THIS is Goodwill?!

Take a look at that branding package, my friends...

because you've NEVER seen Goodwill looking like this!

Goodwill Industries is expanding their marketing to go direct to the fashion-conscious, trendy DIY crowd
by opening 'Goodwill Boutique' stores in strip mall locations across California.

These upscale boutiques and specialty stores feature name-brand designer fashions, jewelry, wedding gowns, antiques and other amazing finds. (from the GWI website)

See what I saw today at the Grand Opening, after the jump...

Re-Framing Your Dreams

On Saturday, I had the honor of being part of a remarkable event:
Launch Your Creativity.

This inspiring gathering is held each Spring in a gorgeous Parisian-themed tearoom, 

and attended by 45 women who are seeking guidance, support, and encouragement 

as they pursue their own creative dreams. 

Most dream of launching a new business – a store, a fashion line, a business service – 

and there are women who attend as a 'jump start' to a new life.

I am one of those women, too.

I joined seven AMAZING women on a panel of speakers:

LYC IV Speakers, from left:
me, Cheryl Turner, Tara Wilson, Sharon Hughes, Jenny Doh, 
Lidy Barrs, Jane Button, Debi Beard, and Christine Rose Elle.

Titled 'Re-Framing Your Dream', my presentation asked this question:
“What do you DO when your dreams don't work out the way you planned?”

Read the whole story and my presentation notes after the jump...

Display is Like Playing Dominoes...... Everything Moves!

Changing your store displays for each season is VITAL!

Variety is needed each month to keep customers interested and returning.
The photos above show a sunny, bright, cheerful summer look 

in the front room where you enter this darling vintage boutique.

New product had arrived, so it was time to feature it in the front room. 

In a small shop, when you move one item, it affects everything else. 

The product that was here was relocated to another room - 

which meant that everything in that room had to be rearranged as well, 

to accommodate the merchandise. 

It's like lining up dominoes and watching them fall! 

[I'm not sure if it's an 'official' industry term, but 'Domino Effect' certainly applies here...]

So, I'd like to know: how often do you change the displays in your store? 

Windows? Front of Store/Entry? Interiors? Point of Purchase? 

Have things been the same for longer than a month? Two months? THREE months? 

Hey, folks, retail is change! 

If we never brought in new products, we'd be outta' business. 

Same is true with displays - you have to mix it up, move it around, make it fresh and new 

to stop your customers in their tracks. 

Otherwise, they just walk on past, thinking 'Been there, seen that.' 

Yes, it's work... it's time... it's effort..... 

but it's a foolproof way to increase customer awareness of what you offer. Isn't that worth it?!

Designing Women

Filming video segments for the Gift & Home Channel this weekend was a very rewarding project for me - for several reasons. First, I love the synergy that results when talented and creative people work together on something...and believe me, everyone involved in this was talented beyond measure. (I'm around the corner in that shot, but it's the only one with the whole crew in it so I wanted to use it!) My thanks to Mr. Deb for snapping shots during the filming.

From the crew of Peak Video Productions - Jim, Robin, and Rick - to GHC Executive Producer Brittany Lund (all shown above), and the women entrepreneurs whom I interviewed as part of the videos, this was a group of professionals. We had a short window of availability to shoot: 2 hours for six clips is only 15 minutes of filming time per segment. We are talking FAST paced here! It was seamless, easy, and fun, thanks to all of the people I mentioned above. You've seen photos of my shoot with the Farm Chicks, Teri & Serena...let me show you what else we did!

I truly enjoyed the opportunity to showcase some women entrepreneurs who are outstanding. Each of these women excells in not only the design of products, but the presentation of them. And since that was our focus for the videos, they were shoe-ins for a feature. Tammy Gilley, shown above during filming, creates every single product that was for sale in her booth. She also created an impromptu backdrop from pleated paper - and that was perfect for our video! You'll find Tammy's creativity at http://www.tammygilley.com/.

