Wishing You All the Best in 2013!!

Merry Christmas one and All!!

The next weeks will be busy for all of us but I didn't want it to fly by without wishing everyone a very happy and blessed Christmas.
Susan

Finally got our Tree UP!!

Love the smell of the pine don't you??

Decorating your Mantel for the Holidays on Texas Living!!

Lat week I was on Texas Living showing three different looks on how to decorate your fireplace mantel for the holidays...check out this video the segment Kimberly Whitman and I did.


Click on:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWzmXcGtIRM&feature=g-crec-u

Decorate the Tree!!

A few tips for when you are selecting your Christmas tree are consider the size and weight of your ornaments.  Blue Spruce has the strongest branches for heavier ornamanets.  Scotch Pines hold their needles well even when they are dry.  Try to get a tree as symmetirical as possible.  Use the branches that you trim off the bottom for the mantel or arrangements.Make sure the trunk of your tree is freshly cut and get it into water as soon as possible.  Trees absorb the most water the first week so keep the reservoir full.  Many clients are choosing aritifical trees as they can be put up much earlier and they need no maintenance.  Always make sure to fluff up the branches on your artifical tree to make it look more natural.  The holidays are when we make memories so transforming your home with nostalgic holiday spirit makes for an unforgetable season.  Use 100 lights for every foot of the tree, and use more if your tree is fuller than average.  Always test the lights before you put them on the tree to avoid aggravation!!  Place garland on the tree after the lights but before the ornaments.  Start from the top and work your way down.

Christmas Mantels...See me on Texas Living!

By now we are all in the thick of decorating our homes for the holidays.  Tomorrow (Dec. 3rd) I will be doing a segment on Texas Living at 11 am showing several ways to decorate your mantel and how easy you transform from one look to another!!
This week I will be giving tips on decorating your Christmas tree.  Do you know how many lights you should have on a 10 foot tree?  Stay tuned for the answer this week!

Says it All!!

Want one!!!

Most Expensive Nail Lacquer in the World!!!

Azature's $250,000 Black Diamond Nail Polish Is World's Most Expensive Nail Lacquer        

                 

 

With a quarter of a million dollars, you could buy a lot of things.
You could purchase a home, a super-fancy car or a college education for your kids. Or, if you're feeling a little more adventurous, you could always go on a shopping spree at Hammacher Schlemmer and buy that submarine shaped like a killer whale that you've always wanted.
But if you already have all these things and just can't imagine what you're going to do with that $250,000 in loose change you have lying around, then this uber-splurge item might just be for you.
Jewelry couturier Azature -- the self-described "Black Diamond King" -- is now producing a one-of-a-kind bottle of diamond-infused nail polish, Fashionista reports.
Containing 267 carats of black diamonds, this luxe lacquer will set buyers back a quarter of a million dollars.
Story continues below

The Hollywood-based Azature, whose jewelry has adorned stars such as Rihanna and Beyonce, has called the black diamond the "ultimate fine jewel."
Or you could purchase the glitter nail polish that is sold everywhere and don't sweat it when a nail breaks!!!
 

Love the Snowglobes!!

Okay I know we all have been slammed with e-mails about where to shop and black Friday deals and post black Friday deals and cyber space Monday (which is today by the way)...but I thought this would be a fun activity...it really is amazing don't you think?

See your house in a Snow Globe... CLICK ON THE SITE BELOW, PUT IN YOUR ADDRESS AND WATCH  IT! TOO COOL!   http://www.draftfcb.com/holiday2011/

Enjoy Family and Friends!!

Let's do a Thanksgiving Dinner Party!

A palette of rich reds and golds makes your table warmly inviting and sets the scene for a memorable Thanksgiving Gathering.  When doing a sit down meal there is much you can prepare ahead of time.  Prepare a soup a day in advance.  Bring your home to life with seasonal touches like pumpkins, gourds, fruit and glowing candles.  Offer a range of beverages to complement the meal.  A pinot noir pairs wonderfully with turkey.  You may also want to offer hot apple cider or a signature cocktail.
On Thanksgiving Day plan to start cooking early - the turkey will need at least 3-4 hours in the oven plus needs to sit for an additonal half hour to rest before carving.

FRESH CRANBERRY AND ORANGE RELISH

1 bag (12 oz.) whole fresh cranberries
1 thin-skinned, seedless orange, well washed and dried
1/2 Granny Smith apple, peeled and cored
1 cup granulated sugar

Roughly cut the orange and chop the apple into 1 inch pieces.  Place the raw cranberies, orange and apple into a food processor and gently blend.  Do not over process - chunky is better.  Transfer to a serving bowl and add the sugar.  Cover with plastic and let stand for 24 hours in the refrigerator.  Use fresh orange peel as garnish.

