... and so much more!

Readin', 'Ritin' and Recess!

2010-09-01T18:35:00.004-04:00

Well, school is finally in session! And having two teachers in my family makes "back to school" a particularly exciting time. When my kids were young, we always began the school year posing for the traditional first day of school picture. Truth is, we still continue that tradition. Check out my two favorite teachers, my daughter Kelsey and my husband Clark, on their first day of school last week. Kelsey started her first year and Clark his 25th ... WOW! So proud of them both.

My sic, (that means cool or awesome, for those of you over the age of 22) college-age son even gets in the game. Here's James getting ready to start his sophomore year at UNCW. Proud of him too!

Clearly, not everyone loves school as much as my family but there is one thing most of us agree on -RECESS! Who can argue with a little free time to run around and goof off? With that in mind RSVP developed a "Recess at Work" product. It's a budget friendly event option that gives corporate groups a chance to kick back and relax for a small part of their busy day. Basketball, corn hole, wii stations, rock walls, music and crafts are just a few of the activities we've provided for some recent "recesses". We can even organize a friendly little game of kick ball if you're so inclined. Take a peek....

So the next time the work week is getting you down, tell your boss to call RSVP Events, 'cause everybody can use a little recess!

Gimme a Break

2010-08-31T12:55:00.013-04:00

Well, it has been quite a while since we have written a blog entry..so, what is our excuse? Maybe its the heat and humidity around here? These are most definitely the "dog days of summer" and everyone seems to move a little slower this time of year. In addition to the heat ,this time of year is a bit slower for our event production as well-- so we use it wisely and prepare for the VERY busy months ahead. Our days are full meetings, producing proposals, and coming up with new and creative ideas to create spectacular events for our clients. Where, you might ask, do these creative ideas come from? Inspiration doesn't just come out of thin air...it takes work. We all look for inspiration in different ways and one of our methods is to simply take a break. We actually refer to them as "field trips"-when we get in the car, go for an adventure, and see what inspires us. We will continue to post about where we have been and what we find...enjoy!

It will work...trust me!

2010-07-26T12:16:00.008-04:00

My husband and I spent a weekend with our best friends who live in Charlotte (about 2 hours from our home here in the Triangle.) We always try to work in a trip to IKEA while we are there since we have a new home and are always looking for great deals. We only had about an hour before the store closed when we began our journey-and if you have ever been to IKEA you understand that 1 hour is not nearly long enough. We knew that we wanted a new island for our kitchen and a few other items and in an hour we were able to fill 2 shopping carts. As we headed to the checkout, my husband was drawn to the "As Is" section where he discovered a huge dining table for only $99. We didn't see anything wrong with it (which was good news since anything bought in this section cannot be returned) so we decided to get it. "Will it fit in the car?" (We drive a Mazda 3 -small sedan) we both kept saying. We were so excited by our find that we just knew it would work out. We got to the car & everything fit great-even our luggage from our weekend stay with our friends...except this giant table we just bought. We tried everything...took everything out of the car, folded all the seats down...even took it out of the box and took it apart-the entire time both of us kept assuting each other, "it'll work...it'll fit, we just have to slide the front seats up, I can just put my suitcase in the front seat with me." And eventually, we made it work. One of the boxes stuck out about a foot so we had to leave the truck open but my clever husband took the strap off of his suitcase to tie it down..all was well...then we got out on the open road and realized that neither of us could see out of the back window and our seats were pushed up so far our legs were squished and then it began to storm. After a long 3 hours, we finally arrived home, tired and a little embarrassed about the silly choice we made to buy so much stuff. As we unloaded our new purchases into our house-we both laughed and realized that most of the time...things work out.

Tomato Time

2010-07-14T16:46:00.017-04:00

Last night in my kitchen I had time to think-a lot of time. You see, I had just picked 165 tomatoes from my garden & it's been like this for about 3 weeks now. As I was peeling cooked tomatoes, and dicing, and stewing, and roasting and canning tomatoes... I thought. I thought about how this gardening bit relates to event planning. When my husband and I began our garden we had visions of how it would be---I would get up early in the morning and go tend to the garden and I even bought a cute wicker basket and goloshes for when it was time to harvest the goods. Over the past few months...of watering, and tilling (by hand), and weeding it hit me---this is a lot harder than I thought. And, like event planning, not many people realize the hard work & long hours that go in to get the final product. And with gardening, like planning a professional event-there is no pushing back a deadline-the event date is the deadline-you cannot simply ask the client for an extension or in my case last night-I had to preserve 165 tomatoes right then my hard work would be for nothing. Finally, last night when I was cleaning tomato sauce off my walls, counters, & even my clothes and crawled into bed I thought some more. I thought that yes, planning and event and planting a garden go hand in hand---because to me there is something so rewarding about watching your hard work come to life...whether that is the sight of your first tomato of the season or a beautiful event that goes off without a hitch!

confessions of a magazine junkie

2010-06-25T20:15:00.005-04:00

Ok, I'll admit it. I am a magazine junkie. Every basket, drawer, bench and pretty much all flat surfaces in my house are covered with home decor and design magazines. I never throw them away and when I'm feeling really organized I put them in chronological order and store them in cardboard magazine files. I tell my husband I need them, you know, for event inspiration. And I'll do anything to get them. But like most addictions, being a magazine junkie can be expensive. So when times are tough (like now) I order FREE home decor catalogs from places like Pottery Barn, IKEA, and Crate & Barrel, instead. No, they don't offer quite the same variety and interest as their paid subscription counterparts, but they'll do in a recession.

