Everything’s Coming Up Roses…..

As the More is More Mom®, I’m all about…….bringing more of the summer indoors! By the time spring rolls around, I’m obsessed with the notion of outdoor living. I can’t wait to get outside, shake off the covers on our patio furniture, sweep away the winter blues and fill my pots and urns with beautiful flowers. Gazing out on my deck, I’m overcome with a wave of utter happiness that summer has finally arrived.

 

Short of a whole house makeover (which would be fun too), we can still infuse that summer feeling in cheerful little ways. I’m a big, big fan of scented candles. When it’s warm, I can’t get enough of clean scents like lemon, floral and fresh cut grass. Glass hurricanes, a great bowl or fabulous urn filled with fruit makes for a healthy and colorful centerpiece. Swapping out your normal, everyday throw pillows for something in a quirky unexpected color is another way to lighten the mood.

 

Of course, the most obvious summer feel good is a bouquet of fresh flowers. The other day, I was wandering through the grocery store floral department and was struck by the gorgeous variety of bouquets. That Mother Nature is pretty darn clever! There isn’t a nook or cranny in our homes that wouldn’t benefit from such a perk. 

 

The beauty of a mixed bouquet is the variation of colors and textures; tall and spiky, full and lush, greens and berries. Such a bouquet is especially lovely on a chest in your Foyer, a nightstand in your bedroom or in a pitcher in your kitchen.

 

I tend to favor a lower arrangement, featuring one type of flower for greater impact. Something that makes a statement, like hydrangeas or peonies, can be absolutely amazing. A gorgeous vessel overflowing with these fragrant beauties would be fantastic as a centerpiece on your dining table, in your Powder Room or on an end table in your Living Room.

 

For a happy color burst, why not a collection of vases showcasing bouquets of Gerber Daisies or pretty little Matsumoto Aster? They would de delightful in your Kitchen, porch, Powder Room or cocktail table to infuse a little personality.

 

 

Going totally classic is a good choice too. There isn’t a room in the house that wouldn’t benefit from the beauty of a bouquet of roses (my favorites are hot pink and yellow) or the simplicity of soulful tulips in a crystal vessel.

 

The truest joys of summer are surrounding yourself with family and friends in your beautiful home!

 

More outdoor living, more summer, more beauty, more flowers……..

 

 

To schedule and Interior Design appointment or a speaking engagement, please email me at moreismoremom@aol.com

If You Set It…They Will Come (to Thanksgiving Dinner)

As the More is More Mom®, I am all about….more beautiful Thanksgiving tablescapes! Who doesn’t love a holiday that is totally devoted to eating? The only way to make it even better is to set an equally decadent table to enjoy the experience; good food, good wine, good company and good times.

Last month, I was the featured speaker at a meeting of the International Furnishings and Design Association at the Chicago Merchandise Mart. I was thrilled to share my passion for entertaining, while I demonstrated my philosophies about how to set over the top buffets and tablescapes for the holidays. With Thanksgiving around the corner, I wanted to show you some interesting ways in which to make your table a little more enchanting.

 

While Thanksgiving is all about the turkey, I was inspired by more of an elegant woodland theme. Layering gives your table a luscious feeling. I like to pile on the linens (Bed, Bath and Beyond thanks me…)! A tablecloth is the perfect foundation, setting the tone from the get go. If you have a round table, there is nothing more sophisticated than a tablecloth that touches the ground. It’s so grand! Don’t have one? It’s as simple as renting one from a party rental store. Here I selected a chocolate brown because it’s neutral, it coordinates with everything, it shows a little imagination and the dark color hides a multitude of sins (think gravy).  

A table-topper is a must because it adds some personality. I love to use throw blankets as toppers. Some are washable and others are simply beautiful works of art. I had to have this gorgeous, nubby gingerbread, eggplant, terra-cotta and sage throw. Customarily, my next layer would be a traditional placemat. I like the idea of delineating everyone’s personal space. To make my woodland theme more authentic, I chose to incorporate berry wreaths as placemats. Talk about interest and dimension! The hues in the berries compliment the weave in the throw beautifully.  

