tablescape

Tablescaping for Gnomes and Fairies

September 5, 2011 By Kristie Barnett 19 Comments

Last week I hosted my Cooking Club in my home. I am “up” to host once a year, and this year I chose an Enchanted Forest theme. I always choose the theme based on decor first, then plan a menu around my decor – which is completely backwards for most of my Cooking Club friends. Cooking is NOT my forte and decorating is, so there you go!

Enchanted Forest

This is where I started with my tablescape: I scavenged my backyard for the right size tree limb and luckily found one with some grapevine wrapped around it. I started adding in some owls, some small mounted antlers, and a few Tom Clark gnomes my father used to collect.

Basis for Enchanted Forest Tablescape

Actually, the only thing I had to purchase for this tablescape was a bag of moss from Michael’s. It made a bit of a mess, and I was glad I decided to go without a tablecloth for this one.

Nature is Messy

Seasonal Styling: Easter Tablescapes

April 2, 2010 By Kristie Barnett 5 Comments

Good Friday! What a beautiful week it has been here in Nashville. I’ve been working on getting three homes staged to sell this week – everyone’s trying to take advantage of the tax break for home buyers that requires a contract by the end of April. Spring is here and I am wonderfully and thankfully busy! But never too busy to post a blog for my dear readers.

Today I’m sharing an Easter dinner I hosted in my home last year.

DSC 7494 Seasonal Styling: Easter Tablescapes

Serving Hor D’oeuvres Elegantly

August 26, 2009 By Kristie Barnett 5 Comments

I love staging a party. And I love staging an hor d’oeuvres table. Rather than serving lunch or dinner, schedule your party for a time that assumes lunch or dinner has already been eaten. Then you are free to choose an assortment of prepackaged frozen appetizers from Costco or Sam’s Club, easy grocery goodies like chips and dips or cheese and crackers, and simple favorite recipes like shortbread cookies and cheese krispies (see recipes below).

Dressing Your Mantel

August 25, 2009 By Kristie Barnett 1 Comment

The mantel over your fireplace is a great place to create a focal point, display beloved items, and show your personality. The mantel itself can hold objects of all kinds: candlesticks, crystal, books, pottery, collections. Little children can’t reach, so put out your favorite breakables. If you don’t have a fireplace, you can use a large shelf or even the top of a long console table to create your “mantelscape.” Here are a few ideas to help inspire a new look for your mantel.

Rainbow Birthday Party (Joan Walsh Anglund)

July 28, 2009 By Kristie Barnett 17 Comments

My inspiration for this birthday party was the amazing artwork of Joan Walsh Anglund. Her artwork is immediately identifiable – she always draws children without noses and mouths. You can find biographical information about this wonderful artist at http://members.shaw.ca/jwamail/.

I found these never-opened paper plates and napkins in an attic of a friend of my mother’s. I kept them for 8 years until I was inspired to use them for my younger daughter’s third birthday. I also had a few small books of JWA art and poetry that I had picked up over the years. Her illustrations of little children have always touched me and aroused that nostalgia within me for anything from my own childhood.

Glass Bud Vases

July 21, 2009 By Kristie Barnett 2 Comments

Do you guys shop at Dollar Tree? What a great place for finding mini-gifts, party favors, paper party products, stocking stuffers, holiday trinkets, and sometimes even good decor! So I’m at my local Dollar Tree to stock up on Old London’s Melba Toast – but they don’t have it anymore! Sad, but I did find these beautiful blue-tinted, delicately etched bud vases. I scooped up 5 for a mere $5 and brought them home to do some styling.

Have you ever put a large centerpiece on your dining room table only to have to remove it to be able to see your guests? Well, here’s a simple but elegant idea for a table “centerpiece” that doesn’t interfere with conversation. I simply grabbed my new bargain bud vases, clipped some hydrangeas from my yard, and lined them down the middle of my table. If you do this, it’s important to use items in odd numbers – 3, 5, or 7.