Inspirations

The holidays are here and many of us are getting ready to entertain for our friends and families in the comforts of our home. As we prepare for the biggest and most important get-togethers of the season, here are a few simple and cost effective ideas for jazzing up your table setting this year:

- Use things that you already have in your home – pull out your 3 or 4 of your favourite vases of different heights.  Use complementary colors of fresh flowers for a simple and stunning arrangement.

- Fill three or four vases and/or glass bowls with different colors and sizes of ornaments, fruits, leaves – anything with color and texture that will create visual excitement.

- Your guests are all unique – why not celebrate their individuality? Use different patterns and/or colors of napkin rings that match their unique personalities. Are they simple or sophisticated? Fun or formal? Unpredictable or conservative? Show them you care with a little customization to complement your table linens. 

- Candles are always a dramatic and cost effective way to make a statement – use votives at each place setting with a name card and emphasize beautiful table linens for a classy and simple look.  Or go more dramatic and cluster your favourite candle sticks of varying heights and looks as a centerpiece.  Use colors that complement or match your dishes, glasses and table linens.

- Nothing brings subtle sophistication to your table like a well-selected runner. Use one the length of the table plus 12 inches to hang over the edge (usually a 90″ or longer) as the perfect centerpiece. If you are using a solid tablecloth or placemats, make sure to jazz it up with a festive pattern. If you have a patterned look already, use a vibrant solid runner that picks up on one of the colors in your runner.

- Use 2 napkins instead of one with a napkin ring. With a solid napkin inside, and a more decorative napkin on the outside.

Happy Holidays everyone!

It’s almost the end of October, which most of us know signals the beginning of winter, and of course, a timeless favorite - Halloween. Is it a holiday simply for those short enough to pull off door-to-door candy raids? Surely not! Adults can enjoy the creepy, crawly holiday just as easily. It’s the one time of year we can dress up and make fools of ourselves without the neighbors batting an eye. So why not host Halloween at your house this year? It’s easy enough to create a ghoulish table setting that will put all your guests in a frightful mood. We recommend using black tablecloths and black napkins, and then grabbing some fun Halloween decor (as shown below) from your local dollar or drug store to create the perfect setting. You will impress your guests with your Halloween spirit!

If you needed a good excuse to refresh those old table cloths, napkins and napkin rings for your holiday get-togethers, we just gave you one. Just launched - the great big holiday offer. From now until December 5th, get 25% off when you use the code “Holiday” at check-out. Happy Shopping!

Creating the perfect setting just got a little easier with our new line of coordinated sets.  The design experts at TrendexHome.com took our most popular tablecloth styles, matched the perfect napkin ring to each tablecloth and added just the right number of napkins for each size. As if style and convenience weren’t  enough – we also took 10% off for buying the items together. And it’s all just in time for those big holiday get-togethers. You can see all our new sets by clicking here.

Looking for a unique way to make your table sparkle? Grab some plain old tea lights from your local dollar store and dress them up with exciting beaded napkin rings. Nothing makes a statement like table jewellery. Mix and match colours and styles to create an eclectic, yet sophisticated look. Just remember to stay within the colour schemes that complement your table linens! You can find a wide selection of beaded napkin rings by clicking here

So recently I have been asked for some “quick table linen tips” for moms on the run. While all our tablecloths are considered easy-care, as they are all machine washable, sometimes even that process presents a time challenge for busy moms and professionals. Here are a couple of tricks I have used over the years when a spot or a wrinkle appear at the 11th hour:

1) If you just remembered to take the folded tablecloth out of the drawer for the first time in months and it looks like you slept in it, the best thing to do is of course to iron it. However, if you have no time to waste, and one million other things on your plate, use a spray bottle to lightly dampen the cloth and toss it in the dryer at a high heat for 5-10 minutes. This trick also works well on clothing, by the way!

2) Same scenario as above, but you realize you tucked away the tablecloth without cleaning it, and spots abound. Throw some placemats and/or a table runner on top for a “coordinated look.” Your guests will think you have great table setting style!

3) Did you check if your tablecloth is reversible? Some of our tablecloths are indeed reversible, and some, while not intended to be, look pretty good on the reverse side as well. If you are in a pinch, and Uncle Sam’s cheesecake from New Years dinner 2008 is still quite present on the tablecloth you planned to use, check the back side. You may just be surprised!

For many of us who helped set the table for family dinners throughout most of our childhood and adolescence, the proper order for the table setting has been drilled into our minds more times than we care to remember. For those that were fortunate enough to avoid this pesky chore, there may always be a hint of self-doubt as to the proper order and placement of the fork, spoon, knife as we go to set the table for our guests.

If you fall into the latter group, I recently came across a little helpful hint for how to keep that confidence: FORKS. Now, it’s not perfect by any means, as there is actually no use for the letter “R,” but if you can remember that little tidbit of information, you should be just fine. The word “FORKS,” (besides the obvious) is the acronym composed of  “F” for “Fork,” “O” for the shape of a plate,” then skip the “R” (as mentioned) and go to your “K” for knife. For the grand finale, you have the “S” for, yes, you guessed it, the spoon.

Desert utencils can be placed above the plate. For the bread plate and glasses, take your forefinger and thumb on each hand and connect them. The “B” you create is where the bread plate goes and the “D” is for drinks. Of course, beneath the dinnerware and cutlery, you would need a fabulous tablecloth or placemat, and on the plate a gorgeous napkin, surrounded by an equally fabulous napkin ring, but that’s just a side-note from a linen girl (I really just can’t help myself.)  Happy setting!

The holidays are fast approaching and behind the scenes, we are working hard to plan out the perfect holiday assortment. Since we are planning for you, who better to tell us which Trendex Home styles you would like to see on your table this holiday season. And yes, we will offer you something in return for your valuable feedback! Visit our tablecloth section and pick out your top three styles. Respond to this post with your top three Trendex Home pattern picks before September 15th, and we will send you a coupon code for 30% off any purchase made by October 31st, 2009. It’s as simple as that!

We look forward to hearing your feedback!

Just when we thought there was only one use for the stylish linens you’ll find behind these  cyber walls, we realize that the world is an interesting and creative place. Yes, most of us think to use a placemat beneath a plate, to serve the  dual purpose of protecting ones table as well as providing a little colour and interest to our dining experience. But have you ever considered it as a personal fashion accessory? If you answered no to this seemingly rhetorical question, you are probably not the only one. I recently came across a wonderful blogger, who had the idea of creating totes out of placemats. Yes - as simple as stitching two fabulous patterned mats together and voila - the stylish tote. So if  your table is screaming for a make-over, don’t despair. After all, it is the age of re-use and recycle. With a little vision, a needle and thread, you may just have a new beach bag waiting to be discovered.

Summer entertaining is all about simple execution - in preparation and in clean up. No one knows this better than the great entertainers you see behind the scenes here at Trendex Home. For this reason, we have developed the be all and end all in easy-care table accessories - our wipe-clean woven vinyl placemat. Yes, my friends, you can have style and convenience without breaking the bank. These placemats have been the big hit of the summer - and I suspect will continue to be a big fall, winter and spring hit for moms (yes, we at Trendex also know the pains of trying to clean up after a meal with a toddler) They start at $5.99 each. I have posted a few below, but you can find them all in our outdoor placemat section.