Thanksgiving, Birds, Red & Leopard

~Nantucket Island~

There is nothing more beautiful than these words that so eloquently described Nantucket in the off-season.

“Paths of bramble, rose hip and sand. Skitter down a powdery cool dune and fall upon: more than 10 miles of untouched beach. Endless ocean, endless sky, fiery sun peeking over a shockingly broad horizon. Not another mammal in sight. Only piping plovers, which flirt with the Atlantic as it glides in and snaps up twirls of spray and froth.” 
Ted Weesner Special to The Washington Post

The mere thought of Nantucket in November begins to excite me every year around the time of my September birthday. Thanksgiving is the one holiday that is filled with so many of the elements that appeal to my aesthetic senses; family, friends, cozy bathrobes and slippers, hot toddies, fires in the fireplaces, candles burning, glasses of Cabernet and the coming together celebration of kindness. For me, there is no place better to celebrate this holiday than on our beautiful island of Nantucket 30 miles out to sea. where the spirit and enthusiasm of the locals and travelers light up Main Street!  I begin to dream about the idea of decorating, cooking, and entertaining and look forward to arriving on island to prepare. We have an open-door policy, as most islanders do, and welcome a knock on the door from friends and neighbors. Please stop by!

Over the years I have collected many china and dish patterns and sets of colored stemware allowing for the fun exercise of designing a mix and match, or a mis-match, or whatever suits my aesthetic whimsy of just how fabulous can I make it this year? Much of my inspiration over the years has come from the very talented Carolyn Rohem, who has always been my idol. My husband and children have gifted me with every book she has authored. I was always fascinated by the selection of dishes and stemware she has graced so many table settings with over the years. Sheer beauty! At first I assumed that it was all high-end until I began to follow her blogs and took a cue from her helpful shopping hints, realizing that it is all about the art of collecting. Take advantage of sales! It doesn’t have to be expensive to look fabulous!

My collection of stemware hails from everywhere, from the very expensive to the very, very inexpensive! There is the challenge of storing it all! I have purchased from everywhere I could find a deal; flea markets and estate sales, where I’ve found some exciting colored glass, to the very inexpensive, but fun, post-holiday sales at Pottery Barn, where I bought my ginormous collection of red, to maybe favorite and fun, frosted polka dot champagne flutes that I bought at a close-out sale at Pier 1 for a $1.99 each! (I’ve moved them everywhere with me and not a one has ever broken!). My most precious, however, is our, Saint Louis crystal, which we bought in green, my favorite color, and which we've had since 1985.  At first I only brought them out on very special occasions or for small gatherings.  I quickly realized that every day is a special occasion, and thus use them frequently, often pairing them with super-casual elements too.

For Thanksgiving Day, I like to formulate a more elegantly casual table design, different from my Christmas Eve table when I pull out all the silver, pinecones, greenery and satin ribbon I could find! For Thanksgiving 2014, I channeled nature. I used natural elements, feeling an animal and bird vibe! I liked the idea of using rustic branches from our yard, my collection of bird ornaments, natural live berry branches, lots of variegated feathers and some of the pieces from my leopard print Ralph Lauren china. As the kick-off to the holiday season on Nantucket begins the day after Thanksgiving, I always like to incorporate a hint of Christmas on Thanksgiving Day. This year I used lots of live greenery, real cranberries in the bottom of candle globes and red glassware.

For linens, I decided upon no linens other than my leopard print napkins which I used with the wonderful rabbit and hare silver, hand-painted napkin rings given to me by nieces Monica and Amy Lyons. The warm chestnut color of our farm trestle table contributed to the warm color palette.  To enhance the casual feeling of natural elements, I used rattan placemats to receive my natural rattan chargers. The dinnerware I use most frequently for Thanksgiving Day dinner is my vintage set of Ralph Lauren hounds tooth china (purchased in 1984) in black and white with a traditional fox chase hunt scene in the center.

The red jacket of the huntsman and burnished orange and brown of the horse and dogs creates an autumnal scene that combines beautifully with the black and white hounds tooth to receive almost any and all accessories and stemware on any table. I mixed and matched combining rattan charger, hounds tooth dinner plate and a leopard soup bowl. The accessory of red stemware brought holiday color as well as height, and picked up the red jacket of the huntsman. I like height on most of my tables to give drama, but transparent enough so as to not to block anyone’s view. I used high clear candle vases in varying heights with cranberries on the bottom to give a boost of holiday color to the three-inch pillar candles from Pottery Barn I often use. I topped each of them with birds from my collection. For the center of the table, I opted out of flowers and instead ran natural vegetables down the center of the table using different squashes, tiny white pumpkins and pomegranates which gave a natural horn-of-plenty look without the horn. To add to my “animal/bird” theme, I interspersed feathers of varying sizes and colors in and around the vegetable display. We celebrate Thanksgiving dinner after dark and so candlelight for me is the ultimate accessory! Tiny votives topped with frosted glass shades at each place setting created a cozy and warm feel and cast the perfect glow on this wonderful night on our magical island, where we held hands and went around the table giving thanks for all that we have been blessed with.

