Country Living shared easy holiday snowflake craft projects that triggered the idea to deck your guest room. I never deck a bedroom but since your guest room is the private living quarter of your guests during their stay, why not add a winter touch to their decor?  The snowflake pillows are cute. Do not forget to add some shiny touches. The silver lampshade is a superb idea to achieve it.

Since your guests may be hungry when they arrive, leave on their room a coconut frosted cupcakes with its beaded snowflake topper. You simply need long and short clear beads and some wire to make your own topper.

+ photos: Country Living

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If you avoid the traditional Thanksgiving dishes because you feel it take too much work but your family request a roasted turkey, you will be pleased to know that Gourmet found a no-fuss way to cook a golden-brown skin turkey with moist, tender white and dark meat. Simply seasoned the turkey with salt and pepper, then roasted in a 450ºF oven. In their own word, the Gourmet expert said: no need for butter under the skin, no basting, no foil tent, just blasted. With the high-heat cooking method, it takes between 1 3/4 to 2 1/2 hours for a 14- to 16-pound bird. This may be enough incentive for roasting a turkey this holiday, if only making a good gravy was that simple.

Generally speaking, an unstuffed turkey baked quicker than a stuffed turkey. Note that the time difference will be smaller with the high-heat method. Get all the details on Gourmet. One last thing, if you ever wish to invite me for a Thanksgiving dinner or a traditional Christmas dinner, do not try to impress me with the stuffing, I do not eat it. But I will pour more gravy and try your cranberry sauce.

+ photo: Gourmet

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My goal was to create a Thanksgiving mood board that will not include gourds, pumpkins or a roasted turkey. I wanted a theme that mixed the old with the new. When I saw this adorable farmyard animal trays by Simrin, I found my starting point. Life after the harvest at the farm influenced my theme.

Think about the elements of a modern rustic home. You can introduce the old through your home accessories in the room, not simply the tableware. Show off items made with reclaimed wood and finds from the flea market. Plus, it should not be too hard to find the right tableware since many reedited old style tableware are available in stores this season.

Do not be afraid to make it your own. For example, you can coordinate modern white tableware with vintage French country flatware and a contemporary fall foliage tablecloth. For the colors, take clues from the harvest season, the fall foliage, and life at the farm. Go for orange and natural linen table linens.

Click here if you need the step by step instructions to fold your napkins into a diagonal pocket.

SOURCING:
+ Rattan Handled Pitcher $49 USD at Wisteria
+ Feed Sack with blue Table Runner $399 USD at Wisteria
+ side wood table by Roost
+ Black Laguiole flatware at Williams-Sonoma on the Web 20-piece $289, in store $79 per 5-piece setting
+ Farmyard Medium Rectangular Pig Tray by Simrin $76 USD
+ photo by Jodi Pudge for Style at Home
+ Etienne Rust Table Runner $46.95 USD
+ Lustre Rust Napkin $4.95 USD
+ Kava Saucer $12 USD
+ Wood-handle horn flatware $15 CAD per three-piece set At Design Group

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The diagonal pocket fold is not harder to make than the (square) pocket napkin fold. I prefer the diagonal pocket fold for its elegance. It is a twist on the basic silverware pouch. The difference is that you create a band instead of simply diagonally folding the top layer (step 1). I think that the band creates a more sophisticated look.

Before we go over the step by step instructions, let’s review a few basic rules. Any sit down dinner, even the most casual one, requires that you use cloth napkins. Ideally, you should keep around several solid and pattern cloth napkins that go well with your tablecloths. The bigger the napkins, the easiest it is to fold it. I recommend that you use 20 to 22-inch pressed napkins.

How to Fold a Napkin into a Diagonal Pocket for the Silverware

Step 0: Fold a square napkin in half, then into quarters. Orient the napkin so that the open corner is facing the top left side.

Step 1: Gradually roll up diagonally the top-most layer of napkin and press it down to form a band. I usually start rolling a band that is 3/4 of an inch and adjust as needed to get the look I want.

