SPRING: Cinco De Mayo Party Decor - 4 Fun Color Palettes!

With Cinco De Mayo just days away, I thought I'd share some older content that might just inspire a different way to approach this spring holiday... an option for those who aren't into a riot of color. (That's later in the post!)

The contemporary, nature-based approach here brings to mind Pottery Barn, Restoration Hardware, and Terrain style. It would be easy to pull together with boho, rustic, industrial, farmhouse, and modern interior decor elements, and will work indoors and outdoors to make Your Cinco De Mayo celebrations really easy - just add tequila!

continue reading for all the details...

cinco de mayo mayhem!

I know, it's weird out there. All kinds of celebrations are cancelled.
We're allllll ready for this coronavirus quarantine to end. 
But hold on, my friends, there is a way to find the happy while we wait:

*This year, Cinco de Mayo is on a Tuesday. TACO Tuesday!* 
It's the perfect reason to celebrate, right in your own backyard!

SO, today I'm dipping back into my blog archives (about seven years back!)
to share three different ideas for fiesta-style tablescapes and bar setups.
With all of us staying home, these ideas will help you
to see 'what you have at home' in a fresh new way to create something fun!

continue reading for a peek at three different themes for Cinco de Mayo Celebrations:

Cinco de 'Orange Crush' Mayo!

Happy Cinco de Mayo!
This easy to pull together look was inspired by those chairs in the photo above...

the regular metal folding chairs were pretty old and ugly,

until my Mom went at them with a few cans of orange spray paint!
Now they add a juicy orange accent color to her back patio area.

Mom also painted some old baskets and coffee cans orange,
giving me plenty of color in this Orange Crush Cinco de Mayo party setting.

The elements of this design are galvanized metals, burlap, and the color orange.

I rounded up galvie buckets from the garden bar, burlap from my office stash,
and everything orange I could find around the house!

The 'grass' umbrella establishes a south-of-the-border theme,

and the super-easy burlap & paper banner adds a splash of color to the green backdrop.

continue reading to see more ideas!

EASY Cinco de Mayo!

Happy Cinco de Mayo!
It's Friday, it's the weekend, and it's a HOLIDAY weekend at that!  Not a REAL holiday, you say? any excuse for a party is my philosophy. and there's no reason to say 'I just don't have what I need to throw a party'... because you DO!

Here are a couple of 'Fast, Cheap & Easy'TM tips that you can use to literally  put together a backyard bar setup in mere minutes...
so invite the neighbors over this weekend, and celebrate!

This is really ALL about the color story...
The warm yellows and oranges and the natural wood & terra cotta tones
play perfectly off of each other to create a 'South of the Border' mood.
Focusing on one or two colors is a fast way to coordinate elements...

I just went into every room and closet in the house, and pulled out 'stuff' on hand
that would work with the Cinco de Mayo 'story'...
* $1 bamboo placemats cover the bartop [and if you don't have a bar, stack some crates or benches  and throw a bamboo blind over the whole thing]

* a textured terra cotta flowerpot is a riser to hold a serving plate

* a clay ROOF TILE serves up napkins [could also hold fresh unpeeled fruit]   * a terra cotta olive plate : serves up salsa, and the 'pit well' holds the serving spoon

* a burlap shopping bag covers a blue plant pot [it's pretty, it just didn't fit the color scheme!]  * bright yellow faux flowers from the 'fall' decor box in the garage add color punch the marigolds in the pot are real, the yellow mums are faux,  and the ivy was cut from a wall and tucked into the pot.
better to have a full arrangement for impact than a few spindly marigolds!

* beach towels in hot colors and a woven purse & hat top the cabinet for color + interest
[textures of old wood, terra cotta pots with twine wrap, stucco, and baskets really say 'Mexico']

* A big basket lined with a garbage bag and filled with ice could hold Coronas next to the bar    Now, for the 'Fast, Cheap & Easy'TM way  to make Margaritas!

I came up with this one years ago, when my bar supplies had dwindled.
I had tequila. And I had lemons. SO, I improvised and created 'Cheater 'Ritas' - and discovered that this simple version is just as refreshing as the complicated drinks!

