Have you ever done paint by numbers? I mean have you ever done one after kindergarten? I tried one recently with the hope of learning, in some small way, how to actually paint for real.

It didn’t work and I have come to the dramatic realization that I am no Picasso. Not even close. In fact, I’m not even the kid in kindergarten who can color within the lines. I’m that bad at anything in the artistic realm. Even my stick figures look like horribly disfigured abominations.

I feel much the same way when I go to an event that is spectacular. Some people really just have a talent for putting together a celebration. I have come, more and more, to the realization that this is a talent that is artistic in nature and the events that they put together are works of art.

For a little while I believed that being submerged in the presence of such individuals would rub off on me. It hasn’t. I’m constantly reminded of that fact every time I attend a party or an event that is thrown by someone who really knows what they are doing.

I recently had an “I would have never thought of that moment” at a friend’s 25th anniversary. Both my friend and his wife are architects. They design buildings and homes. Where you could even begin to do something like that I have no idea. I tried building a fort once out of pillows and a blanket; within five minutes the city declared it structurally unsound and made me destroy it.

Despite their artistic and visionary natures, my friends happen also to be somewhat simple in their personal lives. They aren’t extravagant, nor are they flamboyant in their tastes. I knew that their anniversary party would be perfect without being showy.

I was right. The gathering took place at their home (which, of course, they designed and built). There were many people there: family, friends, business associates, etc.. Food stations had been set up in different parts of the house. At first, I couldn’t figure out why they hadn’t decided on a single buffet area or something similar. When I got closer to the first station, I discovered why.

When I picked up the plate I was surprised to see that it was a triangle shape. I’d never seen a plate like that before. All of the food at this station had also been cut and shaped in the form of a triangle. The shapes were natural; it wasn’t as if they had taken a hamburger and pressed it into a triangular shape. There were pies, quiche, and the like here.

Across the room a food station was set up with oval dishes. Again, the food had been prepared to naturally match the shape of the plate it was being served in. As I stood at this station and looked back at the “triangle station”, I realized it had been placed below two magnificent wooden beams that started at the floor and met each other at the ceiling in the shape of a triangle.

Similarly, the other food stations complimented some feature in the home. Rectangles, hexagons, squares, cubes . . . you name it.

I had been to my friend’s house many times. I had always admired the beauty of their house. I had seen everything before, but this was the first time that the shapes of the house started to stand out to me. The way that they had been placed together or used as juxtapositions was remarkable.

All that time I had never seen it for the piece of art that it really was and it finally took some shaped dinner plates to open my eyes.

Art. Plain and simple.

I’ll never be able to come up with things like that. It just isn’t in my nature. I’m glad that there are people out there who see the world so differently and can make things like this for the rest of us to enjoy!

Dear Atlas Blog Readers and Loyal Customers,

It’s been another week and I’m back! I don’t know about you, but I’m excited about it.

Believe it or not, but for me, not every week is packed full of super-fun events to attend. I would imagine that the same is true for many of you, and if it isn’t, please don’t tell me. . . I already feel bad enough!

This last week was one such time that my calendar was blank. There was a moment where I even thought that my phone might be broken. It was working fine of course. It turns out the reason it wasn’t ringing was because no one was calling. Go figure.

My salvation finally came from my father. The phone rang, and I quickly answered. I didn’t answer it too quickly. . .  I didn’t want to appear desperate you know? I’m smooth like that.

A short 3 years ago, my brother gave my dad a gift certificate to Ruth’s Christ Steakhouse. We had begun to believe he was going to leave it in his Last Will and Testament but thankfully we were mistaken (although there is still the unused McDonald’s gift certificate I gave him).

So, thanks to the thoughtfulness of my brother and the timeliness of my father, I found my Friday night beginning to look promising.

I had never been to Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse before. All I knew about it was that the word STEAK was in the title and that is really all I needed to know. I have, of course, been to other restaurants; I believe I’ve already mentioned McDonalds. The night at Ruth’s Chris was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before.

Previously, my idea of good service was getting a table at a restaurant in a decent amount of time, having an attentive waiter/waitress who keep the drinks full and served the food hot and that’s really about it. I’m a simple guy but I think that is what makes most people happy when they go out to dinner.

Apparently, my brother had called ahead and told Ruth’s Chris that it was my father’s birthday. He left out the fact that we were using a 3 year old birthday present and my father’s most recent birthday was several months ago, but the staff at Ruth’s Chris didn’t need to know that.

When we arrived at our table my father was very delighted to see that “Happy Birthday” confetti had been sprinkled across the table. The hostess acknowledged my father and wished him a happy birthday. She didn’t need to know it wasn’t really his birthday, and from the glint in my father’s eye, it seemed that he had even forgotten it wasn’t his real birthday.

