Parsimonious Décor Darling

Sunday, August 11, 2013

Set Your Table with Flair--Elegant Easter Setting

Easter is a beautiful holiday. Other than Christmas and Thanksgiving, it is the consummate holiday opportunity to celebrate with family and friends. I also love its season; the beauty of spring. Ahhh, Tempus Vernum! This is my interpretation for an elegant Easter table setting. The first setting is a more classic setting; the second, although elegant, is a little more fun and kitschy.

First Setting

For this theme, I chose to leave the table barren of linen. I set the plates and saucers, glasses and coffee cups, place settings and serveware first.

Next, I added the napkins and floral napkin rings. I wanted the color theme to be indicative of Spring, and I love to set an eclectic arrangement, so I used both green and cream napkins.

You may also opt to set your table with bowls. Shown here.

Here is a close up of each setting.

Without the Bowl

With Bowl.

From my collection:

Plates, saucers, small bowls, large serving bowls, and coffee cups; Ralph Lauren Whipstitch Cream Collection

Glassware, Ralph Lauren Glen Plaid Collection

Menu placard and place settings (shown in first photo) PrincessHouse Pavilion Collection

Ralph Lauren Pavilion cake plate (first photo)

Silk shaunting napkins, generic

Peony napkin rings, Bed, Bath, and Beyond

Floral arrangement, by yours truly using glass vase and faux snapdragons from Tai Pan Trading and faux peonies from Wal-mart.

Second Setting

I began by using the large plate as a charger. On top of that, I placed these petal saucers.

Next, I placed these flower-shaped bowls.

Here is a close up. For the more whimsical setting, I used these fruit and berries napkin rings.

From my collection:

Plates, large serving bowls, and coffee cups; Ralph Lauren Whipstitch Cream Collection

Floral saucers and bowls, Horchow

Glassware, Ralph Lauren Glen Plaid Collection

Menu placard and place settings (shown in first photo) PrincessHouse Pavilion Collection

Ralph Lauren Pavilion cake plate (first photo)

Silk shaunting napkins, generic

Fruit and berries napkin rings, Bed, Bath, and Beyond

Floral arrangement, by yours truly using glass vase and faux snapdragons from Tai Pan Trading and faux hydrangeas from Wal-mart.

I also love to set the table with traditional seasonal Easter Lilies. For a lovely home fragrance, may I recommend Ralph Lauren Seaside. It is a very fresh, clean scent. The description on the box reads, "A blend of leafy green, juicy white peach, and lemongrass."

A peek at the Easter Collection for Ralph Lauren Easter 2013. So gorgeous, isn't it!? Aaaah, a girl can dream.

Please join me and others beginning March 12, 2014 at Cuisine Kathleen's annual Saint Patrick's Day Blog Crawl by clicking here.

If you enjoy this post, please visit the archives! You may also visit my full profile to view my other blogs. Connect with me on my Facebook Page, Parsimonious Décor Darling. You might like to visit my other blog hubs,

The Marvelous Maison, a lifestyle blog hub and

Frugal Fab Fashionista, my fashion blog hub.

Follow me on Pinterest!! Please be sure to kindly follow the board guidelines as it takes time and effort to find fabulous pins across the internet and Pinterest. Thank you!

All photography, poetry, and verbiage are the sole intellectual property of Parsimonious Décor Darling, and are subject to existing federal and state copyright laws and the statutes therein; thus they are not to be copied, reproduced, nor used for creation utilizing Artificial Intelligence without express permission from the aforementioned owner.

Thank you for stopping by! ❤

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Set Your Table with Flair--Whimsical Easter Setting

I'm sure we've all attended holiday gatherings as children. I have distinct memories of being seated at the "kids' table." Why should the kids' table be the typical sad card table haphazardly set with mismatched chairs and dinnerware? I love entertaining, so I enjoy having family over; especially for holidays. I usually set two tables; this is how I set an Easter Holiday table for children.

When putting together this setting, I think of pastel colors infused with playful place settings. I began with a lavender colored tablecloth and these flower placemats. I used two of each color in my set, choosing to omit the lavender, which I think looks washed out against the lavender cloth.

Next, I placed these adorable polka-dotted plates in opposing colors onto the mats.

The salad plates, which I placed next, match the placemat.

Now that there were three colors on each setting, I opted to place whichever color had not been used when I set the bowls.

When I placed the saucer, I again chose to place on each setting whichever color had not been featured.

