Destination Spotlight: Pt. Reyes

Spent this weekend in the cute little town of Inverness, just next to Pt. Reyes Station.

We ended up getting a room at the super cozy and adorable Manka's Inverness Lodge where we were greeted with rum spiked hot apple cider in the Airstream lobby. Our room was sweet, complete with a fireplace, big soaking claw foot tub and a little balcony overlooking the mountains. In the morning we were woken up to a thermos full of hot coffee, fresh baked cinnamon bread, granola and yogurt with fruit, and the sweetest apple juice I've ever had.

Decided to explore Pt. Reyes Station at night and found ourselves listening to the Muddy Roses, a country western band based out of SF at the local Old Western Saloon. They were pretty awesome and definitely livened up the place.

The next afternoon we made our way over to the Cowgirl Creamery in town, which was a pretty cool spot to see in person. Then, we went off to a late lunch at Marin Sun Farms, the local butcher shop. Unbelievable meal we had there (Hint: if you go, get the brussell sprouts, they're salty and tangy and perfectly cooked).

Anyway, thought you'd enjoy the photos and if you ever find yourself in Inverness, I'd definitely recommend all these spots. Oh, and if you love the mountain lodge feel, Manka's does weddings (see one we did a couple years ago here).

Have a great week!



xo
a.b.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving week! In honor of one of our favorite all American holidays, we've decided to show off some interesting tabletops that inspire our own holiday decor. Inkeeping with the traditional feeling of Thanksgiving, we love decorating our party tables to look rustic, simple and modern. Simple ceramics and lots of woods and whites can make that feeling feel complete.

If you still haven't nailed down your Thanksgiving table look, be sure to check out the Apartment Therapy article on where to shop for modern Thanksgiving tabletop goodies. They list out some great sources for ceramics and table linens as well as candles, glassware, etc.

Below are a few photos of tables inspired and designed by some really talented designers, to help get you inspired to create your own Thanksgiving dinner decor. Enjoy your turkey and pie and have a wonderful, happy and full Thanksgiving!






[credit where it's due: photo no. 1 from Sweet Bits, photo no. 2 from Martha Stewart, photo no. 3 from Sacramento Street, photo no. 4 from Susan Becher, photo no. 5 from Alchemy Events, photo no. 6 from Brad Ford, photo no. 7 from Eddie Ross and Jaithon Kochar]

Kardashianomics

We usually try to stay out of the musings of pop culture on our blog, but this article from the NYTimes Blog is just too interesting not to talk about. The gist... Kim Kardashian made an estimated $10,358.80 per hour of her marriage just for being married to Kris Humphries (by the way, did anyone even know who he was before he got looped into the Kardashian clan?). It's fascinating if you read the breakdown of it all, but in a nutshell, during their 72 days of marriage, they brought in $17.9 million. So, if you do the math, that breaks out to over $10k per hour. We're not saying that was her motive or anything, just find it totally fascinating and thought the article was pretty legit reading for a Monday morning.

Have a great week!


xo
a.b.

Happy Summer!

What a fantastic week we've had here at AE! Just did a wedding in Ravello, Italy this past weekend that was to die for. Take a peek at our gorgeous bride walking through the gardens to Villa Cimbrone. We absolutely LOVE the Amalfi Coast and working there over the past year and half has been such a dream. Can't wait to return!



This past weekend we also celebrated Miss Susie's birthday. For those of you who don't know her, Susie is the AE west coast studio manager. We had a blast celebrating her birthday in the office, so you can check that out too. Happy Birthday, Susie! And to everyone else, Happy Fourth of July! Have a fun one!

California Love

Okay, so to be honest, this has nothing to do with weddings or events or venues or any of the subjects we usually cover here on the AE blog. BUT, it does fit into the category of about us because we totally identify with this. Living in CA we can totally appreciate this dude. Hope you find this as funny as we do!



Thanks DJ DAVE for posting this on Fog and Smog!

Town and Country Wedding Advisor Launches Today!

The new Town and Country Wedding Advisor website has officially launched!! Check it out at www.townandcountryweddingadvisor.com!

We're looking forward to sharing tips and trends alongside some of the most amazing planners.

Oh, and Happy Valentine's Day!!



Image designed by the oh so talented team at Rifle Paper Co.

We had such a blast volunteering at the San Francisco Street Food Festival this past weekend!! It's amazing what a team goes into making this great event happen and La Cocina did a fantastic job of coordinating all the details. There was such a great sense of community across the board and it seems like everyone had a blast. Here are a few peeks at how our day went.









