I'd love for you to be one of the first!

I'm so excited about the release of my next book, Monograms for the Home: The Art of Making Your Mark.  It comes out in September but I've been working on it for a while now and I just couldn't wait to share it with you!  I'll keep you posted on book signings and speaking engagements here but, in the meantime, I hope you will consider pre-ordering a copy now!  

Win a Southern Living Wedding Planner and Keepsake!

I love the new Southern Living Wedding Planner and Keepsake.  It is spiral bound and full of great tips and ideas!  Leave a comment here for a chance to win your copy!

New York Book Signing

I had such a great time celebrating The Party Planner in New York at MacKenzie Childs!  You can read more about it in Dori's World on Haute Living's site.

Pizzazzerie!

I am honored to be interviewed on the adorable Pizzazzerie site!  It is a great resource for party inspiration and tips and Courtney Dial is about to be fellow Gibbs Smith Author!  I can't wait for her book to come out in March!

She is giving away a copy of my book so get on her blog and leave a comment right away!

Bookish Style

Big horn-rimmed glasses are back in style and it is making me feel very bookish!  I love giving books as gifts and I especially love giving autographed copies away.  This year, I will be taking advantage of some wonderful local design book signings and getting my shopping done early!

Here are the details:

Stop by Neiman Marcus Downtown to meet Carolyne Roehm, author of A Passion for Interiors today between one and three on the second floor.  Carolyne has written so many spectacular books and they all make wonderful gifts.  I have been following her wonderful career for many years and her books and articles just keep getting more and more beautiful.  This book is a show-stopper and will dazzle any lady or gent on your Christmas list.

Mary McDonald's first book, Interiors - The Allure of Style is sure to make any design aficionado on your list do cartwheels.  It is a beautiful book that has captured Mary's sense of fun and playfulness but is also full of great design tips and ideas.  She will be signing copies tonight at Ceylon et Cie (1319 Dragon Street 75207) from five to eight.

Texas Pet Expo

I have passes to give away to the Texas Pet Expo this weekend!  I hope you will come see me on Saturday from 11 to 1 while I sign copies of Dog Parties: Entertaining Your Party Animal.  Please comment here if you want a Family Pass!

Win Wednesday! Willliam Yeoward's "At Home"

I have been a big William Yeoward fan for quite some time now. I love all of the treasures in his tabletop and entertaining line but I especially love his books! He has a great style all of his own and I am so happy that my sister, Kari, recently registered for some of his crystal so that I can borrow it!

One thing I won't need to borrow is his new book William Yeoward At Home and you won't need to borrow one either if you win our give away! Check out the end our our blog for entry details and good luck!

Here are a few of William Yeoward's tips for entertaining:

-Alfresco dining is perfect for an October in Texas. Yeoward writes that "fresh air sharpens one's taste buds." Take a peek at my Fine Living video on Al Fresco Entertaining.

-Make pillows and cushions for your dining benches and chairs from remnants of damaged tablecloths.

-Use tall glasses or pitchers as vases for a casual alfresco style.

-"Dining rooms are like chameleons - their appearance can be changed to suit different circumstances." For Yeoward, setting the dining room table is all about establishing ambiance. The items you use and the style you set will determine the mood of the dinner.

- I wholeheartedly agree with Yeoward when he writes "don't be shy, bring out the best china and crystal, reach for the silver, light the candles." Your beautiful things are meant to be enjoyed!

For a chance to meet Mr. Yeoward and to have him sign a copy of his book, his crystal, or glass, you can stop in to Madison (45A Highland Park Village, Dallas 75205) on Thursday, October 21st from Ten until Two o'clock or call 214-528-8118 to order your autographed copy.

For a chance to win a copy of William Yoeward At Home you can please follow my blog or sign up for my newsletter. If you already do both, you can enter by leaving a comment here!

Win Wednesday - French Impressions

Dallas author and interior designer, Betty Lou Phillips, is one of my favorites!  She is so charming, talented and gracious.  Her interior design firm, Interiors by BLP, is in demand all over the world and her new book, French Impressions, is her tenth interior design book!  Amazing!  


