Today, our great friend Caroline Tiger featured our really beautiful monogrammed candles in the LifeStyle section of the Philadelphia Inquirer.   We LOVE these candles!

At long last, this September Eclatante will begin its monthly class series on stylish, fun and creative entertaining. Understanding that just about everyone is looking for ways to enjoy themselves while spending a bit less money, we have assembled a great team of experts who will guide the interactive instructions through great topics, such as:

“Wine Pairings and Wine Tastings Made Easy”

“From Great Invitations to the perfect Thank You Note: The Art of
Communication.”

“Bar Basics 101”

“How to set a Beautiful Table at Home: Florals, Candles, Placesettings and Linens”

“Everything you ever wanted to know about wine—in an hour and a half”

Each class will last between an hour and a hour and a half.   The schedule of classes will be posted soon. 

Then, Eclatante and Beautiful Blooms are teaming up to present bi-monthly Sunday Seminars which will feature experts from all different areas of entertaining to demonstrate how to create effortless and memorable home parties — invitations, to music, to food, wine, table settings and décor.

Sunday Seminar topics will include:

“Tailgating parties at home: Super-fun, clever and scrumptious”

“The Perfect 2009 Holiday party”

“The 1950s Potluck becomes the 2009 Home Supperclub”

“Creating a Fabulous Dinner Party and Actually Enjoying it”

Workshops will vary in price (from $25 to $100) depending on the cost of
materials.  For more information about Eclatante’s entertainment classes or the Sunday Seminars, contact Eclatante Event Design at 215.925.9911.

And to round out the amazing things happening on the Walk, the team at Beautiful Blooms will begin their floral design workshops on Saturday Mornings from 11 am-2 pm ($150) and Tuesday evenings from 6:30 pm-8:30 pm ($135 for most Tuesday evening workshops).   Topics will include “Urban Vase,” “Go Green,” “Hand-tied for the Home,” “Thanksgiving Designs,” “Seasonal Wreaths,” “Florals, Fruits & Veggies,” “Floral Tablescapes for the Home” and “Color Trends.”   Contact Beautiful Blooms B0utique at 215.925.3111 or check out the Beautiful Blooms’ Blog for more information.  

Those of you who have  attended an Eclatante event knows that we know how to draw a crowd. 

Well the same holds true for our home on Liberties walk.  Our die-cut curtains have caught the attention of our entire neighborhood.  As the sole veil between the outside world and the Eclatante magic we can’t seem to shed the gawkers.  

We’d like to think it’s us, but let’s be honest, these curtains are astounding!  They are extremely unusual, chic and fun, but the strange part is that the people with their noses pressed against the window to our office gawking at these amazing curtains either don’t or can’t see past the curtain into our office.   We’re always shaking our heads about that!

Add this delightfully unexpected element to your home and it is sure to be a conversation (and compliment) starter.  Take it one step further and make it the center of attention at your next dinner party.  you can use a single panel as a room separator or screen.   Or here’s an idea — turn the curtain into a wide table runner (if you have a table wider than 42″).  Pair it with a gorgeous wood table and play up a nature theme or layer it over a brightly colored tablecloth for a little whimsy.  

Made of Tyvek (the same stuff the USPS priority and express mail envelopes are made of) these curtains are tear, temperature, and water resistant.  One side of the 42″ x 96″ curtain is white but you have the option of black, white, lilac or green for the other.  Hanging them is a breeze!  The little velcroed loops can slip right over a string of fishing line – no need for curtain rods!  Amazing!

Come down to the Eclatante boutique and stare for yourself!  Or, give us a call at 215.925.9911 and we can have them sent right over.  We just hope you are prepared for the onslaught of curious passersby.

Here in lovely Liberties Walk, it is not uncommon to spot a canine out for a stroll. In fact, dare I say, they are all the rage. TJ, Donna’s playful Bernese Mountain pup has even been known to make the occasional appearance in our boutique and we just love it when he does! 

