Pass It On.

Courtesy of La Dolce Vita

Do it With Flair: Great Tips for Entertaining Indoors and Out

Above photo credits: stylecarrot.com

This week I did something really tacky.

High Change on Bond Street, 1796.

The ultimate portrayal of bad manners: the society ladies are forced off the sidewalk as the bawdy (and may I add, pot-bellied) men push them off into the road. For shame!

     I have a very sweet friend who is one of the best hostesses I've ever known. She and her husband are always opening up their home to entertain, and every time they do it with grace and style. Regardless of the occasion (and sometimes there needn't be an "occasion"), their parties are fun and memorable. Often they are theme-based, but not in the come-dressed-as-your-favorite-Star Trek character kind of way. When I entertain I always think about great things she's done at her parties for inspiration.

     After being a guest at numerous of their memorable parties, I wanted to give them something as token of appreciation. I decided on L.A. interior designer and party planner Richard Nye's book  Flair: Exquisite Invitations, Lush Flowers, and Gorgeous Table Settings.   It's a smaller sized book and would look great displayed anywhere-- and the ideas in it are innovative and fabulous. To be honest, I have wanted to get my hands on it for awhile for myself. It is total eye-candy.

Joe Nye, photo courtesy Joe Nye Inc.com

Below I've listed some of my favorite tips from the book. I can't wait to try them out and would love to hear from you if you decide to use them as well!

Credit: stylecarrot.com

                          Upper left: Singerie-inspired invitations and little favor boxeds wrapped in fuchsia ribbon.                                           Upper right: Black bamboo flatware from Juliska.  

Lower left: A chinoiserie-styleparty table setting.  

Lower right: A prfusion of pink carnations in a silver mint julep cup.

"Do it simply, have a good time, and get a recipe or a routine down and keep repeating it. No one is going to remember if you served meatloaf at the last party. And if they do, who cares?" - Joe Nye

  

Nye's Tips for an Outside Party:

 

• Place plants like red geraniums into simple terra-cotta pots. Add some moss, so you can’t see the soil, and line them down the center of the table for a colorful centerpiece.

• Offer plenty of comfortable seating. Unless it’s a cocktail party where all your guests are standing, it’s important that everyone can sit in a comfy chair. The fabulous bamboo folding chairs from William-Wayne Co. are stylish and sturdy.

• My favorite type of meal is a buffet, especially for a large group. It’s perfect for an outdoor party, and you don’t have to plate the food inside and carry it out.

• Place plants like red geraniums into simple terra-cotta pots. Add some moss, so you can’t see the soil, and line them down the center of the table for a colorful centerpiece.

• A theme drink like sangria or gin mixed with limeade is fun and helps set the tone. Consider having a fully stocked bar, if you can. Most people drink wine these days, but it’s always nice to offer more.

• Freeze mint leaves, lemon wedges, or strawberries in ice cubes for a refreshing way to chill your cocktails or sparkling water.

• Use cloth napkins, and have plenty on hand for guests. It makes more sense environmentally, and you can buy them inexpensively at Williams-Sonoma. Or opt for high-quality paper napkins. Never buy thin paper or plastic plates.

 

• Don’t be afraid to mix a $2 goblet with your grandmother’s fancy china if they look right together.

• Great hosts usually blend hands-on work with a few well-chosen shortcuts and quick fixes.

• The most powerful arrangement is often one in which common flowers have been used in an unexpected way. (Nye suggests placing masses of a single flower in unusual containers, such as a soup tureen, mint julep cups, wicker baskets, or an ice bucket.)

• Tray meals—where guests pick up a tray with their place setting on it—are a nice, organized option for when you won’t be seating guests at tables or for outdoor meals.

Left: A mélange of blue-and-white ceramics mixed with yellow gladioli and oncidium orchids dress up the sideboard.
Right: The blue and yellow theme is carried over to the table, with blue water glasses, inexpensive bunches of yellow chrysanthemums and single yellow Fuji mums placed in teacups. The dinnerware is Torquay from Mottahedeh. Like the flowers, the cobalt blue-handled flatware provides an informal touch.

All images by Los Angeles-based photographer Edmund Barr. Courtesy of Rizzoli International.

     In case you haven't guessed by now-- the "tacky" thing I did? I bought the book for my friend. I wrapped it. Then I took it out of the wrapping and told myself I just "wanted to look one more time." And I did that again. And again.  Finally after three weeks of this, I bought her another one and kept the first book for myself.

   I know, I know. Tacky. But as a child I was also "that kid" who brought a happy meal with me into the Chinese place because I wanted chicken mcnuggets, not moo goo gai pan. So I place the blame on my parents. That makes me feel a little better.

Before and After: From Linen to "Blush and Bashful"

I just came across this most recent update from a fabulous interior design blog, Velvet and Linen (by Brooke Giannetti of Giannetti Home). I love before and after pictures, and this one is too good not to share.

