To Do // Trim the Tree

Texas siren Jayne Mansfield trims a tree in true bombshell fashion. This is exactly what we wear too, of course.

We're sure you're stuffed and never want to see another turkey...until Christmas that is. Pop a bottle of champagne and get in the Christmas spirit while trimming the tree with our Christmas Playlist.  

 

TO DO // Summer's Last Hurrah

Summer, you were great, but we're moving on. Our last hurrah of the summer involves a lot of work in Oklahoma with great vendors (hopefully, we will get to share more with you soon), but once we get home, we plan to chill and enjoy the last few official days of the hot months by looking forward to fall. 

1. Breakfast in bed? We still need to catch up on all those September issues, not to mention our favorite blogs!
2. We love Marchesa's pinterest inspiration board. All the lovely details you would expect from the glamorous fashion duo. We see much more Marchesa in our future. 
3. Our favorite china patterns tend to go on the table, of course. However, it's hard to pass up this delightful wallpaper when it comes in blue + white. #classicsrule 
4. Inspired by the Mui Mui's veritable feast during fashion week, we're thinking up new ideas for displaying goodies at future parties. Perhaps a party with our friends to bounce ideas of each other and come up with creative concepts. Sounds fun! Just look at the Girls Day In party Rue shared on their blog. Can't wait to try this out!
5. Speaking of fun Fall fetes, how about a vintage botanical party inspired by your friends at 100 Layer Cake? We'd love to take this to the next level with #POSHVintage. 

Your turn! How are you spending the last weekend of summer?

Weekend Checklist: July

1. With Summer vacations lining up, we finally get to catch up on our favorite magazines, like Architectural Digest. Plus, we've been dying to read Lean In from the brilliant mind of Sheryl Sandberg. Downloaded and ready!

2. As always, the world is obsessed with Kate Middleton, and we're right there with you. We love hearing about the royal baby watch and can't wait to see the little prince or princess.

3. We're dying to see Fly, an updated version of Peter Pan that gives Wendy a stronger voice and has received rave reviews. See it at The Dallas Theater Center.

4. Our local love is running deep for the renovations around The Joule. We can't wait to get our Pre-Fall fashion fix at TENOVERSIX and catch up with friends at Weekend Coffee or Taschen Books. Have you been? Are you going? Meet us there!

Weekend To Do: Wanderlust

From city treasures to travel tips, this weekend's links will leave you with major wanderlust.

1. Whether you're in Dallas or NYC, you have something spectacular to see. Hermès is showcasing just how their iconic craftsmanship comes to life with a workshop with their talented artisans. Details here. If NYC isn't in your travel plans, have no fear. You can still see some acclaimed work. Only at the Dallas Museum of Art can you see Eliel Saarinen's precise and bold tea urn. We love a great entertaining piece that doubles as art. See it here.
2. Leave it to Oscar de la Renta to design the most beautiful virtual paper goods for Paperless Post. For us, it's a match made in heaven. Our favorite? This floral and ikat print are a wonderful modern invite that promises you will transport guests with a festive fete. We'll take them! See more of the designes here. Likewise, we love the Michael Aram's Black Orchid five-piece setting. Who says black isn't just punk enough for Spring? This is a pattern that can easily be used throughout the year and deserves as spot on our tables. Get it here. 
3. What to wear when doing hostess duties this Spring? Koch, of course. We love this local bohemian brand with it's perfect warm weather threads for travel and home. Shop the brand here.
4. Just to further inspire your wanderlust, Assouline is releasing second editons of Gypset Style. Pure inspiration. 
5. Planning your weekend trips? Design Sponge has your East Coast cheat sheet here.
 

