We came, we saw, we walked away exhausted…

So exhausted in fact, that it has taken me over a week to get up the energy to post some images!  But all the time and effort expended were worth it, and the Teen Choice 2009, Bop-it Celebrity Retreat was a great success.

We went with an artist’s loft theme this year, complete with paint splattered drop clothes and quirky accessories.  We stuck to a black, white and red color palette, to provide a good back drop for the retreat’s main sponsor, Bop-it.  If you haven’t ever played with a Bop-it, I can tell you that the celebrities were really getting into it.  I was too busy chatting with people to try it myself, but those who did said it was addictive fun.

We had the support of some terrific companies this year, as we pulled everything together.  The elegant, yet super comfy sofa from Eco-Luxury by D’Bodinus that you see in the image above was much larger (and heavier!) than it looks!  The seat cushion was so full of cushy goodness that it weighed almost as much as the frame!

Idea Paint provided some great interactive boards, which many folks took a turn at signing or drawing on.

Between Miss J reminding us all to stand up straight, and George Lopez’s crazy face drawing, the boards were a hit.  Jordan Sparks actually wrote “Whoa!”, which was her reaction after I told her that Idea Paint can be applied to any smooth surface, such as walls, doors, chairs, refrigerators, etc.

This “cabinet of curiosities”, was generously provided by Cleveland Art, one of my favorite sources for one of a kind, repurposed furniture.  The amazing (and amazingly heavy) coffee table, as well as some other terrific pieces just out of camera range, were all created from items found in old factories and recreated into functional furniture.  The birds were provided by the wonderful people at Stray Dog Designs, who make terrific lamps and accessories out of recycled tin and paper mache, amongst other methods.

Here’s a close up of one of Stray Dog Designs adorable, funky paper mache birds, next to the beautiful tulip and rose centerpiece from The Spiraled Stem, who specialize in eco-friendly floral arrangements and events.

Here’s another shot of the lounge, where you can see the bright red birdcage chandelier, also from Stray Dog Designs.  Everyone loved it!

The beautiful black and white print organic cotton fabric was generously provided by Harmony Art, long my favorite source for fun and creative prints.  I’ll write a little more about the story behind the pillow this week, but it too is a design by Harmony Art.

All in all, things went great.  Celebrities and press enjoyed the space and many nice things were said.  Although I’m a little past my swooning teenage years, I had fun meeting all the up and coming young talent, such as Ashley Greene, Abigail Breslin, and Keke Palmer, who all stood out for their genuine charm and sweet natures.  And while some, such as Britney Spears, looked pretty much as you expected in person, others, like Will.I.Am from the Black Eyed Peas, were even more handsome up close.

Many thanks again to all the wonderful companies who participated in the lounge – Idea Paint, Eco-Luxury by D’Bodinus, Cleveland Art, Stray Dog Designs, and Harmony Art!  Many thanks too to Linsi Brownson for her terrific illustrations, helping me wrestle things up and down ladders and in and out of delivery trucks, and mostly for being a terrific assistant under pressure!  And of course, a big thank you to Karen Wood of Backstage Creations, the retreat’s production company – You make this more fun than work!

Now back to my regularly scheduled programming…