Monday, December 22, 2008

Put Childlike Fun Back Into Your Events


Just because you are all grown and sitting in a meeting doesn't mean you have to act grown up. Create a different kind of meeting and save a few bucks along the way. Instead of price PER plate - why not see if your caterer has any equipment like a popcorn machine, pretzel machine or even a sno-cone machine? This is just plain fun and brings the best out in all of us. OK - so it is NOT the healthiest of all choices, but a little indulgence here and there never hurt anyone.

Now for that extra kick - and to promote interaction between everyone all you need is a photo booth at the meeting. Check out www.photoboothservices.com. They can work with any space and any type of event. Plus you're guests will have a great keepsake from the meeting.

Friday, December 19, 2008

Get Out And Get Festive

Looking for some REAL holiday inspiration for yourself, your family or even your staff? Look no further - here are some GREAT ideas and places to go - don't worry - all you need to do is call, reserve your space, or show and the inspiration will be there waiting for you! Here are a few festive ideas! Have fun!

OPTION 1: Make a splash in your scrapbook with a family vacation at Great Wolf Lodge, conveniently located in Centralia, Washington between Seattle and Portland. And their Conference Center is also available for corporate and social functions for groups from 8 to 800.


OPTION 2: Get your tickets now for a Seattle tradition. The ACT's 33rd Annual production of A Christmas Carol is playing now. Calll the ticket office at (206) 292-7676. Special group prices for parties of 20 or more are available. Save up to 25%. Call (253) 839-4204 to book now!

OPTION 3: The Argosy Christmas Ship™ festival is a holiday celebration that has been a Northwest tradition for 59 years. Its main purpose is to bring communities together to celebrate the holiday season. Click here to watch a video.

OPTION 4: Book a table for fun, laughs and jaw-dropping acrobatics at Teatro Zinzanni. If this is your first time visiting, you are in for a real treat!

Thursday, December 18, 2008

Save the Date: It's A Great Cause!

The Seattle Hotel Association's (SHA) 59-member hotels is proud to announce that H.S. Wright III and Kate Janeway are the honorees of its 12th annual fundraising dinner and gala auction, the "Evening of Hope." The highly anticipated gala will once again raise funds for Plymouth Housing Group, which provides supportive housing for more than 1000 individuals who would otherwise be homeless in downtown Seattle. The event will be held on Saturday, February 7, 2009 at The Fairmont Olympic Hotel.

Learn more about this great cause and you can attend by clicking here.

Monday, December 15, 2008

City Of Lights

This time of year there is inspiration for your event planning decorations everywhere you look in the form of Christmas lights. Never underestimate the simple additions of twinkling lights to your event decor. And try to be creative in the ways you use lighting at your event. Think outside the box like some of these fabulous examples below.

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Tis The Season For Couture Greetings

Couture has been a huge buzz word in pop culture in the last couple of years. If you love couture, and goodness knows we do, then you'll love these completely original, and completely dazzling couture Christmas greeting cards and invitations from Enfin La Voila! Each design is custom created and looks like nothing we've ever seen before.

Enfin La Voila also creates custom stationary and invitations for just about any ocassion so if you have a need for something truly out the ordinar and ultra extraordinary check out the complete collection.



Monday, December 8, 2008

Seasonings Of The Season

Local chefs and food connoisseurs have worked their magic to create exquisite tastes, seasonings and culinary delights that make excellent gifts this holiday. Here are two of our local favorites...

From Volterra in Ballard comes their signature fennel salt and porcini salt, sure to add that extra flair and pizazz to your dishes. Volterra Fennel Salt was launched at the 2006 Winter Fancy Food Show and became an overnight success. After making its red carpet debut in the celebrity gift bags at the Oscars “Night of 100 Stars” gala, it has become wildly popular with celebrities and was even been featured on the set of the “Desperate Housewives”. The boldly flavored Fennel Salt was inspired by Chef Don Curtiss’ travels through Italy. It’s made with freshly toasted, organic fennel seed, organic orange peel, and other traditional flavors of the Italian peninsula. Chef Curtiss personally makes every batch of Fennel Salt to ensure the highest quality. Recreate Volterra’s bread service using Volterra Extra Virgin Olive oil sprinkled with Fennel Salt. It’s a great all purpose seasoning and is particularly delicious in meat and seafood dishes, potatoes and eggs.