As a testament to our doggie devotion we are always on the look out for a good home for Lumi, our stylish purebred Greyhound that majestically greets each visitor when they come into the boutique. Sitting 15” tall with her luminous Aluminum coat and bashful stance she’s a great addition to any home. Did I mention she’s well trained and hypoallergenic to boot? 

Please come by the Eclatante Boutique and visit her, I guarantee you’ll find her temperament to your liking. Or, if you already know she’s just right for you, give us a call at 215.925.9911 and we’ll have her sent right over! Not to worry, the UPS deliver guy adores her!

So, it’s not a big secret to those who know me — I’m a bit of a skeptic.  So, when some people (whom I trust, actually) suggested the use of “angel cards,” I sneered. For those skeptics among you who, like me, have no idea what an “angel card” is, it’s an affirmation card – something like a fortune cookie, except bigger and more directed towards making you feel really good about yourself.   

Would you know it, in spite of all my skepticism, angel cards found me — sort of.

Way back (two months ago) when I was trying to figure out what paint color went where in our new home, I decided to have some fun and paint the employee bathroom in our new home with blackboard paint and keep a cup of colored chalk in there. The original idea was that Leila, Taylor, our interns and I could write secret notes to each other that would never been seen by the outside world. (The bathroom reserved for clients and customers in the boutique is in completely different room.)  But when our industry friends, our personal friends (many of whom overlap), our family (and some random other people we know) wandered back into our office, they came upon our blackboard painted bathroom and wrote wonderful notes to us!   

Here are my favorite walls EVER — a never-ending source of inspiration!

These delightful 14″ tapered candles are made locally in Trenton, New Jersey by Ana Candles. The extraordinarily rich stripe inlays, symmetry and finish of these beautiful candles make them truly unusual. Most of all, the array of color combinations is just flat out amazing. Their bright and classic palette is perfect for any season or special occasion, maintaining their appeal with continuous reflections of current color trends.

Made of premium quality paraffin, these beauties boast a burn time of 14 hours. Not only will they last through your most successful soiree, they keep post party cleanup to a minimum, as they are virtually smokeless and drip free. Each candle is a tribute to true craftsmanship and manufacturing ingenuity. Of course, we offer them to you at an affordably gorgeous price: $20 per striped pair and $14 per solid pair!

Come in to see them yourself at the Eclatante Boutique — or you can order them by calling us at 215.925.9911.

So, it had better be good!

A couple weeks ago, Beautiful Blooms and Eclatante threw a party to celebrate the opening of our new homes on Liberties Walk — we had SUCH a great time!

The story of how Donna (owner of Beautiful Blooms) and I got to the point where we opened up shops across the walk from each other is a really nice one we’ll share one day.  Suffice to say for now, though, that when both our new homes were finally open for business, we truly felt like celebrating – and celebrate we did!

So, first up, a picture of Donna and myself taken just before the party really took off – after this shot that Marie got us to stand still long enough to snap, we barely saw each other because of all the friends and family that came to wish us well.

Of course, we couldn’t have a party without the typical reminders that we always have to be on the ball, right? It didn’t just rain that day – there were torrential downpours complete with thunder and lightening literally a couple of hours before people were going to be showing up! Of course, we had a Plan B ready to go, but it’s called “Plan B” for a reason, right? Our Plan A party was supposed to be the first gourmet cookout of the season! Here’s a shot just after the clouds finally gave way to sunshine (and Donna and I started breathing again!)

But the party gods were on our side (thank goodness).  Literally fifteen minutes before our last chance to invoke Plan B, a beautiful rainbow appeared and not another raindrop was felt nor clap of thunder heard!

Because my sisters and my mom couldn’t be at the party, they sent Donna and me this gorgeous arrangement — of course they had to call Donna to create it!   It meant so much to both of us that my wonderful family would think of the two of us that day!

Before I say another word about this party, I have to tell you that Donna and I both are so honored to have the friends we do   First off, Max Hansen created a feast that people are STILL raving about.   One day, someone smarter than me will figure out how to do a scratch ‘n sniff blog entry and you’d be able to tell just how amazing Max’s creations are.   I honestly do not know what that guy does to food but it is just wonderful.  Plus his team, including Rita and James, are the consummate professionals!   It is pure pleasure to work with every single one of them!

