Styling My Bar Cart

I have been wanting a bar cart for some time now (by that, I mean years).  During that time, my desire to own, style and use a bar cart for my various entertaining activities has also grown significantly.  So much so that over Thanksgiving this past year, I put together a needs assessment for my husband detailing all possible uses for the cart including the obvious bar service, dessert and coffee station, birthday breakfast in bed delivery, etc. By the time Christmas came around, I think everyone was just tired of hearing me talk about the bar cart because my entire family had offered to buy it for me.  

To my delight and somewhat surprise, my husband came down the stairs on Christmas Eve with a large wrapped box containing none other than the bar cart!  Literally I felt like a little kid again, wanting to "play with my new toy" immediately.  I did manage to get it assembled before we left for Utah, but it wasn't until we returned from our trip that I actually had the opportunity to get to work styling it.  

I must admit I did spend an excessive amount of time on Pinterest researching various ideas for how to go about outfitting my bar cart (see this board).   Once I had conducted a fair amount of research, the next step was to assess and collect the items I already had in my house that I thought could be used/displayed on my bar cart.  I knew that my Williams Sonoma Bar Tool Set, Kim Seybert Linen Cocktail Napkins, Diamond-Cut Mixing Glass, Gold Foil Coasters (similar here) and Vintage Nut Dish would all be excellent additions to the bar cart, but it was actually my bottle of Napa Cellars Saint Helena Cabernet Sauvignon (part of their V Collection- a must try!) that ended up being the inspiration for my bar cart color story.

The next phase was shopping.  First stop?  Target of course!  Let me just start by saying that Target is definitely on point this season with their home decor collection!  In an effort to incorporate a few non-bar decorative items of various textures and sizes, I opted for this faux plant,  a Threshold Casted Metal Steer Skull on a Stand and this round basket to hold fresh lemons. Next, I went to World Market for a set of these gold stemless wine glasses to place next to my wine service on the top tier.  Finally, to finish off both levels of the cart I purchases an array of unique and delicious bottles of various liquors including: District Made Vodka (love including a fab local find), Hangar 1 Buddha's Hand Citron Vodka and Hendrick's Gin.  

I can assure you that my bar cart will most definitely be making regular appearances on the blog in the future.  I am so over the moon with this fabulous entertaining vehicle. The endless possibilities it holds for all of my hostessing and decorating endeavors has me completely inspired for 2016.  Stay tuned as there will be plenty more bar cart themed posts to come!

Trimming My Christmas Tree

The Christmas Tree is without a doubt my favorite aspect of holiday decorating.  I kid you not, I get so excited every year to pick out our christmas tree and then spend the weekend decorating it.  The smell of a real tree in my home sings holiday season and I love the elegant (and slightly whimsical) touch it brings to my living room. 

My tree decor theme has evolved over the years.  Originally it was a traditional red, green, gold and tartan tree with an assortment of fun and very classic ornaments (i.e. a whole lot of Santa Claus on my tree).  Over the years, my taste/style has evolved first to a rustic chic and finally into it's current theme: "Woodland Chic."  

What the heck is "Woodland Chic?!"  Well to make a long story short, it is essentially rustic chic (pinecones, acorns, burlap and gold) with the addition of a few forrest animals (Moose, Owls, Snow Foxes, etc…).  I love the way this tree has come together over the years.  It certainly speaks to my style (elegant and rustic with a splash of fun) and of course I love that my tall ceilings can support a whopper sized tree (which I most definitely take advantage of).  Below is a breakdown of how I go about setting up, decorating and maintaining my christmas tree throughout the holiday season.  

Prepping Your Tree

1. Lay a trash bag followed by a towel on top of the floor where you intend to have your tree stand placed
2. Place the tree stand on top of the towel
3. While the tree is still wrapped, place it in the stand.  Have one person hold it and the other person can stand back to assess if its standing straight and then screw the tree into place. 
4. Once the tree is secured, fill the stand with water
5. Cut the net off the tree and help to gently pull the branches down 
6. If you have a tight space for your tree- use either Friskars or Wire Cutters (unconventional, but they work) to trim off the extraneous branches to help the tree fit the space.  (*Note- If you plan on making your own garland and/or wreath, save those tree trimmings!)

Decorating Tips

• Add a little tradition- trees tend to evolve over time into a large collection of memories.  Even if you prefer a more designer-esqe tree, theres no reason why you can't incorporate small touches of meaningful memorabilia.  Since my husband has German heritage, we include a pickle ornament every year.  In addition, you all know how crazy we are about our dog Dolly, so a bulldog ornament is an absolute must for our family Christmas tree. 
• Use Wire- green floral wire is a decorating essential during the holiday season, especially when it comes to decorating my tree.  I use green wire to help hold up the ribbons of burlap, adjust branches to fill in holes, support my tree topper (which weighs 10lbs..not really, but it is heavy) and even as a tether for anchoring my tree to the wall (safety first everyone!). 
• Lights - I love a well illuminated tree, so I tend to have a heavy hand when it comes to tree lights.  Among my favorite types of lights are garland-style lights (unfortunately not the easiest lights to find in stores).  They have three bulbs per stop, which really helps to give your tree a beautiful and very bright look.  Just make sure to buy light strands with a wattage of 100 or less.  I made the mistake of buying strands this year that had 125 watts and ended up having the lights on my tree go out three times (it was awful). 
• Water- There is nothing worse than having a crunchy tree.  Be sure to check your tree's stand water daily or at the very least every other day.  Most homes around this time of year are running their heating systems, which causes the tree to drink even more water.  A major part of keeping your tree looking its best revolves around proper hydration.

