Life is a series of Events...

2011-11-19T14:21:00.001-08:00

Is excited to be joining the HerShe Girls for their Annual Thanksgiving Feast!!!

2011-11-17T13:30:00.001-08:00

Our "Party For A Purpose" launch location has been secured! Details to follow...

2011-11-17T13:29:00.001-08:00

The location for our

2011-11-14T16:21:00.001-08:00

is researching locations for the launch of our new "Party with a Purpose"© division of Perfect Success . . . .

2011-11-09T18:18:00.001-08:00

completed a site visit today and is looking forward planning this year's HerShe Cinderella Ball!

2011-10-29T16:17:00.001-07:00

is excited about attending @Twinkie_Byrd's Cast Yourself Monologue Slam at HBFF2011

2011-10-29T14:13:00.001-07:00

just had a fabulous convo with @RealBillDuke about his Dark Girls Movie at the HBFF2011. Great actor, can't wait to see the film.

2011-10-24T13:01:00.001-07:00

is working with a great group of qualified volunteers for HBFF2011 and we're in the finalizing all positions.

2011-10-21T10:21:00.001-07:00

is assisting with some of the event logistics for HBFF2011 and we're in need of an A/V referral near Hollywood. can you help?

2011-10-18T15:06:00.001-07:00

is on the grind looking for a Graphic Designer willing to volunteer their time to assist with the HBFF2011 program book. Interested?

2011-10-18T11:25:00.001-07:00

So busy w/ HBFF2011 that I forgot 2 announce that 10.17.11 marked 10 fabulous years of doing what I LOVE-producing Perfect Success events!!

2011-10-18T07:35:00.001-07:00

hbff2011 has extended its volunteer application deadline until tomorrow, Oct. 19th. Still interested? Register by midnite to be considered!

2011-10-17T15:12:00.001-07:00

We've received a great response from volunteers for this year's Hollywood Black Film Festival. Looking forward to working with everyone!

When Life Gives You Lemons....make a centerpiece

2010-03-26T08:30:00.000-07:00

Lately a lot of events have shifted to a more simplistic design aesthetic. Moving away from the classic black and white monochramatic approach and directing their attentions toward providing a more fresh and organic look.

This layout is a new take on an old favorite -- the DESSERT BAR! This display of delicious treats is very inviting. It's bright, it's fresh, and it's beautiful. The designer used a color blocking method to explore the vibrancy of yellow and green. Much like the burst of flavor a lemon or lime gives your palette this presentation gives your eyes that same experience. The colors really popped!

-- picture taken at the 2010 MPISCC Conference and Tradeshow held at the J.W. Marriot located at L.A. Live in Downtown Los Angeles.

The catering continued the color theme by using lots and lots of LEMONS! Every dessert had a lemon flavor, lemons were piled high in large clear glass vases, and lemons were sprinkled thoughout livley patches of wheatgrass. Even the sunflowers chimed in to support the color theme.

The accents truly closed the deal and made the design concept complete. The use of garden carts to display the desserts was innovative and new. The large stainless steal vases broke away from the traditional centerpiece sitting on the center of the table to making them a stand alone attention grabber. The large scale cubed bookcase flanked with lemons and limes gave the entire display character and interest. What a great way to make an indoor event have a touch of being outdoors. Curious about all those lemons...they were recycled and made into lemonade.

Themed Parties

2009-05-21T22:16:00.001-07:00

Themed parties are so much fun! From simple to extravagant these types of parties present great ways to get your guests involved.

Most theme parties can be accomplished with the use of color. Do you have a birthday coming up and you want to do something fabulous? Well, have a “White” party and request that all of your guest wear white. Take it to another level and make it a red, or should I say a “white” carpet event with a press board designed with logos wishing you happy birthday as a backdrop so all of your guests can walk the white carpet and have their pictures taken in front of it. It makes for great memories and a great take home gift for your guests. The theme can be carried through with white floral arrangements like Hydrangea and having the appetizers or meal served on clean white plates. Having a signature beverage, like a White Russian, can also bring elegance to your themed party. Bringing in rental items like chandeliers dripping with crystals, candelabras with white candles, or white ottomans or couches will truly take your event from simple to extraordinary.