The Twelve Rubs of Christmas from Tom Douglas is also on our list this year. What’s more welcome, more delicious, and more exciting than a partridge in a pear tree? A handsome gift box of Tom Douglas Rub with Love Spice Rubs will delight everyone on your holiday list! All 12 of our spice rubs are included in this spectacular gift, from the brown sugar and sweet paprika notes of our best selling Salmon Rub to the smoky chiles, toasted sesame, and dried seaweed tang of Spicy Tokyo Rub to the ultimate BBQ flavors of cumin, coriander, and a touch of cayenne in our Pork Rub. Just pat these spice rubs on salmon, shrimp, steak, burgers, Portobello mushrooms, or baby back ribs- in fact, just about any meat, fish or vegetable you can think of. Sprinkle the rubs into stews, soups, and stir fries, mix up a quick sour cream dipping sauce, or toss some into your scrambled eggs. Spice up the holiday season for yourself, your family and friends.

Friday, December 5, 2008

A Lot-o Gelato!

All of us at banquetevent.com have a hidden sweet tooth, so this ingenious idea we are about to share with you is right up our alley. eCreamery allows you to create custom flavored gelato and have it shipped right to your door, still frozen and ready to eat.

eCreamery’s ice cream & gelato artists can be found churning classic flavors and your own imaginative masterpieces in a small boutique ice cream parlor in the heart of the Midwest in Omaha, Nebraska. Their natural flair for exceptionally delicious & creative flavors has brought them recognition throughout the region!

The gelato is most definitely a spurge as the costs are pretty steep, but this unique idea does make a great gift for thoses with an affinity toward ice cream.

Thursday, December 4, 2008

This Is No Accident!


More and more of you are giving the gift of wine this Christmas. If you are one of the winelovers sharing the love, we have a great tip for you.

The Accidental Wine Company takes bottles that have been damaged or tainted in some way and sells them to you at a lower price. After all, there may be something wrong with the bottle, but there is nothing wrong with the wine inside.

A bottle breaks and stains its neighbors, a new label design replaces an old established one, or a winery just closes its doors. A soiled, retired, or discontinued label is suddenly and simply less valuable. But whether it is ruby or straw colored, it still has its legs, and its fruit and perfume. The character and charm remain in tact and by golly, it still commands passion and presence. And, wow, what wonderful taste.

Monday, December 1, 2008

A Hostess Gift With The Mostest


With all those holiday parties you'll be attending this year, here is a great idea for a hostess gift to accompany a great bottle of wine. Check out these completely eco-friendly wine bags from Grassroots Gallery. These stunning wine bags make a statement. Carefully crafted of sumptuous, eco-friendly handmade papers, the bags feature exquisite floral embossing, velvet flocking, hand silk-screened prints and real rose petals. The finishing touch are beautiful velvet or soft cotton handles, a mark of true distinction.

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Happy Thanksgiving!

Wishing you all a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend. We are very thankful to all of you that read our blog daily and who frequently use our resources at banquetevent.com.

Monday, November 24, 2008

The Hollywood Escape

Nothing can take you away from the stresses of life like the movies can. That's why with all the hustle and bustle of the holiday approaching, Hollywood gives us a little escape in the form of blockbusters. Here's the buzz on the season's most talked about feature films...

Twilight


The Plot:
In her new town of Forks, Washington, misfit teenager Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) falls for her alluring and mysterious classmate, Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson). As it turns out, Edward belongs to a lineage of vampires, although he doesn't fit the typical vampire mold. As their passion reaches dizzying heights, can Edward resist his natural urges, and will he be able to defend Bella from his family members who have come for her? Our Pick!

Watch the trailer...



Four Christmases

The Plot: A comedy about a married couple (Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn) from two divorced families who are tasked with attending four Christmas Day celebrations.

Australia

The Plot: Set in northern Australia before World War II, an English aristocrat (Nicole Kidman) who inherits a sprawling ranch reluctantly pacts with a stock-man (Hugh Jackman) in order to protect her new property from a takeover plot. As the pair drive 2,000 head of cattle over unforgiving landscape, they experience the bombing of Darwin, Australia, by Japanese forces firsthand. Our Pick!

Watch the trailer...



The Day The Earth Stood Still

The Plot: Aliens land on Earth with an important message for its citizens. A remake of the classic 1951 sci-fi film directed by Robert Wise.

