Dishing it up / with Sharon Insul

Come sit with me for awhile . . .
and see what I’m bringing to the table ®

Over the years the lyrics .   .   .  a bushel and a peck and a hug around the neck, clearly sent, and still probably does send messages of love to all who have heard and sang this song over the years. Where as ‘my bushel’ seen below, is clearly sending thoughts of hearth, home, welcome to my table, and I love having you.I can not think of a better way to celebrate fall than with a bushel brimming with leaves, gourds, colorful Indian corn, and pears .   .   . lots and lots of pears. Pears of all sizes, shapes, and colors, fresh as well as faux, all blended with a wreath bursting with grapes, leaves, and golden pumpkins. For the settings featured below, my first layer is my favorite hand painted dinner plate of harvest fruit in wonderful rich tones. Next layer is a square plate with a branch/leaf pattern, topped off with a square burnt orange plate, and a wonderful hand thrown earthenware colored teal bowl.  To really perk up this table I introduced a vivid green earthenware glass, and two different napkins, one of earth gold color and the other a happy yellow, layered together. All of you who have been reading about my tablescaping escapades know that I am not done until the last itty-bitty sparkle has been added and all of the tons of candles lit! .   .   .   DONE!!! Are you looking for a new twist on the same-old, ho-hum table setting? Great for hostess gifts, bridal showers, just because gifts or treat yourself gift.  .   .  buy on Amazon / Barnes & Noble / IndieBound.org  in ebook & hardcover  http://getBook.at/Tableofferings. For the kiddies in your life “I am sooo Lucky!!!”  Books 1, 2, & 3 AVAILABLE on …Amazon      Barnes & Noble     IndieBound.orgBook1  http://getBook.at/book1Lucky    Book2   http://getBook.at/lucky2Book3   http://getBook.at/Lucky3Remember if you’re a Prime Amazon member you can read for free! Sharon Insul is the former owner of the globally recognized Beverly Hills boutique Candle light and… Beverly Hills, California, as well as an ongoing contributing columnist for the Beverly Hills Courier Newspaper.About SHARON INSUL has been FEATURED IN HOUSE AND GARDEN, USA TODAY, JAPAN’S OGGI MAGAZINE, CHICAGO TRIBUNE, IN STYLE MAGAZINE, AND CHANNELS 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13 AND HGTV HOME DECORATING CHANNEL and . . . DUBBED “EXPERT TABLESCAPER” by INTERIOR DESIGNERS, DECORATORS, AND SATISFIED

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DISHING IT UP / with Sharon Insul

Come sit with me for awhile . . .
and see what I’m bringing to the table ®

Recycle .   .   . re-purpose .   .   . reinvent .   .   . re-imagine .   .   . or is it just plain reuse? Last week’s blog was the second in a series of Fall tablescapes in answer to my readers requests. Sooo find a cushy place, sit back and enjoy some of my upcoming Fall fare. 

My attitude as to re-inventing, re-purposing etc., knows no bounds! Re-utilizing, is as big a passion as designing tablescapes. Whether previously used for gathering fruit, grapes, or even laundry, this basket screamed .   .   . ‘take-me, do-me’!  Oooops! How about ‘I’m here, use me’? Geez. Are you done giggling? Can we focus here? My large green pear from last week’s tablescape shares the spotlight with a sprinkling of glistening  gold sprayed pumpkins. To give this table a feeling of Fall bounty, bunches of faux Indian corn, clusters of grapes, and cranberries along with eucalyptus, dried gourds, and sunflowers created elements of texture, depth, and  fullness. But wait, I’m not quite done. Oh please .  .   . no self-respecting tablescaper would dream of a Fall presentation without gathered leaves found outside, blended in with bright yellow faux leaves for pop.

Hmmm .   .   . I haven’t heard anyone whisper .   .   . oh look there’s a sparkly pumpkin, or pear that can be seen in the setting below.

