Just Be Good To Me AKA Exception to the Rule Syndrome

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Remember the song, Just Be Good to Me by S.O.S Band? Well that is the problem with most women. I’m sure you’re wondering why I’m saying this, but as you read, the reason will reveal itself.

I was recently reading about a popular and beautiful actress who left her husband after she alleged that he repeatedly beat her. Since their split she and her ex-husband have been interviewed by different media publications and he had vehemently denied her allegations. He in turn accused her of dumping him when she received a lucrative brand endorsement deal. He alleged that she let the money go to her head after he had given her pivotal advice in the beginning of her career that propelled her to reach her present success level.
Well, as you know, time always tells who is telling the truth and time has told on him.

As you know, so many women are desperate to get married, so even though all the atrocities he committed was in the media for anyone who cared to check on his past to see, another woman turned a blind eye to this critical flaw in who he is and married him. She was definitely singing the song, Just Be Good to Me, especially the lyrics that state, “I don’t care about the other girls, just be good to me” as she walked down the aisle …

As a matter of fact, his relatively new bride is a self sufficient US based US citizen of Nigerian nationality. She is a very “desirable package” to the average Nigerian man based in Nigeria, so the wife batterer of a guy jumped on this desirable package quickly. He might have also gotten married so soon after his divorce to negate his being labeled as a batterer by his ex-wife. The bride smiled happily as they got married in a white wedding in Nigeria even though the ink on his divorce papers was still wet. Little did she know that she was signing up to become his punching bag.

As the Yoruba saying goes, “The whip used on the first wife is in the attic awaiting the second wife.” So as you guessed, he soon began beating his US based wife and she has been threatening to leave him permanently even though they are currently separated. As a Yoruba girl, I know she is not going to leave him so soon. She will stay for some more years of battery as she goes to one church after another attempting to pray his punching demons away, and repeatedly reports him to his family members for the atrocities he commits against her, while having a couple of kids by him, so that at least she will have some kids to show for their married years together, since that is the focus of most Yoruba marriages…

As far as I’m concerned, it serves her right because she is suffering from “Just Be Good to Me Syndrome ” AKA “Exception To The Rule Syndrome.” Many women think a man who consistently does something bad to another woman won’t do it them because they are “special” or “an exception to the rule,” only to find that they are treated worse and are left in a worse position that the first woman who faced the same situation with the same man.

Women should stop being emotional thinkers, start thinking logically and face reality. If a man is a batterer, switching partners won’t help him. The next woman will just become his next victim. What he needs is serious counseling to deal with his issues, time to mature out of his youthful foolishness and serious anger management coaching to learn how to manage his anger.

However, I know women won’t listen. Even if he and his second wife split up, another Nigerian woman will be too happy to have him ignoring his battering tendencies. Nigerian women will put up with a lot just to be married and be “Mrs. Somebody.” The naïve will keep thinking they are “special” and there’s something they can do to help the situation the previous ladies didn’t do. Unfortunately, time will teach them the lesson that there are no exceptions to the rule.

A word is enough for the wise…

It's all about the details

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Before I became an event planner and I attended lots of events,
from Weddings to Bar Mitzvahs and I never used to pay attention to the details,
everything just looked pretty and I was just enjoying the festivities. This past weekend I attended a friend’s wedding and I noticed a lot of things that I never would have noticed before. The linens were not covering the table legs and they were wrinkled. The flower centerpieces were clearly too small for the table size and most importantly the room lacked in ambient lighting. I said to myself with my new trained eye, that this is not acceptable to me; the bride clearly did not get top notch décor service and lighting. I wish I would have known ahead of time, I definitely would have made a difference.

Ladies that is why planners are so important to hire, because they know how to bring your wedding space to the ultimate level of perfection. This is clearly one of the most important days of your life; do not leave it to chance.

Since the day I woke up and started planning events, I have learned to train my eye to a whole new world of details. It’s the small details in making an event that will stand out with a flawless presentation.

A good planner looks at the space, the placement and of course the design, but most importantly that special little detail that will make you stand out from the rest. Whether it’s your chair placement; the linen length is perfect or just making sure your centerpieces
are perfectly symmetrical with the tables. Finally the room cannot talk to you until you have the proper lighting in place.

Please call us here at Gala and let us be your experts in designing your room and just
kick back and relax and leave the details to us!

by Rosie Goulette

Fall '09 Open House

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As folks return home from summer vacations, our industry gears up for the rapidly-approaching fall season. Summers are an opportunity for us to regroup, reorganize and recharge our batteries, because when Labor Day passes, Gala is full steam ahead. This year, even with all its difficulties and unusual economy-related phenomena, is no different.
To kick off our fall season, we have redecorated our showroom – actually, we’ve decorated our entire warehouse! Gala is opening its doors on Tuesday to several industry guests and we’ve dusted off and have on display bunches and bunches of our themed décor and decorations. Last week was quite a week (it had to be one of the hottest and most humid of the summer) as our whole team sweated through our work clothes pulling together several vignettes to showcase several of our fantastic bars, tables, drape, and assorted other décor elements. We now have a Holiday Bay in the floral area, a Wedding Feature near our Pepsi machine and a Mack Truck Bar in our conference room. It’s been quite a transformation.
Check back with us to see some pictures of our setup. Or, if you are in the area on Tuesday, stop in to check out the selection of décor that is on display.

