Preparing for Guests: Ideas on How to get a Bedroom and Bathroom Guest Ready

I have had many requests to share how I get my guest bedrooms and bathroom ready for when we have company so I put together this post sharing all the things I like to do to make our guests who come to stay with us feel warm and welcome when they are coming to visit. Keep scrolling for my tips on how to prepare your home for guests.

The Guest Bedrooms

I have two guest rooms at our home in Utah and I recently did a little refresh of both bedrooms. I updated the bedding in both rooms and figured this was the perfect time to share the things I do to get the guest bedrooms and bathroom ready for company.

Did you notice the pineapple on the left side of the bed? I learned from a friend of mine who is from the south, that pineapples are the sign of hospitality so I put a pineapple on the nightstand!

Navy Blue Guest Room

To refresh the blue guest room I switched out the bedding with this new comforter and sham set from the Martha Stewart Collection at Macy’s.

I added new white sheets and they have the prettiest stitching detail.

I added the new pillow shams on top of the sleeping pillows then added a throw pillow. I usually add a light or heavy blanket under the comforter depending on what season it is.

Light Blue Guest Room

To refresh the light blue guest room, I also added new bedding from Boll & Brach as well as some new throw pillows and this gorgeous blanket from Minky Couture.

 Jack and Jill Bathroom

The two guest rooms share a jack and jill bathroom so I refreshed that as well. There are two vanities and a separate area for the shower and toilet. There is also a linen closet to store fresh towels, bedding, and toiletries.

Special Touches to Make your Guests Feel Welcome

I like to add special touches to each bedroom and bathroom.

Launder the Bedding

I always launder all the bedding and make sure everything is fresh and clean. I like to make the bed with lots of pillows and I usually add a pretty throw blanket at the end of the bed or in a basket.

I always have a mattress cover on my beds to protect the mattress and I put pillow case covers on the pillows too.

Clean, Dust, and Vacuum

I give the room a good cleaning which includes dusting, and if needed, (if you have a pet) I use a lint roller on the comforter to make sure there’s no lint or hair of any kind on the bedding. The last thing I do is to vacuum.

Add Flowers to the Dresser or Nightstand

I like to add fresh or faux flowers to the room. What says “welcome to my home” more than a vase full of flowers?

I arranged some faux apple blossom stems in a vase for the blue room and for the other guest room I added some faux hydrangeas to a glass vase.

Put Water on the Nightstand

I put a glass and carafe full of water on the nightstand in case my guest get thirsty in the night.

Sometimes I leave chocolates on the nightstand if I remember to do this!

I love this little carafe and the glass that goes on top of it. It’s perfect for a guest room.

I like to add candles to each room too. They are both decorative and smell nice too. You can also add a decorative reed diffused to your guest room or bathroom.

Special Touches in the Guest Bathroom

I like to add some items to the bathroom for my guests to use when they are here visiting. These extra things also make your guests feel welcome. The first thing I do is clean the bathroom.

Once clean, I lay out a pretty bar or soap or some body wash and a new bath scrunchy for my guests to use. I also add fresh or faux flowers. Here I used faux lambs ear in a sea glass vase and set it in the corner.

I only use white towels in my home. I like to bleach my towels to keep them fresh and germ free. Adding bleach to the washer with your white towels ensures that they are clean and smell good. I also use fabric softer to keep them fluffy and soft. I promise you’ll never have smelly towels if you bleach them.

I love these towels from the Martha Stewart Collection at Macy’s and I like to leave them out on the counter for my guests or in their bedroom on the stools at the end of the bed.

Another special thing I like to do is leave a bathrobe out in the bathroom or hanging in the bedroom. This is another added touch that reminds me of going to a hotel. We jokingly call our home the “Holly Hotel” because we have a lot of visitors so this is fitting!

My favorite place to buy soft and fluffy bathrobes is Keiki Co.

I also leave a magnification mirror (for those of us that are blind!), a basket of hand towels, hand soap, and cotton balls and Q-Tips. I leave extra toothpaste and new toothbrushes, (my husband is a dentist so we always have a lot of them) and razors in the drawer.

I also leave bathroom spray or poo-pourri and flushable wipes on the back of the toilet. I leave extra toilet paper and sanitary items just in case someone needs them. Sometimes I fold over the last square of toilet paper into a triangle and then press it into the bottom of a wet faucet. This imprints the toilet paper like you see in hotels.

Here’s a few more photos of each of the guest bedrooms and the bathroom.

Thanks so much for stopping by! I hope you enjoyed reading this post and that you found it helpful in preparing for guests. If you don’t want to miss a post from me, make sure to subscribe to my blog and follow along with me on Instagram @homewithhollyj.

xoxo,

PIN THIS FOR LATER:

HOW TO PREPARE YOUR HOME FOR GUESTS

The post Preparing for Guests: Ideas on How to get a Bedroom and Bathroom Guest Ready appeared first on Home With Holly J.

Disclaimer: This post does include affiliate links for your convenience. This is at NO additional cost to you but earns me a small commission. To read more, check out our disclosure policy.

Summertime Barbecue Recipes and Entertaining Ideas

One of my favorite things about summertime is having a family barbecue so today I’m sharing some of my favorite Summertime Barbecue Recipes and Entertaining Ideas for hosting your own backyard barbecue. Summertime is all about good food and good times with family and friends!

