Toast: Bond - Part 2

Daniel Craig has made a great addition to the 007 family, but it's the Bond girls that strike our fancy. No, we're not talking about the girlfriends, we're talking the powerful ladies behind the latest installment of Skyfall - the regal Judi Dench as M ("Behind every man there is a great woman...") and Adelle as the singer behind the best Bond song, probably ever. To toast these fabulous ladies of the modern Bond, we mixed a little of Diamonds Are Forever with a little On Her Majesty's Secret Service. In other words, a union of royal luxury with classic British style.

Top: Judi Dench as M and Daniel Craig as 007, James Bond in Skyfall.
Tabletop: Cut Glass Charger, Vera Wang Lace Bouquet Dinner Plate, Sophie Soup Bowl, Floral Elegance Flatware, Nu Silk Napkin with Rhinestone Treatment.
POSH Picks: (Clockwise from top left) White Organza with Double Rhinestone Trim, Chiavari Chair; Silver Lace Goblet, Silver Rimmed Water Goblet; Adelle on the cover of the soundtrack for Skyfall; Floral Elegance spoon, Loren Teacup and Saucer.
All rentals POSH Couture Rentals. Linens, chair treatments from Resource One, exclusively at POSH Couture Rentals.

Toast: Bond - Part 1

Today we toast 50 years of Bond, James Bond. The man who prefers his drinks shaken, not stirred (up until this year, that is), and has managed to maintain to stay at the top of pop culture longer than most starlets. In honor of the latest installment, Skyfall, we're sharing tabletops inspired by the our favorite Bond films - From Russia With Love and Goldfinger. Get you'll first dose of Bond today and check back for even more 007. 

From Russia With Love featuring Sean Connery:
Think grandiose tabletops and wintry elements. Our POSH picks? Silver Goblet and Light Pink Chloe Goblet / Faux Fur Napkin Treatment / Purple Metallic Charger / Vera Wang Lace Bouquet Dinner Plate / Barcelona Gold Salad Plate / Silver Bead B&B Charger / Silver Radiance B&B / Michelangelo Flatware // Umber Taffeta with Chocolate Velvet Applique linen from Resource One, exclusively at POSH Couture Rentals.

Goldfinger:
Golden opulence worthy of 007. Our POSH picks? Barcelona Gold Dinner Plate / Black and Gold China / Royal Gold Glassware / Onyx Glassware / Gold Radiance Brushed B&B Charger / Dynasty 24K Gold Flatware // Gold Sequin Mesh linen from Resource One, exclusively at POSH Couture Rentals.

 

POSH 101: Tea Party

We're excited about sponsoring the Dallas International Art, Antique & Jewelry Show's High Noon Texas Tea this Friday. So excited, in fact, that we thought we would share a few tea party pointers just for fun. It will be the beginning of a great weekend at Dallas Market Hall. The best part? We have several complimentary one day tickets for two for Fall show, this Friday through Monday (November 9-12th). Stop by the showroom to get yours today! Go here for an overview of the 80+ international exhibitors.

Top image via Pinterest / Loren silver tea cup, saucer, and plate / Gold Florentine charger, Gold Scroll Dinner plate and B&B, Gold Leaf salad plate and tea cup, Gold Bead B&B charger, Gold Lyons flatware // All POSH Couture Rentals

 Tea Time Etiquette 

An excerpt from Tea Time Etiquette and the History of Afternoon Tea

• Greeting/handshake
• After sitting down — put purse on lap or behind you against chair back
• Napkin placement — unfold napkin on your lap, if you must leave temporarily place napkin on chair.
• Sugar/lemon — sugar is placed in cup first, then thinly sliced lemon and never milk and lemon together. Milk goes in after tea — much debate over it, but according to Washington School of Protocol, milk goes in last. The habit of putting milk in tea came from the French. “To put milk in your tea before sugar is to cross the path of love, perhaps never to marry.” (Tea superstition)
• The correct order when eating on a tea tray is to eat savories first, scones next and sweets last. We have changed our order somewhat. We like guests to eat the scones first while they are hot, then move to savories, then sweets.
• Scones — split horizontally with knife, curd and cream is placed on plate. Use the knife to put cream/curd on each bite. Eat with fingers neatly.
• Proper placement of spoon — the spoon always goes behind cup, also don’t leave the spoon in the cup.
• Proper holding of cup — do not put your pinky “up”, this is not correct. A guest should look into the teacup when drinking — never over it. Since ancient Rome, a cultured person ate with 3 fingers, a commoner with five. Thus, the birth of the raised pinkie as a sign of elitism. This 3 fingers etiquette rule is still correct when picking up food with the fingers and handling various pieces of flatware. This pinky “up” descended from a misinterpretation of the 3 fingers vs 5 fingers dining etiquette in the 11th century.

Tabletop Tuesday: Autumn Inspired

Could this look be any more Autumn-inspired? The floral Copper Embossed Chiffon overlay is reminiscent of Fall leaves cascading over the Cocoa Bark Linen. We love Resource One for the seasonal texture and elements they evoke from their tabletops. Wouldn't this be perfect for a harvest feast come Thanksgiving? We agree. 

