Get Your Snuggle On

September 22^nd was the official start of autumn and the day my fall decorations hit the dining table.  (Thank you, Hubby, for getting into the attic for those.)  Down south, you can’t wait for a change in the leaves or the temperature to kick start the next season.  Me?  I’m ready to get my snuggle on.

Some of the simplest, cozy-creating changes you can make around your home revolve around fabrics.  In the living room, you can add cable knit, velvet, and wool throw pillows to your sofa and chairs for added seasonal texture and cuddle-worthy accents.  Drape a yarn, wool, acrylic, or chenille throw blanket over the arm of the couch or across the seat and over the back of a side chair.  The same goes for the bedrooms; switch out the accent pillows and blanket at the foot of the bed while keeping the stay-cool sheets for a new look and snuggle-up feel.  In the kitchen, let tea towels in fun prints and fall colors do double duty by being your working kitchen towels and display linens over the edge of the sink or dishwasher handle.  In a guest bathroom, you don’t need a whole new set of towels for an update; just switch out your everyday hand towel for one in an autumn palette and match it with a new display bath towel over the towel bar.  Easy as pumpkin pie.

If this is one time of year you really dress up and set the table, pull out linens that match the feel you’re going for in your placemats, napkins, and table runner.  Textured and embellished with beading, buttons, or other accents, they can add to your inviting look.  If you use chargers, consider trading out the slick finishes for a warm burlap look that offers a nice, neutral base for your dinner plates and cloth napkins. 

If you have some sewing craftiness about you, you can switch out a room’s drapery panels for a few months and have a totally custom look without the store-bought investment.  I highly recommend the use of ring clips (also called clip rings) that slide on a drapery rod and have a pincher clip that holds fabric securely.  With that set-up as your hardware, you can change fabric out literally with a pinch.  Take fabric by the yard in a print or pattern that suits you for the season, measure twice and cut once, hem the edge, and hang it up.  You have exhaustive selections in craft and linen stores and online at places like Fabric.com.  You can pick a panel for every season and carry your theme from the floor to the ceiling, as I do love ceiling height drapes and their stylish effect.

If you enjoy creating that fall-ready feel at home, find ways to cozy up to your home and wrap it in warmth to get your snuggle on.  

DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star September 28th.

The Hostess Tool Bag

What do we need in order to host with the best laid plans and top shelf execution so guests walk away feeling like they’ve just attended a gathering worth getting together for?  Let’s peek in a hostess tool bag to learn some tricks of the trade . . .

A Plan – Every good hostess starts with a good plan.  An event, a theme, a date shared with plenty of notice, lists of to-dos and to-buys, and a timeline to get it all accomplished are all things a hostess incorporates into her master plan. 

An Invitation – Some are formal, some are casual; some arrive with a stamp, and some arrive in an inbox.  However it’s shared, a good hostess makes a point to extend an invitation so guests are welcomed and prepared for what they can expect.

New Menu Items – The old favorites are still delicious, but working new menu items into her spread is a token move to try new things and share what she’s deemed great enough to repeat.  That’s often how new recipes start making the rounds.

The Right Tools – If a recipe calls for a steamer basket or a roasting pan, a candy thermometer or a springform, she’s got it.  If it’s worth making, it’s worth making right.  To keep things efficient in the kitchen, having things on hand like multiple sets of measuring cups and good quality silicone spatulas and spoons is no surprise.

 Fitting Serveware – We all know the iconic image of the turkey being served on that big platter to a table filled with enthusiastic recipients.  A hostess worth her weight in salt will also have serveware on hand that fits her menu.  That could include anything along the lines of mini appetizer plates, tiny spoons and forks for a selection of small bites, little dishes for sides of ketchup or ranch like you’d get in a restaurant, good tongs or pie servers, or theme items like popcorn boxes or cupcake containers.

The Goods – We’re talking about the paper goods, that is.  When the setting is right, you’ll find a stack of paper or plastic plates that go with the theme, and dinner and cocktail napkins ready for pick-up on the serving line.  These are easy items to stock up on in colors, prints, and patterns you like that will come in handy for a future shindig. 

Sounds and Scents – Nothing helps set the mood for a party like the tunes and the smell of what’s cookin’.  The perfect party playlist or tuning in to the right music channel on TV can be a nice background for the conversations taking place.  And letting the oven and stovetop do the talking for what’s on the menu, or creating her own scent environment by baking some vanilla in a pan can call them to the kitchen.  Lighting scented candles that are available for any season and feel can do wonders for creating that welcoming environment from the moment the doorbell rings.

