Betcha didn’t know our friend Boozehound had a green thumb! In fact, in the above shot he’s proudly sitting next to his prized swiss chard plant. He also has a very nice vineyard ’round back.

For the host or hostess of any party, wrap a few simple food items in a hand towel and tie it off with the appropriate utensil.

Image courtesy marthastewart.com

For the happy couple, how about selecting several items from their registry and packaging it in one of their items, too!

Image courtesy olderandwisor.blogspot.com

For parents-to-be, wrap several onesies in a swirled, flower shape, fill in with flowers, and place in a flower pot.

Image courtesy lovelyandgracious.com

For graduates, create a money and candy lei! Bunch dollar bills together and tie along a curled ribbon. Fill in with bagged bunches of Hershey’s huggs and kisses.

Image courtesy of yourhomebasedparties.com

A Sugar & Spice themed baby shower:

Image from http://blog.hwtm.com/2010/03/real-parties-sugar-spice-baby-shower/

Luau. Look how simple the tables are and still look so great!

Image from http://www.foundersinn.com/gallery-en.html

Use local botanicals to decorate your indoor gathering.

Make the food its own decoration!

Planning a menu for an event can be stressful. We have put together a few tips to make planning yours easier.

1. The first thing that needs to be done is kind of obvious: Determine what type of event your are having.

2. How many people are you expecting at your event?

3. Are you having a full meal or just hors d’oeuvres?

4. Will there be an guest with dietary restrictions?

If you are planing on doing just hors d’oeuvres:

1.  Typically, 10 to 12 guests should have 5 different selections, 25 guests at least 9 different selections, and with 50 there should be at least 13 different selections. Options, options, options!

2.  The general rule is to plan on having 4-6 pieces per person an hour. This will help determine the amount of each appetizer to prepare.

3.  Have a variety of different types of appetizers but also keep in mind how they all will taste together.  Make sure you have selections for people with food allergies and for vegetarians or vegans.

If you are planning a full meal:

1. Choose your entrées first. Make sure to have at least 2 to 3 selections for your guest to choose from, or if you are planning on just one main dish make sure it follows everyone’s dietary requirements, if there are any.

2.  If meat is going to be the main feature plan to have 3/4 pound (12 ounces) per person. If the side dishes will be more substantial you can drop it down to 1/2 pound per person.

3. When choosing your sides make sure to keep in mind the main dish. Think about how the main dish and the sides will look together on the plate.

Never before have there been so many choices when it comes to invitations. If you are like me and enjoy creating your own, then PaperlessPost.com or Minted.com might be the place for you. Hundreds of choices of designs, paper, font, and colors will keep your creative juices flowing for hours trying to create the perfect invitation! Not so creative? Look to local stationers or Etsy.com and let others do the creating for you!

What are your favorite things about working at Wisteria?
The potluck lunches we have about once every two weeks, and the characters that work here.

What is one thing about you people probably don’t know?
I’m a sucker for Ice Cream.

What is your favorite place to visit?  
Moss Lake, I’ve always had great experiences on Moss Lake.

What is the one place in the world you’ve never been but would love to go?  
Machu Picchu

How would you describe your personal style?  
Casually stressed out.

What is your favorite Wisteria item?   
Contemporary swivel chair.

My one indulgence is:  
Cold beer on a hot day while sitting on my back porch.

Favorite spot in my house:  
Back porch

Favorite food:  
Tacos!

My pet’s name is:  
Broseph

Favorite place to watch the sun set:  
East of the Sun.

Additional notes about yourself:
I love orange soda, I’m a big fan of Nativities, I hate the heat of summer, and I really enjoy situational humor.

I asked our resident interior decorator, and this is what she suggested…

Above a dining room table, 18 to 32 inches from the bottom of the fixture to the top of the table.

 In a foyer, we recommend 18 to 24 inches from the bottom of the fixture to the height of a taller person.

Over an accent table fixtures can be hung lower since no one will be walking under it.  At this point, you can use the same rules as above, but can also go with what looks best.

La Bohémienne Endormie (1897) by Henri Rousseau

I think Joseph Cornell could have empathized with Henri Rousseau, at least a little. Father of American collage and inventor of the Surrealist shadow box, Cornell knew all too well how it felt to be born out of place. His dreamlike constructions reveal a true Francophile, though he would never set foot in France. A half-century earlier, Rousseau had rhapsodized about his own far-flung, exotic locales, painting jungle scenes inhabited by creatures he’d only seen in the Paris zoo. In contrast to Cornell, he never set foot out of France.

But the New Yorker and the Parisian had another thing in common besides an unrequited love for someplace else. Each lost his father early in life (Cornell at fourteen, Rousseau at twenty-four) and so was forced to become the family breadwinner. Eventually, Cornell’s loss of youthful play would be channeled into assemblages that felt like arcade games, and Rousseau’s loss of youthful freedom manifested itself as travelogues on canvas, colorfully but flatly illustrated with these scenes he made up in his head.

The Sleeping Gypsy, above, is among the most iconic Rousseau works, and its innocent figuration exemplifies the naive style for which he was for years dismissed. In fact one might wonder, if he was as unassuming and childlike as his paintings, did he perhaps fantasize that he was the lion and his critics the gypsy?

Henri Julien Félix Rousseau was born May 21, 1844.

We recently had the honor of hosting Lisa Newsom, Founder and former Editor-in-Chief of VERANDA, for a book signing of her new book, The Houses of VERANDA.

Lisa Newsom is not only mom to Andrew, Wisteria’s President, she is also a very accomplished business woman. She founded VERANDA magazine in 1987 as a showcase for fine design. Trained in fine art, she possesses an eye for composition and an understanding of color. From the very first issue, VERANDA distinguished itself with beautiful visual presentations as well as substance behind the beauty.

In her first book, The Houses of VERANDA, she takes the reader back into the world’s most beautiful homes. Decorated by prominent designers, the spaces range from classic to modern, romantic to peaceful retreats, and are brought together by an elevated sense of quality and style. These homes from around the country are filled with breathtaking rooms—some of the most spectacular ever featured in the magazine.

Thank you, Lisa, for all that you do and for being a role model to all who know you. Your kindness, generosity, and grace are inspiration beyond the pages you have created.