Holiday Table

Creating Christmas Magic with Frontgate

A formal dining room gets a stunning holiday display
Filed Under > Holiday Decorating

Blue and white Christmas decorations, Waiting On MarthaBlue and white and emerald holiday decor, @waitingonmartha Blue & White tabletop decor, Waiting On Martha Blue and white Christmas decorations, Waiting On MarthaGinger jar tabletop decor Emerald dining room with blue and white ginger jarsBlue and white ginger jars for the holidays Blue and white Christmas decorations, Waiting On Martha Blue and white ginger jars on the holiday tableBlue and white Christmas decorations, Waiting On Martha Blue and white christmas decorations, Waiting On Martha

You know, a lot of people don’t realize all of the love (and sweat and tears) that go into running a small business.  Sure, by now everyone’s read about the nonexistent weekends and the many nights spent burning the midnight oil.  But perhaps the biggest unsung heroes behind Team WOM are my parents.  

Ever since WOM was in its early years, my parents have bent over backwards to help me.  They’ve been at all of the big moves, all of the install-days, all of the true milestones.  I knew I wanted to find a way to thank them this year by giving back this Christmas.  They are after all the ones who instilled my deep, undying love for the holiday season and Christmas decorations.  And in true MKR-fashion, I had my heart set on surprising them in a way that would take their breath away.  So when Frontgate proposed a holiday collaboration, I jumped at the opportunity to make a little Christmas magic happen.

See, my parents have worked on a huge home remodeling project this past year and my favorite room has easily become the dining room in all of it’s emerald green gorgeousness.  The dining room was also the perfect choice since it becomes the heart of the home this time of year as we all find ourselves gathered around the table in our best holiday attire. 

First on my list, of course, was bringing in a Christmas tree.  Since this would be Mom and Dad’s secondary tree, I decided to have a little fun with it.  I opted for this Noble Slim Artificial Pre-Lit Christmas tree (the dining room has lovely tall ceilings). Let’s just say this is a far cry from your old artificial tree in the attic; all the cords come inside the inner pole, so you don’t have to do anything but turn on the switch when setting it up. Seriously, it took me five minutes versus the typical hour! 

Since the dining room is the most formal room in the home, I had fun stepping outside my parents’ classic holiday decor of red and green, going instead with a blue and white chinoiserie theme.  My love for ginger jars and all things blue and white has always been enthusiastically welcomed by my mother and father.  And ever since they painted the dining room that gorgeous emerald green, I’ve been dreaming of adding the details that chinoiserie dreams are made of (read: ginger jar galore).  And by going this route it allowed me the perfect opportunity to add special occasion-worthy items that can be used long after the holidays are through. 

To be exact, that meant: lining the dining table with as many ginger jars I could find, new and old.  Bringing in these stunning hand-beaded Chinoiserie Ming placemats and Chinoiserie Ming coasters.  Chinoiserie Ming embroidered napkins and Chinoiserie Ming napkin rings.  Exquisite gold and white place settings and wine glasses.  A pre-lit Christmas wreath with extra adornments to hang on the mirror.  This French Manor tree skirt, hand-beaded to perfection.  And of course, all of the blue and white ornaments I could find with Faux Pearl Droplets (because more is always more). 

One thing I came to realize during all of this is that Frontgate makes it a total dream to decorate.  They sell 60-piece ornament collections with a variety of 8-10 different styles within a handful of themes (in addition to single ornaments, of course).  I obviously beelined to this French Blue & Linen collection to go along with my blue and white chinoiserie, but the Natural Elements collection and Mixed Metals both create just as stunning of an effect. 

I couldn’t be happier with the final product…my parents were over the moon to find such a beautiful, magical space awaiting them.  With pieces I know will be treasured for years and years to come, the room celebrates the season in extraordinary detail in an elegance that can really be enjoyed all year ’round.   Truly, MKR

P.S. I was incredibly impressed with the quality of everything upon arrival; my holiday haul landed on my parents’ doorstep in 25 boxes filled with fragile, breakable items and nothing…I repeat, NOTHING was broken. That was especially huge for me with this project a complete surprise for my parents and all.  I had an extremely quick turnaround while they went away for the weekend, and I was able to pull it all off without a hitch thanks to some good packing.  All of the ornaments came with great boxes for storing for years to come (a necessity, really).  xo

 

Photography, Rustic White for Waiting on Martha | This post is in collaboration with Frontgate, a brand we love and adore.  All opinions are 100% our own. 

Setting the Holiday Table: 13 Essentials For Thanksgiving Dinner

Our go-to Thanksgiving essentials
Filed Under > Entertaining

Thanksgiving Table Essentials

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, we’re busy preparing to set the perfect holiday spread.  That of course includes pulling out our favorite Thanksgiving table essentials like these figural pumpkin serving dishes and the pretty gold flatware!  

