Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Tablescape Tuesday: Dessert Buffet

Justin and I love to host our friends during the holidays but it is often so difficult to find a night that suits everyone's schedules.  After battling the busy holiday calendars we all have, Justin and I settled on hosting a Saturday night dessert party that started at 9 p.m. and continued on until midnight.  It was a great way to meet up with friends after they had attended the dinner parties, office parties and children's parties that they had committed to.  Here are a few of the details:

We decorated our dining room table with Vintage Santa Claus figures in shades of pink and red.  They are so charming!  We also wrapped a candy covered garland around the various desserts.

I filled silver bowls and serving pieces roses in shades of pink, red, and peach and also stuck giant Christmas Lollipops into the oasis as if they were a natural part of the arrangement. 

Vintage Christmas trees, some in pink and some in green, were scattered down the middle of the table for height.   Various sizes and heights of serving pieces were used to display all of the desserts which ranged from pies and cakes to candies and cookies. 




Christmas crackers were handed out at the door.  They were filled with candy (as if our guests needed any more sweets) and good luck charms. 

A big bouche de Noel was added to honor my husband's French heritage. 

Monday, November 28, 2011

Southern Living's Holiday Appetizer Trays

There are some easy and wonderful tips for creating the perfect appetizer tray on this Southern Living video.  I hope you enjoy it!  What do you put out when guests are coming over?

Click here to play.

Saturday, November 26, 2011

Holiday Gift Guides: The Personalized Gift

I love ordering personalized gifts for the ones I love on my Christmas list.  There is really nothing like it!  I appreciate that it forces me to go through my list early and check some names off of it.  I also think it shows the recipients that I put careful thought and consideration into their present.  Here are few of my favorites:

These monogram Wellies might just be about the cutest things I have ever seen! If you know your friend's shoe size, they would make an awesome gift! p.s. I am a size 8.5  ;)


Personalized Post-It Notes:  My mom gave me these in my stocking a few years ago and I just love them!  They come in so handy and I think of my mom every time I open my drawer and see them. (10 pads for $27)

These notes, with patterns on the corners, make a fantastic gift for a friend or teacher.  (12 pads for $40)

I love monogram necklaces and I have always wanted one!  I hope my husband reads this!  Some of my favorites are:

The large monogram necklace from West Avenue Jewelry.  They come in Silver or Gold and you can select from lots of variations on style.  

I love Heather Moore's personalized charms for necklaces and bracelets.  She is coming to Ylang 23's amazing boutique in the Galleria soon!  Sign up for my email campaigns to get an invitation to meet her and get her advice on designing your necklace!



Aren't these pillows adorable?  They are made for indoor or outdoor use and I love the colors!

Smythson products are a favorite in my family.  My sister's and I are obsessed with their notebooks and have been using them for years.  I adore the color of this fantastic luggage tag.  Smythson stamps their products.

I would love to give these personalized toiletry bags (isn't the shape just perfect?) to all of my girlfriends!

Personalized Stationery is always a hit!  I love these Chevron Stripes from Boatman Geller.

Boatman Geller's note-tote is so great for the gal who has everything! 

These adorable playing cards would make a great stocking stuffer.

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

The Pleasure of Your Company is Requested for Tea!

You are cordially invited to
Holiday Tea at Arlington Hall
Thursday, December 1, 2011 at 1:00 p.m.
Champagne Reception, High Tea and Holiday Cheer
Conservancy Member $65 * Non-member $75
Table for Ten $600

Arlington Hall at Lee Park
3333 Turtle Creek Boulevard
Complimentary Valet
 
Featuring
Kimberly Schlegel Whitman
As seen on the Today Show
Editor at-large, Southern Living Magazine
"Holiday Entertaining: Greeting Your Guests
with Style"

RSVP to 214-521-2003 




With a talent for making the ordinary extraordinary, Kimberly has taken her original and clever take on parties and created an entrepreneurial empire.  In 1998 Kimberly launched her own event company, RSVP Soiree Luxury Event Rentals, and, after building up a wonderful business, she sold it in 2006.  She also took the century old RSVP Social Calendar online in 1999 and continues to maintain this comprehensive list of Dallas' finest charitable events atwww.rsvpcalendar.com.  Her success in this field led to the publication of four books on entertaining, countless television appearances, most recently as a Today Show guest, and a daily radio segment on Dallas' number one morning show.  She is also Editor at-large for Southern Living Magazine.
For more information about our special guest, click on her photograph to visit her website.