It’s more than likely you hadn’t noticed .   .   . because .   .   . the table seen below is brimming with eye candy. Really. I kid you not. Leaf shaped dinner plates captured in the same burst of colors found during the spectacular Fall foliage season. A leaf shaped salad plate in blended colors of green, auburn, and gold, cradle a hand thrown bowl in a pungent aubergine color with a misty overlay of dusty gray. Hand thrown drinking vessels in earth tones play next to brightly colored glazed ceramics. Pop in napkins of juicy melon tones, light the candles, sit back and watch ‘the dance of the flames’. Any tablescape can turn into a ‘dance of the flames’ just by placing pops of color .   .   . here, there and everywhere. This is a performance you and your guests won’t want to miss.

Now on Amazon  http://amzn.to/2ehlCp4 “a collection of… Tableofferings from the go-to expert tablescaper” Available in E-book and HARDCOVER !

FOR THE KIDDIES in your life …It’s all about those adorable sisters! Listen to my children’s books live radio interview bit.ly/29QSJPd
I am sooo Lucky!!!  AVAILABLE NOW on Amazon http://amzn.to/1qh38Zf

Remember if you’re a Prime Amazon member you can read for free!

Sharon Insul is the former owner of the globally recognized  Beverly Hills boutique Candle light and… Beverly Hills, California, as well as an ongoing contributing columnist for the Beverly Hills Courier Newspaper.

Come sit with me for awhile . . .

and see what I’m bringing to the table®

LOOKING BACK!!!!

Change your shoes, change your life .   .   .   amen!  Now how about changing your tablecloth?  No? Wait. Before you shut me done completely, have a look below. Thanks! Yessss! Oh that sound?  No .   .   . I didn’t stub my toe. It came from yours truly. Thanks for your concern.

The table covering below, began with a vintage hand-embroidered linen table cloth as my base. Next came a crushed velvet shawl of burgundy with deep rose overtones. The multi-colored set of dinnerware, in shades of pink, green, and yellow  play well with both the multi-toned shawl and embroidered cloth. The photographed place setting below shows-off a pair of antiqued, white porcelain door knobs, used to hold the setting of ivory, antiqued-looking silverware. Antique ebony glass, Victorian lavender, burl wood, hand-painted porcelain, and brass public school knobs are just a part of my treasured antique door knob collection. Ivory-toned crocheted napkins  at each setting helps marry the cream and white pops throughout this tablescape.

Using an edited edition of the place setting seen above, without any table covering creates a sleek simplistic table. I will use the largest plate, which normally is  a  charger, as my main course plate. What is normally a dinner plate will serve as cold first course presentation. I opted for a raspberry colored linen napkin to compliment both the pink and white roses from my garden, as well as the hand-painted center rose seen in each piece of this set. Red/pink hand-painted stemware, green/yellow blown-glass bowls, with square shaped side dishes that holds colorful mini-bowls for homemade olive tapenade and crusty rustic bread. The center piece for this clean line tablescape was a fallen branch found outside. A vintage Reed & Barton Pewter three candle holder was a true OMG moment in time, when found in a second-hand store for five dollars !!! 

Now on Amazon  http://amzn.to/2ehlCp4 “a collection of… Tableofferings™ from the go-to expert tablescaper” Available in E-book and HARDCOVER !

FOR THE KIDDIES in your life …It’s all about those adorable sisters! Listen to my children’s books live radio interview bit.ly/29QSJPd
I am sooo Lucky!!!  AVAILABLE NOW on Amazon http://amzn.to/1qh38Zf

Remember if you’re a Prime Amazon member you can read for free!

Sharon Insul is the former owner of the globally recognized  Beverly Hills boutique Candle light and… Beverly Hills, California, as well as an ongoing contributing columnist for the Beverly Hills Courier Newspaper.

Dishing it up / Sharon Insul

Come sit with me for awhile . . .
and see what I’m bringing to the table ®

Just going with the flow!!!