Next to Tammy's booth was Heather Bullard's 'Present Past Collection'. Don't be surprised if that name sounds familiar to you - Heather writes & photographs for Romantic Homes magazine, and has a very popular blog. In her online boutique, she sells romantic vintage style home decor & personal accessories. She is a darling gal, very professional, and you can see more of Heather's enticing displays at http://www.thepresentpast.com/.

Next to Heather was Bari J. Ackerman. Bari designs and manufactures a line of personal accessories - purses, belts, handbags, small cases, wrislets - that are absolutely breathtaking. Inspired by vintage styles but completely fresh and hip, Bari's designs & products appeal to a huge market demographic. She's already received quite a bit of press! For more info on how you can order Bari J's products for yourself or your shop, visit http://www.barijonline.com/.

Tammy, Heather, Bari J, and I, along with a bevy of other talented women entrepreneurs, are members of Women Take Wing!, an online community. That's how I first met them, and now that we've met in person I have even more appreciation and admiration for the businesses they are building. They are each smart, talented, creative, beautiful, and kind.... being surrounded by them all weekend was an inspiration. Ladies, thank you all for your participation and support in this project.

The videos are now in post-production, and should be available for viewing on http://www.thegiftandhomechannel.com/ by mid-July. As soon as I get word that they are up, I'll post the links here. The segments will be on-demand viewing for years to come!

All photos property of Debi Ward Kennedy 2008

all rights reserved, reproduction or use prohibited without express permission.

Too Busy to Post!

Hey, guys, sorry that my posts are few and far between these days...I'm just slammed here at Diva Central!

Along with my consulting, speaking, and writing, my husband and I have started a new business. We are refurbing, reimagining, restyling, and recreating furniture and home accessories - yeah, it's a trash-to-treasure thing! (I've been dumpster diving for thirty years and telling others how to do it for ten - I thought I should finally sell the products that result.) So, I am now in your shoes as a vendor at the shows we've chosen to sell at this summer. We'll be at Farm Chicks in Spokane, Wa. June 7 & 8, and in Reno at the Tumbleweed Cotillion vintage French market on June 27 & 28.

It's been over ten years since we have created products for sale, so we are back on the learning curve...and sourcing & creating our entire product line, as well. A lot of work goes into this for us - and yes, I am having a blast planning themes and displays for each setup! Oh, no, I can't make it easy for us. We are doing entirely different product lines, colors, themes, etc. for each show.

Anyway, it's keeping me busy, along with several other projects. What are those? Let's see...

Susan Wagner from Country Business magazine contacted me last week, and asked me to be on a panel of experts on their new web site, where we will answer questions from readers. How exciting! Look for that to launch on June 1 - the same day I'll be speaking at the Portland Gift Show.

Last week, I finalized talks with Ray Gaulke at the Gift & Home Channel to film several segments for broadcast on their web site. I'll be filming at the Farm Chicks show in Spokane, Washington on June 7th, sharing great ideas & info about finding & using unique display items - antiques, handmade, and repurposed stuff. The Farm Chicks show is produced by Teri Edwards & Serena Thompson, both wonderful gals who've been so helpful through this process. I am so incredibly grateful for this opportunity - I get to help retailers and support artisans and promote this show, all at once. Win-win-win!

And thank you so much Chuck, Cathy, and Melissa for your comments on the last post.... I am so happy that the info I've offered here is helpful! Send me photos of your fab displays!

Jingle All The Way To SoDo

I snagged these photos from tabletop design diva Rosanna Bowles ... because
Saturday morning at 8 AM, there is a giant sale at Rosanna's south of downtown Seattle (SoDo)warehouse. Guess who's gonna' be first in line?! (Hey, I missed the summer sale that I talked about here after we got into an accident, so I deserve this!)

I am TOTALLY enamoured of the black pedestals and gold filigree dessert plates & Kings Road gold crown collection ('cause EVERY Diva needs a crown, right?!) and the graphic chandelier, tree, and reindeer plates.....I hope I score some of these at the sale. I don't even mind blemishes!

After I've shopped, I'm heading to a client's home to decorate.