With the right imagination and budget your themed event can truly be the talk of the town!

Baby Birthday Bashes -- Back to the BASICS!

2009-05-02T15:23:00.000-07:00

With reality television shows on the rise, it can be very difficult for a parent to plan a birthday party that is within reason. What’s a parent to do when they are faced with over the top themes, outlandish party favors, and a demand for gourmet catering? Well I have a solution! I call it “Back to the Basics”.

A birthday party is about celebrating milestones and becoming a year older. It is about sharing joy and happiness with your closest family and friends. It’s not about spending thousands of dollars on locations, catering, and entertainment. I advise my clients to take on an “Old School – Back to the Basics” approach. Before the onslot of event planning shows on cable television, parents made up games for entertainment, they cooked the birthday meals or asked a relative or friend to pitch in, and they chose their child’s favorite cartoon character or favorite activity as a theme.

So let’s explore getting “Back to the Basics”! First the guest list should be limited to a select few, approximately 15 kids. There is no need to invite the entire class if your child isn’t friends with everyone. I still believe in mailing out or handing out invitations. An evite or e-mail can be used as a back up to make sure the parents are aware of your child’s birthday party. I would suggest giving the parents a call over the e-mail if their number is handy. The personal touch goes a long way in our world of electronics. To save a few dollars make the birthday party invitation an art project for the entire family. Decide on a theme and design the cards on the computer or use stamps and artwork to make your own custom invitation. If you’re not art savvy then go down to your local party supply store and look on the clearance racks. Sometimes you can find exactly what you are looking for on sale for half the price. Start early if you choose this option!

It isn’t necessary to rent out the hottest lounge or club for your child’s 8th birthday. Your front yard or back yard would make a great location! If the lawn isn’t quite up for guests then how about your local park? Many parks have picnic areas, built-in playgrounds, and wide open spaces just yearning for the pitter and patter of little feet. Most of the time parks have a “first come first serve” policy for use of their picnic area, making your location free. For those parks that require a reservation, the cost is minimal.

Choosing a park setting can also minimize the headache of figuring out what to serve. Picnics scream sandwiches, hamburgers, and hot dogs! You and a friend can make a variety of fun sandwiches – peanut butter and jelly cut into fun shapes from the cookie cutter, tuna on a mini crossaint, turkey and swiss on a bagel. If there is a BBQ stand in your picnic area then how about cook to order hot dogs and hamburgers! The possibilities are endless and cost saving. If being a chef isn’t quite your fortay, then go to a local Subway or Supermarket deli and get the sandwiches premade for a minimal cost. Add a huge bowl of chips (or individual bags) and an ice bucket full of juice boxes and you will have happy children all day long. Many parties have loads and loads of sweets. This has a tendancy to make the children overactive and uncooperative. The birthday cake is all the sweets children need. Go down to your local wholesale wharehouse and get a great price on a sheet cake that can be decorated to suit your theme. If you are intersted in something a little more fancy, then go to your local grocery store bakery and ask for themed cupcakes or the new favorite – a pull apart cupcake cake where the baker groups the cupcakes together and smooths out the themed icing decoration across all of the cupcakes!

Now on to the entertainment. Let’s say your child loves soccer – well a soccer theme would be great for a birthday party in the park. Choose a picnic area close to an open space and create a soccer field. Bring in orange cones, throw on a referee jersey, buy a whistle and a stop watch. Whola! You have all the makings of an authentic soccer party without being at the local sports stadium. I’m sure you’ve been to enough soccer practices and seen enough soccer drills to turn them into timed party games. Get all the children involved and let them know that prizes will be given out to the children with the best times. Be sure to include achievement awards for those who may not be so athletically inclined. With a few trips to your local grocery store, a perfect spot at your nearest neighborhood park, and a little imagination your “Back to the Basics” birthday party will score the team winning goal for the kids without a penalty on the wallet!