Join the Lee Park Conservancy and save
on other event and program tickets, plus
enjoy many other benefits of membership

5 Reasons to use your good dishes:




-They can bring a little smile everyday!  Add little luxuries into your every day life and treat yourself!  Find joy in the simple things like setting a beautiful table, whether it is for two or twenty!

-Although I am a big advocate of using the good things everyday, there is no better time to start the habit than the holidays.  Check out my Thanksgiving Tablescape on The Today Show and see how I incorporated Blue and China into a Harvest Table.  Using your best china, crystal and silver will make your guests feel even more special.

-These beautiful things were meant to be used.  Don't you think the designers and artists behind the hand-painted china would be sad if they knew it wasn't really being used?

-Coffee tastes better out of a beautiful porcelain cup than an old souvenir mug.

-The number one reason people give me for not using their fine china is that they fear it will chip or break.  I have squashed that excuse by telling them about Replacements, Ltd.  They have a warehouse the size of seven football fields that houses replacements pieces for over 350,000 patterns!  So, you don't need to worry!  If something breaks, Replacements, Ltd. can send find you a new one!

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Thanksgiving on The Today Show!

Did you catch me sharing Thanksgiving Tablescape Ideas on the The Today Show yesterday?  I hope they helped you with your weeks celebrations.  Please send me photos of your table this year!

Friday, November 18, 2011

Today Show Tailgate Recipes



Did you catch me on The Today Show this morning?  I had a great time with Hoda, Kathie Lee and, our surprise football legend, Frank Gifford!  It was a blast!

Click here for the recipes we shared on the show.

Click here for details on the tailgating fashions.

Click here for a link to the Astroturf invitations.

 Happy Tailgating everyone!

Monday, November 14, 2011

Gilt City Party with Moi!

I am so excited about the party that Gilt City is hosting for The Party Planner!
I hope you can join us on November 30th at Frederic Fekkai!
The tickets are $35 and include:

• Passed hors d’oeuvres
• Salon smooth-outs, polish changes and makeup applications (first come, first serve)
• Gift bag
• A copy of “The Party Planner”
• Complimentary valet parking

Event takes place on November 30, 2011, from 6 – 8 PM at Frédéric Fekkai Dallas. Must be 21+ to attend.


Here is what Gilt City had to say:


Why We Love This

  • “The Party Planner” by tastemaker and luxury lifestyle guru Kimberly Schlegel Whitman will inspire your big soirées and small gatherings, just in time for the holidays.
  • Whitman’s know-how is first-hand. After planning her own Idlewild debutante ball years ago, she launched a successful party rental and planning company and has written five books on entertaining.
  • Frédéric Fekkai also is a pioneer of style, known for innovative cuts and premium hair products. There are only seven exclusive Fekkai salons, including this one in Highland Park Village.
It’s an idyllic kick-off to the holiday season: fine primping, passed apps and a luxe celebration of Kimberly Schlegel Whitman’s new book “The Party Planner.”
Whitman has a stylish take on parties regaled by Vanity FairElleVogueThe New York Timesand The Wall Street Journal, among others. Her daily morning lifestyle segments on 103.7 Lite FM’s Gene & Julie Show keep it real, with tips on everything from spring cleaning to modern-day etiquette.
Leave the evening with a Fekkai gift bag and a signed copy of “The Party Planner.” Also yours: the upcoming party season armed with Whitman’s timeless tips and a bit of indulgence from Fekkai’s trained staff.
About Whitman, Dominick Dunne has said, “Kimberly Schlegel Whitman is my favorite kind of public speaker. She doesn’t put on her glasses and read a long typed speech from the podium. She understands that public speaking is a form of entertainment. She is intelligent, witty, a gifted raconteur, and a bono fide member of the world about which she speaks.”
— Rebecca Sherman, Gilt City Editor
 

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