Fall Party Decor

 
This past week I helped one of my clients get her home prepared for a big party she was hosting.
 
 
I finished decorating her home about 6 months ago and she wanted me to come in again and add the special "fresh" touches that make a party feel alive. 
 
We added a grouping of pumpkins to her dining room table.  I love using white pumpkins in different shapes and sizes.  I especially love these above because I added a metallic finish to them.  It made them look more interesting and I'm sure made the guests curious.  The white pumpkin with the blown glass top (a drapery finial) is my absolute favorite.  I added some bard that intertwined between all the pumpkins.
 
 
My client had a beautiful crystal vase that I used.  I put the gray metallic pumpkin on top of the vase (toward the back)  and then added the fresh flowers all around it.
 
The gray pumpkin got a metallic finish too.  
 
 
 
I added small touches of fall colors throughout the house.  I added two fresh gourds to this vase,
added water and placed the flowers all around them.
 
In her formal living room she wanted roses like I had placed when I first finished her home 6 months ago. This time I added berries and they look fabulous with the entire room.
 
 
 
We placed a new rug in her little "bar" which looks fabulous with her new custom made bar chairs.
 
I'm still crazy about these chairs from my ONE by ONE collection.
 
 
You can see the bar in the background here.  Such a great room for hanging with friends.
 
 
Lesley and I had a blast putting together all the arrangements and preparing for this party!  The client said it was a huge success!
 
 
Afterwards I drove to Crocket, Texas with my girls to spend the weekend camping in the woods with my husband and family. The leaves were turning and it was incredibly beautiful to be surrounded by pine trees and fall foliage.
 
  We took our RV (the best way to camp) and it was a great time to unwind and relax, especially after an extremely busy last few months. 
 
I love that we had great cousin, aunts and uncle and daddy time. 
 
My heart is full!
 
 
Visit my website, DecRenew Interiors to see my Design Portfolio.
 
 
 
 


Fall Randomness

 
Wrapped these books with wrapping paper this morning!
 
So last week my husband had surgery.  If you remember, he broke his femur 5 years ago (a motorcycle accident) and his leg has given him nothing but trouble since.  He had it fixed last week so now his leg should be good as new again.  Anyway, this week I've been playing nurse, mom, decorator, business owner, taxi driver, choir banquet coordinator
and housekeeper and it has been a bit overwhelming. 
 
Painted my gold mirror "high gloss white" and moved it into my entry.
 
 However, this weekend I'm enjoying having all the windows open since the weather is getting cooler!  I have had a chance to do some tweaking around MY house for a change.  My husband's friend came to pick him up to get him out of the house a bit so I'm enjoying a little bit of "me" and quiet time.
 
 
I had a chance to paint this "random" painting.  Decided to paint over the previous one I did about 10 years ago using new, fresh colors.  I woke up early and couldn't sleep so I got my acrylic paints out and started creating.  I think it represents the "chaos" that life  deals out sometimes but life is still beautiful amidst the chaos.
 
 
Now hung in my entry way, it goes beautifully with my other décor.
 
We have been blessed to have had our friends from church bring us meals each night this past week which has been an incredible help to me since my hubby is the cook  in this family!  So grateful for good friends in my life that have cared for us so well during this time. 
  Last night some of our friends dropped by with warm cookies and milk from Tiff's Treats.  So delicious and thoughtful.  If you haven't tried Tiff's Treats, they are amazing and they deliver to your door!
 
 
I'm ready for fall and next on my list is to get out all my fall décor as well as my winter clothes and boots!  I love this time of year.    Turquoise and orange = yummy!
 
 
  My colors in my home always go so beautifully with my fall décor so it gets me excited each year when I start pulling them out.  I've put two mercury glass pumpkins on top of my new vintage china cabinet and they look so pretty!  I love the way they reflect the light!
 
Last years décor!  Remember the tip I gave about how  clear shoe polish works beautifully to get pumpkins shiny!  Just make sure you buff really well.
 
 Happy Saturday Ya'll
 
Visit my website at DecRenew Interiors to see my Design Portfolio.
 If you don't follow me on Pinterest you can now, lots of new pins for fall decorating!
 
 
 
 
See my  HOUZZ profile Here. 

Who doesn't LOVE Sunday lunch?

 
I have always loved Sunday lunches after church with family.  This Sunday was extra special because my Aunt and Uncle from South Africa are here visiting! 
 
 
My mom, my aunt, my sister and myself :)
 
 
One of the things I love most about Sunday lunch is setting the table.  Nothing fancy but just simple and  inviting "using what I have."  I used my every day china and crystal this time.  I found the tablecloth last year at an estate sale (thank you to my daughter who ironed it for me).  It is a beautiful cross stitch pattern that the lady's mother had made. 
 
 
I brought in the miniature roses and berries from my backyard.  I have a set of 5 little vases and they always make the table feel "simply" spectacular.
 
 
We made fajitas since my Aunt and Uncle had never had them.  Of course, they loved them.  We did have to convince them that they didn't need to eat them with their knife and fork.  Picking them up and eating them like a sandwich was totally cool here in Texas.  We had a good laugh over that. 
 