Seven Pounds

The Plot: A professional man (Will Smith) who is close to suicide for his role in an auto accident that claimed the lives of seven people finds a reason to live, and to atone, when he falls for a woman (Rosario Dawson) who wants to help him deal with his grief. Our Pick!

Watch the trailer...



Yes Man

The Plot: What happens when you agree with everyone and say "yes" to everything? Carl (Jim Carrey) is about to find out when he chooses to become overly agreeable for an entire year. Our Pick!

Watch the trailer...



Revolutionary Road

The Plot: A young couple (Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio) raising a family in a Connecticut suburb during the mid-1950s look to break free from their frustratingly mediocre lives.

Valkyrie

The Plot: Near the end of WWII, Claus von Stauffenberg (Tom Cruise) leads to group of fellow German army colonels in an attempt to assassinate Adolf Hitler; the event would later be called the July 20 Plot of 1944.

Marley & Me

The Plot: An impossibly cute, but impossible-to-live-with yellow Labrador retriever named Marley teaches his newlywed owners (Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson) a thing or two about patience and parenthood.

Last Chance Harvey

The Plot: During a weekend in which Harvey Shine (Dustin Hoffman) travels to London for his daughter's wedding, her first learns that he's lost his job back in New York, then he discovers he won't be the man giving away the bride at the ceremony. The one good thing that happens -- his meeting Kate (Emma Thompson), a prickly but nevertheless enchanting Londoner -- might be the beginning of some much-needed change in Harvey's life. Our Pick!

Watch the trailer...




The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

The Plot: Benjamin Button (Brad Pitt) was born under unusual circumstances. As everyone around him grew older, he aged backwards, making the challenges of life such as creating friendships, finding a job and falling in love all the more difficult and heartbreaking. Our Pick!

Watch the trailer...

Friday, November 21, 2008

What Is Your Eco Footprint?

You've heard it said many times, but what is a carbon-footprint? Any ideas? Well now is your chance to find out. Take the quiz at myfootprint.org and find out what your personal carbon footprint is.

The Ecological Footprint Quiz estimates the area of land and ocean required to support your consumption of food, goods, services, housing, and energy and assimilate your wastes. Your ecological footprint is expressed in "global hectares" or "global acres", which are standardized units that take into account the differences in biological productivity of various ecosystems impacted by your consumption activities. Your footprint is broken down into four consumption categories: carbon (home energy use and transportation), food, housing, and goods and services.

Click here to take the quiz.

Thursday, November 20, 2008

A Little Nostalgia


Rainier Brewing Company (1884 - 1999) was a Seattle, Washington, company that brewed Rainier Beer, a popular brand in the Pacific Northwest. Although Rainier was founded in 1884, the Seattle site had been brewing beer since 1878. While the beer enjoys near iconic status, it is no longer brewed in Seattle, nor is the company owned locally. In the late 1990s, the company was sold to Stroh's, then to Pabst, though Miller contract brews most of Pabst's beers. The brewery was closed by Pabst in 1999 and sold.

Although beer is no longer brewed there, the brewery itself is still a fixture in the south end of town, adjacent to I-5 just north of the Spokane Street Viaduct. In fact, as our business sits in the heart of West Seattle, we pass by the building each morning. The plant is now used by Tully's Coffee to roast beans. The trademark red neon R that sat atop the building has been replaced with a green T for the new occupant. But if you are ever feeling a little nostalgic, the neon R is now in the collection of Seattle's Museum of History and Industry.

Friday, November 14, 2008

Employee Wall Of Fame

If you are looking to build morale within your own company consider looking toward your employees for inspiration. A local company out of Seattle called Noetix is doing just that. Noetix has taken life size images of the people that work there and created an employee wall of fame. Photos where taken at a company event and posted on one of the hallways at the company. Now when employees arrive, they are reminded how important they are to the company each and every day.


