If your little girl is into Barbie, know that Pottery Barn Kids is launching an exclusive collection of bedding and room decor inspired by the famous doll. When you go for an obvious theme like that, I advice you not to buy the entire collection. This way, the result will look more sophisticated and more original.

The Art of Mixing, not Matching

Select the one or two items you like the most and build around your decor around it. Say that you go for the prints, you can display a few barbies on a shelf and then, opt for a pink stripe bedding. Soft greens and yellows goes well with pink. They produced a more refined look than pink walls.

Pottery Barn Kids have many beautiful bed covers and sheets in the pink family. See how the Emily Quilted Bedding mixed floral embroideries with plaid pattern sheets.

There is also an economic reason to do so. Since kids get fairly quickly tired of a theme, you would not have to replace everything to update the look.

Barbie Dream Room In-store Parties

Pottery Barn Kids stores nationwide will host Barbie Dream Room Workshops September 12-13, 2009 with craft sessions where little girls can design their own dream room.

There is also a sweepstakes with a $5,000 gift card from Pottery Barn Kids as the grand prize. Second prizes include a Barbie Three-Story Dream Townhouse and Barbie Fashionistas dolls. To enter and for official rules, visit www.potterybarnkids.com/Barbie between Aug. 27 and Sept. 24.

SOURCING:
+ Barbie Collection at Pottery Barn Kids
+ Emily Quilted Bedding $32-$179 USD
+ Isabelle Embroidered Dot Duvet Cover $18-$149 USD

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French people, like many residents of European countries, are not afraid to infuse bold colors in their decor. They also do it in a tasteful way. The latest example is the April-May 2009 issue of Coté Sud, which is dedicated to the feminine side of summer. The mood of the cover says it all.

Another reason the cover caught my eye is Tablabri by Fermob. Tablabri was designed as a twist on the classic outdoor dining table and a parasol. It is practical too since you can store the poles and the canvas when not in use in a space situated under the tabletop.

Many dining tables and outdoor chairs from Fermob can be folded. It is practical when you like to host sit-down dinner for 20. Furniture, which likes gardens, which like colors is the motto of Fermob. Therefore, you will not surprise when I tell you that all the outdoor furniture pieces are available in 24 colors.

More Outdoor Design Ideas for Spring-Summer 2009

The outdoor space does not show sign of fatigue. Do not restrict your backyard accessories to the traditional look of outdoor furniture. Outdoor lights is one area where they are so much options than in the space. I will explore outdoor lighting on another post. For now, take a look of these photos from two backyards in France.

Consider the background surfaces before selecting the colors of your furniture. You can color block one wall and keep the other walls and the deck neutral to support your decor. See how great it looks on this Parisian terrace. Mixing shades of pink and purple works well against a green foliage backdrop and a sandy deck.

SOURCING:
+ Talabri £1120 at Made in Design
+ Fermob
+ Images from Coté Sud, Coté Paris and Coté Ouest

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These fabulous tablescapes were designed by a group of event planners for their association conference. They look too great that I could not resist showing you.

The party theme was Alice in Wonderland. The results are stunning.

My Favorite Elements

The inside of the huge drum shape fixture features drawings inspired by Alice in Wonderland. The Perfect Petal created these fantastic tabletops.

The cutlery planted on the gold tumbler glass adds an unconventional touch. The plates were gorgeous.

The metallic bird with the artificial rose is so pretty. Your guests feel important when every guest has its own flower. Doing it this way serves a double  and even a triple duty. If you do something like that, you could tell your guests that this is their party favor.

Dramatic Events designed the playful garden under the umbrellas. You could recycle this concept for a graduation party, a baby shower and a girl birthday party.

Serving a drink on a jar with the cute “Drink Me” tag qualifies as making a signature drink.

A Wedding Party Blog

I came across those fabulous pictures on Sparkliatti, a three-month old blog from event planner Sasha Souza from Napa, California. I discovered her blog through Twitter.

Frances Marron photographed the event. Check the ISES in Wonderland slideshow she made for more inspirations.

