Entertaining in Style

harvest-of-style

Fabulous Fall Flower Adornment

Here’s a fabulous project to turn an inexpensive plastic vase and glass candle holder into an expensive looking heavy duty stone vase to highlight your fall arrangements.  The beauty of this project is that you can create a high-end piece for a nominal price!  Duplicate your efforts in quantity and you can design centerpieces for a fall wedding in high style without digging into your cash pile! Read more

A Harvest of Style

By Susie Coelho

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Read Susie's Bio.

I have to say, fall is my favorite time of the year. It boasts all my signature colors of burnt oranges, mustard yellows, chocolate browns and rusty reds. Yummy!


Now you may be thinking, what’s a “signature?” This word is used a lot in the style industry. Basically, all it means is that you have put your mark, your style or your own personal taste on something!  It is your personal “signature.”  For example, let's say your favorite color is green. When you start using the color green in every aspect of your styling, it becomes your signature color. This does not mean your entire home is painted green, with green carpet, green furniture, and green accessories but it’s obvious that this is an important color for you and maybe you are using it as your base throughout the house with different accent colors.


When I style my home, there is a “signature” look that is very “Susie” as my friends would call it.  It has to do with color but also textures.  Mixes of organic and natural fabric, earthy color tones and desert colors like dusty oranges, tans, and variations of brown, woven into the foundations. I have pieces that are from my ethnic heritage and they are textured and exotic. I tend to keep things neutral for my larger furniture pieces and fabrics, and add layers of warmth with chocolate throws, shimmery rust colored pillows, and some vases that also have these colors woven in. It's subtle, but very me!  Most of all I feel very comfortable in this space surrounded by these color tones and that is what is the most important.  I do the same thing when I put together outfits or even set the table.  These colors are so wonderful during the fall when the weather begins to turn cooler, and the days get shorter.


The November project is a great neutral base for you to build your own signature color palette around. I filled my “Make It Stone” vase with dried fall grasses, flowers, and pods.  You could even add some dried oranges or little decorative birds which can be purchased from your local craft store.  Again what is important is that you are creating and putting your “signature style” on everything you do!


This fall, find your signature style and show it off to all your friends and family during Thanksgiving dinner. As an added bonus, I'm not just giving you one but two recipes this month that may become your signature menu items once everyone gets a taste of them.

Featured Recipe

Susie's Signature Thanksgiving Dishes

 

Sage Stuffing

Ingredients
1 small onion, chopped
1 stalk of celery, chopped
¼ cup butter
2 teaspoons dried sage
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons fresh parsley
5 cups breadcrumbs
Up to ¼ cup vegetable or chicken stock
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Instructions
In a small pan, sauté the onion and celery in the butter until transparent; set aside. Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add the cooked onion and celery and just enough stock to barely moisten the breadcrumbs. Cool before spooning into the turkey cavity to bake. Cook any extra stuffing in a buttered baking dish with a few dabs of butter on top. Serves six.

 

Peas and Roasted Baby Onions

Ingredients
18 pearl onions, peeled
1 teaspoon olive oil (for roasting onions)
3 cups fresh or frozen peas
Fresh ground pepper to taste
Several sprigs of fresh mint for garnish

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°. Place the onions on a baking tray and drizzle with just enough oil to lightly coat. Roast until golden, approximately 30 minutes. While the onions are roasting, boil water for the peas. Add the peas and reduce the heat to low and simmer for five minutes, being careful not to overcook.  Combine the roasted onions and peas in a serving bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste and garnish with fresh mint. Serves six.