DIY Tutorial-- Gold Indian Corn

It's not really a secret that I love to paint everything and anything gold annnnd I'm obsessed with corn.  Corn, corn, corn.  Hey, I'm from Indiana, what do you expect??

So I ask, why decorate with regular indian corn and fresh acorns when you could paint them gold?!

I use Design Master spray paint in "brilliant gold" to paint the corn.  It isn't cheap, but it makes a huge difference when spraying flowers and vegetables because regular spray paint can look coppery.

Supplies you will need: 

• Indian corn
• Design Master floral spray paint in "brilliant gold"
• Plastic wrap

1.  Wrap the husks of the corn in plastic wrap to prevent the spray paint from covering the husks.  

2.  Shake the spray paint and spray all sides of the corn from about 12 inches back. You can get all sides of the corn by picking it up and rotating it. 

3. Let dry for abou 15 minutes

3.  Ta-daaa!  You are done and have lovely gold corn!

You can do the same thing with acorns and other fall pretties, like dried leaves, seed pods etc.  These are some of the acorns I sprayed last night.

Mismatched Bridesmaid Dresses

It goes without saying that I am a huge fan of mismatched bridesmaids dresses.  It allows your maids to be a in dress that they are comfortable in, highlights your individual style, and that shows that you aren't afraid to do something a bit outside of the box.  

For our wedding, we selected mismatching champagne colored street-length dresses.  (I actually purchased most of them at H&M!) The muted color pallet allowed me to throw in some cute coral shoes, bright flowers, and turquoise jewelry without being too over the top with color.  

Our wedding with my GORGEOUS bridesmaids. On Style Me Pretty, photographed by Bobbi + Mike 





It's okay to have dresses that are not in the same exact color.  Different shades and hues of of the same or similar colors can coordinate with each really well.  

Incredible mint and turquoise pallet courtesy of Style Me Pretty

This is a beautiful color pallet with mismatched light gray bridesmaid dresses mixed in with a couple of ivory ones.

Courtesy of Style Me Pretty

What an incredible look--light colored mismatched bridesmaid dresses in the snow.  Ivory, white, and cream, it's just not for brides anymore.  And how about that fur wrap!?! 

Courtesy of Green Wedding Shoes

Courtesy of Green Wedding Shoes

I love the ruffle details on the dresses.  Very femme. 

Courtesy of Bethany Gilbert Photography

These mint dresses are to die for!  Maybe each dress on its own might not be a knockout, but when paired all together, they look stunning.  And how about that amazing lighting!?

Courtesy of Love and Lavender

Herbacious Tabletop

For everyone trying to think of unique DIY tabletop decor, plucking some fresh herbs in a vase or pot are an excellent alternative to flowers, especially for the holidays.  They look great stuck just about anything--a mason jar, vintage vases, apothecary jars or planted in a cute little terracotta  pot.
 

This weekend, I found loads of herbs at U Street Farmers Market for an upcoming wedding that I'm styling.  The theme (which I LOVE) is a locavore-winter wedding.  So loads of sage, thyme, mint, and rosemary would be perfect!

Herbs are cheap in general and since it's the end of the season, buying them is pretty cose effective.   If you are looking for mini potted herbs, many grocery stores sell them year round for like $2.99 each.

These are the ones I threw together this weekend, sorry about the poor lighting!

If you have had herb centerpieces at your wedding, please send me a pic and I'd love to feature it.

Vendor Spotlight: Market Table Bistro

Many brides have been asking me for recommendations for top-notch farm to table caterers in the DC area.  I couldn't be happier to recommend Market Table Bistro, headed by Chef Jason Lage who has trained at Michelin 3 star restaurants in France and now runs Market Table Bistro in the heart of Virginia farm country.

Market Table Bistro sources much of its ingredients from local farms and vineyards in and around Loudoun County.  For those who aren't sold on the farm-to-table concept, check out Market amazing reviews on Yelp!

According to the front of the house manager Rebecca, Market Table will cater throughout the DC area.  We recently worked with her at an event at The Barns at Hamilton Station Vineyard and she was one of the easiest and most fluid caterers with whom I've worked.  Plus she and her staff were so nice to take care of our vintage china throughout the night.

The Market Table Bistro restaurant is located in Lovettsville, VA 13 E Broad Way.

                                 
I definitely give Market Table two thumbs up!

China Rental Packages for Thanksgiving Gatherings

Mismatched antique flatware?  Yes, ma'am!

Having guests over for Thanksgiving and don't have enough pretty place settings?  Don't worry, we are offering Thanksgiving Day vintage china rental packages to set a lovely table for you and your guests.

