Posted in Centerpieces, Entertaining at Home, Entertaining Ideas, Holidays, Home and Garden, Home Decor, tagged Autumn decor, fall decor, Savvy Entertaining, Shanna Hatfield, White Pumpkins on October 16, 2012| Leave a Comment »
I feel the need to confess this morning…
I’ve found a new love. It’s that round, creamy skin that drew me in.
Yep. I am, like, so totally over orange pumpkins as decorations.
White pumpkins are currently making my heart pitter-pat.
They are so dreamy.
Ethereal.
Elegant (if pumpkins can be elegant).
Lovely.
And perfect for fall.
She Who Love White Pumpkins
Posted in Dishes and Serving Pieces, Entertaining Ideas, Party Theme, tagged Creating a Buffet, Entertaining at Home, fall decor, Fall Entertaining, Fall Party Theme on September 28, 2010| Leave a Comment »
The other day I hosted a party which gave me the opportunity to put together a buffet table. Using a fall theme, I knew I wanted to keep it simple, but still have fun with it.
The three elements to setting a successful buffet table are height, color and texture. Remember those three things and you can’t go wrong.
When you are setting a buffet, start with a table covering. It can be anything you want to use. Feel free to get creative and think outside the box. I like to use flat sheets because they are inexpensive, drape well, are easy-care and come in a variety of color and sizes. Go with a neutral base. For this buffet I chose black as my neutral. Add some height elements, remembering to keep your centerpiece on one end of the table to create visual interest. I just used some cardboard boxes to create height then covered them with another black cloth. Over the top of that I layered a fun pumpkin print fabric to add more color and texture.
The centerpiece was the next item to go on the table. Using fall florals from my yard, it came together nicely. Except for the lack of something green and fern-like. (Side note: carrot tops look green and fern-like if you don’t have anything else handy and they stand up much better than I thought they would!).
Plan where each dish will sit on the table. I like to make little party cards that say what is in each dish and then place them on the table beforehand. That way once it is time to put out the food, I know exactly where it goes. I have also been known to set out the serving pieces before I put the food in them so I can see how the table will look.
Once you dish up the food and put it on the table, it will really start to pull the look together. The combination of height, color and texture found in your table coverings, serving pieces and food will impress your guests and look fantastic!
Give it a try and let me know how it goes!
Happy Entertaining!
Shanna
Posted in Entertaining at Home, Entertaining Ideas, tagged fall decor, fall decorating ideas, fall home decor, Fall Styles on September 21, 2010| Leave a Comment »
With the official first day of fall just days away, think about things you can do to bring fall into your home.
A great place to start is by going outdoors. What fall leaves, branches or natural items – like grasses, pinecones or nuts – can you bring indoors for an inexpensive accent to your decor?
Use neutral tones highlighted with fall colors focusing on the vivid jewel tones of autumn like rich reds, warm golds, brilliant oranges, deep greens and pops of purple. The buzz for fall is all about gray being the new beige. Think about ways to incorporate it into your decor.
Create a fall welcome at your front door by placing pumpkins on steps, a twiggy wreath around an exterior light or baskets of bright fall flowers like mums.
Use fall scents like pumpkin, cinnamon and apple throughout your home. Whatever scent you choose, make sure you stick with it consistently so you don’t have scents overpowering each other. No one wants to walk into a scent war-zone!
Fill bowls with nuts or pinecones for a fast fall accent. Place large leaves between a serving tray and a piece of glass. You can use this as a centerpiece, serve warm mugs of cider on it and leave it on the coffee table as a conversation piece.
Keep your focus on warmth. Warm colors and cozy fabrics create a fantastic sense of welcome.
When entertaining guests, serve food choices that bring fall to mind like pumpkin, apple, cinnamon.
And, as always, remember to sit down and enjoy your guests. That’s what it is all about!
Happy Entertaining!
Shanna
Savvy Entertaining 