Archive for October, 2012

October 10th, 2012 No Comments

vintage tabletop pieces make great hostess gifts

Vintage pieces are always great to pick up at flea markets or antique markets either as gifts or for the upcoming holidays. If you don’t have time to hit the markets my shop has a few pieces like napkin rings, sugar spoon sets with mother of pearl spoons etc.. These make wonderful hostess gifts too if you are invited to someone else’s home for the holidays. Felt placemats are also a nice gift. My shop carries them in this blue you see pictured above or in a dark charcoal gray. We also carry felt trivets, bags and … Read more

October 9th, 2012 No Comments

color palette: blues & grays

I hope everyone had a great holiday yesterday. This week I wanted to do blues and grays- a color palette I worked with for my own beach house. I installed gray hardwood floors, white moldings and used all shades of blues for the walls. I even had a few pieces of my pine furniture painted pale shades of blue to lighten the rooms. I’ll show you the furniture examples later this week. For today though, nature seemed to be the best inspiration for this color palette.

October 5th, 2012 No Comments

jamali garden store

One of my favorite places to go for inexpensive holiday decor is Jamali Garden store on West 28th street in New York City. But they now have a lot of their things online and will ship all over the country. You can find anything from vases to garlands to moss. This 16 inch Berry Wreath is only $22, set of 6 Red Glitter Birds, $4.50 and a 6 foot Red Glitter Bay Leaf Garland, only $16. If you are in the city it’s worth a trip to the flower market to see what they have, if not … Read more

October 4th, 2012 No Comments

the big book of chic

This fall many new design books are being released, but across the board it seems the reviews for Miles Redd’s new book “The Big Book of Chic” are fantastic. It’s available to pre-order on Amazon and it’s expected release date is October 23rd, 2012. Sara Ruffin Costello, reviewing for The Wall Street Journal said, “Flipping through the pages is like going to a cocktail party in heaven in which Diana Vreeland insists you try the frozen vodka shots.”.

October 3rd, 2012 No Comments

cranberry red celebrations

Whether you are hosting a shower, birthday party or just friends for a fall afternoon, a cranberry theme can be perfect this time of year. An easy decorating idea is to fill your votives (or vases) with cranberries. Yesterday I posted the classic “Cape Cod” cocktail. But if you are looking for a warm cranberry drink, visit tasteofhome.com for several creative recipes. Iomoi has unique custom designs for invitations, personal stationery and even gifts- take a look at their site!  Use beautiful wrapping paper as a table runner to decorate your buffet, coffee table or dining table. Read more

October 2nd, 2012 No Comments

the classic cape cod (& a black widow for halloween)

The classic “Cape Cod” cocktail is 2 oz. vodka over ice with 3 oz of cranberry juice as a mixer and garnish with lime. I made a slightly smaller Cape Cod in my Japanese etched 3 oz stem glass (that you can find at my store along with other larger glasses) and garnished with sugared cranberries on a pick. This is a perfect little cocktail for the holiday season. A twist for Halloween would be to use black vodka and cranberry juice to make a “Black Widow” and don’t stir- you will get a layered appearance in your glass. … Read more

October 1st, 2012 No Comments

color palette: shades of cranberry

It’s that time of year when the cranberry bogs will be harvested before the first frost. Nantucket, a favorite place of mine, has many cranberry bogs. In fact they are having their 10th Annual Cranberry Festival this coming Saturday, October 6th. Most people only think of going to Nantucket in the summer, but the fall and the holidays are beautiful on the island. A few of my favorite places to stay are the Union Street Inn, right in town and The Wauwinet, which is a bit out of town but worth the drive.