Piace' is Bloomington's Newest Boutique

We are thrilled about the opening of Piace'. Located next door to the Buskirk Chumley Theatre on Kirkwood, this shop offers women's (and a small section of men's) casual and chic clothing. Co-owner Johnna Davis said that they planned on buying limited quantities of each item so that you don't end up wearing the same think that the person seated next to you is wearing. Perfect.

The small men's section currently features a very cool jacket priced around $80 and several great shirts priced from the $20's to $40's.

The shop is located at the site of the failed condo project called 120 Kirkwood. I have to say that Piace' is a far better use of this great downtown location. The renovation of the original building has created a beautiful space for this boutique. Check it out.

Polychrome Painting

While in Terre Haute for a conference, I spent a little time in St. Stephen's Episcopal Church which is located on 7th Street across if ISU. I was quite taken by the painting style of the trim and rafters of this building, pictured here.

I went back to my hotel room to do research about this 'candy cane' style of painting. The website for St. Stephens says that when they remodeled the church in the 1960's, they wanted to capture the interior design concepts of St. Mary's Church Ulford, Surry in England. This style is know as Polychrome and dates back to the 13th century in the case of St. Mary's Church.

Further research shows that the candy cane was not invented until the 17th century by European Christians. So my initial thought of 'why paint the trim to look like a candy cane' evolved into 'how lovely if the candy cane was created in the style of a beautiful English church'. If you are even in Terre Haute, Indiana, you should visit this lovely church and take in a little 13th century decor.

Creating the right dining atmosphere for a dinner party

Tonight we're having some friends over for a dinner party. I'm working on creating an atmosphere that is both elegant enough for a Friday night dinner invitation and also casual enough that people feel comfortable putting their elbows on the table and laughing loudly. These are my favorite kinds of dinner parties.

The table is set with silver (faux) chargers and candelabras. The china is simple and white with more pattern in the salad plates. The crystal is lovely and real. And the napkins are the one thing that adds a bit of color to the table.

The candelabras, or chadelabras as Sandra Lee of Semi-Homemade calls them, were a great find. They have such classic lines, yet are obviously not trying to be silver or pewter. They say elegant and fun and very approachable. The best part is that they were only $14 at my local discount retailer. As always, new candles are being used and they were lit and allowed to burn for a minute or two to give them that "I'm not a new candle" look. My mother always taught me to do this.

The music tonight will be light jazz playing softly in the background. I find that everyone appreciates this, whether your taste lends itself to classical, rock or blue grass.

And to enhance a fall feeling, when the dinner plates are cleared, the guests will find a lovely and colorful fall leave on their charger. (it also will distract the eye from the fact that they are not perfectly polished!)

Product Review: Calphalon 3 Piece Set from Williams Sonoma

I just received my order of this three piece set of Calphalon cookware from Williams Sonoma. They are an ideal size for a family of four or less. Cooking for more than four may to too tight in these pans. But for us...perfect!

These were only $79.99 for the set. The original price as $245.00. It is a great opportunity to upgrade your cooking ware without breaking the bank. I'm all about the bargain.

Check 'em out at www.williams-sonoma.com.

You'll notice a small bottle of olive oil in the back of the photo. This is a bottle of white truffle oil from The Olive Leaf on College Mall Road in Bloomington. It is the perfect host/hostess gift. Thanks Jennifer!

A Nearly Perfect Day for Leaf Gathering

People spend money on buying fall decorative items at Micheal's or Hobby Lobby. Why not use the real thing and create your own fall accents.

This is a great project for people with young children. Go out into the yard or a park and have them search for the most colorful leaves. Then take them home and press them between pages of a book. Have the children check on the leaves every couple of days to see how the colors change or don't' change. Then help them to research why...then tell me because I haven't the slightest idea.

But I always pick leaves, dry them and then use them all fall to add color to table settings or any number of other ideas. This year Martha Stewart is having you use dried fall leaves to decorate hand made thank you notes. The possibilities are endless and the cost is zero.

Deal of the Day!

Super deal from Williams-Sonoma. This three piece set of Calphalon non-stick cookware with a saute pan, deep dish fry pan and lid for $79.00. (regularly $249) I just ordered this myself. And all dishwasher safe.

http://www.williams-sonoma.com

The Simple Elegance of White Hydrangeas

Today was spent putting the finishing touches on an event for the IU Foundation. In conjunction with One World Catering & Events, this evening is to be the final dinner in a three day long program.

The design for the tables was simple elegance. Being the third catered dinner in a row for these IU Foundation members, I wanted them to have an evening that felt less staged and much more like they were dining at a fine restaurant.

The morning was spent putting together 20 bouquets. We used white hydrangeas, bundled together, in a simple yet elegant clear vase. The hydrangea stems looked beautiful in the vase. Water was then topped off to the absolute top of the vase making them look as if they were not filled at all, crystal clear and gorgeous.

The assembly took place in the newly finished kitchen at the One World Catering & Events headquarters. Then we packed up the arraignments and took them over to the IU Auditorium.



Upon arrival at the Auditorium, I found out that an IU employee had decided to change the lovely and elegant white linen table cloths to a poly-blend-shiny material mimicking satin...with matching napkins...in off white. And the napkins were draped off the side of the table and not placed to the left of the plate, as planned (and as would be correct). The table settings shifted from one that would be fitting in a high end restaurant to one that would be fitting for a wedding reception. We all have different taste.

But the point is that the simple elegance of white hydrangeas is always beautiful. We used five stems per bouquet. Choosing each stem individually and then placing the next up against the flatter side of the flower of the former stem and rotating the bouquet each time we added another stem. Just like Ina Garten showed me how to do.

The Change of Seasons in Staged Homes

It's time to finally give up summer and embrace fall. In homes that are staged, it is important to keep the home seasonally up-to-date. Nothing says "no one's been here to take care of things" like last seasons center piece and decorations.

Here, with a simple change and only $10, the color focal point of this dining room in the Winston Project has been made current for the fall season with the purchase of local mini pumpkins and squash.

It's sometimes the simplest things that make the biggest difference. Happy Fall!