Holiday Shopping is here: Our Favorite Decor Related Presents

Candles with a Designer Touch

anthropologie.com

Candles are always a great go-to decor gift for any occasion. One fun way to add a little something extra to this gift is by choosing a candle that has a designer touch. This could come in the form of anything from a marble outside to a rose gold finish. Giving a candle with a pretty design allows the gift receiver to incorporate the candle into their decor in a fun and stylish way!

notonthehighstreet.com

Unique Frames with a Special Photo or Note

coxandcox.co.uk

Photo frames are another fantastic decor gift to give this holiday season. When choosing a frame, try to go with something a little more unique than your average black or silver frame for example. There are fun, unique frames in almost any store that carries frames. Some of our favorite spots to shop for frames are Homegoods, Pier 1, and Hobby Lobby. All of these stores have beautiful and reasonably priced frames to choose from. 

potterybarn.com

Personalized Artwork

etsy.com

Another decor gift to give this season is personalized artwork. This could be art that includes the city or state that person is from, or include the family’s names or monograms. These are two examples of personalized artwork that would make fantastic gifts. Etsy.com is one of the best sources to find pieces of art like this.

etsy.com

Mother’s Day is Soon; Here are our Décor Gift Suggestions

Customized Trays

Trays make a great gift because there are countless uses and spaces for them in any home. Whether you use it on your coffee table or ottoman, in the middle of your kitchen table or island, or even near a wet bar or bar cart. To take this multipurpose gift to the next level you can get it customized for Mom. You can choose to put the families last initial in the center or even the full last name, anything to make it her own is a great option!

etzy.com

etsy.com

Painted Glass Vases

We all know mom’s love gifts that come from the heart and have their loved one’s personal touches on them. This is why hand painted glass vases are a great gift option this Mother’s Day! Simply buy a few vases in her favorite shape and use a few of her favorite colors to paint along the lower half of the vase. One of the simplest designs to create is small multicolored dots like what is shown in one of the photos below. 

hercampus.com

diyhomedecor.com

Personalized Planter

If your mom is a lover of her garden, getting her a galvanized planter personalized with her name is a fantastic gift for Mother’s Day. This is something she can use for years and she will always be able to think of her children when she sees it in her garden. One place we found that sells planters with personalization is personalcreations.com

personalcreations.com

walmart.com

For more Mother's Day gift ideas check out this week's video here! >> http://bit.ly/1RPBgln

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

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.*

Equine Art & Accessories

I am LOVING this equine stuff- corporate logos, plaques, apparel, glassware, the list goes on and on. My blog site refuses to allow me to post pics these days, so you will have to visit this link to see for yourself. What cool gift ideas for the horse lover you know! For Lexingtonians especially,with Rolex and the World Equestrian Games all just around the corner, there are endless possibilities of ideas and uses for these pieces. Plus, I love that all of it is customizable because I like to have different stuff than everyone else!

Happy Shopping!