Kicking off the start of my gift guides this year with the “Hostess’ & Hosts” guides. With Thanksgiving on tomorrow (EEP! where did November go?!) here’s some great ideas of what you can gift to the those hosts this week!
I’m mixing high (gold plated napkin rings & caviar) & low (DIY and Target candle holders) and the result is one super easy but fancy pants adult table.
I’ve got the table all set up a day early again (I’m always more excited about the table set up than doing the cooking) and I’ve got a few last minute ideas for your thanksgiving table to steal from mine…
I love a non traditional table at thanksgiving and I like it to look like I went all out, even if it only took minutes. One idea is to lay a dark base, (luckily my table is dark but a black or deep hued table cloth would do the trick too) this sets the stage for some drama (the good kind).
Idea #2… Go monochromatic (always a fave). The dark table layered with dark placemats (DIY after the jump) and dark plates give the table a textural quality that instantly feels oh so rich.
Add a touch of glam: I’ve added in my vintage brass toasting cups, gold plated napkin rings (these are part 2 of the SSS collaborations and are going to be available in the shop next week!), and serve up some caviar for an app. Just sprinkle on a cracker with a dollop of creme fraiche and your guests will be blown away.
And lastly…Grab a wreath (or make one if you’re extra crafty) and use it as a centerpiece. We picked up this candle holder from target and put black candles in it to bring the monochromatic drama up into the centerpiece.
DIY details on the placemat and product sources after the jump!…
Here’s a peek into our house as decorated for Christmas. Better late than never right?, and who knows I may never take down that little white tree…
… and certainly not this DIY wall hanging. :)
I wanted the holiday decorations to blend with the decor but still add all that extra sparkle that makes the season special. Usually I like to err on EXTRA Christmas flair but being this pregnant I wasn’t sure how quickly the decorations will actually make it back into their boxes after the fact, so better to do it with a restrained hand. I did this by using a lot of metallic gold, a white tree, white lights, some natural greens, and then spread it throughout the house so most surfaces had a touch of seasonal love.
It is also the first time we have spent the holidays in the renovated space! To see how far we’ve come, check out the living room before we knocked through a couple walls in the before photos here, and all of the renovation progress so far, here.
As I mentioned before, Rupe and I are staying in California for the holidays this year, so I am planning on making it as close to a white Christmas as you can in a LA bungalow. I’ve teamed up with Target to share this wintery white, candlelit Christmas table using pieces from their latest holiday collection.
Wire brush trees make up the majority of the centerpiece while mercury glass candle holders round out the rest of the non-floral tablescape, giving it just the right amount of sparkle. I’ve also used my favorite trick of layering on different textures, giving dimension to all of the white on white. Once the lights are turned down, all the candles are lit, and we are gathered with a few friends, Christmas in LA will be pretty special too!
Only one more sleep until Christmas! This year Rupe and I weren’t able to have a Christmas party at our house because of all the renovations, but oh how we made up for it by attending a whole lot of them. Of course Smilebooth was present at most of the soirees, which is always a hoot. At this one, my fellow girls in gold and black and I turned it into a dance booth to properly document our accidental coordinating outfits. Clearly Santa Rupe wouldn’t be left out.
Happy Christmas Eve!
Images from Smilebooth from the Dart office holiday party.
Post-it tree backdrop by Jesi Haack Design
Possibly one of the best parts of this time of year is all of the holiday parties and merry making festivities. We’ve have quite a few over the last couple weeks and two more this weekend. Its wonderful seeing everyone all dressed up in their sparkliest wear. Friends you see all the time and friends you almost never get a chance to catch up with, and co-workers (well this year I should say Rupe’s co-workers, I don’t think Pikku & Cracker fulfill that label for me), all gathered to celebrate. I mean who doesn’t love it?
One of the parties I went to this weekend was a more intimate Christmas party with a handful of girlfriends where we had a white elephant gift exchange. I left smiling with this clutch and two beautiful shades of lip conditioner by Ilia. Happy Christmas to me! ;)