CasaSugar

Open House: How Do You Dress Your Thanksgiving Table?

CasaSugar — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 05:30:04 -0800

When it comes to the Thanksgiving table, how you dress it is often as important to the hostess as what food sits upon it. Over the years, I've seen family members fuss over table settings, switching out placemats, rethinking china sets, and shifting floral arrangements.

I admit that I'm known to fuss over my Thanksgiving table as well. The first year that my hubby and I hosted Thanksgiving dinner for friends and family, I stayed up late into the night sewing a dozen napkins, pressing tablecloths, and arranging flowers. In the end though, it was all worth it. Not only did the food turn out wonderfully, but the table looked spectacular as well. Plus, as far as I'm concerned, deciding on color schemes and flower arrangements is all part of the fun.

So tell me, how do you dress your Thanksgiving table? Do you keep things casual? Is your feast a buffet-style affair? Or do you get formal with placecards and calligraphied names? Tell me all about it in the comments!

Source: Flickr User thedabble

Sale Alert: VivaTerra's Dining Sale

CasaSugar — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 05:30:25 -0700

From now until July 2, save on a number of eco-friendly dining items, including the plates I featured in my Ocean Waves roundup. I love the Flowered Enamel Serving Bowls ($22 to $26), as well as the Bottle Glass Tumblers ($38 to $49), which are made from cobalt-blue recycled glass. Stock up on Summer dining essentials when you shop the sale!

Guess What This Picnic Set Is Made From?

CasaSugar — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 08:30:41 -0700

While it's always best to go with reusable picnic tableware, sometimes you've got to deal with disposables. Luckily, this disposable picnic set is made from a biodegradable plant fiber. Can you tell me what the fiber is? (Hint: It's sweet indeed.)

How-To: Set a Gorgeous Thanksgiving Table

CasaSugar — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 06:15:54 -0800

This Thanksgiving, take some advice from designer Marc Blackwell to set a gorgeous and personalized holiday table. Blackwell, who designed a table for Beringer Winery at San Francisco's annual benefit for Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS, also designs very cool tableware, which you should check out after you read his tips.

Here are Marc's five tips:

Make a centerpiece from what's in your garden and refrigerator. For instance, arrange oranges among eucalyptus branches or set asparagus or artichokes in glass containers.
Mix family heirlooms and keepsakes with new things for a modern combination.

For the rest of the tips, read more.

Try mixing service styles as well. For example, have amuse-bouches waiting at the table when guests are seated, then serve the next course family style and the next plated.
Leave the wine and water on the table so guests can feel free to serve themselves.
Always have a light source on your table. Votives with individual aluminum holders are an inexpensive alternative to fancy candlesticks, and they can be arranged or scattered.

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Nice and New: Amy Butler Eco Giftwrap and Tableware

CasaSugar — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 15:00:51 -0700

Sometimes, when you're hosting a large party, there's little choice but to go with paper. Luckily, Amy Butler has been working with the Gift Wrap Company to come up with an ecological alternative to gift-giving and paper partyware. She has just released a new line called "Giftwrap Green," including gift wrap, bags, and gift-card boxes made from 100 percent postconsumer recycled materials, printed with her beautiful designs. In addition to the gift wrap and bags, she has also developed an ecologically-friendly line of paper tableware, "Eco Tableware," including coordinating plates, napkins, and towels. The plates and napkins are printed with 100 percent soy ink and the plates use a water-soluble coating so that they can be rinsed and recycled, too. So, whether you're going to a party (gift giving) or throwing one, you can be green and chic in Amy Butler style.

Steal of the Day: Silk Ikat Table Runner

CasaSugar — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 06:45:50 -0700

Give your guests something to talk about when you dress your table with this gorgeous Silk Ikat Weaving ($89, originally $179).Hand-woven in Thailand, this table runner will complement many different table settings, from casual affairs to fine dining. I'm certainly still in love with ikat. How about you?

Table Inspiration: Thanksgiving Settings

CasaSugar — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 04:14:18 -0800

AT: SF has gather up an impressive collection of Flickr photos highlighting great Thanksgiving table settings from years past. I found many of the pictures really inspiring, so hop over to the post for all of the details.

How are you dressing your table to impress this Thanksgiving?

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Designer Spotlight: Allegra Hicks

CasaSugar — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 07:12:18 -0700

Allegra Hicks has her hands in all sorts of exotic pots, including fashion, homewares, textile design, and interior design services. Born in Italy and based in London, Hicks draws heavily on Asian motifs with a lot of beachy colors and accents thrown in. The results are a little bit Bohemian but utterly sophisticated.

I really love her fabric and wallpaper designs, as well as the coral-motif tableware and patterned serving trays. Hicks, who is married to architect and furniture designer Ashley Hicks, also has some sleek furnishings for sale. In the States, you can find her products at Saks Fifth Avenue and online at Vivre, as well as at her boutique in New York City. Check out my favorite Hicks designs below and tell me what you think!

Designer Spotlight: Angela Adams

CasaSugar — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 09:00:17 -0700

From her hand-tufted rugs to her retro-cool tableware, designer Angela Adams has a flair for giving traditional aesthetics a funky update. Raised and now residing in Maine with her furniture-designer husband Sherwood Hamill, Adams draws her inspiration from nature to produce surprisingly fashion-forward looks, including a line of handbags.

Whatever the medium, Adams' stunning designs are characterized by simple but surprising geometric patterns and modern, muted color combinations. While the handmade rugs are (understandably) rather pricey, Adams offers plenty of very affordable products too; she's even got a very hip comforter set offered at Bed Bath and Beyond. Check out the examples of her work below (just click on the photos) and tell me what you think.

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Sale Alert: Up to 50 % Off at Lekker Home

CasaSugar — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 11:41:03 -0700

I only discovered it a month or so ago, but Lekker Home is fast becoming one of my favorite online stores. Not only does it indulge my jones for sleek, modern home finds, but it also carries all sorts of creative designs I've never seen elsewhere. (I mean, a woodpecker-shaped piggybank? Awesome!)

Right now, Lekker is having a great summer sale through Sunday, July 29, offering as much as 50 percent off on select items plus free shipping on orders over $50. Check out my choices from the sale below.

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