For stylish thank-you notes or invites on a budget, Fabulous Stationery has a wide range of cards that can be personalized. The Philadelphia-based company, owned by three advertising-agency veterans, offers more than 300 designs, including Pop Art prints, masculine stripes, and organic shapes. For bulk orders of 10 or more sets of 25 cards and envelopes, the designers can tailor both the text and the look of the cards and add a company logo. Corporate clients include Marie Claire and the Hyatt Regency Boston. Individual sets range from $35 to $55; bulk orders receive 15 percent off. The company ships worldwide. —Lisa Cericola

THE SCOUT

05.07.08 9:50 AM

New Textured Tables Don't Need Linens

Party Rental Ltd.'s new square tables are covered in faux leather.
Photo: Courtesy of Party Rental Ltd.

You can cut linens from the budget by renting the new Parsons table from Party Rental Ltd. Part of the company's new spring line, the 66-inch square table has a sturdy wood frame and is covered completely in a shiny faux-leather material, with a textured surface that eliminates the need for tablecloths.

The tables come in black, white, and bark and can be rented in the New York, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C., areas, with prices available upon request. —Danielle O'Steen

FRESH FACE

05.07.08 9:40 AM

Former Set Designer Adds Drama to Events

Jonathon Beck
Photo: James Mottee

All the World’s a Stage: After studying set and costume design at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts—and becoming the youngest graduate of the course, in 1999—Jonathon Beck began designing sets for the Sydney Theatre Company before expanding his work abroad as a production designer for movies and television in Vienna. Upon his return to Sydney, in 2004, Beck began designing events, and his client list grew to include charity galas and parties for Wella, Moët & Chandon, and 20th Century Fox as well as film director Baz Luhrmann. “It was a natural progression from conceptual theater to what I’m doing now,” he says. “My [work] comes out of a visual arts background and is very installation inspired. It’s more than a backdrop. The idea is to enter into a world that is different from anything else.” READ MORE

Tommy Hilfiger, Y-3, Moët & Chandon, 20th Century Fox, Hugo Boss

THE SCOUT

05.05.08 10:20 AM

Evening Corporate Picnics on the Rise

The Toronto Botanical Garden is experiencing a rise in evening company outings.
Photo: Henry Lin

To most people's minds, the summer company outing involves a barbecue of some sort, perhaps a friendly game of softball between colleagues, and—with any luck—a sunny day. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Instead, picture an early-evening outdoor cocktail hour followed by dinner on a weekday in August, or a family picnic that kicks off at 5 p.m. on a summer Saturday. More and more companies are hosting their annual staff get-togethers during evening hours.

“Summer 2006 was the first time we tried an evening picnic, and I have to say it turned out better than imagined,” says Stacey J. Milch, senior human resources coordinator in the Chicago office of engineering firm Thornton Tomasetti. “You’re not in the heat of high noon. It’s the perfect time.” That year’s location was the University of Illinois’s Chicago campus; the event was produced by Windy City Fieldhouse, a teambuilding and entertainment company. “Our employees loved it so much that they insisted we do it again this past summer, even though we usually don’t do the same thing two years in a row.” READ MORE

Corporate Summer Picnics, Thornton Tomasetti, Combe Incorporated, Alcon Laboratories, Publicis

THE SCOUT

05.02.08 12:05 PM

What to Give Budding Wine Snobs

Fusebox's wine-blending kit
Photo: Courtesy of Fusebox

A bottle of wine is a standard gift, but the Fusebox wine kit from Crushpad goes a bit further. Each set is geared toward groups of four, who learn about D.I.Y. winemaking and then split into teams of two for a game that tests their newfound knowledge about characteristics of grape varietals and wine blending. The box includes seven California wines, as well as tools of the sipping-and-swirling trade: pipettes, recipe cards, tasting placemats, a graduated cylinder, a vinography aroma card, and wine evaluation cards. After learning how to taste and blend various wines, participants compete to guess the components of a special mystery bottle, also included in the kit. Each set retails for $120. —Jenny Berg

THE SCOUT

05.01.08 1:35 AM

Brooklyn Design Firm Takes a Hands-On Approach to Invitations

A custom invitation by Melangerie Inc.
Photo: Courtesy of Melangerie Inc.