Jingling all the way! It may even SNOW!

Columbia Winery Winemaker Dinner for AWW

Ah yes, we all love the 'Befores' and 'Afters', don't we?!

I have this problem of being so kicked into gear when I'm doing a project that I forget to take the 'before' shots -but this time, I remembered! So here you see the cellar at Columbia Winery, after cellarmaster Jean (Jjjhhaahhnn - it's French!) worked for hours to move stacks of barrels into position to create a 'room' in which we could set up the event. We've hauled in the Chiavari chairs and set up the 48" wide 'Kings Banquet' tables (....and OH, MY, can I just gush for a moment about those nice WIDE tables? Wonderful for planning centerpieces!) The linens went all the way to the floor, too, so it was very elegant.

My most able assistant for the day, Mr. Deb, strung cables and wire and hung curtains and set lights...and did his fave job, hooking up our MP3 players to the sound system to play our pre-recorded 20's jazz! (We had Charleston-style ragtime upstairs for the reception, and Gershwin piano downstairs during dinner.) The event planner at the winery, Karen, set up the stage & screen and set more lights and dealt with chefs and all sorts of crazy things that I am glad I don't have to!. Lovely assistant Janel helped me wire dozens of crystals & glass vases to hang above the tables. With long mirror strips running down the centers of the tables, and silver champagne stands holding candles sitting on the mirrors, and big mirrors sitting at the table ends to reflect it all, it was almost ready....

White orchids went into the hanging vases, and we lit the candles, and here's what it looked like:

What's frustrating is that none of the photos show the hanging crystals very well!!! It looked very sparkly and luxe in person, tho. Our theme this year was 'Roaring 20's' (as it is the 20th anniversary of the Auction of Washington Wines), and I went with a cool white & silver, Jazz Age, swanky gin joint look. 'Fire & Ice'.

Oh, speaking of swanky, check out Jen, our chanteuse for the evening...she performed a sultry rendition of 'All That Jazz' from the film 'Chicago' with flair and style and flying feathers from her boa! I also made CD's of the music from the evening for each guest to take home - six ragtime tunes and six slow Gershwin tunes. A nice surprise that they all really enjoyed.

I usually set up these events, then go grab some food and sit and rest until it's time to tear it all down after the guests leave. It's all work and no play.
Well, this time, Cinderella got to go to the ball.....

We rented this FABulous Rolls Royce and had it sit in front of the walkway, so that every guest could get a 'Paparazzi Shot' of themselves 'arriving' at the dinner and walking the red carpet. I could NOT resist when our turn came....and I think Mr. Deb and I cleaned up pretty well, considering that an hour earlier, we were in jeans and tennies! Seattle's Team Photogenic was our official photographer, and the photos are all incredible, as usual. (The photos I used here were all taken by my husband or myself, or a staff member).

I hate photos of myself, I really do. I never think they look like the 'me' I see in my mirror. But my hubby took this one as I was lighting the candles before guests arrived...and maybe it's because I was happy with the results of the planning, maybe it's because I saw his sweet smiling face, maybe it's because I was thrilled about attending the dinner as a guest, (or maybe it had something to do with the glass of wine I had)....I dunno'. But it's probably the best photo I have ever taken, so I'm showing it off!

Your Main Event

BanquetEvent.com

I discovered a FABulous online resource today!

Banquet & Event Resource, Inc. (B&E) has a 16 year history in providing Western Washington's best resource guides, websites and tradeshows. Their goal is to provide meeting and event planners as well as brides and grooms with the most comprehensive sites available. BanquetEvent.com is not just a portal to other sites, but truly does give you comprehensive information in an easy-to-use resume style. B&E takes great pride in being partners with all of the vendors you'll find on this site. At BanquetEvent.com, you'll find the best in information, technolgy, and service for event, banquet, wedding, and corporate event planners.

B&E also offers an Event Resource Guide, Wedding Resource Guide and two trade shows, The Northwest Event Show (nweventshow.com) and Fall Bridal Spectacular (fallbridal.com).