If you haven’t started scheming your holiday spread, don’t fret.  There’s still time to pick up heirloom-worthy dinnerware (this collection is quintessential Turkey Day!) and festive touches (LOVE these turkey place cards).   And it’s the perfect time to score some deals with Williams-Sonoma’s fall tabletop event (everything’s 30% off).  Along with these gems, we’ve included 13 Thanksgiving table essentials below to get you Turkey Day ready.  Tell me, what’s on the top of your list for Thanksgiving table essentials?  Cheers, Kat

P.S. Looking for the turkey recipe to end all turkey recipes?  Here you go.  xo

Plymouth Turkey Dinner Plates, Set of 4

Williams-Sonoma, $41.97

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Make a statement with quintessential Thanksgiving dinnerware.  The rich, timeless design dresses up any table and will give your guests all the feels, long after their plates are clean and their bellies are full. Added bonus?  They’re on sale! 

Beaded 13" Gold Chargers, Set of 12

One Kings Lane, $28

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One secret to a beautiful tablescape is all in the art of layering; add chargers to your place settings for a little depth. These gorgeous gold chargers are on the top of our list. 

Set of 6 Square Natural Straw Place Mats, 15"

One Kings Lane, $48

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Speaking of depth, place mats are a must! Not only are we always a fan of rattan and jute everything, but we especially love it on the table. These beautiful straw place mats will be used long after the holidays are done, too. 

Figural Pumpkins

Williams-Sonoma, $27.96+

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These white pumpkin serving dishes and vessels are the perfect marriage of festive and functional.  You’ll love bringing these out every year with tradition, and you’ll relish the chance to pass them down for generations to come. 

Soiree Flatware Placesetting

Williams-Sonoma, $71.96

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Gold flatware…enough said, right?!  This flatware placesetting has always made its way onto our tabletop (all year ’round!), and will definitely be spotted on this year’s Thanksgiving table. 

Soiree 2-Piece Serving Set

Williams-Sonoma, $55.96

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Can’t forget about the serving set!  This matching gold serving set is an essential for serving up a drool-worthy spread.  And like the flatware, this set will quickly become an entertaining staple on all of your tabletops. 

Letterpressed Thankful Coasters

Waiting on Martha Home, $32

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These festive letterpressed coasters are the perfect addition to the table; each of the four designs let guests fill in what they’re thankful for.

The box contains 100 total (25 of each design), and comes packaged with a beautiful bow, making it the perfect, ready-to-go hostess gift!

Set of 4 Daphne Gold Red-Wine Glasses

One Kings Lane, $38

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It’s time to bring out the fancy wine glasses!  These gold red-wine glasses dress up the holiday table, and should never, ever run dry!  Remember the importance of the day and toast your glasses to what you’re thankful for. 

Hand Lettered Watercolor Brush Menu

A Fabulous Fete, $100

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If you were on your A-game, you ordered a custom hand lettered menu weeks ago (I mean, how GORGEOUS?!).  Crunched for time this year (it’s okay, it’s next week, after all)?  Order this hand lettered “menu” stamp and print out the meal’s courses!  

Thanksgiving / Fall Napkin Ties

Waiting on Martha, $16.50

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How cute are these napkin ties?!  It’s an incredibly easy way to include a little festive flair to the table, and very kid-friendly for little fingers!  And under $20, it’s the perfect addition to even the simplest spreads. 

Set of 2 Tree-Branch Candlesticks

One Kings Lane, $59

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Don’t overlook the candles and candlesticks, since it’s a holiday after all.  We’re eyeing these tree-branch candlesticks for a rustic, cozy feel. 

Set of 4 Tapered Candles, White

One Kings Lane, $19

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Set the scene with these white tapered candles. We especially love this set because they’re made in the USA, and are smokeless and dripless (!).  This way, you can rest easy that you won’t have a big old mess on your Thanksgiving table.  There are more important things to worry about and it starts with a “t” and ends with an “urkey.”

Turkey Place Cards

Waiting on Martha Home, $16

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A simple finishing touch?  These turkey place cards.  Place cards take the question out of where to sit, and encourage meaningful conversation around the table. Why not include cute turkey designs on them while you’re at it?  

Photography, Rustic White for Waiting on Martha

An Easter Egg Cookie Tree & Dessert Table

A Beautiful Pastel Spread Full of Easter Dessert Inspiration
Filed Under > Entertaining

Eastertable3
Easter dessert table via Waiting on Martha
Flowering branches with Easter cookies
Layered naked cake for Easter
Robins egg blue cake for Easter

When MKR originally teamed up with Eileen Carter Creations and Whipped Bakeshop, no one could deny that Easter truly takes the cake when it comes to desserts. And if you’re like me, you didn’t even realize how much you loved Easter desserts until you saw this shoot! The pretty pastels, the intricate details and hints of spring…I’m in love.

This table’s gorgeous styling serves as some of the sweetest Easter desserts I’ve seen around (seriously, I see way too much tchotchke stuff out there this time of year).  Just look at these three glorious cakes (my favorite is the speckled robin’s egg blue buttercream with a chocolate and Baileys center of course!) by Eileen Carter, an irresistible batch of homemade pistachio pudding, blooming cherry blossom branches with Easter egg cookies from Whipped Bakeshop, and last but not least, Easter eggs for all to enjoy. 

I’ll admit that this Easter dessert table goes above and beyond what we have planned at my house; but oh what a great way to celebrate the holiday. What Easter desserts will you be making come Easter Sunday?  Cheers, Kat

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Photography, Rustic White for Waiting on Martha

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