Thanksgiving Table Inspiration

In case you need help setting the table, here is a little last minute inspiration.  Happy Thanksgiving!

Photos from Martha Stewart, Domino, Carolyne Roehm, and Country Living

Smooth Sailing

“It is not the ship so much as the skillful sailing that assures the prosperous voyage." - George William Curtis

Chic in LA: Jenni Kayne

I have to say that the best part of going away is being able to share my experiences with my readers who may also be planning a trip. There were so many wonderful places that I visted in LA and one that impressed me the most was the Jenni Kayne boutique. It's right now the street from the Almont Yards shops and it's worth checking out.

The store was designed by Jeffrey Allsbrook of the architecture and design firm Standard. It is a great example of a cleaner design style that works well is sunny Los Angeles.

What I loved about the store was that although it was clean and modern, all the wood and unfinished brass accents made it warm and welcoming. Jenni said that she wanted to reflect her own personal taste and feel like you were entering her home in an interview on Refinery29.

Standard also designed all of the display cabinets and fixtures. They are a far cry from the usual cheap chrome fixtures you see in stores.

I love that the vertical wood paneling draws your eye upward to the bamboo ceiling. The store was designed with an emphasis on eco-friendly materials and renewable woods.

This display table would make a fabulous dining table if they extended the top to allow dining chairs to clear the base. Or if they made it less deep, it would look great as an entry console! I loved this table!

The shop not only sells clothing by Jenni Kayne but also wonderful accessories including canvas bags and leather accessories like travel games.

Wish I had seen this travel backgammon set before my backgammon post! I love the natural leather!

I loved the canvas and leather bags that are from a French company called Tampico. They were simple and perfect! The one with the short top handles also had a practical should strap inside!

The store was designed to be flexible so that the display cabinets could be moved as necessary.

I love the artwork on this back wall by the changing rooms.

I could also see this display fixture moving easily into a home.

There is only one store in New York that sells Jenni Kayne's clothing which is a shame because they are stunningly beautiful!

One of my favorite parts of the store was the back changing room area.

Not sure if you can tell in this photo but the wall is covered in a snakeskin print wall covering. It looks very chic with the unfinished brass accents!

Even the sunglasses display boxes were created to match the store design.

Jenni also designs children's clothing which was super cute!

Of course what caught my eye was the jewelry! It is designed by Suzanne Donegan for her line Mannin which incorporates vintage jewelry pieces and recycled gold for sustainability.

I absolutely loved all the wonderful greenery and outdoor spaces in LA like this walkway to another space behind the store.

Even the front window is cool and chic! And since there was so much controversy about whether to wear white jeans in LA or not, I give you a photo of the beautiful Andrea Borda Stanford of C Magazine below wearing fabulous white J Brand jeans! Now that is chic California style at it's finest!

Photos by Heather Clawson for Habitually Chic

Taking Inspiration From Weddings

Sometimes, when I am planning a party, I run out of inspiration! Yes, I know that sounds shocking, but it is true. So when I need to get my creative juices flowing, sometimes I check out wedding blogs or Martha Stewart Weddings.

One of my favorite things at MSW is her 'good things' section. I went through her 'spring' ideas and found a few that I think can work for a regular party- not just a wedding! Check these out:

Aren't these orchids gorgeous! I thought this would be a beautiful centerpiece for any dinner party. And the best part is, after the party is over you can just place the flowers around your home to enjoy for weeks to  come.

Can't you just smell these roses and peonies! I bet they fill the room with the sweet scent of heaven. These arrangements were made with latte cups. You can find these at Williams-Sonoma and other kitchen supply stores. Or you can troll your local Salvation Army and find used ones. Then fill the bowls with green floral foam, and stick large flowers into it.

These baskets of candies are supposed to be wedding favors, but wouldn't it make a fun centerpiece for the kid's table at Easter!

Talking about kid's tables, I like this idea of using butche paper as a placemat. Martha wrote the utentil names down, but I think it would look cool if you did an outline of the knife, fork, and spoon using a sharpie. Then you can write each kid's name above their place setting. Then, when they are done, all you have to do is throw everything away!

These are chocolate bars covered with photos of the happy bride and groom, but I thought this would be a perfect idea for an adult birthday party such as a 30th, or 40th birthday. You could also do the same thing as favors for a baby shower- just use pictures of the mommy to be when she was a baby! Wouldn't that be cute?

So the next time you need an idea for a party, just check out some weddings and I bet you will come up with a million ideas!

My Favorite Wedding

One of my favorite blogs is Design*Sponge. This blog is filled with the most amazing photos of interior designs, crafts, re-purposed furniture, and other wonderful creations. It is also the place I found the most amazing wedding and if I decide to renew my vows, this is what I would use as inspiration.

The bride is a textile designer, so she collected over 100 vintage Vera napkins to use as the theme. There was no one color for the wedding- there were tons of colors! She even used a Vera tablecloth that came with a set of napkins as a backdrop for a photo booth for guests. Other napkins were re-purposed into flowers that were glued to branches to create a table assignment tree. Check these photos out:

Isn't that just the most beautiful, rustic wedding! I adore the vintage napkins, and all the color, and how it was all done on a budget using the help of friends and family. Loves it!