A Couple of Extra Cups

Remember on Monday I told you all that I meant to have Mint Julep cups as the water glasses on my Thanksgiving table? And that they didn’t arrive in time? Well, since I didn’t use them on my table – and I have 12 – it would be nice to figure out a way to use them all the other days of the year. While we all are well versed in what their role is on Derby Day in May, here are some other ideas for those extremely attractive cups that you just had to have.

You can use them on your desk as a vessel for pens and pencils …

Or at a party as a way to serve and display cheese straws (yes, I love these too)

Maybe in your bathroom as a way to store makeup … I really wanted to find a picture of a mint julep cup with toothbrushes in it because frankly, I’m pretty sure that is what I am going to do – but you get the idea.

Or as a vessel for flowers either at home, or when entertaining. Speaking of entertaining, I had another idea for Mint Julep cups. We may only drink Mint Juleps once a year on Derby Day, and we may only occasionally have to set a table where they can be used as water glasses, but what weekend gathering of friends doesn’t require …

A Bloody Mary Bar! Use the julep cups to style the bar – as you will need bigger cups for drinking. Put your celery, or okra if you’re in the south, in one cup; your olives perched in another; and your toothpicks, swizzle sticks, or drink stirrers in the third – and voila! A really good looking Bloody Mary bar. And if you have an attractive rattan tray …

Style it all on the tray. So there you go, several everyday household uses for Mint Julep cups, and one for entertaining that can occur more than one day a year. If you are looking for a tray similar to this one, try here. And if you don’t have any Mint Julep cups, but after seeing this post you would love to get some, try here. Good luck! – let me know how it turns out!

 

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Setting the Table

So this year I hosted my first Thanksgiving. Luckily, I didn’t have the pressure of my in-laws or my own parents, or any sort of older generation watching over me. It was just WWB, my brother, some friends, and me – so not a whole lot of pressure … except for the pressure that I put on myself to set the table. I put the table together the week prior to Thanksgiving – I know, I know, overkill. However, I am quite pleased with the way it turned out.

First, the flowers. I took two ball jars over to my favorite ladies at Lotus Flowers, and told them I wanted something that looked as though I had picked it all from the garden and thrown it together. All fall colors, and some magnolia leaves if possible. Then when they were dropped off, I added some pheasant feathers myself, to create a bit of height and tie in the rest of the table.

Then the table setting. I have not received my wedding china yet, so I used some miscellaneous pieces that WWB and I have around the house. The charger is a plate from Fish’s Eddy in NYC, the dinner plate is Spode Heritage. I absolutely love this pattern and Spode no longer makes it. However, I am hoping that I may continue to collect additional pieces on ebay or Replacements Ltd. The napkins are Pottery Barn from this spring, a bridal shower gift from my cousin. The dinner fork and knife are a silver plate pattern that WWB and I have had for a while, however we had no salad forks. So last week I did some rummaging at the Mt. Pleasant Antiques Market and got some random pieces of silver that I thought would go well with our existing pattern – after reading in Southern Living that Darryl Carter loves mismatched silver – thanks for the advice Darryl.

The runner is actually what WWB and I used at our wedding – repurposed for Thanksgiving. Pewter candlesticks and miniature hurricanes with beeswax candles really added a nice rustic touch. Originally, I planned on using mint julep cups for the water glasses, but when they didn’t arrive in time, my brother and I rushed to Home Goods and snagged these pretty green/blue thick glass cups – which actually looked great with the ball jars that the flowers were in. The glasses actually are meant to be milk glasses, and have a vintage looking cow logo on the side. My brother and I were cracking up all the way to the cash register and figured hey, this is the best we can do the day before – I think it turned out ok, don’t you?

So here is the table as it looked when we sat down. I think this is the only photo where you can see the little birch bark quails that I got at Wisteria. When they first arrived I thought they were the weirdest thing I had ever bought, but once in place, it all really worked out.

It was a wonderful Thanksgiving – I didn’t burn the turkey, all the sides were delicious, we laughed a lot. And I was really pleased with my tablescape. Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving.

 

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Serena and Lily, My New Best Friends

Sometimes certain brands really outshine themselves. Right now, for me, its Serena and Lily. I cannot get enough of them. I already own two of these Ronan Euro Shams, which are on the bed in NYC, but below are some things they currently have which I am most definitely lusting after. 
I don’t know how and when a hamper became chic, but this Rope Bin is everything I have been looking for to house dirty clothes! 
This Chakki is so cool. It is antique with a modern edge. You can choose from a host of Serena and Lily fabrics to upholster it in – I love this gray, it would go so well in the master bedroom in Charleston. 
I want these amazing woven lanterns for my porch. I would put them on the floor, hang them from hooks off the side of the house, and set them on tables. These would provide the perfect ambiance for a gathering on the porch this summer. Also, they would be great as centerpieces on an outdoor table. 
I love the hammered look of this Fresco Beverage Bowl – or it could be that I just love the look of these chilled bottles of white wine. Either way – again, great for a summer party. Does it seem like I’m planning on doing a lot of entertaining this summer? 
The Navy Soleil Sling Chair. Outdoor fabric, easy to store, what else could you ask for. So cool, and has that british campaign look that I love. Seems like not only do I want to entertain, but that I want to entertain outside. (Probably because I’m sitting on the porch as we speak). 

Finally, probably my favorite thing, and the thing I am most likely to purchase, is this South Seas Side Cart. It is perfect for a mini bar in the study in Charleston – grasscloth walls, fiddle leaf fig, Quadrille Lysette reverse – I think this cart is meant to be in the mix. Cocktails Anyone? Please go check out Serena and Lily for all these wonderful pieces!  

Photos courtesy of Serena and Lily

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