October 28, 2008 – 3:06 pm
When I first heard about Accademia dell’ Arte located in Arezzo, Italy I thought, “Where were you twenty, (OK, twenty something…) years ago”! This is a unique study abroad program for the performing arts staffed with an international faculty located in the heart of picture perfect Tuscany. Fantastico!
SanLori recently had the honor of being one of the sponsors for a fundraiser to assist students attending Accademia dell’ Arte. Our Longfellow design, “Gilded Age” was chosen to set the tone of the First Annual, “Taste of Tuscany.” The evening was a glowing success and helped to raise funds that will sponsor worthy students as they pursue their creative vision. It is a once in a lifetime experience that will shape the lives of the next generation of performance artists. And that my friends will enrich us all!
October 11, 2008 – 8:17 am
What a week it’s been! Between the presidential debates, the growing problems in Afghanistan and the Wall Street fiasco, we haven’t been getting too much good news as of late. How ‘bout those fall TV season premiers! With all the negative sound bites capturing our attention, I have decided to make every effort I can to look toward the positive. You know, glass half full and all of that. Listen, I’m no Pollyanna. I want my eyes to be wide open to navigate all the obstacles that I will face as a mother, business person and citizen. What I don’t want to do is loose faith. I want to stay grateful and use my energy toward finding better ways to work and manage my life. They say, “necessity is the mother of invention,” and I guess this is a great time to test it out. To all of our wonderful retailers and patrons I just want to say we are so thankful for your business and we are on your side, as we all weather this together.
Half full, of course!
In the meantime, let’s all keep our spirits up! I saw this on Good Morning America and thought I would pass it on. Operation Nice is a website started by a graphic designer named Melissa Morris Ivone. I love her quote, “a little nice goes a long way.” I couldn’t agree more. There are many things to be concerned about but so much more to be thankful for ultimately. We just have to remind ourselves of this once in a while. And while we are at it, remind others as well. Share a smile, give a compliment, and send a thank you note to a deserving individual! Small gestures can make a big difference. It may not be the answer to our current economic woes but it call be powerful medicine for staving off the blues!
October 2, 2008 – 4:34 pm
Inviting Arkansas, page 33
We have a new artist in residence that we are delighted to tell you about. He is none other than our own Ethan Marbaise, the six-year-old son of my partners here at SanLori. Ethan was featured recently in a local magazine, Inviting Arkansas, because his card design was selected to be used in the Arkansas Children’s Hospital’s Holiday Card Project. This is an annual fundraiser that has a very special talent pool. All submissions are made from individuals that have been touched by Arkansas Children’s Hospital. When Ethan was just 18 months old, he received a severe head injury by falling out of a second story window.
Ethan's Tree
With the excellent care he received from the physicians and staff at ACH, Ethan has fully recovered and as you can see, loves to create art. Ethan says he is happy when he is painting and when you observe his work, you can feel it! Ethan said he wanted to participate in the project, “because that hospital helps kids so I wanted to help that hospital.” This little guy is “paying it forward,” and sets a great example for all of us.
September 29, 2008 – 5:06 pm
Well, the shift has occurred. Everywhere I went this weekend I saw pumpkins on porches and brilliantly colored mums being set out for display. Families were outside putting cobwebs on bushes, adorning trees with ghosts and witches and putting out little orange twinkling lights on their porches. There was a Harvest festival in our community that had a doggie parade, great food and music and a fashion show featuring Korto, from Project Runway! It was great fun to be outside seeing friends and neighbors having such a good time. Who doesn’t need that? Whether it’s a potluck at your church or a block party in your neighborhood; it just feels good to come together.
Looking ahead to October, there is that spooky little night that offers a great opportunity for a gathering of the ghouls! Halloween is on a Friday night this year so it’s much easier on children and parents alike. Costume parties are always a good time, but if you are looking for something much simpler, an open house is a lot of fun and a lot less work! Make a steaming caldron of chili that can be served all evening and invite your friends and neighbors to stop by to enjoy some Boo and Brew! After walking several blocks with their little pumpkins, your friends will appreciate your treat to them.
September 19, 2008 – 3:11 pm
It’s the last official week of summer, but it’s fall that is in the forefront of everyone’s mind. Now that the children are back to school and establishing routines once again, we can shake that last bit of chlorine out of our ears and start planning ways to enjoy this remarkable weather! Before all the holiday rush begins, set aside some time to get together with friends and neighbors. With the cooler weather, fall lends itself to casual, relaxed entertaining.
Create a get-together that you can actually enjoy along with your guests. My suggestion du jour…a wine and cheese party! Do you see the beauty in it? Platters of delicious cheeses, assorted wines, some bread and olives… and you get to be right in the middle of it! You can find wine and cheese pairings on numerous Internet sites that make short work of the details.