Each page of French Impressions is more beautiful than the next.  The photographs are gorgeous and give great interior design ideas for everything from a grand dining room to a kitchen pantry.  Every detail of a home, from the laundry room to the closet, should have beautiful decor and her ideas and inspirations are fantastic.  


You can get your copy of French Impressions at a book signing event at Neiman Marcus Downtown on Thursday, October 14 anytime between 1-3.


Betty Lou also shares tips on living like the French!  She shares all sorts of tips for dinner party etiquette all from a uniquely French perspective.  


She writes:


-Be aware of the 15 minute rule. If asked to arrive at 8, appear exactly 15 minutes after the appointed hour.  do not arrive any earlier or more than five minutes later.


-It is unacceptable to apply lipstick at the table.  In fact, it simply is NOT done.  French women are united in the belief that "a woman must never put on lipstick in public; one does that in private."  "She must never let anyone witness her grooming in public."


-Do not cut salad; fold a leaf with the fork or the help of a small piece of bread.  It is rare that leaves are large or unwieldy, since most hostesses see to that.


-Some Parisians say it is a supreme compliment to the hostess for a guest ask for recipe; but do so later, not at table.


-If asked to pass the salt, pass only the salt, not the salt and pepper.  Here, the two are inseparable but not in France.  Since salt has superstitious connotations, place it within easy reach rather than handing it directly to the person. 


-Between courses hands must rest on the table, not in one's lap.  


-Try a portion of every course.  Unless allergic to a food being served, it is a faux pas not to do so. 


To win a copy of French Impressions,
-Sign up for our newsletter
-Follow me on Twitter
-Like me on Facebook
-become a follower of this blog
-or leave a comment on this blog!


The winner will be announced on Friday so check back to see if it is you!  Good Luck!

Inspiration Board: Chickadee Sip and See

I love nothing more than when a friend has a new baby.  Is there any greater joy in the world?  I always want to rush to meet the baby and welcome it to the world but I also worry that I will be intruding on a very tired new mother!  Although we loved having well wishing visitors when our son was born, I often felt like we had a revolving door.  It wasn't easy for me to recover or to get our new born on a healthy sleep schedule.  That is why the Sip & See party is so clever!  Ladies in the south have been doing them for generations but my friends from up north seem to latch on to the idea when they hear about it!

Here are my ideas for the perfect Sip & See:

I think this chubby chick invitation is perfect for our party.  It even has corresponding Thank You Note cards that you can order at the same time!  If you are hosting for a friend, order her the Thank you Note suite when you order the invitations as a gift.

Of course, no Chickadee Sip & See would be complete with out a few Chenille Easter Chickies!  Set them on orange cupcakes or arrange them across your mantle!

Use yellow and orange Gerbera Daisies simply by cutting off the stems and placing them face up in small round dishes.  So simple and so dramatic! Check out FiftyFlowers.com to order!

A Sip & See Party should last for two to four hours and be scheduled around the baby's sleep schedule.  Typically, afternoon Champagne Teas are the best format. Setting up a small buffet of tea sandwiches and cupcakes is the perfect!   Check out What's New Cupcake? by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson for fun and fantastic recipies and ideas!

Also set up a drink station so that your guests may help themselves to Coffee, Tea, Champagne, Lemonade, Iced Tea and all of the condiments.  I love this Colin Cowie Flavor-Infusing 20-Cup Glass Beverage Server from HSN!  It holds enough of your drink of choice for 20 guests!  

A few more simple tips:

Set up a handwashing station or keep a bottle of anti-bacterial lotion near the baby.

Have a photographer take photos of your guests with your bambino.

Leave a guest book or small squares of paper out for the guests to write messages to the baby on the way out the door, after they have Sipped and Seen!

