Simple Summer Supper Setting

We have done it again!  World Market and I have teamed up to bring you this simple summer supper setting.  I'm so grateful for all of the style and support they bring to us here at the blog!

In between the rain storms, Dallas has had some of the most beautiful spring days and we have embraced the opportunity to dine outdoors!  For this occasion, I set a table by the pool at my parent's house using some of my favorite treasures from World Market and the spectacular peonies that were still stunning from a far more formal dinner party we held inside three days before.

The stems had been cut short because of the way they were arranged so I stuck them in little white ramekins.  They worked out great!  They kept the arrangement low to the table so that they didn't disrupt our line of sight and they cradled the bloom just right!

Chairs: Each of the place settings were built from layers of neutrals and colors.  I started by replacing my parent's yellow and white cabana stripe chair cushions with these bold and colorful seats from World Market.  There wasn't anything wrong with their cushions but I just fell in love with these and they are marked down to $14.99 each right now!   

Flatware: This is the first time I  have been able to pull out our new Blue Handled Laguiole Flatware. So fun!  Laguiole has a cult following and I now completely understand why!  They are easy to eat with, the perfect weight, and they look great!  You need some. 

Placemats: I used our newest Halo Home by KSW placemats in the round tassel collection.  We will be launching these at our summer markets and I hope you will find them in store near you very soon!  You get a sneak peek here!  We try to use and wash our linen samples before we take them to market so that we can let our clients know how they hold up and this gave me great excuse to put them through a test run! 

Chargers: These Mendong Fibre Chargers provide the perfect neutral texture to our place settings.  They are such a great natural tone and I'm sure I'll have many excuses to use them all season long!

Dinner Plates: These Nantucket Dinner Plates are made with a darling bead detail that provides the perfect frame for our punchy salad plates.

Salad Plates:   The inspiration for our entire tablescape came from these Jessica Porcelain Salad Plates.  They come in four different colors and are so great for either indoor or outdoor entertaining.  I love the pattern, the color, the size, the quality!  You will love them too!

Easy Breezy Alfresco Entertaining

I'm so excited that spring is fully in swing and summer is just around the corner.  I've teamed up with World Market for today's post on making the most of your outdoor spaces by hosting some Alfresco Get-Togethers! I love World Market's tip on making the most of your outdoor space and I hope you will check them out. Big Thanks to World Market for sponsoring today's post!

I just got home from Charleston where I attended and spoke at the The Southern C Summit. Every speaker was so inspiring but the quote I will always remember came from Eddie Ross' wonderful presentation.  He said, "Entertaining with out the proper tools is like trying to paint with out brushes." That certainly hit a chord with me because I love collecting and using my tools for entertaining.  So today's post is inspired by Eddie's quote and I hope will provide inspiration and a clear list of all of the tools you will need for your next out-door entertaining event.

Setting the Stage

Let's start with the table and seating!  One of my favorites Alfresco entertaining tips is included in the World Market list: Maximize seating by using benches.  I love this tip!  One of the wonderful things about alfresco entertaining is the casual and easy-going atmosphere but that also means that a few extra people might stop by or maybe a guest will bring a guest.  I don't ever mind that.  I believe that more is merrier but it can certainly throw your table setting a curve ball!  Not if you use benches! Add cushions and have some  extra stools, like this classic blue wicker all-weather stool, around so that all of your guests can gather together and find a seat.  I love both the style and the practicality of this table and bench from World Market that were inspired by the outdoor Beer Gardens in Germany.  The blue steel frame adds a pop of color and is collapsable so you can easily store it away or set it up anywhere!  Don't forget to ground it all with a fantastic out-door rug.  If you are going to be dining after dark, consider adding a few strings of these Edison style lights to your patio.  We added these last year and we love the charm and atmosphere they bring to the space. 

Topping the Table  

Have you ever tried an oilcloth tablecloth?  They are great for outdoors because you can wipe them off easily.  I love the bright blues and great designs of this one from World Market.  Now, you know how I love linens so I rarely use paper napkins but a casual outdoor get-together certainly calls for a large stack of well designed paper napkins.  There are so many pretty options for paper napkins so, if you are going to skip the linen, spend some time looking for a pretty design that coordinates with the rest of your table design.  Line a few of these live lemon cyprus globes or live ivy topiaries in burlap sacs down the center of your table for an easy centerpiece that will last all season. 