I’m not a huge fan of confetti (glitter is worse), but it was obviously a nice touch and made my father feel good. When we sat down at the table, I noticed something else that was quite a surprise. My brother’s girlfriend was wearing a very nice black dress. While my father’s, brother’s and my napkins were all white, my brother’s girlfriend’s napkin was black to match her dress.

Now we’re just getting silly!

My father ordered a T-bone steak. The waitress informed us that there was only one left, but she would hurry to put the order in so we could get it. While we were waiting for our steaks the waitress came back with some bad news. She thought she had put the order for the T-bone in in time, but there was a mix up and someone else got it first.

My father looked a little despondent . . . this wasn’t supposed to happen on birthdays. Then the waitress informed him that she they had prepared the closest steak to the T-bone that they had left for the rest of the night: A 44 oz. Porterhouse for Two!

I thought my father was going to die of happiness right there. By comparison, if this had happened with my gift certificate at McDonalds, it would have been like my father ordering a basic cheeseburger and getting 20 twenty Angus Burgers instead.

As my father began to dive into the steak that was bigger than his head a manager came over to gently ask how we were enjoying our meal. He apologized for the confusion with the steaks. When the bill came the Porterhouse wasn’t on it. Class act.

When we left the restaurant and approached the valet stand, our car was already waiting for us.

Taken separately all of those things would have been nice.  Put them all together and you have an experience that really makes you feel special. My father had such a great night that I believe he is officially changing his birthday to last Friday.

I guess that’s what real service is. We are nowhere close to being royalty, but for one night we felt pretty close.

Some things you just can’t put a price tag on. We’ll definitely be back.

Dani Price has worked at Atlas Party Rental for almost two years.

She is the one that maps all of the trucks to make sure that they are at your event on time!  

Dani’s favorite color is black, although she says “I know it’s not a color!”

When asked what the favorite event she assisted on was, she said, "The birth of my children."

Here are a few more fun facts about the Atlas “Logistics” lady:

Favorite Drink:

A glass of red wine after a stressful day.

The thing she loves most about working at Atlas?

She said, “Even though the work days can get crazy and hectic, and we may go after each other’s throats, at the end of the day, we are all one big family and we love each other ”  Dani also enjoys getting to know all of  the Atlas clients, even if it is just over the phone.

Oh, and, that greatest event Dani ever assisted on produced two amazing sons. One is a talented Graphic Designer and the other was picked as one of the top four managers in his Profession! Btw, that is 4 out of a thousand other managers! Can you tell Dani is a proud mom?

Stay tuned as we introduce you to more of our talented staff!

This spectacular wedding, held at the Omphoy in Palm Beach, showcases Atlas Party Rental's linen, china, chargers, glassware, flatware and much more.

Filmed + Edited by www.lafrancefilms.com, Desinged by Brooke @ The Ultimate Event Planner.

January marked the start to a new year filled with opportunities to network with new vendors in the event and wedding industry. Atlas Party Rental played host to the NAWP of the Palm Beaches first meeting of 2011. Here are the highlights from the event. The Mixer showcased the best of the best in photography, video, food and decor. The event was topped off with a mocked wedding followed by a trendy reception. The entire wedding was done at the Atlas Party Rental Showroom located in Boynton Beach , Florida. Enjoy!

Filmed + Edited by www.lafrancefilms.com

Charity. That one word means many different things to many different people.

For some it is the cause that may lead to a loved one’s cure; to others it is the helping hand that lifts a person up and reinvigorates their spirit.

Charity lives in all of our hearts but in the world of business, charity is also an expense.

How do we, as business leaders, walk the careful line to continue our commitment to sponsoring charity while maintaining the financial health of our companies?

The answer is that we must begin to think of our role in charitable contributions in a new way.

This year, at Atlas Party Rental, we discovered an approach to charitable giving that lifts us from being just another nameless, faceless vendor on a list to a truly dynamic group of people who are a part of the charities to which we contribute.

APR, in conjunction with Seaview Radio, has begun a program called the Charity Minute. Every week APR picks a specific charity and provides free commercial airtime on Seaview Radio to promote their charities.

This new approach to our involvement with charities has allowed us to get to know the great people involved with the charities and the actual purpose of the charities themselves. Instead of providing a table, or chairs, or glassware, we contribute a service that has deeper, far reaching effects.

This season we have redefined the way in which we view our social responsibilities. By taking the time to think about our role, we have opened a door that not only aids charities in a better way, we have also honored our responsibilities to our business.
All it takes is a little time. And as most people involved in charities know, giving time is what makes everything possible.