valentine's day Creating An Indoor Picnic for Book Group

valentine's day

Once a year, I pick a book and host a Book Group party at my house. Our Book Group is a bit unusual as far as Book Groups go...or so I have heard. Pretty much the same group has been together for about eight years now. We have only had two friends leave and two friends join in all that time.

Last Friday was my night to host. The book I chose was The Help by Kathryn Stockett:

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Set in Mississippi in 1962 during the civil rights movement, the story chronicles the lives of three women, one white and two black, and how they came together to write a book about how "the help" coexisted with their well-to-do white employers.

Truthful and thoughtful, funny and heartbreaking, the story is one that I, and the rest of my group thought was one of our favorites in our eight years together.(If you would like more information and editorial reviews click here.)

I decided that since the weather was on the hot side, that I would create in indoor picnic for our get together. I started with a burlap table cloth I had made a few years back. Burlap is very inexpensive (about 3 or 4 dollars per yard) and holds up for a very long time! I placed grass place mats on top and added a row of potted plants down the center. The plants I chose were a citron green "Lamium Golden" and an eggplant hued "Sweet Potato Vine". I loved the color contrast! I got them at Target along with some brown terracotta pots. The pot color went so well with the burlap. And after the party I am putting the plants in my garden! I love a dual purpose purchase.

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I experimented with some of my mercury glass candlestick holders: very pretty, but a bit too formal for a "picnic":

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So I decided to go with these simple votive holders, again, very inexpensive from Michael's. I think they were 50 cents apiece.

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A couple in between each pot. Simple and clean.

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I added my "Great White Plates" from Pottery Barn. ( Now you can have them monogrammed!)I think a white plate shows off food so well. And for the meal I had planned, they were the perfect size: big!

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I wanted something that looked like a picnic tablecloth for the napkins and found the perfect thing at IKEA. These rolls have four cloths, each one a different white and blue pattern for $2.49 per roll! That is 62 cents per napkin. I like that. And again, dual purpose!

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Placed in the middle of each plate, the "napkins" are a nice big size for my picnic.

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I added simple wine glasses, again from IKEA, and a bottle of Pellegrino at each place instead of a water glass to finish it off. Now on to the food!

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For a little snacking before dinner, I laid out cheeses, fig jam, some Kalamata olives and olive tapenade, a bit of Hummus and a few French Plums. I iced the wine, beer and waters in a galvanized bucket.

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When we were ready we sat down to an evening picnic:

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I had prepared a buffet of salads: Heirloom tomatoes from the garden with basil and mozzarella, Ina Garner's potato salad with lots of fresh dill, my version of the Bottega snap pea and white corn salad with a citrus dressing, my green salad with pine nuts and avocado, and a fruit salad. A bit of French bread with Gruyere and olives, and we were very happy.( Oh yes, the platters I had just found at the last Sacramento Antique Faire . LOVE them!!)

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valentine's day

valentine's day Random Tablescape and Your Thoughts

valentine's day

It has been a challenge juggling things this week. Perhaps it is the end of the school year for my two kids, one graduating up to High School, the other testing for college. Perhaps the going away party we had last weekend for a good friend who is moving to Martha's Vineyard played a part. Perhaps the starting of a new design business and the best part: the wonderful new clients that I have been fortunate to meet from this little blog.

I have run out of time today. But I wanted to share a little something. It represents a little juggling act itself. There is the Andy Warhol poster my mother has had since her days working at the Ace Gallery in Venice Beach in the '70's. There is my prized Empire State Building light. No monetary value to speak of....I just love it. There is my tramp art box, and the tops my father played with as a kid....and a couple of antlers thrown in. All of it sits on top of a glass table top left over from a client's project and two IKEA trestle table legs cut down to fit. It is an ever-changing grouping of things I like...sort of like life. Changing it up every once and awhile makes it more interesting.

Which brings me to the question: I have done a little juggling around with the blog layout . Do you like the wider format with larger pictures? (The plan is to enlarge the banner to fit as well.) Or is it easier for you to read in a more compact format? I would love to hear your thoughts. After all...you all are why I am here. Thank you all for reading and commenting. It really does make my day.

And I promise...the next installment of the San Francisco Decorator Showcase House is on it's way!

valentine's day It's Finished....for now.

valentine's day

Thanks to all of you who have been patiently waiting for pictures of my daughter's room! It is finally in a state where pictures can be taken. I had been waiting to find the right, affordable lamps, hang the sheers at the windows and on the bed, and to hang a bit of art on the walls. And while it is still a work in progress (every room in our house always is), it has turned out to be rather pretty. The most important thing is that she loves it.

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Some of you have asked where things were found or purchased. So here we go: The bed is from IKEA and we painted it white. The bedside chests are from Bungalow 5. Lamps are from Home Depot ( I know!). The little suzani I found on ebay. The sweet portrait I found at a flea market and looks so much like my daughter.

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The rug is from West Elm (no longer available). Sheets and Duvet Cover were from PBteen. Sheers were from IKEA. Matelisse Bedspread and Shams were from Crate and Barrel.

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Dresser was from Jayson Home and Garden. Lamps on the dresser are vintage. Mirror is from the Nate Berkus Collection on HSN. Coral "sconces" are from Urban Outfitters. Louis Ghost Chair is from DWR.

If you check here, you can see the ideas that we had when putting the room together. It came pretty close I think!

So there you have it!

valentine's day Hannah's Room

valentine's day

If you have been reading Katiedid for awhile, you know I have been working on my younger daughter's bedroom, theoretically for her birthday. Well, her birthday has come and gone, and we are still not quite done. I can manage to get client's work done and meet a deadline at work, but at home.....the cobbler's shoe syndrome takes over. We have drapery panels to hang, a mirror to find, and art to hang. But the furniture is all in and the room is painted! Progress!

In the meantime, my older daughter had a party for Halloween. Which prompted a room cleaning. I thought I would take the very infrequent opportunity of a clean room to snap some photos. Just so I can remember what it looks like.

Hannah and I did her room a few years ago starting with the Marimekko "Unikko" Duvet Cover and shams as the jump off point. We chose a matlisse bedspread from Crate and Barrel with matching Euro shams for the "background". You probably recognize the Seagrass headboard from Pottery Barn. The nightstand is an antique Swedish pine table. Nate Berkus lamps from Linens and Things. Red drapery panels from IKEA. We chose things that a teenage girl could grow with that were affordable, and therefore changeable if tastes changed.

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Above her antique pine dresser, I placed a flea market mirror that I painted red which made it pop off the walls, which are painted Dunn Edwards Whisper White.

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The room is divided by French doors into two parts, the main bedroom (very small) and a sun room. It is a very charming space and one of the selling points when we were first looking to buy the house. As soon as Hannah saw this space she claimed first dibs.

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The sun room is covered with bead board on the walls and ceiling and has windows on three walls. We made it into a cozy library using West Elm book shelves, which fit perfectly under the windows. There is an old pine armoire for storage....and Heaven knows a teenage girl has got to have storage. We used West Elm red lacquer nesting tables, a white slip covered chair from IKEA and a lambskin rug on the floor.

And that's it! A fun bright space for my teenage girl.

Speaking of Nate Berkus.......now that Linens and Things is closing, I was wondering where he might be selling his retail products. It turns out he is offering his line on the HSN website. He is also writing a blog for the website as well, which you can check out here. I went and did a little looking around and found THE mirror for my other daughter's bedroom! The Nate Berkus Moroccan Mirror:

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Perfect size and price! I am determined to get this room done before.......Christmas!