Step 2: I stop rolling when I reach about 1 inch from the lower corner. It is easier to secure the wrapped sides if you stop before reaching the corner.

Step3: Turn the napkin over so that the open corner is now facing your body. Fold that 1/3 of the bottom side.

Step 4: Fold 1/3 of the top side and tuck it in the bottom corner to secure in place. Press well. You can iron the napkins for a crisper look. I did not took the time to do it for the pictures.

Step 5: Use the pocket to place the silverware, a flower (with a florist vial) or a menu card.

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Hanging Holiday cards looks better than putting them on a shelf. It allow you to be more creative. You could install clothesline against the  wall, hang your cards on a handrail, transform a pot rack or use a paper chandelier.

Pottery Barn added to their catalog the Wakefield Chandelier. It is a three tiered iron chandelier with 35 clips. Although it comes with preprinted paper clips, I prefer it when people hang postcards and memorabilia that mean something to them.

+ Wakefield Chandelier $ 299 USD

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I will talk about how you can integrate Holiday decorations within your home decor. It is about created a sophisticated room. I like how the stylists on the above photo marry rustic elements to a traditional French style room. The mood is soothing but definitely festive. Except for the Christmas baubles, you could keep most of the items all winter.

Winter and Cottage Feel

The idea is to add a layer of festive decorations to your rooms. Adding vignettes here and there, achieve that goal. Since you do not wish to recreate the same look every Christmas, explore how you can rearrange the elements by removing and adding some pieces. Look at how you can display them differently.

With smaller urban homes and unit condos, many people do not have the space to keep tons of decorations that they use one month a year. Look at items that you can reuse instead. Simply replace the white and red candle on the twig lantern and enjoy it all summer at the cottage. The silver twig vase, I saw similar ones at William Ashley by the way, could be used any time you entertain to add sparkle to your dining room. I might keep one or two white deer statutes on a shelf after Christmas.

Build your Tabletop on What You Have

Take cues from the little black dress when designing your tabletop. The accessories you put on give personality to the little black dress. You can do the same with your tableware. Look at how you can use what you already have, add a plate or a bowl, make sure you get a little sparkle, use ornaments as your centerpieces and voilà, you create a festive tabletop!

Again, I am surprised that you can find those at Home Sense. I should shop there more often.

+ photos: Home Sense

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The bauble shapes and colors caught my attention. This card featured a hand drawn illustration by artist Brandi Powell that is hand printed on an antique press. Also check the Season greetings set by Sweet Harvey Letterpress on etsy.

+ Merry Christmas letterpress greeting cards $24 USD for pack of 6

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Styled photos in catalogues and magazines are often a source of inspiration. I never thought of hanging baubles on a deer horn. I do not know how it looks in the room. For certain, it looks stunning as a close-up picture.

I was not surprised by this out of the ordinary touch after I read that Pale and Interesting was founded by a couple who worked in the magazine, photography and design industries before launching their online store. Their keen eye results in a unique catalogue that teams old with new. I find it quite relaxing to browse their Web site.

Vintage Style Ornaments

The most stunning baubles I found so far are available at this small UK retailer. I see a pattern emerging from my coverage of Holiday decorations. Besides the knitted ornaments and the tweed animals that I bought earlier, the Christmas ornaments that captured most my imagination this year seem to be the vintage style baubles. I guess I feel romantic and cozy these days.

Simple Ways to Deck your Home

I also wish to point the fact that you do not need a big Christmas tree to deck your home for the Holidays. Setting a few vignettes across your home can look stunning. Put your attention on the entry way, the living room and the dining room. The idea is to create a cohesive look by integrating baubles and ornaments into your usual decor. Otherwise, your Holiday decorations may seem out of place.

You can add sprinkles simply by putting on the buffet table your silver footed trays and candlesticks. Then, gather a few baubles on a silver tray or inside a glass container. If you have a tall vase, get an assortment of baubles in a single color. Mix shiny with mat, small with big to add textures and movements to your display.