The Personal Touches – Every hostess has her own style, and that is usually evident in the little personal touches guests find.  Custom place cards, flavored syrups for drinks or coffee, the garnish on serving pieces or drink rims, little signs spread throughout a buffet line, handmade favors to-go, or countless other special extras all add up to a hostess who wants you to know you’re not only invited, you’re welcome to enjoy the fruits of her labor and the tricks in her tool bag.

DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star September 21st.        

Be In the Know for What's Trending Now

What’s “in” and being seen more and more in home décor magazines and television shows, on store shelves, and in Pinterest boards?  Let’s make sure we’re all in the know . . .

Metallics are gaining in popularity for wall art centered on shiny lettering and sayings.  They’re stacking up on couches with formal and embellished throw pillows that go beyond linens and other fabrics.  Figurines and vases are branching out beyond glass and taking on a more showy appearance as well.  Mirrors and frames are also being encircled with metallic finishes as an alternative to wooded and painted surfaces. 

Yarn is becoming hip again, with decorations, shapely vases, and wall hooks being wrapped tightly in both monochromatic and varying shades.  Wall lettering and monograms can be found wrapped in yarn to create a textured surface and unique design.  Front door wreaths are being wrapped in yarn and embellished with seasonal décor for a welcoming entrance. 

Vintage lighting is very popular, shining down on kitchen counters and over dining tables with Edison style bulbs on display within minimal or metal light fixtures in industrial styles.  Lampshades are taking a back seat to glowing light bulbs that like to see and be seen.

Naturals – both colors and materials – continue to create soothing, upscale palettes for homes.  Paint colors paired with fabrics, rugs, and furniture in muted tones blend nicely together and offer a symbiotic backdrop whether you want to add in pops of color or not.  Additionally, wood finishes that look more natural without all the additional staining are fitting for tables and chairs, candelabras and pillar candle holders, serving trays and bowls, small side tables and ottomans, and other decorative accents. 

Wording is proving itself to be stand-alone décor.  Single monograms, kids’ names, and family names in wall lettering and signs have been popular for some time.  Turning labeling into home décor and using words and sayings for both wall art and wall decals is more current and is certainly trending.  For framed wall decorations, you may just find as many with wording as you do with pictures and graphics alone when scanning the aisles of a home décor store. 

We may not be filling our homes constantly with what’s happening right now, but it’s nice to know the trends when we want a little something new or something special for gift giving.  And who doesn’t like to be in the know when it comes to what’s trending now?  

DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star September 14th.

    

Seasonal Start-up

Labor Day has come and gone, and we move ahead with thoughts of fall in the foreground.  This is my favorite season, the gateway to the holidays, and I like to enjoy it in ways that northern dwellers do.  We may not have the vast temperature dips or the same changing of the leaves, but I embrace fall nonetheless.  And here is how you can be getting ready. . .

This is a great transitional time for home projects with school in session, regular routines in the rotation, and potential holiday company in the months to come.  If you have a project in mind, now could be the right time to get the ball rolling in time to roll out the welcome mat for more family in late November.  Are you looking to install some new lighting fixtures or flooring?  Change out an element in your home like a backsplash, countertop, or sink?  Paint a room, or a few?  Find the right subcontractor (or your own DIY skills) for the job, and hit the local home improvement store.

If you like to add fall decorations in your usual mix, capitalize on the store shelves and catalogs that currently display what’s new and available.  If you’re ordering something, give it time to arrive before you intent to set your fall table or hang new seasonal wreaths on the front door.  One popular printed pumpkin I ordered won’t be shipping until early October, but at least I’ve secured one.  Now is also a great time to start stocking up on wonderful fall scents in themed candles, room sprays, and hand soaps so they’ll be on hand when a cooler breeze is more prevalent than a heat wave. 

For those who love to shop end-of-season sales, you have plenty of options to choose from as stores make way for new fall merchandise.  Think ahead to guest room updates you’ll enjoy providing months from now and nab some bargains in bedding, towels, or bathroom rugs.  Would you like to see some new pieces hanging in the dining room before your next feast?  Peruse racks of wall art for some additions at a steal.  Prior to holiday baking, could you use some new dish towels, pot holders, or silicone tools?  It can be little changes that make for festive finds. 

September is a fitting time to look up new fall weather recipes, dust off the slow cooker, learn how to cook a butternut squash, ask Mom for that great stew recipe, and find a new cider mix that hopefully sips as great as it smells.  You can also be testing seasonal side dish options that could be worthy of the next potluck dinner or family gathering. 

As you put away the things of summer and begin to prepare for the changes of fall, plan to welcome it with a warm and inviting seasonal start-up.  

DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star September 7th.