Brooklyn-based graphic design firm Mélangerie Inc. offers a wide range of services for events, including decor, invites, and favors. Since opening their business last October, co-owners (and School of Visual Arts alums) Elana Dweck and Julie Tinker have worked on private and corporate projects including a Marie Antoinette-themed table with Chestnuts in the Tuileries for the recent Horticultural Society of New York gala and a three-dimensional invitation for an event at Nike’s 2008 Women in Sports Media summit in Los Angeles. Although the designers tailor the look of each project to fit their clients' needs, Dweck describes their aesthetic as “whimsical yet refined.” The team does most of its work in house, by hand, but offers design consultation for events throughout the U.S. and Canada and ships its paper goods and favors. —Lisa Cericola

Nike

THE SCOUT

04.30.08 9:25 AM

Where to Get Colorful, Flavorful Treats

Delicate and chewy macarons from Macaron Café
Photo: Courtesy of Macaron Café

Arnaud and Cecile Cannone’s Macaron Café in Midtown serves French sandwiches, salads, and sweets—most notably, macarons, which are baked daily and come in such flavors as raspberry, lemon, pistachio, espresso, and chocolate. Dating back to the 17th century, these old-fashioned cookies are baked so the outer shells are crispy and the buttercream filling is chewy. Translucent boxes wrapped in gold paper and filled with an assortment of the colorful cookies make tasty gifts. Each macaron costs $2, boxes of seven are $15, and 25 sell for $50. Large orders (300 or more) can be delivered throughout Manhattan; the eatery can also deliver its sandwiches to offices (for a minimum order of 30). —Sara Randolph

THE SCOUT

04.28.08 11:05 AM

8 Fashion-Forward Plaid Table Linens

BBJ Linen's Nanking plaid pattern
Photo: BizBash

Plaid was popular with designers Alexandre Herchcovitz, Peter Som, and Diane von Furstenberg (and a slew of others) during New York Fashion Week in February. Here's a sampling of table linens with the gridlike motif. —Mark Mavrigian

THE SCOUT

04.23.08 10:20 AM

Health-Conscious Cookies

Gluten-free cookies from Whole Bakers
Photo: Courtesy of Whole Bakers

FROM CHICAGO Whole Bakers owner Patty Stewart began her business for two reasons: to satisfy her sweet tooth and to work around her allergy to gluten, a protein found in oats and wheat. Her gluten-free line of cookies includes all-natural ingredients such as dark chocolate, goji berries, and coconut flour. Varieties include Sugar Drop, Ginger Joy, and Rockin’ Choco Chip cookies, which come in packs of two, six, or 12 and retail from $2.95 to $16.75. A selection of gifts includes customizable holiday packages and the Ultimate Chicago Gift Box (samples of the entire Whole Bakers line), all of which can be shipped throughout the country. —Wendy Wollenberg

THE SCOUT

04.23.08 9:25 AM

A New Personalized Take on a Classic Notebook

Engrave Your Book's embellished Moleskine notebooks
Photo: Courtesy of Engrave Your Book

Lightweight Moleskine notebooks are classic choices for jotting down notes or sketching on the go. Making them even more gift-worthy, they can now be customized by Engrave Your Book. Designer Joe Mansfield uses a laser to engrave the book covers and spines with a photograph, company logo, employee name, or original art by himself or other artists. Each pocket-size book costs $20, and the larger notebook costs $32; customization is $5 extra for the spine of the book and $5 for custom images. Bulk discounts are available. The company ships internationally, and completion time ranges from five days to three weeks, depending on the order size. —Lourdes Branch

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