Guest Posting at Hampton Hostess!

Good morning! I am so excited to be over at another Barbara's blog today (what can I say all the "Barbara's" in my life are super chic and talented)....yes that Barbara, the super chic and stylish Barbara from Hampton Hostess. Barbara as you may know has a fabulous series entitled Closet Confidential in which she probes into your closet a little and gets your take on what makes up a fabulous and efficient closet. I love this series and eagerly await her next guest every time a new post goes up! I am so honored that she asked me to be there today!! A visit to her blog is a visit to someplace wonderful, glamorous and always beautiful.......So please do come on over and visit me and say hello and if you don't know of the Hampton Hostess you will be mighty glad you do now! Here's a sneak peek at some of the beauty that abounds on her blog..... Click here!

                                                           Click on header to visit us.....

Pretty spectacular.....huh? Thought you might agree! Come on over....click here to visit! And a special thank you to Barbara of The Treasured Home for my wonderful guest post yesterday..it was great fun to participate!!  Wishing you a fabulous day.

One word with Barbara of Hampton Hostess

Good morning and welcome to my "One word" this week with the lovely Barbara of Hampton Hostess. If you know Barbara and are already a fan of Hampton Hostess then you know her for her beautiful taste, refined eye, and always stunning perspective on everything from exotic travel to great art show coverage to elegant menu planning. I always take something away with me when I visit Barbara. Now, if you aren't already familiar with Hampton Hostess, then you are missing out on a lot of fun and some serious eye candy!! You must pop over for a visit. 
I am delighted to have her here today as my guest for my One word series. And Barbara, I read it top to bottom with a smile on my face, stunned (well not really) at how many of your answers would have been my exact replies, it was amazing! Everything from Tory Burch as a great style icon to all shades of blue being your one color choice, love of travel and humor,  to Tuscany and .....well the list goes on. Enough of my babbling....... here's Barbara!

Barbara from Hampton Hostess

One quality I love in people is.....humor-you have to be able to laugh at yourself and what life brings your way.

If my house could only be furnished in one color it would be.... it would definitely have to be blue,so many beautiful shades

One luxury I cannot live without-taxis-I live in NYC!

If I had to have one designer decorate my entire house with zero input from me it would have to be....Steven Gambrel-his work is fresh and timeless

If I had to choose coffee or tea it would be....coffee-french roast please.

One place I have been that I would love to go back to... Turkey.

One place I am longing to visit is... Thailand

One talent I wish I had was... singing in perfect pitch

I think most people would agree I am... very funny.

If I could change one quality about myself it would be....be more organized

One career I could see myself having would be....as a travel writer-passport and pen always ready.

If food is therapy, when stressed I indulge in....chocolate--any kind!

One of my favorite brands for clothing is...Jil Sander

If my life were a book, the title would be- Life Doesn’t Come With A Script

My favorite flower is- peony.

I would love to have coffee and a chat session with this famous person..... Grace Kelly

A favorite TV show...addicted to Modern Family and Mad Men

Hollywood is... vacuous

Tuscany or Provence? definitely Tuscany

The next presidential election will be... a disappointment.

The one best thing about blogging is..... meeting new friends.

A guilty pleasure for me is... bubble baths keep me sane!

A clothing designer I think that has great style-Tory Burch

My strongest quality would have to be....loyalty.

The best restaurant I have ever been to was... Per Se in NY-extraordinary meal and they send you home with a box of lovely macaroons!

Most overrated actor/actress is... Jennifer Aniston

If my life were a documentary, I could see this actress playing me- Cate Blanchette, that would be fabulous!

One thing I like about my appearance is- my eyes

One thing I can honestly say I love about myself is... I’m a really good mother

Town or country? Town, I’m a city girl

One person I admire... my mother

Pick a decade to live in, any decade.... roaring 20”s-flapper dress for me-don’t hold back on the beading or champagne

My favorite room of my house is...my bedroom

If I were an animal I would be a.... my labradoodle Dash-what a life!

