Color Trends — Manufactured is out, Metallic is in for Fall

It may seem as though summer has barely started here in Minnesota, but in the design world, they’re already thinking fall.  I stopped by Hirshfield’s Design Studio a few days ago and asked Kathy Basil, the showroom manager, for her insights on color and design trends for this autumn.

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Blogging for Your Clients versus Blogging AS Your Clients

Okay, so I went on a mini-blogging sabbatical.  Sue me.  I’m back.  Truth is, I was never far away really, I’ve been spending more time blogging on my clients blog than my own, which is good for our clients, not so good for StoryTeller.  Oh, yes, you heard me, blogging for my clients.

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Tags: Blogging, Desaraev, ghost blogging, social media, storyteller, transparency

Hazeltine National Golf Club gets visit from Rees Jones.

Let’s just say it wasn’t your typical stroll around the golf course last Wednesday morning when Rees Jones toured Hazeltine National Golf Club.  Jones, renowned golf course architect and mastermind behind the most recent changes at Hazeltine, is also the son of Robert Trent Jones who put his signature on Hazeltine National shortly after the club opened.  Flanked by a bevy of club board members, golf staff and media, Mr. Jones began walking the course on hole number one at 10:10 a.m. and completed the walk at 4:15 p.m. Aside from a break for lunch, the tour included discussions about tee locations, course set up for members and for the 2009 PGA Championship.

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Tags: Hazeltine, PGA Championship

StoryTeller Media & Communications adds Heidi Ruen to Their Team

This is how I got to know Heidi Ruen:

Ed:  Hey, I’ve got a roll cue and out.

Heidi:  Go ahead.

Ed:  Roll cue to VO is:  ”something went horribly wrong.”

Heidi:  Roll cue to SOT?

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Tags: Heidi Ruen, public relations, storyteller media and communications, video content, WCCO-TV

Color Trends: Bright is back for 2009!

As spring is springing in the Twin Cities, it’s an ideal time for home maintenance inside and outside the house.

Our friends at Hirshfield’s are always on the pulse of upcoming trends in paint and design, and they’ve shared some of the key trends for 2009 with me. Greg Yaghsezian from Hirshfield’s Design Studio suggests that black will be big in 2009, especially paired with strong colors or whites. Whites like porcelain, whipped cream and cotton ball will be layered and bright colors, like kiwi and popsicle greens, will make a comback. Hirshfield’s predicts that vibrant, culinary-inspired yellows – think buttered popcorn and yolk – will be prominent, as will soft, metallic golds like gold dust or brushed gold. These shades will be reflected not only in paint, but fabrics as well.

Greg also mentioned that the November election will have an impact on color choices in the coming months, and patriotic colors – presidential blues, etc. – will be popular. As he told me, ““While most people aren’t consciously choosing these colors because of the election, there is definitely an uptick in sales of these more classic colors during election years.” Who would have thought?

All this talk of color and design trends has made me wish that I had a house of my own to implement these trends in. Those of you who do own a house, head to Hirshfield’s and get painting!

Making Your Home Eco-Friendly – and Cost-Efficient

You may have noticed a sudden uptick in the number of stores offering reusable bags lately – Lunds, Barnes & Noble, Cub. I too tote my bright red Target bag around proudly in an effort to be more environmentally friendly. Carrying a reusable bag in lieu of its plastic counterpart isn’t the only thing you can do to help the environment – there are plenty of ways to make your home more eco-friendly, and our friends at Hirshfield’s have great tips on how to do just that — and even save some cash.

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StoryTeller Begins Relationship with Hazeltine National Golf Club

We are pleased to announce the beginning of what will hopefully be a long relationship with Hazeltine National Golf Club.  StoryTeller Media & Communications will begin working immediately with Hazeltine in developing and executing their public relations needs.  In addition to traditional public relations services we will also assist Hazeltine with social network strategies and video content development.

Ed Heil is the owner and president of StoryTeller Media & Communications an inbound marketing and public relations agency and video production company based in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul. Ed blogs on topics related to inbound marketing, social media, media relations, news media, video production and crisis communications.

Tags: hazeltine national golf club, storyteller media and communications

Play Golf Minnesota Week 2009 Recap

After months of meticulous planning, Play Golf Minnesota Week 2009 officially kicked off on Monday, April 27 at Hazeltine National Golf Course.  Of course, even after said fastidious planning, we still had to be ready to deal with the one thing we have no control over: the weather.  Let’s be realistic: it’s April in Minnesota.  No matter how prepared we are, if six inches of snow accumulate over the weekend — hardly ideal golf weather — there’s not much we can do about it.  Thankfully, the weather proved cooperative; other than a bit of halfhearted drizzle on Monday morning, the week was mostly sunny and fairly warm, perfect for hitting the links.

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Tapemark Charity Pro-Am Celebrates 38 Years, $6 Million in Donations

This summer, Minnesota’s best professional and amateur golfers will come together and help the Tapemark Charity Pro-Am celebrate its 38th year.  The tournament, held June 12-14 at Southview Country Club in West St. Paul, has raised over $6 million for local charities since its inception in 1972.

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Minnesota Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Hosts Pregnant Pause, May 7

The Minnesota Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (MOFAS) – in partnership with OptumHealth — will host Pregnant Pause, an event designed to educate women about healthy pregnancies and create awareness about Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, on Thursday, May 7. › Continue reading