Old School

Classrooms are leaving chalkboards behind and opting for dry erase boards and even smart boards. I, on the other hand have found a new appreciation for chalkboards! There are a slew of ideas that involve using chalkboard paint and creating a writing area on the wall to hold your grocery list or to let your children get creative.  More recently, though, the idea of having a writing area on your drinking glass has popped up. You can buy glasses with a strip of chalkboard material on the side of the glass. For parties or large gatherings, this allows people to write their name on the glass to avoid mixing up drinks.  For stemware, instead of placing the chalkboard on the side, the paint can be applied to the base of the glass. This allows the beauty of the drink or the glass itself to be seen.

 As we move into the Christmas season, I am busy painting a variety of ornaments and glassware that people often buy as gifts. This year I am excited to add the chalkboard glasses to that offering. People are loving the concept and are ordering pairs to give to friends as hostess gifts. 

Holiday Preview Party

November 3rd from 5 to 7 pm: Grab some friends to come enjoy yummy holiday fare and to get a jumpstart on your gift buying!!  A variety of sample ornaments, glassware, ceramic and canvas gifts will be on display. PLUS a special discount will be given to those who place orders at the event.  You can click here to start getting gift ideas.

The fabulous M.Ellen Designs will also be available that evening- great stationary, calendars and greeting cards with personalization available.  Visit www.mellendesigns.com for all the goods!

 Talk about convenient- all your greeting card and gift needs in one place!!

Here's a list to get you started:

Teachers

Neighbors

Co-workers

Boss

Employees

Sister

Brother

Mom

Dad

Spouse

Kids

Nieces

Nephews

Doctor

Dentist

Vet

Hairstylist

Gal Pals

Secret Santa

Tailgate Decor

Sorry I've been MIA for the last week, I must have misplaced my blogging manners!  But now I'm back and have some exciting tailgate- enhancing decorating ideas.

Football season is upon us and with that comes 2 of my favorite things: Fall weather and tailgating!  Tailgating is my excuse to be a perpetual hostess- to coordinate a gathering of close friends, make great food and dress up in my favorite school colors: blue & white.  Of course, being in the decorating field I think every good color scheme needs some pattern which is why I LOVE the UK Plaid products.  The Plaid brings a whole new dimension to the beautiful, but solid blue, white & occasionally black color scheme of our tailgate decor.  Check out some of my faves:

The tablecloths compliment your basic blue tailgate tent & chairs.  Your grill- master can don some snazzy gear to get in to the festivities, as well.

I am personally most excited about one of the new products,   
the cotton scarf.  I am so into wearing the long scarves right
now and this piece makes me feel like I can wear some official gear to the games beyond my trusty UK tees.

Here's my pup modeling it for you.

The coozie is another super-cute addition this year that I will not be caught without at my tailgate party.



*All of these photos were pulled from:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/The-Official-Plaid-of-the-University-of-Kentucky/112274539202







All of the Plaid products (there's a whole array I didn't even mention) can be purchased from various retailers in Lexington as well as some stores out in the state.  It's a project especially near to my heart, as the students from the Merchandising, Apparel & Textiles department (my major) designed the Plaid.  The students also design the products that are produced each year.  I think it's a super-exciting opportunity for these students and I'm jealous that I'm still not in school to participate!

Some other fun products that I have recently been painting more and more of are UK themed glasses:

 Boy or girl, you can have one for your signature drink this football season.















So when you get all of your new tailgate-enhancing products, be sure to snap some pics and send them my way- I'd love to see what you've done! Happy tailgate decorating!

Christmas...in August???

As a decorator I have some special privileges, like seeing all the HOT Christmas colors and ideas 5 months in advance.  And let me tell you, I’m excited!  The main color schemes are pretty similar to last year- rich earth tones (bronze, copper, silver), deep jewel tones (turquoise, sapphire), classic colors (black, white, red) and bold colors that I refer to as the 80s revisited (bright pink, purple, electric blue).  If you are a glitz lover, then hold onto your hat because this year is all about glitter , sparkle and shine, giving you an all access pass to go overboard in your holiday decorating.