Last week I heard someone singing deck the halls .   .   .  sooooo .   .   .  as you can see in the photo below.  .  . I went with the flow! Look .  .   . what can I say .   .  . label it power of suggestion, time of the year .   .   . or .   .   . I just lovvve to design and decorate!!! Lol! This is a teeny-weeny, itsy-bitsy part of what’s on my mental drawing board.Now I know that many of you have already met Charlie, houseman extraordinaire and keeper of my found treasures from having grabbed up my new book “a collection of … Tableofferings from the go-to expert tablescaper,” but .   .   . you have not been introduced to my stair monitor Arthur (seen below). What does Arthur do ? He stands by proudly to help shed light, and remind everyone to watch their step! The pops of light are sooo easy to create when using battery run LED lights .   .   .  NO extension cords! OMG it must feel almost as good as riding a zip-line high above a forest! Oh please .  .   . I said almost .   .   . the only thrill-seeking in my DNA is working the edgy side of a design! The photo below is just a hint of what’s on my ‘mental drawing board’. I guess you’ll have to wait till next week… My NEW BOOK is finally out there for all of you to see!!! http://amzn.to/2ehlCp4Now on Amazon  http://amzn.to/2ehlCp4 “a collection of… Tableofferings™ from the go-to expert tablescaper” Available in E-book and HARDCOVER !FOR THE KIDDIES in your life …It’s all about those adorable sisters! Listen to my children’s books Live radio interview bit.ly/29QSJPd I am sooo Lucky!!!  AVAILABLE NOW on Amazon http://amzn.to/1qh38Zf Remember if you’re a Prime Amazon member you can read for free!Screen Shot 2015-06-23 at 4.02.41 PM     IMG_7613     51fjuSEwhWL._SL500_SX250_ 2Sharon Insul is the former owner of the globally recognized  Beverly Hills boutique Candle light and… Beverly Hills, California, as well as an ongoing contributing columnist for the Beverly Hills Courier Newspaper.

Dishing it up / with Sharon Insul

Come sit with me for awhile . . .
and see what I’m bringing to the table®

Can you believe even in sunny Southern California tons and tons of leaves? There is something exhilarating and exciting about the changing of seasons especially during Fall Foliage. It’s all about the texture, profusion of color and best of all the crunch, crunch,crunch underfoot. Come on .    .   . I know that some of you out there make it a point of zig-zagging down the sidewalk headed for those super dried, prime ready to be crunched ones!!! Me too! Realistically people .   .  . very few of us are prepared to spend all of our waking hours outdoors unless of course you plan on hiking, kayaking, mountain climbing, or crunching!

Now segue to a cozy fall evening get together! Take one wood tray, hand carved wood pine cones, fresh Granny Smith apples, fabulous pears bursting with colors that only Mother Nature could possibly create, and of course .  .  . candles, candles, and more candles! Next fill those wonderful casseroles .   .    . oh please .   .   . you jest! Come on people, the ones that you crammed into the  back of your cupboards at winter’s end. Yes, yes .   .   . “those casseroles“. Below is part of my pre-season bufett shindig! From farm to friends!!!

Compiling my book “a collection of… Tableofferings™” has been both the fulfillment of one of my dreams, and a task of Herculean proportions .   .   . I kid you not! I will keep you all posted as to Amazon link.

FOR THE KIDDIES in your life …It’s all about those adorable sisters! Listen to my children’s books Live radio interview bit.ly/29QSJPd

I am sooo Lucky!!!  AVAILABLE NOW on Amazon http://amzn.to/1qh38Zf

Remember if you’re a Prime Amazon member you can read for free!

Sharon Insul is the former owner of the globally recognized  Beverly Hills boutique Candle light and… Beverly Hills, California, as well as an ongoing contributing columnist for the Beverly Hills Courier Newspaper.

Dishing it up / with Sharon Insul

Come sit with me for awhile . . .
and see what I’m bringing to the table ©

Do you run hot or cold?

 Um .   .   .  it’s o k I really wasn’t asking on a personal level. Phew!!! Let’s move on. Time to dig out the heavier comforters, stock up on firewood, and of course candles,candles, and more candles.  As seen below, one candle well placed, mixed with a wreath of leaves, feathers, and dried berries says time to enjoy! The key to getting this beautiful glowing flame is to start with the wick between 1/4 – 3/8 of an inch before lighting every time. The next tip to getting the best and most out of your candles is to keep flames out of a draft.

