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Claire Teal Pitcher Featured in Imbibe Magazine!
If you want to up your drinks game, we highly recommend checking out Imbibe magazine, which is devoted to all things liquid. In every issue and online, they feature great drink recipes, reviews, and stories about the people, places, flavors, and culture of drinks around the world.
We’re so thrilled to have been included in Imbibe’s May/June 2017 issue:
Summer Drinks Cocktail Napkins featured in Flea Market Decor Magazine!
We’re thrilled to be part of Flea Market Decor magazine‘s fun and eclectic September/October 2017 issue:
At Last: Supple, Beautiful, Stain-Resistant Cotton Tablecloths
Have you ever worried about serving your favorite wines with dinner because they could stain your tablecloths? Or inviting your best friends’ children over for a sit-down meal because Joey is (ahem) a little messy?
Well, believe it or not, some genius scientists in Switzerland were listening, and they came up with a solution that did not involve vinyl. And not a moment too soon. Finally, we’ll have driverless cars on the road, so it’s high time we found a way to entertain well without worrying about stains. Read more
Flora Danica: The Amazing Story of the World’s Most Expensive Dinnerware
War. Diplomacy. Royal backstabbing. A Russian Empress who loved art and beauty. All that went into the making of the world’s most expensive dinnerware, Flora Danica by Royal Copenhagen.
Our story begins with Catherine the Great of Russia. In 1788, she was at the height of her power and prestige, having come to power 26 years earlier by deposing her husband in a coup. The formerly impoverished German princess was now the absolute ruler of the largest empire in the world, and she followed up one stunning achievement with another: Expanded Russia into the Black Sea and Crimea. Made Russia a major European power. Annexed Alaska. Reformed the government. Ushered in the Enlightenment. Check, check, check.
[VIDEO] How 3 Parisian Star Chefs Show Off Their Amazing Dishes
In France, life is lived as art, and every moment must be lived beautifully. Nowhere is this more true than the Michelin starred restaurants, where culinary skill and presentation play equal parts to create unforgettable dining experiences. But how do they do it? In this video, you can see how three Michelin starred Parisians chefs, Guillaume Delage, Thierry Marx, and Toshitaka Omiya, show off their amazing creations with our Raynaud Essential dinnerware. Check it out:
6 Ways to Make the Gracious Lifestyle More Rewarding
You know that the gracious lifestyle is its own reward: a beautiful home, good times with friends and family, and the satisfaction of living life to its best.
And we want to be part of it! So we set up a unique new program, Gracious Style Rewards to celebrate those special times with you.
Save 20% on Garnier-Thiebaut Linens during the Virtual Trunk Show
Ever wanted to be in France, but just couldn’t get away? Fortunately, Garnier-Thiebaut’s French linens could bring a bit of France to your home — without the redeye:
Punk, Studs, and Color: Waterford’s New Rebel Collection
Every once in a while, a collection comes along that just knocks it out of the park. Jo Sampson, the British designer responsible for developing some of the most iconic interiors in the world (for Hermes, Fairmont hotels, and Four Seasons hotels), was recently tapped by Waterford to create a fresh new line of barware and home accessories. And the results are stunning!
By the Water: Coastal Living’s Newly Minted Holiday Table
Does the holiday season have to be snow, snow, snow?
Not for us — we live in LA. But no matter where you live, Coastal Living‘s holiday issue should bring a dose of beach, sun, and lime:
And their holiday table is also a seaside escape:
Featuring Herend’s CV12 Mint service plate, Vietri’s Incanto salad plate, Michael Wainwright’s Truro Gold wine glass, and Vietri’s red stripe napkin, this is a gorgeous, laid-back version of the traditional red and green.
Click here to see how you can create a seaside holiday table, or see our inspiration gallery for other table settings ideas.
A warm thank you to Coastal Living, and happy entertaining!
A True Thanksgiving: How Our Client Recreated Babette’s Feast
In the remote, dreary Jutland coasts of 19th-century Denmark, a pair of spinster sisters took in a Parisian woman named Babette as their housekeeper, even though they could not afford to pay her. For the next fourteen years, Babette cooked the bland meals demanded by the sisters’ late father, whose strict religious beliefs they still followed.
Then, one day, Babette won the lottery. But instead of going back to Paris, she spent it all making the most lavish feast the sisters and their fellow believers had ever seen. Course after course of the most exotic delicacies were served on the most beautiful china. As the feast progressed, its sensual pleasures overwhelmed even the most hardened souls, as the diners reconnected with each other, forgave old sins, and re-kindled long lost loves.
Finally Babette reveals that she was once the head chef of the famed Cafe Anglais in Paris. The sisters were horrified! Babette had spent her last cent on them and could not go back to her glamorous life again. They sob that she would be poor for the rest of her life. But Babette tells them, “an artist is never poor.”
This novel by Karen Blixen, of Out of Africa fame, was made into a movie in 1987 and became an instant classic. It won an Oscar for Best Foreign Language film, a Cannes Film Festival award, and a Belgian Grand Prix. Even Pope Francis mentioned it as his favorite film in a New York Times interview.
Recently, one of our clients from Brazil recreated this very film after some serious research and shared her photos with us. Her table is spectacular:
The first course, blinis demidoff:
Followed by a salad:
A potage a la tortue:
The main course, cailles en sarcophage:
And of course, dessert! The savarin au rhum:
And to make it a really special occasion, beautifully dressed guests at the party!
Did you recognize Haviland’s Imperatrice Eugenie dinnerware on the table? This is the same pattern Babette ordered from France for her feast and is especially appropriate to the story, since the Cafe Anglais was one of the greatest restaurants during the Second Empire, when Empress Eugenie and Emperor Napoleon III were at the height of their power.
For more photos and tips on how to create your own Babette’s Feast, please see our inspiration gallery.
We hope this will help you celebrate your Thanksgiving. Remember to be grateful for the kindness of others and enjoy the pleasures of good food, good friends, and loved ones. Don’t forget to share your special celebration with us — just write us or instagram us with #graciousstyle.
And thank you, Renata, for having shared these stunning images with us.