Sun, 04 Mar 2012 18:05:15 -0800WeeblyTue, 07 Feb 2012 06:46:20 -0800http://www.nov8iveevents.com/1/post/2012/02/diy-valentines-day-ideas-by-beth-romanik.htmlDIY Valentine’s Day ideas
Submitted by Beth Romanik on Mon, 02/06/2012 -
5:04pm       
When it comes to Valentine’s Day, I feel like I’m pretty
middle-of-the-road about it. I’m not quite one of the people who crabs about it
being an overly commercialized holiday designed to make single people feel bad,
but I’m also not one to dress in all pink and red and hand out those
chalk-tasting conversation hearts to everybody. 

I’ve always just enjoyed Valentine’s Day as an excuse to
make something cute to show I care. Anyone can go buy roses or chocolates — why
not give something you made yourself?

However, there is a problem: I am not creative. I can
follow instructions, but I do not come up with craft ideas on my own. I can
color inside the lines, but you’ll never catch me using a sewing machine or
decoupaging (did I even spell that right?). And I can stick to a recipe, but I
can not — CAN NOT — improvise a meal.  

Luckily, people who are much better at this stuff than I am
are kind enough to post their creative ideas, complete with photos and explicit
directions, all over the Internet. I’ve assembled a few of my favorites here in
case you’re looking for Valentine’s Day inspiration, too.

 1. Pop-up card
I love paper products, and this is an interesting twist on
a normal card. When you open it, any word you choose will stand out inside. It
seems like this craft is a little more time-consuming, but it doesn’t look
difficult, and I already have all the supplies at home. For the tutorial, click
here.
 2. Love message board
 This one’s kind of sappy, but I think I’m going to make it.
Being that my husband and I work opposite schedules and only see each other
awake about 16 hours a week, we’ve become experts at leaving notes. Usually the
notes are of the more practical type — “Get milk,” “Pay bills,” “For the last
time, pick up your shoes, GOOD GOD.” That’s why I like the idea of this craft: a
wipe-off message board that reads, “I love you because…” With this prompt
already built in, I think it would encourage more sweet notes day to day. (“I
love you because you finally picked up your shoes, GOOD GOD.”) For a list of
supplies and instructions, click here.
 3. Valentine’s Day breakfast
Who wouldn’t like to wake up to a fresh, yummy breakfast
being cooked just for them? But because this is Valentine’s Day, everything’s
gotta be heart-shaped. We’ve got bacon, cinnamon rolls, even hard-boiled eggs, all
shaped like hearts. Tasty and cute.
 4. Everything else
Nothing strike your fancy yet? Here are 101 handmade Valentine’s Day
ideas. There are craft tutorials, templates, cards and designs
you can print for free, and more. There’s bound to be something you (and your
loved one) will like.

By the way, I found all of these ideas and links on Pinterest. If you haven’t ever checked out this
site, go take a bathroom break and grab a snack before clicking — you will
probably be there awhile.

Have a great Valentine’s Day!  ]]>Wed, 25 Jan 2012 19:18:43 -0800http://www.nov8iveevents.com/1/post/2012/01/corts-top-event-design-trends-2012-from-wwwsuccessfulmeetingscom.htmlCORT's Top Event Design Trends of 2012
By Matt Alderton
January 24, 2012
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http://www.successfulmeetings.com/Conference-News/Research-White-Papers/Articles/CORT-s-Top-Event-Design-Trends-of-2012/?cid=eltrMtgNews
In partnership with designer Richard Carbotti of Perfect Surroundings, a
Miami-based event design company, CORT Event Furnishings has developed a list of
the top event design trends for 2012, it announced today.

"Event planners
are challenged to design unique event experiences that speak to brand
personalities and create a 'wow' experience, particularly in unusual spaces,"
said CORT Trade Show and Event Furnishings Director of Marketing Kevin
Dana.

Added Carbotti, "Everyone is looking for the next great event venue
and that requires an extra effort in planning logistics and furnishings that can
go wherever the event is held; on a ship, rooftop or even on a
mountain."

According to Carbotti and CORT, this year's biggest event
design trends are:

• Color Everywhere: Clients are increasingly
comfortable using color to set their designs apart, according Carbotti. I see
warm colors playing a key role in this year's designs when mixed with energetic
and exciting tones," he said. "Tangerine oranges and sunflower yellows, for
example, mix beautifully with fuchsias, purples or last year's Pantone Color of
the Year, Honeysuckle. Designers should also never rule out cobalt blue, a
lively shade of blue that always provides a bold color balance and a cooler
temperature if need be."

• Indoor/Outdoor Furnishings: Events are no
longer confined to hotel ballrooms, according to CORT, which said clients are
increasingly challenging event planners to create "visually appealing and
comfortable seating at increasingly exotic outdoor locales." Because these
events require furniture that is weatherproof, durable and portable,
indoor/outdoor furnishings — including, for example, inflatable furniture,
indoor/outdoor ottomans and indoor/outdoor modular sectionals — are becoming
increasingly popular.

• Luxury is Back: As the economy improves, many
corporate clients have larger budgets to spend on designing and outfitting
events, particularly luxury brands that need to differentiate themselves. Demand
is therefore strong for high-end furnishings and designer pieces, according to
Dana. "Clients aim to make a tasteful statement with understated elegance and
sophisticated modern furniture design," he said.

• Mixing Styles,
Patterns and Textures: According to Carbotti, mixing different styles creates
surprising and one-of-a-kind accents. "There are two precepts foundational to
event design: First, knowledge and respect for space and how it affects people,
and second, a working knowledge of artistic or cultural styles and periods as
they are developed throughout history," he said. "Design is not simply in 'the
things' themselves; it is in how those things are used and arranged in ways that
get people to feel something."

• Creative Modular Seating: Every client
wants to design seating tailored to their particular event, but the Millennial
generation is reinventing traditional event expectations and demanding more
casual meeting and networking environments, according to CORT. "Large serpentine
or linear seating that wraps around dance floors or doubles as dining areas are
all the rage," Carbotti said. "Blurring the lines between lounge seating and
traditional meeting setups will continue in 2012."

• Social Media: In
2012, most events will have a social component to generate interest before,
during and after the event, according to CORT. "Whether it's live tweeting at
the event or blogging before and after, planners have to incorporate social
media engagement into the overall strategy and budget to ensure attendees stay
informed and those who cannot attend are still able to participate," it
concluded. ]]>Tue, 10 Jan 2012 22:23:12 -0800http://www.nov8iveevents.com/1/post/2012/01/first-post.htmlI'm not exactly a pro with making changes to the website, so this is a test. Let's see how this works, we will still continue to post information on our original blog- www.nov8iveevents.blogspot.com but this is  another avenue to promote our website. Enjoy ]]>