>>> Sourcing:
Photo credits: Frances Marron Photography – rights reserved
Via: When The Events Industry Shows Off… [Sparkliatti]

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Dressing up Tartlets and Sandwiches

The honor goes to La Tartine Gourmande with her post about a Celeriac and Long Pepper Tartlet and a picnic with the man of her life on this Memorial Day. Her pictures and writing inspire me to try making adorable tartlets like hers.

And look at how fantastic is her sandwich presentation. If you are a good cook or if you are or pressed by time, you should not be afraid to serve sandwiches to your guests. Simply invite your guests for lunch instead of dinner. Put attention to details and you will be able to impress your guests with any food.

Summer Drink Recipes

Limoncello and Tequila symbolizes summer in my mind. The Kitchn unites both to create a refreshing drink called Limonada. The recipe is on their site.

When I am in a hurry, I pour half a bottle of Limoncello over ice cubes in a pitcher. Then, I fill the pitcher up with light Cranberry juice.  Stir a few times. It is that simple to concoct a tasty festive drink for a crowd in a few seconds.

This cute pink rubber vase designed by Henriette Melchiorsen for Menu completes the picnic design.

>>> Sourcing:
Buy online: Pink Menu Rubber Vase at Conran Shop – price: $39 USD
Buy online: Pink Menu Rubber Vase at Bodie and Fou – price: £14.95 small, £19.95 regular
Via: A picnic, to start – Un pique-nique, pour commencer [La tartine Gourmande]
Via: Limoncello! Limonada with Limoncello and Tequila [The Kitchn]

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I was planning to showcase the actual Mother’s Day table I designed for my mom but due to my surgery, I will skip this year. I still can talk you about the design.

Mother’s Day Tabletop Ideas

My scheme revolves around my baroque black & white dinnerware set.

It is becoming a habit to use this dinnerware set for Mother’s Day. I composed a Girlie Mother’s Day inspiration board with the same set last year. This year, I decided to add vibrant pinks and greens to brighten up the black & white tableware.

A Portable Flower Vase

Recall Vazu from last year. It is the fun and innovative expandable flat flower vase.

The Tear Off Top is a more cheerful version with less packaging and all the advantages of the original. Since Vazu is designed to carry around cut flowers, a cute packaging has no real purpose most of the time. The Tear Off Top vase is half the price of the original.

Tear Off Top is available in 4 patterns in a choice of 3 colors each. Vazu USA kindly sent me three samples of Tear Off Top flower vases with cute pink and red hearts for my setting.

MushiMushi – Love Is All harmonizes the best with the design of my Mother’s Day tabletop. For an casual outdoor brunch or a teen birthday party, check out the EnFlor pattern. At this price, you can afford to spread many vases across the room.

Finishing Touch: the Flowers

A simple bunch of fuchsia gerberas looks great for any family event. Keep them long as much as possible; the idea is to see to create a well-defined section of green stems between the vase and the flowers. You can use a rectangular or an oval pinholder to perfectly align the gerberas. In the pink family, the Pink Purple Ranunculus Flower is a classic choice.

I prefer the fresh look of bright green flowers. I enjoy the Spider family and the Galiaro Green Chrysanthemum. Other choices include a handful of long lasting chincherinchee, dill, and button chrysanths.

For floral inspirations, I always check these two sites. The Flower Council of Holland and the Flowers & Plants Association both keep you up-to-date with floral design trends. The So simple. So try it is a wonderful initiative of the Flowers & Plants Association to demystify the art of floral arrangements.

>>> Sourcing:
Buy online: Vazu MushiMushi – Love Is All at Vazu USA – price; $4.99 USD
Photo credit: Gerberas from the Colorful Grey Inspirations Spring 2008 [flowercouncil.org] – Rights reserved
Photo credit: Mini-trees of chincherinchee [tryflowers.org.uk] – Rights reserved
Photo credit: Button chrysanths in a plastic pan scourer [tryflowers.org.uk] – Rights reserved
Photo credit: Dill in a test tube [tryflowers.org.uk] – Rights reserved
Photo credits: Dinnerware set and left bottom picture taken by Kim Vallee ­- Rights reserved

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James Van Vossel is a designer from Belgium who creates fun furniture and housewares. He designs both for adults and children. But I think that he shines the most with his kids collection. Here are three products from his 2008 collection.