And Flour Pot Cookies provided us the yummiest and CUTEST two-bite cookies ever!

And, as always, our great friend, Marie Labbancz, never fails to provide us with the perfect memories of a great party – she took all of the photos here.   I honestly don’t know if I’d recognize Marie without a camera!

Our friends at Party Rentals Ltd, Total Table and EventQuip were so gracious to provide us with everything we needed to make this party absolutely perfect in every way.    They are incredibly good people and I am proud that they count us among their friends – -plus they do one helluva job!  Oh, and we can’t forget Claudia Seyler — she sat with us just before the party started making our hair and makeup look SOOO much better than we could have ever done ourselves!

Okay, so here are some pictures from the party.

If you don’t already know him, meet Ed Knight, the owner of EventQuip — it simply isn’t a party without him!

Here’s Leila — FINALLY letting herself enjoy the party!  (She worked so hard that day!)

Our music for the party  was by the wonderful and amazing Venissa Santi!  They were AWESOME — do yourself a favor  out their new CD! They were the perfect style for a warm evening outside among our friends and family!

www.venissasanti.com
www.myspace.com/venissasanti
www.sunnysiderecords.com
www.allaboutjazz.com/venissasanti

Here’s Maya from Beautiful Blooms — another great great friend!!!

Lots of people having a great time — that’s what made us so happy!   It was like this for hours!

Bart Blattstein, Tower Investments, was all smiles!

Okay, so, this is really cool.   Dave Williams of DVideography created this short and sweet Video of our little soiree.  ENJOY!

Video by DVideography

We just can’t get enough of Anne Chertoff, Senior Editor of Brides.com and author of “From ‘I Will’ to ‘I Do’” wedding blog!    She is such GREAT source for all things wedding —  you should definitely come down and meet her on Sunday June 7th for Wedding Inspirations 2009

We love her so much that we also keep her expertise on hand all year round!   Of the many wonderful things in the Eclatante Boutique,  one of our favorites is the Russel+Hazel Wedding Organizer!  Anne Chertoff teamed up with Russel+Hazel to create this absolutely fabulous organizer.   I mean, really, this is the coolest planner I’ve seen yet!    

This chic binder comes complete with planning notebook, adhesive note set, section tabs with pockets, business card pages, and sheet protectors and more.  For ultimate customization, over 50 templates are available online for free. 

At the Boutique, we’ve downloaded everything for you and included the full set to get you started immediately.   All this is available to you at the affordably gorgeous price of $60!

And all brides and grooms — don’t forget about the June 7th Wedding Inspirations 2009 party!  I’m sure you will love meeting Anne in person and seeing the Philadelphia Wedding A-team in action!

Since we’ve moved to Northern Liberties, I have gained a whole new appreciation for Philly and what a great town it is!   Especially here in our little corner of the world.   Liberties Walk is a great part of an amazing area that all culminates in something called “the Piazza at Schmidts” on Second street, modeled after the Piazza Navona in Rome –  A truly fun and hip mecca of artist’s studios and little shops and fun places to eat all surrounding a huge public square.

Here is a great way to get to know this new Philly hot spot – come to the World Music Fest at the Piazza this weekend!

Look at this great schedule of events.  While all this is going on, there will be displays of the work of the most incredibly talented people in Philadelphia- and it’s supposed to be GORGEOUS weather!   How fun is this?!??!  

From time to time, we’ll let you know what else is going on at the Piazza – there’s something wonderful going on all the time.  

For example, last Sunday, the M A S S I V E flat screen TV looming above the Piazza showed the Phillies game at 1:00 pm, then the movie Paradisio at 8 pm.   We’ll post the schedule of activites every once in a while and keep you posted on this great place – or you can log onto At The Piazza to check out what’s coming up.    

I was hoping to get them to play the A I Finale  ;)

Hope to see you this weekend!!

EVENT PLANNERS YOU CAN TAKE HOME WITH YOU

You already love their stylish events. Now, with their cool retail stores, Donna O’Brien and Kendall Brown can give your house that perfect look.