The photo above is yet another example of the power of lighting. Multiple levels of tapers, votives, t-lites, and a brass lamp set on stacks of books creates a soft glow, and a great place for a spread of tid-bits during catch-up cocktail hour. Want to see more? The best place to see much, much more is in my NEW up-coming book.

Are you looking for a new twist on the same-old, ho-hum table setting? Well look no further .   .   . help is here .   .   . Now on Amazon “a collection of… Tableofferings from the go-to expert tablescaper” Available in E-book and HARDCOVER getBook.at/Tableofferings

For the kiddies in your life “I am sooo Lucky!!!” Series AVAILABLE on Amazon

Book1  getBook.at/book1Lucky    Book2   getBook.at/lucky2

Book3   getBook.at/Lucky3

Remember if you’re a Prime Amazon member you can read for free!

       

Sharon Insul is the former owner of the globally recognized  Beverly Hills boutique Candle light and… Beverly Hills, California, as well as an ongoing contributing columnist for the Beverly Hills Courier Newspaper.

 

 

 

 

Dishing it up / with Sharon Insul

Come sit with me for awhile . . .
and see what I’m bringing to the table® 

Bits and pieces of  past Thanksgiving Days .   .   .

Shhh .   .   . people, people .   .   .  try to calm yourselves. What? Who said anything about a ghost sitting at your side, or maybe hovering over the dining table. No no .   .   . you misunderstood my reference to past Thanksgivings. What I am proposing, is a good old fashioned dose of rummaging through your cupboards. It’s time to dig out your mother’s, grandmother’s, great-great grandmother’s passed down goodies, super flea market finds and put them all to good use. Do you see my mom’s white lidded pumpkin soup bowl sitting smack dab in the middle of a leaf shaped porcelain plate?  Good. Now have a look at the last but not least big white plate, perfect for loading up on turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, sweet potato pie, etc.. To help complete the place setting I added my mom’s vintage bread and butter plate, hand thrown chalices, chunky cut crystal glasses, and individual vintage salt and pepper shakers. Ah ha! I just heard someone say .   .  . are those napkin rings made out of heavy copper netting? Yup!

Shown below is a partial view of my tablescape. Did you all think I would reveal all of my turkey day layout sooo far in advance? People .   .  . we have three weeks before Thanksgiving .   .   . I promise you will get the centerpiece next week. The embroidered taupe colored cloth will stretch the full length of my table, while the Merlot colored cloth with its beautiful harvest bounty motif will sit on the diagonal layered on top. My third generation copper and porcelain tray is an absolute must! The bonus on this beauty is the attached hot water chamber. No cold dried out turkey at my table!  Don’t forget next weeks sneak peek of my centerpiece!

My BOOK is finally out there for all of you to see!!! http://amzn.to/2ehlCp4

Now on Amazon  http://amzn.to/2ehlCp4 “a collection of… Tableofferings™ from the go-to expert tablescaper” Also available in book form !

FOR THE KIDDIES in your life …It’s all about those adorable sisters! Listen to my children’s books Live radio interview bit.ly/29QSJPd

I am sooo Lucky!!!  AVAILABLE NOW on Amazon http://amzn.to/1qh38Zf

Remember if you’re a Prime Amazon member you can read for free!

Sharon Insul is the former owner of the globally recognized  Beverly Hills boutique Candle light and… Beverly Hills, California, as well as an ongoing contributing columnist for the Beverly Hills Courier Newspaper.

Dishing it up / with Sharon Insul

Come sit with me for awhile . . .
and see what I’m bringing to the table ®

For a quick respite . . . I have decided to republish one of my happy tables for you all to peruse . . . ENJOY!

I decided to use the same stunning table linen as seen last week ( https://wp,me/p3E2rZ-5Dz .   .   . oh please .   .   . this tablescape is for a different and larger crowd and .   .   . to show all of you lovely readers how a slight twist and tweak can create a brand new look while using most of the dishes from last week.   Lots of .   .   .  helllooo I’m here to party with brilliant orange dishes, stacks of leaf shaped plates and vintage glass cobalt blue dishes. For that extra dash and splash of interest, I added cobalt blue/white pattern soup bowls topped with vintage pedestal bowls holding sparkling faux autumn fruit.  Stemware in peach/melon tone next to a vintage etched wine glass.