Mmm... s'mores...

Street Food!

Come hang out with us at the SF Street Food Festival this weekend!! We'll be volunteering, so keep your eyes peeled to find us.




WHAT: Foodie feast brought to you by La Cocina + other fun stuff including cart crawls, contests, auctions and more
WHEN: Saturday, August 21st 11am-6pm
WHERE: The Mission [[Folsom St. from 24th to 26th, 25th from Treat St. to Shotwell St., and Treat St. along Garfield Park]]
WHY: Cus that's how we roll... and because we love that La Cocina is bringing awareness to the need for formal regulations for mobile food vendors... and because we think La Cocina is just rad in general.
WHO: Only the most elite of food vendors in SF, in no particular order

SABORES DEL SUR EL BUEN COMER
LOS CILANTROS PURPLE HIBISCUS AZALINA’S MALAYSIAN ESTRELLITA’S SNACKS ZELLA’S SOULFUL KITCHEN CHEZ PAPA RESTO AZIZA BI-RITE CREAMERY EL HUARACHE LOCO 4505 MEATS CHAAC MOOL ANDA PIROSHKI ONIGILLY THE SLANTED DOOR DELFINA NOMBE KASA LA MAR CEBICHERIA 15 ROMOLO FLOUR + WATER NAMU KITCHENETTE SF HAPA RAMEN ENDLESS SUMMER SWEETS LET’S BE FRANK EL PORTEÑO EMPANADAS THREE TWINS ICE CREAM KIKA’S TREATS CLAIRESQUARES DELICIAS SALVADORENAS SWEET COLLECTION NEOCOCOA LOVE AND HUMMUS COMPANY CMBSWEETS LIBA FALAFEL EL TONAYENSE KUNG FU TACOS GLOBAL SOUL CURRY UP NOW ROLI ROTI SAJEN BERETTA CREME BRULEE CART WHOLESOME BAKERY GOBBA GOBBA HEY DEZY’S DRINKS SWEET REVOLUTION THE WHOLE TORTILLA ADOBO HOBO BRASS KNUCKLE RYE ON THE ROAD THE ALEMBIC

Three Weeks in Italy

On my recent three week journey through Italy I realized several things:

1) I am obsessed with chairs. I think after being in the event industry for ten years and only having access to the same chairs over and over, I really get excited when I see a cool chair. I always think, "now that would be a cool chair for XX event or I wonder if we can get this chair made or…" So, here are my chair photos I took. Some are more art photos and some just cute chairs.



2) I am obsessed with pools. I like swimming in them, looking at them and taking pictures of them. When I was on the Amalfi Coast there were tons of pools overlooking the ocean, which is a win for me. Later in Tuscany, I enjoyed experiencing the pools that overlook the beautiful green rolling hills. So, I think it was a tie between the views.



3) I am obsessed with biking. Road, mountain, beach or just wobbling around Florence on a junky old rickety bike. I think it’s the best way to explore the city. We were lucky enough to find bike rentals in most places. Especially loved cruising through Lucca and Florence.



4) I am obsessed with backgammon. I have fond memories of my childhood playing hours and hours of backgammon on the beach. I grew up in CT and was on the swim team and tennis team, so my summers we spent at our beach club from 9am till 9pm every day. I practically lived there. My friends were all there, food was there, ocean, pool, sailing, and the best ice cream ever. Anyway, I came across a beautiful wooden back gammon set while in Lucca and decided to pick it up again. My friend Bethanie and I played a lot of back gammon and watched a lot of the world cup games once we hit the country side where there is way less to do at night than in Rome.




Other things I learned or tips I offer:

When driving in foreign countries in cities, get navigation. It's easy to drive around the rolling hills of Tuscany, but in the city the street names are hard to see as they are on the side of old buildings and there are lots of roundabouts and fast drivers and tailgating and havoc.



Social differences and acceptable v. unacceptable gaping.

Table wine is not always bad (well maybe only in Italy).

Italian pizza is both beautiful and delicious.



Planning your trip is good to do for at least the first couple of nights, but allow for the unexpected.

Don’t make appointments when you are in charge of getting yourself there (i.e. plan to get lost).

Stay at least two nights, if not three, in each place and try to not be such a tourist--leave the map at home and get lost a little. That can sometimes be the best experience--stumbling upon either a little boutique that’s not in the guide book or a small restaurant that makes everything from scratch.

You make more friends at smaller b&b’s than at larger hotels.