Planning the Menu

I have so many great recipes that are perfect for a summertime backyard barbecue and I’m sharing some of my favorites here. I like using the freshest, high-quality, organic ingredients when possible as I think that makes everything taste better! For this barbecue, I made my famous baby back ribs, baked beans, fresh peach pie with cream cheese filling, my caramel cream cheese fruit dip and fresh fruit, corn on the cob, chopped green salad with a lemon and olive oil vinaigrette, sugar cookies, and limeade for the drink.

On the morning of the barbecue, I went to my favorite store Fred Meyer to get everything I needed for the barbecue. I love Fred Meyer because it’s a one-stop shop. Not only can I get high-quality produce, meat, and organic ingredients, but I was able to get everything else I needed there too, including flowers!

I always like to have flowers on my table when I’m hosting a party or gathering and Fred Meyer has a great selection of flowers. On this particular visit to the store, the lady working in the floral department helped me find the perfect flowers for my summer table.

I also needed a new basting brush for the ribs and found the perfect one in the kitchen section of the store. Some of my favorite sets of dishes and entertaining items are also from Fred Meyer. I always find myself taking a stroll through the dish section! (See these posts for some of my Fred Meyer dish sets here and here)

I am a very busy person (aren’t we all!?) and hosting a gathering can be a little overwhelming so when I can get everything I need in one store, it’s a win-win!

The Private Selection brand is my favorite line of products in Fred Meyer and I use them all the time. They also have their in-house Kroger brand which is also high quality and affordable.

You can find almost everything you need in the Kroger brand family. Fred Meyer promises freshness and quality in all their products. Whether it’s meat or produce, Fred Meyer has everything you need for your summer grilling and entertaining.

Another thing that I really like is how Fred Meyer makes it so easy to shop. They offer easy pickup and delivery options for you to get all your groceries and supplies in one place. This makes hosting at home so much easier. Man oh man do I wish this had been an option when I had little kids!

I often order my groceries online and do the pickup option. I don’t even have to get out of my car! When it’s raining in Seattle, which it is often, this is the best thing ever!

Summertime Entertaining Ideas

When it’s really hot outside, I like to set up my serving table inside the house where it’s cool during the summer months. We don’t have a lot of shade in our backyard at our home in Utah and it gets quite warm in our backyard. When I do a barbecue at our home in Washington, we have a fully shaded backyard so it’s much easier to set up outdoors. Either way is great, so do whatever is best for your circumstances.

Even though many of our summer plans have been put on hold, we can still gather at home with those closest to us and enjoy the delicious food that is in season. Making home-cooked meals and gathering as a family is the perfect way to pass the time and make some great family memories.

As I mentioned above, I like to add flowers in matching vases onto the serving table and create different heights. In this photo here you can see that I used an old wooden crate riser to set the flowers and serving utensils higher on the table.

I like to use a decorative utensil caddy for the silverware, matching serving bowls and platters. Another fun way to serve the drinks is in a decorative drink dispenser. Get creative by adding a table runner or tablecloth to match.

For this set up I used a navy blue table runner down the middle of the table and went with all-white and blue serving dishes. The yellow sunflowers added a pop of color.

My Favorite Summertime Recipes – Pin These for Later

Best Barbecue Ribs Recipe

Fresh Peach Pie with Cream Cheese Filling Recipe

Cream Cheese Caramel Fruit Dip Recipe

Baked Beans Recipe

I hope you’ve enjoyed these summertime barbecue recipes and ideas for how to host a successful barbecue with your friends and family. Most importantly, it’s the good times we share over a delicious meal that matters and what we end up remembering. Start some of your own family traditions and get creative! There’s nothing more fun than gathering together and celebrating this great time of year.

XOXO,

To see more of the online ordering, pick up and other information, go to www.fredmeyer.com

Sources linked below:

*Similar sources linked for unavailable items.

https://evolutionhomedecor.com/products/copy-of-wooden-serving-trays-on-turned-legs-2-sizes-available

https://evolutionhomedecor.com/products/scalloped-tray-of-rustic-wood-with-iron-handles

https://evolutionhomedecor.com/products/acacia-wood-pedestal-w-fluted-glass-cloche

https://evolutionhomedecor.com/products/wood-serving-tray

https://evolutionhomedecor.com/products/vintage-blue-white-ceramic-vases-4-sizes?_pos=12&_sid=c9264eece&_ss=r&variant=48333471482145

https://evolutionhomedecor.com/products/sunflower-stem?_pos=2&_sid=827a118ec&_ss=r

https://evolutionhomedecor.com/products/large-28-yellow-sunflower?_pos=1&_sid=827a118ec&_ss=r

https://evolutionhomedecor.com/products/gypsophila-stem?_pos=1&_sid=5075821fa&_ss=r

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Patriotic Dish Pantry Organization

I have so many red, white, and blue dishes so I thought it would be fun to organize them by color. This patriotic dish pantry organization project was definitely more work than I had expected and I was wondering what the heck I was thinking after I started! At first, I did it with all the colors mixed together and I didn’t like it very much. I have a lot more blue and white dishes than red dishes and there was not enough red to balance it out. I then moved all the red to the middle and did white and blue above and below with more white on the top shelf.

Disclaimer: This post does include affiliate links for your convenience. This is at NO additional cost to you but earns me a small commission. To read more, check out our disclosure policy.

