Hotel Palomar Arlington Grand Opening

I was lucky to be in attendance of the official grand opening event for the Hotel Palomar Arlington in the Rosslyn area. Like other Kimpton properties, the Palomar hotels are themed "Art in Motion" so there are lots of focus on the arts. Much like the Ritz Carlton in Tysons, the lobby is actually on the 4th floor. On the ground floor, opening this week, is Domasoteca, a wine and cheese stop. They had a chocolate and cheese tasting, as well as dessert wines.

OK. Onto the 4th Floor!

Upon exiting the elevator, I was greeted with the sounds of a trio from the Signature Theatre's Orchestra.



The 4th floor is were everything is located. Below is a picture of the lounge area outside the restaurant. Do you spot the living statue performance by the lamp? Provided by Synetic Theatre, they would pose in different poses throughout the event. Domaso is the hotel's restaurant focusing on Italian cuisine.


This is one of the conference rooms equipped with every hi-tech gadget imaginable. In the next conference room, it featured a wine tasting from a selection of Virginia vineyards.


The Vivace Ballroom is the largest function room in this hotel seating about 130 for a banquet (Kimpton Hotels are boutique hotels so don't expect any large ballrooms). Below is the pre-function area. Inside the Vivace Ballroom was a live art performance by Dan Dunn. While the music of Louis Armstrong was playing in the background, Dan actually paints a picture of Armstrong from scratch! Very cool!


I also took a tour of the 12th floor, the penthouse floor of rooms. They showed us 4 rooms, each showcasing a different aspect of the hotel: a eco-friendly deluxe queen room, a pet friendly deluxe king room (with Sparky below, the Maestro of Pet Relations!), a relaxation superior suite, and the Presidential Suite.



(left photo: living room of superior suite. Right photo: luxurious bathroom of superior suite. Lots of space and would be great for a bride getting ready)

Now accepting Credit Cards

For your convenience, you can now use your credit card for payment. Now you can earn more points on your credit cards when spending on your events!

2008 Wedding Trends

So I've been scouring the internet to see what's hot for 2008. Here is what I've found:

The Knot's 2008 Wedding Trends

Beauty & Fashion

• Rent your look - Rent a pair of Vera Wang diamond and pearl-studded earrings or a Judith Leiber jeweled-encrusted clutch.
• Double Your Pleasure - 2 dresses, 2 hair-dos, 2 design looks.
  
• Heirloom rings.
• Vintage dresses
• Steel gray replacing chocolate brown.

Receptions

• Lush & Luxe inspired by Marie Antoinette era style.
• Cover bands - Yes. Cover bands.
• Green weddings.
• Home Weddings.
• Tasting bars of the food and liquid kind.
• White. White. White.

Going Hi-Tech

• Going digital - couples are using blogs, wedding websites with pools for music, cake flavor, etc.

Travel

• Destination Weddings.
• Honeymoon hopping: multiple destinations, longer & further trips

2008 Wedding Trends from Nina Callaway on About.com

Fashion & Beauty

• Yellow - All over the spring 2008 runways.
• Silver and other metallics.
• Bold Color - think Jewel tones but in small dozes.
• Dresses emphasizing the waist

Receptions

• Green Weddings
• Fabulous Invitations - letterpress is hot.

Pantone 2008 Colors

The Pantone 2008 Color of the Year: Blue Iris

"From a color forecasting perspective, we have chosen PANTONE 18-3943 Blue Iris as the color of the year, as it best represents color direction in 2008 for fashion, cosmetics and home products," explains Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute®. "As a reflection of the times, Blue Iris brings together the dependable aspect of blue, underscored by a strong, soul-searching purple cast. Emotionally, it is anchoring and meditative with a touch of magic. Look for it artfully combined with deeper plums, red-browns, yellow-greens, grapes and grays."

Below are the Spring 2008 Pantone Colors!

According to the report, the spring '08 palette is defined by classic, versatile neutrals punctuated by splashes of invigorating brights, empowering consumers to explore new and creative ways to combine colors.

Variations on popular colors such as energizing red, cool, waterborne blue and eco-friendly green also play a key role this season.

