How to Make Grass Place Card Holders

Fountain Grass was a wonderful, sustainable, not to mention creative, choice for place card holders. We trimmed bundled blades to size then secured the ends with pairs of gold plated rhinestone beads, which were easily removed for reuse after the event.


These place card holders were part of the Elegant Tropical Rainforest tablescape featured in Special Events Magazine.

Other dried grasses or natural elements can be used to create a similar design. You'll need at least 2 stems or blades to form a slot for holding the place card, and the right sized bead to fit over the ends. Or jute or wire could be used to secure the ends; the possibilities are endless.

A Night In Bollywood

The Los Angeles Chapter of the Association of Bridal Consultants (ABC) presented a stellar South Asian experience at the beautiful and upscale Tanzore Restaurant in Beverly Hills.
I loved the combination of high energy and exotic beauty created by the lighting, music, colorful tents and stunning floral arrangements.

Gaylord’s Lotus Room, a banquet facility which sits adjacent to the restaurant, was designed specifically to allow this type of event to cast its own thematic influence.

A rhythmic performance by NDM Dance Troupe, choreographed by Nakul Dev Mahajan of “So You Think You Can Dance” fame provided a break from handshaking and card trading and an opportunity to devour appetizers and enjoy the show. Fans of the tasty Indian finger food made second (possibly third) trips to the buffet.

The climax of the evening was the live drumming performed on top of hypnotic tracks played by DJ Shark. A lot of us had no choice but to put down our handbags and beverages and give in to the thunderous beats that lured us onto the dance floor.

Tanzore Restaurant is not only known for its India Modern or Fusion cuisine, the American Institute of Architects (AIA) announced it winner of the Los Angeles 2007 Restaurant Design Award. I encourage you to take a tour and experience the sensual sophisticated ambience for yourself. There are many options for hosting gatherings. Nikki Sood, director of sales and events, can coordinate large festive events for up to 400 guests or intimate gatherings of 10 in a multitude of settings. Most private rooms as well as the Bar/Lounge are well equipped with features such as BOSE speakers, flat screen TVs and projectors.

“A Night in Bollywood” turned out to be a talented sampling of premier special events industry professionals. The combined expertise of these showcasing sponsors created a fun and memorable experience that I will gladly share with my local clients who might need some or all of their services for their own upcoming celebration. Events like this make us proud to be members of ABC Greater Los Angeles. Thank you to the following businesses that made the event a success:

Sid Khera, Aspect Lighting

Jeffrey Bullied, Jeffrey Bullied Photography

Minal Chaudhary, Mehndi Artist

Doyle Borden, My Flower Guy

Anupma Parks, NDM Productions

DJ Shark

Maurice Walsh, Raj Tents

Nikki Sood, Tanzore

Mini Red Roses

Red Roses deliver classic beauty to fine stationery. Each unique stem . . .

renders a hand fashioned invitation into a one-of-a-kind work of art . . .

and compliments . . .

your choice of color palette.

The Special Event 2009

The lush rainforest of Latin America and the colorful costumes of its indigenous people inspired this tabletop design—a conception of Nesly’s Floral Design & Events. When the company principal Nesly Palacios invited us to participate in the recent Special Events’ Tabletop Gallery, we couldn’t imagine a theme more suited to our area of expertise than “Elegant Tropical Rainforest.” All of the elements that were included in the design represented facets of nature!

From the centerpiece—a tall banana tree surrounded by orchids and other tropical favorites—to snakeskin chair covers and pebbled dishware on feather place mats there was no lack of jungle inspiration. We mounted our menu cards on tree bark and embellished them with blades of bejeweled fountain grass. As a finishing touch they were each topped with a beautifully beaded butterfly.

Nesly’s vision was to create a table to suit a themed event for a corporate client or a bridal couple “looking to celebrate their nontraditional nuptials.”

Nesly’s team included: Chameleon Chair Collection, chairs and chair covers; Designer Specialty Linens, linen; Events by JEM, design; Petalos di Pauli, place cards and menu cards

Beautiful Church Estate Vineyards

Maja Church Haggstrom hosted an elegant garden luncheon last month at the family owned Church Estate Vineyards . We were delighted to be among the guests who enjoyed libations and live entertainment in a picturesque setting that included a handsome boathouse flanking a swan-graced lake.

At lunch guests were seated eye level with tree tops. The panoramic view included the gardens and lake below.

Our company designed the menu-programs for the event. They carried the hydrangea theme of the invitation and completed the magnificent tabletops. It was quite an honor to collaborate with the talent of Cameleon Chairs, Mille Flori Florist, and Wildflower Linens.

The menu was the vision of Pauline Parry of Good Gracious Events. She had me from the start with small cube boxes filled with steak fries drizzled with truffle oil! They were one of many creative and delicious passed hors d'ouvres served lakeside.

Ladies Night Out

On Wednesday, June 10 we surround ourselves in chocolate at Madame Chocolat of Beverly Hills. From 6pm to 10pm ladies will be singled out to receive special attention, namely hors d'ouvres, specialty drinks, chocolate tasting, entertainment, raffle, and a shopping experience that includes a brand new collection of botanical note cards from Petalos di Pauli.

Come and enjoy a night out with the ladies. . .
Leave with a gift bag.

Wednesday, June 10th 6-10pm
$10 per person for entry
Tickets must be purchased in advance on-line

Email us at ladiesnightout@petalosdipauli.com
for a chance to win 2 free tickets.

Church Estate Vineyards Garden Luncheon

When Farla Binder asked us to design an invitation for Malibu’s Church Estate Vineyards we were delighted to put our Petalos behind such a magnificent garden-inspired event.

Setting the tone for a venue that resembled a Monet landscape put Petalos di Pauli’s production team in another panorama of sorts-mountains of vibrant hydrangea petals destined to fill some 150 invitation boxes.

Lead designer, Paula Estes, chose to feature hydrangeas because of their shades of blue and purple, which satisfied the event’s color palette. She also factored in the petal size, which was perfect for creating a floral band on the front cover of the invite. Paula echoed those design elements in the program-menu and it harmonized brilliantly with the gorgeous décor of Cameleon Chairs, Mille Fiori Florist, and Wildflower Linen. Stay tuned for stunning photos of the Church Estate Vineyard Garden Luncheon. The venue is truly a garden lover's paradise.

Our hydrangeas are locally grown under a certified green pest-control program and are processed with renewable wind energy. We love teaming them with Green Seal Certified papers to create beautiful and eco-friendly results. For more information on natural, eco-friendly petals send us an email.