American Spoon is a small chain that specializes in preserves made from Michigan fruit. Simple concept, amazing brand. Every inch of their shop space has been thoughtfully arranged, so much so that you won’t think twice about spending eight dollars on a jar of jam. They offer an amazing sampling bar, as well as a few Michigan-inspired tchotchkes.

When you check out, your purchases are wrapped in American Spoon tissue paper. There are stickers and cotton ribbon and a cute bag to carry around. The Petoskey location also features a full-service cafe, and I was lucky enough to share a delicious breakfast with my family…and all the sour cherry preserves my heart desired.

Check out their website and you’ll get a sense of the care they took to develop this beloved Michigan brand. It’s not just about a pretty logo, it’s about an experience. You don’t have to be “big” to provide your clients with a fond memory.

I work with many small business owners who consider themselves to be “high-end” or “luxury”. But the experience they provide is unmistakably low-end. If you’re charging a premium, your end user is going to expect a premium experience. Period.

What are you doing to leave a lasting impression? Think about that while I go into debt ordering more jam…

I was flipping through an old issue of Budget Travel the other day and discovered those evil geniuses at Pantone have done it again. In addition to lusting after a $110 set of coffee mugs, various stationery products and folding chairs, you can now rest your pretty head on a Pantone pillow at the Pantone Hotel in Brussels, Belgium.

I love to travel, but admittedly have never been in a HUGE hurry to get to Brussels. Namely because it appears to be named after one of the most vile “vegetables” in existence. But then I’m reminded of three things they’ve got going for them: chocolate, waffles and beer. And now this hotel.

This is a great example of a brand creating a unique and memorable experience for the end user without abandoning their main objective. I still refer to my Pantone swatch books on a daily basis, but now I want to immerse myself in the Pantone culture. It’s a cool place to be and will only set you back €99 a night.

{ All photos from Hotels.nl }

Of course, none of this loveliness is available stateside. But you can join my drool fest right here. Perhaps if we ask nicely, we can convince them that we need these goodies, too? Anyone on board to sign my petition?

One of the things that can make or break your vacation is a good guidebook. This is especially true if you’re traveling overseas. My husband and I have purchased mountains of guidebooks (some to countries we haven’t even visited yet) and I think we can safely say, these guides are our most favoritest:

Rick Steves specializes in Europe “through the back door”. You can catch him on PBS touring all the great cities of Europe. He’s also got a very comprehensive website, filled with great information for anyone planning a Euro tour. We brought his guidebook to Italy with us on our most recent trip, and it proved to be insanely helpful. In addition to the guidebook, we also downloaded a few of his podcasts onto our iPods. 

This was awesome for several reasons: 

1) they were free, 2) you look much cooler listening to an iPod whilst traipsing through centuries old ruins (rather than those blocky audio guides that cost more than a mortgage to rent), and 3) you learn a lot outside of “this place is old and something important happened here.”

I’m also a fan of the Lonely Planet guidebooks, available for just about anywhere you care to travel – international or stateside. A fair warning – depending on where you’re traveling, the books can take the form of a bible/concrete block/small village in size. The New Zealand book weighs roughly 8 pounds. But if you’re looking for a pizza place in SmallTownWhereTheHeckAreWe, New Zealand, this book will tell you where to find it. These books tend to have a bit of a bias toward anything chain related (hotels, restaurants or otherwise), but are overall very useful. 

Consider investing in a decent guidebook before you go anywhere that involves major sightseeing. And if you don’t, good luck finding decent pizza in New Zealand.