October 31st, 2012
While I was up north for my San Francisco book signing a few weeks back, I had the pleasure of meeting up with Gayle, our incredible florist who did all of the flowers for our wedding. Her style is impeccable so I asked for her advice on how to make a festive fall tablescape that could take me from Halloween through Thanksgiving, and the weeks in between. Here are some of her tips on how to recreate the look at home.
1. Pick items with character. I’m usually drawn to perfectly symmetrical pumpkins and gourds, but when it comes to creating an interesting table, the more unique the piece; the better it will look. Seek out unusual colors, gnarled textures and shapes that complement each other.
2. Start with a neutral base. Burlap is a great base – it’s widely available, made of a durable material, and very affordable. You can either leave the ends frayed or hem them for a more polished look.
3. Start big. Take your larger pieces and distribute them evenly around the table. The varying heights helps create good dimension and don’t worry about lying everything down flat – raise some items, lean others against each other, etc.
4. Use a variety of natural materials. Think: gourds, pumpkins, persimmons, lichen (a cool green-colored algae that fit in with our color palette) and dried corn. Gayle created a rose out of decorative kale by carefully pealing back the leaves to resemble a flower.
5. Incorporate little extras. To fill in gaps (and to create more dimension), add things like acorns, pinecones, succulents, etc.
6. Add personal mementos. Don’t feel compelled to simply add natural elements. One of my favorite tips from Gayle was to use little pieces that mean something to you, like this bird figurine, a natural geode, or a salt and pepper set that her parents brought her back from a trip to Morocco.
7. Add water. Place greens, such as grasses, flowers, or the decorative kale in mason jars filled with water. It keeps things feeling vibrant and light against the heavier items on the table.
8. Bring in the light. Keep the lighting simple with some tea light candles placed in decorative votives. Just make sure not to place them too close to some the more flammable objects.
October 26th, 2012
{A lucite tray that holds fun costume jewelry – this bracelet makes every outfit feel fancy}
This week felt quintessentially fall, even though there were blistery hot winds sweeping through the city the whole time. Last night we hosted friends for a chili + baked potato bar + pumpkin carving, which couldn’t have been more fun. Tomorrow night is our costume party so I’ll be finishing up the decorations and details until then. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!
{Homemade chicken soup prep – my husband takes such good care of me when I’m sick}
{Three birds on a wire at dusk}
{Cat shirt/stickers/tattoos + mom jeans – just a small part of my Halloween costume}
{The ultimate stiletto – a combination of gold leather + black suede}
October 25th, 2012
{Skull + black and orange M&M’s}
My friend Melisa called me out for pinning Halloween-related images on Pinterest back in April, so I’m happy that my obsessive planning is finally paying off (you can see my now-timely board here). The truth is – I look forward to this holiday pretty much year round, so now that it’s only a few days away, I thought I’d offer a glimpse as to how we’ve decorated for our second annual costume party this Saturday. For the record – my costume couldn’t be less appealing, but should make for a funny and comfortable evening with friends.
{Mummy/Bat/Ghost/Pumpkin/Eye Ball/Bone Cookies from Dylan’s Candy Bar}
{Crows – borrowed from last year’s costume – line the railing leading up to our place}
{The work-in-progress drink/dessert table}
{Coroner drink tags + old school sodas}
{Buried bones in the front yard}
{Body part gummies: teeth, fingers, brains}
{Bloody hand print on our front door}
{Hand + candy corn-flavored Dots}
{Candles by the entryway}
You can see last year’s decorations here.
October 18th, 2012
A few weeks back I visited my friend Cristina’s condo that she had recently purchased and sitting outside was this worn-down credenza. The shape was great – with a clean top, ample space, and an intricately shaped underside, but she didn’t have room for it in her current place. Instead of selling it, I convinced her that we should set up a sort of sisterhood-of-the-traveling-credenza situation. So I took it home and spruced it up, full well knowing that in a few years she might take it back and re-do it in a bright yellow. But for the time being, it’s filled a much-needed void in my office (which you can see here) and now holds miscellaneous supplies that didn’t have a place. Here are the simple steps I took to repaint it and how I incorporated it into the room.
Before.
I painted it three coats of glossy bright white with dark navy trimmed drawers.
I chose gold hammered knobs, since they felt slightly nautical without being overly thematic.
A souvenir from my bridal shower: a spray painted tiger – Rachel’s classy way of not decorating for a crazy cat lady.
I added several framed photographs that my husband and I’ve taken – this one’s from the roof of our hotel on our honeymoon in Rome. Also included: miniature pumpkins, Diptqyue’s “Figuier” candle, white hydrangeas, a stack of design books, and a Doloris Petunia necklace.
Some shoes are too pretty to keep stowed away in the closet, including my sparkly heels from our wedding.
Lastly, I lined the drawers in a fun bicycle print (it’s just paper that I secured with double-sided tape) to keep odds and ends, like my (excessive) collection of colored twine.
