Holiday Entertaining with the Botanica Collection

It is the perfect time to gather family and friends for reminiscing and creating new memories.  An afternoon of baking cookies, topped off  with hot cocoa is a great way to entertain guests of all ages.

Inspired by the outdoor feel and gold accents of Rosanna's Botanica collection (now on sale!), I'm sharing an inspiration board that is a great starting point for a simple but elegant gathering that mixes old and new traditions.

Invite guests with a fun invite like this plaid and kraft creation from The Homespun Hostess.

Set up a simple hot cocoa bar stocked with Botanica mugs, your favorite hot cocoa recipe and small containers of mix ins like these from Pen N' Paper Flowers.

Elli's chalkboard signage is a great example of how to enhance your bar's tablescape.

If you plan on moving guests outdoors, I love this idea of keeping them cozy with a pretty bin of blankets featured on Style Me Pretty. 

Display your cookies and other treats on the Botanica rectangular platter while guests serve themselves with the dessert plates.

All you need to create these lovely rosemary sprig place cards from Spoon Fork Bacon are sprigs of rosemary, printed (or hand written) place cards, and a hole punch.

Create a simple and natural scene with illuminating holiday jars from Better Homes & Gardens.

Don't be afraid you use your nice linens...Weranna's cleverly uses hers tied with sprigs and cinnamon sticks.

Cheers to a wonderful holiday!

Dawn Smith
Creative Director
Not Just A Mommy

R O S A N N A I N C . C O M

Girls' Night In!

Sometimes, the perfect way to have fun and feel connected with your girlfriends is to have a girls’ night in.

Instead of putting on your favorite outfit, settle in together to watch your favorite chick flick (or TV show…my girlfriends and I adore Downtown Abbey).

Instead of gourmet cocktails, set out an array gourmet food women love—great quality red, white, or sparkling wine accompanied by delicious crackers and rich cheeses and a big, fresh salad followed by very special chocolate and fruit at the peak of the season.

Rather than wine, you could also pick one fun cocktail to prepare for the group. In the summer, I love bellinis—fresh peach puree mixed with champagne—and in the winter I savor expertly made hot toddies—with good cognac, cloves, cinnamon, and a lemon rind.

I love the way an intimate home setting and small number of friends gives rise to higher quality conversation and deeper connections. Next time you’re planning a get together with your nearest and dearest, instead of going out, consider staying in.

Rosanna products featured in this post: Savour Collection

R O S A N N I N C . C O M

Wedding Season Gift-Giving

Wedding season is upon us and we have some unique gifts for the bride and groom, the bridal party, and must-have items for the big day! Our ultra-sophisticated Luxe Moderne, Arabesque and Rue Du Bac tableware sets make a great gift, and our adorable Sweet Nothing dishes, inspired by European wrappers, make wonderful keepsakes for the special couple. Our Napoleon flatware Bridal Set and Dauphine candlesticks can help with the final touches for the big day. And lastly, show the bridal party some love with our Petite Plates, Initially Yours mugs and Alhambra vessels.

Alhambra | Initially Yours Mugs | Petite Plates | Petite Treats

Luxe Moderne | Rue du Bac | Arabesque | Filigree

Napoleon Flatware | Luxe Glassware | Dauphine Candlesticks | Cake Pedestals & Compotes

R O S A N N A I N C . C O M

A Sneak Peek of our Spring 2014 Collection!

There's nothing like cozying up on a cold February night under a warm blanket with a good book.  But around this time of year, I'm truly tired of winter. With the torrential snowstorms that keep blanketing the country, I'm sure you are too!

Instead of slumping into our winter woes, here at Rosanna we're dreaming of spring and we wanted to share this sneak peek of our Spring 2014 collection. We hope it'll give you some inspiration to start thinking of ways to refresh your home with spring-inspired decor.

Spring is just 21 days away!  So clear out the wool blankets;  it's time to give your home a boost of sunshine.

Warmly,

R O S A N N A I N C . C O M

Decorating With Letters

Using letters to decorate your home is one of our favorite tricks. Even Rosanna spruces up her own office space with an assortment of collected Rs. Whether you like to celebrate your own initials or spell out entire words, this trend makes it personal and fun! Here's some of our favorites from around the web:

Get started personalizing your space with our To the Letter collection. These eclectic porcelain letters can even be hung on the wall and make an excellent gift.

Image Credits: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

R O S A N N A I N C . C O M

Table Wear: Luxe Moderne

This week we're classying it up with our favorite new Fall collection, Luxe Moderne. Gold is practically the new black - timeless, sophisticated and goes with everything. We thought it'd be fun to create a whole living room around this sleek color combination, with a touch of tangerine for good measure. Enjoy!

Sofa| Pillows | Mirror | Coffee Table | Rug | Sconces | Poufs

R O S A N N I N C . C O M

Francesca turns 13 with Heidi Klum, Tim Gunn, and Friends

Whew! What a party! We just finished celebrating Francesca's 13th birthday. The last girls walked out our front door at 11 am on Sunday after a nearly 24-hour long celebration. Seven girls slept over (though I doubt that anyone actually spent much time sleeping) and dined on chocolate chip birthday breakfast pancakes when they awoke.

Francesca’s guests arrived on Saturday afternoon to participate in 43rd Street Runway based on the hit TV show Project Runway. (We named the party “43rd Street Runway” after the street we live on.) Each girl brought three items of clothes from home to create a runway look.

My older daughter Alessandra was in charge of the judging. She recruited two friends to play Tim Gunn and a guest judge from London named Ling Ling. Alessandra played Heidi Klum. Once everyone had arrived, the judges presented the girls with a “challenge:” to create three distinct runway looks based on the film of their choice. The girls then drew numbers one by one choose 4 additional items from the abundantly stocked 43rd Street Runway Dressing Room. After they chose their new items, the girls split in to groups to create their looks, and walked the runway half an hour later.

The fashion show was hysterical. The girls were very creative and presented some great looks.

I was also very impressed with the judges’ ability to stay in character and channel the haute couture attitude of the fashion world. The girls and the judges alike really “made it work.”

No birthday party at our house would be complete with out a matching table design. I started with Rosanna Dauphine Candlesticks in black to create an edgy fashion look. I arranged the homemade red velvet cupcakes on our matching Rococo Noir Cake Pedestals, and made a surprisingly cool-looking tablecloth out of pages torn from Harper's Bazaar.

The day’s entertainment didn’t stop with the fashion show. Not many people know this, but Tim Gunn is also a magician (at least he was at this party) and wowed all of us by levitating a table and transforming a paper flower into a real one with a flash of fire.

After the cupcakes had been devoured and presents torn open, the girls retired to the basement to play-- what else?-- Band Hero Featuring Taylor Swift on the Wii. Various parents dropped by as the day wore on to watch the fashion show video footage. Heidi, Tim Gunn, and Ling Ling also stayed on for a pizza party. It was a great day and great fun.

I have to admit that putting 43rd Street Runway together was hard work. It required attending to many details and called for a few strategic planning session. But all of us, the 13 year-olds, 21 year-olds, and 50-some year-olds, had a wonderful time together. That fact alone made it all well worth the work.
.
auf Wiedersehen,
















www.rosannainc.com

*the invitation for Cesca's party at the top of the post was created by Trista, one of our talented graphic designers