Lisa’s No Wallflower. No Fifty Shades jokes here, my friends.  There’s only one gray for me, and that’s charcoal: a versatile, warm, tough-but-chic choice that figures prominently in all of my favorite fall decorating schemes. (Since we live on an editorial calendar here at VP+C, we’re well into the autumn months, mentally). I’ve just moved and, rental-rules-be-damned, am very tempted to give in to my well-documented wallpaper obsession in our new place. This design, from Brooklyn-based Flavor Paper, is a frontrunner that would provide a pretty foil for pretty much any accent color. A few other things that caught our…

The VP+C crew is back in NYC after an exciting journey. Here are the top ten things we learned on the road: 1. Traveling folks have a zest for life. 2. Social media is a magnificent tool, yet face-to-face interaction is even more valuable today. 3. True hospitality goes a long way. 4. GPS is not always to be trusted. 5. Pittsburgh is surprisingly fabulous. 6. Sheetz is the best truck stop in the United States… or maybe in the world. 7.  It is important to break the mold, take risks, and go out on a limb if you want…

After we left Meredith Publications today, we embarked on the shortest leg of our journey yet. Just a few blocks from the publishing company’s HQ is The Des Moines Art Center’s Pappajohn Sculpture Park. The sculpture park, made up of 4.4 acres of grassy lawn so emerald green it’s surreal, is home to 27 sculptural masterpieces donated by John and Mary Pappajohn in 2009. It’s a great mix of works by everyone from Louise Bourgeois and Willem de Kooning to Keith Haring and Yoshitomo Nara. We stayed much longer than we intended to, of course, exploring the park and creating…

Have you heard of Public Relations Tailgating? Probably not, because we invented it today. Let us explain… We pulled in to our final destination, Meredith Publications, in Des Moines, IA, around 9:30 am. Rolled out our RV awning and Mohawk SmartStrand rug, inflated some Blofield furniture, and laid down our tablecloths made from Calico fabrics. Then we whipped up some delicious sandwiches, sliders, and fresh cookies to put on QSquared serving pieces, and arranged the jcpenney MarthaCelebrations paper goods. By 11 am sharp we were ready for company- we have grown quite accustomed to inviting people into our RV (motor…

We’ve had requests for more on our camping adventures- your wish is our command. We should start off by saying that RV people are the nicest people ever. Within minutes of arriving at our campground in Oxford, IA, our new friend Jeff had helped us level our RV, lent us weenie roasting sticks and a can opener, and provided cocktails (more on that later). It was a great time getting to know Jeff, his wife Kim and their awesome son Dawson (who is going to be an Eagle Scout very soon. They also introduced us to their fabulous friends Kim…

As you may have heard, today was awesome from the time we woke up. We’re not normally an agency that toots its own horn- we’ve always chosen to keep the spotlight focused firmly on our clients. But it was incredibly special to be featured in Stuart Elliott’s column in the New York Times for doing what we do- making sure the world knows what wonderful people and products we work with. And, though we’ve been wildly tweeting and posting and blogging the trip, the recognition and comments we’ve received are a validation of a core VP+C belief: Facebook can’t make…

We know there are burning questions about the PR RV out there right now. Forget “Are these people out of their minds?” and let’s focus on  “Where are they sleeping?” It’s not the Ritz. There’s a new campground on the itinerary each night, and we’ve officially survived our first night of glamping. There were mosquitoes in the showers, and sulfur-scented well water, (and a small incident with a roadblock about a mile down the road at 11:00 last night that nearly cracked us) but we made some awesome new friends who showed us their stunning photos of Yellowstone, and, to be…

Not everyone knows that one of our fearless leaders, Mark Veeder, is an avid gardener and budding horticulturalist. In fact, he discovered a new strain of echinacea in 2004. His ‘Green Envy’™ is a green flower in the Echinacea family, a healthful herbaceous plant genus that helps ward off winter cold symptoms. According to testing conducted by Stephen Moring, a research scientist at the University of Kansas and the country’s leading Echinacea expert, ‘Green Envy’ has even more active healing properties than the traditional purple variety. According to our tour guide at Fallingwater, humans are missing vitamin N: Nature. We agree! So…

The PR RV’s first day was unlike any other, honestly. Driving an RV halfway across the country with your colleagues would be unique under any circumstances, but we’re cruising down I-80 under very plush circumstances, without a single spat or speeding ticket between us. Despite being caught behind a tractor on a winding country road, we managed to squeeze in some amazing activities. First stop was Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater, outside Pittsburgh. The setting is enough to take your breath away. But the house. Oh, the house. It is truly a marvel. If you haven’t been and you love architecture…

We are officially barreling down the highway in our 31′ RV! The wifi is cranking and so are the tunes. Can’t wait to check out Falling Water, The Warhol Museum, eat some yummy snacks + see our parking spot for the night. So far so good on day 1 in the PR RV. Be sure to follow our journey on Facebook, Instagram + Twitter for up to the moment pics and anecdotes.