Monday, November 10, 2008

Thanksgiving Dinner From Someone Else's Kitchen Tastes Just As Good


Fabulous home-cooked feasts are a traditional part of Thanksgiving. They can also be a lot of work and a lot of stress. If you'd rather devote your energy to quality time with friends and family, dining out on Thanksgiving Day is a perfectly fine alternative. Since this has become a popular option, reservations are usually required. These resources will help you find out which Puget Sound area restaurants will be serving dinner on Thanksgiving.
  • Open Table - this online restaurant reservation services has a special section devoted to restaurants that are open on Thanksgiving
  • The Seattle Times - lists menu items, restaurant hours, and price range
  • CitySearch Seattle - in addition to listing open restaurants, this site lists Thanksgiving catering and takeout options
  • Gayot.com - this restaurant review web site provides a list of Thanksgiving dining options as well as links for reservations
Local Restaurants Serving Thanksgiving Dinner...

0/8 Seafood Grill & Twisted Cork Wine Bar
Bellevue, WA
Chef Dan is offering a Thanksgiving buffet of traditional fare as well as fresh local seafood.
Cost: $38.95/adult, $16.95/child 5-12, free for children under 5 w/ an adult
Time: Noon to 7 p.m.
Reservations highly recommended

Andaluca
Seattle in the Mayflower Park Hotel
Offering the regular menu.
Time: 3-9 p.m.
Reservation recommended.

Brasserie Margaux
Belltown
A Thanksgiving Day buffet.
Time: 1-8 p.m.
Cost: $39/adult, $14.95/child under 12). Included validated parking.

Chandler's Crabhouse
Lake Union
Offering a 4-course dinner including traditional roast turkey, herb roasted prime rib, or fresh seafood delicacies.
Cost: $44.95
Reservations Recommended

Clinkerdagger
Spokane, WA
Offering our regular dinner menu along with a featured Traditional Thanksgiving Dinner.
Time: 3:30-8 p.m.
Reservations Recommended

Cutter's Bayhouse
Seattle, WA
Offering a large variety of our most popular items as well as traditional Thanksgiving Day dinners.
Time: Noon - 8 p.m.
Reservations Recommended

Daniel's Broiler
Lake Union, Bellevue Place and Leschi Marina
Offer a delicious, 4-course dinner including traditional roast turkey or USDA Prime beef.
Cost: $49.95

Maggiano's Little Italy
Bellevue
Celebrate Thanksgiving with your family & friends! Their special menu includes roast turkey, country style ham, garlic mashed potatoes, pumpkin praline cheesecake, & more!
Cost: $34.95 per person (adults) and $16.95 per child.
Carry out and home delivery also available.

McCormick & Schmick's
Offering a limited menu, incl. a traditional turkey dinner, prime rib, salmon, crab, and lamb chops.
Reservations Recommended

Ponti Seafood Grill
Seattle, WA
Join us for a traditional 3-course menu featuring grilled salmon, prime rib, and turkey.
Cost: $39/adult, $15/child
Time: 1-8 p.m.

Toscano
Bellevue Offering a delicious Thanksgiving buffet with over 100 items!
Cost:$39/adult, $20/child 6-12

Friday, November 7, 2008

Turkey Trot 2008

Get ready for a day of turkey day gorging with the annual Turkey Trot fun walk. Proceeds from the Turkey Trot held November 16, will not only benefit your waistline, but also the Hopelink organization that provides emergency services for low-income families in east and north King County during the winter months when they faces added pressures such as higher home heating costs and additional food needs. Hopelink anticipates an increase by 20% of those visiting food banks this year, and the money raised through the Turkey Trot will go toward providing those in need with the resources they need.

Registration for the fun walk begins at Noon on the 16th at Carillon Point in Kirkland. The walk starts at 1 pm. You may also pre-register to receive a $5 discount.

Click here for more information about the Turkey Trot.

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Get Inspired! So Easy To Give Thanks

Our holiday inspiration boards continue with this easy to re-create and ultra spectacular Thanksgiving board. Planning an entertaining and family-friendly turkey day has never been easy.

Theme: Giving Thanks, duh!
Colors: Stick to pale oranges, cranberry reds and sage green

Click image below to enlarge.

Top Row: Oak leave cornucopia from Martha Stewart; Leave outdoor lanterns from Martha Stewart; Fall urn from Martha Stewart
Second Row: Fall leave piecrust cutters from Williams-Sonoma; Decorative straw turkey from Williams-Sonoma; Textured Pillar Candles Cardamom Cedar from Restoration Hardware; Vintage Monopoly game from Restoration Hardware
Third Row: Miracle on 34th Street; Fully-cooked smoked turkey from Honeybaked Ham; Homemade cranberry sauce; Sweet cinnamon pumpkin soap caddy from Bath & Body Works
Bottom Row: Pumpkin home fragrance oil from Bath & Body Works; Caterer plates at Pottery Barn; Della Robbia Topiary from Ballard Designs; Nutty Pecan martini from Rachael Ray; Giving Thanks book by M.J. Ryan



Create the look:

The Decor: We like choosing simple decor items that can also carry you into the Christmas season. So stick with fruits and vegetables and dark greens as your design backdrop.