Weekend To Do: Culture Club

One: Anthropologie's home collection, inspired by remote isles and sea, is the perfect addition to freshen up tablescapes and homes this season. It's the escapism that will get you from Spring to Summer.
Two: We can't event begin to cover how will feel about the genius of Baz Luhrmann in one blog post. While everyone is certainly looking forward to the release of The Great Gatsby, Architectural Digest is digging into the design and architecture of the set with Tobey Maguire. Read it here.
Three: Texas has officially named the pecan pie THE state pie. In a state known for sweets and Southern hospitality, this is no easy feat. Food & Wine shares the 1996 winning recipe for Bobby Lee's Texas State Fair pecan pie (judged by none other than Dean Fearing). Just add it as another source of Texas pride, along with BBQ, breakfast tacos, and sweet tea. Recipe here.
Four: The Dallas Art Fair (April 12-14) and The Dallas Film Festival (April 4-14) bring serious talent to our growing cultural mecca. Get your tickets and read about the art and film waiting to blow your mind this month. 

Weekend To Do: Spring Fling

While you're spending time with family during the long weekend, take a cue from what we hope to see, eat, and do around Dallas. What are your family plans?

1. Cindy Sherman Untitled #119 and Untitled Film Still #21, Courtesy of artist + Metro Pictures, New York, copyright 2012. //  2. Christian Lacroix Porcelain Collection. // 3. Dallas Blooms. // 4. Gucci silk gown at Net-a-porter. // 5. La Ventan, image our own. // 6. Strike!

 1. The Cindy Sherman exhibit that began at the MoMa is ending at the Dallas Museum of Art. Cindy Sherman is well known in art circles for self portraits inhibiting the female form and all of its expressions. Put simply, she's the Meryl Streep of the art world, uncannily talented and ready to play muse to whatever character falls into her mind's eye. It's truly something to take in, and we're lucky enough to have her work visit our city. Read more at the DMA's blog, Art&Seek.
2. Christian Lacroix is adding a touch of couture to the world of tabletop. We, of course, couldn't be more thrilled. See more of this beautiful collaboration of porcelain and fashion for Maison + Objet 2013 here. 
3. The Dallas Blooms at the Dallas Arboretum is so good, y'all. What is already a gorgeous venue in Dallas hits the highest note of the season with a display of over 500,000 tulips that rivals any trip to Holland. This is the perfect place for family time this weekend. More info here.
4. Oh, Gucci. We love this dress for glamorous hosting duties, Spring galas, and even for of how we envision it transitioning into Fall. Get it here.
5. Hungry for serious street tacos? Look no further than La Ventana. Meso Maya's backyard taco stand is so good, we've haven't been able to go a week without their fresh tacos and street corn. It's walking distance from Klyde Park and the perfect reason to venture outside the park on your next visit. 
6. America's favorite pastime is here. The Rangers aren't the only team on our radar this season. We're also looking at Jami's son Joseph Jr. He's earned bragging rights for pitching 16 strikeouts this week. We're all such proud mamas over here! Dallas Morning News.

To Do: Weekend Checklist

We've been busy, so we're playing catch up on the fun stuff before the Spring season gets in full swing. So what's inspiring us this weekend? 

Must See: Images courtesy of SMU Meadows Museum / Potterseed images via John Derian / Celerie Kemble for Schumacher image via Cloth&Kind / Vogue cover courtesy of Vogue; Beyonce courtesy of HBO

Must See: We got a chance to slip over and see the Gongora/Picasso: Graphic Poetry exhibit while running around the Meadows Museum open house (read more here and here). The Baroque poet's work inspiring the artist's hand is something that needs to be seen again and again to fully grasp it's importance. Hurry over to the Meadows and try to catch it. Info here.
Need: You can never have enough ceramics in the house, seriously. Especially when the line is Potterseed, which includes delicate painting and abstract patterns in a garden-inspired collaboration between two South African potteries. Find them at John Derian. 
Decorate: Celerie Kemble can really do no wrong in our books, and she has proven it again with a her new line of wall coverings from Schumacher. Our favorite? Featherbloom.  
Queen B: Oh, Beyonce. She's already proven that girls run the world, but with a new world tour plus a Vogue March cover, it's safe to say it's B's world and we just live in it. Did you catch her documentary last Sunday on HBO? Just makes us love her even more. 