 

Formal tablesetting’s definitely require a charger. In order to keep up with all of the other textures, I selected brown leather chargers rather than a gold leaf. It felt more rustic. I do not happen to own a set of formal china because I prefer the option to mix and match my dishes to create more interesting designs. I am head over heals for my gold buffet plates from Pottery Barn. Their rustic nature blends beautifully with my woodland theme. They are actually very practical and I’ve had them forever. They are perfect for just about every occasion other than Valentines Day. How about that for versatile? Whether I need it or not, I always set my table with a decorative salad plate. It’s an opportunity to tie your whole tablescape together. Here I am using my pear plates with an apple green and gold leaf edge. To coordinate with the pear plates, it would be a great idea to place a real pear at each place setting, with a place card tied to the stem of the pear with raffia. Seating arrangements are a way to control chaos (or just an excuse for an additional layer on your table).

I love proper cloth napkins at a formal table. They just scream special occasion. Here I used a golden, textural woven, simply slid through a copper ring. As an alternative to breaking out (and polishing) the good silver, I have selected flatware with a honed, pearl handle as an additional compliment. Rather than use a standard clear glass, I placed an amber glass footed goblet at each place setting. The amber offers a lovely warm glow.

Every table needs a centerpiece. I know that this one is over the top, and it should be. When a guest comes to an event in my home, my intention is for them to be swept up by the magic. Green is my favorite neutral, which is why I was completely drawn to this fabulous urn. For height, I filled the urn with willow branches. They have an elegant, wispy quality. To reinforce my woodland theme, I selected evergreen branches with pines cones. The hydrangeas in purple, gold and red add a pop of color nestled in at the base. Now I do recognize that this arrangement is too tall to keep on the table during dinner (unless there are relatives on the other side that you would just as soon not see), so when it’s time to eat, whisk it off the table and set it aside. That might sound like extra work, but I’m not about simple, I’m about meaningful……

It’s time for the finishing touches. Turkeys and pumpkins are so predictable. I prefer to feature more elegant pheasants during the fall and winter seasons. I have three gold gilt birds scattered around the table. What a treat it is to dine by candlelight. I have chosen leather candlesticks, in varying heights with taper candles. To capture the candlelit sparkle, I have also included mirrored candlesticks with pillar candles.

Pop in the turkey and all the fixings, light the candles, turn up the music and enjoy dinner with your family and friends.

More extravagance, more beauty, more breaking bread, more gratitude….

Fourth of July Celebration; Day One…Decorations

What’s more fun than more parties!?! There’s nothing more All American than commemorating Independence Day. I have an exciting week planned, and I can’t wait to share with you the details for a fantastic Fourth. Each and every day I will demonstrate my ideas for divine decorations and delectable dishes. Actually, we enjoyed a fabulous Father’s Day dinner last weekend. My family was kind enough to indulge me by celebrating the “Faux of July,” which made it possible to bring this to you today…….

We had so much fun with our Memorial Day celebration, and we could certainly have used the same patriotic elements again this go around, but I wanted to show you how you could mix it up a little bit.

I would have loved for us to dine al fresco, but Mother Nature has been so darn unpredictable (that’s not true, she’s very predictable….rain everyday.). We settled for cocktails and appetizers on the deck, which was perfectly pleasant…..and dry.

My love affair with fabric, texture and color lead me to start, as it usually does, with a table covering. For Memorial Day I used a fantastic quilt as a tablecloth. Today, I was inspired to use this very bold, red tablecloth with stripes made out of polka dots. Great attention to detail. Tablecloths are another of my collecting obsessions. This one is great because it is suitable for so many occasions; Valentines Day, Independence Day, Christmas Day and any other day you’re moved to entertain in a sea of red.

Layers just add dimension and interest, so I always use a placement over my tablecovering. Here I selected a dusty blue (with a nice little tone on tone stripe) in homage to the Red, White and Blue. I topped that with a silver leaf charger, with a hobnail trim (which is a subtle tie in to the dots, in the stripe, of my tablecloth), reminiscent of the sparkle of…..sparklers! I pulled out these great red, stoneware dinner plates. I like the raised scroll detail. As always, I am taken with the way a snappy dessert plate pulls the theme of a table setting together (kind of like a great necklace or bracelet). For years I have been collecting a mish mash of blue and white plates that I use for appetizers and desserts. My collection stands at about 50, and I’ve used them all together, and their color combination is what unifies them, not the pattern. It’s just sort of groovy and eclectic. Here I enlisted the aid of two different patterned Spode plates and they look great (I alternated the pattern at every other place setting).