Now, granted, this resource is in my own backyard...but what you will find on BanquetEvent.com is a wealth of information, inspiration, resources and ideas for any event you are producing anywhere. Check them out!

EDITED TO ADD: I received a very nice email from Alexis Pellegrini at B&E:

"I am contacting you from B&E Resource Inc. (banquetevent.com). We had a call from a local event planner saying that read about our website from your blog. I would like to personally thank you for the recommendation. We always appreciate when local professionals pass on the word about our site and trade shows. Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

My pleasure, Alexis!

Easy Topiary Idea

Last Sunday, I decorated a home & yard for a Christening Party for two darling babies - twins. One boy, one girl - so the decor scheme had to be several things: Colorful, but gender-neutral; happy; simple - so kids attending couldn't break anything, and so adults attending didn't feel like they were at the house of precious; easily set up & removed; and very inexpensive. So above, you see the outdoor area with crisp clean white and a bit of soft green & lavender splashed in. A close-up of the centerpieces: topiary form with ivy, potted white hydrangeas wrapped in white damask paper & soft green ribbons, and some paper letters (two 'J's) and crosses dangle from thin ribbons to add movement.This one is on the dining room table - shows up a bit better.
This is the entry table - I flipped one of the topiary forms upside down, made it a 'vase', and created a big 'ball' of silk hydrangeas that sits in the middle of it. Ribbons & more initials flutter from the top edge. Around the arrangement and in a white basket under the table are all of the gifts for the babies.

Now..... do you want to see how I kept this really inexpensive & disposable OR resuseable? Here are those topiary forms, before I bent & twisted them & painted them silver:Yep.....tomato cages. Cost me 50 cents each at the local liquidators. Two sizes. One can of chromatic silver spray paint. Ivy cut from my own yard. I invested a grand total of five dollars and one hour inall five of them. And if the client wants to use these again, they'll stack for storage. If not, it's not a huge waste of money or time. She had no idea they were tomato cages until I told her, either.

These 'fixtures' work excellently as ornament displays for the holidays, and for jewelry displays (esp. earrings) any time of year. You can paint them any color, wrap them with ribbons or tinsel or even lights, sit them or hang them. And they are 'Cheap, Fast, & Easy'TM - just my style!

Buried Treasure

Has anyone out there heard of Nagel candelabra systems from West Germany?

I searched Google and eBay, and saw a few of them in other styles, but not in this one - it's called 'Variante' and was supposedly designed by Caesar Stoffi in the late sixties or early seventies. If anyone knows anything about them, I'd love to hear! The photo above shows how the individual silver-finish elements (candle holders, vases, and small platters) can be stacked, screwed together, and combined to create fantastic leveraged & balanced creations.

I scored more than a dozen boxes of the components at an estate sale this past weekend. Brand new, never opened before.



The box even included the taper candles!
I plan to use these at the Winemaker Dinner in August...probably on the bar in the reception area, since there are not enough of these to make an impact on the very large banquet tables. They will fit in nicely with our Art Deco-inspired 'Roaring Twenties' theme, and coordinate perfectly with the tall silver champagne stands that I use as flower & candle stands on the tables.

Just goes to show you - you never know where the perfect prop will be found. It often pays to make a slight detour to follow an estate sale sign, and dig thru dirty boxes in basements!!!!

Dinner Without Reservations

I'm busy planning and prepping for this year's big Auction of Washington Wines Winemaker Dinner event at Columbia Winery, coming up FAST in August. With the theme of the Grand Auction being 'Roaring Twenties' to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the AWW, our decor will reflect the swanky 1920's. You can see a few of my Inspiration Board images here... this dinner's decor will be all black & white, elegant with just a hint of a steamy side.

To read a killer description of what we have planned, check out Winemaker Dinners on the Auction of Washington Wines official site. The page also includes two photos from our dinner last year - the ones with walls of barrels.

The sad thing is that alongside our photos and description, the other dinners - all very lovely - just seem a bit.......um.......boring?! Tho at a few, the sparkling guests (like Bob & Cathy Betz of Betz Family Cellars) will more than make up for less than theatrical surroundings!