The Ten Year Journal

I was given a 10+ year journal in 2004 and I must say, it has brought me so much joy!  I absolutely love writing a few notes about my day every evening before I hit the hay.  The most fun is that I can go back and reminisce about the things I did on the same date for the last few years!  It is great!
One of the best parts of the process is that I actually do it!  I am not the type who can write a long prose at the end of the day.  I spend a large part of most of my days writing so when I am ready to go to sleep, I just want to write a tiny bit down.  It is the perfect spot for me to write down simple things like a funny thing my son said, or special things, like the day we moved in to our home.  There are rollover pages for the days that require a bit more space and I have certainly used them a lot but most of the time, four lines is just perfect!
I can't tell you how many people have asked me where I got it or how they can get one.  I have given tons of them away as gifts and the recipients are thanking me for years.  They are perfect for any occasion from graduation or a birthday to the birth of a child!
You can purchase yours here for $44.95 and I promise you won't be disappointed.

So Classy!

I am crazy about Derek Blasberg.   Oh....and his book is great too!  He is so charming and his wisdom and wit are spot on.  His new book, Classy: Exceptional Advice for the Extremely Modern Lady, is charming, funny, and useful too!  It is such a hit that he has now found himself on the New York Times Bestseller list!  Of course, he pointed out that Lauren Conrad is on there too but I still think it is a huge huge deal!  Gilt.com, one of my favorite sites for fashion finds, hosted a book signing for Derek last night at The Mansion on Turtle Creek.  What a blast!  Gilt.com is a fantastic website that puts high end fashion on sale for short periods of time and rock bottom prices.  Genius!  If you don't have an account with them already, sign up today!

Book Tour!

I love books! I love to read and I love to talk about what I am reading with my friends. I do have a Sony Reader that Justin gave me for my birthday and it is great but there is nothing like a "real" book! A book is even more special when you get a chance to meet the author. I love hearing authors speak about the story behind their books and I always ask them lots of questions. These are just a few of the reasons that I love BookTour.com. It is a fantastic way to track your favorite authors or find out who is in your local bookstore signing books. You can sign up to track your favorite author's tour, browse for new authors by genre or search their database to find out who is in your area. You can even invite them to come and speak to your group or book club!

Lists for Life

Julie and I love lists! We are always sharing tips and ideas for keeping our to-do lists organized. Life is hectic and crazy so my list is a tool that helps keep me sane! Just writing down my list of tasks helps me feel like I have it all together. I am so excited about the new Lists for Life book by Rory Tahari, the creative director of the fashion design house, Elie Tahari. Her book contains over 100 lists to help you tackle life's challenges one step at a time. She tackles tough transitions such as planning a wedding and buying a house as well as stressful situations such as handling an emergency or preparing for a hospital stay. Her lists for raising children and becoming a parent are very insightful too. She includes great questions to ask a potential care taker and a list of questions you should be prepared to answer in a parent/teacher interview. I hope I don't ever need her chapter of navigating through a divorce! She even has a travel packing list application available on iTunes!

Other things you can do with Wine!

I love getting my magazines every month and I was fascinated by a little booklet sent to me by Real Simple Magazine as a Thank You for renewing my subscription. Inside the booklet was a great list of extraordinary uses or ordinary things and I loved the suggestions they had for wine bottles and corks.

• Use a pair of empty bottles as bookends. I love this idea! We often use our wine bottle as a "guest book" of sorts at special occasion dinners. We pass around the bottle and a gold or silver marker and everyone will write a message. We always put the date and occasion at the top and then keep the bottle in a wine closet. Now we can put those mementos of special occasions out on a shelf to hold up books.
• An empty wine bottle is a perfect rolling pin!
• A pair of empty bottles is a great way to keep your boots up when you are not wearing them!
• Use the cork to cap the end of a knife before you put it away. Not only will it keep the knife from getting dull but it will also keep things safe!
• Poke your small stud earrings into a cork and throw it in your travel bag. No worries about loosing those itty bitty accessories any more!

Trinkets, Tokens and Treasures - Personalized Novels!

If you are looking for a way to commemorate your family's history this Christmas, I have found the perfect gift for you! Why not have a book personalized for those on your gift list!

Trinkets: Children are delighted when they open a book but imagine the thrill when they see their name inside the book! I love the personalized holiday books from Personally Yours Books. The are $15.95 and a great treat for the kids on your guest list. I am ordering mine today!