Go to one museum, not five.

Carry extra shoes!

Sizing is different in other countries, a size 6 in the US is fit differently in other countries, so don’t freak out if you need a a size 10 just so it fits your arms.

Bring your own tools to get a pedicure… we found after scouring all over italy that pedicures are not as easy to find in Italy as in the US.

Learn some key phrases. It's respectful to be able to say, "hello," "thank you," "how much?" and "where is the toilet?". And most importantly, "excuse me, do you speak English?" before assuming anyone does.

When in Italy, buy leather! Love the purses, shoes, everything leather. I bought 5 pairs of sandals (whoops).




Check back soon for more photos from the villas and amazing venues we scouted in Tuscany and along the Amalfi Coast.


xo,
alison

Top 10 Wedding Movies!

How's this for a fun list? So many new movies coming out this summer, but we figured we'd revisit some of our favorite wedding movies of all time. Let us know if we missed any of the greats!




10. Runaway Bride
9. So I Married An Axe Murderer
8. Four Weddings and a Funeral
7. Monsoon Wedding
6. My Best Friend's Wedding
5. My Big Fat Greek Wedding
4. The Wedding Singer
3. Wedding Crashers
2. Father of the Bride
1. Princess Bride

Garden Party

Being that we're based out of foggy San Francisco, we're all obsessed with soaking up the sunshine any time we actually see it. Since outdoor garden parties are a perfect way to celebrate the summer, we thought it would be fun to share some furniture ideas with you. Whether you're shopping for just a few pieces to tuck into your garden or looking to spruce up an old patio, these pieces are great for adding a little color and conversation to your BBQ.

Green Point Works makes these great pieces, which look great in a cluster or just flying solo on a nice brick patio surrounded by plants.



On a similar note, these igloo chairs from CB2 are retro classics. For some reason, these just scream gin gimlet on the rocks.




These adorable folding walnut wood chairs from Gallant & Jones come in lots of fun eco-friendly fabrics that are washable and interchangeable. Perfect to place around a firepit for late night s'mores!



Love, love, love all of these chairs from Anthropologie! The iron chairs would be perfect seating for an outdoor dinner party. The folding chairs are amazing for a late night moroccan inspired party. And don't even get me started on the hanging chair, because I can't imagine doing anything besides curling up in that and reading a good, no great, book.

Favorite Things Part iii.

And now for the top ten things Alyssa is currently digging. Drumroll, please...

1. Dying to have this map hanging on my wall, with pins sticking out of every which continent I can get my feet into.

2. Denmark. I'm obsessed with everything fashion and/or design related coming out of Copenhagen right now. Particularly loving Margit Brandt and Stine Goya. Neither have great websites, but their rtw collections are pretty rad.

3. Old Crow Farm on Etsy.

4. Anthropologie's Ikat folding chairs.

5. Abita beer. My heart and soul.

6. Le Labo's vintage pail candles smell delish and are so adorable.

7. There's this amazing boutique in NYC that I'm really missing right now called In God We Trust.

8. I actually hate giving this away, but another amazing NYC boutique is Stella Dallas. It's in Williamsburg and has the most epic collection of vintage clothing, shoes and accessories on the planet. They recently opened a home store that makes my heart race.

9. I'm way late on the bandwagon, but now that I'm on it, I can't stop watching Madmen.

10. Babies!!

Favorite Things Part ii.

A few weeks ago, we posted a list of things Alison's currently obsessed with, so figured we should keep the list going. Stay tuned for more fun lists of things we adore, but for now...


Here's Kelsey's top ten crush list:


1. Avett Brothers new CD. Love the country vibe!

2. Lost final season. I'm 4 episodes backed up on my DVR because of travel but can't WAIT to catch up.

3. My new navy sperrys. Going to be my summer staple paired with my new neon yellow cut offs.

4. Tulum. Will be here all week, staying in a hut on the beach and plan to do nothing but swim and drink tequila.

5. Blink by Malcom Gladwell. Really interesting book.

6. Casa Sanchez hot salsa. It's like crack to me.

7. Sunset Magazine. After years of stealing my moms I finally subscribed. They have the best recipes.

8. My house in Potrero Hill. Can't wait to spend my first summer with my sunny backyard.

9. Saving The Bay miniseries on KQED. Great wealth of knowledge about the history of the bay area. And robert redford narrates so you can't beat that.

10. Table in a Bag from Crate and Barrel. I've had it for 3 years but every summer I am reminded of what a great invention it is. Perfect for the beach or camping.