The Food: When it comes to planning a meal for a large group, don't try to do everything yourself. Ask your guests to bring a side dish, and don't feel like you are backing out of the responsibilities by asking others to help out with the meal. Remember, it is Thanksgiving after all, so let your friends give. Of course, there is always the main staple, the infamous turkey. If you are a Tom Douglas mini-me, go ahead and try to make your own frozen/thawed turkey with all the dressings. But if you are like us, consider a catered turkey or a pre-cooked turkey from Honeybaked Ham. Add your own garnishes, and be sure to throw away any evidence of a "store bought" bird so your guests will never know. And, if nothing else, ditch the canned cranberry sauce for the real thing. It's pretty simple to make and you can gloat that you made it from scratch all night long.


The Entertainment: How often do you have all your friends and family together? Not that often right, so make the most of it. Pull out some "family fun" games and stick Miracle on 34th Street in the dvd player. (Yes, we realize this is a "Christmas" movie, but the movie starts out depicting the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, so work with us here).

The Mood: From the moment your guests step inside your welcoming home, make sure they are bombarded (that's right, we said bombarded) with the scent of the holidays. Our pick is the lovely scent of spiced pumpkin, which can also carry you right into the Christmas season. Create the scent with burning oil, candles and room sprays and add extra touches with scented soaps and lotions in the bathroom.

The Booze: Be adventurous and try out a new fall-themed cocktail like spiked hot cider, pecan martini or pomegranate mint mojito. What other time of year can you try something so festive?

Monday, November 3, 2008

On The Plane, On the Train, In A Boat, While You Float


When it comes to event planners, we are often on the go, go, go, so reading the next great novel isn't always an easy task. Until now. It's already been endorsed by Oprah as her new favorite thing, and we must admit, the new Amazon Kindle is worth all the buzz.

Utilizing a new high-resolution display technology called electronic paper, Kindle provides a crisp black-and-white screen that resembles the appearance and readability of printed paper. The screen works using ink, just like books and newspapers, but displays the ink particles electronically. It reflects light like ordinary paper and uses no backlighting, eliminating the glare associated with other electronic displays. As a result, Kindle can be read as easily in bright sunlight as in your living room.The screen never gets hot so you can comfortably read as long as you like.

The Amazon Kindle retails for $359.

Friday, October 31, 2008

Have A Spooktacular Halloween from Banquetevent.com!

Wishing you all a safe and fun Halloween!

If you like carved pumpkins but don't want to deal with the hassle of cleaning out the insides and making a mess, click here to start carving your very own pumpkin.

Check out our work below. Okay, okay, we admit it's the prettiest pumpkin of all, but give us a break!


Monday, October 27, 2008

7-Election

Last week we blogged about the sales of political Halloween masks and how their sales can often predict the winner of the presidential election. Now comes another, so-called "predictor" from 7-11 convenience stores. Let us introduce you to the 2008 7-Election, where 7-11 coffee drinkers show their support for one candidate over another by drinking from their respective choice's coffee cup.

Now you may be like us and wonder if any of these "predictors" are really accurate. Well, according to 7-11, during the 2000 7-Election, the George W. Bush cups outsold the Al Gore cups by just 1%...and we all remember how that election turned out. 7-11 also states that during the 2004 7-Election, the results tracked identically with published national election results: 51% George W. Bush and 49% for John Kerry (within a few percentage points of actual poll results in many states!).

So where does the 7-Election stand today? According to the national results tallied thus far, Barack Obama leads John McCain 60% to 40%. In Washington State, Obama also leads McCain 68% to 38%.

Can this all be true? Time will tell. Click here to track the results yourself.



vs.

Friday, October 24, 2008

Advertising For Your Holiday Event


The holidays are just around the corner, and chances are, you are busy as bee planning your company holiday event. How will you market it to your fellow employees? We highly suggest using online meeting registration and marketing to spread the word...here's why...

