{ Posts Tagged ‘seminar’ }

style at home day at the seasons christmas show

seasonsshow1 style at home day at the seasons christmas show

You officially have Style At Home’s blessing to begin decorating for the holidays… The Seasons Christmas Show is here!

Tomorrow – Sunday, November 22 – is Style At Home Day at the Seasons Christmas Show at the International Centre in Toronto: your one-stop shop for holiday decorating and entertaining. Catch me live on the Toronto Star stage at noon, with my colleagues Karl Lohnes following at 2PM, and editor-in-chief Jane Francisco at 4PM.  Check out the full roster of stylish seminars here. I’ll be demonstrating some luxe-for-less DIY dressings for the dining table, and how to get top-notch festive decor out of your next trip to the grocery store!

Hope to see you there!

flower arranging class

 

arranging flower arranging class

A huuuuuuge thank-you to everyone who came out to the Norwich Library on Saturday for my flower arranging class! We had a great turnout, and I think everyone stopped by at their local nursery on the way home to pick up some fresh greens for the garden!

Here I am with the showstopper arrangement that I created during the seminar –

an easy, breezy arrangement of simple daisies and pink carnations in a rather unusual vessel… Yes, that’s a watermelon!

 

watermelon flower arranging class

 

I simply shaved about an inch from the bottom of the melon so that it would sit stable, and then carved off the top third. Using a melon baller, I emptied most of the fruit (about two-thirds deep), and dried out the remaining interior with paper towels. After lining the interior with floral cellophane (clear cling-wrap would work wonderfully as well), I inserted pre-soaked floral foam, secured in place inside the melon with floral tape. Pop in a few of your favourite summer flowers, elevate on a cake stand, and you’ve got a quick and easy centerpiece that will have your guests talking at your next al fresco soiree!

Photos courtesy Rose-Le Studio.

While you’re here, subscribe to the Style Sleuth feed so you don’t miss out!

bringing the outdoors in

greenvest1 bringing the outdoors in

I’m goin’ home!

Join me in my hometown of Norwich, Ont., on Saturday, May 2, for an afternoon filled with gorgeous flowers, fun and fabulousness (I always feel like I owe a nickel to Steven & Chris whenever I use that word now).

I’ll be dropping in at the Norwich branch of the Oxford County Library in Norwich, Ont., at 1PM for “Bringing the Outdoors In” — tips, tricks and the latest trends in bringing spring and summer’s bounty indoors. Find out what kind of container suits certain arrangements best, the trick to floating blossoms, and how can a banana improve the health of your potted plants. Potted, cut or pressed, nothing beats greening up your home with fresh florals from your own backyard!

Bring mom and make it an early Mother’s Day outing! There’s actually a lot going on in on May 2 in this idyllic slice of southwestern Ontario, with the Oxford County Studio Tour. (Make it a point to drop in to see my fave, Shane Norrie!)

RSVP with Lynn at the Library by calling 519-863-3307 – there are just a few seats left! See you there!

see karl lohnes… live!

karlos see karl lohnes... live!

He’ll tell you what you need, what you really, really need!

(Yes, I’m still haunted by the Spice Girls.)

Karl Lohnes, our very own Contributing Style Editor, will present “What You Really Need: Decorating for 2009″ at the College Park location of DeBoer’s on Saturday, February 7. If you’ve never had the chance to see Karl live, I strongly suggest you RSVP online right away because space is limited. With his wealth of experience — and armed with a razor-sharp wit — Karl’s presentations are always a huge hit at trade shows, and in the intimate setting of DeBoer’s gorgeous College Park showroom (an inspiration in itself), this is not to be missed. Karl’s gonna dish on decorating trends for the upcoming year, suggest the new must-have accessories, furniture and paint colours, and he may even hold the solution to your design dilemma… Oh, and it’s FREE.

See you there!

What You Really Need: Decorating for 2009

Saturday, February 7, 11:00AM – 12:00NOON

DeBoer’s College Park, 444 Yonge St., Toronto

RSVP online at events@deboers.com or 800-265-2637

butler school – on the road!

butlerschool butler school on the road!I’m so excited to be able to bring “The Butler Diaries” on the road!

“The Butler Diaries” (aka “My experience at Butler Boot-Camp”) was my favourite story to produce for the November 2008 issue of STYLE AT HOME. My assignment? Spend an evening with a nationally-renowned butler to get a sense of the roles and responsibilities of Jeeves in the 21st century.

On November 22, I’ll be sharing my experiences at Butler Boot-Camp at the Norwich Public Library in Norwich, Ontario, as a wrap-up to the library’s month-long “holiday entertaining” seminar series. You’ll learn how to apply a butler’s tips and tricks to your next holiday get-together, along with other great holiday entertaining ideas for centerpieces, table settings and more.

Space is limited, so register now with Lynn or Brett at 519-863-3307! See you there!