California Dreamin'

A Summer Solstice Tablescape

A Summer Solstice dinner party in LA was one of the highlights of my summer. What better day to have a dinner party than the longest day of the year and the first day of summer? It was a great night at my daughter and son-in-law’s  home, with great food, great cocktails and some very special people! And something very special happened....

The full “Strawberry Moon” and the Summer Solstice occurred on the same day, an event that has not coincided in 70 years, and won’t for another 46! This stunning celestial performance lit up the skies around the world with a breathtakingly beautiful, but rare, amber-pink  “Strawberry Moon” named by native tribes as the best time to harvest fruit, especially strawberries!

My contribution to the evening was to design the tablescape, which I already knew would be something very “Californian”, since as a former Los Angeles resident myself, conjuring up California vibes was easy.

California VIBES (a neighbor’s topiary)

Decades later the memories & visuals are still vivid in my mind; the sound of the ocean waves crashing against the shore, the exquisite Pacific sunsets, the cool, gentle evening breezes, the huge mountains kissing the ocean, the beautiful desert-like indigenous trees and shrubs and the wonderfully dizzying drives up and down the rustic canyons and Hollywood Hills. I wanted to incorporate these senses by using “earthy” elements with natural tones and interesting textures.

Juliska Pewter Stoneware

We had so much fun creating the table setting with many of the beautiful things they received as wedding gifts.  Their Juliska Pewter Stoneware, which is simply, rich and beautiful to look at, was the dinnerware of choice. Its stunning charcoal color mimics pewter, but its weight and feel tells you its stoneware. The round plates reminded me of planets orbiting the solar system. This selection began the tablescape!

I went on a bit of a scavenger hunt around their house to “gather my nuts” and found some interesting and meaningful things to enhance our theme. Their natural wood dining table with benches served as the perfect backdrop, both in color and texture and provided the perfect canvas on which to place the Juliska without a cloth or a placemat. I loved the juxtaposition of wood and stone. 

Table and sheepskin throw on bench

I fell in love with the sheepskin throw our daughter was gifted with for being part of a friend’s “Bride Tribe”. We used them on the benches for guests to luxuriate in with a quintessential dose of texture and feel!  

We gathered some of their mercury votives and candle holders, which they love and which they had in huge quantities at their wedding! Candlelight is everything to me no matter where I am.

They had the perfect Agate Geode slices for coasters in shades of grey and beige (greige), to place directly on the table in place of a cocktail napkin, and to add yet another interesting texture; a great perch for guests to place their Mason jar filled with cucumber water. I really loved the pairing of the Agate with the pewter stoneware.

A gathering of“earthy” elements with natural tones and interesting textures.

The essential greenery was none other than a variety of succulents from the California desert. I love to use indigenous greenery, wherever I am.  The variety and color choices were incredible.  They worked beautifully with the natural colors in the place setting. We planted them in elongated grey/green painted terra cotta planters, bringing in the adobe feel of some California towns.  We used one for every two place settings. 

Pewter, Agate, Stoneware, Mercury AND succulents

The next day, they became welcomed additions to their collection on their outdoor terrace. They continue to reap joy from them, as succulents will pretty much  last forever!

P.S. The dinner was a simple Liguini ala vongle with “pewter” clam shells and yellow pasta to mimic the solar sysytem!  And you can guess that the dessert was none other than… strawberry shortcake!

Star Light, Star Bright

~Nantucket Island~
The first star I see tonight… is the starfish that will sit at each guest’s plate and set the theme for this tablescape in white!

The white Matelasse' table cloth provides a floating oasis for these works of art. 

Celebrating the sea and all the joy it brings in the form of sea life, is a bit of a ritual for me when entertaining on Nantucket.  Let’s face it; it’s hard not to be influenced by the wonderment and romance of Moby Dick's home, when you’re on an island 14 miles long and 3.5 miles wide, 30 miles out to sea. 

My collection of starfish, corals and shells of all kinds, continues to grow with my love for the island and my respect for the sea. I scour the magnificent beaches and covet my finds.  I’m also wooed by the selection of fabulous starfish, shells and coral sold at places like the HUB, where you can find some pretty exotic species, while picking up the New York Times and a cup of java!