Dish Collecting

I have been collecting dishes since my early twenties and I’ve accumulated some really beautiful pieces over the years. One of my favorites are polish pottery dishes. I have a lot of the blue stars pattern which is so fun to use for the patriotic holidays. I collected many of these when my husband was serving in the military twenty years ago.

I like collecting a variety of dinnerware as well as serving pieces. I’m a sucker for a pretty serving bowl or cake stand!

The red and white dishes also work for the Christmas season. I love dishes that do double or triple duty in that they can be used for multiple seasons and occasions.

Another thing I love to collect is white milk glass. There are so many beautiful patterns that were made years ago that add so much character to my collection.

 Organizing Your Dishes and Serving Pieces

Organizing the dishes is not as hard as it may seem. I try to keep like colors together and then stack plates biggest to smallest. I also like to stack similar shaped items.

Set smaller items like teapots on top of the stacked plates or serving pieces. This saves room and allows you to have the smaller, lighter things on top that are easier to access.

Alternate the heights of the different pieces. You can see here on the top shelf that I put the taller items in the corners, smaller items next to them, and then a taller focal point in the middle using the pitcher.

Add Some Character to Your Shelves

I added some red, white, and blue flowers to one of my tall white pitchers and set it on top to add some character and color. Since I had all white up top, I added a few of my favorite white and blue vases. This adds a little pop of color to the upper shelf and a pretty focal point.

Add some signs or other accessories to fill in gaps. It’s fun to dress the shelves up!

I hung this flag sign on the door that leads into the pantry.

You don’t have to have a ton of dishes in every color to create something like this. Start small and if you enjoy collecting dishes and have the storage space, pick one color and search for those pieces. I tend to be inspired by what season it is and that helps me refine what I’d like to add to my dish collection.

You can never go wrong with collecting white dishes. They go with everything and you’ll get a lot of use out of them.! I use ALL my dishes. Nothing is off limits and I figure they were meant to be used and enjoyed.

I hope you enjoyed seeing this fun little project of organizing my red white and blue dish collection. This was a lot of work to move so many dishes around but now that it’s done, I’m so happy I took the time to do it!

To see more of my dish collection check out this post: My Pantry Organization Project

Enjoy!

Here are some of the sources or similar items I have collected to create this patriotic pantry.

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Disclaimer: This post does include affiliate links for your convenience. This is at NO additional cost to you but earns me a small commission. To read more, check out our disclosure policy.

Fourth of July Party Tablescape Ideas

The Fourth of July is my favorite holiday besides Christmas. I absolutely love decorating with red, white, and blue and celebrating with friends and family. I’m sharing my Fourth of July Party Tablescape Ideas and all the details of how I set it all up.

I actually set up and photographed two different versions of this table because I was asked to be on a local TV station to share my scones and honey butter recipe and a patriotic tablescape. We taped the show three weeks before so I had to create it twice! I’m sharing all the photos of both set ups so you can see a few different variations here.

I am very patriotic and my country means a great deal to me. I have always had this love of country and I think it’s only grown stronger as the years have gone by and after being a military family. I’m proud to be an American and will always honor my flag and country. I am grateful for those that have sacrificed their lives for my freedom. I take that to heart. I am also grateful for those men, women, and families that are serving our country now.

Some of my Favorite Items I used for this tablescape.

I’ll link the sources at the bottom of the post.

Hosting a Fourth of July or Patriotic Gathering

When hosting a Fourth of July party I like to set up a tablescape that has some fun decorations as well as all the yummy food I’m going to serve. Since this was a backyard party, I set up the tablescape with all the food and drink indoors because we don’ have any shaded areas in our backyard.

The Menu

Barbecuing is a tradition in our house on the Fourth of July and my husband and sons all like to use the grill and smoker. I plan the side dishes around the meats we are barbecuing. I’ll try to share some of these recipes soon! I’ve linked the ones I have shared already.

Baby Back and St. Louis Style Ribs

My Favorite Baked Bean Recipe

Watermelon (cut into star shapes)

Potato Chips

Stars and Stripes Cake

Chocolate Cake with Butter Cream Frosting

Mason Jar Strawberry Trifles

Starwberry Cream Cheese Pie

Scones and Honey Butter

Bottled Shirley Temple Sodas

Lemon Water

The Table Decorations

When setting a food and dessert table I always have a focal point using a centerpiece with some type of decoration. In this table the focal point was the centerpiece I made using a galvinized tin can filled with faux peonies, blueberries, and sage greenery. To add a touch of red, white, and blue, I added a few flags into the centerpiece and set it on top of an old vintage crate at the far end of the table.

I like using different things like crates and cake stands to add different heights when displaying decorations and the food.

I used a rustic wood flag sign in the center of the table to set other items on. This was a great way to add some color to the middle section of the table and incorporate another flag into the decor.

The wood flag sign has wood supports on the underside which worked even better because the sign set up off the table an inch or so. If you have a flag sign you want to use for this on your table, just put some wood or something underneath it to lift it up a bit. This will make it look a little nicer. In these photos you can see the supports under the flag.

I set the drinks in an rustic red tray with star cut outs and the straws in a Rae Dunn mug that said military  mom. I’m the proud mom of a US Marine, an airman in the US Airforce and I was an army wife for six years.

I also found some cute little signs on etsy and in some local shops that you can see here.

