High Tea in honor of Kate and William's Wedding

HRH Queen Elizabeth II

and her loyal subject

Rachel

command your presence

at the wedding

of her most eligible bachelor grandson

Prince William

to that usurping commoner

Kate

Hats Required, Gloves Encouraged

High Tea will be served.

How can you say no to an invitation like that?

(I found this hat but it was plain and boring all white.   I added the feathers and the black rose)

I immediately replied YES and couldn't wait to attend.   Rachel and I are both British so it makes the Royal Wedding even more fun for us.

 I caught glimpses of the Royal Wedding early yesterday morning because I just couldn't stand it.  However, I did save watching Kate walking down the isle until I arrived at the tea at 3:00.

My sister in laws with one missing :(

We were all good sports and obeyed the instructions to wear hats! 

Rachel had delicious goodies for us all!

Strawberries make everything gourmet.

All spread out on china of course.

Doilies make everything look delicious!

The tea was brewed to perfection with cream and sugar, served in grandma's china!

Aren't they a beautiful couple?  Such a romantic ceremony.

My favorite 4 things about the wedding....

#1.  The Cake

Absolutely stunning and goes beautifully with her dress.  Can you imagine being the decorator in charge? Oh, the stress.

(Designer Fiona Carns)

ETERNAL love, beauty and endurance... these are just some of the special meanings behind the lavish official wedding cake.  The eight-tier cake featured 17 different flower designs, each symbolising a particular quality.

#2.  The trees in the Abbey along with the flower arrangements. 

They made the bride and groom the focal point. Westminster Abbey is so incredibly large.  The trees made it much more intimate than I remember Charles and Diana's wedding being.

(London-based floral designer Shane Connolly)

Kate's comment is that she wanted the wedding to be English, natural, seasonal and ethical.  Perfect words to describe exactly what the wedding was.  The flowers blended into the surroundings and looked like you were in a garden.  Very natural with pops of white here and there.

Kate's bouquet is also believed to have contained stems from a myrtle planted by Queen Victoria in 1845, as well as a sprig from the myrtle used in the Queen's wedding bouquet of 1947.  Lily of the Valley suggests purity and Kate's dad a Cornwall farmer sent 60 bunches of Duchy Lily of the Valley for her flowers.

#3 The Carriage

Just like a fairy tale!  Absolutely breathtaking and just like every princess dreams of being treated.  It was just like a Disney movie.

#4 The hats

They added such color to the audience.  There were a few "lady gaga" looking hats but I think they added such interest and great conversation for those of us that were watching as each guest arrived at the Abbey.

Oh my goodness, such fun but how do they keep these on?   Wowza!

 After wearing a hat all day myself, I must say it is incredibly hard to drive with a large hat rubbing against the seat.  I stopped to pump gas and had a lot of staring and pointing going on in my direction too.   Oh and the hat hair is not very pretty afterwards.

(How do they pin these on??)

WHAT A FUN DAY FULL OF HISTORY AND MAGIC!!!! 

Britain, you made me proud to be British!

70th birthday deserves 70 roses

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my mom who turned 70 today.  My sister and I thought it would be such fun to surprise her with 70 roses at her door early this morning.  She adores roses so we hoped that would make her day feel incredibly special.

I purchased all the flowers yesterday.  Aren't they beautiful?

As well as a container to make the arrangement in.  Hard to find one big enough!

I put some great music on and got busy placing each rose in its place.

We gathered the kids and met at her house at 7:00 a.m. hoping she would be awake!  Our family tradition has always been that we call each other on our birthdays and sing to each other over the phone.  We all look forward to it each birthday and we knew she would think that was normal once again this year.

We called her and sang our hearts out (along with our kiddos) and then told her to look out her front window.  There we were all standing with 70 ROSES to give her!  I could barely see over the vase it was so full and incredibly heavy!!

She was so touched and surprised and it WAS SO MUCH FUN!!

The kids will never forget this special memory and neither will we.

We brough along yummy cinnamon rolls....