I often opt for greenery versus florals, to allow the place setting to be the main attraction.  It may also be because I usually have a very tall vase of flowers on my sideboard reflected in front of the tall mirror, and usually think that is enough for the room. I created variations on the same theme, using three different types of greenery, to show you options and how you can play around with a setting, tweaking it to your liking!  

I thought the boxwood was a bit heavy for the delicacy of this place setting and ultimately went with the light, airiness of the long blades of ornamental grass I cut from my garden.  I also loved the light fern with it, but since I already used the fern in my last blog, ornamental grass it was for this place setting!  And this is why I like to "gather my nuts" first and mull it over for a day or two!  There is no one way to do something. The right way is the way that is right for you! Experiment! Be creative! And most importantly, have fun!  NOTE: Leave yourself plenty of time so there is no stress! You will find that your creative juices will flow much more feely!

Tess Anderson, of Anderson’s of Nantucket, one of my favorite home decor boutiques, and a regular stop for me for over 27 years, was so generous in allowing me borrow some of their beautiful dishes and accessories for this photo shoot.  The first thing that caught my eye was the placemat! I always start with one thing and then build around it.  For me, it was the glamour of this placemat in neutral tones (my favorite) studded with beads and tiny shells.  It’s hard not to start with Kim Seybert accessories when they are staring at you!  They just jump off the display, wherever they are, and into your lap! I then chose this beautiful white napkin with a coral embroidered in gold threads, which I was super excited to find, as it stood up beautifully to the drama and weight of the placemat. The lucite napkin ring with a gorgeous shiny shell attached to it, pulled it all together, keeping all the colors in the same tones.  And then I was on to the dishes…

I am especially attracted to the influence the sea has had on designers, whose coastal vibes & creations radiate through homes and over tabletops! One of my favorites is Kim Seybert, whose designs are inspired by elements from the sea. Her elegant execution makes it possible for us to enjoy the riches and opulence of her creations on our very own tabletops.... 

The blades of ornamental grass remind me of the miles of swaying grass over the dunes.

Oh my, the dishes! I wanted a clean and simple dish, since the accessories were so fancy!  I chose this gorgeous, and I mean gorgeous,  Jasper Conran by Wedgewood  dinnerware in a pattern called Baroque.  It is a stunningly modern rendition of the arches from the Baroque period, clean and crisp.  I used this creamy flatware from the Lion’s Paw to enhance the tones and let “neutral” continuing doing its wonderful thing. 

Check out the details in the placemat and napkin!  And how about these dishes?! 

On a naked table.  You can see how it  sets a completely different tone. 

Part of my collection of etched glass which Anderson's is so well known for.

A large bowl etched with the shape of Nantucket island, a gift from our children, from Anderson's of Nantucket

I wanted to show you an example using the delicate ferns I just love, from Flowers on Chestnut. My preference for this place setting is the ornamental grass.

Visit my blog about Anderson’s of Nantucket at www.lyonslifestyle.com/florida-nantucket/ to learn more about this popular home décor boutique on Main Street! Better yet, visit their website at www.andersonsnantucket.com (508.228.41.87) You won’t believe their Christmas selection of ornaments and gifts.

Anderson’s of Nantucket
29 Main Street
Nantucket, MA 02554

RESOURCES

• Dishes: Anderson’s of Nantucket
• Placemat: Anderson’s of Nantucket
• Napkin Ring: Anderson’s of Nantucket
• Flatware: The Lion’s Paw
• Glass Etched Bowl: Personal Collection
• Glass Etched Glass: Personal Collection
• Coral: The Hub
• Starfish: The Hub
• Crystal Stemware: Saint-Louis “Tommy” Personal Collection
• Vase: Anthalusa infuser bottle
• Fern: Flowers on Chestnut
• Ornamental Grass: My garden
• Boxwood: Private Collection

49 Shades of Grey

~Nantucket Island~
ENTERTAINING with ELEGANT SHADES OF GREY on the GREY LADY

Tablescaping in elegant shades of grey on the Grey Lady

I happened upon this beautiful collection of Turkish dishes while shopping at THE LION’S PAW on Nantucket. I was immediately attracted to them for their, refreshingly new coastal tones, simplicity of style and versatility of use. My vivid imagination could see them used in a variety of ways; a Bahamian style setting with burlap table covers, giant palm fronds and bamboo chairs, or a circus themed birthday party of vibrant printed cloths in pinks, oranges and turquoises, Birds of Paradise and Phillip Stark Ghost chairs, or a Truman Capote(esque) Ball in black, white and silver with black table linens, hundreds of black, white and metallic silver balloons, red roses at each place setting and silver ballroom chairs. The possibilities are endless…

There is never one way to do anything. These delicate ferns are gorgeous and add such beauty.

