Holiday Decorations

Think of your tabletop as a blank canvas on which you will create your “tablescape” art. You choose your mediums as any artist would—your surface, linens, flowers and candles. The layering of colors and textures, adding personal touches, all play a part in the delight and ambiance that a beautifully designed table brings to a special occasion. Go as big or as simple as you want! This is your masterpiece, and should represent you and tell the story that you want told.

Let’s start with simple! Here are a few easy, creative and inexpensive ideas that I hope will provide some inspiration to get you started on your tablescape art.

Fresh Flower Wreath Centerpiece

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Day of the Dead or Dia de los Muertos is a Mexican holiday to honor and celebrate loved ones who have passed.  Originally an Aztec harvest celebration, the Catholic influence of the Spanish conquistadors combined it with the traditions of All Souls’ and All Saints Day, and the celebration now starts the day after Halloween and runs for 2 days (11/1 & 11/2).

There are so many beautiful traditions associated with Dia de los Muertos – the colors, music, sentiment, and a few iconic symbols such as the Sugar Skull!  Whether you’re going big or small this year, here are a few ideas for ways that you can personalize and bring this celebration of loved ones’ past into your Dia de los Muertos.

The most iconic symbol of Dia de los Muertos is the Sugar Skull.  Mexicans choose to celebrate the lives of their dearly beloved and the skull symbolizes death but in a positive way.  Living in a country abundant in sugar production, they began to create beautiful clay molded sugar skulls that were decorated with flowers and colorful icing that represented departed souls.

Here’s an easy way to go from Halloween to Day of the Dead and keep the party going!

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Fourth of July celebrations (and decorations) are the best! Whether you’re celebrating America’s birthday with friends and family on the beach or in your backyard, here are some easy ways to add little patriotic touches of red, white and blue with these fun DIY floral 4th of July decoration ideas!

DIY Mason Jar American Flag Vase

Seriously, is there anything you can’t do with a few mason jars? I took three small, clear mason jars and painted them in a stars and stripes tribute to Old Glory. One stem of blue hydrangea in each and you have a beautiful, fun, inexpensive centerpiece. You could paint a couple more while you’re at it and use them to hold cutlery or straws, or even tea lights, creating a festive look for evening festivities.

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Celebrate Dad with a Father’s Day Beer Tasting

We received such great feedback on our Wine Tasting for Mom event that I thought, why not plan something similar for Dad? This time we’re going with a beer tasting event in dad’s honor!

Thanks to an increasing appreciation for quality beer production, there are new breweries popping up all over the country. There’s a good chance that there’s one right in your neighborhood or close by. If possible, hosting your Father’s Day event right at the brewery can add a unique feel and make it more fun for everyone. Leaving the beer to the experts gives you more time to focus on the decorations and the fun details that make Dad feel loved and honored for all he does!

I reached out to Gretchen Schmidhausier, a friend of my sister, who recently fulfilled a lifelong dream and opened a microbrewery in her hometown of Neptune City, New Jersey, on the Jersey Shore. The Little Dog Brewing Company was named after Gretchen’s dog Quincy, a basenji, who is also the face of the brand!

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Cakes aren’t just for birthdays…especially when the cake is made entirely of fresh flowers! The Birthday Wishes Flower Cake™ is one of the most popular signature arrangements from 1-800 Flowers.com, but can easily be transformed for any holiday or special occasion, like Mother’s Day. While traditional cakes are presented, eaten and gone quickly, the flower cake becomes part of the festive décor and can be enjoyed for at least a week!

If you aren’t up for a DIY Mother’s Day project and don’t plan to make the cake from scratch (shortcuts are perfectly acceptable!) you can easily order the Birthday Flower Cake^™ and have it delivered right to your door. Instead of using the candles that are included with the cake, simply switch them up for a fun, festive cake topper. I made this one with straws, string, assorted printed paper and tassels. However, there are so many cute ones out there, and they are relatively inexpensive and can be reused.  Continue Reading…

1. Shamrock comes from the Irish Gaelic word Seamrog meaning “little clover”.
2. The word shamrock refers to multiple species of three-leafed plants.
3. The most common species marketed as shamrocks are the white clover and the wood sorrel (oxalis).
4. Because of its ease of cultivation, indoors and out, oxalis is the plant most often labeled and sold as a shamrock during the St. Patrick’s Day holiday period, in the United States.
5. In Ireland, the plant most often referred to as shamrock is the white clover.
6. Shamrocks that have four leaves are rare an are the traditional “lucky charms”.
7. There is only one mutation of the four-leaf clover for every 10,000 clovers.
8. Patrick used the three-leaf clover to explain the concept of the Holy Trinity to the pagan Irish during the 5^th Century.
9. Because of their creeping design, Shamrocks (clovers) can cover grounds easily and quickly.
10. In an uncontrolled environment, Shamrocks are considered weeds!

May your blessings outnumber
The shamrocks that grow,
And may trouble avoid you
Wherever you go.
-An Irish Toast