Sausage rolls...

and of course Starbucks coffee.  It was a great way to start the day! 

Life is about creating memories and celebrating others

and today is a celebration because we have the best mom ever. 

A memory is one of the best gifts to give and one of the best to receive.  I think we all got a gift today.

To schedule your design consultation, contact me through my website (DecRenew Interiors).  My website also has great before and after photos that will inspire you!

Congratulations to Velvet and Linen on their new book "Patina Style"

I just placed my order for Brooke and Steve Giannetti new book "Patina Style."

I absolutely love the blog Velvet and Linen and read EVERY post.  I especially enjoy reading about how Brooke and Steve work together.  Brooke is a designer and Steve is an architect and incredible artist.  It is so much fun to see projects they are working on as well as hear how they make them all happen.

(Sketch by Steve Giannetti)

They are in the process of building a new home together.   "Patina Farm" is going to be absolutely stunning.

(Sketch by Steve Giannetti)

"Patine Style" celebrates the beauty that the passage of time brings to the things in your life. The antique and imperfect, the slightly worn combined with natural materials and a subtle color palette create a look that is both timeless and fresh.

For those of you that read my blog, you know that I love antiques and old things with new life.  This book will be filled with TREASURES I'm absolutely certain!

Order their new book here.

Congratulations Brooke and Steve.

Books are like artwork for your home.

(by Kerrie L. Kerry)

I'm a true believer that books add so much life and character to a room.  They can be displayed in every room of your home.  Here are some of my favorite rooms with book displays to get your creative juices going for your own home.

Note:  Painting behind bookshelves or adding wallpaper to the back of bookshelves really adds sophistication and expands the space.

(Elle Decor)

A kitchen needs lots of color and what better way to add a collection of books like these.

These subway tiles are beautiful added all the way up the wall and down below the drawers.  Perfect way to give the illusion that the space is bigger.  The copper pans up against the white tile is a brilliant way to add that WOW that we all want in our spaces.

(William Hefner Architects)

These books go beautifully with the wood tones of the furniture and coordinate well with this painting. Stacked books underneath furniture is a look that I'm crazy about!

(Domino Magazine)

These shelves are beautifully done.  Lots of interesting objects and books placed in different directions to add interest and personality.

(Witt Construction)

What better way to display books than in a hallway that could be wasted space.

(Hartman Baldman Designs)

Love the arches on these bookshelves in the hallway.  The red venetian plaster behind the bookshelves is another element that makes them stunning.  Adding the color to the entire inside of the shelf is very attractive. The bare wood shelves are breathtaking too.

(Glann Gissler Designs)

Cozy nook under the stairway.

(by David Churchhill)

Great way to utilize usually wasted space.

(by Debbie Wiener)

A room filled with books is even better when there is a place to curl up and read.

(by Abbott Moon)

Simplicity with pops of one color.  My favorite color is orange and up against white it is even more delicious.

(by Mirrokal Designs)

A place to display cookbooks is a must.

(by Soorikian Architects)

I dream about having bookshelves like this in my hallways.

(Smith and Vansant Architects)

Again, no space waisted and also adds a perfect place for collections.

(by Tongue and Groove)

Great idea for an office.  These bookshelves are very slick.

(by Visual Engine)

What an awesome little game room, reading nook. 

(by Tamar Schechner)

Books/bookshelves can add height, color, texture, history, character, interest, personality and so much more to your space.  It's a quick, easy way to decorate and adds a powerful statement to any room. 

(by Tobi Fairley)

In the above photo Interior Designer Tobi Fairley covered all her books in white to create a statement along with all her accessories.  Against the green wall it really makes a beautiful collection in her home.

(by DecRenew Interiors)

The best part of adding books to your rooms is the warmth they add.  If you scroll through all of the above photos again, you will see that they are all so soothing, warm and colorful all at the same time.  I believe books are like adding artwork to your space.

Look around your home, do you have that feel in your rooms?  Try adding this character by starting your book collection today.  

Visit  my website DecRenew Interiors to see more before and after photos to inspire you!

The Key to your decorating needs.