lisasgiftwrappers.com Blog

Thought we would share a recent press release for our 2009 Bridal Showcase!

ROYAL OAK, Michigan, January 7, 2009.
You search a lifetime for The One. You dream of Your Day. Your wedding will be like none other. Even a best friend can not come between a girl and her dream day, as evidenced by this week’s Hollywood release, Bride Wars. For brides looking to make their day unlike any other, Lisa Gleeson’s third annual Bridal Showcase is a must.

Every young woman who has devoured dozens of bridal magazines and endured countless bridal shows in large arenas knows that weddings are all about the details Lisa’s Gift Wrappers Bridal Showcase this year is entitled “It’s All in the Details”. The weeklong event showcases the special touches brides seek. Everything is designed to make the day one-of-a kind.

During Bridal Showcase Week, visitors will learn about the latest 2009 color trends and discover the unique touches, big and small, that Gleeson and her staff can put into a wedding. Items include invitations, place cards, escort cards, menu cards, favors and favor boxes and napkins. A calligrapher will be on hand. In addition to the wedding service and reception, Gleeson is a resource for showers and shower gifts, attendant gifts and out-of-town guest gift baskets. An updated list of events for the week will be on the website, www.lisasgiftwrappers.com .

Gleeson serves as a Wedding Stylist, designing and infusing personal details into each component of a wedding. She can help design, or augment bachelorette parties, including hosting a Girls Night Out in her store. In addition Gleeson advises brides on how to make each guest feel welcomed, working through the entanglements of blended families and even how to stretch a budget- something many are looking for thus year.

Unlike large bridal shows popular this time of year, where thousands walk through exhibit spaces navigating dozens of vendor presentations, brides get personalized attention at Lisa’s Gift Wrappers Bridal Showcase Week. Gleeson coordinates with wedding planners or directly with the bride and her family to come up with unique touches that will deliver stunning results. In addition to the Showcase Week, she takes private appointments with brides.

Lisa’s Gift Wrappers is located at 28834 Woodward Avenue in Royal Oak, Michigan, Metro Detroit area.

There is not too much wrapping paper out there that is recyclable- so think of some ways that you can re-use it.

Cut out the portions that haven’t been creased- this could be used for smaller gifts, used as a band of color or complimentary design instead of a ribbon, or put into use as a gift tag or card by using a glue stick and a piece of card stock or even a simple index card.

If you have a Serger, think about fabric wrapping and the possible re-use into table runners, placemats, napkins or other holiday decorations. Many fabrics are on sale and if you are looking at wrapping something big- say a baby stroller- that’s a good size that might even yield a tablecloth.

Favorite bows can be saved by using a twist tie and tying them to a hanger for storage. Throw a cleaners’ bag or other plastic bag (preferably clear so you can see what’s inside) and store it some place handy – a closet, from your basement joist or even an attic.

And last but not least- save the good boxes. They can always be wrapped, top and bottom separately, and re-used. You could even make it a holiday tradition, that one gift always has to fit that box- or be an item that is “re-gifted”. Store your cards or holiday decorations in it. Make it fun and interesting.

Black Friday is come and gone so now is the time to get your game plan together- and I don’t mean football!

I mean getting organized so that as Christmas, Hanukkah or Kwanza draws near, you are ahead, not behind.

First, you have to get disciplined. Find a sturdy tote- plastic or whatever- that can hold the tools to a great wrapping season. Scissors, tape, measuring tape, permanent pens, glue sticks, hole punches, stapler, scissor sharpener, calculator, Goo Gone- and what ever is in your “toolbox” for wrapping.

Find a good place to wrap (here’s where the tote comes in handy) – I like my ironing board because I can adjust it to stand or sit. Sitting on the floor or your bed will just give you a backache. And use a coupon that is 40% off for one of those self-healing cutting mat that sewers or quilters use- that makes a handy extension to the width of your ironing board.

Then, as every gift comes in the door, get it wrapped. (Yes, I can see your eyes rolling back in your head- I’ve been there too. But who wants to be wrapping at 2AM Christmas Eve in the basement, ALONE, except maybe with an adult beverage????)

Use a Post-IT note or Avery label to mark the gift. Better yet, just use the same paper for every gift for that individual. Don’t put any bows on them yet- wait until closer to the holiday. Makes them easier to stack in a closet- or hidden in a black heavy duty trash bag (and for some Moms- a place to store is the trunk of your car).

Wrapping is a mechanical job- not too much fun if you have a lot to do. Putting on the bows is the most fun- because you can be so creative here.

Look for good buys on wrapping paper- now is the time for the greatest choices if you care about colors or designs. If you don’t, buy it and store it for next year, so you’ll have a jump on it.

