Tag: Tampa

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Upcoming Event. Party Preppin’: Early Spring Entertaining

An Appealing Plan Datz Tablescape Event Promo Image Easter Bunny

WHAT?

PARTY PREPPIN’ CLASS: EARLY SPRING ENTERTAINING

Join our founder, Home & Event Stylist, Krayl Funch, as she discusses four creative approaches to seasonally setting your table for Early Spring Entertaining.

WHY?

From celebrating family celebrations filled with faith, Passover and Easter, to honoring Mom in May, Spring is packed with entertaining opportunities. If you are finding it hard to be inspired and come up with fresh new ideas for your menu and tablescape, this is the class for you.

WHEN?

Tuesday March, 19th, 2013 at 7:00PM

WHERE?

Datz in Tampa. RSVP here.

Attendees will also enjoy Spring Inspired samples from the Datz Bar & Kitchen and learn about gift items to fill your foodies Easter basket.

For More Information on An Appealing Plan Tablescape or Seasonal Decorating Services for your Spring Celebrations please email: info@AnAppealingPlan.com

An Appealing Plan Datz Tablescape Event Promo Image Eggs In Bowl

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Make a grand Entrance this Season.

Your entranceway is the first impression of your home or business to a guest or client. Your home may be lovely beyond the front porch or center hall but that first impression is already made. Or perhaps they make inside and forget the pots of dying plants and faded past season decorations for a few hours while they visit with you; they still have to leave sometime. As they are backing out of your driveway, what do they see? That is correct. Your entranceway. Dead plants and all.

Don’t be a victum of “S.E.D.” {Sad Entranceway Design}. This season create a fabulously welcoming porch or entranceway. Even a few minor changes can make a huge difference. Or perhaps you are ready for a full overhall? Either way, stick with me kid and we will make it happen. {Virtual and In-person plans available}

Enjoy this post? What did it inspire you to do? Let a comment below and share the love with your friends using the social share button. Complete the form below to receive weekly updates to your inbox.

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Design Finds: Casa Nova Tampa

Lastnight I attended an event at CasaNova in Tampa, FL for a networking function {and if truth be told to stare at all their beautiful home decor items}, and found a few new favorites to put on my growing wish list as well as an item or two for a client’s office re-style.

This Bird Nest Pillow would make an excellent addition to the 75 other pillows currently on my bed, after all I don’t have one with a nest and eggs on it… And the whole bird trend is so hot right now.

Bird Pillow

If you follow my blog at all you know my love for Natural Design inside and outside the home, so when I saw this carved wooden chandelier hanging above a round card table I was mesmerized. I stood trying to figure out if it was a created from one single block or created separately then synched together. Still not sure but either way it is amazing workmanship. {although also on trend I apologize in advance for too much of the Tangerine Tango bookcase in the background of the photo}

Tablescapes, Tablescapes, Tablescapes. I LOVE them on an entranceway table, side table, waiting area, dining room, retail merchandising and for entertaining. Pretty much can’t go wrong. Try recreating the ones below on your empty table.

Finally their collection of custom fabrics which takes up pretty much the majority of one wall was too pretty not to take a few snappies of. Hmmm, I think the chair in my master might need a new slip cover…

NEUTRALS

Color Swatches Neutral

RED & YELLOWS

Color Swatches Red & Yellow

If you live, work, play in the Tampa Bay area be sure to stop in Casa Nova and say hi to owner Barbara & designer Kylie Italiano. And tell them I said hello.

Enjoy this post? What did it inspire you to do? Let a comment below and share the love with your friends using the social share button. Complete the form below to receive weekly updates to your inbox. Enjoy ~ krayl

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TECHmunch Tampa Food & Lifestyle Conference April 21st

My FIrst Blogger Conference!! Although pretty exhausted from the previous tax week, I am feeling excited about tomorrow’s TECHmuch lifestyle blogger conference in Tampa.

TECHmunch helps food bloggers in cities across the U.S. learn the skills they need to succeed and take their blogs to the next level. The intensive, hands-on format is designed to get attendees up-to-speed on all the latest tools and tactics for building buzz, improving SEO, growing their audience and profiting from their hard work.

While other food blogger conferences tend to focus on promoting food-related brands to attendees, TECHmunch has a grassroots style and fast-paced format that’s focused entirely on providing useful information… and having fun in the process.

TECHmunch was founded in 2010 by BakeSpace.com Founder Babette Pepaj. As the entrepreneur behind the Web’s first food-themed social network and recipe swap, Babette had attended more than her share of online industry conferences that simply failed to deliver practical, real-world information. TECHmunch was born out of her desire to create something inherently more valuable to both established and aspiring food bloggers.

The first TECHmunch was held in March 2010 in Austin, Texas — concurrent with the annual SXSWi (South by Southwest Interactive) Conference. The second TECHmunch was held the following June in New York City, and was an official partner at Internet Week 2010.

Babette Pepaj, TECHmunch Founder (on right) at NYC Event

“Our goal is to give local food bloggers a fun, affordable conference where they get the ingredients they need to succeed. We focus on practical information that attendees can use immediately to take their blogs to the next level.” – Babette Pepaj, TECHmunch Founder

TECHmunch Tampa is produced with local assistance by Jeff Houck (@JeffHouck), Food Editor Tampa Tribune.

Connect with TECHmunch at: Facebook.com/TECHmunch

Get TECHmunch updates on Twitter (via @BakeSpace): Twitter.com/BakeSpace

Look forward to many a post tomorrow from the conference ~ kf.

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EcoFest  2012. Be there and be GREEN!