Serving Pieces

Get creative with your serving pieces and ways to display your food. Some of my favorite items are my polish pottery serving dishes that I collected years ago when my husband was serving in the US Army. Many of the army wives collected polish pottery and I certainly did my share of collecting. If you want to find this pattern google Polish Pottery Stars Pattern and you’ll find some things online. One of my favorite pieces is this big rectangular baking dish that I made my Stars and Stripes cake in.

I used all my red, white, and blue dishes and checkered napkins and set them in different parts of the table. They are useful parts of the decor!

Stars and Stripes Cake

This cake was really easy to make believe it or not. I’ll be sharing the recipe soon so check back for it or check the desserts section under the recipe tab. I’ll link it here when I’ve added it to this post.

I just sort of made this up and crossed my finger it would turn out. I used a white cake and baked the cakes in sheet cake pans so they were thin. I took one layer and set it inside the polish pottery star baking dish then added a layer of cream cheese filling then another layer of  cake. I then did a light layer of butter cream frosting on top and then piped the Stars and Stripes intermixed with the fruit to create the flag. This is a rustic cake and not meant to look perfect. It tasted yummy too!

I hope you enjoyed seeing the details of my patriotic Fourth of July Tablescape. I always look forward to this holiday. Happy Fourth of July and God Bless America!

Happy Independence Day!

Sources are linked below!

XOXO,

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Polish Pottery Sources –

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I wanted to gather the women in my life who have inspired or uplifted me and what better way to do that then hosting a Mother’s Day luncheon.

For the decorations, I went with a pastel color palette and set three different tables and a separate dessert table.

The Pink and White Table

For the Pink Table, I used fresh eucalyptus and pink spray roses to create the garland and centerpiece. I layered the garland on top of a white table runner. I typically use this table outdoors in the summer but it works great for the indoors too.

For the Pink Place-setting, I used pink and white dishes, a pink napkin, silver flatware, and glass goblets.

The Robins Egg Blue Table

For the Robbins Egg Blue Table, I used a burlap table runner and created a garland with faux greenery and flowers. This was a variation of my spring and easter tablescape. Click here to see the Easter version.

The place-setting consisted of a solid robins egg blue charger, a polka dot dinner plate, and a solid teal plate. I used wood napkin rings that tied into the rustic table and hyacinth placemat.

The Lavender and Green Table

The day before the luncheon my mom and I went out exploring and looking for lilac bushes. We found some in an abandoned lot and snipped some branches off for the lavender and green table. They smelled amazing!

The beautiful purple lilacs my mom and I found driving around the back roads of Utah.

To create the Lavender and Green Table I used a hyacinth solid placemat, a white charger, green dinner plate, and a lavender salad plate. The ruffled napkin matched the green plates perfectly.

I used some of the lilacs to create a small centerpiece and laid one of the green ruffled napkins in the middle to break up the stark white of the tablecloth.

The Menu

I planned the menu around how many people were coming. I like to make my own food for my parties but you can certainly cater it. Because I had about thirty people coming, I decided to make my Homemade Lasagna which is easy to make and serves a large amount of people. I made the sauce the night before so all I had to do was assemble the lasagna and bake it.

For the salad, I made Simple Tomato Cucumber Salad.

I love this recipe because it’s so light and so easy to make. It’s a perfect complement to the rich lasagna. I also served some rustic french bread . I didn’t make my own this time but my Braided French Bread recipe is to die for!

The Dessert Table

For dessert, I asked my sweet friend Ashely Klaja, also known as Living BeaUtahfully to make the dessert for the gathering. She made the most beautiful cakes and cupcakes. My favorite is her churro cupcakes!

Ashely is one the most talented cake baker/decorators I’ve ever seen. Her cakes are works of art and they all taste amazing too!

For the desert table I used my pastel colored cake stands and a pink vase with some faux flowers for some added decoration. I also added some small bud vases with fresh flowers and added the flowers and eucalyptus to the top of the pink ombre cake. This is a great example of how you can mix fresh and faux flowers in your table decor.

This was an amazing day and it felt so wonderful to be surrounded by so many women that uplift and inspire me. I also loved that my mom, daughter, and daughter-in-law (who was pregnant with our first grand baby Quinn) were able to be there. Mothers are what make the world go around. I’m so glad I could gather these amazing women together and share a a beautiful lunch with them.

Happy Mother’s Day!

Wishing all of the amazing mothers out there a happy Mothers Day!

xoxo.

Shop the Look

To see more of Ashely-@livingbeautahfully cakes and desserts, here’s the link to her website.

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The post Mother’s Day Luncheon | Hosting Your Mom For Mother’s Day appeared first on Home With Holly J.

Disclaimer: This post does include affiliate links for your convenience. This is at NO additional cost to you but earns me a small commission. To read more, check out our disclosure policy.

Lavender and Teal Spring Tablescape

I’m sharing all the details of this beautiful Lavender and Teal Spring Tablescape that I set for Sunday dinner a few weeks ago. The darker purple and teal colored flowers were the inspiration behind this tablescape. I love mixing and matching dishes to come up with new place settings and this tablescape came together so beautifully.

The Place-setting

For the place setting on this spring tablescape, I mixed and matched different sets of dishes I already had. I started with a charger, then layered a dinner and salad plate on top. When I set a table, I think about what I’ll be serving for dinner, and that’s how I decide on how many dishes to use in the place setting.