So, when I stumbled across this newly created blog Catalog Living, I fell for it immediately. The author, comedian Molly Erdman, does a hilarious job of finding the humor in over styled catalog rooms and the people who might live there. I may never look at my coveted catalogs the same way again. Check these out. Happy Friday!

"Oh that? That's my wish plant. It's where I clip pictures of people I want dead."

"Greta, the invitation specifically said to bring a yellow or white food or drink. Now, please remove your brown cookies at once."

Festival Fun

2010-06-23T13:59:00.016-04:00

What is better on a summer day than an old-fashion street festival? Who doesn’t love the smell of street fair food and the sound of live music on a beautiful sunny day? I have been a long time fan of these types of events and a long time fan of the small town of Brevard (all of my childhood summers were spent in this quaint mountain town.) So, when I went to visit a few weeks ago I was delighted to find out that the 7th Annual White Squirrel Festival was in town. I am always curious to see what is new and fun out there in the festival world and if we here at RSVP Events can apply any of what we see out there to what we do. The food was delicious and I was so excited to see Beignets- a favorite of mine since childhood.

The most exciting attraction at this fair was the 4th Annual White squirrel Soap Box Derby which runs down Jailhouse Hill through the main drag of town. These folks constructed all their own carts and some of them were really intricate.

I didn’t buy any crafts or souvenirs-I simply walked around, enjoyed the moment and allowed myself to slip into a simpler, slower time. It eventually began to rain but as I looked around I noticed that no one seemed to be affected-they continued to dance and laugh-so I followed. As I said earlier, I always look at these events from a professional point of view and wonder “what can we do to improve” or “what can we learn?” This time I learned that sometimes you’ve just gotta slow down, enjoy the moment, and play in the rain.

gettin buggy wit it

2010-06-18T09:55:00.000-04:00

We did these centerpieces awhile back and they just make me giggle. Nothing really special - just a little wheat grass, a few gerbera daisies and some plastic insects - easy peasy! They're just so bright and simple and fun. Here's hoping your weekend is just the same -bright, simple, fun .... and so much more!

Strawberry Fields Forever

2010-05-29T09:57:00.001-04:00

Folks working in metro areas often have distractions of the city to deal with. You know what I mean - places like enticing restaurants, trendy boutiques or comfortable wine bars. And while things are a little slower out here in the country, we have our own temptations to deal with. We're lucky to be just a short drive from places like Maple View Farm and Fiesta Grill. But at various times throughout the year, we are pulled away from our desks by the call of, you guessed it, local produce!

Seeing how the "Pick Your Own Strawberry" signs had already been out a couple of weeks, Lindsey, Marie and I decided we had to get some berries before the season was over. So off we went, buckets in hand. The weather was perfect, the scenery was beautiful, the company was swell and the strawberries were ..... yuck! Seems as though the 2 to 3 inches of rain we received just a few days before had left the plump, crimson berries nothing more than tasteless blobs of mush. But, no worries...when life hands you ~~lemons~~ mushy strawberries, make daiquiris! And that is just what we did. Check out Marie's recipe below. It's guaranteed to make all those yoga-pose-inspired berry picking positions oh so worth it.

Downward Dog Daiquiris
- 4oz. rum
- 1 banana
- 2 cups strawberries (really ripe!)
- 2 tablespoons frozen limeade
Throw above ingredients in the blender. Blend, adding ice to desired thickness. Sip, enjoy and forget the pain you feel in your back from picking all those berries!

If you happen to find yourself in a strawberry field this holiday weekend, here's hoping your pickings will be juicy, sweet, firm ... and so much more!

Expect the unexpected!

2010-05-26T17:58:00.011-04:00

Welcome to "...And So Much More!". For almost 23 years, RSVP Events has been "The Life of the Party". We're all about some glamorous parties with fancy tents, explosive entertainment and dazzling decor; we're all about some crazy casinos, unforgettable non-profit events and fantastic family days; but, we're also so much more! This group blog, written by Sharon, Lindsey, Marie and me,Tammy, is the voice of RSVP - a glimpse of who we are and why we're passionate about what we do. If you are looking for a great party, we'll help you throw a great party by sharing our opinions on the latest event trends, practical planning tips and virtual venue reviews. But, you should also expect from us "...so much more". Expect the unexpected - like a recap of our evening at Legends, our experience with alternative, complimentary medicine or a list of banging field trip destinations. Expect regular features - like What's Cookin'? , focusing on some of our favorite seasonal recipes, Behind the Bar with cocktail creations from Marie, and Ruby's Place, a room by room tour of our cherished, little office in the country. Expect us to be real - we're straight shooters and tell it like it is (though those of us born in the South still preface any criticism with "bless her heart"). Expect us to post 3-5 times a week to start and more if we have something more to say. But this ain't just a one way street - we expect YOU to give us your feedback - comments are encouraged (though monitored) and emails are welcome.

We're glad you're here and hope you'll come back often for a little fun, a little friendship, a little advice...and so much more!