It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

What a holiday weekend!  By now, the guests have gone, along with the leftovers, and you’re wilting into an easy chair like Steve Martin at the end of “Father of the Bride,” surveying the post-Thanksgiving scenery.  Now if you have my family tradition, Friday was not about shopping; it was about decorating for Christmas.  I love making that fast turnaround from one major holiday to the next, like bidding fall a farewell and welcoming in winter.  But if you need a little inspiration before venturing into the attic for your décor, here are some popular themes that will be gracing Christmas trees and tables this year that may prompt you to do a little revamping with your current inventory.

Bright colors are again a hot pick, grouping any combination of hot pink, turquoise, purple, lime green, and a shiny metallic like silver or a matte gun metal gray.  Straying from the traditional, bright shades add whimsy to your winter wonderland and a youthful spirit without being kids-only.

Monochromatic is another popular way to go, choosing one color and carrying it throughout in ornaments and ribbon and maybe even gift wrapping.  This is also great when you choose a shade of decorations you currently own, add to it with new pieces, and simply store your other colors for another year.

Two-tone adds one more layer to a monochromatic look for a double whammy.  Red and green, red and gold, red and lime, red and robin’s egg blue, purple and peacock, peacock and lime, and two contrasting shades of one color all make for contemporary, eye-catching tree and table displays.  This can also play into what you already have by selecting two shades, beefing up your inventory, and keeping the rest in storage.

Metallics, either all golds or all silvers or a mix of both, plus tones of bronze, champagne, gun metal, and ivory all come together for dressy, upscale Christmas trees perfect for a fancy New Year’s Eve party right along with an all-pajama Christmas morning.  For metallic table décor, you can play up your nice cake stands for height and feature fancier chargers, dishes, and napkin rings to carry out the theme.

White can be a standout all on its own when featured as a solo shade.  Clean and crisp, it adds wintery life to a tree framed in warm lights.  This can be carried easily onto your dining table with simple candlesticks, white dishes, and modern ceramic serveware.       

However you choose to dress your tree, make it something you “flock” to when the day winds down and you can sit back and enjoy your beautiful focal point in all its splendor.

DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star November 30th.

    

A Very Happy Thanksgiving from the Stensengs . . .

All About Thanksgiving: It's Turkey Time

The final countdown!  We’re arrived at Thanksgiving week, and the preparations are really in high gear now.  To stay on top of your host home to-do list, here are some suggestions:

1) Map out your week, planning the preparatory steps for each day.  Make notes.  Make lists.  Mark up your planner, a notepad, or your phone’s calendar chart.  Decide what you need to accomplish from Sunday to Thursday, broken down and divided, to ensure the turkey sees the table right on time.    

2) Clean out before buying your groceries.  A crumbly bag of stale chips? An expired tub of sour cream?  A freezer-burned, unidentifiable piece of what could be . . . meat?  Don’t let food items in your fridge, freezer, and pantry that will never meet a mouth again take up your storage space and cram the good stuff wherever it will fit.  Do a clean out, looking at dates and for practical usability, so when the good holiday groceries come home, they’ll have welcome – and ample – space right up front.

3) Buy your groceries.  Plan for time, and don’t be in an after school or work rush, which can cause you to overlook important ingredients.  Why rush back for missed items?  Use that master list you perfected last week, give it a good look again to make sure you’ve checked all your boxes, and head home loaded down and confident you’re ready to cook.

4) Set your table in advance.  Now that you’re all decorated and ready, set the table with the plates, silverware, and glasses you will use for your feast.  It keeps them out of circulation (and the dishwasher), and it keeps this step from being a last minute throw-together.  Set aside your dessert plates, too, and any serving pieces you don’t intend to use prior to Thursday.

5) Make your oven chart.  Whether you have one or two, the timing of what goes in, what comes out when, at what temperature, and what needs to rest before serving is a delicate dance that needs a pen-to-paper approach.  Write out a well thought out plan and follow it closely.  

6) Spread out your prep work.  The whole meal need not come together Thursday morning starting in the wee hours.  Some dishes can be prepped if not baked in advanced to spread out the workload and the strain on your kitchen space and supplies.  Make pies the day before.  Compile side dishes ahead of time that are ready to heat through while the turkey rests.  Consider the use of a slow cooker or warmer.  Determine how you can stretch your workload over time to keep the prep just as enjoyable as the dining.

7) Have fun!  Enjoy this time together with family and friends.  Do your best, but remember that perfection is not the goal here; spending a wonderful, memorable Thanksgiving together is.  From our family to yours, have a very blessed, grateful, and Happy Thanksgiving!

DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star November 23rd.

       

All About Thanksgiving: This Week's Prep Plan

Just a week and a half to go before turkey day!  As you’re in full-on preparation mode, here is a checklist to help ensure you’re covering all your bases.

1) Finalize your guest list.  Hopefully by now you know who will be joining you around your table.  This contributes to your seating plan, your menu, and your supply and food quantities. Extend invitations as needed. 

2) Establish your menu.  Is this going to be a banquet meal put on by one, or is the list of dishes going to be divvied up?  Ensure everyone involved knows their specific roles.

3) Work on your grocery list.  List your dishes and their needed ingredients and quantities to make your organized master grocery list.  Decide when you’ll do your shopping, accounting for your cold, frozen, and pantry storage space. 

4) Make your turkey plan.  When you know how many you’ll be serving, you can find the right ratio to choose the weight of your turkey.  When do you plan to buy it?  Do you need to place an order with your grocery store’s meat department to ensure you’ll have what you want?  Will your turkey be spending days in the freezer prior to thawing for days in the fridge, or heading straight to the refrigerator?  These are all questions to consider if you’re in charge of the main dish.