Fashion's Night Out

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When asked how we should help stimulate our economy you might answer with more jobs, tax cuts or increased aid to struggling localities. Well, how about with events?

Fashion's Night Out is a worldwide event that strives to boost the global economy through the fashion industry. U.S. and International editors of Vogue coordinated celebrations in their respective fashion capitals in hopes to aid customers lacking confidence in the fashion and retail industries. On September 10th, over 700 retailers and designers across the five boroughs of New York City participated in the event. Neither tickets nor invitations were required to attend any of the Fashion's Night Out activities. Retailers implemented creative ideas in order to promote the fun in shopping once again. For example, shops in Brooklyn surprised customers with a pop-up block party and cook-off. Celebrities such as Justin Timberlake, Blake Lively, and Victoria Beckham made guest appearances at stores throughout Manhattan. In addition to encouraging retail shopping, proceeds from Fashion's Night Out t-shirt and tote bag sales went to a charity benefiting a 9/11 rehabilitation project.

Hopefully worldwide events like Fashion’s Night Out will become a means of breaking out of our current economic recession, while having a lot of fun at the same time!

by Jessica Marzelli

It's SNO big deal!

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It’s beginning to feel a bit like spring but it was just a few weeks ago we were buried up to our knees in snow! The weekend of February 6, 2010 is not one anyone at Gala will soon forget. With record breaking amounts of snow, closed roads, freezing temperatures and some fabulous vendors we all survived the ‘snowpocalypse’ of 2010 and our bride and groom JoAnn and Daniel were still able to have their wedding. Knowing early in the week what Mother Nature might have in store, we set off for Annapolis not knowing quite what to expect except that the show must go on!
Despite the harsh reality check we all awoke to on Saturday morning JoAnn and Daniel proved to everyone that there was nothing that could stand in the way of their wedding. We were having a wedding, minus about 300 guests. What we faced that weekend is truly a testament to who we are in this business and what we can do when faced with adversity- even if a tree falls through the roof of the tent! When you have a team of exceptional vendors who all are truly invested in making this the best event possible-regardless of the conditions. We definitely gave this couple an experience they will never forget.
Special thanks to all of the vendors who helped us all keep everything together-
Blue Sky Films, Occasions Caterers, MBK and Associates, Frost Lighting, and Crow Entertainment DJs.


*Special thanks to Blue Sky films for the above video.

What's Your Point of View?

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Have you ever gone into a bar or club and had just a horrible night, only to return a few months later and have a completely different experience? Or what if your original experience wasn't terrible, but it wasn't worth another visit for...oh, a few months. Well this is what happened to me this past week in DC.

If you recall from early last summer, I checked out the newly opened W Hotel and POV Lounge. My experience wasn't horrible. But there were some bumps and bruises from that visit and I frankly haven't had any real reason to return. Granted, Dan K. and I have made stops in the W Hotel lobby for a drink or two. But it wasn't until last Thursday that we returned to the rooftop terrace and lounge of this swanky DC hotel. My impressions have changed.

The first notable element of change is that the obnoxious lines trying to gain entry to the elevator upstairs are gone. This was a Thursday night, so it's possible you could find a line on Friday or Saturday night. But remember, it was a Wednesday night when I encountered close to 50 people dressed to impress waiting for their chance to experience the ultimate DC point of view. The next element of improvement was a staff prepared for anything. We were escorted upstairs, taken to the terrace, offered a place to sit and even offered drinks before I could take off my coat. This was a major change from the first week where POV couldn't decide if they wanted to be a velvet rope club or a tapas restaurant. Clearly, POV has accepted its role as a smooth character on the DC lounge circuit and the composed attitude reflects that.

Another stand-out element from last Thursday was one of the best Bailey's and coffee I've ever had. Dan K. asked me, "how could they mess that up?" I replied..."simple, bad coffee." This particular drink is made with a very smooth bean and brewed at what had to be the perfect temperature. I know it was late, but I ordered two.

POV has also added great music. DJ 2-Tone was spinning a groovy down-tempo hip hop that fit perfectly with the lounge mood. Honestly folks, sitting there sipping my coffee with soulful hip-hop feeding my ears while the Washington Monument stood brightly out the window next to me was a nocturnal dream come true. It was like taking a vacation from the usual high-energy K Street rat race and finding yourself at a rooftop oasis surrounded by history. Is there a better setting for this stuff or what?

The two photos in this post reflect what I saw that night. They reflect what POV has become since opening and what POV was destined to be. They reflect a beautiful rooftop lounge in a beautiful hotel with the best point of view in our city.

Photos by Doug Van Sant

Kohl's Cares About Cancer

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The chance of a woman having invasive breast cancer some time during her life is a little less than 1 in 8. And for every woman who is diagnosed, there is a family who hopes for a cure.
In Wisconsin, through our cause merchandise program and partnerships with world-class women's health organizations, we are helping to fund research, raise awareness and educate women about the importance of regular exams and prevention.

For programs, click here
For women's cause merchandise, click here