Thanksgiving | 2011

                                                                 

My husband and I were in charge of hosting this years, Thanksgiving Feast. Figuring out the logistics of hosting a group of twenty three required some planning. Our dining room is fairly large, but not quite large enough to accommodate a group of this size. We decided we would need to set two adult tables, and two small children's tables to fit the group comfortably. Thanksgiving is not a time for serving buffet style.

Dinning Room

With a backdrop of putty colored plates, and linen hemstitch tablecloths, I was able to set each table with a slightly different color scheme. This was helpful as I do not have sets of twenty dishes just laying around for an occasion of this size. Blue toile salad plates, and blue stemmed water goblets adorn this table for ten.

Kitchen Nook

Red salad plates, and red water glasses nestle in against the "Philadelphia Cream" walls in my kitchen nook.  Napkins tied with raffia as I did not have enough pewter napkin rings for all. Each table had a cornucopia designed by me, using flowers that I purchased at Baystate Wholesale.

Girls Table

My daughter added her own personal touch to the children's tables, with these adorable turkey place-cards that she designed.

Boys Table

Always up for a little challenge, I attempted a Martha Stewart recipe-extravaganza, for the Thanksgiving turkey. Yes, there are four separate recipes as you will soon see, for her "Cranberry Glazed Turkey" , starting with stuffing from scratch. Oh right, the only thing that I did not do was raise the turkey myself, but I was short on time.

Luckily, it was a successful venture with only a few minor mistakes of which, no one noticed. I will not mention that when it was time to puree the glaze, the top of the blender popped off, and sent sticky red currant jelly, shooting everywhere. No Problem... That was the one moment that I hesitated, and thought that just maybe this was a bit too much to undertake on Thanksgiving Day. The gravy was absolutely outstanding as was the bird! I will definitely make this again, but will adjust the recipe as I will not be cooking a 22 lb. bird anytime soon, I hope. My only regret is that I did not take a picture of the beautiful red glazed bird, to prove that I indeed had conquered this recipe, on Thanksgiving Day.  I can tell you, that the smell drifting through the house that morning was so amazing, that even the kids noticed.

A Thanksgiving Day game was in order, to test our knowledge about the history of this great American holiday. Prizes were awarded to the winners, and Wii "Just Dance" competitions took place in the lower level. To end the day, an evening snack of lobster rolls, pickles and chips was in keeping with our own Thanksgiving Day family tradition.

Until next time...L.

                                                                     

Laura's Still Life

A good friend left this magazine clipping in my mailbox with a note attached saying," I know you can do something with this." It sparked my interest, so I took the challenge.

The timing was perfect because Halloween was right around the corner, and a design like this looked "SPOOKY," to me. I thought it would be a fun design for my front stoop. As I started to think about what I would use, the design process had begun. 1. I just happened to have purple cone flower pods in my own yard, check. 2. I had an urn similar to the one in Martha's design, check. 3. The question remained about where could score some dead, plant material. I would figure that detail out later.

When interpreting a design like this, to make it unique, you need to improvise. I found several feathery weeds with different colors and textures, in the fields around my daughter's riding stable. I used pepper berries as I could not locate the beautiful orange-y red rose hips, that Martha had used. I also decided to incorporated milk pods for their interesting shape. I found this to be a fun project because the challenge was in the hunt, and the ability to create something from nothing more than what you find outside.

It has been a few years since I created my "Still Life," design. Maybe it's time to think about trying it again. I hear a challenge... to make it even better second time around.

The very, very, very, best thing about the nature of this design is that it can be done without spending a dime. And, that's a good thing... as Martha says.



Until next time...L.                                                   

Rittners School of Floral Design

A couple of years ago, I decided to attend floral design school. I have always enjoyed working with flowers but wanted the opportunity to learn more about the intricacies of floral design. It was yet another way for me to expand on my design knowledge.

Roundy Moundy

As I learned, there is much to know about the mechanics of a good design. From flower care and handling to pricing, and most importantly to designing. I spent three and a half months traveling into Boston two nights a week to attend the evening session. I chose Rittners School of Floral Design from a friends recommendation. Rittners is a family owned business on Marlborough Street, and is currently under the direction of Steve Rittner. I found Dr. Steve to be passionate about the subject of floral design, and enjoyed his rather interesting sense of humor. The evening was never a dull one.

Long and Low

Most of the designs pictured are typical floral designs seen in the business. Learning these basic designs, and the mechanics behind them gave me the ability to apply the skills to creations of my own.

