Star Struck

It was an exciting week for most in the foodie world last week.

The new Michelin Stars have been updated in the 2014 Michelin guide.
I am so very proud of our little (now bigger) State Bird Provision for getting a star!

The new expanded location is pictured below.


  I am also happy to see Rich Table make the Bib Gourmand List. 
I ate there the other night and thought it was fantastic!

Here are some shots of Rich Table.


 Wonderful reclaimed wood with a paint job half way up the wall.


 Industrial-style lighting.


Dried porcini doughnut appetizer...a must-have!
 "


 Funny signage in the bathroom...



The amazing richilini, chanterelle, black onion powder, and dill pasta. 
YUM!

-Danielle

The Thing Quarterly




While I was out walking last year, I saw The Thing Quarterly offices in the mission and I was inspired by what they were creating.

Their window said:

The Thing Quarterly is a periodical in the form of an object.
It’s like a magazine, except that each issue is
conceived of by a different contributor and then published on a useful object.

So this year I signed up to receive The Thing Quarterly in the mail. We have received two installations and each time I have found them to be a source of inspiration for myself and the team.

The first one was this passport wallet.

The outside of the box

Inside the box


A passport of art

More drawings 


The second one was this 24-hour gold and white clock.


The outside of the box

Inside the box

The clock
 


We look forward to the next quarter; I know an artist is out there making something cool for us to use as you read this.

Check them out here. 


Until next time,

Samantha

On the pier


This past weekend, I had the opportunity to check out the America's Cup finals being held right here in San Francisco. Here is an inside look at my adventure!

My day started at The St. Regis downtown, where I picked up my tickets boxed in this really amazing presentation.



The St. Regis also sent me away with this really sweet Puma side-zip vest.


Once I was at Pier 27 and prior to the races, I was treated to an amazing lunch and able to take in some breathtaking views of the Bay. As you can see, it was a beautiful day for sailing.


During the races, I was able to post up in a spot where I could not only see the live action, but also the various angles being shown on the big screen. I was so close to the boats, I could feel them whizzing by.


One thing I loved taking in was the boats from former races they had on display at the pier.

I snapped this pic of an Oracle boat that had been retired.


All in all, a great day to be out on the Pier taking in beautiful views of the Bay along with amazing views of the City.


Thank you to our friends at The St. Regis for the wonderful hospitality.

Until next time,

Jessie







Learn. Improve. Inspire



Danielle and I were excited to attend the ALT Summit SF 2013 here in San Francisco in July. ALT sent us some great teasers to get us inspired.

Leading up to the summit, we got a box from atly. Their tag line: Learn. Improve. Inspire, got my attention right away. The box was well thought out and their creativity inspired me to rethink how we package materials for our clients.

Check it out:









Stayed tuned for more information from the ALT Summit later this summer.

Samantha

Public School 310 now in session!


 an education in the art of food and beer


Recently, our team was in LA for an event and we headed off campus during recess time to dine at a local hot spot in a trendy neighborhood in Culver City.




Let me take you on a little tour of our study hall in the bar...



 After testing our multiplication math facts, we researched what was on tap 
for a refreshing homework reward.






Then, we studied copious menu notes in our composition notebook,



and decided to test a few snacks – Bacon Cheddar Tater Tots, Wild Mushroom & Taleggio Lavash, Kale Caesar Shrimp & Red Quinoa Salad, and Jidori Brick Chicken & White Bean Ragout.

Our education was memorable, delicious, and well worth the (not so free) tuition!

Thanks, Public School 310.

– Melanie



Danielle and David 8.6.13

We Jump for Joy!

David and Danielle tied the knot last week!


Rings were exchanged.


The marriage certificate was received.


 
Pictures were taken.


The SSP Team celebrated.


 
Danielle created a beautiful table. 

A delicious menu was developed and paired with great wines. 


Cute giveaways.


Beautiful cake.


Beautiful cake was cut!


It was a wonderful wedding with all the fabulous Danielle touches. 

We love you Danielle and David.

 - Samantha and team


Lodi Field Trip

☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ 

Last week we visited the site of an upcoming event in Lodi, California.


☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ 

As an intern, this provided a fun change of pace from my usual day. Our field trip answered all of our questions. We found the perfect space for a thank-you summer lunch for a corporate client.  

☼ ☼ ☼  

Here a few of our examples of our theme inspiration:

We've taken a cue from this Pinterest idea and will be using 
Japanese washi tape to further incorporate the theme.

For this event we have a citrus-colored theme – lots of yellows and greens. We're creating a fun, summery feel; appropriate given the high temperatures in Lodi! 

The lunch will feature a frozen desert. These cupcake liners look pretty and catch every last drip.

☼ ☼ ☼  ☼ ☼ ☼ 

Check out the SSP Pinterest page to see more event-inspiration photos and click here to hear a musical interpretation of Lodi!

-Sara
☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ 

Hard to Choose

More Chocolate

It has been documented on this blog that packaging will always get my attention.

Well this week at Whole Foods I saw a new chocolate out of the corner of my eye. 


What great packaging!