Company Meeting and Event Websites

The Internet has quickly become one of the most efficient and cost-effective meeting marketing and communication tools. A meeting website, e-mail marketing campaign and online registration will boost attendance for almost any event, meeting or conference. Consideration for a unique event website might be applied as an incorporated part of your company or groups permanent website, or a standalone site or both! Effective meeting/event web site components you should consider including on the site could be:
  • On-Demand Attendance Reports
  • Email Invitation and Attendance Campaign
  • 24/7 Meeting/Event Registration
  • Venue Information
  • Accommodation Details
  • Program & Agenda
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Web Casting (video options)
  • Content Archiving
  • Post-Event Follow-Up
Online Event Program Management
Event planning online through use of on-line form submissions, emails and updates quickly and easily creates a unified affect that when done well, will narrow the physical or perceptive distance that might exist within your team(s).
  • You can track the progress of program development more easily.
  • Your team will communicate more effectively with each other and with the meeting presenters.
  • Much of the information in the program development system can be automatically used in emails and on web pages.
Online Meeting Registration
Online meeting registration can increase registrations while decreasing registration costs! In fact, the simplicity and convenience of online registration is a critical contributor to assuring high attendance for many events. When considering companies to work with make sure they can offer you a visible proven track record for many unique types of events they have setup on-line registration within your company’s needs and details.
  • Do not overlook a company who is not a “known” factor.
  • Do your research. It will pay heavy rewards in the end.
Meeting Webcasting
Web Casting and archived audio, video and presentation content enables expanded distribution of meeting content. It makes a very efficient tool to connect with those who may not be able to attend your meeting or event.

HOT Tip! You've all heard about eVite, but have you checked out PINGG? PINGG is an online event invitation and management service. And it's free!

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

I WILL VOTE 2008


Hey all you voters? Want to spread the word that you will be voting come this November? Send in your "I Will Vote" photo to the Secretary of State website. Check out some of the great photos we've found of local voters pledging to vote.


Monday, October 20, 2008

Mock Election 2008

If you have children in grades K-12 and want to teach them about the importance of the upcoming election, encourage them to vote in the Washington State Mock Election. Voting starts at 8:30 a.m. on Monday, October 27 and the polls close at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, October 31. Results are posted after 5:00 p.m.

When voting begins, students participating in the Mock Election must "register to vote" by submitting their name and school. They will immediately receive a unique voter ID number, a printable voter registration card, and their ballot. Ballots are cast online. Election results will be available after 5:00 p.m. on Friday, October 31.

Students will vote on all the same issues facing adults and will also vote to elect the next President and Vice President of the United States as well as local Governor.

Click here to learn more about the Mock Election.

Friday, October 17, 2008

A Computer Like You've Never Felt Before

HP is introducing a whole new option for PC lovers. And even we Mac users have to admit, it's pretty darn cool. Meet the HP Touchsmart IQ804 and IQ816 All-in-One Desktop PC that works similarly to your iPhone or iPod touch, only it also has all the conveniences of features of a regular desktop computer.

What The Retailers Are Saying:
Redesigned with a next-generation, touch-enabled 25.5-inch high-definition LCD screen, the HP TouchSmart IQ804 all-in-one desktop PC is designed to fit wherever life happens: in the kitchen, family room, or living room. With one touch you can check the weather, download your e-mail, or watch your favorite TV show. It's also designed to maximize energy, with a power-saving Intel Core 2 Duo processor and advanced power management technology, as well as material efficiency--right down to the packaging. It has a sleek piano black design with elegant espresso side-panel highlights, and the HP Ambient Light lets you set a mood--or see your keyboard in the dark.

The touch-enabled 25.5-inch widescreen BrightView LCD offers height/tilt adjustment for optimal viewing. It offers a native resolution of 1920 x 1200 pixels. Video is powered by the Nvidia GeForce 9300M GS HD graphics/video card, which provides 256 MB of dedicated video RAM and offers up to 2047 MB of total available graphics memory as allocated by Windows Vista. Enabled by PureVideo HD, movies come to life with outstanding picture clarity, ultra-smooth video and vivid color. The lifelike images have up to six times the detail of standard DVD movies. Delivering state-of-the-art graphics performance, GeForce 9300M GS graphics card is sure to give you the power and performance you crave to play the hottest DirectX 9 and DirectX 10 titles. Its 16x full-screen antialiasing technology delivers superior quality along with astounding performance and since it's optimized for Windows Vista. The integrated audio card is configurable to 6-speaker surround sound, and it can provide two-channel audio via its integrated speakers.

