pottery barn :: mystery box challenge

I am SO excited to share today's post with you! I was recently asked by Pottery Barn (I know crazy, right!?) to participate in a fun little competition - a "Mystery Box Challenge". Along with four other bloggers also asked to participate, I received a box of Pottery Barn products to create a holiday entertainment display. It was so much fun!!!

When the box arrived, I was giddy as a little school girl! The UPS man was basically Santa Claus to me that morning. I opened, and opened, and opened.... Ornaments. LOTS of ornaments! The only rule - Use the ornaments (just some or all) in any way you like, just not on a Christmas tree. In addition to being allowed to use anything I already owned, I was also given $50 to shop for additional decor, fabric and/or food to make the display complete.

For my design concept, I had a few starting off points. I wanted to use what I either already had in my house and/or what I could find for cheap - or even better free! First, since Hurricane Sandy left us in the northeast with a windfall of tree branches, I used tree limbs as well as evergreen boughs to create an arrangement in a large urn from my front porch. Secondly, since a lot of the ornaments I received from Pottery Barn were purple and gold I decided to run with that color scheme - especially since that is the same colors I use on my main Christmas tree! Also, I knew I wanted to use my sunroom as the set-up area because nothing beats natural light when you are trying to photograph. (Speaking of the photographs, my friend Stephanie Anestis Photography took all the beautiful photos!) And lastly, you know me and my sweet tooth - I just had to incorporate some of my desserts. So, without further ado, here is my design...

I hung some of the ornaments from the branches in the urn but, I also used the Pottery Barn ornaments in three other creative ways.

1. I used color coordinated ornaments as focal points in my garland design.  In the center mirror, I used the Plum Finial Glass Ornament. Hanging from the garland are the Gold Ecelctic Beaded Spire Ornaments.

2. I transformed the Mercury Glass Ball Ornaments into standing holders - this idea can be used for both place card or food tag holders.  I used them as food tag holders. (If used as a sitting place card holder, the ornament could do double duty as a favor for guests as well.) To make, I simply used a hot glue gun to put three glue balls on the bottom to act as little gripper feet. After the glue dried, I also glued the food tag to the top of the ornament.

3. I used the Jeweled Oval Frame Ornament as a gift tag on a gift.  In addition to providing recipient and giver information for the gift, the ornament also serves as an extra little gift atop the present.

Here are some more pictures showing my holiday entertaining display...

The other bloggers participating need no introduction - they are amazing and I'm honored to be included in such great company - but just in case you don't know one or two of them, here is the list.

Chris Nease, Celebrations at Home

Cyd Converse, The Sweetest Occasion

Kelly Lyden, The Party Dress Blog

Shelley O'Donnell, Divine Party Concepts

Okay, so go vote for your favorite design!

(Insert shameless plug here - I would love for you to vote for my design! I'll be your best friend!)

I know I was lucky to be selected to participate, but now you can be lucky, too!  All you have to do is VOTE! One lucky voter will receive their very own Pottery Barn Mystery Box. So again I say...

Go vote!

Right Here on Pottery Barn's Facebook Page 

Disclosure: I was not paid to participate, but did receive products on behalf of Pottery Barn.

{All design & styling by A. Party Style, LLC. :: All photos taken by Stephanie Anestis Photography}

happy may day

{via Fowl Single Line}

Do you celebrate May Day? I think it is such a fun holiday for the little ones. Check out this adorable May Day umbrella basket - So easy, yet so festive!  (And since it's pouring here in Connecticut today, the theme is also perfect!)

easter :: restaurant decorations

One of my continuing jobs is decorating a bar/restaurant for various holidays. This past weekend it was time to decorate for Easter. (If interested, you can look back at what I have done for the same place at Halloween and Christmas.)  Like at Christmas time, sticking to the neutral palette of the venue was very important to me. When I saw these nest and natural colored eggs wreaths at Joann's, I was sold. Not only did it fit the cream and browns in the space beautifully, but it also picked up some of the muted blues in the stone work of the restaurant's front facade. For the front windows, I used two wreaths back-to-back so they would be visible both inside and outside the restaurant.

Using the color palette from the wreaths as inspiration, I arranged little bouquets to embellish the lights along the bar. This decorating technique works well here because it is still prominent, yet keeps the bar clear for food and drink service. 

With a left over arrangement from the bar lights, I created a little table centerpiece by adding more eggs to a glass vase as filler. 

xmas in july :: display of trees

Last Christmas season I was invited to an annual fundraising event for The Connecticut Ronald McDonald House called "Trees of Hope". The event includes hundreds of theme decorated trees. Attendees "voted" for their favorites by putting donations in that tree's bucket. Not only did I vote for several, but I also took pictures of my favorites. I am always trying to stock pile good decorating ideas for my clients. I have one client who asked me to decorate his whole house for Christmas last year - it was no small job as it involved hundreds of wreaths, miles of garland, staircases galore and 5 huge trees. I'll show you those pictures soon. Anyway, back to the fundraiser trees. Check these out. I noted my favorite ideas from each.

This tree was a Paris inspired tree. I love the Eiffel Tower topper and the working toy train that went around and around. Other details included jewelry and anything fashion related.



Next up, a tree decorated with all things golf related. I especially loved the tufts of grass at the base and the gopher club cover they put on top. So Caddy Shack! I know the picture is blurry, but it's the only one I had of the topper and I really wanted you guys to see it.



I just loved this next tree! Not that I'm an avid Red Sox fan, but you could do this with any favorite team. As you can see from the sign, they named this tree "Even Santa Prefers the Red Sox". Love that! Being in Connecticut, we are caught right in the middle of a legendary rivalry - Yankees vs. Red Sox. I will have some friends mad at me for even sharing this Red Sox beauty with you, yet other friends will be upset I haven't given my complete support to the Red Sox tree. Let's just call me Switzerland - neutral territory! Some of my favorite elements are the baseball cards, the mini batting helmets and the "believe" signs. Anyone that follows baseball knows that is a word synonymous with Red Sox nation. I also love that they picked a white tree (which are huge right now) to add to the color scheme. The ornaments really stand out off the white. And in an effort to be equal, white would be great for a Yankees tree too!



There are a couple things from this next tree that I really like. First of all, the colors are just scrumptious! So different from other ordinary Christmas colors and I love it! I also can't get enough of the paper doll garland. Wouldn't this be great for say an elementary school tree!? One doll per student... Any teachers out there?



One prevalent trend was using branches in the topper displays. I do the same in a lot of my tree designs. It adds visual height to the tree and gives a touch of nature. Here are a few examples I saw. This first one sprayed the branches white and I just love it! I also love the glittered hydrangeas tucked in there - so classy!




This tree was donated by a dentist's office - can you tell!? Decorated with all sorts of candy, but also with toothbrushes, toothpaste, floss and Listerine. Very cute!


Can't forget the pets! A local animal shelter donated this tree. Don't you just love the dog bones tied on!? Very cute and creative. I think it would be perfect in a veterinarian office.


And finally, another trend I saw repeated several times was using a boas like garland in and around the tree. It really adds texture and glamour. One tree was from a cosmetics company. See how they tied on different make-up samples. And the other little tree was "pretty in pink".




Hope you find something inspiring to add to your tree this year!