Trophies2Go Blog

When I read photographer (and friend!) Michelle Enebo's fall newsletter, I knew it was perfect to share with you.   I asked Michelle to"guest blog" this week and she kindly agreed!  She has some great, easy tips for capturing your kids sports season in pictures.  Read below for Michelle's 5 ideas to take better sports photos.

Quick Tips For Better Pix

Trying to get some fun sports pictures this season?  Here are a few tips for getting better shots.

1.  Anticipate -  In order to get this shot I had to anticipate Ellie taking HER shot.  It took many pictures before and after just to make sure I got it. (Remember, digital memory is free!)

Pictures with the coach capture a great game!

2.  Tell the Whole Story - Yes, it is important to get images of our kids playing the game, but there is so much more to the whole experience.  Don't forget the friendships, the sidelines and the tunnel!

3.  The Unusual - If you can capture the weird and wacky got for it.  Is there a strange mascot at the football game?  A cool trail at the cross country meet?  How about a lake threatening to engulf the soccer field?

4.  Equipment - While it is, indeed fun to use my big camera and long lens (I like my 70-200 for sports), I have also used my iPhone to capture the action too.  You DEFINITELY have to anticipate with the iphone because it isn't as quick.  Just know that.

This cute picture tells the story of the season!

5.  Be Creative - One year Kate tried basketball and I just couldn't get any pictures I liked.  The lighting was horrible and we really couldn't get close to the action.  I decided to set up a shot that would represent the whole season and tell it's own story.

Get Snapping!

Thank you Michelle for the great ideas!

Cheers,
Jessica

With the anniversary of Sept 11th approaching, our thoughts go to the memory of that tragic day and the loss our county endured.  We remember the sacrifice so many made and are reminded of the selflessness of our military, police and fire professionals who risk their lives every day to serve us. It's a time to reflect on what it means to be an American, and recognize those that protect our lives and freedom.

Do you know a police officer, fire fighter, EMT, military servicemember or veteran you want to thank for their service to our country or local community?   Below are 3 ideas of ways to honor those that serve.

Write A Letter.

Write a letter to show your appreciation.

With this technological world we live in, handwritten letters mean even more than they did in the past. Consider writing a letter, whether to a service person oversees, or to your local firefighter or police officer.  Speak from the heart to make it meaningful.  It will make their day.

Make A Donation.

There are hundreds of charitable organizations that support our military, veterans, firefighters and police officers.  Local police and fire guilds, Yellow Ribbon Fund, and Wounded Warriors Fund are just a few of the many organizations that support the heroes in our community.  Research a charity and then consider making a donation in honor of the person you are thanking.  Here is a great resource if you are looking for ideas:  Support Our Troops at Military.com.

Patriotic Awards.

We have many ideas for patriotic awards, including plaques, crystal awards, and resin trophies.

Eagles:  A popular choice for military honors are eagles; these make great patriotic awards.

Stars:  Another great choice is stars, to honor our flag.  We have many options for star awards, all of which can be engraved with your message.

Plaques:  We have a number of different plaques specific to fire, police, EMTs and military.  What is nice about a plaque is that it can be displayed on a wall and enjoyed for years to come.

What makes an award even more meaningful is the personalized engraved message you put on it.  For engraving ideas, see our page, What should my engraving say.

In honor of the anniversary of Sept 11, now is the time to thank our first responders, military, and veterans for serving our country and risking their lives day after day for our us and our families. Take action and show them how much you care!

Cheers,
Jessica

College Football is huge in the US.  People are passionate for their teams, whether they went to the school or not.  What is the draw?  What makes College Football so special?  I share my thoughts below.

My Story

Jeff and friends at a Husky game 20 years ago.

I grew up watching lots of football.  My dad played in college - he was an offensive lineman - and according to family legend, his claim to fame was pummeling Mean Joe Green.  His football career ended early, so instead of playing, he watched football on TV, both college and NFL, and attended most of my high school's home games.  I learned football through osmosis.

I didn't really have any experience attending college games until I enrolled at University of Washington.  I worked for the athletic department, and as a perk, was able to go to the football games for free.  This was during UW's golden years, when Don James was coach.  The games were a blast and Rose Bowl road trips were even better.  Many memories and stories came from those experiences during college, and now the memories continue.

Our Production Manager Tom is a huge Husky fan.  Here he is at the Oregon Game.

Games Today

Twenty-some years later, college football is less about the game itself and more about traditions, gatherings, and the escape from everyday work life.   Every Saturday home game in the fall, tailgating fans look forward to meeting with their buddies and spending the day with friends, family, and new friends of friends that they will meet.