Fall can start to get pretty frenzied with school open houses; festivals and football games so make sure you get your invitations in the mail pronto. This of course, is the laidback version of the wine tasting party so there is no need for tally sheets here! Just a crisp fall evening, some tasty libations and a circle of friends are all you need to usher in the season. Cheers!
September 10, 2008 – 3:49 pm
With a hint of fall in the air, we gathered to wish our intern and friend, Lauren (La La), a fond farewell as she heads back to SCAD Savannah College of Art and Design. The sendoff was held at one of Lauren’s favorite restaurants, Za Za. No, I am not making this up! Anyhow…name similarities aside; we all had a great time! The table was decorated in black, white and green with each place setting containing a different inspirational quote to give to Lauren at the end of the evening. After everyone had eaten their weight in organic pizza, artisnal salad creations and “molto bene” gelato, the honoree was presented with a copy of the book every girl can appreciate, Manolo Blahnik Drawings, (Big Sigh)! To view his works manoloblahnik.com
It was a wonderful evening so we thought we would share it with you. The little paper quotes were fun and easy to do and added to the theme of the evening. We would love to hear from you regarding any notable touches that you have included at your special gatherings. And in the spirit of sharing, check out our party pics. And yes, the food was as good as it looks!
To view our party click here
September 5, 2008 – 4:10 pm
OK, I have to admit, it may be a little bit vain but there is just something exhilarating about seeing your initials monogrammed on a substantial assortment of personal and decorative products. Maybe it’s our small way of literally putting our mark on the world! Personalized products also make such wonderful gifts because it shows that you are really putting some thought into your purchase. Let’s face it; soap can be a nice gift but personalized soap…. quantum leap! As I was perusing the web, I found some lovely sites that will satisfy all your initial cravings. Check out www.inthisveryroom.com and also www.idaclaire.com (love that name!) for the items featured here and so much more.
As you are well aware, we have a special place in our heart for personalized paper. We recently came out with our pre-printed monogram line called “Letter Perfect”, and indeed, it is! It features 24 letters, (sorry U and X), featuring bold colors and unique borders. Another feature you may appreciate is that we developed the same notes without the monogram for the Cindy’s of the world who wanted the pink background instead of the green!! Gotcha covered. It’s our personal contribution.
August 29, 2008 – 3:36 pm
LaLa the Designer
Inspiration can come to us from so many directions. We just have to be ready and open so it can enrich our lives. I think…. it just may be the fountain of youth! Botox for the soul. It’s so important to be grateful and surround ourselves with the people and things that make us happy and move us toward growth. This summer, I have gained inspiration by working with our intern Lauren Bailey a.k.a. lalalaurenbailey.blogspot.com. So much so, that I wanted you to get a chance to read and enjoy her insights as well. She imparts a refreshing point of view while at the same time has a little bit of old soul in her. As she heads back to school, we will miss her but we can still stay connected through her blog. Lauren’s philosophy is, “ You are what you love.” What do you love? What inspires you? Dwell on that and I promise, no amount of Red Bull or Venti Lattes can compete with the boost that it will bring!
August 26, 2008 – 12:18 pm
Sweet 16 Cake by Pink Cake Box
For those of you who know me, you will not be to shocked to read that my first true blog is taking a walk on the culinary side of the street. Yes, I want to talk about food!! This however, is in a special class all to itself…dessert, and we are talking about Antoinette’s favorite here, CAKE! Can you imagine celebrating a birthday without one? Somehow, blowing out the candles on the mincemeat pie just doesn’t cut it! We found these true showstoppers on www.pinkcakebox.com and we were ready to have a party! Unfortunately for us, they only deliver to New Jersey, New York, Connecticut and Eastern PA. For those of you who live in that region lucky you! For the rest of us though, they have adorable cookies wrapped for party favors and they ship all over the U.S. so you don’t have to come away from their gorgeous site empty handed.
Just as invitations set the tone and build anticipation for your event, the cake can be the focal point and centerpiece that will anchor your party. As we looked through www.pinkcakebox.com, we found many of the popular color combinations that complemented our invitations. To have a memorable event you really need to have certain elements in place, foremost, the invitation. Come on, you knew that was coming! All kidding aside, begin at the beginning. It makes sense doesn’t it? Let them know that they have been asked to be a part of something truly special. Your attention to detail will make both the honoree and guests feel more treasured. And by all means,” let them eat cake!”
August 20, 2008 – 2:50 pm
There is a lot of talk going on in bla bla blogging land. Enough in fact to almost (key word), stop us from joining in the conversation. But to take a second look, isn’t that what it’s all about. Having a voice. Expressing yourself! Finding your community. So here we are about to embark on a whole new venue. As we share our ideas and inspirations, we are hoping to hear from you as well, to dish the dialog! So this is our entre’ mes amies, into cyber speak and we hope you will visit often.
Until next time!
San & Lori in a New York state of mind