5) Stock up on takeaway containers.  Whether you’ll be filling your own fridge with all the delicious leftovers or sending some out the door with your guests, have an appropriate supply of plastic containers or even paper boxes, clear bins, or Chinese takeout containers from a party supply store.

6) Prep your guest space.  If family will be staying with you, work ahead of time to make their stay comfortable.  Plan a sleeping arrangement, organize sheets and extra blankets and pillows, and perhaps gather the air mattress and make sure it’s in working order.  Check your stock of guest towels, and supply the guest bathroom with fresh toiletries. 

7) If you’re a Black Friday shopper, you can also get ahead of the cart-wheeling game by planning out your early morning shopping plan.  Check circulars and favorite store websites to map out a route that gets you the best deals at the best times.

Don’t put off until tomorrow (or next week!) what you can do today.  Spreading out the holiday to-do lists gives you more time to get the jobs done right the first time with less stress and little rush.

DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star November 16th.

All About Thanksgiving: Dress Up Your Table

We’re counting down, with Thanksgiving less than 3 weeks away.  If your family will be hosting this year, you can get ahead of the holiday preparation rush by focusing on dressing up your table in advance.

As loved ones anticipate gathering around your table, give them more than a delicious meal to feast on by offering a few treats for the eyes as well.  Step 1: will you be going with a tablecloth, placemats, chargers, or a mixture?  Choose your base(s) to build upon, perhaps even getting out the iron in advance to press your linens.  If you feel some element (or fresh style) is missing from your stock at home, take advantage of any fall sales and promotions to gain some new pieces for your table spread.

Step 2: what will you be serving on?  Are your everyday plates lovely and welcome at holidays, too, or is there special China to retrieve from your storage space?  When you’re not in a big flap would be a key time to gather, count, and wash any special plates or serving pieces.  Also, is your stainless ready to go, or could the fancy silver use a good polish?  If need be, put some elbow grease into polishing your silver with convenient wipes. 

Step 3: how do you intend to jazz up your place settings?  Do you have cloth napkins and napkin rings that will be fitting with your look?  It couldn’t hurt to give those linens a good ironing as well.  Ensure you have enough matching (or alternating) pieces to set the table for your guests.  Though you may or may not have your exact guest list at this point, think about a cute place card idea if you’d like to map out your seating and arrange guests for optimal comfort and conversation.  Mini chalkboards, gift tags tied to the napkin ring or other decor, folded note cards, and glass or ceramic pieces that can handle a dry erase or chalkboard marker are all viable options to use to mark each person’s place at the table.

Step 4: what’s your space plan?  Are you likely to keep it all to the dining table, or do you need to be factoring in a kids’ table or overflow guests at a side or connected card (or longer) table?  This will need to be taken into consideration for your linens, place settings, and chairs.  If you need to plan on doing any rearranging, borrowing, or buying to make it happen, jot yourself some notes now.

Step 5: what will your centerpiece be?  If your table is currently set for fall, you’re good to go.  If you like to serve the dishes family style right from the table, you don’t need much running down the center, as platters will take their places.  If you want to add something just for the dinner, you can consider an elegant stagger of pillar and votive candles, or something simple and contemporary like a chalkboard paper runner and chalk at each place setting for during-dinner décor.

Plan ahead to make the most of your Thanksgiving feast with a table dressed just for the occasion.

DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star November 9th.

        

A to Z of Decorative Accessories, Part 2

. . . And the list continues:

Nail head trim is an upscale touch to the outline of furniture pieces and accents alike.  Available in a variety of metallic finishes, nail head trim can take a piece from plain Jane to Jack of all trades.

Owls and other birds continue to be prominent in wall art and accent pillows, often in silhouette form.

Photos are a way for you to turn your experiences into your art.  Having photos printed as 5x7s, 8x10s, or even larger for framing, or changing the style by going with black and white or another photo finish, can turn something seemingly ordinary into something pretty extraordinary for your walls or frame-ready surfaces.

 Quotes make great wall decals that can be bought in-store or customized with an online company.  And they make fitting prints for framing, like applicable quote themes added to an entryway, laundry room, or dining area.

Rocks are a classic filler for vases, bowls, and trays.  Black river rocks and multicolored pebbles can each be a great base for what you intend to build upon them with, whether flower stems, branches, soap bars, or buffet serveware.

Silhouettes of people, animals, skylines, and household items are seen printed on pillows and in framed wall art.  They are also easy DIY projects to make, print, and frame yourself.

Trays do double duty by doing something and looking good while doing it.  Wrangle the remote controls on the coffee table, have the most used office supplies at hand, or group your morning coffee must-haves on a pretty, functional tray.

Utensils get to move beyond the kitchen drawer when they’re oversized and hanging on the kitchen wall, being clustered together in a silhouette art piece, or painted and mounted in a glass-free frame.

Vases can be made out of many things, like milk bottles, olive oil bottles, and Mason jars.  Pulling a few varieties together and spray painting them makes them a cohesive collection ready to run down the center of a tablescape. 

Wallpaper doesn’t have to remind you of the past when it’s used boldly on one accent wall or as the background for a bookcase or cubby system.  Wallpaper can also get horizontal when it lines drawers in a dresser or open shelves.

EXpressions (and we’re going to have to stretch for X) are very popular now in framed wall art.  Sayings and wording and lettering can be found in countless styles and varieties all ready to group together on a wall and really make a statement.

Yarn and knitting are cropping up wrapping around pillar candles and hooks while also cozying up the couch with cable knit throw pillows. 

Zebra print can be made more grown up when it is used on a large scale item like an area rug in muted shades like gray and blue-gray.  And it can simply be a bold statement as the original.    

And those are our decorative accessories, from A all the way to Z!

DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star November 2nd.