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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

So in walks a young Automotive Designer, who was doing just that- hedging his bets.

He had put together his resume and his book of design work on a CD. Also, he had designed a very graphically strong “label” for his CD that truly represented his style and who he is as a designer.

But, imagine just putting that in a padded mailing envelope- with or without a cover letter. Does that strike you as being bland, boring and some what invisible, like every other piece of mail going through a corporate mailroom, hoping that standard kraft colored envelope finds its way to the proper destination?

And imagine what might be sitting in the “in box” of a Human Resources Manager right now- tons of mail. Letter size envelopes in grays, whites, light shades of blue, or something corporate like and dozens of manila colored flat mailing envelopes hoping to stand out.

Assuming the envelope gets opened, some intrepid individuals will try something gimmicky, like neon yellow or a Post-It note that says, “The Boss says this looks like a great fit!”

How do you increase the odds yours will get opened and considered? First of all, get the name of the person who should see your resume. That requires homework on your part. If you don’t know how to make the call to get that information, ask a sales person how they make cold calls. They have to do this every day of their lives.

If not, go to your local library (the insides I bet you haven’t seen in a very long time) and ask your local Reference Librarian for help. You will be amazed at what your local library can hook you up with in terms of very specific information.

Next, skip the gimmicks and come see us. Because we understand about packaging, and how the first impression is likely the only one you will get.

Take a look at what we did for our Automotive Designer. He was on the right track himself, but needed help executing the final steps to ensure that his CD showed off his best talents.

First, he knew he needed sketches of his work, to prove that he could draw and conceptualize ideas. It was clear a full size one was going to cost big bucks- not only in reproducing but also in mailing expenses. So we developed the proportional size book so his work demonstrated his abilities as a designer.

Why did we pick that size? It worked with the size of his CD and a box that we could fit both in together. The box itself was just white- so we followed through with his color scheme of red and black by using a paper fill to support the book and CD- then created a sleeve of black paper to cover the box. The best part- we took the cover from his existing, full size sketch book and created a “Label” that we sized to act as a “sleeve” or “band” that could slip off, intact, so it could show some design ingenuity as well as be re-assembled to pass on to another decision makers.

Shipping was merely a decision on where it had to go, how quickly it had to get there, and how much we wanted to spend to get it there.

Bottom Line- a very talented designer was able to put his work “out there” in a more compelling fashion. We certainly don’t take any credit for his design philosophy- but what we did for him was ramp his presentation up just a notch or two, so that his body of work would get noticed.

Stay tuned for an update on what his job search nets him. We have our fingers crossed- although I suspect he won’t need too much more of our help.

I was at Macy’s yesterday. Yikes- it was all out. Aisles of Christmas ornaments, decorative pieces for your mantle, stockings for the fireplace, boy, you name it.

Shoot, I haven’t even gotten to Halloween yet.

I know that many people are anxious about what the Holidays will be like. And what impact the Presidential election might have. And how the money invested for college tuition or retirement might fair. Worse of all, many people have lost their homes due to weather or foreclosure.

So I believe that we need to ignore Christmas right at the moment and focus on what we can do to help our fellow neighbors and people in our community.

Lisa’s Gift Wrappers has always been about supporting children and women. Our work schedules allow for flexibility in working your hours around your children’s school schedules. Not a novel thought, but it is ingrained in our culture to do that for our staff.

Harried mothers feel a bit of respite when they visit our store. We have crayons and paper to keep little ones busy for a few minutes while Mom has the time and breathing space to think and decide.

We are not only about this though. We help out many local charities with creating auction baskets that might bring in more dollars for that charity. We have done centerpieces that highlight decorative cookies for a Domestic Violence Awareness Month (October) fundraiser. We donate our scraps of ribbon and paper to kid-centered charities where art forms an important step towards healing for a child that has lost a parent due to illness. Or a child that lives with a single parent and goes to a safe place after school until they can get picked up. We’ve donated crayons and colored pencils and erasers and markers to local groups for their art rooms.

It’s the materials we work with every day and sometimes take for granted.

Little things have helped our friends and families – our neighborhoods and schools – our churches and synagogues – pull people through these hard times.