I tend to be a more formal, and thus decided to surround these beautiful dishes with silver and crystal for a formal dinner party. A step away from the predictable nautical colors, these beautiful shades of grey speak elegance to me, and conjure up a feeling of richness, like a grey Armani suit or graphite Mercedes Benz, perfect for entertaining on Nantucket Island, our “Grey Lady”. As I began to gather my nuts, which, as you know, is the way I begin a “scape”, I closed my eyes and created a vision board of textures and interest: white Irish linen, mercury glass, fine cut crystal, silver, antiques, luminaries, greenery, coral and a touch of whimsy! And of course, there had to be a “grey” culinary selection, which I knew would be none other than my favorite, a plate of oysters in shades of grey!  Grey became the theme of the design and the menu! I always try to remember our five senses when preparing for guests: sight, hearing, smell, touch and taste....

Shades of grey in our friends from the sea, accented with an exotic green

Oyster shells at each place set the theme for both the design and the menu

I first chose the nautical clock, a gift from our children, inscribed with: “THERES NO TIME BETTER THAN NOW”. 

It inspires me to think BIG, to GO FOR IT, to DRESS UP instead of dressing down, to be aware that LIFE IS NO DRESS REHEARSAL and to remember that EVERYDAY IS SPECIAL. I hoped it would inspire our dinner guests, too.

My signature style always includes a boxwood, which I perched on top of a silver ice bucket, and weaved with a gorgeous “Nantucket” embroidered ribbon from Nantucket Sewing and Design, where I’ve been buying ribbon for 27 years! Adding antique elements creates table conversation, and for this, I used my 17th century bun warmer and 18th century silver and crystal inkwell. The more you add to your setting, the more interest it has, and the more inspiring it will be! The ivory and silver flatware, also from THE LIONS’S PAW, worked beautifully with these neutrals, and are really perfect for any place setting. I think they are a must have!  I pulled from my collection of coral and used a piece at each place setting with a small kraft name tag tied to it as the place card. 

My signature piece,  a Boxwood, weaved with embroidered ribbon

I like to have place cards for guests. It eliminates the awkwardness of selecting a chair when they come to the table. It purposely allows for the opportunity to mix up your guests, and it says, “hey, I’ve thought about this and this is what I think is going to make for a fun and convivial evening!”

Lighting on dimmers and lots of candles is always a "must" as it sets the mood!  My new favorite is this large grey mercury glass votive candle with an octopus cut out. You can’t imagine how fabulous they looked all lit up at night. Another conversation piece! Clever!

Candlelight by octopus! Quite fabulous in the dark.

And last, but certainly not least, is the tiny vase I filled with mini-calla lilies at each place setting, another signature style for me. There is something special about each guest having their own little floral piece. 

I used a tiny vase from my collection of home infusers! Home infusers last anywhere from 4-6 months and usually come in lovely etched bottles which I save and use for small scale vases at place settings! 

***My husband once said to me, “sitting down to one of your tables is like sitting in your own little comfy, beautiful house for the evening”… And that, is always my goal when you come to dine with us! 

Visit my blog on THE LION’S PAW at www.lyonslifestyle.com/florida-nantucket/ to learn more about this iconic Nantucket home décor store I’ve been shopping at for 27 years. And better yet, visit THEM! They SHIP!   www.thelionspawnantucket.net  (508.228.3837)

The Lion's Paw
30 Main Street
Nantucket, MA 02554

RESOURCES

• Dishes: The Lion’s Paw Nantucket
• Octopus Mercury Votive Candle: The Lions’ Paw 
• Silver Charger:  Personal collection
• Marine Clock:  Personal collection  (Gift from my children)  Freedman’s of Nantucket
• Octopus Candle:  The Lion’s Paw Nantucket
• Flatware:  The Lion’s Paw Nantucket
• Rabbit Napkin holders:  Personal collection (Gift from my nieces)
• Silver Ice Bucket:  Personal collection
• Coral: The Hub
• Name Tag: The Lions’s Pawn
• Antique Bun Warmer:  Personal collection
• Antique Ink Well:  Personal collection
• Mercury Tall Candle Holder:  Pottery Barn
• Crystal: Saint-Louis “Tommy” Personal collection
• Monogrammed Irish linens:  Personal collection
• Boxwood:  Personal collection
• “Nantucket” Embroidered Ribbon:  Nantucket Sewing and Design
• Calla Lily Vase: Anthalusa Home Infuser Bottle (save them when done!)
• Mini Callas: Flowers on Chestnut Nantucket
• Greens: Flowers on Chestnut
• Oysters: Straight Wharf Market

Tablescape With Lush Tropical Leaves and Orchids

When you live in a tropical climate, these beautiful leaves are growing right in your back yard!

