New Website Look

November 17, 2009 at 10:21 am | In The Rosemary Company, Updates | Leave a Comment

Hi everyone!  www.rosemarycompany.com  may look a bit different to you – that’s because we did a little renovating.  Hopefully everything is easier to find :)

NEW FEATURES:  We have several new features to tell you about. 

First is our BLOG (yes, the one you’re reading).  We love this feature because we get to hear from YOU, our wonderful customers.  Please feel free to leave your comments to our posts.  We look forward to blogging with you. 

Another new feature is our NEWSLETTER.  Sign up and we’ll send you exclusive coupons (coupons only for those who receive the newsletter), sales info, and alerts when new products go online.  Sign up now!

The CUSTOMER PHOTOS section is new, too.  Here we post photos from customers who have used our products at a party.  We have lots of cute babies on here, too, modelling our baby tees.  Submit your photos and receive 10% off your next order.

We also have a SUGGESTIONS BOX for you to use.  Send us your suggestions concerning our site, customer service, or products.  We want to hear from you.

Bloggers ALERT!  We have a MARKETING DEPT page, where you can email us and we’ll send you products to review on your site.  If you’re an advertiser, or have items The Rosemary Co may want to drop ship, please contact us.

As always, we’d love to hear your thoughts.  Please send us your comments.  Also, we’re on twitter, facebook, and myspace.  Check us out – and get more coupons!

Baby Shower Trend: Ice Cream Buffet

July 30, 2009 at 4:14 pm | In Baby Shower, New Trends | Leave a Comment

I came across an awesome new idea for a baby shower:  an Ice Cream Buffet (or bar).  What a great idea for a summer shower! 

Not only would an ice cream theme be adorable, but on a hot summer afternoon, ice cream always sounds good. 

Coordinate your ice cream colors to the colors of your decorations (or choose the baby shower decorations based on which ice cream flavors you want).  Lay out different types of ice cream (always ask the mommy-to-be what she likes best — and especially if any food or smells make her sick).  Our Noah’s Ark Ensemble would be perfect – look at all the bright colors to match to different ice cream flavors.  Try fun flavors like Green Tea, Pumpkin, Daquiri Ice, or Avacado.

Once you have the ice cream chosen, go wild with the toppings.  It’s always good to include the classics, like chocolate syrup, fresh fruit, and caramel.  But mix it up a bit, too.  Cinnamon, ginger, white chocolate kisses, blueberry syrup, brownies, cookies, cake, or fudge chunks, and mango sauce all make for interesting and unusual flavors.  

Definitely ask the mommy-to-be what her cravings are, and be sure to incorporate those.  It may be fun to have the guests guess which items the mommy craves, and whomever gets it right wins a prize. 

For the perfect coordinating favor, try our Ice Cream Scoop.  It’s on sale right now, plus we’re selling the scoop by itself for the first time ever!  Or you can get the entire scoop favor – with a ribbon, tag, and cello bag to make the ice cream scoop look more like a gift.

Happy ice cream eating!

Bridal Shower – What I’d Do Differently

July 27, 2009 at 12:37 pm | In bridal shower | 2 Comments
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Just threw my best friend a bridal shower yesterday.  Stress?  Yes! 

How many things can actually go wrong during a bridal shower?  Let me count….

First of all there was a parade scheduled right before the shower.  Our street is commonly used for firetrucks, ambulances, etc. to line up for the parade before going onto Main St., so there was no room for anyone to park on the street in front of our house!!  Also, Main St. was completely blocked off for the parade.  Most of the guests know their way around town, but a few were from out of town and were frantic!  One of our friends was stuck in a line of cars waiting for the parade to end – she was near tears.

Eventually that was sorted out – the parade ended just in time for the bridal shower – and the RAIN.  Yes, we had sporadic rain showers all afternoon.  The guests didn’t seem to mind – several were snapping photos of us all huddled under my gazebo on the deck waiting for the cloudburst to pass.

Thankfully the sun stayed out later in the day and the shower ended on a dry note.  As a precaution we opened gifts inside!

Other than the rain and the parade, things flowed smoothly.  Looking back there are always things you wish you could’ve done differently.  Here are a few things you may want to think about before you throw your bridal shower:

1.  If you’re having a co-ed party, do not put “Shower” on the invitations.  Men will flee in the other direction immediately.
2.  More ice!  No matter how much you plan to get, get more.  There is no such thing as too much ice.
3.  More forks and cups!  Again, whatever you’re planning to buy, buy more.
4.  Start cleaning/making food earlier.  We thought we’d given ourselves plently of time, but we could’ve used more.  More time = less stress.  I did shampoo my carpets the weekend earlier, and that helped a lot.  If you can get it done beforehand, do it. 
5.  Be flexible.  Due to the hiddeous weather, we moved part of the shower inside – and put all the food under the gazebo outside.  Everybody pitched in we ended up having a great time despite the rain.

