You spin me right ‘round…Decorating with Spun Sugar

Debuted as ‘fairy floss’ at the St. Louis World’s Fair in 1904, cotton candy has become a staple in our childhood memories.  However, spun sugar has been transforming confections since the 1400’s. Considered a delicacy, the process was very involved and quite dangerous and usually only available to those of royalty.
But thank goodness for modern times!  Dried sugary wisps are wonderful additions to all your special events. Spun sugar can be molded, shaped, swirled, twirled, twisted or weaved and adds depth and texture to an otherwise plain dessert.
So think about incorporating these sugary strands at your next party in innovative and creative ways. Get your swirl on!

Our Long Weekend: Reupholstering a Victorian Chair and Applying Finish to Reclaimed Barnwood Farm Tables. Yeehaw!

What are we doing this weekend, you ask?  After checking out  Columbia Heights Day here in DC and getting rentals ready for weddings this weekend, we are reupholstering this awesome antique chair with gray velvet AND putting a tung oil finish on the final shipment of our reclaimed barnwood farm tables.  Both the chair and tables are awesome---keep watching for some work in progress photos!

How about the adorable brass tacks?  I'll take 300, por favor.



Here is Allison, part of our Something Vintage team, hard at work applying natural finish to the tabletops.   Isn't the wood incredible?  These lovelies are definitely one of a kind!  



Fall in Love Fridays: Brown Leather Boots

Vintage Equestrian Boots on Etsy
This is the second installment of our Fall in Love Fridays, where we feature something quintessentially autumn.

Today, we have pulled together some of our favorite brown boots for fall.  Check out these great finds...we can wait to put on a chunky sweater and a pair of these.  Or if you are having a rustic or fall wedding, some brides opt for a pair of beloved boots under their gown.  Would you sport any of these on your wedding day?


Vintage Pair of Frye Boots from Etsy

Fall Boots: Brown Leather





Trick or Treat: Orange Bridesmaid Dress

Wanted: Industrial Chic Weddings


We troll wedding blogs all the time here and one thing we'd love to see more of is industrial-inspired weddings.  Using industrial components like gas station lights and factory carts in interior design have been en vouge for sometime now and we'd love to see that in more weddings.  If people could pull it off, I think the contrast between the romantic/classy and industrial would be amazing.  The East Coast and Midwest have endless venues in old factories and warehouses that would be perfect for such an affair.  

Courtesy of Melissa Andre Events

Courtesy of Green Wedding Shoes
Courtesy of Green Wedding Shoes
From the Paper Blog






Tea Party Etiquette Continued




As the next segment in our series of posts on tea party etiquette, I wanted to offer a few tips on drinking tea when attending a formal tea party.  Mind you, this is for a formal tea party.  If you are hosting an informal tea party, watch for cues from the host as to what level of formality you should employ.  

Tips:
  • If you like milk in your tea, be sure to  add it to the teacup before the tea is poured.
  • Do not use lemon in your tea if you are also using milk to avoid curdling of the milk.  (Gross!)
  • It's important to hold the handle of the teacup using your thumb and your first one or two fingers. There is no need to stick out your pinky.  This is an exaggeration of how people sometimes tilt their pinky upwards to balance the cup and is considered rude in some circules. Do not loop your fingers through the teacup handle or cradle the side or bottom of the cup with your hands.
  • Take small, quiet sips of your tea. Do not blow on the tea if it is too hot.   (check out the Colbert clip below!)
  • When you are not drinking tea, be sure to place the cup back on the saucer.
  • Make sure to place the napkin in your lap and never on the table; if you leave the table put the napkin in your seat.
  • It is fine to eat most of the foods with your fingers, taking small bites; however, use a fork when trying to eat messy foods.

Here's what not to do with your pinky finger, courtesy of Steven Colbert--










Autumn Apples



There's so much to do and make with apples! Fall is much too short to get it all done. Apple cider, apple pie, apple butter, apple crisp, apple centerpieces, apple place cards, bobbing for apples, picking apples, carmel apples - the list never ends!

Mini apple pies.  Photocredit:  Style Me Pretty

Toffee Apples from A Little Polka Dot


What's your favorite thing to do with apples during autumn?





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