 
Several years ago, I purposely purchased a large bowl that goes in the center of my table.  The reason I love it so much is that everyone can be seated and I can have something beautiful in it without disrupting our view of each other.  
 
Ruthie's tip of the day: 
 Centerpieces are lovely but don't create one or place one in the center of the table that you have to remove once everyone is seated.  You want to be able to enjoy it while you eat.  Make it low and wide if you have to, rather than too tall.
 
 
I change what is in the bowl with the seasons.  I can't wait to put my pumpkins in it for the fall and then fill it with Christmas ornaments for the holiday season.   Of course everybody got a cloth napkin because as you know, Fajitas are not easy to eat without making a mess!
 
 
For yesterday's meal, I filled it with these blown glass balls.  I placed a loose flower amongst them because I loved that pop of interest.
 
It was amazing to hear about my Aunt and Uncle's adventures and ministries that they are a part of all over the world.  Very inspiring to hear how lives are being touched and hope is being planted in others hearts. My uncle has been building houses, teaching others to garden so they can eat their own crops, feeding and providing shelter for orphans, etc.  See his website here.  http://www.tendinternational.org/
 
 
After we finished the meal, I scattered the little vases around the house so we can enjoy them all week!  We all had coffee, apple pie and ice cream and chatted all afternoon.  Perfect Sunday!
 
 
Hope your Labor Day weekend was amazing.  We were blessed to have my husband's family and some great friends over for the day for burgers.
  My house was full all weekend and that is what makes my soul happy!
 
Thank you to my sister in law who brought me these beauties!  I have them on my desk so I can enjoy them while I work this week.
Hope your week is filled with beauty and not too much chaos.
 
   Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. (Colossians 3:23 NLT)
 
 
Visit my website DecRenew Interiors to see my Design Portfolio. 
 I'd love to set up a consultation with you so we can make your home beautiful.
 
 
 


Tablescapes and Dinner

My husband and I belong to a Gourmet Dinner Club and it's such fun to rotate to different homes each month.  Last night it was our turn to host!
Hosting together was a blast!  He loves to plan and so do I.  I love to make things beautiful and he loves to make things taste incredible.  We make a good team and it's always fun to find things to do together that we enjoy!

It was a blast preparing the table scape as well as the menu.

I created this menu on Microsoft Publisher and printed them on card stock.  The turquoise print matched one of the leaves on the tablecloth.  The menu was a bit of fun added to the table and made for great conversation as the guests were seated.

Casa Roca is our house name.

Fresh flowers always make a nice statement on a table.  I bought the small vases about a year ago and hadn't used them yet so it was great to pull those out. 

I made the napkin rings out of ribbon and they added a pop of color and interest to the table!

I had this beautiful round tray and it happened to coordinate with the tablecloth so it was in the center of the table.  I placed all the flowers on the tray and I think it really made a nice centerpiece and smelled divine.
My girls enjoyed helping me set up so it became a family affair.  Of course they didn't want to have anything to do with the thousands of dishes that were in sink after the party :(
We had Bruschetta for the Starters as well as hot crab dip.  We tried to prepare as much as possible ahead of time so we weren't too frantic when our guests arrived.
Everyone was served champagne as they arrived with a raspberry floating on top :)
We served a wedge salad with blue cheese or ranch dressing as our starter.
 Visit Pinterest to get the recipe I used.
The main entree was roasted carrots with shallots and thyme. 
 Visit Pinterest to get the recipe.
English roasted potatoes.  These are my absolute favorite and growing up I was the one who had to make them each Sunday after church.  
Visit here for a great recipe!
Rib Eye Steak with Devil's Sauce cooked to perfection. 
 Visit here for the recipe.
  The sweet raspberry jam in the sauce made it divine.
We then had this chocolate delight for our dessert.  I made them in individual glasses so it was easy to serve out on the patio with coffee.
Visit here for the recipe.
Ruthie's Party Tip:  Plan as much as you can in advance.  You want things to be fresh but things you can do ahead of time make it less stressful for you.  You want to be a good host or hostess and not be frazzled to the max when you guests arrive.  We always allow for about 20 minutes before the party to sit and just relax before everyone shows up.  We put it on our "to do" list for the party day.  I even have the coffee ready to brew so I don't have to think about that later either.
The best part of the whole evening was the conversation, laughter and time shared together! 
Hope your week is filled with beauty!  Remember I can help you with your next party.  I offer a party consultation that helps you walk through all the details of planning a party and how to "use what you have" for the setup.  It's money well spent and lots of stress relieved on your part.
I get to enjoy these flowers all week now so that's amazing!
Visit my website DecRenew Interiors to see my design portfolio. 

Participating in Tablescape Thursday from Between Naps on the Porch

Spring Branches

(Southern Living)
I'm so happy that Spring is in the air and a glimpse of Summer is everywhere!  I came across the photo above and thought it was a beautiful example of what spring is all about;
  Freshness, new life, reflection, growth, color,
strength and beauty.

Hopefully your Easter week will be full of renewal and new beginnings.  Enjoy being with your family and friends.

Visit DecRenew Interiors to see my before and after gallery.
Book your design consultation today!