Search Results for: gail brill

June 12th, 2013 1 Comment

weddings: a rustic, candlelit wedding in alaska

I showed you the canned salmon favors from this wedding the other week and thought I should share more from this wedding in Alaska with you especially since it’s primarily a white, cream and brown color palette (this week’s palette). Originally shot for Martha Stewart Weddings by Rick Lew and styled by me, this wedding was casual and inspired by the regional beauty. I hope you can draw some ideas and inspiration from these images! (Please remember though the photos are from my portfolio and if you pin the images they should be credited to Martha Stewart Weddings and photographer … Read more

May 20th, 2013 No Comments

our color palettes & stories: a look back at a wonderful year

Time is flying!  We totally missed our one year anniversary of the blog we were so engrossed in our stories! Last year on April 9th our first post went up. It was one of my favorite color palettes of black, peach and pink (pictured below). Here is the link to read the full post. But soon after we posted this rich color palette of pinks (pictured above) from famous baker Ron Ben-Israel‘s sugar flowers. Yes, I said SUGAR flowers. Those flowers are hand crafted out of sugar by Ron. I worked with Ron on many cake stories for Weddings magazines and these … Read more

February 26th, 2013 No Comments

personalize your table setting with monogram chair covers & matchbooks

To continue with our monogram theme this week I wanted to share with you a table I styled for InStyle magazine. First I had Gail Brill (our weddings contributor this month on the blog!) design a personal monogram for the couple. We then gave the monogram design to Penn & Fletcher in Long Island City to embroider chair covers in a blue that was in our color palette. Now I did these here for a wedding reception, just for the bride and groom, but you can do this idea for your own chairs at home too. We simply … Read more

February 11th, 2013 1 Comment

a week of love stories: today, “the last kiss”

As a special for Valentine’s week, I thought we’d take a pause from our usual color palettes to celebrate love stories-stories between couples, friends & family. To begin the week I wanted to start with a poem from my father to my mother. My father and mother met when they were in kindergarten, married at age 21 and 20 in 1954 and celebrated 56 anniversaries until my mother’s passing in 2010. My mother had Parkinsons for nearly 20 years and my father cared for her day in and day out at our family home and was at her side when … Read more

February 2nd, 2013 No Comments

valentine’s day wrapping made simple: 4 containers, 8 different ways.

If you are looking for a few simple wrapping ideas for your Valentine’s Day treats we pulled together 4 containers, each with two different ideas… four containers, eight ideas. Let’s Start with the four containers and where we got them. Jug with red cap, $3 each, red polka dot candy Cup, $4 for 20 cups, glass milk Bottle with lid, all from Shop Sweet Lulu. Bucket, $12 for 12, from Candy Warehouse. These mini jugs are perfect to share your favorite punch or valentine’s cocktail with your friends. We dubbed it the “Joy Jug”. … Read more

September 19th, 2012 No Comments

weddings: a tiffany inspired table setting

Event designer and florist, Michael George and I worked on this story for InStyle. Inspired by Tiffany Blue, we used the color in small details and accents throughout vs. draping everything in blue. We selected white flowers, cloths, chairs, china etc. as our backdrop for the blue to pop. Using different sized vases in blues and whites from Middle Kingdom we placed them running down the center of long rectangular tables keeping them low so guests can see each other.  Notice to add interest to the centerpieces we used all different types of white flowers- but did not mix … Read more

August 14th, 2012 1 Comment

tuesday’s tabletop: succulent centerpieces

I was asked to design a table for Hampton Cottages and Gardens for the Hampton Classic (an equestrian competition). It was very last minute and the event was outside in very hot, humid temperatures. Traditional flowers might not hold up in the heat- so I chose to use different varieties of succulents, so I was sure it would look crisp and clean. I used different sized Jars bowls and Mud Australia bowls (available from my store) to plant the succulents in and topped off the dirt with small white seashells to finish the centerpieces. The tables were all … Read more

August 7th, 2012 No Comments

tuesday’s tabletop: tomato placecard holder & corn grit votive holder

Personalizing a lunch or dinner for friends can be very easy and not so overwhelming. Here using the colors in our tomato color palette this week, all I did was take a toothpick, a piece of paper cut into a flag shape with my friends’ names and poked it into a cherry tomato as a place card holder. This could be an easy lunch or dinner for friends and family. I used fresh vegetables along a cutting board as the centerpiece and served corn soup with cherry tomatoes and crackers as the starter. I took dry corn grits and filled … Read more

July 10th, 2012 No Comments

tuesday’s tabletop: metal hanging labels as placecard holders

I found these metal hanging labels that make great placecard holders for a rustic, casual table setting. Cream card stock cut down to size with each guests’ name and leather lacing tied through the hole finish it off. (These would be perfect in conjunction with the menu card on a wooden clip board for the table that I featured yesterday from “The Barn” restaurant-see photo below via &SMITH) SOURCES: Set of 12 metal hanging label holders, $18, from Ballard Designs, Linen Napkin, $22, from The Product Gallery/ Little Blue Dish Shop, Leather Lacing, from S & S … Read more

June 5th, 2012 No Comments

tabletop: whites, creams & metallics

Since summer is upon us, using coral and starfish for a centerpiece seems appropriate and so pretty in a white, cream and metallic color palette. I love using natural objects like the coral vs. flowers sometimes because I can set the table in advance and not have to worry about the centerpiece wilting or dying too early before my guests arrive. This coral piece and starfish I had as accents around my home and I just moved them to the table for a quick and easy centerpiece. Calligraphed place cards and a menu card, always make a table setting elegant … Read more