Something Pretty for Tuesday:

We love finding pretty dishes!  While our cupboards can't take 10 different sets of dishes, it is fun to sometimes add a little something new once in awhile...new tea cups for a ladies luncheon or new accent plates to serve a simple salad on at a party, for example.

If you are in the market for something new to add to your dishes, you must check out Rosanna.  And, if you're not in the market for some new dishware, you still must check out Rosanna simply because sometimes we all need just to drool over something pretty!  Happy Tuesday!

Fabulous Idea...

If you havent figured it out by now, we love vintage. Check out this great idea we saw in the Napa Style catalog: antique silverware sold by the pound! This idea would be very easy to pick up for less at your local garage sales this summer. If you like the look of mismatched, whimsical place settings, grab a couple of your friends, and pick up a few sets of antique or vintage silver at thrift stores and rummage sales. Divide them evenly, and you will all walk away with a unique set of silver for entertaining.

We Love Fishs Eddy!

One of our very favorite places in New York City is Fishs Eddy.  This store is so much fun to peruse, especially if you enjoy entertaining or setting a pretty table!  We are bummed that this store (and New York City) are so far away from our California homes...

Luckily, Fishs Eddy has a website!  No, it's not nearly as fun as perusing the NYC store, but it's nice to know these fun pieces are accessible, even if New York isn't always close by.  Check out the pictures below to get a small taste of the goodies that are available at this fun store.  Jill is rather partial to the glasses and dishes with dogs (she's the consummate dog-lover!) on them and Kari can't help but love the floor plan dishware (because she's up to her eyeballs in floor plans at school!)  Which would be your favorite?

"Honey, I've got to run to Target..."

Oh, those words are common in so many households, aren't they?  You "run" to Target for toilet paper, a prescription, and new socks and, $200 later, you're done.  Target just has too many good things and it can be difficult to show restraint!  The three photos above show a few of the too-cute home items being offered by Target right now.  The designer is Orla Kiely and she has quite a fun flair!  Orla Kiely has long been envied in the design world for her fresh designs and youthful uses of color...and now, her designs are accessible through Target!  The price points are quite good and we would recommend stocking up on a few of her pieces for your springtime parties OR to keep on hand as hostess gifts that will be sure to get you invited back!

More Valentine's Day...

Okay, we know that Valentine's Day can be a little too commercialized and can border on cheesy. But it doesn't have to be that way, does it? Imagine using Valentine's Day as an excuse to have some friends over for a very lady-like tea with pretty petit fours and homemade cookies. Or maybe you'd like to invite the girls over after work for a glass of champagne and a sinfully-decadent chocolate dessert (homemade or storebought!) The photos below show some really lovely serving pieces that would make your Valentine's soiree even more special. All of these pieces are currently selling on Ebay. Click each picture to shop!

How May I Serve You?

Good serving pieces do double duty at parties: they work to keep you organized as you pass appetizers or set up a buffet spread and they can look stylish, too. Here are some great pieces that can act as serving trays at your next gathering. (By the way, now is a really good time to stock up on entertaining stuff---all the retailers are having competitive sales and clearances. You don't have to pay full price!)

These two trays/platters can be found at Ballard Designs. The first is a fun take on a French bistro and the second photo shows some fun-colored platters that would definitely add a little something to your table:


The three examples of serving trays below can be found at West Elm and several of them are on sale right now! The top photo shows a selection of woven trays, the middle photo shows a selection of wooden trays, and the bottom photo shows a selection of trays with metallic accents:



The following serving trays came from CB2, Crate and Barrel's fabulous company with reasonable price points and great pieces for entertaining. The top example are marble boards that would be great for serving cheese off of. The next two trays are lacquered and come in fun colors, and the bottom tray is a clear lucite tray that would give a modern edge to your party. All of them are priced right and would even make fun hostess gifts!

Stylish Service...

Just spotted this website: Farmhouse Wares---fun stuff for your house and really great stuff for entertaining! For instance, these super-darling tureens! The little one would be great for serving up salad dressing during lunch, or homemade jam during brunch! And the medium and large ones would be great for, well, soup...and other things. Enjoy this site---we sure did!
(Also check out their great little inexpensive gifts---great for hostess gifts for the holidays!)

White Serveware

We love, love, love white serving pieces, like the ones from Pottery Barn, above. They can be tailored to every occasion, and complement almost every dish pattern. We know people that have a different set of china for every holiday. But if you are like us, you simply don't have the room to store six different sets of serveware. That is where white dishes come in handy. Just dress up your table with festive holiday colors, and no one in your family will remember that they are eating Christmas dinner from the same plates as Easter.

These Are a Few of Our Favorite Things...

Silver is great. Really, it is. Very pretty, dresses up a table, etc. But you have to polish it, which tends to be labor-intensive. That's why we fell in love with these pedestals from Sur la table. They are very pretty and give that dressy appearance...but they are crafted from aluminum. Genius! No polishing needed, so they are guaranteed to look shiny and fabulous whenever you need them (not just when you plan ahead so there's time for a good polishing). They come in a variety of heights and sizes and are guaranteed to be your favorite go-to pieces for entertaining. Trust us on this. :)
(Oh! Rumor has it that Crate and Barrel just started carrying these, too, for the holidays! Check it out!)

Serve With Style

This holiday, consider adding a stylish piece to your table for serving desserts or appetizers. Even as budgets are tighter these days, you can still add a fabulous "new" centerpiece to your buffet or dinner table by perusing Ebay. If you like the pretty options above, simply click on the picture to place your bid for a new serving piece with style.