Her bathroom was crisp and light before, with varying shades of white; but upon deciding it needed a little hint of sass, the answer was obvious: pink.

For southern ladies such as myself, definitely a signature cul-ah.

 

All photos courtesy of Velvet and Linen blog

 

 I love that the designers didn't do a lot of radical changes; the pretty pedestal sinks remain, as do the lighting fixtures and window trim color. I love the taupe curtains-- although in the brown family, they are a pop of color which really emphasizes the sunlight coming in, as well as providing a good contrast to the white fixtures.

Between the claw-foot tub, pink quilted settee, and crystal chandelier, this is luxury. 

Draw up my bath, Jeeves, and please don't forget to the lavender bath salts this time.

New Mantra.

....and speaking of quotes.

I found this one on goodreads.com and wanted to share. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have.

Roses on my backyard fence.

 

Come What May.

"Chagall Window" at the UN Headquarters.

I saw this quote recently and it's stayed in my mind ever since. I really want to share it; but I do realize this is my second "heavy" post in a row.
I promise the next one will be lighter.

So many times the words of others can convey my own feelings more articulately than I ever could. They are succinct, thought-provoking, quick little snap-shots into life and all that entails. Google any topic, and put behind it "quotes" (i.e., "friendship + quotes," or "Mark Twain + quotes"), and you will literally find a garden of wise sayings.

And-- quotes are always applicable. I love that Emily Dickinson, Oskar Schindler, and St. Augustine thought and said things that I, too, have thought... and felt.

The quote above is one that I am ready to put on my wall somewhere. Yes, Word Art. It's one of those lines that initially seems simplistic, but then becomes uncannily relevant. I've literally thought about the statement so much my head aches with that I thought too hard and now my brain is tired feeling I had at the end the one Western Philosophy class in college.

The man who penned this quote was one of great faith, intellect, and influence through "quiet diplomacy." Dag Hammarskjold was a Swedish-born Secretary General of the United Nations from 10 April 1953 until 18 September 1961, when he met an early death in a plane crash while on a peace mission in the Congo. He was posthumously awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

I am fascinated by this subtle figure of history now, because of the one quote that opened this post. After doing a little research, I am ashamed to admit I have a degree in History yet am unfamiliar with a figure so influential in world politics, with a leadership style extraordinarily balanced between pacifism and grand action.

But it is this one statement from Hammarskjold's personal journals, Markings, published after his death, which grabbed my attention more than his very long and accomplished resume:

For all that has been, thanks. For all that will be, yes.

At 30 years old, I realize that life brings moments of utter elation and crippling despair. No more has this been more evident to me than in the last few years, when literally-- in one day-- my life changed forever. Without going into detail, I'll just say that it lead to the eventual breakup of my nuclear family, just substitute dogs for children. *

But for me, the events of February 2008 hit me with a plank that knocked me off the entire life course I had envisioned. I can only recently say with complete sincerity that I'm starting to get back to "normal" again... slowly climbing out of a period deep confusion and sadness.

Sometimes I come across something that triggers the old feelings-- those slippery stones that will always be in the path because, such is Life. It may just be a tiny pebble of deja vu  (i.e., the time I burned Rice-a-Roni and subsequently saw a future of endless Lean Cuisines Meals for One, because who would want to be with someone who can't cook?), to boulders of tragedy. Like the death of my aunt this summer. I have thrown more pity parties for myself in the last two years than Chuck E Cheese has hosted in the last 10; I've questioned the good Lord's wisdom more often than any human created in His image ever should.

I had so much faith and confidence in what I thought was going to be my life, that to suddenly fish-tail into the unknown was beyond my comprehension at first. I simply thought I wasn't going to make it. I sank into the kind of consuming, selfish depression that manifests into a stomach-churning, sleep-depriving, "nothing matters" way of life. I asked God Why me? and How could I have prevented this? relentlessly. (My mother used to tell me, "Stop taking everything so personally. It's not always about you." Appears not to have really registered.)

All this to say, I was encased in that awful depression every moment of every day. For months. It was my existence that I allowed. I forgot about my Best Friend and Sustenance.
I forgot about Christ.

But He hadn't forgotten about me. Blind as I was to His presence, so consumed in my own thoughts, He found a way to whisper healing into my life. I remember the first time since everything happened that I realized I was laughing out loud -- not a fake laugh, not a "get me through the day" laugh-- but really laughing. It was at a friend's house watching reruns of Friends. I was taken aback when I caught myself-- it was like having a migraine for months, to have it go away for a few precious seconds.

The pain was amplified through the relief.

     Of course the sadness came back, but I craved that relief, I wanted so badly it to come back again. Oh, I begged.... implored.... harassed....  asked God for it incessantly. I am ashamed to admit the thought that I didn't deserve this, so You should make it better right now may have crossed my mind a time or twelve.