To Do: Alley's House 9th Annual Art Auction

There is only one thing better than buying art, and that's buying art for a great cause. Fortunately for you, tomorrow you can do just that by heading down to the Gallery at Midtown. Proceeds will benefit alley's house, which you know as a nonprofit near and dear to our hearts. alley's house empowers teen mothers and their children by supporting them as they achieve financial and education independence. The live auction this year will feature many Texas artists, including two live art paintings. For me details on the event and featured artists, please visit alley's house blog here.

 

If You're thinking about zebra print

Scalamandré is known for quality designer fabrics; you probably are aware of their cult classsic pattern, "The Zebras," from its appearance on wallpaper in nearly every interior design blog and shelter magazine. Now this cool design is coming to tabletops with their fine china partnership with Lenox. How cool is that? We can't wait to get it for our own tabletops, as it is a look we have gone for again and again with clients. The biggest thing to remember with such a strong print or pattern is not to be afraid of it. Go ahead; get wild!

All the cool kids channel Margo from The Royal Tenenbaums. Left: A frame from the film. Right: The Zebra Pattern by Scalamandré for Lenox.

Left: The pattern on wallpaper for ELLE DECOR | Right: Image via THE NEW YORK TIMES

We'd pair the collection with rattan chargers and dark linens for an exotic theme and Barcelona Silver and Gold China for a more regal look. If you don't have the Zebra china collection, use a pattern linen and keep the tabletop simple with deep colors for a dramatic look. The Dallas Opera accomplished this perfectly with the 2012 la Traviata Onstage Dinner.

Add a little zebra print to your tabletop. | 2012 TO DO ONSTAGE DINNER, la Traviata

 

RENTALS: Black Chiavari with black cushion / Cut Crystal Glass Chargers / Silverbead Flatware / Silhouette Stemware 
Planning + Design, MORGAN VAUGHN | Linens, BBJ | Rentals, P.O.S.H. | Florals, DR DELPHINIUM | Photography, LYNN MICHELLE PHOTOGRAPHY

Weekend To - Do: Pop Culture

Besides tomorrow being the official first day of Fall (!!!), there are a million awesome things to inspire you this weekend. Nothing gets us excited like the art world and pop culture, so we are sharing a few of our favorite things that will undoubtedly have you seeing life in a whole new light. Enjoy!

 1. NYC Tabletop Market is always inspiring, but the Prouna Jewelry Line made a distinct impression on POSH. Laurel loved the use of Swarovski crystals in these elegant and impressive tabletop pieces. Talk about #tabletoplove. Clockwise from top left: Diana tea cup and saucer, Adonis set, Diana pot. More Prouna here. 
2.  Elegant brands that push the status quo make pop culture more exciting. There are probably none who have done or do it better than Marc Jacobs and the late Alexander McQueen. From left: We love this Alexander McQueen Hummingbird rug because of its free and happy vibe and want it hanging on our walls. Another happy vibe: The windows at Louis Vuitton in NYC featuring a collaboration with the Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama. It's a favorite because we love when the different worlds of art collide, especially when the result is a happy world of polka dots. 
3. The Goss-Michael Foundation always has the most amazing exhibits. This weekend is no exception with the MTV Staying Alive Foundation's AIDS benefit, featuring the works of Dave White (top) and Chuck Elliott (bottom). Learn more here.
4. The book we can't wait to peruse? Doris Duke's Shangri La: A House in Paradise. Beyond the beauty and history of her collections, it's the women herself that entices us to put this on our weekend reading list.
5. Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has To Travel. Not enough can be said about this legendary editor of Harper's Bazaar and Vogue, so of course we're dying to see the documentary, which happens to open today!

