Places to Go and People to See: Good Morning Andy Ebon

Talk about a busy day!  8:00 AM in San Jose, up to SF and back to SJ by 11:00 PM. Whew! I was exhausted!

Last Wednesday I was up at the crack of dawn getting some work done then I was off to the downtown San Jose Hilton for a blogging seminar at 8:00 AM with Andy Ebon. The Silicon Valley NACE (National Association of Catering Executives) had invited Andy to be a marketing guest speaker at their Tuesday evening meeting and as a blogging expert Wednesday morning.

I chose to attend the blogging seminar and have to say that it was an excellent presentation! Andy imparted knowledge to both novices and experienced bloggers in the crowd and the best part? Made all of it interesting to everyone in easy to follow examples and language. If you have the opportunity to hear him speak you should go. If he comes back to town again I'll go and will be following his blog TheWeddingMarketingBlog.com from now on. 

By 10:30 I was back on the road and on my way up to San Francisco for lunch with Bridal Salon owner Joan Gilbert. Joan is best known for her refined collection of wedding gowns made to order and imported from Italy and France.

And here's a little tip for those of you shopping for a sample sale that includes gowns by Le Spose di Gio... She has some on sale, in fact this entire rack of her couture gowns is now discounted.

To contact Joan to inquire about the sale call 415.752.1808. She works by appointment only so you'll need to schedule one to see if she has the style and size you're looking for.

We stopped here at Spruce for lunch. Though their main menu is a bit pricey, they do have a smaller bar menu. We chose to order their very excellent paninis from the small to-go counter and dined in the bar area. I had the best cauliflower salad with grilled onions and a tasty sauce. It was really delicious. The restaurant serves only organic produce, naturally raised meats and line caught fish. They even grows 80% of the produce they use at their own farm located in hills of Woodside.

Invitations

No sooner was I done with lunch and I was off to the San Francisco Giftcenter and Jewelrymart to teach a private blogging and Facebook class at Hyegraph. I had met owner Jacques Oskanian on several occasions at various networking meetings. In fact he let me know he had heard me speak the very first time I was a participant on a panel discussion about web design several years ago.

Guest Books

When I headed over to his store I thought all I would see was invitations so imagine my surprise when I saw his spacious shop full of flower girl baskets, guest books, unity candles, favors and all kinds of items brides are always looking for. Jacques is so knowledgeable about all of the products he carries and works with both brides and corporate clients alike.

Favors

For those of you who prefer to shop in person as opposed to online? A visit to Hyegraph can be quite the one stop shop. I know there's a convenience when it comes to shopping online but personally I prefer to walk in to a shop and see everything up close and personal when I have the option.

DIY Kits

Upon concluding our session at 5:30 PM I hopped in my car and headed towards the financial district for an evening soiree... The showcase of photographer Dennis Menendez of Dennis M Photography. More on that in the next post.... 

Add a stop for gas and going through the drive through of In-n-Out burger on the way home and I was back to San Jose by 11:00 PM. The end. LOL