    But, as a Wise Father knows, it's not about my very ignorant and faulty plan. It's about His. And the happiness I was so void of for so long started to return... slowly. In subtle phases I didn't even realize were occurring, I was pulled out of the grip of hopelessness. He did it through the elegance that only He can; through His whispers, through unconditional family support; a job that allowed me space to grieve; through people who came into my life at just the right time-- (including someone that has shown me the kind of love described in 1 Corinthians 13:4); through friends I've had for years; and yes, even through the wagging tails of my silly dogs on even the darkest of days.

     I remember being 8 years old, climbing a magnolia tree in my front yard on a whim, and doing it with such vigor that only when I ran out of branches above me and finally looked down did I realize I was way too high-- and had no idea how I was going to get out. Panic. Helplessness. But I got down, and in one piece; because my Dad came out of the house and stood at the bottom of the tree with his arms outstretched, without reproach. He slowly coached me down, branch by branch, all the while assuring me that if I fell, he'd catch me. I remember the utter relief and surprise when my Keds hit the solid ground.

    At 28 years old, the Lord coaxed me out of a tree and I didn't even really know it, much less understand it. He did it with such exquisite subtlety that I didn't even know what He was doing. But in retrospect, so much of it makes sense and seems so obvious. Literally, I could list on paper the good that came directly from the difficult situation. All that questioning, the hurt, brought me to a life I am so grateful for today. I am a changed person, I'd like to believe for the better. Why? Because He was with me every moment, whether I chose to see Him or not, knowing the big picture better than I ever could. Knowing He'd get me out of that scary tree.

And I am so grateful.

*I would be remiss if I didn't mention that much worse has happened to people I know and love. As well, I've watched others go through the exact same thing I did, and handle it with much more strength and grace. My "big" bump in the road is nothing compared to things others have experienced.

And, because He proved so good and faithful (as if He needed to prove anything to my very mortal self), I can honestly say that what's to come is fine with me.

It may be unexpected, it may hurt, but one thing is for sure:

He knows what He is doing.
And He'll be my guide.
And it will all turn out okay.

'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.' Jeremiah 29:11

These Three Remain: Faith, Hope, and Love.

re·sil·ience
Pronunciation: \ri-ˈzil-yən(t)s\

Function: noun

Date: 1824

1 : an ability to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change

2 : A word that has taken on incredible significance and literally, come alive before my eyes in the last month. The people I've known, loved-- and admittedly, taken for granted-- all my life have humbled me through their strength. Resilience, fortified in Faith and love.

One thing I have noticed on many blogs I follow is that the author will take a break from posting for a little while, then comes back with apologies about not posting. This could be an option for me today; but I will be realistic about this thing and know that, more than likely, not too many hours of sleep have been lost because my little blog hasn't been touched since early July.

For my own peace of mind, though, I will explain the absence.

This last month has been one of tragedy and bittersweet celebration for my family. This world lost one of the most courageous, compassionate members of our family to a very aggressive cancer, and her absence has left a void that supercedes description in words. Our comfort is that she is out of her pain here and now in the walls of a perfect heaven, a reward for a life well-lived while here.

This has has also propelled me into a period of introspection, re-evaluation, and a more clear view of this life and the people who I am so blessed to have in it.

This post has been evolving in my bedside journals, letters that won't be sent, and Post-It notes from my kitchen counter where I scribble down nonsensical thoughts on as I try to process everything.

It is heavy.
It's not about Tuscany, or interior design, or Balenciaga's upcoming runway collection.
It's kept me up at night with how complicated it is; yet, it ends up coming back to the fundamentals. The simple phrases that you see on refrigerator magnets, decorative wall hangings from Stien Mart, or in the guest-room bookshelf classic:
All I Ever Really Needed to Know I Learned in Kindergarten.

Yet, it's a topic that I'm still trying to grasp and still can't quite get words around. I will get there, eventually.
I'm just not quite there yet.

Please consider donating to the Lieomysarcoma Foundation Direct Research Foundation in memory of my precious, selfless, and courageous Aunt. By supporting LMSdr you can help expand advocacy for LMS clinical research and continue efforts to dramatically improve the expertise and knowledge of both patients and researchers alike. If you would like more information, please don't hesitate to send me an email.

http://www.lmsdr.org/ccollins.php

Salle d'eau. (The Powder Room.)

The more I get to know my house, the more I appreciate the former owner and her fabulous taste. I gushed about her in my last post; and I'm back to do it again.

My house has only one bathroom, and it's not a huge one. However, the balloon shade and shower curtain are made from this fabulous fabric:

I love toile, because I like to think that each pattern tells a story. Milkmaid picking flowers. Handsome shepherd man-boy playing flute to an audience of adoring peasant girls. Children on swing with their toes up in the air, watched by their pet baby lamb. (Yes, I have spent far too long gazing at toile in my lifetime.)

