How to Outfit Your Mother’s Day Table with Designer Lela Rose

Call it the double designing life of Lela Rose: the Texas-bred, New York-based entrepreneur and creative director is a top-notch hostess and inspired party thrower as well. Her recent book, Pret-A-Party, is all about crafting fun, elegant good times around the table with friends and family. Oh, and Lela’s a mom, too—so naturally, we had to ask…

“The real magic of a meal are the stories and memories that come from it,” she said in reply to our request for some stylish Sunday plans. And then she pointed us toward some easy-to-follow directions, and a couple of dress options, too.

“The ‘Spin a Yarn Supper’ would be a great way to celebrate Mother’s Day,” Lela told us, referring us to one of the gorgeously photographed celebrations in her book. “Of course, this idea can work as easily for a lunch, supper, or anytime of the day that suits—even cocktail hour (and likely with funnier stories)!”

All you really need to know about this party theme is that it encourages storytelling and conversation.

“I love to play with words and work them into a theme that I then carry through food and decor,” writes Lela in these pages. “For this invitation, I used brightly colored yarn and metallic paper to spell out the information and then gathered a bunch of colored spools to make a tableau, took a picture of it, and emailed it out.”

“On the table, I used pieces of black-and-white mottled yarn to make the shape of each guest’s first initial on top of his or her plate in lieu of place cards.”

Here are more quick tips to make it your own from there:

Pick menu items that have a story behind them; Lela included her grandfather’s pralines, which he used to make in an attempt to recreate a memory from a trip he and her grandmother had taken.

Riff on other conversation-starting terms with household items like Lela’s pearl-topped push pins that played with the idea of “pearls of wisdom” via a polenta and prosciutto appetizer.

Decorate easily with elements from your home and garden; for this party, Lela used votives and brass candlesticks, branches and colorful fruit. “A colorful table is a great trick for entertaining—it lends a visual pop. I wrapped parts of branches with gold thread to give them a little shimmer and emphasize the feeling of spinning a yarn,” writes Lela.

“Share anecdotes of your mother and dish up her favorite foods,” says Lela. And if you really want to go all out, treat yourself and Mom to a new dress—from Lela Rose, of course. Here’s what the double designer herself singled out for a day of love, memories and good times.

Embroidered tulle sheath by Lela Rose | Stretch jacquard fit & flare dress by Lela Rose

Lela Rose | Designer dresses | Mother’s Day gifts

via Nordstrom Fashion Blog http://ift.tt/1TmqWCi