I placed the mugs on the saucers, again choosing to match the placemat. I then placed a matching napkin ring and pastel colored napkin. All complete for a fun (not glum) Easter setting!

From my collection:

Polka-Dot Service, Horchow

Flower Placemats, HomeGoods

Napkins and table linen, generic

The Marvelous Maison, a lifestyle blog hub and

Frugal Fab Fashionista, my fashion blog hub.

Follow me on Pinterest!! Please be sure to kindly follow the board guidelines as it takes time and effort to find fabulous pins across the internet and Pinterest. Thank you!

Thank you for stopping by! ❤

Friday, July 19, 2013

Set Your Table with Flair--My Steampunk Party Setting

The steampunk trend is just exploding! When I recently wrote my blog about a steampunk wedding on my other blog, The Bride Ideal (to see the post, click here), I thought, how fun would it be to throw a steampunk-styled gathering? Here is how I would set my table. For this theme, I would stick to earth tones, beiges, and black. Here are two examples.

For the first look, I used copper colored napkin rings.

This second look is the same setting but I opted to switch out the copper napkin rings and used wired burlap ribbon instead for a more natural, vintage look.

Here is a close up.

From my collection:

Ralph Lauren Clock Brunch Plates

Accoutrement; all, Ralph Lauren Wentworth Tortoise

Serving Tray

Salt and Pepper Shakers

Bar Tools

Butter spreaders

Lauren Ralph Lauren Linens Tablecloth

Generic barware, napkins and placemats

In the first look, copper capiz shell napkin rings, Horchow

Flowers, my garden

Vase, one of the barware glasses with burlap tied around.

For more wonderful ideas, I recommend The Vintage Tea Party Book. It is full of tips, photography, recipes, and FUN!

The Marvelous Maison, a lifestyle blog hub and

Frugal Fab Fashionista, my fashion blog hub.

Follow me on Pinterest!! Please be sure to kindly follow the board guidelines as it takes time and effort to find fabulous pins across the internet and Pinterest. Thank you!

Thank you for stopping by! ❤

Set Your Table with Flair--Nautical Summer Style

With the dog days of summer upon us, it is a great time to hit the beach. I love the idea of a beach get-together, especially with someone you love. This is my interpretation for a romantic table-for-two on the beach.

Closeup.

When choosing how to set a table, my personal preference is to try to keep to a straight forward, clean palette. In this theme, I used fresh Nautical Colors and black as a daring accent color. From my collection:

Ralph Lauren Whipstich Cream Plate

Ralph Lauren Intaglio saucer

Ralph Lauren Equestrian Braid Ice Bucket

Nautica Frost Block glassware

Stemware Generic

Placemats: Lauren Ralph Lauren University

Target home collection tablecloth

Ikea lantern

Faux snapdragons from Tai Pan Trading Company

Martin & Rossi Asti Moscato D'Asti Sparkling Wine

The Marvelous Maison, a lifestyle blog hub and

Frugal Fab Fashionista, my fashion blog hub.

Follow me on Pinterest!! Please be sure to kindly follow the board guidelines as it takes time and effort to find fabulous pins across the internet and Pinterest. Thank you!

Thank you for stopping by! ❤

Set Your Table with Flair--Spring Tea

I've always loved the idea of the English high tea. Perhaps it has to do with my love for Lewis Carroll as a child. Nevertheless, here is how I incorporated some adorable finds into a lovely setting for a tea brunch in the garden. Here are a few shots of the table, sans linen.

Centerpiece. I chose blooms of soft green and white; these colors epitomize garden for me.

Closeup of the plates. I just love these butterfly dishes, I think they are darling for springtime!

The setting.

To give an outdoor setting a more rustic feel, you can add unironed linen. Not ironing the linen provides an antique feel for this setting.

Close up.

From my collection:

Butterfly dinnerware from Horchow/Neiman Marcus

Ralph Lauren Glen Plaid barware

Stemware, Generic

Shoe and Handbag cake service, Neiman Marcus

Tea service, Godinger Hotel Collection, Horchow/Neiman Marcus

Faux Snapdragons and blue apothecary jars used as vases, Tai Pan Trading

Green Faux hydrangeas, Walmart

Peony napkin holders, Bed, Bath and Beyond

Tea Cart, local antique

Bench, hand-built by yours truly ☺

The Marvelous Maison, a lifestyle blog hub and

Frugal Fab Fashionista, my fashion blog hub.