Ergonomic playing and sitting ball

The three handles of the inflatable Z-ball are positioned to give a better position to the child. The side handles give more support so the child can sit more in front.

I imagine a child room or a playroom with a trio of Z-balls to reproduce a lounge feeling. The children can even play video games while sitting on the Z-ball.

Modular cubes

Connect is another take on a concept done several times on the past by other designers. What James Van Vossel’s design brings new to the table are the big elastics that hold the cubes together. It is so cute!

I do not know if it is the interior designer or the mathematician in me who speaks but I enjoy assembling cubes to fashion new shapes. You can use Connect to custom build a bookcase,  a dividing wall, or presentation case to display a collection.

If you build a dividing room bookcase, you can arrange the Connect cubes such that some cubes are accessible from one side and the rest from the other sides. This is one way to create an airier space.

Kid-Friendly Dinner Plate

The intention behind Boor Voor Een Kind was to create plates for kids that fit better with your own porcelain china. I cannot be more thrilled since I aim for better looking tabletops, with or without kids.

For the child viewpoint, the deep plate simplifies the eating process. Security features includes two handles and the acrylic glass construction. If they need to, the children can grab a handle when they are using the fork. As the child grows, he child can carry around the plate easily with the handles.

I did not find any retailer listing on his Web site or on Goggle. If you know any stores that carry any pieces designed by James Van Vossel, please share by writing a comment.

Sourcing:
Learn more: James Van Vossel
Via: Milan 2008 Preview: James on Fresh Moco

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Exceptionally, there will be a second pick of the week tomorrow because there was too many wonderful posts on the blogosphere last week.

My three picks of the week

Style Me Pretty for Do-It-Yourself Projects

Have you ever seen prettiest coat checks than these handmade tags? Absolutely gorgeous! And this Do-It-Yourself project seems that they are not too complicated to make. Follow the instructions on Style Me Pretty.

Design & Inredningsbloggen for Krydda med musik

Cheerful and unexpected are the two words that come to my mind when I first looked at this pair of salt and pepper shakers designed by Naoto Fukasawa. A great find by Pethra of the Swedish blog Inredningsbloggen.

let your creativity …. FLOW for Designer Ghislaine Vinas

I spoke several times of colors this week. And as a fan of fuchsia, I could not pass the opportunity to show you a stunning interior done in fuchsia. I know many of you can be scared by this color but it is easier to live with that you may suspect. Five bar stools and a huge sectional sofa made this place the ideal spot for entertaining.

My friend Jennifer from Toronto spot this fabulous interior designed by Ghislaine Vinas. Jennifer is showing off several more on her blog so I suggest you have a peek.

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As I was assembling my photo board of my Valentine’s Day private event, it became clear that this board illustrates a fundamental design principle.

My regular readers probably know by now that I strive for mixing and matching. I prefer subtle themes.

One of the easiest tricks to achieve cohesion is to repeat the same elements applied on a different way. The repeating elements should be naturally integrated into your design to be successful. In short, it should not be obvious.

I will move back and forth between how I celebrated Valentine’s Day and my design lesson.

The Story behind My Bouquet

I have to thank my caring husband for giving me this modish bouquet. I am sure that the bouquet had my name written all over me because it is so much my style. My husband had several meetings yesterday so he stopped by my favorite florist at the end of the day.

As he was realizing that they were no more tulips left, my favorite flower, a girl got off the fridge with this fabulous bouquet. He immediately asked the girl: Can I have this one? I am looking for tulips and you are out.

Repeating Colors

If you read my blog yesterday, you are aware that we planned to drink Brut Rosé Champagne. I bought a delicious strawberry mousse cake at the French bakery. My color scheme was pink-copper from the Champagne, plus the red, soft pink and French vanilla from the cake.

The Universe was with us. It supplied my husband with a bouquet done on the same color palette. He and I are a match made for heaven.

I want to teach you that designing an amazing tabletop starts with great bones and a clear overall concept. The accessories must be selected because they fit within the overall concept. Great designs mix form and function. Matching the food and the decor is a neat trick.

