Fourth of July in Lake Bluff

With the big 4th of July parade tomorrow, it looks like everyone in town is getting ready for a big celebration. On my walk this morning, I captured these pictures.  Seems like a lot of people are ready for a party!Lawns are manicured, flags and banners are up  and the lake is hazy blue!  Hope you have a wonderful 4th!

Easter Table

Our Easter table finally was complete. My 3 grandson's had been "helping" me with the table, so it took a little longer than usual to complete! Mariano's, a local grocery store had gorgeous spray roses, so we purchased them along with purple stock and wax flowers for our table. Colored eggs, cement lambs and vintage chicks looked whimsical on the table. We arranged the flowers in a container that was the shape of half an egg and filled the other half with reindeer moss and eggs. Vivid floral vintage china dinner and salad plates and crystal were used for the spring table. The lantern was filled with moss, eggs and bunnies. Natural fiber linen was used on the table for the cloth and we added the white linen napkins from Pom Pom linens. It was a gorgeous 62 degree day in Chicago - perfect for our Easter Egg hunt after brunch! We will be joining Susan at www.betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com for Tablescape Thursday.

Patisserie Stand Gets Decked out for the Season

The Christmas season is upon us- especially those of us who are retailers. This next Thursday, Nov. 10th , is our annual Christmas Season kick off, complete with a tour of my home totally decked out for the season. Yes, my neighbors think I am crazy as I decorate the front porch and door with greens and berries- no Thanksgiving pumpkins for this house! In the coming weeks, I will be sharing with you tidbits of our 2011 Christmas decor. This time is our decorated patisserie stand on the kitchen island. This is a great new piece that we sell at the store that is a replica of a pastry stand from a French bakery. We have used tartan, pastry ornaments and vintage pressed glass to create the feeling of a French Bistro in your home. The French bistro napkins are from http://www.eabdesigns.typepad.com/. Vintage candy jars are filled with seasonal candy, and we have used a toast rack to house white chocolate bars embedded with dried strawberries. Tartan plates are available at Romancing the Home.

4th of July Celebration Table

Vintage red glasses, trimmed in gold, add the red to the red, white, and blue theme.

A collection of vintage patriotic pillows are added to the front porch wicker.

Vintage American flags are draped across the front porch railing to add to the spirit of the holiday.

Vintage blue and white plates depicting historical moments in our history are used with red organdy napkins and topped with a beautiful clementis bloom.

Crystal and gold flatware add a little glitz to the table.

A copy of the Declaration of Independence is the background for the menu card.




Jewel encrusted stars add holiday sparkle to the 4th of July celebration.


Join me with www.betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com to view other inspirational tables. Happy 4th of July everyone!

Winter Beads endure the Season!

These opulent dripping beads - so beautiful to decorate with- have so many uses. I love them tucked into trees, tucked into chandeliers and just simply tucked into this garden urn. A bouquet of white roses is magical with stems of these iridescent beads added to the arrangement. Imagine the soft glow that they would impart with many candles burning. While they were ordered for Christmas decor, they are simple enough to enjoy the entire winter season.

New Year's Eve Reflections

I love the reflection of candles in a room at night. With all of the beautiful white lights and candles lit , New Year's Eve is a time to reflect on the past year and a time to look forward to the New Year. 2009 was a tough economic year, especially for small retailers. However, with survival at stake, we just had to get better, get tougher, and get more excited about life. And a great year's memories were made -highlights included helping Mariterese with Alligator Point, her son's wedding at the Bee Hive, our trip to the Wine country with my sister and brother-in-law, my anniversary trip to Quebec City and our great trip to Kansas City. In February our twin grandsons were born and two weeks before Christmas our first grand daughter was born! And Romancing the Home survived another year with a great Holiday Season. So next Tuesday, I leave for Atlanta to buy 2010 Spring and Christmas for the store. But how do I know what's going to happen in 2010? I don't - but I do know we will survive and continue to offer the customers, the most exciting merchandise that we can find. I am grateful for my wonderful staff, Laurell, Candy, Amy, Penney, Julie, and Katha, who support the store in unspoken ways. My friend Lynda, flies up on moment's notice to help me with store events. And of course there is the constant input from my wonderful customers and close friends, Jill and Marlene. And when I need a high light bulb changed, my husband continues to be the best maintenance man . How lucky can a girl be? Thank you from the bottom of my heart- my family, my friends, and my wonderful loyal customers.

A Natural Christmas

These pictures are from one of the homes that Candy, our Romancing the Home stylist, decorates every year for the Holidays. This year, the client wanted a very natural and organic Christmas decor. Candy performed her magic, using feathers, greens, birds and twigs to create a beautiful home. Next year for the store, we see this as a major trend and will be looking for very natural looking artificial greenery for the holiday season.