I love the mix of the solid charger on the bottom, the polka dot dinner plate in the middle, and another solid plate on top for the salad.

I also chose a solid-colored napkin and a natural hyacinth placemat.

The Garland Centerpiece

When I serve buffet style, which I did here, I will usually create a garland centerpiece for the middle of the table. Here, I used a base greenery garland and then layered in the faux flowers into it. I love the contrast between the dark purple and lavender flowers and the different shades of green in the garland.

I used a burlap table runner underneath the garland.

Last but not least, I added teal candlesticks and lavender candles to the table.

Spring, Easter, and Mother’s Day

I hope you enjoyed seeing all the details of my teal and lavender spring tablescape! One thing I love about this one is that it can be easily transformed with a few tweaks for Easter and Mother’s Day! For Easter, I just changed out the napkin rings and added some white bunnies into the garland and onto the table. For Mother’s Day, I will leave it as is! I’m always happy when I can make tablescapes work for multiple occasions and holidays!

Here are some other tablescapes I’ve done that you might like too! Most importantly, they are all versatile and can be used for Easter, Spring, and Mother’s Day.

Happy Spring!

xoxo,

Sources linked here: 

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Lavender and White Easter Tablescape

Disclaimer: This post does include affiliate links for your convenience. This is at NO additional cost to you but earns me a small commission. To read more, check out our disclosure policy.

Welcome friends! I’m excited to share my Elegant Lavender and White Easter Tablescape with you!

If you arrived here from  Home With Holliday, I’m so excited you’re here! Holliday Johnson “Holly” is Home With Holliday and I’m the other Holly at Home With HollyJ! We have become good friends after finding each other on Instagram! Holliday loves entertaining and setting a beautiful table as much as I do. We are so alike it’s crazy! Don’t forget to check out the other ladies in our Easter Tablescape blog hop for more inspiration! I’ll share the links at the bottom of the post!

It’s so hard to believe that we will most likely be celebrating Easter without all our extended family due to social distancing and stay-at-home orders due to the coronavirus pandemic. It’s not looking like we will be able to attend church services on Easter Sunday or gather with our large family for Easter dinner. I know we will make the best of it and find a way to make it a special day. No matter what happens though, one thing is for sure! My Easter table will be set and ready to host whoever is here with us.

I have really been on a lavender kick lately! I keep finding the most beautiful lavender-colored dishes which inspired this Lavender and White Easter Tablescape. I bought these Anthropologie plates over the summer and have been waiting for the right time to use them. I think you’ll love this tablescape just as much as I do.

The Inspiration for this Tablescape

What inspired this Lavender Easter Tablescape? Two reasons! First. it’s Easter (and spring) and a perfect time to use this color combo, second, I had another tablescape photoshoot using these lavender and white poppy dishes for a collaboration I was doing for a ceramic company. I figured I’d get the most out of the centerpiece arrangement I made for that photoshoot.

Look at the flowers on the dishes I received from Bico Ceramics! The anemones look very similar to their Poppy dishes. These dishes are out of stock at the moment but when they are back, I’ll link them here for you!

I was able to get some fresh anemone flowers from my friend Amy’s beautiful flower farm while I was home in Washington. These flowers look very similar to the flowers on the dishes. (Laughing Goat Flower Farm)

Amy is a dear friend of mine and her farm is near my other home in Washington. She cut the anemones the morning I was flying back to Utah and I carried them on the plane with me for my shoot the next day. I was so happy that they lasted long enough for me to create and photograph this Easter tablescape. It’s such a blessing to have a friend who grows amazing flowers and shares them with you. My photo doesn’t do either the dishes or the flowers justice!

Okay! Now back to the tablescape! I just had to share a few of those photos of the other table!

The Centerpiece

I created an asymmetrical centerpiece for the middle of the table using the anemones from Amy’s farm and then filled in the rest with store-bought flowers.

Since my table is so large, it can feel a little empty in the middle with just one large centerpiece. To fill in the space some, I pulled out some artificial greenery and layered it on either side of the centerpiece. I then added a few faux flower stems to it. Can you tell the difference between the fresh and faux flowers? I often mix fresh and faux flowers depending on what I’m doing and if what I need isn’t in season. The good thing about faux is they never die and you can use them many times over if you take care of them and store them properly. I still prefer fresh flowers of course, but sometimes you just use what you have!

Lastly, I added the white Easter sign from Krumpets Home Decor in the middle of the table and tucked some small white ceramic bunnies throughout the garland. I then added these bunny salt and pepper shakers on either end of the table. Right when I was finished setting the table and getting ready to photograph it, the rustic candlesticks I had ordered from Magnolia arrived! Just in time! I love how they tie into the rustic silverware I used.

I forgot to mention the table runner! It’s actually two of them! (HomeGoods) My table is so long that I have to buy two of them usually so that they hang over the edge. You don’t have to have them hang over the edge though and one will work too. I just like to change it up and these lace table runners are so pretty. Another white element in the table to compliment the lavender dishes and tie into the charger and napkin rings.

The Place-setting

The dishes are from Anthropologie (linked below~~ the photos are incorrect in the source section so just click through the photos that look like multi-colored napkins) and they are even more stunning in person. I started with a white wood charger then layered the dinner and salad plate on top.