Repeating Shapes

Loops and ovals are omnipresent on my design. I got 3D loops with the branches while my dessert plates displayed 2D loops. The ovals appeared on several angles. The fact that the shapes do not appear all the same adds an element of surprise.

It is a balancing act. What you need to watch for is that your guests will not get tired to see the same shape over and over.

More about My Celebrations

We ate sushi last night but we ended up eating at the restaurant. Where we go, take outs are not their main function. Typically, it is a 20-minute wait when we order take outs. Since the wait was longer yesterday night, we sat at the sushi bar to sip cold sake and eat our miso soup. By the time they started preparing our sushi order in front of us, we decided to eat the rest at the restaurant.

Anyway, I did photograph the best for you when we returned. I did a vignette on my dressing room / home office developed around the circles. I will show it to you in the upcoming weeks.

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A reader T. asked for my advice. She is planning a baby shower at the office for her sophisticated boss. The baby room décor involved red and white toile fabric with gold and yellow accents.

T. told me she enjoy the French style baby shower board I made earlier this month. But since her event will occur at the office; she would prefer a simpler scheme. I put the accents on what she mostly needs help: paper plates, napkins and cakes.

T. expects 40 guests at this baby shower. From a cleaning time and money viewpoints, she opts for disposable products.

How to determine the decor style?

First, I decided that the napkins will harbor the Toile theme. With that in mind, it appears that a plate model with solid center where the rim as the center of attention will harmonize nicely with the napkins. I feel that full pattern plates lose their appeal once you filled them with food.

Before you start looking for products, imagine the scheme in your mind. It will guide your choice when shopping. You either select what comes closer to your initial plan or decide to update your plan.

Stylish paper plates and napkins by Caspari

I always gravitate towards complementary pieces rather than kits. Here I felt in love with this fuchsia and gold filigree border dinner plate by Caspari available at Fine Stationery. Once you find a great piece, you search for the complimentary pieces. The gold Angel Guest Towel napkins harmonize the plate. Both are powerful pieces. Together they make a statement.

I think that the three-ply-paper guest towel format looks almost as sophisticated as real linen napkins. This format suits very well a baby shower party. I suggest you roll them in advance with utensils inside and tie them up with a tiny gold or pink satin ribbon. A medium paper weight soft pink rimmed dessert plate will finish the meal in beauty and let the place to the dessert.

The light green glass is from cb2. The Satellite HD dish glasses have an unusual modern shape. Use them to serve fruit salad and sorbet in top of drinks. The Green Paper Cups by Caspari is an option for coffee or tea.

A second plate and napkin combination

I went to Polka Dot Design to compose another combination. The pink rim and gold border square plate looks sophisticated because of the gold border. I found the Rose Festive Toile luncheon napkins. The napkins are also available at Plum Party.

What is for dessert?

French excels at bakery. I suggest you go with classical cakes like the rich Opera Cake or the lighter Passionberry Duo. Serve smaller pieces if you opt for the outstanding Opera cake. Then serve an after-dessert treats called mignardises (bite sized baked items, confections, chocolate and truffles) to add a true French twist. Serve the mignardises with coffee or tea.

Caspari made a commitment to the environment

Although they make disposable napkins and plates, Caspari tries to do less damages to nature. Here is what they have to say about their commitment:

One of our key suppliers is a leader in the use of renewable resources such as wind powered electricity. The fiber they use to make paper comes from managed forests. In addition, Caspari Inc. uses only water based dyes for our napkins and plates. The bleaching of our napkins in preproduction uses oxygen instead of chlorine, eliminating the use of harmful chemicals.

There is no reason why could not bring elegance to an office baby shower party. If you do this, they will never be the same.

Sourcing:
Buy online: Paper plates by Caspari at Fine Stationery
Buy online: Napkins by Caspari at Fine Stationery
Buy online: Tabletop accessories at Polka Dot Design
Buy online: Festive Toile collection at Plum Party – available in rose, blue and black
Learn more: European Desserts at Sweet Street Desserts

RELATED POSTS:
+ Fashion-forward metropolitan diva baby shower
+ Baby Shower for Urban Chic Parents
+ Autumnal French style baby shower

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The color palettes are usually more subdued during the Fall season. But if you are looking for more festive centerpieces, I invite you to take a look at these two centerpieces. I spot them when reading Room Service this afternoon.