But this toile pattern is special-- not only for the luscious color palette, but for the print.

It has elephants.
And tigers.
And zebras...
oh my.

Of course I wanted to know the who and where of this pattern; after a rudimentary Google search of keywords "toile," "pink," "orange," and "fabric," I was almost immediately able to identify not only the designer (Manuel Canovas), but the real name for this print: "Bengal," (and the color is paprika, not orange. Just so we're clear.)


...And I'm sorry, but I must digress just for a moment and say that I want to go to the Manueal Canovas Showroom and just go nuts filling carts full of amazing fabrics. Sort of a Project Runway's "Designers, you have 5 minutes" moment merged with a manic canned-good aisle competition on Supermarket Sweep. Nope, I definitely wouldn't mind being 'that girl' for fabrics like this:

L.A. Design Concepts

...But back to the Bengale in paprika. Who knew this could be so beautiful in so many different capacities?

Omni Interiors, courtesy Lily Kim


SHELTER: Sneak Peek




Accent pillow, Homes and Gardens May 2009 via NenaghGal

O, The Oprah Magazine Spring 2006 issue










And, I even found this:

Whouafette & Petite Truffe

What? Too much?

My dogs don't think so.

The main aspect of the room keeping it from having a "wow" factor is the bland, cream-colored solid surface sink and counter top. Thus, I have decided that the teeny tiny bathroom needs black accents to bring some pop and break up the pink/paprkia/off-white color scheme. There is limited wall space, so I'd like use that to my advantage as much as possible.

I have two ideas in mind.




Mirrors in various shapes and sizes,
hung by black ribbon.

Like this, but a little less matchy-matchy than in picture 1; and
More mirrors than in picture 2.

I love the concept of this, but the wall these would hang on are reflecting... the door of the bathroom closet. That may be defeating the entire purpose.

Comical, Eccentric, and Gorgeous:
Victorian meets Pop Culture

From http://silhouettemasterpiecetheatre.com/,


I first saw these on another one of my favorites,
the ...love Maegan blog.*

*You must go visit this blog. I'm planning a post in the near-future dedicated solely to "...love Maegan" because it's so flipping amazing. The author is an L.A. native with impeccable taste and keen eye for style. She's beautiful, a great writer, and really likable-- get this: she shares her favorite tips and tricks so readers can try it out for themselves. (I owe my latest fun hairstyle, the "messy side bun," all to her.) I know many a Mean Girl who, despite being out of high school since The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill was #1 on the Billboard charts, keep great beauty secrets to themselves. I can assure you Maegen is definitely not that way, because I know her personally I read her blog a lot.



I don't typically gravitate toward trendy or avant-garde, but these Wilhelm Staehle prints are so clever. I love the juxtaposition of 19th century Victorian propriety with Urban Dictionary slang. I'll be the first to admit that the prints are uncouth; isn't that one of the novelties, though?

And yes, some may even push it to the borderline of a vulgar, "Yo Mama" joke (cue the Gibson Girl giggling behind a white-gloved hand). Again, I find the whole concept really funny.

There are a few prints that coordinate with my bathroom AND are suitable for all audiences.
And really, what other room allows for this kind of fun?



These prints in particular are the ones I have my eye on:


My personal favorite, it's got the paprika and black, and I love the lion.



Not quite in my color scheme, but ... an ode to all the Rico Suave-types throughout history.

This one gives me flashbacks to college history courses... countless portraits of British Prime Ministers and 19th century American robber barons. The richest, most powerful men of their time, immortalized in silhouettes just like this one. But the text here changes the entire tone of the rendering. (Maybe it's a little leftover resentment I have left over from having to learn all those historical facts?) This one is also pushing it for color coordination, but makes me giggle.

Ah, an ode to my boyfriend, who uses the Michael Scott "That's What She Said" line at every opportunity. Sometimes, there doesn't need to be an opportunity, he'll just say it anyway.

Again, how incongruous: a dapper fellow, speaking to a leashed rooster (?), who replies a la "The Office." Makes no sense. I love it.

What girl hasn't been here at one point or another? Good thing this little lady has a beautiful rococo-style background in which to wait for Prince Charming.

I used to hate the song "Baby Got Back." I think I could just relate to it a little bit too well.
But I'm a big girl now, and I now embrace the bedonkeydonk the Lord gave me.

This one made me literally laugh out loud.

So that's what I'm considering right now, to spice up my uniquely toile bathroom. I have one other idea too... similar to the Victorian prints concept but more use of black and less use of colors. I won't go there now, as this post as now officially taken me 3 days as is!

I would love any feedback as I try to decide!