Rex & Regina's Blog » inspiration

Put a Cork in it!

admin — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 11:30:46 +0000

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.

Martha Stewart-inspired Punched Cork Serving Tray

"How to" for the Punched Cork Tray

Mind Your Beeswax: Clever Place Cards

admin — Mon, 03 May 2010 13:12:00 +0000

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!

Beeswax place card from Donna Hay magazine

Taking Champagne to a Whole New Level

admin — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 13:43:10 +0000

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‘s The Bubbly Bar: Champagne and Sparkling Wine Cocktails for Every Occasion is 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!

Cheers!

Easter Entertaining: Tablescape Inspiration Part Two

admin — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 22:05:52 +0000

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!

An Entertaining Read: Matthew Mead’s Entertaining Simple

admin — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 12:19:26 +0000

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!

Entertaining Simple, available from Amazon

Bauble-icious! Using gems to create a stunning tablescape

admin — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 21:18:46 +0000

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?

Hang it up: custom coat check tags

admin — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:32:54 +0000

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

Finally, if the above templates are not enough, Twig and Thistle sells the customizable templates featured on Style Me Pretty on their on their Etsy store.

Stylish Thanksgiving Centerpieces

admin — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:22:58 +0000

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