Round Sequin Tray, $150 (image via Serena and Lily)

It’s made of recycled woven materials in Swaziland by artisans who create part time, which allows them to maintain their traditional lifestyles. Use this tray to hold some appetizers, and plate them on these equally lovely Moroccan Dessert Plates ($18 each) from Jayson Home and Garden !

Moroccan Dessert Plate, $18 (image via Jayson Home and Garden)

Happy entertaining!

Design consultations for all styles and budgets: JGB Interiors.

When I was a kid, just about the coolest thing you could have in your house was a finished basement with a wet bar. A wet bar! Picture it: a little corner with dark wood, a mini fridge full of Dr. Pepper, creepy under-cabinet lighting interspersed between those racks that hold wine glasses upside-down, maybe some old signs or salvaged stained glass somewhere, and somewhere beyond this groovy set up was the rest of the room, where there was likely a sofa clad in plaid upholstery.

So. Yeah.

Flash forward about fifteen or twenty years and the coolest bar you can imagine probably looks very different. My ideal bar isn’t fancy, nor does it require a sink or any counters. It’s comprised of a simple table (or tables, or cart), a few (and I mean just a few) carefully chosen and well-placed decorative objects, and the essentials: glasses, plates, bottles… you get the idea. Below are some beautifully simple bar images that could exist in the middle of a palatial parlor just as well as they’d take up residence in a tiny studio apartment. They’re all 100% attainable and will cost you very little money (well, less liquor expenses) and about eight square feet. Like the inspiration images? Get hunting for your perfect table, and start arranging your bar!

I adore this set-up. A few bottles, a gorgeous painting, and a vintage bar cart that was purchased at auction for just $150! Check out Design Sponge’s write-up on Naomi Stein of Design Manifest’s house tour for more.

(image via Design Sponge)

This image is from Society Social, a vendor selling the chicest, cutest, most amazing bar carts out there. This one is the Sedgewick. Check them out!

(image via Society Social)

When left without a devoted bar cart, fear not: just pile it all on a table (turn the table 90 degrees if necessary to switch up the angles and create a better serving area). Love this one from Lonny!

(image via Lonny)

This one just takes the cake for me: a little Palm Beach chic, a little “Mad Men,” a little urban, and a lot awesome. From Styled Creative. They’re an event design and styling studio located in Philly. Hmm…I think I recognize that cart…

(image via Styled Creative)

Ok ok…here’s another from Styled Creative‘s online portfolio. Masculine, sleek, and beautiful. Wow. (Love that Knob Creek). 

(image via Styled Creative)

I suppose I should say sorry to all you parents with little curious ones. The cute cart or acrylic table set-up won’t quite cut it for you. But never fear: here’s a wall-mounted great idea that can be modified to be accessible to adults only! It’s via The Kitchn.

(image via The Kitchn)

And there you have it: all the drinking inspiration you need for a dreary Monday. Have a great week!

Design consultations for all styles and budgets: JGB Interiors.

1.) Monster Cupcakes via Annie’s Eats.

So simple, yet so obviously a monster! (image via Annie's Eats)

Words can’t explain the cuteness of these treats, which are fairly easy to make if you have some basic baking tools laying around. Plus, how can you resist all that icing!  Follow along to the how-to here.

2.) Pumpkin Favor Pouches from Martha Stewart

You can do this is two minutes. I'm not kidding. (image via Martha Stewart)

This is easy, you guys. Seriously. I’ll direct you to the DIY, but basically you take orange crepe paper (or double or triple layered tissue), throw some candies in the center, twist it up into a ball, and seal the “stem” with green masking tape. That’s it!

3.) Modern Pumpkin Displays

Who said your pumpkins have to be scary, or carved, or even orange? (image via Curbly)

This DIY is as easy as you can get – it’s pretty much a make-it-up-as-you-go-along thing. Perfect for those of you who don’t like instructions! Grab some house paint, some glitter, some japanese masking tape, or even decorative nail heads (which you punch directly into the pumpkin to “stud” it).  Have fun, break rules, and get the pumpkin that says “You!” and not “Third Grade Class Party Craft.!”  For a super sleek and sophisticated look, you can even just spray a bunch of pumpkins white and call it a day. Very “too cool for school” and celebratory at the same time!

Have anyone else tried or seen any other Halloween-themed DIY’s? If so, I’d love to hear about them!

Have a great weekend doing whatever it is you do to prep for Halloween! For me, it’s hiding the candy I hoard from my husband and trying to finish off the makings of a tiny spaceman.

Design consultations for all styles and budgets: JGB Interiors.

Coca-Cola Drink Cooler, $799 (image via Pottery Barn)

Doesn’t it just scream summer? Throw some ice in it, add some pretty vintage sodas or beer bottles, and you have a really adorable talking piece for a summer (0r spring or fall) party! 

Don’t have $800 to spend on drink storage? Then try this Vintage Coke Bucket from Amazon.com instead…not quite the same impact, but one will hold about eight bottles. At $12 each, that’s pretty cool, too.

Cute and compact Coke Bucket, $12. (image via Amazon.com)

Design consultations for all styles and budgets: JGB Interiors.

