A Little of This & That... Renovating, Decorating, DIY Projects & Family
I’m delighted to be participating in The Party Dress’s Holiday Table Challenge today! Head out to the site for details on my ‘Vintage Christmas’ place setting that was inspired by a simple antique doily.
The Party Dress highlights great entertaining trends daily – and you’ll find inspiring table top ideas now through Christmas from guest bloggers!
Check it out and let me know what you think :).
There are so many creative {and beautiful} holiday ideas out there that I thought I’d share a quick round-up of a few of my favorite dessert tables.
These buffet-style spreads are full of great DIY projects – from adorable crafts to favors for friends to yummy recipes – that even if you don’t have time to tackle an entire table at your holiday party there’s sure to be an “ah-ha” idea that you’ll love in there somewhere.
For all of the juicy details and plenty of pictures, just click on the link with the theme name to jump out to the original full post.
I love the idea of using a striped fabric or wrapping paper as a backdrop to a delicious spread – and how wonderful are all of the gingerbread details in this “Christmas Candyland” theme design by Bird Crafts and featured over at Hostess with the Mostess?
Below, TomKat Studios shares a whimsical “Let it Snow” dessert table with splashes of bright pink:
Check out the adorable sugar-covered marshmallow men (in the form of skewered pops) on this Christmas Snowman table by Shindig Parties to Go:
Above, WH Hostess (of The Party Dress) shares a “Sweet Treats” aqua and red theme with beautiful feather and tissue paper details.
Below, a “Pink Nutcracker Suite” buffet shared on HWTM by Kate Landers Events makes for a great little girl’s birthday party or even a grown-up girl’s spread before a night out on the town to see the ballet or catch a chick flick!
And that’s the round-up!
Christmas decor is going up in a flurry over here at the Spenla house – I keep wondering what will happen if babe decides to come early (he/she is technically full term now at 37 weeks!) with me amidst rolls of garland, flashing Christmas lights and tiny ornaments as I get the house holiday ready! I don’t think I’d like to come back from the hospital in the chaos that is our living room now…
It’s that time of the year! This past Friday we attended our first Christmas party of the season and I’m reminded of how fun it is to dress up for the evening and mingle with friends. There are so many reasons to celebrate in December – work dinners, cookie exchanges, cocktail parties – and usually wearing something a bit more fancy is all part of the fun.
Here are three ideas that I love – from the dressy dinner to the weeknight happy hour to the black tie event here’s a bit of inspiration for different styles of entertaining:
For a Friday night celebration, I’d pair these velvet leggings with a sexy pair of glitter pumps and a slouchy satin dress. Add a splash of color in the clutch, a chunky necklace to break up the boatneck dress and matching earrings and you’re set. This sequin cropped jacket is the perfect topper! Would look great on another night paired with jeans and a white tee – it could easily become my holiday go-to piece.
For a more casual event such as happy hour or a cookie exchange, pair metallic heels with a flattering blouse and bootcut jeans. Corral it all in with a knitted sweater and braided belt, and add contrasting color in your accessories. This style board is perfect for any time of the year.
Finally, if you’re one of the lucky few to attend a black tie event this Christmas, keep it simple but add plenty of sparkle (you really can only get away with it a few times a year…) and pair with flashy nude pumps (these Charles David heels come in over a dozen different colors! I love the structural look of this shoe). Again, choose your favorite ‘pop’ of color – whether that’s turquoise, fuchsia, royal blue… – and tie it in through jewelry.
For sources, pricing and more style boards, jump to this link. *Sigh* so many great reasons to love this time of the year.