Food Service

For outdoor entertaining, I love to mix my nice serving pieces in pottery and porcelain with some more practical pieces like this coconut salad serving bowl.   I love these melamine plates and bowls for an outdoor buffet too!  They are perfect for a casual get together and you don't have to worry about chips or breaks on your patio!  Don't forget to keep some trays in your tool box for entertaining.  They are perfect for carrying things from kitchen to outdoor table or for gathering condiments, napkins and utensils on a side table.

Drinks

Large galvanized buckets are essentail alfresco entertaining tools.  I love to keep a few on hand and fill them to the brim with ice and drinks.  I try to keep the alcoholic beverages separate from the waters and juices so that the children know which bucket they can grab from.  I also like to fill large Mason Jar style glass dispensers with Iced Tea and Lemonade.  It is an easy way to let your guests keep their own cups filled. If you want something a little bit more formal, opt for this pineapple shape!  So darling and the pineapple is a classic symbol of hospitality.  If you are poolside or worried about breakage , I hope you will grab up some acrylic tumblers and glasses.  

Happy Hosting!

Friday Favorites

Moving out of our house this week and making plans for our new place.

 I'm going to miss this kitchen but can't wait to fix up a new one!  

Love! 

These two iconic French brands are saying Bonjour to NorthPark Center!

And my first blog post for NorthPark is about what to wear to this weekend's biggest party! 

What a great way to de-clutter and donate!

Whether or not I make it to the beach this summer is up in the air thanks to the move but either way I want one of these! 

Perfect Spring dress for almost any occasion.

Love this!  Great for a hostess or home!

Mother's Day Gift Basket Ideas

Big Thanks to World Market, a brand that I love, for making this post possible! 

Abraham Lincoln said "All that I am or hope to be, I owe to my mother." I don't know many people who disagree!  My mother is the greatest in too many ways to describe.  This year, my mother and I took a week long Mother/Daughter retreat to The Pearl in Laguna where we started every morning with a glass of hot water with lemon.  That is my inspiration for this Mother's Day gift basket.  I hope it inspires you to put a great basket together for your mother!

How cute would these Lemon Measuring Cups be on any kitchen counter?

I'll be borrowing this Sweet and Tart Citrus Recipe Book.

I love my Adult Coloring Book - so relaxing - and I want my mother to enjoy one too!

This Lemon Squeezer makes it so easy to add lemon juice to our morning cup of hot water with out the getting the seeds!

This You are my Sunshine Mug is a cheerful way to start the day.

My favorite Diptyque Candle is the kind of thing she never buys for herself.

In honor of my teenage years, our Halo Home by KSW Emotional Roller Coaster Emoji Cocktail Napkins

I love these Chantecaille glosses and this color would be great on my mother for spring. 

Instead of a basket, put it all in this charming retro cooler with a little bit of tissue filler, confetti and wrap it in cellophane!  Don't forgot to add a big bow and meaningful card.

Mom's Coffee

When I had my little surprise baby, Millie, two years ago I felt so excited about round two of motherhood!  I was thrilled to have friends who were having babies at the same time and I wanted to set aside a time during the busy holiday season to celebrate our friendships and the bonds we have over our experiences as mothers.  I invited a small around of mother's who all had babies in 2013 over for a Christmas Coffee.  We are all going through similar things and it is a great time to share, laugh, and learn from one another.

I love setting the table and had a great time bottle brush trees collected over the years. This year I added a few new trees from World Market, always one of my favorite stops before a party! The best part is that they stay nice all season long!  

I added a few flowers to the mix. For the largest arrangement, I used a plain and simple glass vase that I wrapped in velvet ribbon and hot glued ornaments to.  Even though the table didn't need any flowers with the bottle brush trees, I couldn't resist using these dahlias that were still available thanks to our unseasonably warm winter.

I also added a small collection of colorful mercury glass votive holders with vibrant roses in shades of pinks, reds and yellows.

We served simple treats that were perfect for picking up and having a quick nibble including these Preserved Lemons with Whipped Goat Cheese and Marcona Almonds.

I love serving a little something sweet in the morning like this Spiced Orange Cake with Sunkist® Glazed Oranges & Greek Yogurt Whip on a cake pedestal.