Watch the ad below:





The Touchsmart is not available yet, but you can pre-order yours at Amazon.com.

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Blonds Have All The Fun

There is just no denying it. The staff at banquetevent.com loves animals. And in honor of Halloween, which is just around the corner, we wanted to share some photos with you of an adorable dachshund named Honey. We dare you not to fall in love.

View more pictures of Honey and her furry friends, check out Honey's flickr site.











Are you planning on dressing up your pooch for Halloween? Send us your pictures and we'll post them on our blog! Email us.

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Get Inspired! An Adult Halloween Party

Whoever said Halloween was for kids was clearly mistaken. We'd like to introduce our new "Get Inspired!" series of party planning inspiration boards to help you get your creative juices flowing for your own happening events. After all, we are entering the busiest season of all, jam-packed with one holiday after another. So let's get started with our first board of the season!

Theme: A Grown-Up Halloween
Colors: Black and Orange

Click image below to enlarge.































Top Row:
Dishware from Pottery Barn; Monogram pumpkins from Martha Stewart; Pumpkin Whoopie Pies from Rachel Ray; Table setting from BBJ Linen
Second Row: Halloween Jenga from Amazon.com; AFI's top horror film Psycho; Halloween Chandelier from Enchanted Decor; Stars from Enchanted Decor
Third Row: Chandelier details from Ballard Designs; Trick or Treat lighted bags from Ballard Designs; Cheddar Fondue from Food Network; Spooky cocktails from Food Network
Bottom Row: Chocolate spider dessert from Food Network; Bat glitter candles from Plum Party; Mrs. Incredible costume from Display & Costume; Napkins from Plum Party

Let's get down to business...

The Colors: Go classic orange and black. Since orange is not a color most people use often, select accent pieces like napkins, candlesticks and small decorations that are orange in color. Then choose black items that are more recyclable like your chairs, table linens and candlesticks to complete the look.

The Decor: Halloween is a pretty simple holiday to find decorations for. But if you have the time and energy, try simple crafts for your decorations like pumpkin carving, glittered votive candle holders and edible spooky snacks. Homemade decorations are far more interesting and impressive.

The Entertainment: What would a Halloween party be without a scary film? We checked AFI's top 50 horror films and the film Psycho topped the list. Even if you aren't all going to sit down and watch it intently, stick it in your dvd player and let it run. Just the screams and scary music will add to the overall abiance.

The Food: Plan a meal that allows people to gather around the table, talk and mingle. A formal sitdown dinner is just not appropriate for a Halloween party. Consider a fondue party with cheddar cheese dip. It's a fun and tasty activity, plus it matches your color scheme!

The Fun: Since it is a Halloween Party after all, costumes are a must! Give an award for the best costume and the most creative costume. It will turn your event into a competition, encouraging your guests to step it up a notch. And since you are the awesome party planner that you are, we suggest going as Mr. or Mrs. Incredible!

Monday, October 13, 2008

Mirror Mirror On The Wall, Who Is The Scariest Of Them All?

It has often been said that people's choice of political Halloween costumes can often predict the winner and loser of the presidential race. You may predict that the most purchased political mask of the year would equal the candidate the voters think is the "scariest" option. After all, this is Halloween and the time for spooks and tricks. But, surprisingly, that is not the case. According to online costume retailers, the quantity of political masks purchased predicts the winner, not loser of the presidential race. In fact, they say that they have been able to predict the winner of the last seven elections, simply by mask sales!

So who will win this year? According to a recent article featured on AOL.com, so far, Barack Obama masks are outselling John McCain masks in Spirit Halloween and iParty stores and online at Amazon and BuyCostumes.com.

Will mask sales predict the winner? We'll just have to wait and see.








VS.
















Left: Barack Obama Mask Available at Costume Alibi, $24.99
Right: John McCain Mask Available at Political Masks, $16.99




VS.















Left: Sarah Palin Mask, Available at Costume Kingdom, $29.95
Right: Joe Biden Paper Mask, Available at Buy Costumes, $.99