Follow me on Pinterest!! Please be sure to kindly follow the board guidelines as it takes time and effort to find fabulous pins across the internet and Pinterest. Thank you!

Thank you for stopping by! ❤

Set Your Table with Flair--Romantic Garden Table setting

This time of year, most people love to be out-of-doors enjoying a backyard BBQ. If you are a romantic at heart like I am, the idea of a sweet garden soirée at dusk is for you.

Here, I played up the romance of that theme by using a sweet, muted palette.

From my collection:

Ralph Lauren Glen Plaid Barware

Stemware, Generic

Blue and Cream Damask Plates, Corrine Collection, Horchow

Charger plates, Pottery Barn

Blue Apothecary Jars and White Faux Snapdragons, Tai Pan Trading

Green Faux Hydrangeas, Walmart

Cortona Collection Extending Table, Pottery Barn

Bench, hand-built by yours truly ❤

The Marvelous Maison, a lifestyle blog hub and

Frugal Fab Fashionista, my fashion blog hub.

Follow me on Pinterest!! Please be sure to kindly follow the board guidelines as it takes time and effort to find fabulous pins across the internet and Pinterest. Thank you!

Thank you for stopping by! ❤

Tai Pan Tripping

It's officially spring, and during this time of year, I really enjoy being out in the garden. It's a great opportunity to share a quiet activity with your children; and for me, helps me decompress.

I wanted to do a quick post about my recent excursion to Tai Pan Trading. If you love home décor like me, you HAVE to visit that store. Here is one item I picked up while there. I love planters, and the cold snap last winter left much of my landscape dissipated

This time of year, local hardware stores are practically brimming with annuals and perennials. I paid approximately $30 for the plants. I filled the planter with miracle grow soil as a foundation, broke apart the roots, and put enough soil to fill it.

Next, I installed a drip line into the planter and used mulch to hide the tiny pipes. This is the result at the top hill of my yard.

The Marvelous Maison, a lifestyle blog hub and

Frugal Fab Fashionista, my fashion blog hub.

Follow me on Pinterest!! Please be sure to kindly follow the board guidelines as it takes time and effort to find fabulous pins across the internet and Pinterest. Thank you!

Thank you for stopping by! ❤

Beautify Your Existing Cabinets

I often tell my hubby, sometimes you have to throw caution to the wind and just DO. When we bought our house, the kitchen had plain, stark-white cabinets. Unfortunately, I completed the following project before I would have even fathomed writing a blog (we have five munchkins), so I don't have pictures. I can, however, guide you through what I did.

First, I chose a new color. Our humble Casa is a Mediterranean, so I opted for a warm color; French Latte.

To create the antiqued look, I used a dark espresso paint.

First, I painted all of the cabinets with the Latte color. Allow for dry time. If you do not want to sand, use a primer first.

Next, in varying places on the cabinets, and especially the corners, I painted with the espresso paint in an extremely thin coat. Alloy to dry. Sand very lightly with the finest grade sandpaper, making sure not to remove too much of the espresso color. Wipe clean with a damp towel and allow to dry. Next, I applied a coat of the French Latte over the espresso, and carefully wiped small amounts of it away with a clean paper towel. Last, I replaced the plain white drawer pulls with oil-rubbed bronze. You can buy these in bulk very inexpensively at hardware stores. I also recommend using a clear polyurethane over the finished cabinets to preserve the paint job. Here is the result.

Next, I wanted to upgrade the area beneath the bar. First, I measured the bar area and chose corbels that would fit. I decided on this model. It wasn't overly expensive, and ornate enough that they didn't appear cheap.

I completely painted the corbels in the French Latte. Next, I upgraded the plain wall beneath the bar. I accomplished it by using wainscot panelling. It comes in small or large pieces, and you can just clip them together based upon how much you need.

I nailed up the amount needed using very small nails, and puttied the holes using Dap nail hole filler. Next, I painted the wainscot to match. I put up floorboards that I had pre-painted white. The hubby drilled the corbel in by going underneath the cabinet on the opposite side. I filled in any gaps using the Dap and my finger, wiping any excess with a clean paper towel. Allow for dry time, and paint to match. Here is the end result.

The Marvelous Maison, a lifestyle blog hub and

Frugal Fab Fashionista, my fashion blog hub.

Follow me on Pinterest!! Please be sure to kindly follow the board guidelines as it takes time and effort to find fabulous pins across the internet and Pinterest. Thank you!

Thank you for stopping by! ❤