Ah spring, the time when flowers are at their best and some of the most coveted varieties are readily avaliable (hello peonies!). This table was inspired by a vibrant spring inspired dress I bought from Anthropologie years ago.

To translate this dress into a tabletop, I started with the flowers: poppies, peonies, local garden roses, ranunuclus, sweet pea, viburnum, and bluepuerm all from Florabundance. Blooming jasmine and citrus blossom clipped from my yard added a hint of white.

To recreate the floral look you will need:

3 6″ hammered footed containers from Jamali Garden avaliable here. Cut three blocks of floral foam to fit the containers and soaked in water. Place in your containers and start arranging.

Spring flower shopping list:

4 bunches pink garden roses

4 bunches coral charm peonies

4 bunches yellow ranunuclus

4 bunches light pink ranunculus

2 bunches bupleurum

2 bunches viburnum

1 bunch jasmine

3 bunches pink sweet pea

4 orange blossoms branches (substitute with other flowering branches if not available)

Begin by placing your branches to create the base shape, and then add in bupleurum and viburnum. Place coral peonies and garden roses slightly higher than your ranunculus and poppies to create depth to your arrangement. Place sweet pea in gaps and add in the jasmine as a final touch.

To add a more casual vibe to the table, use your napkins as as placemats for a pop of color. If you have brass goblets laying around like I do, use them instead of a traditional wine glass (mine are vintage). A fleur water glass (available at Anthropologie here) looks extra pretty when set with spa water with colorful wedges of orange, lemon, and lime.

And here’s a cheat for the rentals from Town & Country:

1 8′ king table

6 wrought iron folding chairs

6 white square plates

6 stemless wine glasses

6 pink fleur water glasses

6 dinner fork & knife

Linens from La Tavola:

1 8′ king drape, lacy pearl

6 tuscany camelia napkins

And a big thank you to Jess Wilcox for capturing these images on film! To see more of this table hop over to Grey Likes Weddings.

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Last week, I featured a bouquet with a two-tone bow, and this week I’m showing how you can use this same idea and put it on your puppy head. Here’s Mira modeling her two-tone bow.

You can also tuck in some flowers. Simply take 3 flowers, use green stretchy floral tape and wrap the stems together (as if you’re making a boutonnière). Pin with a safety pin, attach under your bow, and you’ve got yourself an adorable ensemble for your doggy. More doggy ring bearer ideas right here:

Mira wearing bold ikat

Mira with a red, white and blue scarf

Mira with a lace bow

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So last week I showed a more “manly” mid-century hot chocolate bar for Valentine’s Day and this week, we’re getting all fancy and lady-like up in here with a tea party inspired, hot cocoa bar. Jessica Foster made cinnamon milk hot cocoa, cinnamon sugar dusted marshmallows, heart chocolates and of course truffles.

Tricia Fountaine kindly provided the beautiful tea cups and fine china (which are available for rent right here). We kept the hot chocolate warm in Town & Country’s copper coffee urn.

Red toile plates were set with Jessica’s truffles and the most amazing cinnamon sugar dusted marshmallows (I indulged in more than a few of these…)

Invariably, a heart chocolate or two made an appearance.

Thanks to Jessica for the amazing hot cocoa (not to mention those insane marshmallows & of course truffles) and to Anna Costa for shooting (and indulging) in the chocolate-y goodness.

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You all know how much I love Jessica Foster’s truffles (remember this editorial?) and now she’s offering hot chocolate bars for weddings and events. With Valentine’s day around the corner I thought it would be fun to show two different ways you could style a hot chocolate bar. This version, is my “manly” version, lots of brass, decanters and, of course, vintage 60′s glasses. (And yes, there will be cocktail ideas with hot chocolate, check back on Friday for those ideas).

Vintage heart shape plates from Tricia Fountaine, layered with mid-century glassware and of course a few of Jessica’s truffles make for one delicious looking plate.

For this setup, Jessica made a spicy dark hot chocolate and we kept it warm in a copper round chaffing dish from Town & Country Event Rentals.

And of course what hot chocolate bar would be complete without marshmallows? These are made by Jessica and are so light and airy they’re like eating a cloud. Stay tuned for the “lady-like” version of a hot chocolate bar next Monday and of course cocktail ideas this Friday.

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With valentine’s day right around the corner, I thought it would be a good idea to give some alternative flower ideas to the tried and true (and super boring) red roses. Personally, I hate red roses (especially when paired with baby’s breathe, barf!) and of course all colors of roses get stupid expensive this time year.

So what are your alternatives? First up, one of my all time favorite flowers, hellebore. Its delicate and feminine and its totally in season. When you get them, put on a pot of water and bring to just under a boil. Snip your hellebore to the desired length and then dip into the hot water. This will give them a much longer vase life. And you can see how to recreate this arrangement right here.

Flowering branches are super pretty, their height is dramatic and they last a long time. If you go this route, find a pretty tall glass vase to display them in. Pull out a hammer (yes, a hammer) and smash the bottom of the stems. This allows for more water uptake. And, it takes a little while to get these guys to open, so plan on picking them up a week in advance.

Lilac with its multiple tiny blooms and fragance is a lovely alternative to red roses. Like with flower branches, lilacs have a woody stem and do well when their stems are smashed with a hammer. More tips for working with lilac can be found right here.

Of course, if you abhor the idea of the waste that is the very nature of cut flowers, how about a succulent in a pretty pot? They’re readily available at your local hardware store or nursery. Tuck in a little note in and wrap with rustic burlap for an easy DIY touch.

And if you’re special someone is a foodie/all natural type, how about a window box planted with their favorite herbs? It would certainly be a pretty (and tasty) present. You can see the full how to here.

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I am, like most of you, very much enamored with the amazing Downton Abbey. I’m obsessed with the set dressing and the old world elegance and I thought it would be fun to dissect the tabletop from the premier of season three.

La Tavola’s Cheju White linen, has that beautiful and classic damash pattern and paired with crisp white linens folded in a bishop hat napkin fold, and you’re pretty close to the formal place setting (you can learn to this napkin fold right here). While real silver candleabras probably won’t grace your table, you can pick up these Candelabras from Jamali Gardens (Town & Country also has them for rent). Add in some floral arrangement in classic silver urns filled with soft pink roses, plumosa, lavender, and verbena for that classic English feel. Use revere bowls (also avaliable for rent from Town & Country) and fill with pears, apples, and exotic pineapple. Finish off the look with silver menu holders and a hand calligraphed menu.

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Happy (woof) holidays! I hope your day is filled with friends and family and too much bacon! I’ll be back here on New Year’s Eve (I can’t believe it gonna be 2013, that sounds so futuristic).

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