Holiday Chic Table Settings

Here are a few of my favorite table settings that I think would be stunning for the holidays. And fairly easy to recreate. Here are a few tips. Forgo the table cloth. Dress up your table with an unexpected, colorful fabric. Love this Madeline Weinrib ikat with the gold accents. Almost anything you pull out of the oven will look great now.

Jewel tones are so seasonal and rich. The pairings of color with rustic textures, sizes & shapes exude sophistication.

Veranda

Add charming, whimsical vignettes, with items you may even have at home, for great conversation starters and a lighter touch. I think the key here is to make sure the smaller elements don't get lost on the table. The height of the glass bell jar is the perfect showcase.

Veranda

Oversized natural foliage & fruit with candle pillars will create drama. All candles should be unscented so not to compete with the aromas of dinner.

There is nothing more beautiful than the simplicity of classic white.

Rachel Ashwell for House Beautiful

Layer vintage trays, heirloom tea cups & traditional linens with your other pieces. Knowing that you will create an eclectic and inviting table like this is sure to lessen the pressures of the day.


Epicurious
Share your resolutions or what you are thankful for on a gilded branch. Love how this stylish centerpiece will also engage your guests.

Barclay Butera & the Design Process

I am often asked by people who are thinking about decorating, how to begin. I always recommend looking at design magazines to become inspired and create a wish list. By adding your favorite images to a design folder it will be easier for you to stay on track.

Designer, Barclay Butera has simplified it even more. Recently, he designed four lifestyle collections of fabrics (many are 100% linen) and new zealand wool rugs for Kravet based on, Beach; Town & Country; Mountain; Desert & City. His book, Barclay Butera Living In Style attests to his winning formula while highlighting his beautiful work.

It was a real treat to meet Butera at DCOTA last week. And I was really pleased to learn that all of his custom furnishings are hand crafted, hand finished and hand upholstered in the United States. And all waste is returned to his providers for recycling.

His designs are so cohesive, inviting and well styled. I absolutely love his blue & white vignettes and can find ways to mix and match them all day long. Love the classic toile with an unexpected animal print....

When it comes to decorating in these economic times, he recommends, and I totally agree, investing in timeless furniture and pieces that you will have for a lifetime. Here you can see how accessorizing then can make all the difference and transform a space with designer lamp shades, throw pillows and coordinating porcelain objects.....

While he uses tropical elements like sisal, rattan and plants in his Beach vignette, his designs are more sophisticated than beachy or theme like and can really work in most situations. He describes this linen sofa as the little black dress of the room from which he can then accessorize. Love that!

Meeting Claudia at The Paris Apartment

Last Thursday was Fall Market at the Design Center of the Americas ( DCOTA) in South Florida. At the end of the day, I had the great opportunity to meet Claudia from The Paris Apartment. She had a book signing at Pierre Deux, and shared her thoughts and love for Parisian flea markets and french collecting. It was so lovely to meet her. She was gracious, fun and light. If you would like her book or are not familiar with her blog, definitely check out her charming site. Thank you Claudia for a wonderful ending to a fabulous day.

I love Pierre Deux for their classic Provencal toiles, charming country pillows.... But some times you may not be looking for country. Now they have a new site FCL Style that offers all of us who love anything French, everything and in between from classique to bohemian style. So if you can't make it to the French flea markets, I think you'll love what you'll find here.

Metropolitan Home Closes

Hachette Filipacchi Media announced yesterday that Metropolitan Home and its counterpart site www.pointclickhome.com will be closing with the December 2009 issue. Energies will now be focused on their Elle Decor Magazine. Metropolitan Home had a modern flair and was one of the first to successfully compare and contrast the high and lows of design.

Too many magazines have closed this year and yet I am still shocked. I love Elle Decor and the newly refreshed House Beautiful, and keep my fingers crossed for them. Nothing takes the place of flipping through a fine, glossy shelter magazine for inspiration, resources and pure joy.

Happy Anniversary City Living Girl

It's our 1st! City Living Girl was meant and continues to be for all us girls who love the chic-ness of the City whether in New York, Miami , L.A. or Paris. The design, architecture, food, art and fashion is addicting and for me inspires stylish living at home.

If you have been reading my posts you know this City Living Girl continues her quest to find the sustainability in style, what I like to call the eco chic. We are in a very exciting, enlightening, and creative time that will help define the future. I look forward to sharing more favorite finds, pretty things and new ways to live in style with an eco chic twist.

Blogging has also allowed me to shed light on Miami chic. If you will be in South Florida this winter, enjoy a few of my local Miami faves right here on the sidebar. As well as a few of my new blogging and designer friends who I am so happy to have met along the way.

Thank you so much for joining me and taking the time to stop by and comment. For events and more meet us on Facebook and always feel free to email me. Here's to another great year. Cheers!