The Junior League Of San Francisco- Patron Party

A dear friend of mine came to me recently and requested a donation from All Set for decorating services for the Patron Party- a preview to the 16th Annual Home Tour presented by The Junior League of San Francisco (JLSF). Absolutely! Not only because my dear friend is my dear friend, but also because I believe in what JLSF stands for- an organization of woman committed to promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women, and improving communities through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. The Home Tour is a fundraising event that is dedicated to supporting and strengthening Bay Area families in need via direct service, advocacy and grant making.

Home Tour will take place in early November, but the 300 person Patron Party took place on Tuesday, August 24, 2010. The venue was the beautiful White Palace on Divisadero Street in San Francisco. My task was to create a simplistic, elegant, and feminine design for the exterior of the house. A field trip to the White Palace was necessary for design inspiration. After 30 minutes with my sketch pad, I had derived the ideal design for the budget and audience- pom poms and crystals!

As a thank you for the corporate donation, JLSF gave All Set the option to contribute to the party swag bags. Each attendee received an All Set goodie bag that stayed true to the "San Francisco" theme with the recipe for a San Francisco Sidecar, cocktail napkins, and a photo of the speciality cocktail with one of All Set's custom flags

showcasing All Set's

attention to detail.

Do·na·tion[doh-ney-shuh n] –noun: an act of instance of presenting something as a gift, grant, or contribution. There are so many wonderful donation opportunities available throughout a community. Be creative- you never know when your hobby or special talent may serve as a meaningful contribution to an organization.

A special thanks to Elizabeth, Mariah, and my mother for all your input and assistance.

Don't Discount The Discount Store

When meeting with a new client, I ask the individual to bring along inspirational pieces. This could be in the form of a photograph, blog entry, piece of material, lipstick- anything that gets their creative mind flowing. More frequently than not, the client has pages of magazine cut outs from Martha Stewart Weddings and Martha Stewart Living. I too continually find inspiration from my favorite crafter Martha; however, I must admit that some of the featured DIY projects turn into DIWH- Do It With Help! Not to mention all of the custom made cuteness turns into a laborious task when you are creating massive amounts to appease your guest list. As a designer this is the part of my job that I LOVE, but for the working bride, host, or hostess- it is just not feasible.

Don't throw away those inspirational pages just yet... there is a way to meet in the middle, with something I call Smart Designing. For lack of a Webster's definition- Smart Designing:[verb] finding a reasonable shortcut when creating a custom piece.

An event can still feel custom by tailoring an existing item with a personalized touch. To better explain my point, I have found darling inspirational photos and the "shortcuts" to help eliminate some of the design time. The best part of it all- I found the shortcuts at the Dollar Tree.

Customize these birthday pennant flags by printing the name of the birthday boy or girl on card stock and then cutting the letters into circles before applying to the flag (one letter per pennant). Various craft stores sell Circle Cutters that can produce 1"- 8" perfect circles every time you cut!

source Martha Stewart.com

These darling award ribbons can be mimicked by adhering a custom message to the center of the pre-made ribbon (covering whatever message or image may have perviously been there). Card stock and a Circle Cutter are good materials to utilize for this project.

source Animal Head Vintage

Bubbles are a great way to entertain children and adults alike. All that is needed to replicate these party perfect bubbles is a custom label made by you.

source Living Locurto

So next time you come across a DIY project that seems too time consuming, check out your local discount store to see if you can find a short cut- making you the latest crafter Smart Designing.

Prefect Place To Showcase

I have had the opportunity to take All Set on the road and spend some time on the beautiful Central Coast. As a designer that never stops thinking about the next special event, I am observant to interesting venues, vendors, and "must know" local resources. Thank goodness for my "eagle-eye" ways, as a need arose for an All Set photo shoot and I knew just the place to go...

Native Lounge is located in downtown San Luis Obispo. The trendy hot spot is open for lunch, dinner, and Sunday brunch. Patrons have the opportunity to enjoy delicious California Cuisine in one of four unique settings: the dining room, patio, bar, or plush lounge area. After 10pm, this swanky scene transforms into one of the most popular nightclubs on the Central Coast. The evening atmosphere is electric and draws crowds Tuesday- Sunday until 2am.

Therefore, it is understandable why a designer would be drawn to such a fabulous venue for a photo shoot. The task: to photograph custom All Set signage with a San Francisco signature cocktail- the sidecar. The Native Lounge bartender produced a work-of-art that was worthy of a closeup. Let the photo shoot begin.

Stay tuned to see what the final shot was used for...

New Girl On The... List

Bay Area Bride Guide is a wedding resource that every Bay Area bride needs to know about. The site features D.I.Y. projects, giveaways, stories from real weddings, and a trusted Vendor Directory. All Set is the latest addition to the list of industry contacts. The directory includes preferred videographers, venues, hairstylists and so many more.

All Set can be found under the "Wedding Floral & Design" category.

The custom banner showcases three images of past All Set designs: a floral centerpiece, bouquet, and tablescape.

Help spread the news of this must know wedding planning resource:

www.BayAreaBrideGuide.com