To create yesterday’s thanksgiving centerpiece, begin with a shallow, oblong bowl.

1. Since this container is wood, line the bowl with a piece of plastic (a trash bag would work).

2. Then soak two bricks of floral foam and place on the top and side.

3. Cut a piece of floral foam in half, length wise, and wrap with aluminum. This is where your stack fresh persimmons will go (and guests can take if they want, which is why I wrapped that piece of foam in alumnium, nobody wants their fall fruit with bits of floral foam!).

4. Begin placing the persimmon branches and bittersweet to create the base shape of your arrangement.

5. Place your dusty miller to cover the foam and use floral picks to place persimmons at different heights.

6. Place your flowers at different levels, alternating dahlias, ranunuculus and brunia to create texture and interest. Rotate the container regularly so you can make sure you’re arrangement will look good all the way around.

7. Place a stack persimmons in the lower right corner to finish and you’re done!

You will need the following for your arrangement:

Flowers:

-1 bunch of persimmons on the branch

- 8 large persimmons

- 1 bunch bittersweet

- 3 bunches orange dahlias

- 2 bunches of dusty miller

- 2 bunches of ranunuculus

- 1 bunch brunia

Supplies:

- 3 blocks of floral foam

- floral shearers

- floral picks

-piece of plastic

Alternatively, if you’re a bit strapped on time, grab some persimmons, place them in a low bowl and entwine bittersweet around the fruit.  Happy arranging!

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Its that time of year, Thanksgiving is a little more than a week away and it can be daunting to figure out the decor for your table in the midst of food prep and family arrivals. So to get you inspired, I used rentals from Town & Country’s new Santa Barbara location for those who want to add a bit of pizzaz to their celebration. But honestly, the best part of renting china/flatware/glassware? You simply have to rinse your plates, throw them back in their crates and Town & Country will clean up for you (heck while you’re at it, you might as well rent platters and serving utensils and really make a dent in your dishes pile).

For the table, I used their vineyard table, which has a rustic wood plank topic which is perfect for the season. For the centerpiece, the vineyard oblong wood bowl holds persimmon branches, dusty miller, bittersweet, whole persimmons, brunia, orange dahlias, and ranunculus (all flowers from Florabundance). The vineyard cane back chairs add a hint of elegance to the look.

I placed the  burlap wing backed paris chair to cap each end of the table.

At each place setting I used a Provencal plate (no need for a charger for a casual dinner), Riedel stemless wine glasses, fleur de lys glasses for water, and coppery Morocco flatware. Simple linen napkins in oyster are folded casually and placed under the flatware. And finally, a simple sprig of bittersweet graces each plate.

I then used some leftover bittersweet and ranunculus to make an impromptu mini garland.

Then I stuck a leftover ranunuclus in my hair and lit the silver and gold mercury glass votives from Jamali Garden. And stay tuned, tomorrow I will show you how to recreate the centerpiece for your own Thanksgiving table.

 And here’s a cheat sheet of all the rentals you’ll need for a party of 6:

2 Paris high backed chairs

4 vineyard cane backed chairs

6 provencal dinner plates

6 of each,salad fork, dinner fork, dinner knife and spoon in Morocco

1 6′ foot vineyard table

6 oyster linen napkins

6 fleur de lys water glasses

6 stemless riedel glasses

1 oblong bowl (for centerpiece)

Happy party planning!

*Town & Country, Florabundance & Michael & Anna Costa are sponsors of Santa Barbara Chic.

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Today we’re Escaping to what is known by many as the most romantic city in the world: Paris, France. To me, Paris is the ultimate destination for all-things-beautiful…from the tranquil parks to the pristine architecture and savory food, everything in Paris feels a little more dazzling than the rest of the world.

Walk through the infinite web of streets and your bound to find one of many alluring sights: cafe’s with open air dining, tree-lined cobblestone alleys, and stone stairways leading to secret gardens just to name a few.

The beauty is literally all around you, most notably in the illustrious architecture of Paris’ buildings and monuments. Some more famous and recognizable than others, you’re bound to experience it in every direction. From bridges to fountains…

…to rivers and roadways…Paris is the ultimate in charm and grace.