Happy Birthday Kelsey!!

Last week was our very own Kelsey Sheofsky’s birthday. Here at Alison Events, we take every opportunity we get to celebrate. So, we decided to throw her a less-than-surprising-kickoff-birthday-party.

For those of you who know us, it should come as no surprise that we started planning this birthday bash months in advance, held late-night brainstorming sessions and created beautiful inspiration boards based on a citrus color palette. And then we got really busy. And then everyone was going out of town. And then we remembered Kelsey hates surprises. And then… well, we decided to just cut to the chase and make Kelsey’s birthday into a fun day at the office.

Our dear Kelsey lives off of a steady diet of soup, string cheese, almonds and the occasional handful of goldfish or English muffin. So, we figured that for her special day, we would provide her with these items, which she so clearly enjoys. Kelsey’s gift table included 29 cans of soup, 29 individually wrapped string cheese sticks, 29 almonds, 29 cheddar goldfish, $29 worth of nonfat lattes, and an English muffin/cream cheese/strawberry tower in lieu of a cake.

In addition to bestowing upon Kelsey these delicious treats, we also decorated the office meeting table with colorful flowers and candles that will continue to brighten up her home throughout the week to come.

After singing our best rendition of “happy birthday,” with our IT guy leading the song, we topped the celebration off with homemade brownies. To be honest, it was pretty much the best birthday party we’ve ever thrown in our office.

Eat your hearts out…







Happy Birthday, Kelsey!

Favorite Things

So, we're obsessing over a lot of things lately, but here's Alison's top ten list of the moment......

1) Puerto Rico and surfing in Rincon
2) Holden snowboard wear
3) Navarro pinot noir
4) ROUND DESIGNS JEWELRY
5) Andrew Goldsworthy. The artist. The movies. The books. The Philosophy.
6) The story behind the gals that started Benefit cosmetics and their makeup in general.
7) Velocity art and design website
8) John Robshaw textiles
9) The new Audi wagons. I have a sedan and should have gotten the wagon!
10) The new Kings of Convenience album

Stay tuned for Kelsey, Gillian, Lauren and Alyssa's obsession lists.

xoxo,
Alison

2010 Interview with the Alison Events Team

In celebration of the new year, we thought it would be fun to share a bit about all of us with all of you. For those of you who are unfamiliar with our team, Alison is our Creative Director, Kelsey is Senior Event Producer, Alyssa is Production Assistant, Lauren is our in-house Floral Designer, and Gillian and Mike assist with our productions day-of. Take it away...

If you could spend 2010 being a character from any story (book, movie, whatever), who would you be?

Alison: The girl from Avatar! I want to run around in a forest half naked and fly whenever I feel like it and eat off the land...
Kelsey: Larry David in Curb your Enthusiasm. I'd like to be able to be really inappropriate all year long.
Lauren: Amelie.
Alyssa: The boy from The Giving Tree... or Sookie Stackhouse.
Mike: Jennifer Lopez in the Wedding Planner. Hello Matthew McConaughey...

What decade do you feel like you should've been born in/lived through?
Alison: 1960's, LOVE all things mid century modern like Charles Eams... and love the architecture of Joseph Eichler.
Kelsey: 1970's. I would have been really into disco if given the chance.
Lauren: Perfectly happy living in the now. Although sometimes I wonder what it would be like to be a part of a different culture at a time when the world was less populated and not so easily accessible... to live off the land under the stars in harmony with nature.
Alyssa: Definitely 1960's, for a million reasons, but mostly because of the fashion, art, design and political interest. If I was basing this answer on music, I'd have to say 1970's. If basing it on hairstyles, 1920's.

If someone gave you $2010 and only 1 hour to spend it, what would you do with it (assuming you can't save it)?

Alison: Buy a plane ticket for me and my amazing boyfriend to the Amalfi Coast, ideally in first class on one of the new United planes that have the caspules... Might have to fly business I guess that's ok.
Kelsey: Buy a new dslr camera. Boring, but accurate.
Lauren: Make it rain!
Alyssa: I've never been to a casino or even bought a lottery ticket, so I think I'd probably gamble with the free money.

What blogs are you the most excited about reading in 2010? Magazines?