Tokens: Books By You is a unique way to give a novel that is personalized for you recipient! You select from one of their pre-written options in categories that range from Romance Novels to Westerns to Mysteries and they will send it back filled with the names of your friends and families. You simply fill out a questionnaire and they send you the completed book. At only $39.95 this is a fun gift that will surely surprise and delight the friends on your list. You can order for Christmas delivery thru the 22nd of December.

Treasures: Legacy Novels will spend time personally interviewing family and friends, talking about life's fondest memories, funniest stories, significant life events and relationships and their team of writers will compile the stories, adding visual elements such as beloved photos and letters, into a custom-designed and titled, hard bound, professionally published novel that reflects each of our client's unique personalities and life experiences. Upon completion, you will have a book that looks like it is right off the shelf of your favorite book store. It will be hard bound with a custom color dust jacket. There is no specific formula for the novel so you can include anything you like from family recipes or reproductions of historical documents. You can also choose an audio CD or personalized DVD including video snips from the interviews!

Although it is a certainly and "investment" (prices start at $3500), it is well worth it! The basic package includes 10 copies of the book and a book signing party for up to 20 guests. The also provide a discount to families with a military service background. Although the books could not be ready for Christmas, the do offer a beautifully boxed gift certificate that you can present to each member of your family.

Booksigning

Please join us for a booksigning at the amazing Azure in Dallas.  Hope to see you there!

Wedding Workshop

Calling all Brides to Be!  There is a can't-miss event coming your way.  Paper Source is hosting a workshop at all of their stores across the country on Thursday, the 22nd of January from 6-8.  Check out their website for all of the details!  You will come away inspired I am sure!  Be sure to take your Wedding Workbook with you to record all of the new ideas you will come away with!

Frederic Fekkai and Tablescapes

Beth Klein at Frederic Fekkai in Dallas' Highland Park Village is a fantastic party host!  They recently hosted a book signing for me with co-hosts Kelli Ford, Kirsten Fitzgibbons, and Todd Fiscus.  The flowers were designed by Todd's event planning company, Todd Events, and the table tableau were set by Kelli and Kirsten's beautiful boutique, Madison.  The tableau were so inspiring and I wish that I had been able to include them all in Tablescapes: Setting Your Table with Style!  The flowers were blue and incredibly dramatic.  Enjoy the photos and order your copy of the book today!

Tablescapes Launch Party

Neiman Marcus is a wonderful place!  I absolutely love their "Gift Galleries" selection of china and tabletop items so I was thrilled to celebrate the launch of Tablescapes: Setting the Table with Style at the Willow Bend store.  Neiman Marcus Willow Bend's PR Guru Chuck Steelman asked design genius and the lady behind the RSVPCalendar Collin County, Bag Snob Blogger Tina Craig and me to set a tabletop in the Gift Gallery using Neiman Marcus' china.  Tina used Raynaud's Cristobal pattern in sea blue, brown and coral with a centerpiece of simple calla lilies.  It was fresh and modern look with a colorful twist.  Susan did two tables.  The first was a re-creation of the table she set at Neiman Marcus for the book.  It was covered in Herend's Queen Victoria pattern which is covered in flowers and butterflies.  It is so sweet and so feminine.  In the center of the table she stuck silk butterflies into her floral arrangement.  Susan's second table featured informal dinnerware from Match.  Glassware was a mix of clear crystal, Jan Barbolio bronze and green glass and a golden hued blown glass.  In the center of the table she accented the Match plates with olive branches in vases that looked like silver bark.  It was like a dinner set for the chicest log cabin you could ever imagine!  I set my table with Mottehedah's Blue Lace Chargers and Tobacco Leaf plates.  In the center of the table, a revere bowl filled with pink hydrangeas was the perfect accent for the blue paper place cards with pink ink that I had made to go especially with this china.  If you have time and are in the area, stop by the store and check out our tabletops.  We will back there on the 16th of October to set holiday tabletops and sign more books!