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Just snapped this pic of colored vases in action. The ranunculus of course aren’t bad, but the it’s the vivid bud vases that really help brighten up this nightstand, particularly on on a rainy day.
Excited to wake up next to this tomorrow.
Note: can’t quite tell you where the vases came from, as this situation came with pre-stocked cabinets.
I hope you don’t mind, but I am in a bit of a tea frenzy. With Alice and Wonderland opening this week, helping my mom and aunt with an afternoon tea for my grandmother’s birthday, and dreams of spring garden parties, well, let’s just say it’s tea time around here. And so while I am tweaking recipes for some updated tea sandwiches in with the old favorites, and mastering a mean linzer cookie, I figured I better get all the accessories together that we will need.
We need lots of plates for the crustless nibbles and scones – I like to mix and match … grandma’s china with some flea market finds is the way to go here, plus a bit of my own china too. For a spring tea, breakout the florals and butterflies if you have it. We also need plenty of tea cups, for the tea itself and they also work as great vessels for small floral arrangements throughout the party.
Same goes for tea pots – the more the merrier! It’s not a tea party without several varieties to choose from – for daily cups my favorite is green tea kombucha, but for tea parties, pots of your favorite loose-leaf is the way to go. In addition to china and porcelain tea pots, this is the perfect time to bring out my grandmother’s vintage tea service. Extra teapots can also be used to hold larger floral arrangements.
But since we cannot subsist on tea and sandwiches alone, we better add in some cake plates and tiered servers – we need to showcase the macaroons, petit fours, and other confections we whip up. And we need make sure we have plenty of condiment dishes for jam, clotted cream and all the traditional accompaniments.
And because it is a party, we may need a few other beverages on hand. I am thinking a raspberry lemonade in glass dispenser, and a silver jigger to spice up the spiking!
If your cabinets or grandmother’s pantry isn’t quite as ready for a tea party, flea markets or your local thrift stores are an excellence place to find these items on the cheap.
For resources:
When you look at a table setting, the napkin gets very little attention. Never mind the food and flowers – the plates, glasses, and flatware are all generally picked out with a bit more consideration. And then when it comes to linens, particularly events with rental linens, the napkin is an afterthought.
Hosts may think about tablecloths and runners, making sure they look just so, and completely then pass over the napkins – just adding on whatever matches.
Big mistake!
Napkins are the only part that guests actually touch – hold in their hand, place on their lap, use to wipe their mouth. I know that every party has a budget, but skip the poly-blend and make the napkin feel good.
Depending on the size of your event, you may even look into buying the napkins. You can find 100% cotton or linen napkins at many retailers, including online and in bulk in just about any color to fit your fancy. And if it works with the look of your event, dish towels and flour sack towels make great (and inexpensive) napkins. Or if you want to really personalize things – any fabric can quickly be transformed into a napkin, even without a sewing machine.
If you do buy them, you can use them forever, as a nice reminder of the event – and hopefully at others in the future (or at least that was my rationale for 175 “D” napkins).
Regardless if you rent or buy, if it feels good, people will notice – and remember.
Images clockwise from top: AnnieX, napkin from my wedding; Tekla dish towels from Ikea; Ritz white flour sack towels from Amazon; La Tavola Linens
Did you hear? Looks like we have six more weeks of winter.
Well, the weather may be that way and it might be a bit early for warmer wares, but nothing says we can’t bring in the sunshine inside with some spring colors.
Using the Pantone Fashion Color Report 2010 (thanks coco+kelley for the lead), we found a few things that brighten up any table.
The Venini vases may be a bit of a splurge, but the resin napkin rings have just as many colors without quite the investment. And the yellow tray can make you forget the snow, particularly if it is serving breakfast in bed. And those Missoni dessert plates, I have been eyeing that pattern for a while. It is amazing how just one or two little things can punch up the basics.
How do you handle the wait for spring?
For resources:
Once the holiday decor comes down, things can look a bit bare. It’s nice – in a clean, uncluttered way – but also almost lonely. And in the cold, the flowers aren’t exactly blooming to liven things up that way.
Instead, try taking a just a few simple blooms or branches, separating them out, and let the vases be focal point. I gathered a few tulips in champagne glasses and loved the fresh take. And then I saw this picture and thought the colored vessel was really what January needs.
My way to do it though utilizes things you may already have on hand … things like colored glasses and barware, votive holders, pitchers, even shot glasses. Of course vases and bud vases work too, but get creative and mix things up.
Jewel and fire tones will warm and brighten even the dreariest of days.
Do you think things look empty after the holidays? Or are you thankful for the clean, calm look of the decorations boxed back up?
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One of the many joys of city living/being young is not always having enough places for people to sit. And not just chairs, table space too. One of my quick fixes is a card table and folding chairs. But not the crusty kind that you would find in your parent’s garage … there are some stylish versions out there now that can even stay visible year round.
The way I do it is keep the basic table, and then just upgrade the chairs. The reasons for this route are a few:
- A quick tablecloth jazzes up the table, making it look better than it is.
- Also, the nice folding tables take up more space, and make a bit harder to fit under the bed (as it’s not like we have much storage space either).
- Plus, many of the wooden tables have cross legs, and so it is a bit tougher to get chairs (and legs) tucked in.
But an upgrade on the chairs can make it all look not so temporary. The ones I have are from Pottery Barn a few years ago, but it looks like they stopped selling those. Many stores carry these “fancy” folding versions, so there is an option now for every style an budget.
Apartment Therapy even did a little tutorial on how to DIY the Anthropologie ones. Most of these transition nicely to outdoors too, if needed, but the last 3 may be best as an outdoor option only.
And if you really need more space, you can always add a little table top extender (or even plywood) to the top of the table, just under the tablecloth.
What trick do you have under your bed (or up your sleeve) to make room for more guests?
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When it comes to wrapping gifts, I generally prefer solids. Glossy white, metallics, definitely brown kraft paper – I think they beat snowmen and reindeer options at the drugstore any day.
Then I usualy add fun ribbons and bows, small ornaments you name it. Not only do I like the look better, but this option works year ’round – saving time, resources and space!
But here are a few options, that either jazz up my plain packages in a new way, or may even make me rethink the solids…
I am not often up on the latest gizmos, gadgets, apps, and what have you, so if you already know all about this, I apologize.
Have you seen the new apps for iPhone (not sure if they have it for blackberries, other phones and PDAs yet) that analyze the colors in a photo?
Benjamin Moore Color Capture (free)
Sherwin-Williams ColorSnap (free)
MyPantone ($9.99 – so I haven’t tested it. I have a rule with myself to only download free apps, or I feel like it could easily be a slipperly slope)
You just take a picture on your phone and then point to any spot on the pic and it will tell you the color … pretty handy if you are painting a room or piece of furniture, but the possibilities are endless.
Want to find napkins that match the sunset – now you know the color. Or candles that are the same color at the flowers?
How would you use these apps?