Image courtesy Resource One, Inc.

Image courtesy Resource One, Inc.

 Rentals: Copper Embossed Chiffon Linen over the Cocoa Bark Linen, both from Resource One, exclusively at POSH Couture Rentals. Chair treatments, Resource One, exclusively at POSH Couture Rentals. Get the look with Gold Chiavari Chairs, Copper GEO Charger, Modern Flatware; all at POSH Couture Rentals.

This or That: Holiday Tabletop

Thanksgiving is just around the corner. We're torn between a few of our favorite looks for a fabulous feast, but both feature an element from the Mottahedeh Collections. How will you set your holiday table?

Rustic Elegance (Left)
1. Bring in wintry elements like the white Chloe goblet with the classic Schott Zwiesel stemware.
2. Nothing says cozy evenings to remember better than the Mottahedeh Tree Collection.
3. Start with the classic chargers: Jan Barboglio Hammered charger or the Maple Leaf charger. (Both on holiday special!)
4. Add a touch of luxe with Christofle flatware.
(Image above also contains the Amber Martini Compote and Resource One's Mahogany Swirl Velvet Linen, exclusively at POSH.)

Traditional Elegance (Right)
5. Resource One's Gold Leather Embossed Velvet, exclusively at POSH. A favorite from the embossed velvet linens, a picture does not do this linen justice.
6. A holiday staple: The Exotic Birds Collection.
7.  Make your tabletop shimmer with Elise Cut Crystal stemware - perfect for holiday toasts.
8. The uber-luxe Dynasty 24K flatware will make guests feel like royalty.
9. You can never go wrong with the Mottahedeh Lace charger. 

Now, what's for dinner? Check back to hear from Dallas' top chefs and caterers for scrumptious holiday menus.

To Do: Weekend Checklist

It's the last weekend of Partner's Card, and we have our eyes on a few brilliant pieces at our favorite shops. Here is what we're planning on this weekend. What will you be doing? Remember, you can use your Partner's Card at POSH Couture Rentals. Call us today to save on your upcoming events! See more info here.

 1. Partner's Card, Dallas top fundraiser for The Family Place, is in its last few days! What's on our wish list? How about Kimberly McDonald Double Geode Drop Earrings from Forty Five Ten, a gorgeous YSL clutch from TOOTSIES, and an opulent place setting from POSH for our next holiday soiree. (Rentals shown here include Gold Florentine Charger, mixed Gold Scroll and Gold Leaf China, and Gold Lyons Flatware.

2. On our weekend reading list: We can't wait to get our hands on Grace Coddington's memoir! Everyone knows she's just as vital to Vogue as Anna. Read an excerpt of it here. 

3. We're excited to be a sponsor at the ultimate shopping stop for our favorite ladies who lunch: The Dallas International Art, Antique and Jewelry Show. We're talking beauty beyond belief -- definitely a one-stop shopping experience for everyone important in your life. Some of our favorites that we know will be up for sale are shown above, including the GIOIA rosecut sapphires and moonstones cuff bracelet, an 18k yellow gold Buccellati cuff with three rubies and  over 108 round diamonds from J.S. Fearnley, plus - you know how much we love tabletop - an amazing George Jones Majolica Pineapple Teapot (circa 1870, England). Do we have your attention yet? Good, because we have FREE tickets to give away for our POSH pals. Call us for more info.
 

The Harvest Table: Seated Elegance

With Thanksgiving just weeks away, we're spotlighting this Harvest Table series to show you how to add festive touches to your holiday tabletop. After all, you want to make sure the place settings do justice for grandma's famous recipes. Our latest addition to the showroom, the Mahogany Rose by Noritake, turns the classic place setting into a striking arrangement with its rich color and and modern twist on the traditional rose pattern. We like to mix in the Exotic Bird or Gold Leaf (shown below) for even more autumnal opulence. Another way to instantly up the glamour at a seated dinner is by adding impressive accent goblets. A favorite is the complete Gold Lace glassware collection, now with an au courant demitasse cup - perfect for those after dinner drinks or espressos. Your harvest table should beget the same oohs and ahhs as a great gastronomical spread. Set up an appointment today to make sure you have the right ingredients to spice up your tabletop. 

Tabletop: A staple for Fall place settings is the classic Maple Leaf Charger, a perfect foundation for layering the Mahogany Rose with the Gold Leaf china. Add a luxury linen, like the Mahogany Swirl Velvet linen by Resource One. 
1. New Mahogany Rose by Noritake, the perfect compliment to your holiday tabletop.
2. Add elegance with Gold Lace Glassware, including the new Gold Lace Demitasse.
3. Mix in classic china, like the Gold Leaf China Collection.
4. Only the finest flatware should make it to a holiday tabletop, which is why we offer the couture Christofle Flatware.
(All rentals: POSH Couture Rentals. Linens: Resource One, exclusively at POSH.)