BY CARRIE DENNY

Eclatante

Courtesy of Marie Labbancz

There are two just-opened, fabulous home/gifty boutiques in Northern Liberties — which might sound exciting, and lovely, and like something you’ll want to check out next time you’re over there, but not necessarily like anything new. Except, the founding concept that spawned each of them isn’t retail — it’s event planning and décor. And I don’t know about you, but that’s something I haven’t really seen before.     

Donna O’Brien, owner of Beautiful Blooms florist (we gave this shop a quick shout-out in our last-minute Mother’s Day gift roundup), and Kendall Brown, owner of Eclatante Event Design, often work together on weddings and events — Donna whips up some of the most stunning arrangements in the region, and then Kendall creates the table schemes, lighting, and everything else within the décor of the event. They have a style, taste and aesthetic that’s distinctive—and people want it for their events. And after they’ve had it for their events, they wish they could have it for themselves. Now, with their new brick-and-mortar shops, the ladies have very smartly arranged it so we actually cantake it home with us. 

The Eclatante shop actually serves as the business’s headquarters and offices (there’s a room with an entire event tablescape that changes weekly, as well as monitors for client meetings, and shelves and racks of rentable samples for events)—but in the retail portion, the items are focused on home entertaining. There are candles and placemats and decorative bottle-stoppers and napkin rings (Kendall’s thing of the moment). There are books on wine and event-planning binders. In the near future, she’ll even be offering classes, where customers can come in to get ideas for dinner parties and brush up on entertaining etiquette. 

Right across the way on Liberties Walk, you can buy fresh flowers by the stem at the Beautiful Blooms boutique, as well as dried lavender and products from Bucks County’s Carousel Farms. There are locally made Skeem candles, and oodles of vases, specialty soaps and container gardens. There’s even a shelf that will always be devoted to the work of a local artist (the kooky ceramics of Jackie Perkasie fill it right now). Starting soon, Donna will be teaching flower-arranging classes to lay people like you and me in her adjacent and wide-open workshop. 

Even if you’ve never experienced either of these ladies’ events, you’ll get it when you see the stores — shop there, and you can make breakfast at your newspaper-strewn kitchen table feel, well, just lovely. And isn’t that what being at home is all about?

Originally published in Philadelphia magazine, May 2009

So, we are really excited to be able to present brides with an opportunity to hear from and get one-to-one advice from one of the most highly respected and enjoyable wedding experts in the country!

Anne Chertoff  will be here at our new home on June 7th. There is virtually NOTHING Anne doesn’t know about weddings. Currently, Anne is the Senior Editor of Brides.com. She began her career at Martha Stewart Weddings where she was a key part of that amazing editorial team! She is also the author of the the much-loved ”From ‘I Will’ to “I Do’” wedding blog. Her wedding expertise has been featured on The Today Show, CNN, the New York Daily News and InStyle Weddings, to name just a few.

PLUS you will be treated to spectacular table-tops, decor ideas, fabulous invitations, and scrumptious hors d’oeuvres and cakes from Philadelphia’s true A-team, as well as a great experience with the very best wedding professionals in Philadelphia who will help you understand the in’s and outs of putting together a truly unique, beautiful and stress-free wedding.

If you are a bride (or groom!) in the planning stages of your wedding, we would be honored to have you join us for this amazing event on June 7th.  Please consider this to be your invitation. We really look forward to hearing from you!

Our signs are up and we’re just about ready to go.   I can’t tell you how excited we are!

Our office has moved, our showroom is just about finished and our wonderful new boutique will be open and ready for business at 11:00 am on May 1st!!!   

You will find some truly beautiful and unique items in our little store — perfectly suited for entertaining at home — or for an amazing wedding!

You can find us at on Liberties Walk at 1031 North 3rd Street in Philadelphia.   Our new phone number is 215.925.9911.    PLEASE COME SEE US!

Oh, and thanks Marie (Marie Labbancz Photography) for taking this picture!!   I love our sign by Two Paper Dolls.