There are a few ideas that you can explore. I will show more over the coming weeks.

SOURCING:
+ Vintage Style Glass Baubles £6.95
+ Set of Five Antiqued Silver Baubles in a Bag £10.95
+ Set of Two Mercury Glass Tea Light Holders £3.95

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I enjoy the new breed of wedding invitations that emerged over the last decade. They are less generic. Brides and grooms now have the chance to tailor their invites to their wedding celebrations. One wedding invitation studio that I like is Chewing The Cud.

Based in San Francisco, they offered a fully custom made service and a signature line that can be personalized with illustrations, motifs, ribbons, and embellishments.

Their signature invitations are suitable for any stylish event with a chic vintage flair. I can imagine using them for a big-0 birthday or an anniversary. All their invitations are letterpress printed on 100% cotton, tree free paper with soy based inks.

Two of my favorite collections for something else than a wedding are:

+ The Good Old Days would be good for a special event designed around local food or taking place in the countryside – starts at $1875 USD
+ Flourish Fête would be perfect for a milestone anniversary – starts at $2175 for 75 invitation kits

An invitation kit is the invitation card with its envelop, the RSVP card with the response envelop plus an additional card.

MORE:
+ Chewing The Cud

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I have a love affair with orange. Since it is not everyone’s favorite color, I enjoy the fact that I can pitch more orange tablescapes during autumn.  The tabletop developed for a mid-class cozy café shows that you can create an impact by keeping things simple.

The casual elegance of tabletop is something that you can duplicate for your Thanskgiving dinner party. Finding a beige dinnerware is easy. Look no further than the IKEA 365+ or the Dinera line for beige modern dinnerware. Even the Cream Studio dinnerware that is currently in sale at Pottery Barn would fit the design.

You should not regret investing in a pure linen tablecloth since you will get many years of usage out of it. If you are on a budget, fashion your tablecloth with burlap. Lastly, I like the old-fashioned salt and pepper set. You could try to find something similar at flea markets or vintage stores.

+ via Design Work Life and Behance
+ project in Russia from Transformer Studio

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At last, Montreal will have its first CupcakeCamp. Montreal bakers here is your chance to show off your baking talents. CupcakeCamp Montreal has 3 contest categories: professional bakers, amateur bakers and kids (less than 16 years old). Even the bad cupcake makers can participate. A fourth category is the Failcake contest designed for slackers and evil creative geniuses with horrible, horrible taste.

The event will raise money for Kids Help Phone. A donation of $10 at the door will get your choice of 3 cupcakes and a coffee. You are free to give more. Spread the word by letting everyone knows that you are attending CupcakeCamp Montreal on Facebook and Twitter (via@twtvite). If you wish to sponsor the event, it is not too late.

The event will take place at Bitoque Restaurant from 2 to 5 pm on November 22, 2009. Since it is on a Sunday afternoon, it is easy to come with your family and friends. I hope to see you at the first CupcakeCamp Montreal. And do not be shy to come to say hello. I will be there with my husband.

+ CupcakeCamp Montreal

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I typically wait for sales before buying my Christmas ornaments but I could not resist when I saw these Christmas ornaments. Their handmade character and winter cottage feel seduced me.

The handmade reindeer (top picture) that can stand of their own were the first to caught my eye. From that, I developed the rest of the design. I like how the knit collection looks against the tweed ornaments. They complement each other.

I gave my Christmas tree a couple years ago because it took too much floor place. I plan to simply hang the ornaments on branches. Or, I may get a table tree. I still have to design that part. I aim for an airy composition. My goal is to play on the less is more concept. We will see how it goes. You will get the surprise soon enough.

If you are interested I bought those at Teatro Verde. It is far from the cheapest store for your tree ornaments but they have a beautiful collection. I bought them because I was visiting Toronto and I was not sure if I would find those in Montreal.

SOURCING:
+ Knit ornament mitten, shirt, stocking $13.95 CAD
+ Assorted tweet ornaments owl, bird, reindeer $11.95 CAD

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