L.A. County Supervisor Don Knabe served as our Master of Ceremonies.
The lights went down and the stage was lite up so the audience was pulled into the presentation...
Our silent auction was a huge hit! Thank you to all of the silent auction contributors... & Michelle's great item presentation. Then, Jennifer & Joella got to take a quick moment and pose for Molly's amazing camera! 
Given that it rains 4 days a year in Palm Springs, which days do you think we were there AND doing an outdoor event! Yup, you guessed it! US. So, we all had our fingers crossed and were watching the weather reports at 15 minute increments. Unplug electrical items, plug them back in, wipe the tables down, replace linen and do it all over again all day long during load in... But, the Rain Gods above decided to be nice to us and stopped the rain a whopping 30 minutes before the first bus unloaded. 
We also were very excited because we wanted to be as Green as possible, we struggled with what to do with centerpieces. So, we decided to just buy something that would ultimately help The Living Desert. We asked them if we were to buy cactus, succulents and dessert plants would they use them in their park's foliage. They were very happy post event to receive over 50 potted plants. Especially since all of our attendees were from out of town. Then, since it rained so much we are able to use the candles again for another event... Nothing from this event in terms of decor ended up in the trash and on its way to the landfill!
The majority of our attendees were men, so we had to think of what they would like to do - we had to main themes in our candy station - sour candy and chocolate! They gobbled it up. It was a huge hit!
The most spectacular part of the evening was we were able to have the board members of the group have a special interaction with the painting camel - Clyde. And, we were lucky enough to participate too. Edible paint, food and hold the board sturdy because he gets into it! The board donated the painting and in doing so, we were able to allow a local school come to the park and do it for free. 
Kissy, kissy! 
Being in Village Watutu - we had to have authentic African dancers and drummers. It was a bit cold, so "jacket" was in place... But, it was thrilling and gave the event a different dynamic. 
Joella with good friend and attendee John Leedom from Air New Zealand. "See you next year!"
To close the event, guests departed after diving into warm chocolate chip cookies and shots of milk! 
Special thanks to all of our team members who made this amazing event come together! We couldn't have done it with out you. It really did take a village! Until the next time... 
2. Let's get to know each other. You, your client and I. Let's all take a look at each other's websites, check out past events, portfolios, get a feel for who each other are, what we do and what we love. 
3. Please understand that we can not just do "less" of a particular design to bring down the budget. We can create something for you within your budget but asking for a $200 version of a $600 design just doesn't really work. 
4. Speaking of budget, what is it? It shouldn't be a secret. A talented designer can create the look and feel the client wants in a range of budgets. We've all had those moments where we tell the client about something, or show it to them and then watch them nearly keel over when they find out how much it costs. Now, they're disappointed and feel like they can't have the very best, which simply isn't true. That's why we generally work this way: tell us about the look, the feel, the overall vision...tell us about the dream. Then tell us what we have to work with. Then let us do what we do. We will create something that says just the right thing with just the right budget. 
Thank you for reading Eddie's Guest Blog... Hope you enjoyed it! Stay tuned for Molly Ann from Luminaire Images as next month's Guest Blogger. 
1) We often describe many of our events as “residential.” We love to design comfortable environments, warm and familiar for our guests. Thematic transformations certainly have their time and place, but can sometimes come across as “gimmicky.” Recreating an atmosphere such as one found in a boutique-style hotel, plays a key role in many of the event landscapes we create. Events aren’t necessarily just about fantasy, but are often about bringing the reality of some amazing or non-existing place to life. 
2) Attention to details and scaling is always a key element: flower arrangements, existing fixtures, furnishings, tables, stages and of course the event space itself. Beautiful elements and designs are wasted when the scales are off. The use of proper scale and complimentary design elements will offer a complete and unified look to your events, even if they are not terribly expensive or intricate. 
3) We love the idea of designing with “found objects.” We utilize different elements we find ourselves surrounded by every day. We find these things bring life and soul to an event, whether they are unique vases or vessels, antique chairs, custom pillows/throws, candlesticks, driftwood, reclaimed wood, or broken tiles. Using such elements helps keep events fresh and original with a great sense of personality and style. 
4) Try using local artists and craftsmen: painters, potters, glass blowers, seamstresses, carpenters, and sculptors. They can be creative resources full of ideas and skills helping to bring your visions to life. Just recently we have had custom built acrylic and wooden bars made, glass vases, votives and events favors custom blown, pillows sewn, and the walls of a permanent installation hand painted with amazing detail--all by locals excited for the opportunity to be part of memorable events. 
5) For many of our recent events, we have used natural herbs, potted plants, perennial fruits, tailored boxwood, and other succulents in place of more traditional floral displays. Combinations of these elements bring a vibrancy and warmth to a table, dramatic display, or cocktail setting. These kind of solutions can also prove to be very cost-effective, as such floral and foliage is often less expensive (depending on your location), and are great substitutions easily made and put together in a pinch. 
Thank you for allowing me to share some of our ideas at Perfect Surroundings. We sincerely hope you find our design tips useful, and wish you all the best throughout all of your future creative endeavors! 
Also in the front of the house, they let the public or conference attendees review and understand how important sustainability was to the OCC. This included signage at various locations where they helped to educate on green practices. 
Here they displayed information on The Rain Garden... 
The back of the house was extremely organized. Everything was labeled and easy to use. This allowed their house crew to easily help sort for various waste streams. In addition, to the photos below - they composted, collected metal waste and the most special feature was they took the time to work with local organizations to donate left over items that can be used to help the community at large. 
This was my favorite! It was an environmental cow - fun and informational...
So, from here the Simply Mumtaz team left for an afternoon of sight seeing in the great town of Portland... Here we are on the MAX Light Rail system. 
Our first stop, or so we tried, was to head to the Japanese Gardens in Washington Park. We didn't realize that it was a mile plus up the road and we only had 40 minutes to visit... So, we got back on the MAX and headed back into the City Center... 
