Centerpieces of the week: Mum's the word (say it with flowers)

Giving flowers doesn't have to mean simply placing a call to the florist and leaving
all the creativity to them. With a little imagination, you can turn a bouquet into a very
personal gift. With an eye toward summer blooms, here are some style tips from Isabelle
Bosquet, she breaks a few rules -- to help you make your own knockout centerpiece for
mom.



Outdoor setting: "This bouquet of anemones, muscari, hyacinth, pink parrot tulips, and
lilac is an intended contrast to the china's pattern. Full of aroma, it is perfect for an
outdoor summer meal. "The addition of the artichokes was inspired from the green colors
on the plate," - Isabelle Bosquet.



Tropical Decor: Of the tropical display of orange and green cockscomb, protea, and roses.
"I adore this one because of the strong color and texture. The cockscomb and protea pick
up the colors in the china and napkin ring. It really looks like coral." - Isabelle Bosquet.



Peonies in Bloom: Don't underestimate the beauty of one kind of flower on its own.
"This bundle of pink peonies highlights touches of color in the china. And, a cluster of a
single kind of flower complements a more casual setting". - Isabelle Bosquet.

Of all the ways to let our moms know we are thinking of them on Mother's Day, giving
flowers is perhaps the most popular. And why shouldn't it be? So many gorgeous blooms
are at their seasonal best right now. Whether your mom is traditional or funky, stay-
at-home or out-on-the-town, a blooming bunch is the perfect way of showing how much
you appreciate her.

source: My Home Ideas

Guarantee a great start to her day: Mother’s Day breakfast special

For many, breakfast is hurried, heads-down sustenance supplemented with caffeine.
Hold the social interaction. For others, breakfast is a business function, the food an
afterthought to early morning deal-making. But for me, setting an elegant breakfast
table for my mom on Mother’s Day is a splendid alternative to taking her out to dinner.
This elegant option provides a splendid opportunity, unhurried and uncrowded, for my
family to socialize and to show my mom how special she is.



Spoiling mom at a beautifully laid table is a lovely way to begin Mother’s Day. Whether
served in bed or at the table, making breakfast on Mother’s Day is a great starter for
mom's special day.

Tablesetting: gold-edge eggcup and butter dish by Legle Limoges. “Constance” bread-and-butter plate
(below eggcup), sugar bowl, and coffeepot by Bernardaud. “Illusion” teacup, saucer, and dessert plate
in endive by Haviland. “Derby Panel Green” bread-and-butter plate (with knife), dinner plate, and vegetable
dish (with flowers) by Royal Crown Derby. “Olivia” tumbler by Juliska. “Fairfax” silverware by Gorham.
Image, Martha Stewart magazine.

Birthday party under the “Big Top”!

There was a time when "kid's birthday party"' meant a cake, some balloons and maybe
pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey. When I was a little girl my birthday party was a modest
affair in the basement. Not anymore. My sister and I have been planning my nephew's
party for weeks, we've chosen a circus theme - - - and we’ve been relentlessly incorporating
this theme in every element of the party, including invitations, music, games, craft
projects, snacks, cake, entertainment, favors and of course the table setting.



The circus has always been a part of my family’s tradition. I can remember the high-
wire artists performing their death-defying acts, the sugary, billowing cotton candy,
the popcorn, the ponies and the clowns. Some traditions just seem to slip away in the
churn of modern life but the joys of the circus is something that we wanted to pass
down to the next generation.



With easy-to-make treats, old-fashioned games, and party decorations to delight kids
of all ages, we let the sights and sounds of an old-time circus inspire us.



Birthday parties are often big events in children's lives but the bottom line is for children's
parties to be special and fun, whether they're simple home affairs or themed extravaganzas.



Source of inspiration/images: Country Living magazine

versaTYle! Dressing your table to fit your personality

Setting your table for special dinners with family and friends, holiday gathering, or just
to give yourself a visual boast when you sit down to dine are great ways to express
your decorating personality. Tabletop is an extension to a larger fashion or
decorating statement and it doesn't matter if your style is exotic or eclectic, you
have endless options for dressing your table to fit your personality.



(above: for a personal addition to the table setting, make place mats from black and
white copies of snapshots printed on tabloid-size paper)



These images from Ty Pennington shows us that with the right basic pieces you can
design any table setting as the mood strikes. The right pieces can enhance a casual
setting or soften a formal atmosphere. But one mistake can throw off the whole look,
so when setting your table, look to coordinate, it will keep the mood right and the tone interesting.



(above: just-cut fronds make awesome place mats and bring a bit of nature to the table;
their color plays well off of the earthy tone dinnerware. Orange linens tie into other
hints of orange in the room).



(above: a new twist on takeout - create a centerpiece by slipping a vase of flowers or a
small potted plant in a to-go box. When dinner is over, it can double as a parting gift
for guests).