Inverted T

Flower placement is very important to the scale of any arrangement or design. As Dr. Steve would run through the specifics of the evening's design, the students would wait in anticipation for their turn. When I would start to apply the techniques to my own design it was never as easy as he made it appear. A true professional in any business has the luxury of experience, and the ability to make it look effortless. As I get closer and closer to having a level of comfort, I look forward to the day when I too will be able to design as effortlessly as Dr. Steve.

Cascade

The elegant cascade design is making a come back with today's brides.

These designs had a rough ride home as you can see.

As cold weather settled in for a long winters nap, the six block walk to my car became a dreaded event. On most nights I transported an awkward, and very heavy arrangement while the cold winds whipped through the streets. As you may have noticed above some arrangements did not always make it home in the same condition in which they left Rittners that night.

Try driving this top-heavy baby home, I dare you.  I gave this topiary-style design to my mother-in-law to enjoy over the holidays. Her interior colors where a perfect match and it made for a perfect early Christmas gift.

We had some fun making silly arrangements like this dog. My daughter thoroughly enjoyed waking up in the morning to see my evening creations on display. She especially loved this one!

Teacup Diagonal Line Arrangement

This petite teacup arrangement was a fun design. We had the opportunity to use Stephanotis which is the white star flower you see. It is a tricky flower to design with, and I have a new appreciation for arrangements that are made strictly of Stephanotis. I also began to appreciate designing with carnations, poms and some of the more affordable flower varieties. I learned that those types of flowers tend to hold up well in designs, and come in a variety of colors. Designs where you mix premier flowers with the more affordable varieties make for more interesting arrangements. It shows versatility in your designs and the ability to produce a high end product while still maintaining a reasonable budget.

Contemporary  Linear Parallelism Design

Moss comes in handy when hiding the mechanics behind your design.  I LOVE moss!

As you can see, contemporary designs do not require much in the way of floral material. They speak more about shape and space. It is the less is more philosophy.

L Shaped Design

Floral designing is a form of creative expression that I really enjoy. The ability to design around a theme when working on events, can really get those creative juices flowing. Designing doesn't have to be an expensive endeavor, as you can use available materials right outside your door. Even when it's cold outside you can pull greens from your yard to create something beautiful.



Until next time...L.

Boxford Holiday Homes Tour, part deux

"Nothing is worth doing, unless it is overdone"

                                                                                     anonymous source

This past weekend I was one of the featured designers, at the Holiday Homes Tour in Boxford, "Entertaining with Style." I chose to design my space with a slightly less traditional theme in mind. I decided to use my parent's annual cider party as my inspiration. A tradition that still exists today, thanks to my sister.

To begin the process, it was important to first consider the space (a beautiful front porch), and its unique features. The gorgeous wood floors and weathered gray walls, helped to create the ideal backdrop for my cider party theme.

My goals for the space were understated and sophisticated, so burlap table covers seemed like the logical place to start. When creating a design with a theme in mind, you can never spend too much time (including non-waking hours), figuring out how to best work in as much detail as humanly possible.

And since designing is like telling a story, this one began with a press.

My husband often helps me realize some of the mechanical aspects of my design ideas, which there are many. He is the engineer and I am the architect, for lack of a better word. Here is a collaboration between the architect and the engineer - not the best photo angle:(  Dear, I want a cone shaped holder for my design project, please. Oh, and did I mention there are nine chairs?

All the props used for my cider party space were either from my own private collection or for the most part, HomeGoods. Keeping cost down without sacrificing the quality of a good design is like music to my ears.

Mixing in heirloom pieces and HomeGoods finds, brings up the level of formality while creating a more unique aesthetic. My grandmother would be over the moon to see her red goblets in action. I never tire of their beautiful jewel tones.

photo credit: Yvonne Blacker

My son's painting is featured in this cider party vignette. A treasure of mine from his high school years at St. John's Prep. I immediately envisioned the painting hanging in this space, as the colors speak of fall with a contemporary flare. It hangs in my home and I have the luxury of admiring it everyday.

To the left of the porch is where all the cider-making happens, along with some "comfortable" seating. This press was purchased by my Dad from "The State of Washington," and has been in my family for over 32 years. It has graced many a lawn, around this time of year.

And last but not least, a little children's paradise, hidden under the weeping cedar. I can't even begin to imagine how old this tree is. Any guesses?

I want to thank my husband for all his help, as this design project would not have been possible. Honestly...the heavy lifting could not have been done alone.

I look forward to the opportunity of participating in the Boxford Holiday Homes Tour, again. I had the chance to meet some great people, and spend the day touring some fabulous Boxford homes. As I begin to put away all my design props, and return to a more normal schedule, it feels a bit strange to put this project to bed. Onto Thanksgiving, I guess.

Until next time... L.