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Sunday, December 14, 2014

Winter Tablescape Design Inspiration

Hi friends!
It's hard to believe that Christmas is only ten days away! I feel like this year went by too fast. It has been a snowy weekend in this neck of the woods! We just might get a white Christmas after all!

With the holidays just round the corner, I thought I would share with you a mood board for my winter tablescape design!



I have always been drawn to the Scandinavian Christmas color scheme of red and white when decorating for the holidays! 
Decorating my home with traditional red accents makes me feel more "Christmassy." And with snow covering every inch of the ground outside, throwing in white accents in my home decor makes everything look brighter inside especially when most days are so dark and gloomy nowadays!

I am using this White Philippe Dining Table from Modani as an inspirational muse to create my Winter tablescape design.  The smooth clean lines of the oversized white tabletop with beautiful carved legs is a fine example of when contemporary meets classic baroque! If you are a regular reader of my blog, then you must know how much I love French-inspired home decor! I am also in love with this elegant, classic New Louis White Armless Chair, that goes charmingly with the sleek modern table. 

A trendsetter in furniture design, Modani has revolutionized the modern furniture industry. It has designed a variety of cutting-edge collections, from minimalist, contemporary to baroque and eclectic furniture design for you to select and choose from. Modani has beautiful showrooms for you to visit and explore their Modern Furniture all across the United States from New York City and Miami to Houston and Los Angeles, and even in Canada. They even have virtual tour available on their website.


To set my Holiday tablescape I have covered my traditional Queen Anne wood table with a pristine white tablecloth that matches my inspirational table. Keeping with the Scandinavian red and white color scheme I have incorporated into my table setting: my antique red goblets,  Cristal d'Arques stemware,  red, white and silver ornaments, red poinsettia garland as centerpiece for my tablescape, and Red Sainte Germaine style dinner plate from Sur La Table.  

 Stay tuned to see more of my red and white Christmas tablescape, where modern meets Scandinavian with a little bit of Parisian thrown in!

Thanks for your visit! It is always a pleasure to hear from you!
Merry Christmas!
~Hugs, Poppy~
Linking to:
Craftberry Bush:The Inspiration Gallery
Savvy Southern Style: Wow Us Wednesdays
The Scoop
Share It One More Time
Dwellings: Amaze Me Monday
Boogieboard Cottage: Masterpiece Monday
Flour Me With Love:Mix it Up Monday
The Dedicated House: Make it Pretty Monday
Between Naps On The Porch: Metamorphosis Monday
Rustic & Refined: Table It
Coastal Charm: Show and Share Party
Our Home Away From Home: Tuesdays at Our Home
DIY by Design: Fall into Fall
A Stroll Thru Life: Inspire me Tuesday 
Ivy and Elephants: What's it Wednesday
The Style Sisters: Centerpiece Wednesday
Share Your Cup Thursday
A Creative Princess 
Katherine's Corner: Thursdays Favorite Things Blog Hop
A Delightsome Life: Home and Garden Thursday
I Gotta Create: Wildly Original Party
The Charm of Home: Home Sweet Home
Chic on a Shoestring Decorating: Flaunt it Friday
Rooted in Thyme: Simple Sweet Fridays
Bacon Time With The Hungry Hypo
My Romantic Home: Show and Tell Friday

Sunday, December 7, 2014

Christmas Potpourri


Don't you just love Christmas, the most wonderful time of the year? "With the kids jingle-belling and everyone telling you be of good cheer." I just got home after picking up my daughter from the store. She has been volunteering at the area stores for bell ringing on behalf of the Salvation Army. 
"It's the happiest season of all with those holiday greetings, when friends come to call, and there will be parties for hosting."

I love filling the house with "Christmas Scent!"

Gather the ingredients to make your house smelling like Christmas, especially before you are expecting company.


Some of these natural ingredients you may already even have in your pantry. 
3-4 cinnamon sticks and 1 tablespoon of whole cloves

One cup of cranberries

2-3 whole oranges, sliced


or 2-3 lemons, sliced

and a teaspoon of vanilla extract



Bring about 3 cups of water a boil in a pot or a slow cooker along with the fresh fruits, herbs, spices, and extract. Reduce heat and then simmer on low. Soon your home will be smelling heavenly! The combination of the spices and the orange slices is absolutely amazing! Check once in a while to make sure there is enough water in the pot to prevent burning.