Details on my Woodland Chic Tree

• Gold Bulbs- Target
• Glitter Gold Pinecones - Target
• Shatterproof Pinecones - Target
• Burlap Ribbon - Home Goods (similar here)
• Burlap Tree Skirt- Home Goods (similar here)
• Glitter Moose Ornaments - Martha Stewart Home Depot (similar here)
• Mirror Star Tree Topper - Pottery Barn (similar here)
• Glass Acorns- Home Goods (similar here)
• Snow Fox Ornaments- Martha Stewart Home Depot
• Shatterproof Owls- Target
• Natural Wired Pinecones- Target

DIY Project: Ornament Garland

One holiday DIY project I absolutely love and honestly look forward to every year is making my own garland.   I actually love making a variety of garlands both traditional and non-traditional.  Today's garland project is one that I came up with last year.  At its core, this garland project is reminiscent of beading jewelry (very easy), and I absolutely adore the luster these shatter-proof metallic ornaments add to my staircase railing.  You can make this garland in a variety of colors and styles, so it's a great decor idea for almost any home.   Of course the best part is that once you make this garland you will have it for years to come so long as it's carefully stored throughout the year.  Here is how I make this beautifully festive holiday decor:

What you will need:

• Shatterproof Ornament Bulbs (both Small and Medium Size)
• Twine
• Wreaths (*I found these wreaths at Whole Foods, but also love Trader Joe's)
• Paddle Wire
• Holiday Bows (Store Bought or DIY Homemade Using this Ribbon)
• Hammer and Nails (optional)

Instructions

1. Using your twine, loosely measure the space you wish to outfit with a single stand of garland
2. Add an additional 16 inches to the loose total measured and cut your piece of twine
3. Take your twine and tie a double (or even triple) knot approximately 8 inches from one of the ends
4. On the open end begin to string ornaments onto the twine, in groups of 3 (ex.  3 medium, then 3 small ornaments and so forth).  
5. Make sure to push the ornaments together as you string them but be careful to not pack the ornaments too tightly as you will need a little give in the strand of garland to create the loosely draped look when hung. 
6. When you have strung enough ornaments to leave only 8 inches of twine uncovered, tie another double (or triple) knot to close off the open end
7. Personally, I am fine using small nails on the back side of my railing to anchor the garland.   However, if you are not ok using nails on your own bannister, you can use additional twine to secure the garland.  Just make sure to always tie bows when securing so that it's easy to adjust this garland when you are decorating.
8. You can use large holiday bows, fresh wreaths or a combination of both to accent your garland display.  
9. When it's time to take down the garland, I label each strand in ascending order so that I know where each one goes when I decorate my bannister next year. 

Nothing like a little garland paired with a few wreaths to really get me in the holiday spirit!  I've got a busy weekend of decorating and holiday to-do's ahead of me, but at least I can feel somewhat accomplished having my staircase decked out and ready for the holiday season.  Next week I will finally be revealing our family christmas tree!  I have literally been counting down the days in anticipation for christmas tree shopping.  You really can't beat the smell of a fresh tree and oh how I love the tree lights!  Anyway, stay tuned more to come!

Thanksgiving Tablescape Part 2: Accommodating Guest Overflow

There are only about a handful of occasions where my guest list exceeds my table's seating capacity and this Thanksgiving dinner party is one of those occasions.  So the question became, where to seat my overflow of attendees?  

I spent a lot of time researching various table options (fold outs, party tables, rentals, etc..) and in the end realized that the most practical option would be to convert my coffee table into a separate dining space for three.  This seating arrangement would not only keep the living room/dining room walkways cleared and seat my remaining guests perfectly, but also save me the added expense of ordering/renting an additional dining table.  Such a beyond perfect solution!  

A lot of thought went into designing this table and figuring out who would sit here.  I wanted to create a table look that was harmonious with the bigger table and felt just as thoughtfully put together.  In addition, I needed to decide on 3 individuals who would be best suited for this table.  After much deliberation, I realized that this table would be the perfect dining setting for my husband, brother and brother-in-law.  Why?  Aside from the fact that they are probably the three most easy-going members of my family, this table is situated in front of the living room television (aka prime seating for thanksgiving football watching!).  Yes, I know that sounds a little tacky to have the television going during dinner, but it will be on mute and most importantly, I want all of my guests to be comfortable and happy. 

Mini Tablescape Details:

• Tablecloth- Brown Kraft Paper (Wrapping Paper Roll)
• Placemats- Chilewich Dahlia Pressed Vinyl Round Placemats, Gold
• Chargers- World Market Rattan Chargers
• Centerpiece- Nate Berkus Gold Geometric Votive Holder Centerpiece
• Place Card Holders- Williams Sonoma's Dome Place Card Holders, Bronze
• Place Cards- Small Fall Paper Leaves (Available in Stores)
• Salt and Pepper Cellars- See here and here
• See this post for all remaining tableware details not mentioned above. 

Since this table still needs to remain functional up until right before dinner is served on Thanksgiving, I am not going to be able to leave this table set and ready to go (bummer).  The bright side is that I have taken the time to do a complete dry run, make sure I have all necessary table accessories and document how the table should be set up the night of the dinner.  

I am thrilled with the way this mini tablescape has come together.  With all of the Fall accents, it looks thoughtful and cohesive. Of course the added entertainment (watching football during dinner) is really what has me feeling most confident that these three guys will love their seating assignments.

Now it's time to get cooking!  Stay tuned for Friday's post, where I will be discussing my phase of Turkey Day prep.  Lots of great tips to help you get prepped and ready for serving up a delicious feast on Thanskgiving Day!