Archive for the 'Newsy' Category

Dear Friends:

In case you miss my Fourth of July interview with Martha Stewart Living in the Morning on the Sirius Radio channel, I wanted to share my ideas on entertaining with my customers as well. As is always the case, the arrival of the fourth of July puts me in the mood to throw a summer soiree. In the past when I’ve thrown a party, I’ve been all about creating drama in my tabletop designs, building lots of layers in my place settings and centerpieces, based on color and the symmetry of the dishes. But this summer, I’m eating up the refreshing trend toward simplicity.

I’m taking inspiration from my friend Mary who loves to throw an annual Fourth of July party. Her home sits high on a bluff overlooking the large city where she lives. On Independence Day, she can see more that 20 municipal fireworks displays from the comfort of her lawn chair. One year, Mary and her next-door neighbor decided to have a Fourth of July party so friends could enjoy the spectacular view too. Since then, the intimate gathering has grown into a much-anticipated bash, complete with a huge barbecue and a live band.

Everyone brings a side dish and dinner is served buffet-style. They also keep this annual event fresh by changing their innovative but inexpensive table treatments each year. When it comes to place settings, simple doesn’t have to mean boring. Start with a gorgeous summer tea towel as a placemat. Or try my old favorite — wicker chargers — or my new favorite — zinc chargers — to give the setting texture and definition. Then add your basic white dishes, topped off with a colorful salad plate in an unusual shape.

I’m partial to apple green or pale blue, but I love any color that looks clean and fresh. This summer, Mary is covering the dining tables with red and blue tablecloths. Red and blue plastic sand pails filled with sand, shells and a pillar candle will serve as the centerpieces. The cutlery will be pre-wrapped in red bandanas, which will double as napkins.

Here are some ideas that I’ve gathered from recent events that I have attended or planned:

• For the fourth of July, a selection of various red and blue berries in a summer salad, presented on a white plate, provides a patriotic presentation.
• Wrap gourmet sandwiches (tuna, chicken salad, or salmon) in stylish red paper and tie the sandwiches with colorful ribbon.
• Use a kitchen caddy for your condiments and silverware. Insert glass canning jars with pickles, celery, carrots, and other munchables.
• Take a quilt off the bed to serve as a picnic blanket or as a tablecloth on the picnic table.
• I recently attended a dinner party where the meal consisted of several petite courses of flavorful foods presented in an innovative manner, like soup served in a shot glass. We went home feeling pleasantly full, but not stuffed.
• For summer, keep tabletop designs elegant but edited. Create the simplest of centerpieces, using a trio of mini rose bushes potted in complementary cachepots, marching down the center of the table.
• Try an over-scaled bowl filled with green apples for summer color.
• Put a pillar candle in a large hurricane, then fill in with sand and seashells or smooth, shiny river rocks.
• To set the mood at the front door, fill your mailboxes with colorful blooms from your yard, with a tag that says “Welcome.”