A jar filled up with this concoction not only makes beautiful Christmas accents in your home but also excellent hostess gifts
Here, a trio of them looks pretty on my kitchen window sill.


To surround your home with more wonderful Christmas scent or simply to decorate with natural elements such as this sweet-smelling orange garland
Click on the picture below



Thanks for stopping by today and for your sweet comments. 
Merry Christmas!

I would like to say thank you to these gracious hostesses for showcasing my Christmas Luminaries and Thanksgiving Vignette at their fun linky parties. Stop by and visit their beautiful blogs if you get a chance for a host of inspiring ideas on home decor, crafts, diys, and mouth-watering recipes.

Kathy @ A Delightsome Life
The Style Sisters
Kim @ Savvy Southern Style
Linda @ Coastal Charm
Kathryn @ The Dedicated House
Tammy and Cathy @ One More Time Events

My heartfelt thanks!

~Hugs,Poppy~





Monday, November 17, 2014

Christmas Mason Jar Luminaries


Hi everybody! Winter is kind of early for us this year! We usually get our first snow a couple weeks after Thanksgiving. Except over the weekend, we got our first snow storm with a couple inches of accumulation, and it has been sooo cold...
The wintry weather has driven us all indoors and has put me into the holiday spirit! I love this time of the year... I feel like decorating every corner of our home. Everything feels so festive, warm, and cozy. With Thanksgiving only a week away, it's kind of early to start Christmas decoration, but I just can't resist adding holiday touches everywhere!

Before I go any further with this post, I just wanted to add a few words to express my gratitude and simply say thank you to all who left me such sweet comments and thoughtful words about my health! I am overwhelmed with your thoughtfulness, and I appreciate your well wishes. 

I love the ambiance created by candle light especially during holiday time. Adding luminaries  in holiday centerpieces and vignettes seems to add to the festive spirit of the season.


Supplies required to make these simple Christmas luminaries:
1. Ball mason jars
2. Evergreen sprigs from my backyard
3. A bag of Epsom salt ( I got mine for 88 cents from the pharmacy section of Walmart)
4. White votive candles (50 cents each )
5. Chalkboard tags (from Jo-Ann craft store)
6. Red and white check ribbon 



Fill the bottom half of the mason jars with Epsom salt, and then insert a votive candle in each 
jar.

Add the red and white check ribbon around the neck of the mason jars along with the chalkboard tags


Sprigs of evergreen or even red berries and pine cones can be tucked in as holiday accents 





It's that simple and easy! I am planning to use these mason jar luminaries as centerpieces for my holiday tablescape.


They can also be used as accents in vignettes, and a group of them will look beautiful on a holiday porch or even for illuminating the drive way to welcome your guests.


I love how they turned out and look so pretty on the deck railing nestled in the snow!

My thanks to the following hostesses for featuring my Thanksgiving Breakfast Vignette at their weekly linky party


Stop by and visit their blogs if you get a chance for chock-full of inspiring ideas or simply join their weekly parties to share your own projects!


Thanks for stopping by and for your sweet comments! I always enjoy the pleasure of your company.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!


~Hugs, Poppy~


Monday, November 10, 2014

A Thanksgiving Breakfast Vignette



I apologize to my readers for being away from my blog for a couple of months. I have not been keeping that well for the last few months. Life has been quite chaotic, with trips to the  emergency room, doctor's visits, and running various tests. After waiting endlessly for various test reports, here I am today and thankful that I am doing so much better than I was few months back.
I have missed writing my blog and visiting all the other creative bloggers! I have a lot of catching up to do in the next weeks....
The holidays are just round the corner, and today I thought I will share my Thanksgiving vignette with my readers.

I love playing with different vignettes and organizing my kitchen. The kitchen is the heart of our home! These Ikea Fintorp wall organizer hooks and wire storage basket is a wonderful way to keep your kitchen neat and in working order.


The wire basket holding the oranges not only looks pretty but also serves as a reminder for my children to remember to eat fruits everyday.

I like the look of this rustic candle holder inside the blue mason jar

The red and white striped bowls holding the grapes are from Sur La Table and remind me so much of French grain sack.  


