had them smash it to get it out.  As of last year they had still not had a chance to take the trip, so we decided a trip to Rome would be a great way to surprise my mom for her big birthday!

Come back tomorrow to read how we pulled it off!

Who’s Monroe (Philadelphia Event Planner)

Each time I introduce myself and my company I always get the same question, “Who’s Monroe?” After having a blog for over a year, I suppose this is a post that should have come sooner, but better late then never. I do believe that curiosity creates intrigue.

The simple answer is that the company is named after my grandmother, however it is a more detailed story then that.

From a very young age, as I’m sure many girls did, adored Marilyn Monroe, her beauty, her sex appeal, etc. The older I got, and the more I learned about her my interest continued to grow.

My grandmother and I were very close, and she knew my love for Marilyn Monroe.  In many ways I saw her in the same light as Marilyn Monroe.  She did not have a great deal of money, but she was always well dressed and glamorous and her name was Norma Jean, just like Marilyn Monroe, or so I was told.

My grandmother battled cancer and won twice!  She is my hero!  What’s even better is through everything she endured during her life she never lost her good spirits and love for all adventures, people, and experiences.

On April 5th, 2005, Norma Grande passed away.  Although she had a very strong will to live, her body had had enough.  At this time I was 22, and in my senior year at Temple University studying Tourism & Hospitality Management with a focus in Event Planning.  I was leaving class when I got the call.  I was devastated.  My grandmother was always my unconditional supporter, and one of my best friends.

The next few days of planning the funeral and making arrangements went by in a flash (which is what inspired me to provide funeral assistance as a service provided by Events by Monroe).  The morning of the funeral I drove over to Resurrection in Northeast Philadelphia (a bit of useless info . . my father was the first baby ever christened there) to attend the funeral mass.  I walked in and took several funeral cards to keep for memories.  As I turned the card over a wave of nausea and panic came over me.  The funeral director had made an unforgivable mistake!  She had written my grandmother’s name as Norma Eleanor instead of Norma Jean!!  I dashed over to where my father was speaking to my cousin and said “Excuse my interruption Dad, but they wrote the wrong name on the funeral cards!  How could this happen?”  My father looked at me like I had three heads and said “What are you talking about?  They have the correct spelling.”  I continued to argue that they had written the wrong middle name.  My dad explained to me that I must be mistaken and that my grandmother’s middle name is and always was Eleanor.  I think my father and I realized what was going on at the same time and just smiled.

My grandmother had told me her name was Norma Jean for all those years because she felt like it could be one more way for us to relate to each other.  It is obviously how she always wanted me to remember her.  So now every time I hand out a business card, or go to my website, etc.  I can think of her the way she wanted me to see her.

I love having this as my company name because it not only keeps my grandmother as a constant memory, but it also aids in many of the decisions I make.  When faced with a challenge, or a tough ethical decision, I always think about what she would have done, and use her as a guide.  It has worked out great so far

GREEN ~ It’s Not Just For St. Patrick’s Day (Philadelphia Event Planner)

Since everybody will be eating, drinking, and wearing green today, I thought this would be a great time to mention and upcoming event that will be green.  On April 28th, 2010 the GreenChic Living event will be hosted at the Crystal Tea Room beginning at 5:00pm.  All proceeds will benefit the Sustainable Business Network & Schuylkill Banks.

This event will be a showcase of all the finest in green housing, products, food, fashion and services in the Philadelphia region. Sponsored by MAINLINE & BUCKS Life magazines there will be a vast assortment of eco-chic products for the home and body, all things that compliment your lifestyle without compromising style, function or comfort.   Philadelphia’s sustainable czar Katherine Gajewski will be speaking about the cities plans for the future.  Models will showcase bamboo and organic clothing.  Recycled jewelry will be made on site.  Peco will explain the changing energy laws.  GreenandSave will let you know the latest innovations.  Other highlights include solar innovations, a beauty bar, local beer, liquor distillers and restaurants plus much more! For more information about the event, you can follow this link http://www.luxephila.com/greenchic.html.