A book I would recommend to everyone would be.... Just finished, Steve Jobs-brilliant book

If I were planning a huge family reunion, this is where I would want to have it..... We had a family reunion  last summer in Lake Como Italy it was fantastic

One thing I wish everyone could be more of.... kind to each other

                         

In one word life is.... beautiful

OK, Barbara...here is what I propose, we both become fast friends with Tory Burch, take a trip to Tuscany for a month, eat to our hearts desire, making sure we have chocolates for breakfast every morning, fresh roasted coffee every afternoon, take singing lessons, and keep out passports handy for our eventual trips to Thailand and Turkey. (We can be sure to bring boxed editions of Modern Family along for the trip as I love it too). And the whole while I will serenade you with my singing (because I am such an amazing singer) my family would be gagging right now if they heard this.
 When all that gets old we will figure out a way to go back in time, and the roaring 20's would be my decade of choice too....so glamorous! That's how much we have in common! Sound like fun? Thanks so much for such a wonderful post.....really "took me away" to some of my favorite places and things! Hope you all enjoyed it and hope you will swing by Hampton Hostess and tell her so! Click here to visit. Wishing everyone a fabulous day.

Enchanted guest #5 say hi to Barbara from Hampton Hostess!

Good morning! I am barely standing after last night but more on that tomorrow, So happy to be here with  yet another very talented tastemaker, Enchanted guest #5......Say hi to Barbara from the elegant blog, Hampton Hostess. Barbara has quite a treat for you today so sit back and relax and take in all the beauty. If you aren't already familiar with Hampton Hostess you must make a stop today, it is that great!!. Barbara has superb taste and always has a knack for presenting things  exquisitely  on whatever she might be talking about. Her interests are varied which makes for an always interesting blog post!  Barbara's blog is a must visit for me and I  know it will be for you too! This post, Deck the Halls, was beautifully put together and I so hope you enjoy it! Barbara, this is that kind of post that is surely worth saving for future inspiration (I know I am for my new house next Christmas)! Her home is the picture of elegance and refined holiday cheer so you are in for a major treat today! Thank you Barbara and take it away.....

Welcome and a big thank you to Tina for inviting me to guest post for The Enchanted Home today. Since I'll be out of town for Christmas this year, I was thrilled to have an excuse to pull out my boxes of ornaments and Deck the Halls at home. A bundle of boxwood and a few yards of candy striped ribbon later, I created a festive Christmas tablescape and a fun holiday bar complete with a themed Mistletoe mojito. The only thing missing? A little company to share it all with. So I invited a few friends over for an impromptu holiday celebration-so glad you could join me too!

  The sweet red and green floral tablecloth sets the tone for the rest of the table.

  I I spent the morning making adorable miniature boxwood trees with some friends-the perfect centerpiece for my Christmas tablescape today.

My boxwood tree is all dressed up with a fun candy stripe ribbon and little lady apples. 

Green voile napkins compliment the tablecloth and the cherry red chargers add a little glamour

  The red and green table is traditional but fun with pretty pinecones, hand painted ornaments and lots of greens. 

Don't forget the placecards!

I like to layer colors and textures. My boxwood tree sat on a cake stand which added height to the table and left room for me to add some pine and holly underneath.

 I bought the paper mache ornaments at a church bazaar outside London 20 years ago. I love to take them out and reminisce about the great time we had on that trip.

Use candles everywhere-from unscented votives on the dining table to pretty glass vases filled with berries and holly around the home

 Your table setting doesn't have to be complicated or expensive. I went outside and grabbed a few pinecones from our spruce tree-paired with a red grosgrain ribbon they're bright and cheery.

This faux giant clamshell is used as a decorative element all year long. With flowering paperwhites and white pointsettas it looks fresh and glamorous on the side buffet in the dining room.

 I set up the bar on a side table and created a festive and welcoming scene with sophisticated plaid cocktail napkins and a pretty poinsettia. I like to leave glasses and beverages out on a silver tray so guests can serve themselves. It isn't a party without a little champagne!

A signature cocktail always makes the evening festive. I mixed up a Mistletoe Mojito made with fresh cranberries and rum-doesn't it look delicious?

I have so many boxes of ornaments (I love to buy new ones when we travel) and some don't make it on the tree so I decided to fill a large glass bowl with the extras-the more the merrier!

Even a cluster of candy canes make a fun little vignette!

I had a fantastic time guest posting today Tina. Wishing you all a Happy and Healthy Holiday season and a fabulous 2012!

Wow, spectacular don't you think? Doesn't get any prettier..... I would love to be a guest in your home anytime Barbara! A mistletoe Mojito? That sounds amazing and all of your decor is just sensational...love the mini boxwood tree and what you did with the floating candle in the hurricane, and it is amazing how a simple thing like candy canes can be made with the right objects to create such a beautiful vignette. You certainly are an elegant hostess and many thanks again for being my enchanted guest today. Hope you all enjoyed it. If you want to see more of Barbara's beautiful taste and creativity at work, please visit her at  Hampton Hostess by clicking here.

Wishing you all a peaceful, happy and chaos free day! Jingle jingle:)