Hangin' with my Gnomies

Gnomes- You know the ones those tiny, mythical creatures, topped in pointy hats, undoubtedly always up to mischief. They peek around flower stems and garden rocks, their rosy cheeks glowing. I’ve always had a thing for gnomes. A few years ago at a friend’s birthday dinner, I brought some gnomes out of the garden and on top of the dinner table, creating a fun and festive tablescape. That night, we chose a small wine bar in our quaint college town of Granville, Ohio. Not surprisingly, I was greeted with nervous and suspecting glances from the restaurant staff when I arrived early at 3pm with six gnomes gathered in my arms. We used a long strip of sod as a table runner and strategically placed the gnomes in playful positions: hiding behind wine glasses, peeping out from around the bread baskets. Each little gnome has his own personality, and the figures added a uniquely fun and silly flair to what would have otherwise been a plain, unexciting table. By the end of our dinner, all the gnomes had been named and adopted by a new caretaker.
Tablescapes, like my scene of gnomes, are a fantastic way to make a dinner party instantly more exciting. Pick a color, pick a theme…you can create a tablescape out of virtually anything. But if you choose gnomes, be sure to keep one eye on your salt and pepper shakers—those little guys can be quite the trouble-makers!

by Jessica Marzelli

Nationals Stadium

Last night I attended my second rained out baseball game of the year at National’s Stadium. As I sat in the nose-bleed section getting absolutely soaked by the mid-summer downpour, I should have been miserable. Instead, I was having a ball! There’s something about a baseball field that puts everyone in a good mood. From the amazing food smells to the silly crowd games, baseball stadiums never fail to make people feel like kids again. For this reason, I think National’s Stadium is a fabulous place to hold an event. Event guests are immediately put at ease in a location that evokes both nostalgia and playfulness. The next time a client asks me for venue suggestions, I won’t hesitate to mention the ballpark as a unique option.

by Laura Miller, Event Planner

Lifestyle Consultants

With spring on the horizon Gala events has decided to break out of the winter doldrums by expanding dramatically. 2009 has certainly come in like a lion, with the inauguration of President Obama, to crazy trends, and the search for stability in these times of economic uncertainty.
Over the years we at Gala Events have been asked to do and produce many things. A concept we continuously find our selves coming back to is how we can continue to expand our one stop shop of resources. Which brings me to our latest and most noteworthy endeavor: becoming lifestyle consultants. What is a lifestyle consultant you ask? Put simply a life style consultant is an individual who provides expert advice and guidance. Clients often come to Gala searching for that one person they can trust to help them be the best that they can possibly be. Effortlessly planned parties, keeping them abreast of what is new in town and bringing the latest trends from all over the world to the greater Washington, DC area. What we have realized is that as we get more and more integrated into our client’s lives we find ourselves offering more and more services. Gala’s new approach provides our clients with the stability and support of the unbiased eye they crave while still producing intriguing combinations, and always delivering that trademark gala sparkle setting each event apart from the rest. As 2009 roars forward Gala’s taken its own approach to perpetuating the idea of freshness and renewal by adding lifestyle consultants to list of available services.
Wishing you a fabulous 2009!

by Jaime Greenwald, President