To Do: Weekend Checklist

Our weekends To-Do's involve fulfilling our print love for beautiful wallpapers from U.S. artists, as well as a local Hockaday grad; checking out the new Tory Burch Foundation site (Tory, sigh, we love you.); buying tickets for the latest play to hit The Lexus Broadway Series at AT&T Performing Arts Center; and--fingers crossed--securing spots to see Florence + The Machine at the Texas State Fair. Other than that, we'll be catching up with our favorite people on Facebook and Pinterest. Be sure to check us out!

1. We're always inspired by new prints, whether they're for our tabletops or our walls. When we came across these modern prints from national artists, we knew we had to share them with you. // Top: How great is this Bond Girls wallpaper by Vital Collection by Jordi Labanda? And who says toile has to be stuffy? We love this awesome Posada Dumbo Toile by Dan Funderburgh, which depicts the Brooklyn Bridge. // Bottom: Also catching our attention, Fabrics&Papers prints in Cheetah, Lobster Quadrille, and Verve Embroidered (which reminded us of our new Calatrava Bridge!). 
2. Tory Burch understands working moms and the entreprenerial spirit, so it's no surprise her Tory Burch Foundation invests in the success and sustainability of women-owned businesses--a lady after our own hearts! Her new website features great resources for women looking to launch a business.
3. War Horse! The award-winning play (and film) caught our attention when it won it's first Tony. We can't wait to see Albert and his beloved horse Joey burst to live at the Winspear Opera House later this month. (Dates: Sept. 12-23)
4. Happy Cactus  Designs caught our eye at St. Michael's Woman's Exchange, and it turns out this beautifully designed stationery line is local. Hockaday grad Brannon Cullum set up shop in Austin, Texas, operating and designing papers you'll want to get your hands on soon. 
5. It's nearly time for the Texas State Fair. While the food and fun will make for great family time, we're hoping to catch the fiery red Florence Welch as she makes a Dallas appearance. In a world full of auto-tune, you'll appreciate her amazing vocal chops, plus her theatrical stage antics (think Stevie Nicks with a bigger production). Sold? You just wait. (Images via here and here.)
 

To Do: Weekend Checklist

With only a few more weekends of Summer, we're trying to pack in everything we can before our time is filled with Fall parties and events. Here's a glimpse at our weekend checklist. From Restaurant Week, tabletop market, catching up on reading, and even a POSH engagement, we've got a lot going on! What will you be doing?

Photo credits: Pesto recipe via Mrs. Lilien.

We're getting inspired about new prints, like Marquise de Laborde and the fantastic embroidered linens she makes in France or the latest wallpaper collection from Hermes. Both of these lines tell tremendous stories with their intricate designs, and trust when we say you'll fall in love. 

Besides catching up on the latest September issues (!!!), we're reading a couple of great books. Gone Girl has been on the New York Times best reading list for some time now, and it's worth the hype. Laurel recommended By Invitation Only: How We Built Gilt and Changed the Way Millions Shop, and we love the great advice from these two beautiful ladies that show us the brains and grace under pressure you need when starting a daring new business.

It's Restaurant Week in Dallas! If you haven't had the chance to try Cafe Pacific's Pecan Ball, now's the time. It's on the RW menu. Not only that, but it's been featured on The Food Network "Best Thing I Ever Ate" series. We have to agree.
Cooking at home? Mrs. Lilien, the hostess with the mostess, has the ultimate recipe for pesto. It's a must try! (Her image above.)

Photo Credits: POSH; bottom right, sconce image via Branching Out.

One of our very own got engaged! Congrats to Meg Hayes and her wonderful fiance Jason. We have to admit, we can't wait to help plan.

Jami and Laurel are heading back from NYC's tabletop market. What kind of goodies will they be bringing back? To be first in-the-know, sign up for our weekly newsletter, which always features trends, new showroom items, and sales. 

We always looking for easy ways to spruce up our interiors or plan designs for events. Checking into Branching Out's blog always offers creative and cool ways to enhance your floral and event design, like the proper way to decorate a sconce (above).