Thanksgiving Family Potluck

Having a communal Thanksgiving table is the heart of a bountiful celebration.  A potluck approach  allows for more than sharing - it allows the host to spend more time with freinds and family.  Having everyone bring a their favorite dish for Thanksgiving is fun for everyone.  Request that each guest provide you with their recipe ahead of time in case there are allergies in the group.  Set up stations for appetizers, main courses, sides and desserts on separate tables, buffets or countertops.  Guests can serve themselves buffet-style, but it is ideal to have a large dining table open for socializing.  If not a children's table is always fun.  Have the children hand make the placecards for the table as they will be precious keepsakes.  The table can set a few days before and plan to make as much of the food ahead of Thanksgiving Day as possible.
Enjoy!

Couture Rocks!!

Yesterday I had the pleasure of meeting Carinthia Kishaba owner of Couture Rocks!  I wanted to share with you her website www.couturerocksonline.com to view her beautiful designs.  Looking for something more contemporary and innovative?  Look no further!

Texas Living Segment on Alfresco Dining with Susan Spindler!

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This is the best time of the year in Texas to enjoy entertaining outside with the summer heat behind us, cooler temperatures and candlelight evenings.  Kimberly Schlegel Whitman's new television show  Texas Living on KTXD invited me to do a segment on Alfresco Dining.  Texas Living can be enjoyed daily at 11 am every morning with Kimberly's co-host Hilary Kennedy who did the interview with me.

FLOWERS by Carolyne Roehm

If you are a lover of flowers, both growing them and arranging them and entertaining Carolyne Roehm's many books are of great inspiration, have many beautiful photographs and well they just make you happy to peruse through the many pages.  I have had the pleasure of meeting her and hearing her speak and her passion for gardening is infectious!
It has been more than a decade since Carolyne first shared her love of gardening and flower arranging. Now, for the first time ever, she turns her own photographic lens to that passion with Flowers, showcasing more than 300 images of the varieties in her abundant gardens, all captured at their most vibrant and exquisite moments throughout the season.
As we head into winter this is a wonderful book to leave on the coffee table and pick up over the next few months to enjoy.

Velvet...Always in Style!!

With its baroque, cabriole legs this decorative studded velvet covered console table is gorgeous and different.  It has a limestone top  and is quite the statement piece for any foyer or room.  Please see www.alidad.com for more information and colors.

The gray velvet ottomans are perfect for extra seating or tables and fit into any space.  Velvet is one fabric you can never tired of as we have seen it for years in clothing fashion, draperies, furniture and as you saw several blogs back pumpkins! 

Caring for Silver - Get Ready for the Holidays!

 Many people seem to steer away from using silver because they think it is too time consuming to polish.  But there is nothing like a table with silver pieces on to help make your table glow and look beautiful.  Frequent use of silver actually means it has to polished less.  Don't save your sterling flatware for twice a year use it often.
Sterling is best washed by hand but if you must use a dishwasher, do not mix silver with stainless steel, as the interaction between the two metals will cause unremovable black spots.  The luster and fine lines that come with frequent use are desirable and that is called patina.  When you do polish use a cream substance rather than a clear liquid dip.  Polishing is hard on silver but the dip is much harsher even though it may seem faster to get the job done.

After use always wash the silver implements immediately to avoid the tarnish and corrosion caused by salt and sulfur.  I personally love antique silver as there are so many beautiful designs and reminds me of how elegant dining use to be and still can be!!

Kappa Tablescapes at Dallas Country Club

Yesterday and today the Kappa Tablescapes is being held at the newly renovated Dallas Country Club.  Bryan Batt from Mad Men was the guest speaker and signing his latest book on interiors, name Big Easy Interiors.  He has an antique shop in New Orleans called Hazelnut and was a delight! The table you see here was designed by Christopher Potts and myself from Pottery Barn Dallas Galleria with outstanding florals by Dr. Delphinium Florals and Events and La Tavola Fine Linen Rentals, new to Dallas who provided us with gorgeous chocolate taffeta linen with a sheer orange fall leaf overlay and tafetta napkins   Dining Alfresco in Wine Country!!  Thanks to everyone who made this such a great success!!

Annie Sloan Chalk Paint!

A friend was telling me about a piece of furniture she had refinished and how wonderful it turned out.  I have to admit I never heard of chalk paint.  Milk paint yes but not chalk paint.  Well Annie Sloan out of the UK developed this paint in 30 different decorative and historical colors.  It is made to work on furniture, floors and wall with a gorgeous matte finish.