What did we do right?

1.  Bought the entire bridal shower ensemble ahead of time.  I planned and planned and chose the Two Love Birds Ensemble http://www.rosemarycompany.com/Two_Love_Birds_Bridal_Shower_Partyware_Ensemble.html almost 2 weeks before the party.  Do it as soon as you can.  If you’re odering over the internet, give yourself a few weeks to get all the supplies.  (BTW: the bride-to-be LOVED the decorations, and we got tons of compliments on this ensemble).
2.  Get favors!  The guests LOVED them!  We put the Black Polka Dot Chocolates http://www.rosemarycompany.com/1243.html in favor boxes and handed them out.  Everyone was really excited, due to the fact that they’d all become addicted to the candies during the party.  Some guests took 2 favors, they liked the chocolates so well :)
3.  Balloooooons!!  I bought tons of balloons – the Two Love Birds Congratulations Balloon http://www.rosemarycompany.com/Two_Love_Birds_Bridal_Shower_Partyware_Ensemble.html and lots of the Black/White Latex Balloons http://www.rosemarycompany.com/1897.html and Curling Ribbon http://www.rosemarycompany.com/1898.html.  We got a helium tank and filled the balloons up about an hour before the shower began.

Whatever theme you decide on, have fun with it.  We have lots of gorgeous, contemporary themes at The Rosemary Company http://www.rosemarycompany.com/4796.html, and we carry coordinating favors, favor boxes and bags, balloons, silverware, tablecloths and more!  Looking for something in particular?  Just calls us at 1-800-823-3891 (Toll Free). 
     

The Wedding Toast – 10 Tips

July 20, 2009 at 9:57 am | In Weddings | Leave a Comment
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  1.  The toast should last from one to four minutes.  Plan ahead!  If your toast is short, make sure it’s delivered with feeling and sincerity. Practice your toast!  This will make you more comfortable and the toast will be much smoother.  Practice in front of a friend, or the mirror (or both).
  2. Write out your toast and be sure to speak it aloud at least once before you actually give the toast.  It’s perfectly fine to bring the paper with you and use it as a reference as you give the toast.  Memorize it if you want, but it’s not necessary.
  3. Make sure the guests’ glasses are full before you begin your toast.  Make an announcement or have the DJ/MC announce to the guests to fill their glasses. 
  4. Stand to give your toast (sit to receive one).  Hold your glass with your right hand as you toast.  After the toast it is tradition to clink your glass to another’s before sipping.
  5. Make sure everyone can hear you, but don’t shout.  Check the microphone before you start.
  6. Start with something personal, humorous, or a quote.  A favorite is to share how the bride and groom met.
  7. Beware:  Use humor in good taste.  Remember this is the bride and groom’s special day.  Don’t go overboard or share intimate details that are better left unsaid.  Keep jokes clean and don’t use profanity. 
  8. Look around the room at the guests and to the bride and groom as you toast.  Eye contact is important.
  9. Speak clearly and don’t rush.  Take your time.  Breathe deep.  Relax and enjoy yourself.
  10.  Finish your toast with a goodwill wish, blessing, congratulations, or cheers. 

Bridal Shower Invites – What to Include

June 29, 2009 at 2:00 pm | In Weddings | Leave a Comment
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My goal this week is to send out the invites to my friend’s Bridal Shower.  My question is What Info Do I Include in these invitations?

Background:  I am hosting a Couples (should there be an apostrophe in there somewhere?!) Bridal Shower (is this the right “title”?) for my best friend.  It will be in July. 

According to etiquette guidelines, the invitations must be sent out a month before the event.  So they must go out THIS WEEK, preferrably today which is an impossibility since they are not done.  But I digress….

Before I printed these out (does anyone handwrite these things anymore?  Would my grandmother be appalled at my use of technology?), I did some research on what information should be included on the invites.  Before long I had so much information, I couldn’t fit it all on the invitation!

Here are some Absolute Necessities:

  1. The words “BRIDAL SHOWER” somewhere on the invite
  2. DATE
  3. PLACE
  4. TIME
  5. RSVP information (obviously a phone # – I also included my email address)
  6. SUPRISE PARTY – if it’s a suprise, state that in huge, bold letters!   

Optional Info:

  1. Theme
  2. Registry Information
  3. Wedding website address (if the couple has one)
  4. Additional ways to reach the host
  5. The host’s title (ie “Matron of Honor”)
  6. I also put “Children Welcome” – as a mommy of a 3 year old, it’s important info to know!
  7. A map (on a separate piece of paper) or driving directions to the host’s house.