So, whether you're decorating your house or putting plates on the table discover
fashion-related looks that go with your personality. Dressing a table is a lot like dressing
yourself. For instance, casual-chic style pairs jeans with a dressy blouse, or a pair of
boots with a cocktail dress. It's all in the way you put it together. The same goes for the
table.

source: Ty Pennington at home, Pointclickhome.

Suited to a tea: A tablesetting with tea tins

Spend a relaxing afternoon celebrating the women in your life! A Mother's Day Tea is
a way to pamper the women you love and admire. Brew a proper cup of tea and serve
it in the finest teacup you can find. Add tea sandwiches, some pasties or scones, whip
out your best linen tablecloth, add fresh flowers and candles, and any mom would feel
like a queen.



Tea doesn't have to be this predetermined snooty affair. It can be whatever you think
your mother, sister, aunt, grandmother or whoever would be honored with. You can
even use tea tins to bring an old-fashioned charm to the table.



Treat your guest to teas they love - - - and some they’ve never tired. Tea tins make an
elegant and eye-catching favor. Shown above is a decorative blue tin of jasmine tea,
$7, by MarieBelle New York.



As important, if not more important, is the talk at the tea. Ask each woman to bring a
tea cup and saucer - ask why they picked it. It's a way to share something significant and
it's not too personal. Fanciful, intimate, and simple to prepare, a tea party is a party like
no other.

Sources: Brides magazine, Martha Stewart and Country Living magazine

Disappearing Act: In this casual world, is formal passé?

(above: China: Lenox; Stemware: Waterford/Wedgwood; Flatware: Vera Wang; Tablecloth: Sferra, Gracious Home)

Growing up as a child, my family sat down and had dinner together every night. I had the
chore of setting the table. Typically that meant putting the allotted number of plates
in the general vicinity of my family member, taking the forks, spoons and knives out
of the drawer and plopping them down next to the plate and if I was feeling especially
gracious, folding a paper napkin and placing it near the plate. However the holidays
were all together different! Setting the table for the holidays was more like an hour-long
production that involved linen tablecloths, silver stemware, finding the right mix of
charges, plates, bowls and my mother designing a stellar centerpiece.


(above: China: Lenox; Stemware: Waterford/Wedgwood; Flatware: Vera Wang; Tablecloth: Sferra, Gracious Home)

With America's easy lifestyle so much in the forefront, has the concept of formal dining
disappeared. Has our relaxed approach signaled the demise of long-standing dining
conventions - - and a trend away from formal entertaining?


(above: China: Lesesne; Glasses: Pottery Barn; Flatware: Pottery Barn; Placemat: Gracious Home)



(above: Plate and Mug: Pottery Barn; Glasses: Pottery Barn; Flatware: Pottery Barn; Placemat: Pottery Barn)

Despite today's relaxed lifestyle, formal dining is still an important part of many
people's tradition. So as we approach Mother's Day, here are templates to help you set the
table for a casual mother's day lunch or a formal dinner.



(above: The primary difference between a formal luncheon and formal dinner setting is the increased number of glasses
for red wine and champagne).



(above: For a formal luncheon, the table is set much as for dinner with a few exceptions. The presence of an iced teaspoon and iced beverage glass announce a daytime event).



(above: A casual dinner calls for less formal china and stemware, and stainless steel flatware is fitting for the relaxed setting).



(above: For a casual lunch, feel free to use heavier dinnerware, like these simple ceramic plates. Provide glasses for whatever beverage you plan to serve).

Source: My Home Ideas, Tablesetting 101

Centerpiece of the week: Ranunculus

The ranunculus delights through sheer variety of size, form and shade, and few flowers
come in more hues than the ranunculus.



(above: This sunny bunch of large and small blooms boasts creamy white, muted yellow, pale orange, and mossy
green ranunculus; the texture comes from a mix of budded and open blossoms. White garden roses and yellow
begonias add volume, while weigela leaves complement the color scheme.)



As romantic as roses or peonies, but not nearly as commonplace, these bulb-grown blossoms
work in tight, formal arrangements or when placed in a simple, clear vase-all the better to
show off their curvy stems.



Looking for a cost-effective alternative to the rose and the peony? Try the lush, multi-
petaled ranunculus, a relative of the buttercup. You can create a striking bouquet with
a cluster of this showy, bowl-shaped flower. Ranunculuses resemble small peonies and
produce densely petaled blooms in a range of colors, including white, yellow, orange, red,
and pink; they are usually available in late winter and early spring.



Everything else about the plump and pretty bloom speaks of unbridled beauty, from its
tissue like petals that unfurl in tightly budded whorls to the breadth of colors in which it is
found.

Image sources: Martha Stewart Wedding and Country Living Magazine