Trust me-after 15 years as a professional and countless years before that wrapping family and friends’ gifts, you’ll be pleased for yourself that you got a handle on this.

O.K., O.K., I get it.

Everyone who knows me knows about my craving for new and helpful tools to help me improve the services I offer.

I am always on the look out for new tools. I don’t buy the first time I see anything, unless I have a project that needs to get done within the next two weeks.

I use my jaunts to trade shows, businesses that have similarities to mine, like scrap booking or fabric stores, and other places that might have an idea or two that might work for our business.

And I do have to confess that I’m addicted to surfing the Internet to find ideas and other things.

So my latest toy/tool is a punch and binder all rolled into one. It’s called the Zutter Bind It All- it can make punched holes and then using their spiral binding forms , you cut the length you need and use the other side to close the spiral ends into each other to finish your book into a spiral bound item.

Now, I have to say this is not meant to do thousands at a time. But that’s the beauty of it for us- we can work in small quantities that are more customized for our clients. No one has to spend a ton because we only have a few to make.

I originally saw it at the National Stationery Show held annually in New York City every May. It was really cool to watch how easy it was to use and how quickly it worked. I knew that someday this tool would come in handy. And boy did it for a wine tasting book we just created.

We’ve done two books in the last week- one for the Automotive Designer (see Blog 21 for details) and now one for a wine tasting event.

The book we made for the wine tasting event was smaller, but no less precise. For the event there were 9-10 wines paired with food. We created a book to hold the menu, and a rating sheet for each of the wines. Annie, my staffer who does all of our graphic design work, covered the outside cover in a stock paper that she had used to create the custom invitation and the place cards. And our newest staffer, Dianne, tried two different glues- TOMBOW’s Mono Multi Liquid Glue that has a wide applicator and a pin-point tip and then 3M’s Spray Artist Adhesive. Both worked, but the spray was faster and we had a time crunch at that time.

The book was an instant hit with our client. She had imagined what she wanted and we were fortunate to have created it.

I was out of the store when Annie and Dianne were proudly showing off their collective effort. But the next day, I heard from the customer they were showing off to- and of course, she has enthusiastic and generous support for our efforts. She also got to kid me about my new toy- because she knows I’m a sucker for tools. She had to admit this was a good one and gave me a few more directions we could go with this new found skill.

So onward and upward, as the comic book heroes would say. And, since I am passionate about tools doing a good job in personalizing our service to our customers, I would love to hear about your favorite tools that help you provide that unique and special service for your customers.

I like to stay busy. It makes the day go by fast when you have a chance to look up some days you wonder where the day went. Sure beats watching a clock, praying for the day to be over to get on to something you like better.

As a small business owner, it’s not so easy to just lock the door and head off home when everyone else does. Especially, with this economy. I would say that that short period of quiet before I head home is when my best ideas come.

Not that I have any energy to do much more than write them down. But I find that this is a good, disciplined thing to do- first because I will be fresher in the morning and can look at this idea with a new viewpoint (or say to myself “What was I thinking?”).

Secondly, I feel that you need to seek viewpoints from others. So that can mean sending e-mails to people whose opinions I respect or running the idea(s) past my staff, who may be the implementers of this “crazy Boss” idea. (I always hated Bosses who would wildly “implement” their ideas, even though the Bosses had nothing to do with getting the “gosh darn thing” implemented).

Sometimes the idea gets tucked into storage for a time when it might be more feasible to do it. Sometimes, you may actually get wild, enthusiastic responses and start implementing it right away.

I like this informal process. Maybe it’s because of all my years in a structured, corporate environment where everything decision required input agreement from lots of upper level management.

Or maybe it’s a smug comment on my part now that “I’m the Boss” and “It’s my money” we’re playing with.

I hope not.

What I want to create is a collaborative effort, where every idea is considered, and everyone has a say. Now I realize that can’t happen every day, all the time. But, for most things it should occur that way. Why? Because our staff is in the best place to say whether the idea is likely to fit our way of working.

Next I try then to pass along the ownership of the idea so I don’t have to stand there and “watch” to see that it’s done right.

My staff will tell you that I’m full of great ideas. So would my group of advisors that I have lovingly dubbed my “Brain Trust”. I would say their biggest job is to choke me back and make me focus and stick to my knitting(meaning what makes the cash come in the door).

So, I say there’s nothing wrong with lots of ideas. Do your best ideas flow away on the breeze. (I claim a lot seeps out my ears at night when I’m sleeping- but what is sleep these days?) The proverbial “proof in the pudding” is whether and how they get done.

Maybe you have a great method of handling the organization of your organization. Or an idea trapper. Or some other activity that helps you stay on track during crazy, busy times. Please share them.