I have a pretty serious obsession with serving trays — something I’ve confessed to in an earlier post. Perfect for entertaining and incorporating into one’s decor, they really are very versatile. One tray with books sits atop my coffee table, another hems in my toiletries in the bathroom, one is for a grouping of candles on a table, another is used for meals in bed when one of us is sick, there are two we use every-so-often for dinner on the couch… and the list goes on!
There are so many fabulous options for trays in stores, but I am very fond of these recent DIY trays that I spotted — both using cork. Cork is a sustainably-produced, natural material with a very organic feel. It is easy to work with, readily available, and fairly impermeable, making it a great material to use on a tray.
The first project I spotted came from Design*Sponge, one of my favorite sites for inspiration. The basket-weave pattern of the cork provides texture to an otherwise drab tray (I know because I own that tray!) from IKEA. The process looks fairly simple and the instructions are easy to follow.
an IKEA tray transformed by cork
the weaving process
This Martha Stewart-inspired tray also features cork but in a completely different way. The punched cork adds a bit of whimsy to the tray and will also help to keep things from slipping.
I am always looking for clever ideas for place cards. Here is a great one from Donna Hay magazine. Simply cut a square of beeswax candle sheeting (available from a variety of sources, including Candlewic), roll it, and voila!
When faced with the choice between a cocktail, a glass of wine, or a flute of champagne, I will choose the latter every time. There is something so festive and refined about champagne, and a good champagne flatters the tongue with its effervescence.
It’s really no surprise, then, that Maria C. Hunt‘sThe Bubbly Bar: Champagne and Sparkling Wine Cocktails for Every Occasionis very likely to be the next book added to my library. Hunt has designed custom champagne cocktails for Preston Bailey, Alicia Silverstone, Hall & Oates, and countless brides and grooms — each using fresh ingredients combined in sophisticated ways.
The Bubbly Bar, available at Amazon.com
Specialty cocktails and signature drinks are a great way to personalize a party. Serving them as guests arrive, along with sparkling water for those who may not wish to partake, is a welcoming touch.
Champagne Bars are another stylish way to serve the bubbly beverage. Offering fresh fruit juices, herbs, and speciality liqueurs to complement the champagne adds a creative and interactive element to a party.
At the Washingtonian Bride & Groom’s Unveiled event recently, Design Cuisine offered a version of a Champagne Bar and included herbs in their list of ingredients. I love how they displayed them — a great focal point for the Bar. (Forgive the iPhone photo!)
Herb "tree" from Design Cuisine
Try a Champagne Bar at your next gathering. Let me know how it goes!
Easter is quickly approaching and if you are hosting friends and family in your home you are likely in the throes of figuring out your menu and how you are going to present and serve it. To help you in your planning, this week I am sharing three tablescapes which I hope will provide some inspiration for your Easter table.
Today’s tablescape is a modern approach to an Easter or Spring table. The square plates, sleek flatware, and stemless glasses each project a modern style.
A modern take on an Easter tablescape
The charger, or base plate, is actually a platter which is re-purposed here into a charger. Always consider pieces in your pantry in a new way — can a bowl be turned upside down to serve as a stand? An egg cup into a vase or candle holder?
The silver-banded charger is complemented by the sleek metal flatware and silver dupioni napkin — folded into a square to mirror the plate.
A pink glass salad plate adds a pop of spring-like color that is echoed by the pink tulips.
floral wire adds definition and texture to a glass vase of tulips
Floral wire — sold at florist shops and supply stores in a variety of colors — is wrapped around the top of the vase, mimicking a nest. The wire could also be wrapped around the inside of the vase for a dramatic look.
little treats rest on top of a wave-like demitasse cup and saucer
Finally, demitasse cups and saucers are joined by sweet treats — awaiting guests as they take their seats. The rectangular wave-like cup and saucer treatment completes the modern look.
Many thanks to the good folks at DC Rental who provided the plates, flatware, and glasware in this tablescape, as well as their creative energies!
Stay tuned for one more Easter tablescape inspiration this week!
Cookbooks, entertaining, and etiquette books read like enthralling novels for me, and I pour over every photo and blurb. I could spend hours soaking up all of the practical advice and being inspired by the recipes and ideas.
The newest entertaining book in my library, thanks to a dear friend, is Entertaining Simple, by Matthew Mead, who hits the nail on the head when it comes to simple, easy ways to dress an impactful table. Mead reviews the elements of the basic table “wardrobe;” offers clever ways to reuse the same serving piece in multiple, stylish ways; provides clever decor ideas; and caps it all off with delicious recipes.
I particularly appreciated his focus on how to use the ordinary elements in one’s home — egg cups, glass votive holders, cake stands — and turn them into extraordinary focal points on table.
Looking for a gift for your favorite entertainer? Look no further!