Make sure your printer has plenty of ink before you start!  I’ll get into decorating tips and tricks next time :)

My Invite Picks:

Bachelorette Party: Sassy and Classy

June 25, 2009 at 1:19 pm | In Weddings, bachelorette party | Leave a Comment
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Sassy AND classy?  Is this possible? 

My best friend of 23 years is getting married.  Naturally I am throwing the bachelorette party.  I’ve shopped for partyware and frankly, I’m exhausted.  How do I find tasteful products for a bachelorette theme?

I have a few ideas, and I haven’t decided which I’ll go with yet.

Idea #1: LINGERIE PARTY – saw a cute invite in a magazine.  The invite opened and there was a woman’s silhouette on the left side, classic ‘invite info’ on the right. The silhouette was marked with the bride-to-be’s sizes.  I like this idea.  It’s feminine, with potential for lots of fun. 

LINGERIE/WINE items from The Rosemary Company:
Red Heart-Shaped Fondue Pot - for dipping fruit into melted chocolate (what a great idea as a gift, too!)
Gold Truffle Box - wrap individual truffles in these classy gold boxes
Bride and Groom Bottle Stopper and Corkscrew Set - so cute and perfect for a wine party
We sell lots more wine-related items, too!

Idea #2: LUAU PARTY – It’s summer, it’s festive, a luau just cries “party”!  This is definitely a great idea, especially if we make it a couples party (which is another idea…. ).  My friend loves margaritas and Mexican food, so this would be a hit. 

LUAU ITEMS from The Rosemary Company:
Margarita Gel Candles – I absolutely LOVE these! So fun, yet upscale too.
Personalized Margarita Mix Set – “Girls Night Out!” drink mix and margarita glass.  An awesome favor for the girls.
Palm Tree Party Picks - Another fav of mine :)

Idea #3:  PRINCESS PARTY – Here’s something girlie and fun.  I envision lots of pink, maybe some marabou, bling bling – big diamond rings and lots of sparkle.  Dress the bride-to-be in a tiara, sash, throw lots of confetti on the tables, make everything pink and silver.  Love it!

PRINCESS/BLING BLING items from The Rosemary Company:
Engagement Ring Keychain - Big diamond ring for your keys, what’s not to like?
Diamond Ring Snack Picks – These are adorable on top of cupcakes (check out our other cupcake goodies, too!)
Coming SOON – With This Ring Ensemble – pink and silver with huge diamonds rings on everything.  Very tasteful and fun at the same time. 

My Picks for ANY Theme:
Pink/Red XOXO and Heart Snack Picks - for cupcakes or hors d’ouevres – the xoxo are cute and romantic. 
I Do Banner – Black/Silver hearts banner, great with most themes
Cupcake Bouquet Centerpiece – Looks like a flowerpot with cupcakes “sprouting” out of it.  SO cute and very versatile – this could be used for future parties, too.
Bride ID Button – just for fun! 

My recommendation for a bachelorette party that is tasteful and festive is to forego most of the bachelorette themed items on the market.  Go with a theme that reflects the personality of the bride-to-be.  Is she a sophisticated luxury-loving lady?  Go with wine and chocolate.  More of a free-spirited beach babe?  The luau is for you!  Or is she ultra feminine and frilly?  A princess party is a must! 

A bachelorette party doesn’t have to be tasteless to be fun.  Quite the contrary!  Have fun planning and have a blast at the party :)

The Rosemary Company’s BLOG

June 22, 2009 at 6:20 pm | In Updates | 1 Comment

We’re finally blogging!  I am so excited to communicate with everyone this way :)

Let me introduce myself:  I’m Danielle Edwards, marketing dept.  I’ll be blogging here about PARTY PLANNING, WEDDINGS, SHOWERS, FAVORS, Tips & Tricks, and Money Saving Advice, not to mention everything else party-related.

NEW STUFF:  Right now we’re re-designing the website, and we’re looking forward to a sleeker, updated design, soon to come!  It’ll be easier to navigate and find the exact item you’re looking for. 

We’re also adding a bunch of FREE articles to make party planning easier for you.  Stuff like guest lists, etiquette, decorating advice (how much confetti does one need?), checklists, and more!

Hope you’re signed up for our NEWSLETTER – packed with coupons, sales, and specials. 

Follow us on TWITTER and we’ll tweet you fun facts about parties, weddings, showers, etc., and also give you sales updates.

Soon to come: a Facebook fan page and a better, updated MySpace page where you can chat about your parties, ideas, share photos, and more. 

That’s all for now.  There.  My first Rosemary Company Blog.  Yeah!

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