Some clues on how to do these centerpieces

One trick of the trade is to fill the center with a filler materiel since they do not show. Use cheap coffee beans to cover the visible angles. You do not have to wait for the Holidays season to decorate with Christmas tree balls. Just use 2-3 balls with containers of this surface.

For the barn wood box arrangement, visit online Better Homes and Gardens to read the instructions.

Sourcing:
Photo credit: Browns and Pinks on Better Homes and Gardens
Photo credit: Fall Barnwood Box Arrangement on Better Homes and Gardens
Via: Snygga arrangemang med växter on Room Service

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This is a nightmare for the stylish party girl. You go out to a nice restaurant all dressed up. Then it hit you. Where to put the spectacular handbag that you wear for the first time?

The dilemma

Etiquette is strong about that. If you want to show good manner, you never put a purse on the table.

Leaving your purse on the floor is not a viable option. You will feel uncomfortable if you lay your purse on your lap out of fear of sliding down. You cannot hang it in good conscience on the back of the chair; people can bump to it or you check every minute to see that nobody took it.

What can you do? This impossible question is solved with the purse hook.

What is the purse caddy?

Think of it as a hanger or a hook for your purse. It keeps your handbag clean and out of harm’s way. It can also hold your umbrella. The Purse Caddy fits nicely into your tiniest going out handbag. Apparently, this was popular in the 1930s.

I am glad that it made a comeback. I found several stores on the Web that sell purse hangers. But frankly many models screamed old ladies or tacky for my taste.

That was until I came across Martha in Pink with its trendy girl illustration. I finally made the plunge and bought it online at Gone Shopping this afternoon. I will tell you more about it once I properly tested mine. Gone Shopping ships in Canada and the continental United States.

Support the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation

For the month of October, for each Purse Caddy – Martha in Pink sold, Gone Shopping will donate $5.00 from each sale to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, an non profit organization continually looking for a cure to breast cancer.

The mirror with crystals is also cute but you will not support the CBCF if you opt for that one.

Sourcing:
Buy online: Purse Caddy – Martha in Pink at Gone Shopping – price: $25 CAD
Learn more: Web site of the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation

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My mood board reads like a chronicle: the wedding party, the after party treats and the new house kitchen. Exceptionally, it showcased 4 bloggers instead of 3.

1 | Hostess for the Mostess for Inspiration Tuesday: Think Bold

A favorite of Hostess by the Mostess, Simple Stunning Weddings is a gorgeous book from wedding planner Karen Bussen. These monochromatic photos and modern minimalist Lucite servers & glass arrangements create an impressive drink display. This

I dug a source for Lucite buffet risers. They do not look as sharp as those. I suspect the drink displays used in the book were custom made. If you know where we can buy something similar, do not be shy to share the information.

2 | Style Me Pretty for Inspired Weddings

A bird cage on a cake. What a remarkable idea, especially when it well executed like here. This wedding cake was created by Lark Cake Shop but it would be at its place at a milestone birthday party or a formal dinner party. It is simply magnificent! Being inspired by this cake, Style Me Pretty crafted a wedding mood board.

3 | black . white . bliss for Happy Pills

A new blog for me, black . white . bliss presented Happy Pills, a hip candy store located in Barcelona. This small retailer invented a unique concept. Instead of bringing home the candies you buy in a bag, you can opt for a bento-style pill box, prescription bottles and pill carry-on plastic containers. A unique idea for a wedding party favors and the color complements our wedding cake.

4 | Apartment Therapy for Slinksn. (slingks)

The latest Slinksn by Apartment Therapy featured the jewel-toned glass cabinets from Ernestomeda. This kitchen is called Barrique and it has the most incredible wine bottle holder you ever seen.

Sourcing:
+ Simple Stunning Weddings at Amazon.com
+ Acrylic risers for buffet table
+ Web site of Lark Cake Shop
+ Web site of Ernestomeda

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