"The spring '08 color palette perfectly reflects the cheerfulness of the season," said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute. "Stabilizing neutrals combined with pops of brighter colors to create unique, distinctive looks are the basis for a great spring and summer wardrobe."

Vibrant Snorkel Blue, a favorite this season among designers, is a dependable navy, but with more animation and sophistication. Warm, cheerful Freesia is an uplifting and inviting color to which people are instinctively drawn. It is also a color that allows for diverse accessorizing opportunities in jewelry and shoes. Brighter reds are consistent favorites in spring, and provocative Rococco Red is an exciting, attention-getting classic. The deep pink undertones of flowery Spring Crocus make it among the prettiest, most wearable purples.

Revitalizing Daiquiri Green, a brighter version of the popular earth-tone yellow-greens naturally associated with eco-awareness, is a refreshing complement to the coolness of Pink Mist. This delicate, subtle pink with blue undertones pairs perfectly with any color in the palette for a feminine look. Against neutrals, luscious Cantaloupe is warm and nurturing - a great addition to any wardrobe, especially when paired with chocolate browns.

Glitzy Sliver Gray has a sheen reminiscent of the popular metallics that add a touch of excitement to any outfit. With its beautiful undertones, Croissant is a delicious base for spring's more exciting accents. Trans-seasonal Golden Olive is another distinctive staple and tasteful accompaniment to 2008's newest shades.

From www.pantone.com

Green Scene Series: Events Industry is going Green

I recently attended the International Special Events Society's (ISES) holiday party at the newly renovated Sheraton National. The penthouse Galaxy Ballroom has a great view of the Air Force Memorial and towards DC.

The theme of the meeting was "Ring in the Green Year." The keynote speaker addressed how the special events industry is going green with lots of great ideas, some of which were demonstrated at the meeting itself!

1. Entertainment - Carolers ... no electricity required!
   
2. Lighting - LEDs ... produces virtually no heat which would otherwise increase the temperature of a room.
   
3. Candles - beeswax tealights ... instead of petroleum based ones
   
4. Virginia beer and wine ... buy local
   
5. Honest Tea 100% USDA organic ... my personal favorite for years (it actually tastes like tea)
   
6. Old Dominion root beer .... buy local
   
7. Pitchers of water ... less packaging used from bottles
   
8. Hors d’oeuvres – some organic, Maryland crab cakes, Virginia cheddar cheese sandwiches ... buy local
   
9. Virginia ham and turkey .... buy local
   
10. Bay shrimp, free range chicken ... buy local & organic
    
11. Risotto with wild local mushrooms
12. Linen napkins ... less waste
    
13. Handouts on recycled paper ... reuse/ also the PowerPoint presentation was distributed electronically to avoid killing more trees
    
14. Recycling name badges ... reuse (especially for large conferences ... can you image!)
    
15. Encouraged carpooling and public transportation

Finally, even the 2008 International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas is going green.
For more about what the show did, click here. Below are some of their efforts:

• Recycling bins will be placed across the show floor this year to divert cans, cups, glass products and paper
• All CES flyers are printed on recycled paper using soy inks
• Remaining show publications and flyers will be recycled at the close of the event
• Attendee food containers and utensils are biodegradable, made from hemp, corn byproduct or other organic materials
• Environmentally friendly chemicals are used in maintaining over 100 restrooms daily, replacing more than 15,000 gallons of non-sustainable products
• The Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC) has switched to recycled paper products including toilet paper, facial tissue and paper towels
• All light bulbs and batteries used by the show are recycled and diverted from landfills
• Hazardous waste disposal programs are in affect for waste oil, paints and solvents
• Recycled carpet will be used in some convention spaces at the LVCC

Many of these ideas can be incorporated into your events! Ask us for more ideas.

Yours truly in the green short-sleeved sweater in the background. Photo courtesy of Roman Grinev Photography, who shot one of our September 2006 weddings. I was manning the ginger bread men station. Donated by Design Cuisine, members decorated gingerbread men and the finished products were given to the children's hospital at NIH for the holidays.