We are offering three different Turkey Day packages:

   Cozy Gathering   (suggested for dinner of 8-10 people) $155
   Family Fete         (suggested for dinner of 11-14 people) $215
   Bountiful Feast    (suggested for dinner of 15-20 people) $290

All of these include:
Vintage Dinner Plates
Vintage Salad Plates
Vintage Dessert Plates
Burlap Plate Chargers
Antique Silver-plated Flatware Sets (Dinner and Salad Forks, Knife, Spoon)
Cotton Napkins with Crochet-trim
Vintage Glasses or Mason Jars
Vintage Serving Platters or Serving Dishes
Antique Silver-plated Serving Utensils
Vintage Gravy Boat

Additional Options:
Reclaimed Barnwood Farm Tables (Seat up to 10,)  96 x 42"
Mismatched Vintage Dining Chairs
Milkglass Vases
Antique Tea Cups or Tea Pots
Lace Table Linens
Cake Stands
Vintage Soup Bowls
Charming Eclectic Centerpieces

If you need more than 20 settings, please just ask.  We have thousands of pieces of china ready for your Thanksgiving feast.

One of our farm tables set with our lovely vintage china

We are also renting farm tables that seat 8-10 people and vintage chairs.

I love flipping the tablecloth width-wise to mix it up

Burlap chargers scream thanksgiving

Food to serve at tea parties

Lately, I've been getting a lot of questions as to what food should be served at tea parties.  Even though tradition may say that you need a three level dessert tier, complete with pastries, scones, and a savory treat, many hosts are forgoing that and just serving anything they wish.  The latter is much easier and will allow you to show your own personality to your guests.

Some of Something Vintage's Tea Pots

However, for those hostesses with the mostesses who want the traditional etiquette, here is  a passage from a 1922 version of Emily Post talking about tea party food:

THINGS PEOPLE EAT AT TEA   The top dish on the “curate” should be a covered one, and holds hot bread of some sort; the two lower dishes may be covered or not, according to whether the additional food is hot or cold; the second dish usually holds sandwiches, and the third cake. Or perhaps all the dishes hold cake; little fancy cakes for instance, and pastries and slices of layer cakes. Many prefer a simpler diet, and have bread and butter, or toasted crackers, supplemented by plain cookies. Others pile the “curate” until it literally staggers, under pastries and cream cakes and sandwiches of pâté de foie gras or mayonnaise. Others, again, like marmalade, or jam, or honey on bread and butter or on buttered toast or muffins. This necessitates little butter knives and a dish of jam added to the already overloaded tea tray.	32
Selection of afternoon tea food is entirely a matter of whim, and new food-fads sweep through communities. For a few months at a time, everyone, whether in a private house or a country club, will eat nothing but English muffins and jam, then suddenly they like only toasted cheese crackers, or Sally Lunn, or chocolate cake with whipped cream on top. The present fad of a certain group in New York is bacon and toast sandwiches and fresh hot gingerbread. Let it be hoped for the sake of the small household that it will die out rather than become epidemic, since the gingerbread must be baked every afternoon, and the toast and bacon are two other items that come from a range.	33
Sandwiches for afternoon tea as well as for all collations, are made by buttering the end of the loaf, spreading on the “filling” and then cutting off the prepared slice as thin as possible. A second slice, unspread, makes the other side of the sandwich. When it is put together, the crust is either cut off leaving a square and the square again divided diagonally into two triangular sandwiches, or the sandwich is cut into shape with a regular cutter. In other words, a “party” sandwich is not the sort of sandwich to eat—or order—when hungry!
The tea served to a lady who lives alone and cares for only one dish of eatables would naturally eliminate the other two. But if a visitor is “received,” the servant on duty should, without being told, at once bring in at least another dish and an additional cup, saucer, plate and napkin.	35
Afternoon tea at a very large house party or where especially invited people are expected for tea, should include two plates of hot food such as toast or hot biscuits split open and buttered, toasted and buttered English muffins, or crumplets, corn muffins or hot gingerbread. Two cold plates should contain cookies or fancy cakes, and perhaps a layer cake. In hot weather, in place of one of the hot dishes, there should be pâté or lettuce sandwiches, and always a choice of hot or iced tea, or perhaps iced coffee or chocolate frappé, but rarely if ever, anything else.

Vendor Spotlight: The Barns at Hamilton Station Vineyards

We love The Barns at Hamilton Station Vineyards! For people looking for a picturesque barn setting for a wedding or event...not to mention AMAZING wine, The Barns is a perfect choice.  The owners are a genuine pleasure to work with and the inside of the barn is oh so beautiful.  They actually just opened this past summer after restored the barn and opening their vineyard.

From their website, "Ten breathtaking acres surround a beautifully restored 100 year old stone and wood dairy barn, which has been transformed into a unique (wine) tasting room.  There are plenty of places on the deck, patio, or on the grounds overlooking the pond to sit back and savor a glass of wine."

Check out their stellar Yelp review. 

Here are our farm tables making their debute at The Barns....check out those stone walls in the cellar. Aren't they just stunning?

Our rentable farm tables at The Barns for a wedding in October 2012

 The inside is filled with warm rustic wood and a fantastic rustic chandelier and has essentially three levels--a celler that is perfect for wedding dinners, the main floor, and then a loft.

  

They are located in Loudon County just off of Route 7.  I know that they are filling up quickly for this upcoming wedding season so I'd act fast to grab your coveted spot!