Thanksgiving is in a couple of weeks and that means that many of you will be inviting family in to your home. In some cases, it may even mean that family will be staying with you. I am in the process of adding a few elements to my guest room to perk it up a bit. I have been looking for a centerpiece for the room and as I was perusing my favorite antique mall I ran in to this: Fireplace mantels can be expensive, but hunting for a deal can be fun. This mantle was originally...

Sponsored by: With Halloween behind us, the clock is set back an hour, the calendar turns to November, and my mind is filled with new images. For me it brings images of leaves falling to the ground, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade, and designing the Thanksgiving table. Yes, even when I was a kid I participated in designing the table. On Thanksgiving, the table truly is the centerpiece of the celebration. That’s why it is important to incorporate elements in to the design that will be sure to start conversation and encourage people to share...

With Halloween this week, if you are looking for easy and inexpensive ideas to put together a haunted dinner party look no farther. After the kids have taken the last piece of candy, sit down with friends and enjoy a great meal. Covering the Table To create a table that feels as though you stumbled upon it as you were walking through a haunted mansion, the table covering needs to feel a bit old and ragged. To generate that sensibility place an inexpensive lace fabric in a sink with tea bags. Tea stain the lace and let dry. Once the...

We are so fortunate to live in a creative society where resources are at our fingertips and we can customize anything. Some people feel that if you customize something then it must be personalized too, right? Wrong. You can select a graphic fabric, or pick a color for a room but that doesn’t mean it is personal. Recently, as I rummaged through my flatware, dinnerware, and glassware to sort out what I have to play with this holiday season I started to think it would be great it I could create something completely unique - not just mixing and...

I am often asked for ideas for birthday parties for kids. This weekend I was invited to a party for a friends eight year old daughter. I recall last year this same little girl was using ribbon and fabric scraps to create a new wardrobe for her Barbie’s, and now she is dabbling in junior fashion design. She wanted to gather her girlfriends, design clothes, and walk the runway for her birthday. I was behind the scenes and worked as a “dresser,” helping the girls with safety pins, glitter eye shadow, and whatever else was needed: Her big...

Teaching etiquette to children can be a difficult and trying experience. By turning manners into rules, children will instantly lose interest, so create a fun and educational experience by throwing an etiquette party. When I think of good manners, I imagine tea parties. Perhaps it is the delicacy of the china that requires a certain grace at the table. Appeal to children (ages 7 - 9) with fantasy by throwing a Mad Hatter’s Tea Party straight out of Alice in Wonderland. For younger tots (age 4-6) throw a princess party, complete with tiara and all. In the process, they...

At the start of each season, stores become busy creating attractive displays that reflect the trends of each season. Like in fashion, certain colors, prints, and textures become popular in tabletop accessories. Incorporate an element or two of these fall trends to your tabletop for a fresh new look. A Time for Nesting Fall is a time for nesting and so it makes perfect sense that our feathered friends have become a Fall trend. Graphic bird prints, along with delicate branches and nests are popping up everywhere this season. If you are looking for dinnerware this fall Jason Miller has designed a line...

Today is the first day of Fall, so start planning a party celebrating the abundance of the season. The harvest is a time where people clear out their garden crops and feast on the bounty that nature provides. For me, fall is a time for nesting and inviting others into my home. Just because you’re indoors doesn’t mean you can’t be surrounded by nature. Connect with your community by throwing a party featuring all things local. From the produce to the decor, turn your table into a Farmer’s Market where guests can gather. Invite your guests to your farmers market inspired...

This weekend I spent an afternoon rearranging and organizing a room or two in my house. Whenever I do that I seem to stumble upon things that I forgot I had, while going through drawers, closets and boxes. This weekend was no exception. As I was organizing my closet I ran in to a small box that took me on a trip down memory lane. The box was full of books and other odds and ends, and underneath it all was this: This might look like an old music box to you, but to me it was...