EcoFest  2012 is a community event organized by Learning Gate Community School to  celebrate the many businesses, organizations, and individuals in the Tampa Bay  area dedicated to the principles of sustainability – Ecology, Equity and  Economy.

 

 

EcoFest  2012 will be held on April 14, 2012 on the school grounds in Lutz,  Florida.  The event will be open to the  public from 9:00 A.M. until 3:00 P.M.   Admission to the event is free.

There  will be live music, workshops, demonstrations, informational booths, green  living products and services. Some local artists, green businesses,  environmental organizations, alternative health practitioners, renewable energy  specialists, organic farms and gardens with produce. All vendors must supply  their own tables, chairs and tents.  In  addition, we encourage you to become an EcoFest 2012 sponsor to highlight your  green brand within the community.

Presentation

Speaker

Time

How to Conserve and Store water as our natural resource Virginia Overstreet – Water Wise

10:25am
The Scoop on Chicken Coops – The Care & Well being of Chickens Joey Holloway   –  Halloway Farms

10:30am
Growing Scientists Hands-On Environmental Projects Jim McGinity   –                               Learning Gate

11:05am
Garden Containers – easy gardening for everyone Kray Funch

11:30am
What is composting, and how nature processes organic materials Monica Ragukas

11:45am
Project Based Learning at Learning Gate Middle/High Summer Solomon – Learning Gate

12:15pm
Rain Barrels – How to effectively store rain water & how it benefits us Shelly Stein

12:45pm
Greening Your Environment – How you can inspire others to be more eco-friendly and earth conscious. Let’s come together and learn how we can all be a part of the solution! Lisa Custer – Going Green Tampa

1:00pm
GATES High School Presentation Patti Girard –                              Learning Gate

1:00pm & 2:00pm
Why is Learning Gate an Award Winning Green School? Susan Burell

2:00pm
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Not Just a Pretty Face.

Officially the holidays are over and your probably “not eating this” or “only a bite of that” but the reality of our uber-social lives is that most of us will either entertain at our homes this weekend, be invited somewhere for a party or simply meet friends for a congratulatory meal. And as Ms Emily Post says we should always bring something for the host (and put out the best for our guests…). Well I have found, and am now ready to share, what will now be your house chocolates and signature hostess gift.

Viktoria Richards Chocolates are more that just a pretty face. The most beautiful chocolates you will ever see are also some of the tastiest treats you will ever have.

“At Viktoria Richards Chocolates we introduce our customers to the traditional methods of chocolate making. By traditional, we mean, chocolates that are prepared daily, in small hand-made batches, with no preservatives. Our chocolates are created using only the finest French and Belgian chocolate, freshest creams, nuts, and fruits.”

Although based in the Tampa Bay Metro area VR Chocolates will ship anywhere. ANYWHERE. They will also work with businesses to creat gifts for your clients, even placing your logo on the perfect little squares.

Victoria and her husband Richard work non-stop marketing and producing these wonderfully appealing morsels. {I did drag her out for a coffee this week. And look forward to many more coffee chats in the future.} Visiting the shop is totally worth it, however, if you are in the Tampa Bay area you will find them in various boutiques and shops scattered throughout the area. Including but not limited to: CRU Cellars, Te Bella Tea Shop, FIG, Eds Fine Wines

Pretty + Tasty = An Appealing Plan

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Seasonal Decorating: Goodbye to Holiday 2011

The winter, and December in particular, is filled with seasonal decorating in almost every neighborhood. This season I was out and about taking note of how each neighborhood decorated and embraced the season.  I realized that although your religious beliefs or geographic location may influence your design style, traditions will have the most dramatic influence on your Christmas and seasonal decorating in general.

Did your parents decorate with all white lights or the large multi-colored bulbs. Do wreaths on the window bring back happy memories or do you need to have Santa on the roof for it to be Christmas? Nutcracker Soldiers or Poinsettia at the entranceway? All these warm-fuzzy traditions along with the current climate you live in will come together to develop your seasonal style.

Case in point, the above images of doorways decorated for the season that I snapped on  my walks this December.  From NYC to PA to FL traditions are strong and bring us the most joy during the holidays. Which one speaks to you?

Goodbye Holiday 2011. I look forward to bringing the best of you into 2012!

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Bringing Winter Bulbs To the South!

My business in the north grew slowly and through existing clients   so  I really never had much need to attend events as a vendor. Although I have developed and worked MANY events over the last 15 years, I have never solely representing ME and my brand.

Now that I am currently refocusing on my brand I felt the recent holiday shopping event would be the perfect time to jump in and “re-launch” my brand to my networking group, promote my holiday decorating  and maybe sell a few of my bulb vases.

Day of, I packed up my display items , cut some fresh evergreens for the aroma, worked till the last minute making labels, signage, pricing, etc… I was running behind schedule but excited to get there.

During the 3 hour event, I received fantastic support from my fellow members and even attendees who I had never met. I felt a great sense of pride at my table and truly proud to be back representing and discussing my passions of decorating, plants and bringing beauty to the world we live in. The evening turned out even better than expected.

I learned that forcing bulbs for the holidays is very much a Northern tradition. Almost everyone asked what they were!  Amaryllis they were familiar with but the Paperwhites…everyone wanted to see a picture (which I had not even considered but will next time for sure!). Luckily I was able to describe them with enough detail and the guests seemed pleased to carry away their new purchases.

All in all I felt very happy about the night. I learned more about my demographic, what information I need to provide them with and tips on how to related directly with them. I look forward to continuing my journey of building my brand in all regions of the country and learing about their traditions and teaching them mine.

Enjoy this post? What did it inspire you to do? Let a comment below and share the love with your friends using the social share button. Complete the form below to receive weekly updates to your inbox.