Besides the actual game, college football Saturdays are about catching up with people you neglect to see because of your busy work schedule and enjoying food and beverages while connecting with others.  Its about playing games with your friends, whether its Beer Pong, Flip Cup, or Bean Bag Toss, and checking out all of the other fans, witnessing and learning their routines and traditions.  The day is capped off with a team that you are passionate about.  Regardless of the outcome win or lose, you can rest assured that many people will celebrate with you or cry with you afterwords. That is the draw of college football.

Award Ideas

Make some new memories with your tailgating group by getting competitive! I see two areas where adding awards could bring your party to the next level.

1. Games: Create contests around your tailgating games. We have awesome trophies for Bean Bag Toss, Beer Pong, Flip Cup, Horse Shoes. Or make your own custom trophy for whatever game your group plays. You can even do a perpetual trophy that can be passed from game to game, year to year, upping the bragging rights!

2. Cookoffs: Food and beverages is a huge part of tailgating. One idea is to host a cook-off and award your winner. We have chili cook-off, barbecue cook-off, and baking awards that are small, inexpensive, and fun for a winner to get. Consider giving your tailgating bartender a "mixologist" award, or your tailgating host or hostess an award to thank them!

Regardless of your traditions, the game guarantees to be exciting, as young men play for their love of football, not for million dollar salaries. But even more important than the game, Saturdays in the fall are about catching up with friends and family you don't get to see other times of the year and making new memories. Enjoy your team and Go Dawgs!

Cheers,
Jessica

With summer winding down, fall is in the air.  What are the new trends for this fall?  Just like with fashion, Trophies and Awards have fresh styles for the season change. Our awards experts have rounded up the top must-have award trends for Fall 2013.

Trend #1: Gray

This new gray plaque is right on trend!

In fashion this fall, it's all about gray as the new neutral.  Lucky for us,  awards look great in gray too!   One new gray product I love is our new Acrylathin plaque.  What is awesome about this plaque is that the logo or other graphic can be cut through the material, so the silver background shows through.  Looks hot!

Two trends in one - bronze 'rose colored gold' medal with a custom insert!

Trend #2: Rose Colored Gold

One of the hottest color trends for fall is rose.  No longer just for spring, rose is showing up in surprising places, including jewelry.  We are following this trend with new bronze awards, including metals, trophies and other 'rose colored gold' items.

Trend #3:  Custom, Custom, Custom

A huge trend in awards right now is creating your own design, unique to your organization.  Custom awards are big, and we love making them!  We have a process called Logocut, where we create full-color acrylic awards out of any logo.  We also create one-of-a-kind inserts for metals.  These allow our customers to create unique awards tailored specifically to their event.  So cool!

Trend #4: Designer Pieces

Just like in fashion, we offer premium designer awards on our website and in our showroom.  CIP, Nik Meller, Chien Wang of Toujours are 3 of the designer crystal award lines we carry.  These superior crafted awards feature unique and stunning designs that are pieces of art, worthy of display.

Mix things up with your awards this fall by picking a trendy piece! Just like with your wardrobe, adding just one new item can really jazz up your awards program!

Cheers,
Jessica

Last year you bought an awesome perpetual trophy for your fantasy football league.  Now you need to engrave the 2012 winner before your draft.  How do you get it done in a hassle-free, painless way?  We have the perfect process in place to get your engraving done.  It's fast, simple, and very little effort.

The 3 Easy Steps To Getting Your Perpetual Engraving Done

1.  Unscrew the side plate of your trophy.  Make sure to save the 4 small screws; you will need those to reattach the plate after it's engraved.

2.  Slide the plate into a small padded mailer with engraving instructions, your contact information and payment .  Usually commissioners put the year, winning player's name and team name on the engraving.  Also include a check for $20.  This is for the cost of engraving and postage.

3.  Drop it in the nearest US mailbox.  That's it!  So simple!

After we receive the envelope with your plate inside, we will email you an order confirmation and engrave the plate per your instructions.  Then we will mail it back to you.  Be sure to include your address and email with the instructions so we know who to send it to!

Watch our video to see this process in action:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrq3IwYnO0c

Our production time is 3 days, so plan accordingly.  If you need your engraving done sooner, we do have a rush option available for an additional fee.  Just give us a call at 1-877-926-4700.

Once you get your plate back, take it out of the mailer and screw it back onto your trophy.  That's it!  Now you are ready to enjoy your draft and hype another great NFL season!

Cheers,
Jessica