I loved serving the coffee in these darling snowman mugs.  Could they be any cuter?  I didn't need any more holiday mugs but I couldn't resist these!  I served a bit of ice cream to my children in them the other night too!  They are a great size and I can't wait to try some other treats this in them this holiday season.

Hosting a coffee get-together is a great format for busy moms. The kids are at school and they have time to unwind for a few minutes.  To make it special, I like to add little touches like these peppermint stir sticks.  They are such a delicious Christmas indulgence for your coffee!

These White Chocolate Peppermint Stirs are a great touch for those who want hot-chocolate too!

What kind of annual get together do you like to host?  What do you serve?  I'd love to hear!

Merry Merry Motherhood to all of you wonderful mommies who join me here on the blog!  I hope you enjoy these fabulous recipes from Sunkist! 

I can't wait to share details of the family friendly party favor I gave out in Wednesday's Post. Please check back in!

This post was created in partnership with Sunkist Growers and products were provided by World Market, Both are brands that I love!  

Monograms and Media

Well, I can't tell you how full my heart is at the response to my new book, Monograms for the Home.  

I wish that it wasn't sold out on Amazon but Gibbs Smith Publishers promises that the third printing is on its way very soon!  Stay tuned here and I promise to let you know when they are back in stock and when my book signings are!  In the meantime, you can email us at kathy.short@schlegelcap.com or stop in to Madison in Highland Park Village or Nest on Knox street to pick up a copy!

Here is a shot of me with my friend and the photographer of most of the book, John Cain Sargent.  He is a gem!  Obviously we had to hand the camera over to a non-professional to take this photo and I left the cropping like this because it cracks me up!

John has a beautiful studio and I jumped for joy when he offered to host a little media get together there to celebrate the launch of the book.  I turned to my friends at Droese PR to put together a great guest list and, as usual, they didn't disappoint!  More about our guests later in the post.  I can't wait to get to the set up!

Guests were greeted by a big copper bucket full of bubbly, rose and white wine, a pretty floral arrangement in a blue and white vase (of course - John shares my passion for anything and everything blue and white!) and a tray of macaroons.  Of course, we also had my new linens from Halo Home by KSW!

All of the treats came from World Market - I love this Rose because it tastes amazing when served ice cold but also because the bottle is so beautiful. I keep them afterwards and use them as vases. The bottom is carved like a garden rose.  So pretty!

Of course, we also had to use these amazing giant mason jar decanters for lemonade, iced tea and water! 

Mary Love Koons of Koons Kitchen made amazing mason jar salads for our guests.  I'll be sharing the recipes for the fabulous shake-and-enjoy lunches tomorrow on the blog.  They were delicious and are perfect for a shower, buffet lunch or casual get together.  A few of us didn't take the time to eat at the party so we grabbed one and ate at our desks afterwards!

They were so good and make such a great presentation on top of our Halo Home fold-over napkins.

But as darling as the salads were, nothing made as big of a splash as these adorable little piggies.  These glass salt and pepper shakers had more bloggers and social media lovers pulling out their phones to snap a pic than an appearance by Anna Wintour would have! 

Koons Kitchen provided some sweet treats too!  You could stack anything on these marble and wood pedestals and they would look yummy but these were truly delish! 

My sister, Krystal, came a little early so that she could be the first to have a book signed.  Cutie Pie!  If you like fashion, I hope you will follow her blog! 

Each of the guests left with a copy of the book and a monogrammed hand towel by Halo Home!  I can't wait to get our e-commerce website set up for the linen line but in the meantime, if you are interested in them, you can reach out to The Loveliest.  They are stocking the linens and offer monogramming services as well.

John took photos of the guests while we all mingled and we had a great time snapping away with our devices too!  This is Tanya Foster snapping Alicia Wood and I!  You might know them better as Film Fashion Fun and The Lush List!

This is my friend and partner in Halo Home, Jen O'Neal and the chic blogger Albertina of Mimosa Lane.   At the party, she told me a fabulous story about selecting her daughters name so that it would match all of her monogrammed linens from her childhood!

An extra special thanks to Branching Out Events for providing all of the stunning flowers for John's studio too!  

“This post is in partnership with World Market, a brand I love. All opinions here are my own. Thank you for supporting the affiliate posts who make this blog possible.”