Tablescape Tuesday: Wine Cellar Celebration

My sister hosted an intimate dinner in a wine cellar for her husband's 40th recently. It was a beautiful night filled with heartfelt toasts, great wine and food and decor based on his passion for hunting.

A detail of the masculine place settings.

Candles, Antlers, Leaves, pinecones and other natural elements filled the center of the table.

Crystal and mercury glass added touches of sparkle to the table.

These shot shell place cards from Ancessorie were a hit! 

Calligraphy by Jen O'Neal of Halo Calligraphy. 

I loved the charm and character of the warn leather chairs.

A cake only a hunting enthusiast could love! 

Photography by John Cain Sargent

China:  Rosenthal Meets Versace Medusa

Crystal Stemware: Waterford Lismore

Silver Tray: (Similar) Juliska Berry and Thread Trays

Charger Plates: Jan Barboglio Iron Chargers

Gold Antlers: Neiman Marcus

Natural Antlers: One Kings Lane

Branch Candleholder: Janice Minor Gilded Branch Centerpiece

Antler Candlesticks: (Similar) Tangled Antler Candelabras

Tall Crystal Candlesticks: (Similar) One Kings Lane

Tablescape Tuesday: A Mod Nod to Britain in the 60s!

I was thrilled to design the table for Ylang 23's dinner honoring Irene Neuwirth a few weeks ago.  Whenever Joanne Teichman calls for help, I know we will have a great event! She always has an incredible honoree, a great theme in mind, and clear vision.

For this event, she wanted a nod to Britain in the 1960s so The Goss Michael Foundation seemed like the perfect venue. The Foundation houses a collection of British Art and had a wonderful exhibition by Adam Ball up in the spaces we were using. The black and white works of art were perfect for the colorful and playful table that Joanne wanted.  

We put five rectangular frosted glass top tables in a row to seat 36 people.  The tables were narrow so we didn't have a lot of space for wide centerpieces.  This is where Darrell Ward and his Floral Design Team came in!  He found Gerbera Daisies in a variety of bright colors and put each stem in a small round vase.  We lined them up down the center of the table and surrounded them with pops of bright green moss.

For the table setting, we rented bright wine glasses and napkins from POSH.
  Joanne had already purchased fun John Lennon-style sunglasses for everyone so we made those the napkin rings.  

For another touch of 60's Britain, I made a peace sign out of simple votive candles.  It was a great way to set the tone for the evening in the entry of the gallery space.

Place cards were written in a playful script on mirrored tiles that I found at the craft store.  Jen O'Neal of Halo Calligraphy always does a fantastic job! 

Photos by Bruno.

Tablescape Tuesday: Jennifer Meyer for Ylang 23

I just can't tell you how honored I was to be asked to "art direct" a table for forty at the Joule Hotel in Dallas for Jennifer Meyer.  Jennifer was in town for her trunk show at Ylang 23 and owners Joanne and Charles Teichman wanted to host a dinner for her.  It certainly was a special night and I was thrilled to play a part.

I worked with floral designer Darrell Ward who did a spectacular job bringing my vision to life.  I hope you like it! 

Linens and tableware provided by The Joule

Flowers by Darrell Ward Designs

Calligraphy by Halo Calligraphy

Party Favors from Ylang 23

Photos by Bruno

If you love Jen's jewelry as much as the 40 of us at the dinner do, I hope you will like the selection below:

Tablescape Tuesday: Setting The Table At Home

This tablescape inspired by fall hues -- orange place cards, golden accents, silver flatware, and a harvest floral centerpiece -- is the perfect setting to entertain guests in style. 

P.S- The table was set for a photoshoot featured in a magazine out in November. Stay tuned! :)

Gold leaves by William Yoeward placed around the table created subtle sophistication. 

Place cards by Laurie Harper added a personal touch.

The seasonal floral arrangement by Branching Out evoked the warmth of the season. 

Photos by Kimberly Schlegel Whitman 

Guest Post: Jen O'Neal of Halo Calligraphy

Illuminated Monograms

When I read the Monogram blog last Monday, I immediately emailed Kim and asked, “have you seen how beautiful these look illuminated?”  She asked if I would share more about it with her readers to which I happily agreed.  I recently launched a calligraphy business, Halo Calligraphy, after taking courses for about a year.  The most recent class I completed was the Art of Illumination.  I found it to be both fascinating and beautiful with such a long, interesting history.

Halo Calligraphy

Illuminated monograms are a unique way to add a beautiful touch to special document and gifts.  Illumination dates back to medieval times when calligraphers began to “lighten” pages of text using precious metals to reflect the surrounding light.  It was typically devoted to religious works produced in monasteries, as with this example.

Victoria & Albert Museum

Modern illumination is still inspired by ancient lettering and the hand-painted decorative letters usually include saturated colors with gold or silver leaf.  Modern treatments include stand alone monograms, versals to begin a page of a poem or quotation, cards, letterheads, or the inside cover of a wedding or baby book.

I love the simple and elegant illuminated first letter of these wedding vows done in silver.

Scarlett Leaf Calligraphy

A special poem or verse like this would be sweet framed in a little girl’s room.  The calligrapher carried the border down the full side of the page to make it more of a work of art. You can several examples of coordinating borders in the monogram books as well.

Poems With Love

As a calligrapher, it’s fun to look through monogram books, choose a favorite letter, then illuminate and paint as a gift.  The ancient looking monograms can be replicated and updated with a more modern look.  Here is one I did in gold leaf and pink for my newborn niece’s nursery.

To check out Jen O'Neal's beautiful calligraphy, visit Halo Calligraphy.