Easter Tablescaping + Williams-Sonoma

Sherry and I were invited back to Williams-Sonoma for another tablescaping afternoon. Being that it's the beginning of Spring, we created an Easter-inspired table setting filled with fresh flowers, jellybeans and a buttercream cake! The store always has beautiful brands and designers to choose from, so it's never easy going in knowing exactly what we're going to create. We eventually settled on a charming Spring collection that was 100% fitting to our style and perfect for the Spring season.

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The Spring Garden Table:

April is the time of year when everything comes out of hibernation and flowers begin to bloom. It's the season for bright colors and sunshine. In our last post, we shared the meanings behind tulips and their association with Easter, but there are a ton of other flowers that come into play this time of year. It's peony season, everybody! People go crazy for peonies; it's cool, we're right there with them. We wanted to tie in one of our favorite colors (pink) to make our arrangements and table-setting really pop. We had a lot of pastel going on, which is fitting for Easter, but we wanted to have a flower that was a show-stopper, so the Sarah Bernhardt Peony was the way to go. We added some boronia, peach roses, stock, pink delphinium, and yellow tulips to the mix. We also wanted to add some height to the table, so we placed one of the arrangements on top of the Spring Garden cake stand in the center of the table, and then filled a tall white vase with pussy willow and off-set it on the table. The wicker basket, wooden Easter eggs, and sprig of boronia on each plate added the finishing touches to this charming, springtime table. 

To shop the Spring Garden Collection, CLICK HERE.

Items used for this tablescape: Spring Garden dinner plates, Pillivuyt Couple Porcelain dinner plates (white), Spring Garden cake stand, La Porcellana Bianca Plate Stand, Aerin Place Mats, Arezzo silverware, Everyday Napkins (yellow), Vintage Etched flutes, Vintage Etched goblets, Williams-Sonoma easter basket, Williams-Sonoma Jelly Beans

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Thank you to our partner-in-crime, Nicolas, for hanging out with us and putting together a quick video of our afternoon inside the store! We are taking the last of our Easter orders, so if you have a party that needs decorating or would like an arrangement delivered for the holiday, please CONTACT US and we'll make that happen. Xo.

photos and video by Nicolas Alexander

The Season of Tulips

Tulips are always a popular choice when it comes to Easter. Why is that? Tulips are one of the first flowers to bloom at the start of the Spring season. They even begin to bloom when snow is still on the ground, making it a clear indication that warmer weather is soon to come. The start of Spring and the Easter holiday coincide, hence the popularity and association with this particular flower, along with lilies, daffodils and hyacinth.

The tulip means "new life" and "perfect love."

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A tulip's color:

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Red: a declaration of true love

Yellow: cheerful thoughts, joy, friendship

Cream: forever love

White: humility, newness, purity

Purple: royalty

Pink: affection, youth, innocence

Orange: energy, enthusiasm, passion

Variegrated: compliment for beautiful eyes

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We will over at Williams-Sonoma this Sunday, April 2nd creating Spring-inspired flower arrangements and styling an Easter tablescape perfect for your holiday brunch, lunch or dinner table! Stop in between noon-2pm to say hi to us!! Xo.

photos by Nicolas Alexander

7 Reasons Why Valentine's Day Is Cool

The month of February always brings out a little extra love. We know that people have a love/ hate relationship with Valentine's Day... some think it's solely a commercialized holiday... others have renamed it Singles Awareness Day... idk, maybe it's the red roses + baby's breath combo that really annoys some people (ok, that one we can definitely agree with, no thanks)! But Valentine's Day should be appreciated for what it is. It's a holiday that celebrates love. Now, who can hate on that?! Love should be celebrated everyday... and on Valentine's Day it's simply celebrated a little bit more, which is cool. And yeah, there will always be those people who don't see the relevance in celebrating this really old holiday (think The Middle Ages and Shakespeare era), but oh well! That's their choice. We're all about the celebrating! 

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7 Reasons Why Valentine's Day Is Cool