A wire rooster makes a wonderful holder for eggs.


In keeping with the Thanksgiving theme for my breakfast tray, these ornamental corns make a nice addition to the vignette...

as well as the white baby boo pumpkin nestled among the plates and berries. It goes well with my Thanksgiving breakfast tray.


Thanks for stopping by today to take a peek at my Thanksgiving breakfast tray. It is always a pleasure to have you visit me. 
Have a lovely week!

~ Hugs, Poppy~

Linking to:

Monday, August 25, 2014

Touring Through Blogland

I was invited to participate in a blog tour by Patti from Pandora's Box. I'm really enjoying the tour, sharing a little about me, and getting to know other kindred spirits who are equally passionate about blogging just like me. Thank you Patti for the invite!
Patti is a retired teacher from New York who loves transforming furniture into extraordinary pieces with her creative touch. I especially love her Mackenzie-Childs inspired furniture makeovers like this black and white harlequin diamond design pretty end table:

When she is not creating beautiful furniture transformations, you will find her busy cooking or baking mouth-watering recipes like this delicious Garlic Chicken:

or baking a yummy zucchini-pineapple-carrot bread:

Patti also featured Jennifer @ Beeutiful By Design. Do stop by and say hello to Jennifer as well!

I'm excited to join the tour today and answer four questions that give my readers a little more insight into With a Dash of Color.


1.What am I working on right now?
Instead of taking on new projects this summer, I have been busy travelling and spending time with my family. We spent the first part of summer exploring the New England area, especially the beautiful sandy white beaches of Cape Cod, and falling in love with the shingle-style architecture of coastal New England:



We just got back from Puerto Rico, where we had an amazing time hiking through the El Yunque tropical rain forest and exploring Puerto Rico's many incredible forts:

In less than a week my husband and I will  be traveling again to Providence, Rhode Island to help my older daughter move into her dorm as she starts her sophomore year of college and after that  it's "back-to-school" for my younger daughter, who is a high school freshman.


2.How does my work differ from others in this genre?
I don't think my work is any different from other creative souls like me who are passionate about interior decor. My style of decor can best be described as an eclectic mix of Country French accents and the earth tone colors of Tuscany. I love mixing toile fabrics, antique furnishings, and rustic details of Country French with Tuscan inspired old-world style decor:


My philosophy to interior design is: A home must be a reflection of who I am and what makes my family and me comfortable. It must be a space that reflects my personality and creates a lifetime of memories.

3.Why do I write or create what I do?
I started this blog in 2011 as an outlet to create and share my passion, interior design, with other like minded bloggers. I enjoy drawing inspiration from other fellow bloggers to create spaces that satisfy my creative spirit and in the process maybe inspire others to do the same.



4. How does your creative process actually work?
My inspirational muse: fellow bloggers. My biggest inspiration comes from other bloggers and the beautiful spaces they create. And of course, Pinterest also provides me with thousands of visually inspiring projects and ideas. I love incorporating natural  elements into my room decor, vignettes, and tablescapes.  Nature's beauty and the changing seasons motivate me to add seasonal changes to my room decor and I absolutely love doing that!

Touring through Blogland continued:

I'm pleased to introduce you to three talented bloggers, who have agreed to join the tour next week.

Lisa is a stay-at-home mom who shares her passion for baking @ Flour Me With Love. Her recipes are always so quick and easy! She makes the most scrumptious, mouth-watering baked goodies. You have got to try her easy and delicious no-bake strawberry lasagna, you won't be disappointed:

Next is Carol from An Oasis in the Desert. She is an avid quilter, sewer, crafter, and is a passionate home decorator just like me. I  love they way she adds seasonal touches to her beautiful Arizona home and makes it so inviting, warm, and cozy:


And finally, it is my pleasure to introduce a newbie blogger all the way from India: Auro from Add that Xtra in the Ordinary. Her beautiful blog inspires me to visit and explore the rich culture and heritage of incredible India! I love her traditional room decor and the many facets of a rich and diverse culture that she shares at her space:

I hope you enjoyed the tour! Thanks for joining me today for the tour. Please visit Lisa, Carol, and Auro next Monday, September 1st, when they will share their own thoughts for this tour.

~Hugs, Poppy~