Paper Passionista

Get Hitched Give Hope knocked it out of the park last night, raising $84,700 (and growing)!

A quick pre-show snap of the beautifully decorated Four Seasons ballroom

Last night the Four Seasons Hotel ballroom in Seattle was a beautiful sight to see! The room, masterfullly decorated in moss and feather trees by decor magician, PJ Hummel, was abuzz with brides and grooms all there to have a good time, but more importantly, to raise money at Get Hitched Give Hope. This was the fourth annual fundraising gala, masterminded by a group of charitable-minded wedding vendors in the Seattle area to fund dreams of seriously ill individuals.  It started out as a cause for those with late stage breast cancer, but has expanded to include those with other forms of cancer as well.  Each year the event gets bigger and better, and 2011 was a great one, raising $84,700, and exceeding the goal by nearly $10,000!  According to event insider, Kaycee Parker, the total is still growing.

Last night's testimonial from one of the Get Hitched Give Hope dream recipients, 23 year old Sara, who is a vivacious and FUNNY theater major from Central Washington University who has had to put her studies on hold to fight a rare form of cancerous tumor, left not a dry eye in the house. She also cracked up the crowd when she referred to herself as "kinda old", but it was in reference to the fact that she'd never seen a Broadway-type live show and here she is a theater major!  The dream granted by GHGH for Sara is season tickets for two to Broadway at the Paramount. She explained how having that to look forward to is such a bright spot in the midst of the challenges in her fight against cancer.  Wonderful!

A HUGE thank you and Congratulations to the wonderful GHGH committee members and all of their volunteers and item donors for producing such a fabulous event.  I was pleased to meet the lovely Katie Swanson, winner of Paper Passionista's silent auction invitation gift certificate, and am looking forward to helping her create her dream invitations for her July, 2012 wedding.  Thank you, Katie, for being there last night, along with several hundred others to make this latest version of Get Hitched Give Hope the best ever, and to assure the dreams of many seriously ill individuals will be granted.  The live auction was masterfully conducted by emcees Brooke and Jubal from Movin' 92.5's morning show, and the expert auctioneer Mark from Stokes Auction who kept the room packed right to the end.  We saw people leave with some "killer deals", all for a great cause.  Thank you to all involved in putting Get Hitched Get Hope over the top of their $75,000 goal.  Can't wait to see what next year's event will have in store!

Paper Passionista's silent auction table. Our donation, a $500 gift certificate, was won by Katie Swanson

Paper Passionista says "Congratulations" to Erin Bruce and Leo Reoyo on their marriage in Los Cabos, Mexico!

An up close view of Erin and Leo during their wedding ceremony

Earlier this year Paper Passionista had the pleasure of meeting with Erin Bruce and Leo Reoyo, who were working on plans for their destination wedding in Los Cabos, Mexico. They discussed all the plans for a week of celebration of their wedding where a blending of families and cultures would occur. Searching for the perfect invitation to convey the look and feel of their seaside wedding at The Westin Resort we began discussing what would be their ideal look, color scheme, etc..  Leo's family is from Mexico, so Erin and Leo wanted something that would convey not only the location for the wedding, but would also communicate the invitation and planned events in two languages.  They discussed wanting a Talovera tile motif for their invitation. We talked color schemes (blue, yellow and orange), their desire for letterpress printing, the different events that would be involved in their week of celebration, and any other details that would help me find their perfect design. 

Once I knew what Erin and Leo were looking for I worked with my artistic partners at Designers Fine Press to create an invitation ensemble that would cover all the bases, and from Erin's enthusiastic response I believe we succeeded:

"OMG, the invitations are so beautiful!!!"

 Here is the invitation we created, in English and Spanish:

This custom wedding ensemble also included an activities card and response set with matching motifs, not shown.

I personally loved their ensemble and couldn't wait to share their invitations with you, but of course had to wait many months until after the wedding had passed, since we NEVER share an invitation until after the wedding has occurred.  The wedding finally happened October 7, and from the photos I've seen it looks like a grand time was had by all.  Thank you, Erin and Leo Reoyo, for allowing Paper Passionista to have a part in the planning of such a special time in your lives!  It was a true pleasure creating with you, and I wish you a long and happy marriage.  Cheers!!

What a gorgeous setting for a wedding! Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Reoyo!

Paper Passionista enjoyed a wonderful weekend at Bonneville Hot Springs Resort & Spa

This past weekend my husband and I were guests at the delightful Bonneville Hot Springs Resort & Spa. I was there to meet with their Sales & Marketing Director, Natasha Mathany about future projects that Paper Passionista looks forward to working on for the resort.  Until Natasha and I met at the NW Event Show a few weeks ago I had no idea about the existence of this wonderful property.  She invited me down to meet with her, and we welcomed the chance for a change of scenery and to see what we could do to help promote this treasure that Natasha refers to as a well kept secret that needs to be revealed.

The beautiful Columbia River Gorge

Only three hours south of Seattle in North Bonneville, WA, we were mesmerized by the natural beauty as we drove east along highway 14, also known as the Lewis & Clark Highway and the Evergreen Highway. The resort, located along the north side of the Columbia River in the Columbia Gorge, is an amazing spot set amidst lush greenery of both the coniferous and deciduous varieties.  The resort's owner, an unassuming Russian gent named Pete Cam, tends to the grounds and has turned Bonneville Hot Springs Resort & Spa into a jewel of the Columbia Gorge since he purchased it in 1991. The current Resort, Spa and Conference Center opened in 2002, and hosts a variety of events each year, including destination weddings, retreats, conferences, and of course the casual guest looking for rejuvenation and relaxation.