Alison: Well, I always love Style Me Pretty because I love Abby and its just interesting to see what everyone else is up to. Apartment_34 is cool, designsponge, alisonevents though has the coolest blog....
I subscribe to Dwell, Travel and leisure, Sunset and SF Magazine so I get my travel deets, design and local news and haps and I don't miss a weekend of NY times travel section
Kelsey: I'm excited that I finally subscribed to Sunset so I don't have to steal it from my mom anymore. Love any blogs written by my friends as it's a different window into their world which I enjoy. www.brownpaperjournal.blogspot.com, www.stylishbird.blogspot.com, www.designwatcher.com.
Lauren: Blog--my girls at Studio Choo. Magazines--right now I only read National Geographic and Food & Wine.
Alyssa: I'm looking forward to following the Etsy blog, which I just discovered recently. Also love Apartment Therapy. Not really a blog, but I always have and always will LOVE style.com. Magazines: SOMA, Dwell, Paper

Where you do feel most inspired?

Alison: When I am traveling or surfing (in a tropical place)
Kelsey: Walking solo in San Francisco. Just me and the city. Also I love being on airplanes. I do some good thinking there.
Lauren: There are many things and places that inspire me but I get most of my ideas and creative thinking done while driving (either on 280 between SF and SJ or down the coast of HWY 1) or walking/hiking. Steady movement seems to be essential.
Alyssa: Wandering the streets of Paris, NYC or London. I feel my most creative and thoughtful when I'm surrounded by the chaos of a large city.

If you could travel anywhere in 2010, where would you go?

Alison: I really want to go to India but I know its such a commitment both from a time perspective but also emotionally so if I could take a month off thats where I would go
Kelsey: Love to visit the south. Sweet tea and verandas and loads of antique shops...
Lauren: Back to India to explore and visit my Aunt and Uncle
Alyssa: I'm dying to go to Stockholm and Denmark. I have a bad feeling if I get to either, I won't be able to leave. LOVE the fashion that comes out of Denmark.

If you could throw a party for 50 of your closest friends, where would it be?

Alison: Saladita, which is in Zihuatenejo Mexico, the longest left hand surf break ever and gentle and fun and sunny and not crowded. So fun with a group of friends, great bungalows on the beach and I LOVE mexican food so you just can't go wrong. HEY maybe I'll get married there?
Kelsey: I'd rent a big house in Chester, Nova Scotia on the ocean. It's my favorite place on earth and it's the place I'd most like to share with those I love. We would cook lobster in water brought up from the ocean and after dinner would head out to the local tavern to mingle with the locals.
Lauren: On a chartered boat touring the Croatian Islands/Dalmatian Coast. Wait, I am filthy rich in this scenario, right?
Alyssa: In one of those gorgeous old mansions on St. Charles Ave. in New Orleans, with the huge wraparound porches and big white columns. We'd do a big crawfish boil and hire a local brass band like Soul Rebels or Rebirth to play on the sprawling front lawn. We'd allow anyone walking down the street to join us. Party would end with a second line out the front gates.

Favorite city in the world? Favorite restaurant/shop/museum in that city?

Alison: San Francisco. LOVE Pizzeria Delfina. LOVE American Rag. LOVE De young, but also like the cali science museum.
Kelsey: San Francisco, El Tonayense taco truck or Delfina, depends on the exibit but I love the De Young and the outdoor jazz they have in the summer outside the cafe.
Lauren: Barcelona. Cal Pep & Gaudi's Sagrada Familia.
Alyssa: Paris. Not a single restaurant I don't like in Paris. Every vintage store. Obviously, the Louvre.

Are you giving up anything in 2010?

Alison: No, luckily I don't have addiction issues but I am getting healthier by doing more yoga, eating healthier and trying to read more.
Kelsey: Nope. Constantly adding.
Lauren: No... Does pre-motherhood lifestyle count?
Alyssa: I'm making a REAL effort to stop complaining/freaking out/crying over parking in San Francisco.

If a client came to you and asked you to pick a destination for their wedding with a limitless budget, where would you pick and why?

Alison: I would choose either North shore Kauai because I think its so beautiful, tons to do, great food, relaxed vibe, easy to get to. OR Harbor Island, Bahamas because of the same reasons as Kauai. I also would love to do another winter ski wedding in Colorado or Idaho or Utah. The energy of guests at the beach and in the mountains is so low key and very family/group oriented.
Kelsey: Italy or France because I'm dying to get back to Europe. Costa Rica would be pretty epic too.
Alyssa: A small town in the south of France, somewhere along the coast, but off the radar. Mostly because I can't think of a more beautiful or more romantic place. Might be a challenge logistically, but it would be so much fun to tackle a huge project like that. Plus, it would be a great excuse to explore the French language.