I am morally opposed to paper products while entertaining, but this was an exception. My menu consists of two potentially, very messy food items; ribs and buttery corn on the cob. Having heart palpitations because the good linen napkins are going to be ruined is no way to go through dinner, so I picked up these sturdy, 2 ply paper napkins and gave each guest two. So much more relaxing for all concerned! Red handled flatware showed off quite nicely against the blue napkins and placemats. You know I am a Target junkie, and I found these cute acrylic tumblers for $1.99 a piece. They’re perfect with their rows of blue stars (stars and stripes forever…). Each glass held a patriotic pinwheel.

Alas, the centerpiece. A low arrangement was in order, as I wanted to be sure we could see each other across the table. I set out five, simple clear glass vases and tied a red, white and blue wired edged, plaid ribbon around each one, for a little slice of Americana. The stripes on the tablecloth are white, so I was determined to find something sweet like white daisies. I raced and ran from floral department to floral department when Amanda and I popped in for a visit to our favorite Costco. Disappointed because there were no white flowers, I was about to settle on red roses, which were really much to formal for the occasion, when my gal pointed out bouquets of gorgeous blue and white hydrangeas. She is so smart! We brought them home, trimmed the stems so they would form a luscious, full cluster. Lined up together, they were stunning. To complete the look, I placed red and blue tin stars amongst the vases, and for a little romantic candlelight, resurrected blue and white votive holders to coordinate with my Spode plates. The table was lovely!

For this party, my buffet was really just set up for appetizers, but I still wanted it to make a statement. Pattern and color always sets the tone, so I was excited to use this classic, flag, throw size, quilt as a topper (I’ve had it in my collection for so long, I don’t recall from whence it came. Target or Kohl’s would be a pretty safe bet.). My four appetizer offerings took center stage. Elevation always makes for a pleasing, and user friendly food display. A pewter, hob nail trim, pedestal cake plate stood proudly in the back. On either side (and slightly to the front) of the highest point, I wanted to present two additional, raised appetizers, without being so un-original and boring as to incorporate two more cake plates. How cute are these storage bins embellished with red and blue stars? They were open at the top, so I simply flipped them upside down, and voila….two tall, patriotic, colorful, pattern-ful stands. Flat on the table, lined up across from the tall, pedestal cake plate, is a slate cheese board (that my friend Mrs. Lilly found for me). It’s fantastic! People are forever curious about the flavors in beautiful gourmet cheeses. The slate cheese board offers a smart solution. With a piece of chalk, you can simply write down the sorts of cheeses you are serving. Genius!

As the More is More Mom®, I could never leave a quiet, empty space, so I am inclined to fill in every nook and cranny! In the center of the table, I resurrected the Liberty Bell that I used for Memorial Day, and next to that I placed a crystal bowl full of fresh blueberries! On one side of my Kitchen island, I displayed two tall arrangements of all American sun flowers. They are so happy! For nearly an eternity I have had these two tall galvanized cylinders which nest inside wicker, handled baskets. They remind me of a picnic, which is perfect for the 4th! I stuck two American flags in each for a dramatic backdrop. This may sound crazy, but I found this whimsical bicycle at my grocery store. Inspiration is all around us, we just have to be open to it…… I could easily have stuck potted plants at the base, and at the top, but I had so many beautiful flowers already. Instead, I filled one basket with limes and one with lemons for an Earthy, organic quality.

On the opposite side of the island, I wanted something lively to fill the space. I knew I needed some height to mimic the other end of the buffet. At my Memorial Day bash, this red, rustic urn took center stage filled with mums, but today, it was the perfect place to rest a large, red, white and blue beach ball (height, color and shape…..a three-for). To the left, I placed a crystal bowl full of cherries and to the right a big, crazy pig with a rooster on top that sported the colors of the day. I scattered white tea light candles around the buffet for a festive glow and we are ready to party!

I hope you will be inspired to get creative and set a beautiful table and buffet for your Independence Day party this coming weekend.

Tomorrow: Dinner Menu and recipes….guaranteed to be finger licking good!