Even after a day in Paris…when the awe of all you’ve seen begins to wear off…only then will the city surprise you yet again with the ultimate romantic gesture: a perfectly delightful little ice cream truck.

The photographer of these beautiful photos Elisa B particularly, loved:

And some of my picks for the best in where and what you should sleep/eat/see:

Sleep: Le Royal Monceau – Raffles Paris…renovated by renowned designer and architect, Philippe Starck, this former palace located in the infamous golden triangle of Paris is the best of everything the city has to offer:  premier location, stellar service, great food and gorgeous art. Spend hours in the tranquil spa, or watch a movie in the hotel’s private 99 seat theatre. Either way, your bound to experience beauty and comfort in every way.

Eat:  L’Ange 20 … the food and service are simultaneously exquisite and unpretentious, something that can be rare in Paris fine dining. As the prices are very reasonable and the dining room intimate and small (say 20 seats or so), be sure to make reservations before you go. Be sure to save room and order the creme brulee for dessert.

See: Of course, no trip to Paris would be complete without a trip to the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, or Dame Cathedral, nor without a walk among any of Paris’ famous bridges. But while you’re likely to cross over the River Seine many times during your stay in Paris, I encourage you to seek out and cross it via the ultimate bridge: The newly installed inflatible trampoline.

Until next time…

xo ~Cynthia

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I’m always for a wedding that makes the best of the season. One, because all the decor is readily avaliable (ie probably less expensive than flying in some exotic, out of season flower) and the look will always be timeless. For this wedding, I envision a pre-ceremony welcome station with hot apple cider and cocoa. Natural fall leaves could line the aisle in place of rose petals and gourds and pumpkins could serve as the containers for flowers. Would you consider a fall themed wedding?

Description: Shades of orange, yellow, fall colors, gourds, seasonal menu

Images from left to right, top to bottom: {Row 1} 1. Anna Williams 2. Meg Perotti 3.LovinSullivanCake 3. Marcus Hay {Row 2} 1. Nicollete Camille 2. Michele Waite 3. Anna Williams 4. Laura Novak {Row 3} 1. Helen Norman 2. Minna Mercke Schmidt 3. Heidi Johannsen

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Today we’re visiting the home of one of my favorite local Santa Barbara artists (and invitation designers), Leslie Lewis Sigler. Her home is her creative space and is filled with collection of vintage and heirloom pieces, her paintings, and a few pieces from good ole’ craigslist.

In the dining room is her father’s table that he made for her and which Leslie drove all the way out from Texas. A built in nook holds colorful plates and bowls, and a vintage child’s chair makes an adorable plant stand.

In her bedroom, her pups, Peach & Skip enjoy colorful prints, eclectic pulls on the dresser, and a serious collection of jewelry.

Outside a petite bistro table is flanked with a grouping of succulents, the perfect spot to enjoy a cup of tea. A big thank you to Leslie for sharing her home and you can see more about her work, here, here and here.

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TGIF! I am so excited because I have some of my girlfriends coming up to visit me this weekend and you can bet that we’ll be shaking up some cocktails. Today’s tasty treat is for the ginger beer fans out there and is a beautiful concoction. The bright red color of the blood orange addition gives a vibrant addition to this yummy yummy drink and pays further homage to the name “Sweet n’ Salty Gingy”…a double entendre no?

Ingredients:

1 1/2 shots of silver tequila

Blood orange soda

Lime

Ginger Beer

Kosher Salt

Granulated sugar

On a plate, add Kosher salt and granulated sugar and mix well with a fork. Rub the rim of a glass with a lime wedge and dip into sugar/salt mixture. Set aside. Add ice to a martini shaker, tequila, lime wedge (squeeze first), splash of blood orange soda, and heavy splash of ginger beer. Shake well and serve on the rocks in your rimmed glass. Enjoy!

-XOXO Melissa

PS The coaster and glass are both available at Anthrologie….And for even more cocktail ideas check out past On the Rocks posts here.

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Orange and white is the perfect summer party palette… Serve up some orange Tangelo cocktails on this tray, wear these adorable wedges and throw some dog gone cute pillows around. Happy party planning!

1. Jonathan Adler tray 2. Kate Spade Romper 3. Dachshund Pillow 4. Mod Bracelet 5. Tangelo Tonic 6. Alice & Olivia Wedges

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