You can see the details of the plates in this close-up shot. I love how the white charger compliments the dishes. I used my silver rustic silverware which goes so nicely with the rustic reclaimed wood table and candlesticks. To make it Easter themed, I used these adorable bunny ear napkin rings from Krumpets Home Decor. I love how the napkin ring is flat on the bottom so it stands up once you slide the napkin in and this is one fun element that the kids will love! How cute are these?

The Easter Tablescape that Transitions to a Spring Tablescape

One thing I always try to do when decorating for any holiday is to decorate for the season too. I try to create my tablescapes to be versatile to save time and expense. I’ll create a garland centerpiece for the table for Spring and then I’ll add different items into the garland for Easter. When Easter is over, I can take out the Easter decor and leave it as is for Spring or I can change up the dishes or napkins for Mother’s Day. So many possibilities!

Here’s an example of one I did for Spring, St. Patrick’s Day, and Mother’s Day! This is one of my favorites! This one here is one I made for Winter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Valentine’s Day! I created eleven different tablescapes with the same centerpiece garland!

Also, here are some other tablescapes I’ve created that all have a lavender theme. I didn’t realize how much I liked lavender until I noticed how much I’ve used it in my tablescapes this past year. I created this first one for a Yankee Candle collaboration in the fall but this would work perfectly for Easter and Spring too!

Click here to see the entire post! Lavender and Mint Green Tablescape.

Here’s another tablescape I created last summer with Teal and Lavender. The polka dot plates and the robin’s egg blue colors remind me of Spring and Easter! Lavender and Teal Spring Tablescape

One last lavender-themed tablescape! I set this table in my backyard at my home in Washington last summer when I hosted a dinner party for my girlfriends. I used fresh lavender plants as the centerpiece. Oh…..this makes me excited for summer and outdoor dinners! Click here to see more of the Simple Lavender Inspired Centerpiece.

Whew! That was a lot! I hope you enjoyed this post and that it inspires you to set the table and gather your friends and family. Sometimes it’s good to go all out and other times it’s nice to keep it simple. Hopefully, you’ve seen a little of both!

Thanks for stopping by!  Now, head on over to my other tablescaping bff, Lory,  To Have To Host to see how she set her Easter table. Lory, Holliday, and I have met up in person and become real-life friends. It’s so fun making friends with these amazing ladies who all love to host and entertain! Happy Easter and I hope you’re all staying healthy and safe and that you have a wonderful easter celebration however that may be.

Here are the links to other ladies in the Easter Tablescape Blog Hop or you can click on the links above each photo (above)!

Lory Parson’s Easter Table Ideas

https://jennifermaune.com/easter-table-setting/

https://homewithholliday.com/2020/04/01/blush-pink-and-green-easter-tablescape

 

Happy Easter and God Bless,

xoxo,

 

Sharing updated and similar sources to recreate the look:

Some of the links are affiliate links.

Similar vase:

Terracotta Cachepot Vase

Similar faux flower stems:

https://shophollyjhome.com/products/29-lilac-spray-purple?_pos=1&_sid=61811fe7e&_ss=r

https://shophollyjhome.com/products/24-peony-spray-purple?_pos=1&_sid=feb5ff9c6&_ss=r

Hydrangea Stem in White

Eucalyptus Seed Spray 32.5 Inch Green – Artificial Seeded Eucalyptus Stem

Grand Eucalyptus Spray 40 Inch Sage – Extra Long Artificial Greenery Stem

 

The post Lavender and White Easter Tablescape appeared first on Home With Holly J.

How to Create a Versatile Winter Centerpiece Garland

Today I’m sharing how to create a versatile winter centerpiece garland for my dining table. This is the most versatile garland centerpiece and I’ve used it over and over again to create different Tablescapes for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Winter, and Valentines Day.

Disclaimer: This post does include affiliate links for your convenience. This is at NO additional cost to you but earns me a small commission. To read more, check out our disclosure policy.

I created this garland centerpiece out of one faux cedar garland and then added different types of faux branches and picks into it. I added frosted eucalyptus and painted pine cone picks. All of this is laid on top of a table runner.

To store it and re-use it again, I cut up a large cardboard box and folded the sides up. I slide it onto the cardboard box using the table runner to help slide it and then wrap it in plastic. Doing it this way keeps it in tact and makes it easy to move to the storage room.

Garlands & Stems:

https://evolutionhomedecor.com/products/copy-of-norfolk-pine-garland-5-green

https://evolutionhomedecor.com/products/norfolk-pine-garland-5

https://evolutionhomedecor.com/products/50-powdered-real-touch-cedar-garland

https://evolutionhomedecor.com/products/juniper-spray-20?_pos=2&_sid=c1f306bc2&_ss=r

https://evolutionhomedecor.com/products/juniper-spray-21?_pos=4&_sid=c1f306bc2&_ss=r

Why This is my Favorite Garland Centerpiece

One of the reason’s I love this centerpiece garland so much is that I can put it on the table in early November and use it all the way through winter. I’ll share all the different Tablescapes I’ve created using this same base garland. Even I was surprised at how many versions I’ve done when I put them all together in this post.

Using this same centerpiece garland over and over again is a great way to reuse your holiday decor and it save time and money. You can also do this with real branches and flowers but it won’t last as long! I’ve done it both ways mixing faux and fresh. Be creative and do what works best for you!

Thanksgiving, Christmas, Winter, Valentines Day and More!

