This post is frothy. Nothing you don't already know, but a reminder for safety at charity auctions. You'll recall that a couple of weeks ago that most of us living in the USA moved our clocks forward one hour to adjust for daylight savings time. And somewhere in modern history, this "fall back / spring forward" shift has also became the de facto time of year when our local firemen remind us to change the batteries in our home's smoke alarms. Change your clock and change your smoke alarm's ... Read On >
Centerpieces
Hello Honeysuckle! 2011’s official color packs punch in benefit auction themes
Here’s a bit of froth and fun for my first blog post of 2011. If you're evaluating some trendy benefit auction themes or centerpiece ideas, here’s the color to use. PANTONE® 18-2120 Honeysuckle: the official color of 2011 Until stumbling across this last week, I had no idea there was a color of the year. (Naive of me.) In addition to paint, the perky shade has already been rolled into Visa cards and wedding dresses. Pantone says that the vibrant color of honeysuckle “lifts the ... Read On >
Venetian masks used as auction centerpieces
At a nonprofit auction, the Venetian masks made for a lovely auction centerpiece. Venice is one of the most popular auction themes I see. Maybe it's the city's canals, its Carnival, or just the Italian culture in general that seems to capture our imaginations. At every Venice-themed auction I've worked, masks have been incorporated into the decor. At this fundraiser, the masks had a predominant role in the auction centerpieces. Each centerpiece showcased lovely half-masks. Many of the ... Read On >
Auction themes play to underwater mysteries with Treasures of the Deep
My team and I worked an event in southern Virginia which was one of the most attractive and creative auction themes I've attended. It wasn't a large audience -- the crowd only numbered around 225 -- but the decor and atmosphere was exquisite! It was one of the more magical auctions I've attended. The theme was Treasures of the Deep. All things of underwater intrigue could be found here. The dark, mysterious, quiet of the ocean seemed to come alive in this fitness facility (not that you could ... Read On >
Auction centerpiece ideas – LEDs for low-cost glam
Here's a simple way to add glitz to your benefit auction centerpiece... A recent issue of BizBash Magazine Florida featured Uplyte's mini LEDs (light emitting diode) which can be submerged in water and have twice the brightness of traditional LEDs. They have a 12-hour battery life in water, which is plenty of time to drop them into the base of a centerpiece and let them glow through the speakers, dinner, live auction, entertainment, and whatever else you've got planned for the benefit ... Read On >