9.29.2007

Happy Birthday Pamina!

I was contacted just a few days ago to put together a Birthday Dinner Party, so I procured the caterer, rentals, linens, music entertainment and the flowers. Pamina loves pink and orange, so I made the floral design in those colors. Since the dinner and dessert was to be outside, even though there were heaters, I brought orange fleece blankets for warmth and cuddling.

Click here to view the photos.

9.18.2007

My Friday

My friend Kelly is a fellow wedding and event planner in Florida (we've never met, just know each from an industry "members only" message board). ANYHOO, this girl is a nut. A couple of weeks ago she created a montage of what kind of day she had as a wedding planner. This is her montage:

You can read about the details on the post on her blog. Stuff about creating a new DVD cover for a client, getting a tour of a gorgeous new venue, loving her Starbucks, shopping for a client, updating menus and budgets yadda, yadda. She looks so glam - hair styled and sporting Nicole Richie sunglasses. So "J-Lo". So wedding planner-ish.

And then there's MY kind of day as an event planner. Here's my montage:


(To view up close click on the montage. Hopefully I don't have any chin hairs showing.)

Left to RIGHT, Top to Bottom:

1. Went to the flower market to get flowers for Mariela's Birthday Party.

2. This is what greeted me at the entrance. I love gerber daisy's. They are just. Happy.

3. She's my intern. Don't mention anything about her height, she's a little self-conscience about it.

4. Stopped at McDee's before going to the flower market. So there Starbucks. Don't see a drive-thru at your place! Now I will have money left over to buy that McGriddle, and not spend it all on a Venti.

5. Yup. That's me. In my usual state of glamourousness - a baseball hat and no makeup. Didn't take a shower either, cuz flowers don't care.

6. I'm glad to see my lil' intern is very Green, and drives her electric car to work.

7. I wonder if David Tutera has ever had a power lunch at Funtown Hot Dogs?

8. All the flowers I purchased unloaded and in buckets on my front porch. Some one's gotta be the white trash on our street....

It was a great day.

Seriously, it was fun. I took Raina with me and we had a great time, she really likes to help me. And the flower market is literally across the freeway from Lego Land, and we have passes. So we went for a couple of hours which was also a lot of fun since we usually have "the boys" - dad and two brothers there, and they don't like to go on the kiddie rides. And it is so worth going there just for the Granny Fries. Omigawd. They are the best. They fry diced green apples, coated in sugary cinnamon, accompanied with a vanilla cream to dip them in. HEAVEN.

But I had to drive home like a maniac to pick up my son from school in time. Of course I hit traffic on the freeway. Took some side streets, hit every flippin' red light. When I got there to the school, they had him waiting in the office. The office ladies already know I'm NOT one of the totally-have-it-together-moms like all the rest of 'em.

But that's okay. They didn't get to see really happy gerbers....

9.17.2007

Happy Birthday Mariela!


Over the weekend I did a birthday party for Mariela who is my good friend. When we started planning her party about a month ago, she gave me a budget to work with for the decor. But then her dear husband secretly "slipped" me some more funds so I could go all out for her. She loves pink -like myself- which made it easy to do. However, since there were going to be gentlemen friends there, I toned it down just a wee bit and the flowers were more mauve in color than pink. But the guys don't seem to mind - I don't even think they notice!

I put together the floral arrangements, the tables (we used what tables we own - 54" rounds and 6' banquets), the poles with the willow with cymbidium orchids, hanging crystals and candles, the candy table (remember the glass vases post?) etc. I didn't get pictures of it, but I also provided pink fleece blankets for the ladies shoulders and laps. They were a big hit. Also in the corner of the backyard, I set-up one of those portable round patio fire things and the guys were hanging out around the fire, smoking cigars and drinking port. It was THE BEST port wine I have ever had!


Shown is the set-up during the daytime, then photos of it during the nighttime with the candles glowing. It was so difficult to capture how purty it was with the candles......the photos don't do it justice.


Come back in a couple days and I will have a link for the photo gallery. I will also post "a day in the life of an event planner" which is kinda silly....
UPDATE: Click here to view photos from the party.