Ingredients:

lemonade
[I prefer it made from frozen concentrate with an additional squeeze of fresh lemon juice, but Crystal Light or Country Time powdered lemonade drink mix will work, too...]

tequila
[I prefer my lil' friend, Don Julio Reposado... but Jose Cuervo works just fine!]

ground sea salt . cut lemons and oranges . ice
_____________________________
* Run the cut lemon or orange across the rim of the glass, then dip the glass into the salt. Add ice.
[option: skip this step and just sprinkle a TIDBIT of salt INTO the glass over the ice]
* Pour a shot [more or less] of tequila into the glass over the ice.

* Pour lemonade into glass to fill.

* If desired, slice up a lemon and orange, and place a slice on the rim of each glass.

* Stir. Drink. Smile.
* Repeat. [REALLY important!]
___________________________________

Now this is certainly no 'Cadlillac Margarita' for connoisseurs,  but it is a refreshing, cool libation that is a quick treat to make with what's on hand, and it's CHEAP and EASY to serve for crowds.

Put some salsa music on the iPod, microwave a tray of taquitos and mini-tacos,
and you've got a party! Please drink responsibly and enjoy your weekend...

Got the Cinco de Mayo Blues?

It's Cinco de Mayo! Are you celebrating yet?!

Yesterday's post was all about a quick bar setup, 

built around a yellow & orange color scheme.

Today, I've got the blues!
Add bright aqua and some magenta to yellow and orange,

and you've got yourself a fast FIESTA!

Inspiration for a Sunday brunch, lunch, or dinner table:

Some 'Fast, Cheap & Easy'TM ideas shown here:

* The aqua glass balls in the centerpiece are actually 'water globes' for plant watering...
Used this way, they look like artist-blown glass decor!

[Available at your local nursery or home supply store]

* A teal glazed plant pot stands in as a riser for a serving tray

* The crackled glass vases and blue PLASTIC stemware 

were purchased for @ $3 each at HOMEgoods

* Fresh fruit and flowers in bright colors make the blue POP
My Secret: The bougainvillea flowers here are all faux garlands from the party supply store - 

I just wadded them up and into the vases, and hung a few on the wall by the bar!

* Standard black [or white] dinnerware is a perfect counterpoint to the bright colors
[Want to see a completely different look using that black dinnerware? 

I shared it last fall here along with my post for Broadway+Thresher Magazine]

 confession time..

I worked in the Washington wine industry for years, and learned a LOT about vino.
But I still 'judge a bottle by it's label' when I entertain...

because I want the labels to match my color scheme!

 I usually end up serving a spicy red wine, 

or making a simple sangria using wine and fresh fruit for a lighter touch.

[Don't miss my 'Cheater 'Rita' recipe for FAST margaritas - 

it's in yesterday's post]

a succulent tablescape

this final post for august wraps up my recent succulent / cacti obsession,
which i think is a great way to bridge the hot 'summer into fall' seasonal change.

today, i'll share how i took some of the elements that i created for the

no-cost, use-what-you-have guest room makeover

and found a whole new way to use them... on the dining table.

this clean, crisp, contemporary nature-based composition
fits so many decor styles: boho, rustic, industrial, modern,

and will work indoors and outdoors to make entertaining really easy!
it would also work beautifully as a modern look for Cinco de Mayo.

 you'll also find a quick tutorial for making one last version of faux succulents to decorate with.

continue reading...

NEW: Sweet Sweater Sprouts!

I really want to create seasonal home decor that isn't always CUTE. 

but my muses keep giving me ideas for CUTE projects. 
at THREE in the morning. sigh.
(the muses have no regard for our schedules -
 they want what they want WHEN they want it.)
so when deb can't sleep, deb sketches. and the muses inspire.

and so, I proudly present
my NEWEST 'Sweet Sweater Original' creation: 'Sprouts'!
(as of Spring 2024)

perfect for springtime, these lil' guys make me smile.
and they couldn't be easier to create...
continue reading for my tutorial!