
Easy & Delicious Strawberry and Nutella Crepes
One of my favorite things to make is crepes. I had originally learned in French class in High School and have played with the recipe adding in my own favorites. They're easy and delicious! I used the basic recipe from Mark Bittman's "How to Cook Everything"...

Being Your Own Cake Boss: An Interview with Courtney Hopkins, Award-Winning Entreprenuer & Cake Extroardinaire
The best advice I got was to “Not Give Up.” There are times when things don’t work out… but you have to learn from your mistakes and move on.

You Should Read This…
Want to grow in your success as an industry leader? Read this.

Wine for the Weekend: 90+ Cellars 2014 Pinot Noir
I recently decided to splurge on a wine and tried 90+ Cellars' Pinot Noir. I love Washington/Oregon white wines and decided I would see what one of my favorite red varietals might taste like. I was pleasantly surprised, intrigued even by the...

Fun & Easy Easter Desserts
Click the images to view the recipes.

Easy & Delicious Strawberry and Nutella Crepes
One of my favorite things to make is crepes. I had originally learned in French class in High School and have played with the recipe adding in my own favorites. They're easy and delicious! I used the basic recipe from Mark Bittman's "How to Cook Everything"...

Being Your Own Cake Boss: An Interview with Courtney Hopkins, Award-Winning Entreprenuer & Cake Extroardinaire
The best advice I got was to “Not Give Up.” There are times when things don’t work out… but you have to learn from your mistakes and move on.

You Should Read This…
Want to grow in your success as an industry leader? Read this.

Wine for the Weekend: 90+ Cellars 2014 Pinot Noir
I recently decided to splurge on a wine and tried 90+ Cellars' Pinot Noir. I love Washington/Oregon white wines and decided I would see what one of my favorite red varietals might taste like. I was pleasantly surprised, intrigued even by the...

Fun & Easy Easter Desserts
Click the images to view the recipes.
New To The City? Things To Know
Each city has it's thing, stuff the locals know and any good traveler does too. Chicago is no exception to that. If you are new to the city, here are some things you should know, ESPECIALLY if you are planning an event here. Chicago is a convention city. All cities...
Top 5 Things to Do for a Short Trip to Chicago (If You’ve Never Been)
Let's say you're just here on business or you've only got a weekend in the city and you've never been here before. What are things can you do to really get a great sense of the city quickly? Here are my top 5 suggestions (in no particular order) for seeing Chicago...

DIY Restoration with Jack Pettyjohn: The Reclaimed Fruit Crate
The Chicago Event Planner Magazine is excited to have Restoration Guru Jack Pettyjohn share his skills on creatively making a side table out of a used crate. You never know what a client will ask you about and thanks to Jack, you can be even more knowledgeable...

5 Tips to Survive the Holiday Season
You made it through the Thanksgiving Holiday! Hopefully you ate lots of food, saw family and caught up on some rest because now it's holiday season and, as every event planner knows, the end of life as you know it. As a reminder to keep up with your holiday cheer,...

5 Tips for Smart Shopping on Black Friday
A tradition that started in the 60s, Black Friday is considered the first official day of the Holiday Shopping Season. Stores open at ridiculously early hours hoping to turn their accounting books from red (negative) to black (positive). That being said, in the...

6 Tips for Holiday Travel in Chicago
Thanksgiving is Thursday (where has November gone?!) and whether you're meeting with friends for the day or pulling out a giant roller suitcase, some form of travel is most likely inevitable. So here are 6 Tips for traveling to, from or through Chicago. 1. Estimate...

Delicious Thanksgiving Desserts!
While we're all busy with work, Thanksgiving is the time where we look forward to a longer weekend, some serious shopping and of course, food! So click the images for some great recipes from Midwest Living, Kraft and Taste of Home to get some yummy, holiday desserts!...
4 Reasons Why Events Are More Than Just a Party
In the past decade, the field of event planning has grown exponentially. Certifications and organizations have developed in addition to the fact that it is now a legitimate college major. A lot of people tend to think it's an easy, fun job and while it can be, a...

10 Signs You May Be in the Presence of “Net-twerking”
Networking is a powerful tool. It gets your name out there, it gets you business and it gives you the chance to interact with other professionals who aren't clients or colleagues. I've attended a lot of networking events, especially recently, and it is interesting...

10 Ways of Giving (Even During a Holiday Party)
It's important to remember to give back and it doesn't have to be hard. Here are 10 ideas to incorporate in your events and holiday plans to help give back to those who need it this year. 1. Donate a portion of sales to an organization that works with your brand,...