If these trends aren’t your cup of tea, no worries, take your personal Christmas style and own it.  You can never go wrong with a vintage themed Christmas decorations (think Victorian lace) or rustic and all natural decor complete with fresh pine, family heirloom ornaments and popcorn garland.

Don’t forget that Polka Dots & Rosebuds offers holiday decorating for homes and businesses alike.  Let us help you refresh or replace your tired decor.  Make your appointments early because December will be here before you know it!

Oh, and before I forget….Here’s your personal SAVE THE DATE:

Polka Dots & Rosebuds Holiday Preview Party (for those shoppers who want to get a jumpstart and save a little cash)

Tuesday, November 2^nd

BIG Savings on all custom painted gift orders (ornaments, glassware, canvases, etc)

Mark your calendar and tell all your friends, neighbors and coworkers because they won’t want to miss this!  More details and individual invites to follow.

Get the Look for Less

I am often asked how to re-create stellar looks seen in magazines without spending major cash, so I hope you enjoy me sharing this “get the look for less” piece with you.    

The Setting:

I participate in a fundraiser event called Freedom Fest for the Woodford County Humane Society.  For this event decorators transform horse stalls (on a fabulous Versailles farm) into dining rooms as well as decorate tables under the main party tent where the guests can dine.  This year, I took on a table instead of an entire stall and here is how it all came together…

The Inspiration:

I was really taken in by this photo (House Beautiful).  I am a texture person, so this tabletop decor resonated with me.   I love to mix unexpected textures together or to have a simple color palette made more interesting by the textures of the pieces I use in a space.

The Real World:

I instantly knew the tree (pictured above) was not for me, but beyond that I felt that everything was easily reproduced and I focused on the centerpiece as a starting point.  During my one and only trip to IKEA, I emerged victorious with these 5 white vases in varying heights (IKEA Salong $7.99 and $4.99).  Having varying heights of vases is interesting but it lacked the punch I wanted, so I pulled out my old Napa Valley CD crates and turned upside down to create another level for the table.  The crates also introduced the wood element to the tabletop.  I wanted to incorporate moss to layer another nice texture and to provide some color to an otherwise demure centerpiece.   Beyond that, the goal was to keep the flora for the vases simple, much as Donna Karan did in my inspiration photo, so I simply relied on my local florist (Mellow Ellis, owner of the Cutting Garden) to work her magic and provide beautiful white flowers and simple greenery (flowers vary in cost based on the type you select).  Toss in a few twig balls (Pier 1 Imports $1.99 each) for a nice contrast to the vases and BAM! we have a snazzy little centerpiece.  

The next piece to my puzzle was each place setting.  The white ceramic plates I used were easily secured, compliments of my kitchen cabinets.  Now if you aren’t the proud owner of basic white dishes, you can find sets at your local Target, Meijer, Pottery Barn, etc ranging in price $25 and above.  For my tablecloth, I chose to introduce a new textile and texture- crinkled silk- in an off white shade (rented from a local linen company for $15.00).  The idea of having the stark white plates and off-white cloth sit directly against each other made me shudder, so I slipped in basketweave bleached burlap placemats to separate the two (Katie Brown collection at Meijer, $3.99 each).  A trip to Bed, Bath & Beyond produced basic cotton napkins in a camel color (Bed Bath & Beyond $1.99 each) that I haphazardly pulled through ceramic napkin rings (Home Goods $6.99 per set of 4) to top off the plates.  As a hostess I always like to provide a gift and in this instance I hand-painted dog and cat caricatures in silhouette form on a wine glass for each guest.  The simplicity of the silhouette complimented the rest of the table and the animal theme reminded the guests why they are attending the fundraiser- to raise $$$$ for the Woodford County Humane Society.  

I am a frugal-ista at heart so I cannot contain my excitement when I find a good deal.  And man, did I get a great deal on everything here!!!!   I challenge you to pull out that magazine photo you love and re-create it, too.   

Happy tablescaping*!

*I am known to make up words, but this is a real word. It actually refers to the decoration of a table.*

Fun Spring Glasses!

Who doesn't love tulips?  These glasses were donated for a silent auction, but I'm tempted to paint some for myself...