Are you looking for a new twist on the same-old, ho-hum table setting? Well look no further .   .   . help is here .   .   . Now on Amazon “a collection of… Tableofferingsrom the go-to expert tablescaper” Available in E-book and HARDCOVER getBook.at/Tableofferings

For the kiddies in your life “I am sooo Lucky!!!” Series AVAILABLE on Amazon

Book1  getBook.at/book1Lucky    Book2   getBook.at/lucky2

Book3   getBook.at/Lucky

Book3   getBook.at/Lucky3

Remember if you’re a Prime Amazon member you can read for free!

Sharon Insul is the former owner of the globally recognized  Beverly Hills boutique Candle light and… Beverly Hills, California, as well as an ongoing contributing columnist for the Beverly Hills Courier Newspaper.

​

Dishing it up / with Sharon Insul

Come sit with me for awhile…

and see what I’m bringing to the table®

Do you like the cover of my new book? YAY!  Then you’re going to love the other 80 jam-packed pages of pics, tips, and quips!

Yes, of course I hear you. I really, reeeallly, reeeealllllly want to show all of you my new book! What was that? A peek? Oh please .   .   . that’s like wanting to lift one teeny-weeny corner of a perfectly paper wrapped gift box. Sheesh! I know how some of you roll. Sure, sure, one peek then oooops the paper ripped .   .   . then .   .  . you will say it’s already open .   .   .  sooo let’s just do it!  It’s all yours to pick up an e-book, or hardcover on Amazon. Compiling this book “a collection of… Tableofferings” has been both the fulfillment of one of my dreams, and a task of Herculean proportions .   .   . I kid you not!

Are you looking for a new twist on the same-old, ho-hum table setting? Well look no further, help is here .   .   . Now on Amazon / Barnes & Noble /  IndieBound.org             “a collection of… Tableofferings from the go-to expert tablescaper.” Available in E-book and HARDCOVER  http://getBook.at/Tableofferings.

FOR THE KIDDIES in your life …It’s all about those adorable sisters! Listen to my children’s books Live radio interview bit.ly/29QSJPdI am sooo Lucky!!!  AVAILABLE NOW on Amazon http://amzn.to/1qh38Zf Remember if you’re a Prime Amazon member you can read for free!

         Sharon Insul is the former owner of the globally recognized  Beverly Hills boutique Candle light and… Beverly Hills, California, as well as an ongoing contributing columnist for the Beverly Hills Courier Newspaper.Sharon Insul is the former owner of the globally recognized  Beverly Hills boutique Candle light and… Beverly Hills, California, as well as an ongoing contributing columnist for the Beverly Hills Courier Newspaper.

Dishing it up / with Sharon Insul

Come sit with me for awhile . . .
and see what I’m bringing to the table©

Do you run hot or cold?

Um .   .   .  it’s o k I really wasn’t asking on a personal level. Phew!!! Let’s move on. Time to dig out the heavier comforters, stock up on firewood, and of course candles,candles, and more candles.  As seen below, one candle well placed, mixed with a wreath of leaves, feathers, and dried berries says time to enjoy! The key to getting this beautiful glowing flame is to start with the wick between 1/4 – 3/8 of an inch before lighting every time. The next tip to getting the best and most out of your candles is to keep flames out of a draft.

The photo below is yet below is yet another example of the power of lighting. Multiple levels of tapers, votives, t-lites, and a brass lamp set on stacks of books creates a soft glow, and a great place for a spread of tid-bits during catch-up cocktail hour. Want to see more? The best place to see much, much more is in Tableofferings™ …a collection from the expert go-to tablescaper. Available on Amazon

For the kiddies . . .

I am sooo Lucky!!!  AVAILABLE NOW on Amazon http://amzn.to/1qh38Zf

Remember if you’re a Prime Amazon member you can read for free! 

Sharon Insul is the former owner of the globally recognized  Beverly Hills boutique Candle light and… Beverly Hills, California, as well as an ongoing contributing columnist for the Beverly Hills Courier Newspaper.