Last week, I spent some time brainstorming an elegant Spring place setting. I was giving a lecture on Easter entertaining and wanted to show a range of place settings from casual to upscale traditional. For the upscale setting, I included a menu card and was trying to come up with a way to add a little sparkle and pizazz to it. The color palette was pink and gold and so I considered what gold accents I might already have on hand to dress up and complement the card. Not long after, I came up with this:
a vintage brooch dresses up a menu card (rentals pictured are from DC Rental)
I tied satin pink ribbon to a vintage brooch and attached it to the menu card to give it a little interest. I love the idea of re-using items that you already have in new and interesting ways when entertaining. Apparently, I am not the only one!
I absolutely adore this tablescape featured on 100 Layer Cake that uses second-hand clip on earrings as place cards. Gorgeous!
clip on earrings as place card holders (via 100 Layer Cake)
Baubled place cards via 100 Layer Cake
Another clever way to dress up one’s table is to drape costume jewelry necklaces — rhinestones or pearls work great — on a chandelier, candelabra, or vase or to weave them strategically through votives on a runner. The key is taking time to arrange the pieces until they complement and blend in with the existing setting.
Rhinestones draped on candlesticks create an elegant table (via Better Homes & Gardens)
What ways have you dressed up your table using uncommon goods in your home?
Personal and unexpected touches can set a wedding apart and make it even more memorable for the bride & groom and their guests. Thinking through each step of the guests’ experience — down to the smallest detail like checking a coat — can help a bride create personal touches along the way for her guests to ooo and aaaahhhh over.
I absolutely adore the idea of custom coat check tags. Since we are in the colder months now, the idea is particularly appropriate as guests will need to wear and check their coats at weddings and other events.
This coat check recently featured on Style Me Pretty is stunning. Instructions for making similar tags are included on the site.
custom coat check tag featured on Style Me Pretty; photo by Corbin Gurkin
Elizabeth Anne Designs also created an adorable DIY coat tag template that is featured on her blog. This particular one shows how even black and white tags can be striking.
DIY Coat Check Tags via Elizabeth Anne Designs
A similar template for coat check tags is available on Putting the R in Mrs, a site which chronicles other beautiful DIY wedding projects, as well.
DIY coat check templates available at http://mrs.allieandjosh.org
Here’s a roundup of stylish, yet easy-to-create Thanksgiving centerpieces. What I love about each of these is that they incorporate natural, organic materials.
I am still considering which one I might try out this year on my holiday table! Which is your favorite?
lentils and orange candles add an autumn tone to the table, from Every Day with Rachael Ray
fresh produce turns into a fresh, chic centerpiece, from Better Homes & Gardens
corn husk votives featured on Martha Stewart
leaves in clear hurricanes make for a modern table, from Martha Stewart
simple but beautiful centerpiece, as featured on Good Housekeeping
One of Snippet & Ink's many fabulous inspiration boards
Inspiration boards are a great way for brides to hone in on the style, color scheme, and overall vision of their wedding. By assembling images reflecting the tone and colors that are most appealing to them, they can begin to create a “master plan” for the design of their wedding.
Low-tech inspiration boards are easy to make by simply posting magazine clippings, fabric swatches, and other inspiration sources to a bulletin board or pasting them onto card stock. These low tech boards have the advantage of offering texture and true-to-life color, unlike their high-tech alternatives.
The portability of digital inspiration boards can’t be beat, however. Simplistic versions of digital boards are easy to make by dropping images into a Word document. More advanced boards can be created in design programs like Adobe InDesign or online at Dessy.
Dessy has a fantastic Pantone Wedding Tool that allows you to create an inspiration board staying true to the Pantone colors of your choosing.
Pantone Wedding: Wedding Tools
If creating a board seems overwhelming, brides can jumpstart their design juices by perusing inspiration boards on sites such as Snippet & Ink or 100 Layer Cake that regularly feature fabulous inspiration boards.
Still stuck? Check out this previous post on choosing a color palette for a wedding.
Wedding blogs are a dime a dozen, but only a handful really stand out. My latest wedding blog infatuation is with 100 Layer Cake which I just recently added to the Rex & Regina Blogroll.
Their colorboards are fantastic — not too cluttered and the color swatches included in each board make it even easier to visualize the scheme. I love this recent one featuring jewel tones.
Jewel Tone Colorboard from 100 Layer Cake
100 Layer Cake is chock full of inspiration for beautiful wedding elements. Their DIY section is absolutely excellent — replete with unique and clever ideas. The blog also boasts a rich collection of Real Weddings, providing even more dazzling eye candy for brides-to-be.
So click on over to 100 Layer Cake. I think you’ll see why they are my latest blog crush!
One of my all-time favorite wedding blogs, Snippet & Ink, recently posted a gorgeous inspiration board for a pale blue and autumn gold wedding. I fell in love!
Pale blue and gold inspiration board from Snippet & Ink
I am such a fan of gold — particularly for Fall weddings — because of its richness and warmth. When paired here with the coolness of the pale blue it creates such an elegant contrast.
Thanks, Snippet & Ink, for continuing to inspire us with your stunning collection of wedding inspiration!