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1. It's a reminder to appreciate what you have. It's a holiday to let others know that you care about them, and also a reminder to you that others care about you. We get caught up in our busy lives and don't always share the love like we should. We are all guilty of this. Hearing "I love you" is a great sentence to hear, right? And if you don't agree, the holiday only lasts for 24 hours and then it's on to the next one. Sweet deal.
2. It gives you a reason to do something with someone you love... whether you get all dress up to go on a hot date with your man (or lady), or stay in for a movie night with your friends scarfing down cheese pizza topped with extra pineapple + ham + jalapenos, and wine filled to the tippy-top of your glass (both scenarios we could get down with)!
3. We get to see more of Cupid's tush! There's something about a cute, little booty that puts a smile on our faces.
4. Presents. We love getting them, but we also love giving them. To us, it's the thought that is behind a gift. Even something as simple as a handwritten note makes for a meaningful gift to give someone you love. And if you attempt writing a poem, well then, you went above and beyond and deserve a big, fat smooch!
5. It's an excuse for sexy underwear! We're 100% positive that your significant other will appreciate this... guaranteed smooching and more is to be expected. Someone can argue "but ladies, you can wear sexy underwear on any day of the year!" Yeah sure, that may be true, but ask yourself this... how often are you prancing around in your négligée? (Ummmm... that's what we thought). So go buy yourself something pretty for the holiday!
6. We're on board with all of the sweets and treats! Cupcakes, cookies, fun-size packs candy... bring it on! Just not the weird little heart candies. Never could get into those (especially the pink flavor, eww).
7. Flowers. Did you think we would forget about them? Oh no, no. There is something about them that brings a smile to our faces and hopefully yours too! They come in so many shapes, sizes, colors; their fragrance and beauty is very much appreciated. There is a flower for everyone... we're sure you have a favorite! A single stem can light up a person's day, which is very cool! Flowers are an amazing gift from nature, and this holiday allows us to share what we truly love so much with others. If you're still looking for a sweet gesture, click --> HERE <-- to give the gift of flowers to someone you love!

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"Love is the flower that is never out of season."

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!

Love, 

Jihan & Sherry

Photos by Nicolas Alexander

Holiday Tablescaping + Williams-Sonoma

Gotta say... it was really cool that Williams-Sonoma wanted us in their shop to pair some 1209 designs with their store's holiday collections. We were thrilled to come up with some fresh tablescape ideas for their shoppers while still staying true to our style. Williams-Sonoma always carries such great pieces for the kitchen and dining-room, so it was a small challenge figuring out what we wanted to use. But once we did, it all came together just how we pictured!

Creating intimate settings for our clients is something that we truly love (and appreciate) doing. The dinner table is a special place. It's where stories are shared, where good food is enjoyed and where memories are made. Growing up, quality time around the dinner table with friends and family was something our families valued, which is why I think it's something we still value today. 

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The Stewart Tartan Table:

Sherry and I celebrate Christmas, so we wanted to create a festive table using traditional holiday colors. Christmas only comes once a year, so we like to make the most of it! We chose to use items from Williams-Sonoma's Stewart Tartan Collection. To add some contrast to the design we used the white plaid table linens and paired with the red plaid dinner plates.  Our awesome friend Lauren from Lately Press made name-tags that went perfectly with our set-up! You will also see that there are two large pieces of driftwood on the table we picked up in Sedona (sometimes we like to forage for things) that we wrapped tiny lights around to give an element of twinkle! You can find these inexpensive lights at Marshall's or Tuesday Morning, but we have seen them at several other stores too. We used magnolia leaves, red ranunculus, white wax flowers and mums, but then also added a touch of burgundy with the dahlias. Because there is a lot going on, we felt that the glassware needed to have a simple design, so the Estate Collection was the way to go. This is definitely a table we could cozy up to!

Items used for this tablescape: Stewart Tartan tablecloth, Stewart Tartan napkins, Pearled plate set, Tartan dinner plates, Estate cabernet wine glasses, Estate sauvignon blanc wine glasses, WSOK gold rim glasses, Lucca silverware set

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The NYE Contempo Table:

This table setting is a more modern + elegant design that's fitting for a New Years Eve dinner. After all of the red, green, and plaid we decided we needed a sleek and stylish look using a non-traditional color palette for this design. For our arrangements, we opted to use purple eucalyptus instead of greens, and then put in a pop of fuchsia with the dahlias. The arrangements are sitting in white mid-century modern inspired vases. You can find some great vase options out there instead of settling for the same old clear vases. World Market, Marshall's and West Elm have some great options depending on your price point. Next, we added a little sparkle and shine by using the silver and white Pine Cone Collection for the table runner and napkins. We wanted to keep the flatware simple since we had our eyes on the stunning Dorset Crystal Collection for the glassware. We added a few of Lauren's watercolor name-tags, along with our silver votives to finish off the look. Now we're ready to ring in the New Year! 

Items used for this tablescape: Hotel tablecloth (grey), Pine cone table runner, Pine cone napkins, Marble napkin holders, Pillivuqt Eclectique Grey plate set, Dorset crystal martini glasses, Dorset crystal red wine glasses, Dorset crystal water goblets, Arezzo silverware set, Crystal martini shaker

photos by Nicolas Alexander

Happy 1 Year Anniversary!

We can't believe a full 365 days have passed since we first launched 1209 creative. Bananas!! We're seriously loving every second of it. Sherry and I are gearing up for our fall weddings after having a successful first summer season! Keep an eye out for some cool stuff we have coming up. We're going to go have ourselves a celebratory cocktail (or three). Thanks to all for the love and high-fives! And again, congrats to our summertime newlyweds!

XOXO.

- Jihan

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BTW... looking for a gift to give this holiday season? Check out our size options and contact for prices and delivery information! Gorgeous flowers delivered in cool vases... a legit gift!

photos by Nicolas Alexander