retail treat | DVF for bloomingdale's

We are serious fans of Diane Von Furstenberg (can you say wrap dress?!?!).  And now the house of DVF has come out with a new funky and colorful line of home goods for Bloomingdale's.  Brides rejoice!  What an awesome addition to your registry list... we can't get enough of the colorful bedding, chargers, plates, egg-shell bowls, and what an awesome horn wine bottle holder.  Check out the goods...

unwrapping an etiquette enigma

Today's post requires me to tread lightly on a subject that I have long pondered since the post-graduate days of invitations to wedding showers and baby showers began.

GIFT ETIQUETTE

As I searched this morning for a baby shower invitation for my best friend, I was reminded of the many occasions where the mail was delivered to my home and shortly after came the excitement of being invited to a party!  Then the astonishment of this request at the bottom of the invitation...

"unwrapped gifts please"

My point of view on this comes from two places.

1. I thoroughly enjoy wrapping gifts.  It is a creative element that I feel goes hand-in-hand with the gift you are giving.  With so many options for stylish wrapping paper, ribbons, tags, cards, and those cute little Chinese lunch-box gift packages, who wouldn't?!?
2. I feel that if I am bringing a gift to a shower, I should be in charge of making the decision on how I would like my present to be presented.

With a little research, I found a great explanation on this subject and why it is against proper etiquette to include this request.

(post from invitationbox.com)

Bridal Shower & Baby Shower Gift Wrapping

Monday, January 25th, 2010

In modern times, the main purpose for hosting a baby shower or bridal shower is to celebrate the bride or mommy-to-be and shower them with gifts that they will need for the next chapter of their lives. Many customers have been asking lately about the etiquette behind asking your guests to wrap or not wrap gifts. Many brides/mothers feel that they would rather spend quality time visiting with guests, dining, playing games etc. rather than focusing on material items and others do this from the GREEN perspective.

The straight across answer to this dilema is that it is against proper etiquette to ask your guests to bring an unwrapped gift to a shower – period. It is often considered tacky or that the honoree is unappreciative for the gifts presented and does not want to take the time to open each gift. While in most cases this is not the truth, asking guests to bring an unwrapped present does not give off a good vibe. From the GREEN perspective, we can see how many brides/mothers may feel it important to ‘save a tree’. This has become more accepted but still goes against traditional etiquette.

The bottom line is that most guest truly enjoy watching you open their gift, as well as other guests’ gifts, at the bridal shower or baby shower. Everyone gets a chance to see what the new baby or your new house will have and it can be a very fun bonding experience. Remember that a shower is not only a reflection of the host but also the honoree.

I’m not one that always sticks with traditional etiquette, but in this case, we suggest allowing your guests to bring wrapped gifts.

proximity hotel

I had a little hiccup during this week's trip to North Carolina... my phone was lost for 2 days!  Luckily my travel companion let me use her phone to take snapshots of all the FABULOUS FINDS from High Point market.  Stay tuned over the next few days for full vendor reports plus photos.

In the meantime, I have to rave about a little hotel in Greensboro, North Carolina.  The Proximity Hotel is not only one of the coolest that I have visited, it is also LEED certified (GREENsboro!) and has one of the best restaurants in NC, Print Works Bistro.  The excitement continued for this market hot-spot when I had my own little celebrity designer sighting... the super suave THOM FILICIA.

Enjoy these photos of the amazing interior design, and if you happen to find yourself in the vicinity, book a night at The Proximity!!!

 

zaza-tastic!

As a board member of the Dallas IESNA (what's that you say?  why, the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America of course), and the events chairperson, I am annually looking for a great venue to host the Illumination Awards.

The Illumination Awards event this year will be held at the super cool ZaZa Art House and Social Gallery.  This gallery/event space is located in the heart of the vibrant and fashionable Uptown neighborhood and collaborates with Turner Carroll Gallery and Art Advisors to bring internationally acclaimed art exhibitions to the space.  Not only does it have great scenery, but events are catered by the award-winning Hotel ZaZa restaurant, Dragonfly.

The 2011 IA event is sure to be a great success thanks to this chic new venue!

in the news | d home

The Best of Everything January/February D Home magazine featuring the 2010 Kappa Tablescapes is on news stands now!  Pick up your issue today to see Jessica McIntyre Interiors' eclectic tablescape, and to explore Dallas' flourishing design industry.

setting it straight

Some rules are made to be broken (who doesn't love to eat dessert first!?!), but setting the table isn't one of them.  Here is a little reminder on how to properly set the table for your upcoming holiday soire...

• All items are placed according to the order that it will be used
• Dinner plate at center of the place setting (I often use chargers with the dinner plate, a great way to add a pop of color), salad plate on top
• Napkin placement is flexible - to the far left, under the forks, or on top of the dinner plate
• Dinner fork to the immediate left, then the salad or appetizer fork to the outside
• Knife to the immediate right (blade turned in), with soup spoon to the outside
• Water and wine glasses above the knife, with the wine glass closest to the guest's right hand
• Bread plate and butter knife go above the forks
• Dessert spoon and cake fork sit above the dinner plate

Some stylish table settings to inspire your own...