Archive for August, 2009
Little League World Series: Proof that the Client Always Wins!August 22nd, 2009
We were so excited to be contacted to coordinate a brunch for a local baseball complex. The complex was hosting a USSSA World Series for 9, 11 and 14 year olds and the brunch was for the team moms. The purpose of the brunch was to give the moms all the information they would need for the whole tournament. When we met with the General Manager of the complex, we found they needed help with decorations, set up, and putting the team moms’ packets together. Also, they wanted us to design earrings for each of the team moms’ bags!
We also found out we did not have very much time to get everything together. They just realized they needed help, and the brunch was only 4 days away! Not only that, but this was the very first year they planned a brunch for the team moms!
After the initial consultation, it was time to get to work. Their colors were red, white, and blue. Even though we were tempted to “go all out” on the decor, we knew they wanted everything to be really simple because it all had to be broken down within 30 minutes for a meeting they had scheduled in the same room after the brunch. We put small vases of red and white flowers on the tables and tied a blue ribbon around the vases.
The food table is where the main centerpiece was set up. It was made using their baseballs and small bats that they give out to the kids for trophies…
The food was simple, typical brunch-type food. Muffins, bagels, fruit, yougurt, pancakes, and an assortment of juices and other drinks. We even set up mimosas to start the morning off right!
We set up the information table with everything they needed to know about ordering team pictures. We also displayed a map of the complex, which was used for the General Manager’s speech about each of the fields and also future plans to expand the park. We put a display of the official tournament t-shirt next to that.
At first, we had grand ideas of what we “could” do, but we really had to scale back from what we might plan for ourselves in order to keep from overdoing it given their time and budget constraints…After all, the client is always right! Here’s what they had to say about the experience:
I thoroughly enjoyed working with N-joy! They listened to what we wanted and everything was absolutely perfect. The brunch was exactly what we wanted and we will definitely be calling them for future events!
-Katie
Congratulations Natalie!August 1st, 2009
We had the wonderful opportunity of throwing a baby shower for one of my friends. Ashley used to work with Natalie and when she told her she was pregnant, we just HAD to do her baby shower! This was done on a very tight budget, but it turned out to be so cute! Natalie said she wanted bright colors.. That was a hurdle we had to overcome because (as it turns out) ALL baby shower decorations are pastel colors. But, we were really excited and started to think about making some things on our own. The first were these photo holders. Super easy, and super cute.
All they are…oversized clothespins and wooden cut-outs. The cutouts are already painted and ready to go at your local craft store. Just pick out a matching color and paint the clothespins. I think these photo holders are what got the most compliments. Although the centerpieces didn’t scream “baby” they were very girly and cute. Again, super easy. Crystals, tiny styrofoam balls, and silk flowers, all bought from an arts and crafts store. Bright colored ribbon, flowers, and crystals were put out everywhere to give pops of bright color.
The frame was from the same craft store and served as a welcome sign and to direct guests to the guest book.
We also made a diaper cake to dress up the gift table, which was surprisingly easy to do and will be the topic of the next blog! Decorating with the bright colored ribbon and some equally as bright baby items, allowed us to tie the cake in to the overall theme. We also got a lot of compliments on this. Big bonus…it’s a great present for mommy-to-be!
This whole shower was put together for a little under $400 (minus the cost of the facility). Making the centerpieces and some of the decorations helped to save a lot of money.
Also, invitations were do-it-yourself. While it does take a little time to print them out yourself (especially for detail oriented people like me) it cuts out a lot of cost. But, if you find good, quality cardstock, most people won’t even notice. In fact, everyone thought these were printed at a stationery store! As long as you’re willing to put a little work into it, you can throw a nice party with a tight budget.
Here’s what Natalie had to say about her shower:
The shower was beyond anything I ever imagined. Everything was so beautiful. Everywhere I turned there was something fun to look at, they put so much thought into even the smallest details. It was personalized just for me and I will never forget it! ~Natalie










