What’s In Season? Rachel recommends the following for fall:

Dahlias, Sunflowers, Celosias or Coxcomb, Hypernicum Berries, Hanging Amaranthus, Crab Apple Branches and Hydrangeas.

I asked Rachel for a few tips for arranging flowers at home:

“Fill cold water in your favorite vase, and have a good pair of shears or clippers handy.  Take off all the leaves from the stem that will go in the water as you arrange each stem.  A good tip in arranging is making each flower variety stand out by grouping or clustering the same blooms together to create a lush and natural look.  Change the water everyday and keep away from direct sunlight.  If you don’t have or run out of flower food, add a little bit Sprite or sugar to the water every time you change.”

Sprite, Really Rachel? Here is what she had to share:

“When I visited one of my large flower vendors in Aalsmeer, Netherlands (the flower capital and the largest flower auction of the world), I had a grand tour of their massive facilities.  They have a testing room, where they test out new varieties from various growers.  When I asked if they put anything in the water, one of them pulled out a large crate full of empty bottles of Sprite from under the table!”

To learn more about Rachel, visit her website at www.RachelChoInc.com

I had the opportunity to speak with the lovely ladies and got insight into their inspiration and how to select the perfect invitation.

“Invitations really do set the tone of an event, and get guests excited about the fabulous party you’ve got planned! Choose an invitation that tells a lot about you to your invitees, as well as one that can coordinate well with the event design. Play with textures and printing processes to create something unique and memorable.”

Above is a gorgeous bridal shower invitation designed by East Six. Marina and Stacey commented that “[f]un and flavor were the inspiration for Candace’s Moroccan-chic Bridal Shower. We designed a flirty invite with a festive feel. Brightly colored envelopes greeted guests in their mailboxes- and surely stood out from the crowd. Foil-stamped in gold and letter-pressed in raspberry – the result was Ooooo La Lovely!”

I completely agree!

Ingredients

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• Herb of your choice

Directions

In a saucepan, combine sugar, water, herbs. Place over medium heat, and cook, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat; let cool and strain.

A great way to follow up Sous’ guest post below on SodaStream!

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon melted butter
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk
• 6 eggs, separated
• 2 lemons, zested and juiced
• Butter, for greasing

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl combine, sugar, butter, flour, salt and milk, mixing until smooth. Add egg yolks to this and mix until smooth. Add lemon juice and zest.

In a mixer, beat egg whites until peaks are stiff. Fold the yolk mixture into whites gently to combine mixtures.

Using butter or vegetable shortening, grease 6-inch custard cups. Pour the mixture into the cups. Set the cups in 1/2 inch of hot water in a 9 by 12-inch baking pan. Bake 25 minutes or until tops have risen and turn golden brown.

Brussel Sprouts and Other Roasted Vegetables. Cover up the grill, preheat your oven and begin to roast your vegetables again.

Pumpkin Everything: pumpkin spice, pumpkin bread, pumpkin carving. Take advantage of it all and you will actually be able to taste the season.

Soup! Yes, we can have soup again. Click HERE for my recipe for butternut squash soup.

Apple Picking. A fun activity for all ages, and think about what comes from apple picking… apple pies, apple cider, cider doughnuts, apple crisp {the list goes on}.

Fall Colors. Sick of all that white, red and blue décor? Time to break out the lush shades of brown, purple, wine, orange and warm up your next dinner table.

Fall Flowers. With the new season come new floral options. I am most excited about Dahlias in deep colors.

Candle Light. As it starts to get dark earlier you can vamp up your home with dramatic candle light to set the mood for your next soirée.

Tailgating. This time honored tradition of feasting before sporting events returns this fall. Who doesn’t love an excuse to be causal on the weekend with a brat and a beer!

Hot Beverages. Ice coffee out, hot coffee in. You can once again return to your morning latte ritual. Or opt for a hot chocolate, chai latte or spiked apple cider.

Heavy, Heartwarming Wines. Cork the rosé and choose something rich and full-bodied!

I loved that almost every designer who participated in this home included a nod to entertaining, even in the sitting area of the Master Bedroom {where quite frankly, I could picture myself lounging and sipping champagne}.

Here are a few shots that I snapped. If you find yourself in the area be sure to stop by and have a look for yourself. The show runs through September 5^th and benefits the Southampton Hospital. Click HERE for more information.

I’m really into Bambu, a green company that makes gorgeous kitchen and home products. Their products are simple and sleek and made entirely from organic renewable materials.  They also make great single use products called Veneerware™, a lovely option for your Labor Day picnic!

Now it’s easy to embrace your style and the environment!

HRH has been blogging for the last year, bringing you some of the best entertaining tips and trends. She recently tapped me to be her guest blogger – providing you even more great and fun ideas!

Lovingly nicknamed Sous, I am a corporate event planner based in New York City with over 8 years of experience. Beyond that, like many of HRH readers, I grew up cooking in the kitchen with my mom and have a passion for food and creative entertaining.

I look forward to sharing my ideas with you!