We believe in giving back to our community. It might take baby steps- like donating books to a women’s shelter- to get you rolling.

Christmas will always be there. But let’s focus on the here and now and spend some time helping others.

Have you ever thought of collecting some of these things to add to your packages for that little extra zing? It says you have thought just a little bit more about the artistry of the top of your box- not just the bow or even the wrapping paper.

I invite you to take a walk through the fall colors in our store. You can even bring in your trimmings and we can create with you.

We have these new shades of green paper- moss, chartreuse and pale sage almost bordering on the mint side. All are perfect for making that fall statement.

And then there is my all time favorite- it’s got a burnt orange to dark red background with beautiful, abstracted mums and other fall flowers on it. It is such a great paper that any fall colors work- from the crimsons to golden yellows, the dark greens to the light greens, even a pop of orange in the pattern from time to time. Any ribbon combination will work here. So I usually suggest combining textures with different widths and playful, novelty ribbons to add some other interest.

You could also add dried items like bittersweet or other branch type materials. Maybe add a stalk of fresh mums to the top. Or consider tree leaves or dried pods or thistles.

Take advantage of what fall has to offer because as soon as the rains start here in Michigan, much of this dried bounty from Nature will be gone.

Maybe you’ve got a special item you like to use- we’d love to see your ideas on decorating packages in the Fall. Send them to us lisa@lisasgiftwrappers.com and we’ll be glad to post them for others to see.

So what does this have to do with September? For me, even though I am well past the days of going to school, some how September always seems to remind me of getting ready and then actually starting school.

Perhaps it’s the new pencils and the smell of getting them sharpened. (O.K., I know I’m showing my age here- but I don’t care for mechanical pencils. They just don’t seem to me to be the real deal).

Or maybe it’s getting the ruled, spiral bound notebooks for each class. Or the ruler, scissors and colored markers or pencils, maybe even glue or tape.

I think it’s the process. Thinking about the year to come and what I might learn and whether I will like my teachers and what will it be like in the grade or college level I’ll be in.

Maybe it was also about seeing my mother get ready to start her year as an art teacher. Making sure she had her supplies organized, ready to go.

I have always ascribed to the idea that you should never stop learning. So for an adult to take a class and squeeze it into our busy schedules, I say it has to be something that you have always wanted to learn.

So embrace the return of Fall and think about a class you might take. Go to your local library or community center. I would suggest a class that will stir your creativity like an art class, an exercise class, something where you will learn an entirely new skill or brush up in an area that you started learning years ago.

At Lisa’s, we love to offer classes in the fall and spring. We start with classes on how to wrap and make a wonderful bow. It’s simple. It’s fun. But best of all, there are other people there for the same reason, and meeting new people is half of the experience. This year classes are on Saturdays, October 25 and November 8. To sign up call us at 248-547-9094.

It’s not rocket science- but it’s the tips and tricks when the presentation is as important as your gift. You can check out our sister website, http://www.readysetwrap.com, for tips and pictures on wrapping if you can’t make it to one of our classes. And if you get stuck, just e-mail us at lisa@lisasgiftwrappers.com for help or ideas.

My dad was great at taking the shell of something and seeing all its greatness.

But sometimes that gets you into trouble. Or at least that seems to be my problem.

For instance, I bought this darling doll house kit for the daughter of a good friend, because a) I have a son so I wouldn’t be able to indulge that fantasy and b) I had always wanted to make one of these.

So, I bought the basic kit. Pretty simple if I had stuck to their plan. But O-h n-o, not me. A little tiny whisper said “wouldn’t the roof be cute with shingles?”- so I bought the shingle package. And since I can stencil, let’s ditch the basic stencil for the shutters and look high and low for the perfect stencil.

Of course, you’ve got to pre-sand and then prime and then paint everything with at least two coats of paint. (This treatment is better than what most homeowners do. Is someone for real going to live in this place???).

An update: The surprise I had planned is still in pieces in my basement, waiting to be finished. I know that I should get my butt in gear, so that one of my friends with little girls might get to enjoy it this century.

Any advice from those of you who have fallen into the big trap of “Incomplete-itis” or “Have too many projects going at the same time- you slightly over planner?” Please share.