Another variation on the using the same china, but in a different way. I fell in love with these faux grass placemats when I saw them at Flowers on Chestnut on Nantucket. I had them shipped to Florida at the end-of-season 50% off sale!

Potted plants, tall leaves in centerpiece and orchids on the table make for a lush tropical setting

She Sells Seashells…

For an Asian inspired Friday night dinner! I love to pair turquoise and cobalt together as a classic coastal color combo to showcase my menu of Nantucket bay scallop ceviche served in a scallop half shell, spicy Kanu salad and assorted takeout sushi. I can smell the sea!

And this one
She Sells Sea Shells…

Don't be afraid to layer geometrics!  Here is an octagonal charger with large round dinner plate, smaller round white salad plate topped with an even smaller square plate and scallop shell. It's like unwrapping a gift!

Nantucket Wine Festival Inspiration

When thinking about a tablescape, I begin by gathering colors, textures, elements and "things" I feel will measure up nicely to the level of the event. Here is an example of me "gathering nuts" for a dinner at our home I was planning for our island's 2016 Nantucket Wine Festival. I like to sleep on it. So I gather and then look at it for a day or so. I love green in spring and pulled from our collection of china, keeping it neutral and pairing it with my love of animal prints. The needlepoint frame would house the menu and each place setting would have a tiny, tea-light lamp with shade, providing the perfect glow for guests who had been wine tasting all day! I planned a small vase of flowers, also a place card holder, to be at each place setting. The flowers would be neutral and the table "art" would be our 30 year collection of Lalique figures. Collections add interest to a table and serve as a conversation piece! This dinner was to be more formal, so I thought the elegance of the Lalique would work beautifully.  Don't be afraid to use your "stuff"! I'm a huge fan of boxwoods and like to incorporate them into everything. And I mean everything. These plastic boxwood napkins sent me over the moon when I found them many years ago! And the baby boxwood plants find their way onto almost all of my tables. You just have to have greenery on every table, no matter what.  Chilled wine would be in straw ice buckets, because I love the juxtaposition of straw and crystal!

Late Night Kentucky Derby Dinner

Late-night KENTUCKY DERBY DINNER...a simple, but elegant, study in blue & white. The cobalt is from my collection, and you just can't have enough of that! The square French plates, my favorites, were purchased at Lou Lou's Lost and Found on Newbury St. in Boston in 1986. They are from a hotel in France by the same name. The porcelain napkin rings are a treasured Christmas gift from my children. I love all white anything. Its simple and elegant, and speaks silence and calm. I toyed with the napkin fold and tried a few different ways before landing on this understated, tailored fold so that the "study in blue & white" would take center stage, rather than the napkin. I folded the napkin into a square and rolled it to a size that would fit into the rectangular ring, and accented it with a sprig of lemon leaf. When I'm entertaining fewer than eight guests, I like to place a small vase of flowers at each place setting, rather than a traditional centerpiece. It kind of gives everyone their own little decorated house to relax in for the evening. At least that's what my husband has told me!

Tablescaping with Conversation Pieces

I love to use conversation pieces from a collection, memorabilia or souvenirs from our travels, when I "scape" a table.  It adds a homey, personal touch that guests enjoy beyond the traditional floral accents we're accustomed to. And it most definitely sparks conversation!  I purchased these two hand-carved wooden fish from a beach artisan on the island of Tortola many years ago. If you see something you like, grab it! You never know where or when you'll be able to use it. And it will bring back wonderful memories for years to come.

Breakfast with MORNING JOE

My morning begins at 6 am with a cup of piping hot, dark roast coffee in one hand and the remote control in the other, eagerly clicking on MSNBC to watch my favorite two people, Mika and Joe, on MORNING JOE. Recently a friend of ours came to visit us in Florida and joined in with our morning routine of breakfast in front of the TV. I served her a “jazzed up” version of my everyday breakfast of lemon yogurt topped with blueberries and sprinkled with ground flaxseed and chia seeds, warmed baby croissants with raspberry jam, coffee, lemon water and a mimosa!  Add Mika and Joe’s Election 2016 banter and breakfast becomes energized, and we are AWAKE!