1.) Martha Stewart Living Cookbook, by Martha Stewart; 2.) The Good Stuff Cookbook by Spike Mendelsohn; 3.) Peace Love and Barbecue, by Mike and Amy Mills; 4.) Terre à Terre: The Vegetarian Cookbook by Powley and Taylor; 5.) Homemade is Best from Ikea (apparently being given away in Sweden)

 Design consultations for all styles and budgets: JGB Interiors.

1.) Saucepot with Basting Brush by Bodum, $19.99 (image via Target); 2.) Reclaimed Slate Cheese Board from Uncommon Goods, $48 (image via Uncommon Goods); 3.) 20 Melon Ball Paper Napkins from Crate and Barrel, $3.95 (image via Crate and Barrel); 4.) Bongenre Tangier Melamine Dinner Plate (set of 4), $36 (image via Plum Party); 5.) Mini Colorful Bowls with Tray from Pier One Imports, $14.95 (image via Pier One)

Design consultations for all styles and budgets: JGB Interiors.

$2.95! I SAID $2.95!!!!!!!!!! (image via Crate and Barrel)

Crate and Barrel has appetizer plates in ten gorgeous colors for $2.95 each. You read that right: for less than a tall Starbucks coffee drink, you can have one-tenth of an awesome appetizer/dessert plate collection. I’m cleaning out my cabinets to make room right now…

Design consultations for all styles and budgets: JGB Interiors.

1.) Valentine Crayon Cards!

What a wonderful idea! (image via The Long Thread)

Cute, functional, and fun to make, these are good for young kids and adults.  Check out this tutorial on The Long Thread about how to put together your own cards and then visit Make It Take It for the crayon how-to.  My personal experience with this is that you should avoid the metal pan/vegetable spray route and just use a silicon ice cube tray (trust me…I spent a long evening with my husband and our friend trying to do this with all metal parts, and the results were abysmal).

2.) Candy Necklaces!

Lovely DIY, edible necklaces! (image via One Charming Party)

There is little I can say about these except how gorgeous they are!  I remember when chunky, colored “pearl” necklaces became big in high school and I had a few necklaces that were very similar to these.  They were pink and purple, and surely at least $80 each…. Oh well.  I am dying to make a few of these this weekend, and I think I might run with the concept but see if I can cleanly poke holes in marshmallows.  My son is a little too small for stray gumballs around the house, and I hesitate to give these as gifts to parents with young kids. In any case, I anticipate some frustration with the hole-poking but I am super excited to take a crack at these!  Check out One Charming Party for the tutorial.

3.) Fruit Stickers

There are 7 fruit stickers to choose from! (images via Twig and Thistle)

Ok — here’s the easy one: all you do is get yourself a single sheet of sticky paper and print this template from Twig and Thistle.  Ok ok, you also need a 1” craft punch (which I of course happen to have floating in my bag of drafting/crafting supplies) but you can cut carefully and tediously by hand if you don’t have one.

Anyone have any more must-do crafts?  I haven’t been this excited about making things in a long time!  Hopefully I actually get a chance to: our “Valentines” will either be getting a cute bag full of stuff, or a print out of this blog posting this year!

Design consultations for all styles and budgets: JGB Interiors.

YUM! (image via One Charming Party)

Check out this rainbow cake, and if you are inspired read the about the entire party here! There is even a downloadable PDF with instructions!

Happy Friday!

Design consultations for all styles and budgets: JGB Interiors.

From L to R, the Henrik, Jesper and Lizbet Salt and Pepper Mills from Crate and Barrel, each $40. These acacia wood mills were all originally designed by Jens Quistgaard, and are brought back from the Dansk International archives for a limited time. (images via Crate and Barrel)

Even though I’m leaning towards the natural mills above, you know that I love color and I would be remiss not to show you a rainbow of pepper mills as I navigate the world of colorful (or not) kitchen accessories.  Here are nine good ones, in all shades of deliciousness:

Red: Capstan Pepper Mill by T&G Woodware, about $50 (image via T&G Woodware), Pink: Pantone Crush Grind Mill, available at Amazon, about $25 (image via Amazon), Orange: Vic Firth Salt Mill in Electric Orange, about $35 (image via Food Network), Yellow: Vic Firth Yellow Pepper Mill, about $40 (image via Vic Firth), Light Green: Vic Firth Mario Batalli Pesto Pepper Mill, about $40 (image via Vic Firth), Dark Green: Chiasso Posh Grinders (set of 4 various colors), $38 (image via Chiasso), Sky Blue: Paderno Blue Pepper Mill, $25 (image via Paderno), Blue: Peugeot U-Select Lacquered Pepper Mill in Azure, $55 (image via Williams Sonoma Home), Purple: Galic Pumba Pepper Mill (image via Galic)

Pepper (or salt) mills are a great way to add some color to your kitchen on the cheap, and it’s fun and easy to start a collection of them.  Displayed or not, you’ll have fun knowing your pepper is coming from a beautiful gadget as opposed to an institutional shaker.  Enjoy the hunt, don’t be afraid to have more than one, and let me know if you find a great one!

Design consultations for all styles and budgets: JGB Interiors.