It was hard to choose what flavors to bring home, 
but the text on the label did a great job describing what I would be eating. 

Check out the descriptions below to see why I chose 
American Dream and Electric Life.










Both bars tasted great and now I need to go get some more. 

Check out their website for more details. 

Samantha

Neighborly Lunch


Recently, our friends at Hands On Gourmet invited the SSP team to join them for lunch.


What a lovely mid-day treat to dine with their fabulous team,



toast a spectacular spring day, 

  

and feast on a hearty and delicious vegan meal. 


Brilliant meal and hats off to the chefs!

Many thanks to our friends at Hands On Gourmet for sharing the food love.


– Melanie





Sow What


Juicing

We love a good juice cleanse at Samantha Smith Productions.

In fact sometimes I will juice during a long event as 
juicing gives me lots of energy. 


Recently SOW moved into the Dogpatch as a pop-up and I hope it stays. 

Not only do they make great juices, they serve a hard-boiled egg 
salad that hits the spot when you want protein and some greens. 

Hummingbird: orange, lemon, strawberry, kumquat


My favorite new summer salad

I hope they stay around all summer.

Stop on by and join the juice craze.
You will not regret it.

Samantha

Ikea Does It Again

I was recently on a hotel site visit when I snapped a picture of these cute potted grasses in the lobby.
From far away I admired them and thought – this is a great idea for an event!

Then my mind started going.
What event? How much do they cost? What kind of grass is it? Where can I find the pots?

Then I went over to get a closer look...


OMG – they are fake! Plastic plants from Ikea for $5.99 each.
Ikea fooled me again!

You can find them here.

– Danielle

Warby Parker Bus

As we mentioned on our blog on April 3rd, the Warby Parker bus hit the streets right near our offices. What a treat it was go on the bus and see all the great eyeglasses they offer for only $95, including prescription glasses. 


Details

I love their brand and they did not disappoint when I got my glasses. 
The box was great and the WP logo was on the inside of the box and
 also on the glass-cleaning sheet. Sometimes it is all in the details. 





Glasses

My prescription was perfect and so was the fit. 
So go on, check out their website and start ordering.



Samantha



Wallflower

I am a lover of all things paper, especially since I have my own greeting card line.
What I am admiring right now is WALLpaper. 
What's old is new again!

I remember the bold floral wallpaper we had in our kitchen when I was a kid.

Me in my childhood kitchen at my 3rd birthday party.


Here are some of my favorites I found around the web. 
Check out my Wallpaper board on Pinterest for more fun finds.

Gen's wallpaper in her home 
(Samantha's friend)

 Love the silver sparkle!

 Love the "V" design

Oh Joy! design for Hygge & West 

-Danielle

SHED



I am excited about the recent opening of SHED in Healdsburg this month. 
SHED is kinda like a SF Ferry Building/Napa Oxbow but smaller and more community driven.
I went by last week to see how the space was moving along...


 Street view of SHED. I love the architectural design.


 Here is a pic from their Facebook page of a lunch they put together this week
– love the long farm table outside.


SHED was created for visitors to eat, shop, gather, and learn. 
Read about their history here.


The doors are now open!




SSP 's Visit to Moffett Federal Airfield - Hanger Two



Despite driving past it on the US-101 hundreds of times, I had never had the opportunity to visit Moffet Federal Airfield. This venture was well worth the wait.



View of the Hanger Two as we entered.

 

View from the inside of this massive structure. The rafters overhead are made entirely of wood. 

 

Another view of the wood rafters overhead. I was highly impressed to learn that this structure was built without using metal components. 



Up close and personal with the SolarImpulse aircraft. Currently being housed at Hanger Two and traveling the world via solar power. 


Homage to the Black Cat Maintenance painting on the wall.  Also a closer look at the wood rafters. 


The famous Hanger One. Even retired and skinless, this structure was unbelievable. 

Until next time, 

Jessie 



Tasty Tasting

A few weeks ago Melanie and I had to do the hard work of flying to Los Angeles 
to do a test tasting for one of our events.
The event is going to be held at the JW Marriott at L.A. LIVE.

The hotel chef, sommelier, and conference services all did an excellent job 
creating delicious menus paired with wonderful wines for us to taste. 
Here is a sneak peek at what we tasted for our 
500-person "Old Hollywood Gala."


 A picture of the table before we started our tasting extravaganza!

 We tasted three options for the first course.
  Chef created mini "tastings" of the first course.
Next up...entree course.

 And...mini "tastings" of the entree course.
For dessert, we decided to do a centerpiece with many different options 
for the guests – with fun gold accents!

-Danielle






#Instagramlove

Instagram

My latest obsession is sharing photos on Instagram. 
For fun this year I have taken a photo every day. 
Instagraming has taught me new words like "selfies"
and has seriously reduced my Pinterest time. 



Here are a few of my favorite photos so far this year. 


Wall art in Potrero Hill 




Shadows and numbers



Circles and arrows





Circle VW



Selfie and shadow




Stairs and shadows 

Check out my Instagram feed for more photos...

Samantha