Chalk Paint is a very special paint for very many reasons:


1. It's the one of the best paints for painting furniture by a long way
2. No need to prime or prepare
3.Extremely low VOCs so it is good for the environment
4. You can use it on any surface, indoors and out ( the outside of our shop was painted in it- perfect!)
5. You can use the paint by diluting it with water to make a wash to show the wood grain
6. The colors are mixed intelligently and the web site shows how you can adapt your colors for your use
7. It's a girls' paint, but boys can use it too.
8. It's flexible so you can be creative and change your mind
9. It allows your walls to breathe so it is perfect for cottage walls
10. You can use it as an impasto ( thickly) - leave the lid off to thicken
11. We've been making it since 1990 so it's tried and tested

It is available locally so please go to www.anniesloan.com for more information!!
Get your creative side to work and have fun!

New Crown Celebrating the Jubilee!!

De Beers Jewelers were commissioned by Harrods to design a new crown for a an exhibition celebrating the Queens Jubilee.  This piece is now on a world wide tour.  Who will ever wear it remains a mystery!!

• This is a crown fit for a queen, outfitted in De Beer blue and studded with 974 diamonds, of which 797 are polished and 177 are rough. The centerpiece is a gut-wrenchingly beautiful uncut 73 carat diamond, which the jewelers happened to have lying around in a vault in France.

Gorgeous Velvet Pumpkins!!

These gorgeous pumpkins are made with velvet and have real pumpkin stems on them and weighed down with rice on the inside.  They are fabulous as a centerpiece or place card holder, mantel decoration ...just anywhere...gotta have them...I love 'em.  Culinary Connection at the Shops of Legacy sells them in my neck of the wood.
So fun to see something different and so creative as well.

Kappa Tablescapes!

Make plans to get tickets to the annual Kappa Tablescapes event held at the newly renovated Dallas Country Club.  This is a wonderfully creative event with over 50 tables being design by top designers in the Dallas area.  If you are at all into entertaining you won't want to miss this delightful experience.

The event is being held Monday October15th with a Tablescapes by Candlelight, a cocktail party in the evening and Tuesday, October 16th is a Luncheon with a guest speaker Bryan Batt from the popular series Mad Men and co-owner of Hazelnut a home decor shop in New Orleans.The above table was done by The Garden Gate in Dallas at last years event.

Look for my table that will be under the pergola where we will be dining Alfresco in wine country. Christopher Potts and I are doing a table on behalf of Pottery Barn Galleria with centerpieces from Dr. Delphinium Florals and Events.  A new showroom in Dallas for gorgeous linens is La Tavola, from Napa Valley and we will be showcasing some of their amazing linens.

Please go to http://www.kappadallas.org/KappaTablescapes.aspx for information.

LV Mon Monogram

Louis Vuitton is expanding their online store and has announced their Mon Monogram program.  You can get your own custom bag which you will have a million combinations to choose from to make it uniquely your own.

I'm thinking if you don't have a designer's eye this may be a complicated process especially with so many options to choose from but who doesn't love a monogram?

Check out www.louisvuitton.com to learn more.

Wedding Cakes Galore!!

When thinking of your wedding one usually goes right to dreaming about what the bridal dress will look like. These days the choices for a wedding cake design, taste and filling are just as varied as the fashion at the wedding.

These wedding cake creations came form sweetladyjane.com and and www.rosebudcakes.com in West Hollywood who created my daughters wedding cake.  Have fun at the tasting!!!

Bridal News and What is New!!

Another wonderful new book is out this week by my friend Kimberly Schlegel Whitman called Wedding Inspirations.  This book is filled with advice, ideas, gorgeous photography of many weddings, etiquette, florals and is a must have when planning a wedding along with Kimberly's other bridal book, The Wedding Workbook.

Now having blue on your hands and toes at your wedding has gone from fun for the "something blue" to being sophisticated, thanks to Oscar de la Renta after his most recent bridal runway show.  This is now considered a modern, creative way to sport the something blue at your wedding!  Try Essi's Midnight Cami or OPI's Russian Navy.

The next idea I think is a wonderful, memorable way to send out your Save the Dates.  Designer Rachel Wiles wanted to make a great impression so she screen-printed cotton handerkerchiefs.  Check out her website www.benignobjects.com to see also her vintage custom invitations as well. A clever and original way to re purpose whether you frame it as a memento or who doesn't cry at a wedding?

Treat your Windows to a new Look!!!

Ready-made or custom window treatments  are a great way to change up a room and update it.  Adding some new throw cushions on your upholstery pieces to coordinate with the treatment gives a wonderful custom look.  When planning side panels always plan for 2.5 or 3 times the width so you get the desired fullness. Blinds, shades or shutters are always an option as well.  Beading, tassels, braids, buttons and banding... these options to make your window treatments personal with custom details makes it all the more interesting as well.