Their massive indoor mineral water pools

Bonneville Hot Springs Resort & Spa's tagline is "find yourself in hot water", referencing the resort's therapeutic hot mineral waters, and that's exactly what we did. While guests at the resort we enjoyed the accommodations in one of their 78 guest rooms, and the pleasure of experiencing some of the luxurious treatments in the expansive spa at the resort.  My husband, Jim, appreciated a "foot rejuvenation" pampering he received while I was in meetings, and said his foot, injured in a fall a few weeks ago, felt much better after his careful soak and massage administered by his attendee.  Saturday morning we were both treated to a bath and wrap in their hot mineral water tubs in the relaxing environment of the spa, and it was a terrific start to the day. Following our spa experiences we enjoyed a delicious breakfast, complimentary to all overnight guests of the resort.  We both commented how nice it was to travel just a few hours away from home and feel transported into a relaxing heaven, feeling like we had ventured far away.  We also enjoyed dinner in their dining room Friday evening.  Their chef focuses the menu on top quality local choices, all served by friendly staff.

Bonneville Hot Springs Resort & Spa's exterior

If you wish to "find yourself in hot water" for a quick get-away where you'll feel pampered and relaxed in a health-inducing environment, be sure to give Bonneville Hot Springs Resort & Spa a try.  You can call them at (866) 459- 1678. If you have questions about how your group or event can be accommodated ask to speak with the delightful guest services manager, Cloe Olson. Thank you, Cloe, for making us feel so welcome at your facility.  And thanks to Natasha Mathany for providing us with a wonderful experience as well.  We can't wait to come back!

A reminder: there's still time to get your perfect holiday greetings orders placed while the designers are offering their special pricing incentives

Have you been thinking about getting your holiday cards sent early this year? I know my best intentions have me thinking that every year, but have I gotten it done yet? Nope! But the calendar on the wall is quickly ticking off the days of October and I know I need to get busy and figure it out, so I thought I sure can't be the only one out there who hasn't had a chance to think about this yet - or rather to put thoughts into actions.

My friend Sunny Kobe Cook (Murphy) had a great post on her Uncommon Ways blog a couple weeks ago about sending greetings at Thanksgiving rather than for Christmas (or whatever other religious holiday you may be celebrating).  She advised sending cards
early to have your greeting stand out and, as they say in Renton, WA where we live, "be ahead of the curve".  There are some great options for Thanksgiving greetings in my albums so if that's what you're thinking about just let me know and I can show you suggestions.  Here are some examples for inspiration from William Arthur:

There are holiday card promotions going on through October 24 from William Arthur for 10% off the order.  In addition, Tag & Company is offering 10% off orders of your holiday photo card orders, and Checkerboard has all orders 10% off, plus free return addresses on your envelopes.  It's best to get the orders going now to take advantage of these great orders.  Give me a call at 206.909.9567 if you want to be a savvy shopper, or shoot me an email at info@paperpassionista.com and we'll get things going for you.  You can take a look at all of the options by visiting our Paper Passionista Facebook photo album.

Emily Post even has etiquette rules for Halloween. Who knew?

Since Paper Passionista is looked to for etiquette advice on a daily basis, we have to be up on the oldest and the newest etiquette guidelines for wedding and event stationery. Because of this we religiously read each month's Emily Post Institute newsletter.  Last evening I was reading the October issue and found the following article on - above all things - Halloween manners.  I simply had to share it with you.

Emily Post's Good Halloween Manners

Five Things You Should Know About: Good Halloween Manners

1. Remind your little goblin not to be greedy; one piece of candy from each house is the general rule. And saying thank you is a must.
2. In terms of costumes, ghoulish makeup and army fatigues are acceptable. Guns and bustiers are better left at home.
3. If you don't like Halloween, you don't have to participate. Either go out for the night (and suffer the TP consequences) or turn off your front lights. Parents will get the message-but some older kids might, too, so be prepared for possible "tricks."
4. If your area isn't kid-friendly, it's fine to pack up your brood and head to Grandma's neighborhood or to your best friend's block.
5. Dumping off a carload of kids in an area where you don't know anyone or haven't been invited is definitely impolite-and possibly dangerous.

 Is It OK to Withhold Halloween Treats From Teens?

Question: I hate when older kids trick or treat. Can I refuse them candy?

E.P. Answer:

Masked teenagers at the door might seem ridiculous or even intimidating, but try to take it in stride and hand out some treats anyway. After all, Halloween is an occasion for teens to enjoy just as younger kids do. For many teens, it's one of the last vestiges of childhood that they can still enjoy.

If you're truly nervous, try turning off your lights after 9 p.m.--that should deter any late night visitors.

So now you've been officially schooled in Halloween do's and don'ts by the official experts of etiquette, The Emily Post Institute, and you've still got time to prepare.  Now get out there and enjoy!

If you'd like to subscribe to the Emily Post monthly newsletters so you're up on etiquette for all of life's special occasions you can just click here.