I usually decorate for Christmas in early November and so I always try to create a versatile garland centerpiece that can be changed multiple times in multiple ways.

I’ll share all the different versions and little detail on each tablescape below. Not only can you add different things into the garland for each holiday and winter season, but you can also change it up by using different dishes, table linens, votive candle holders, and candlesticks. I always change out the pillows in the end chairs to match too.

2017 Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Winter Versions

This is the first Thanksgiving tablescape I made with this garland. To make it work for Thanksgiving, I added in silver turkeys, silver mercury pumpkins, and some other taupe colored pumpkins made out of fabric. For the place settings I used my white and silver fine china which was a gift from my husband for our twentieth anniversary. To make it more elegant, I used votive candle holders nestled into the garland and silver candlesticks with white pillar candles.

As soon as Thanksgiving was over I took out all the pumpkins and turkeys and added in silver mercury ornaments to transform it to my Christmas tablescape. I also changed the dishes to my everyday blue dishes and switched out the napkins. These simple changes changed the entire look of the table.

I added the little reindeer salt and pepper shakers. I love adding these small details!

When Christmas was over, I took out all of the ornaments and changed the place-setting again to make it more neutral for the rest of the Winter season

You can see how different it looks by changing things up with the place-setting, linens, and other items added to or removed from the base garland.

Here are some other versions for 2018 and 2019.

2018 Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Winter Versions

This is a tablescape I created for Jordan Winery. I used my blue and white dishes with silver napkins. I added in velvet pumpkins as well as the silver turkeys. I love how the blue and green look together.

To change things up for this years Christmas tablescape, I added in blue tiny bottle brush trees and blue ornaments along with the silver mercury glass ornaments.

2019 Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Winter Versions + a Valentines Version for the Beginning of 2020

Here’s one other way I used the same garland as a centerpiece. I host a Christmas cookie exchange every year and the garland was a perfect centerpiece.

Sometimes after we’ve had family dinner, I will take all the dishes off the table and just leave the garland centerpiece on it’s own. For this one, I left the winter white frosted peonies and the mistletoe stems I had put in the tablescape for this years decor. Each year I add something new into the base to make it different.

I wanted to enjoy the winter decor I’d left up after Christmas and I had this idea to add some pink flowers into the garland and use it for Valentines Day! I don’t know why I didn’t think of this before!

I love how it turned out and it’s now on my list of favorites! I like the idea of combining my Valentines Day decor with my winter decor. This saved me so much time and money! The only thing I bought for this Pink and White Hearts Valentines Day Tablescape was the heart shaped plates. I love it when I can pull something like this off without a ton of effort!

I added in some pink votive candle holders and the little “love” sign at the end of the garland. I also used rose gold miniature salt and pepper shakers. I filled the salt shakers up with pink Himalayan salt and they are so cute!

I hope you’ve enjoyed seeing the all the different ways I’ve reused this same winter centerpiece garland. I might just keep it up until Saint Patricks Day! I counted twelve different Tablescape variations with this one base garland!

Enjoy!

XOXO,

SHOP THE POST:

Garlands & Stems:

https://evolutionhomedecor.com/products/copy-of-norfolk-pine-garland-5-green

https://evolutionhomedecor.com/products/norfolk-pine-garland-5

https://evolutionhomedecor.com/products/50-powdered-real-touch-cedar-garland

https://evolutionhomedecor.com/products/juniper-spray-20?_pos=2&_sid=c1f306bc2&_ss=r

https://evolutionhomedecor.com/products/juniper-spray-21?_pos=4&_sid=c1f306bc2&_ss=r

https://evolutionhomedecor.com/products/copy-of-10-iced-berry-boxwood-wreath?_pos=18&_sid=9d48fc991&_ss=r

Other posts you might like to see:

Thanksgiving Silver and White Tablescape

How to Mix Valentines Day Decor into Your Winter Decorations

Pin This for Later

The post How to Create a Versatile Winter Centerpiece Garland appeared first on Home With Holly J.

It’s hard to believe that Christmas is almost here! My talented friends and I have been busy decking out our homes for the holidays, sharing recipes, and creating beautiful tablescapes to host our friends and family. We all love entertaining and hosting parties so we’ve put together another blog post for our “Holiday Hosting at Home” series. Today we are sharing what we’ve been doing over the past few weeks including some creative ideas for Christmas decor and tables. I also share a lasagna recipe that is a family favorite and great any time of the year. 

Here is what my friends have been sharing of their Christmas Table Settings and Christmas home decor for entertaining in your home for the season.  If you would like to pin any of these images, please go to the original post linked below each image. You’ll want to see their entire posts anyway because there is so much inspiration in each of these posts. I’m so inspired by their beautiful creations. We all love to create beautiful table settings and these different tablescapes we’ve created will hopefully inspire you to create your own festive holiday table!

Home with Holliday

Holliday created this beautiful Winter White Snowflake Christmas Table Setting for her neighborhood progressive dinner. She created a beautiful centerpiece out of fresh greens and added in hurricanes, silver sprays, winter white ornaments, and glittered white trees. Click here to see all the details. There’s so much more to see in her post.  I really love this table Holliday created and I think you’ll love it too!

Next, Holliday created this second tablescape for another holiday party she was hosting and continued with the same snowflake-theme but mixed it up to coordinate with the mixed metallic color palette. This table setting is just as beautiful as the first one and I really like how she adds gold into the mix. Click here to see how Holliday created this festive holiday table. It’s truly stunning!