This dinner and all of the Auction events raise money for Children's Hospital here in Seattle. It is an absolute pleasure to participate in such a worthwhile cause. I get to listen to lots of great old Hollywood standards to get me in the swingin' 20's mood, too!

Image Credits: event poster/Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery creative department

Extreme Makeover: Winery Edition, Part Three

I went over to Prosser, Washington to Hogue Cellars yesterday (man, that sunshine was blinding!) and got my final photos of the VIP Event Room that has been a project since early spring. The custom furniture arrived from California, was placed, and I am just pleased as punch with the results. Let me show you...
BEFORE



(Would you call this 'the Cafeteria look'? I would!)

And AFTER

This shot was taken with only the wall wash lighting on.....when you add candlelight to this, some music, marvelous wines, and a group of laughing talking people, the room TRULY comes to life. An elegant, warm, welcoming area for the winery to promote its wines.

My work here is done....... click click click click click (that's me, walking out of the room)......

Spring Event Decor

It's that time of year in the wine industry - big spring events to launch the release of new vintages. This past weekend was the Taste of Red in the Yakima Valley - I wasn't there for the event itself, but was at Hogue Winery on Friday to begin my part of a redesign project. And I can't even begin to explain the excitement around there for the weekend event - mostly because they pre-sold a slew of tickets, but also because the weather forecast was for SUN! The incredible staff had a great weekend, I am certain.

Event decor isn't difficult to do right - just think large. Large scale, large impact, and the fact that there will in all likelyhood be large crowds milling about the space. The photo above is of the entrance to an event at Columbia Winery last spring...the curtained doorway to the banquet rooms makes a huge impact as guests walk up. Large, tall flowers and hot colors are impossible to miss and start the event off on a festive note. The fabric curtains and pipe supports were rented from Grand Rentals, and I did the flowers, which are real branches of plum blossoms and hot pink peonies mixed with silk green viburnum. I want what I want, and if it's not in bloom, I go silk. (No one EVER noticed!)

Inside the event room, we created a 'photo spot'. In keeping with the theme of a Bacchanalian Celebration, we rented the columns from AA Rentals. I added a bust of Bacchus, a small fountain spewing watered-down wine that sat on top of a wine barrel, several silk grapevines, faux grapes, and some grape lights. Tucked behind was a section of a laurel tree (a very Roman/Greek plant!) that a winery employee donated after chopping it off the huge tree in his year. Decor props come from EVERYWHERE - and free stuff from nature is my favorite to work with.

More columns, and a vase also rented from AA, filled with more blooming plum branches. This adds a nice bit of height and drama to the buffet table. Hot pink peonies and more silk grapevines all add movement and interest. The sheer green tablecloth is actually curtain panels purchased inexpensively at Ross - they have tiny pink roses appliqued all across the fabric. It just whispers 'spring'. Behind it, more pink curtains for impact.

This closeup shows a styro ball covered with Kermit mums and a few pink carnations sprinkled in. These were the centerpiece for each round table (and why I don't have a shot of those, I certainly do not know!) and sat up on a wire frame, which was covered with a silk grapevine. Simple - but effective. Even a crystal vase or bowl with a floating hot pink peony would have done the trick - a splash of color. The important thing at the table is the people, not the decor. (And at winery events, we have to consider that no fragrant flowers or candles are ever used - it interferes with the nose & palate of the wine.)

One other note: This event was held on a Sunday evening. The day before was the Wedding Showcase event, where Columbia is open for brides-to-be to view the facilities and see a mini- trade show of vendors who provide rentals and services for weddings. Suzanne, girl wonder, organized that event. SHE ordered the pink curtains, and because the rental company wasn't coming to get them until Monday morning, we were able to 'piggyback' and use them for the wine club event. Saved us MUCHO bucks. SO, if you can ever set up events this way, do it. Half the work (one setup), half the money, twice the impact. Smart budgeting!