To Have to Host

Lory created two different holiday tables. The first was for her husbands office party. She shares how there is something appealing about the way people in Scandinavia decorate for the holidays. Her Nordic Christmas Table is elegantly minimalist, yet still festive. I am part Danish and Swedish so this table really speaks to me. She used fresh greenery, twigs, branches, and antler candlesticks for the centerpiece. She finishes it off with some silver mercury glass votive candles. This modern Scandinavian tablescape creates a nordic Christmas to remember. Click here for all the details.

Next, Lory shares her White Winter Wonderland Bruch table that she created for a family gathering. She kept the decor neutral with lots of white and green making this a great tablescape of all season long. I am a big fan of creating something that can be used for an entire season. Lory is fortunate to live in Arizona where she can entertain outdoors all winter long. I love how she uses fresh greens, giant sugar pinecones, and white dinnerware. It’s perfect mix of colors and textures. Click here to see the details of how Lory created this beautiful, elegant table.

Home with Holly J

This past week I shared my Christmas Home Tour and how I decked out my Highland, Utah home for the holidays. I hosted a few parties including a progressive dinner and my first annual cookie exchange. See the details of both my indoor and outdoor decorations and my winter tablescape.  My favorite addition this year was the outdoor obelisks that I placed inside my flower pots and filled them with pines cones and fresh greenery and attached a fresh wreath and ribbon to the top. Click here for all the details!

Next I shared one of my families favorite recipes. My homemade Lasagna made with an authentic italian bolognese sauce. This recipe is great anytime of year! Click here for this amazing recipe that will please any crowd. This recipe is great for entertaining a large group because it makes a large amount. Add in my simple tomato and cucumber salad and some french bread and you’ll have an easy meal for any gathering. Click here for the recipe and details.  (Tomato and Cucumber Salad recipe)

Thank you so much for stopping by our sixth blog hop; Holiday Hosting at Home with creative ideas for your Christmas tables, recipes, decor and so much more!  

It’s been a joy to share our entertaining and hosting ideas with you all this holiday season. Thank you for following along and giving us a place to share our passion of hosting and entertaining at home. Wishing you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.  P.S. Have a Holly Jolley Christmas!

XOXO

Holliday “Holly” at Home with Holliday

Instagram – Facebook – Pinterest – Twitter

Holly at Home with Holly J

Instagram – Facebook – Pinterest

Lory at To Have + To Host

Instagram – Facebook – Pinterest

Creative ideas for Christmas decor

The post Holiday Hosting at Home #6: Christmas Tables, Decor, Recipes and More appeared first on Home With Holly J.

Holiday Hosting at Home #5: Christmas Table Settings, Decor and More!

Can you believe Christmas is almost here! We’ve all been busy getting ready for the holidays and creating things to inspire you. We are excited to share our fifth post in our blog hop: Holiday Hosting at Home!  This week we are sharing what we’ve all been up to the past few weeks including Christmas tablescapes, Christmas trees, and my family’s favorite recipe! Keep scrolling for fun and simple Christmas decor ideas!

We hope this gives you some ideas for entertaining at home!  If you would like to pin any of these images, please go to the original post linked below each image.  You will want to see their whole posts anyway because there is so much inspiration in each of these posts.

To Have + To Host

Lory created this beautiful tablescape using her grandmothers heirloom china that she received as a gift.  She used this beautiful china and current dinnerware to give this place setting an updated look. Layering the plates is one of Lory’s favorite tricks for creating depth and elegance to a place setting. I couldn’t agree more. That is one of my favorite tricks too! This is my favorite tablescape of Lory’s to date! It’s absolutely beautiful! Click here to see the full post.

Next, Lory shares her Traditional and Classic Christmas Tablescape.  She uses all the traditional reds, greens, and gold in this lively tablescape. Lory likes to change things up and add a twist and this tablescape is no exception. She went with a straightforward classic, traditional, time-honored, historic, customary Christmas and she’s not apologizing for it! Click here to see the details of this festive table!

Home With Holliday

Holliday shares with us her beautiful Silver and Gold Glam Christmas Centerpiece that she used to decorate the buffet in her dining room. She used a combnation of metallics that would go with multiple table settings and used greenery to add some seasonal colors. This neutral display works well with almost every color palette. To see the details click here.

Next, Holliday shares her Simple Woodland And Pine Cone Christmas Table Setting. She used two burlap table runners instead of placemats. Genius! She used a simple cedar garland, a mix of different sized pine cones, and some beautiful candles.  The earth toned dinnerware mixes beautifully with the green garland and pine cones. This table is stunning and could be used all winter long! Click here to see the full post.

Home With Holly J

This week I’m sharing my Christmas Trees in the Highland house from 2017 and 2018. I share the details of how I used most of the same ornaments from the two different trees to create two very different looks. Click here to see the post and all the details.

Next I shared my great grandma’s homemade chicken and noodles recipe that is served over mashed potatoes. If you like comfort food, then you’ll love this! The first time I cooked for my husband I made this family recipe. He went from good friend to boyfriend after realizing I could cook!  Click here to read the details!

Simple Christmas decor ideas

The post Holiday Hosting at Home #5: Christmas Table Settings, Decor and More! appeared first on Home With Holly J.