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a cobistyle christmas

Posted by Cobi on Monday December 05, 2011 at 05:58 AM
cobi's house • christmas • cobistyle products • entertaining • Comments (2)

If you haven’t seen this issue of Reno & Decor magazine, I thought I’d show you the images from my recent cover story. We photographed the story in my own dining room back in September. With years of magazine experience under my belt, it brought back many fond memories to be dressing a room for Christmas on a warm, sunny day with the windows open.

What I’m not used to, however, is seeing my own product-line in a story (and in my house!). What fun it was to have fuchsia pink cobistyle chairs delivered from Decor-Rest. Open boxes of cobistyle throws, pillows, Christmas decorations, trays and accessories from Canfloyd. And hang beautiful chintz drapery named after my own daughter, Charlotte, from inVU.

It was really fun to integrate items that I’d conceived of for my line - like this lacquer box and Xmas balls - with my own personal decorations I use year after year.

And the colourful cobistyle table-decor with my own white dinnerware, linens and milk glass collection.

The brocade-covered Chinese take-out boxes are something of which I’m particularly proud. The idea is to use them for party favours or small gifts and the colours are so pretty - they come 4 colours to a box - and brighten up anywhere they’re displayed.

I guess I have a thing for multi-colours - these cobistyle napkin rings come 6 colours to a box. The jewel-like tones look great with crisp white linens.

I love my little Geisha girl place-card holders - are they not adorable? They also work as tree ornaments.

I know the colours are not traditional for Christmas but they look festive and bright just the same, especially when mixed with each other. The advantage too is that you don’t have to take everything down the minute Christmas is over. They look great for New Years and parties throughout the winter.

This shot doesn’t feature any cobistyle products but it does express my favourite sentiment for the season and so I guess in a way it’s still ‘Cobi-style’…

Merry Christmas!

table ideas to fall for

Posted by Cobi on Sunday October 09, 2011 at 06:00 AM
display • entertaining • fall • nature • Comments (1)

If you’re hosting the turkey dinner tonight, have no fear - cute fall tabletop ideas are here! This image is stunning. The orange paper lanterns look like giant pumpkins overhead and I love the idea of bringing tartan to the table through napkins and blankeys. We should all have a collection of old wool tartan blankets to pull out in the fall!

Here’s another cute idea - pull out old family photos to use instead of place cards. What a great way to get people to the table!

And enjoy memories of family no longer with us.

If you have a box of price tags from the dollar store - create instant place cards by slipping them over the stem of a pear.

If you don’t; a little piece of twine works well with any kind of tag and fruit…

No tags at all? How about metallic pen on an apple or pomegranate? See - no excuses not to tart up the table!

If you’re more of a ‘professional arrangement kinda gal’ just make sure it’s gorgeous and bountiful like this…

Or buy a bunch of mixed flowers at the grocery store and cut them really short to create your own arrangement…

I love this skinny table set with old and new pieces. Classic and lovely.

Here’s a fun little craft if you own carving tools - these gourd vase and bowl ideas are sweet…

If warm tones aren’t you, don’t despair - purple looks amazing with fall colours…

As does crimson! It’s fabulous and unexpected alongside yellows and golds…

Try using unexpected items on your table or convert things, like candle holders, into props and pedestals.

Head out to the garden for some branches - understated elegance in a glass vase.

Or just lay one beautiful branch at each place - Bittersweet is perfect…

No branches? How about a simple piece of raffia and a wooden bead? See … no excuses…

Fall foliage also looks amazing in a glass vase - no fuss, no muss, no cost.

And here’s a perfect kids table anyone can do with kraft paper, crayons, a few pears and pots…

If you aren’t hosting this year, don’t miss out - do up your mantle and light a crackling fire …

And then take a moment to give thanks for all of your many blessings…

cobistyle comes to the backyard

Posted by Cobi on Monday July 04, 2011 at 05:59 AM
cobistyle products • decorating • entertaining • garden • summer • Comments (3)

We spent a day in my friend, Laurie’s backyard playing with some of my favourite cobistyle accessories…have a look!

I’ve decided these fabric lanterns are my ‘signature’ piece. Although they aren’t weather-proof, they’ve got such great character - and look as good on the patio as they do on the dining table. Look at how they turn a plain-jane ledge into a thing of beauty. They’ll look even prettier lit in the evening.

The smaller size lantern is perfect to hang on those garden shepard hooks many of us have for flowers or solar lights. They’ll mark your walk, day or night…

You know I’m devoted to the colour combo, blue and white (I’ve preached about it’s classic quality forever). The beauty is that it looks great anytime, anyplace, including the garden!

And look at it here with the addition of a few hits of orange… gorgeous!

And what would summer be without our favourite tastes from the garden? You simply can’t get a better appetizer than Tiny Tim tomotoes and basil from the garden with a little bocconcini cheese. Our bamboo skewers are perfect for party bites and reusable if you like. 50 skewers come in a clear branded box making them a great little hostess gift along with your contribution to the buffet table. (The bowls and tray are cobistyle too)

The cobistyle multi-coloured cotton napkins are a natural to brighten up classic white plates at a garden party. Guests will enjoy getting their favourite colour and won’t even notice if your flower bed isn’t blooming.

Setting up a summer table is so much fun and such a great excuse to play with colour. Who wouldn’t be happy to sit down to this table?

Or move things around to colour-block the place settings using a throw, lantern, napkin and chopsticks of similar colours…

The little cobistyle mini white ceramic bird vases are just right for holding sprigs from the garden (no need to spend money on flowers!).

I love the idea of throws ready in the garden for when the cool of evening comes. The juicy colours of our super-soft throws (and their washability) make them them perfect for the job. (I wish I could say this garden stool was mine too but it isn’t unfortunately.)

There’s just something about the idea of putting out lanterns and throws for an evening party in the summer - it’s so romantic…or, as my friends are now starting to tease me, so… cobistyle! ; )

tartan and pearls

Posted by Cobi on Monday December 06, 2010 at 05:58 AM
cobi's house • christmas • entertaining • Comments (3)

This past weekend I hosted a simply smashing dinner party, dahling. I called it ‘Tartan & Pearls’ and it was a celebration of my husband, Bob (the birthday boy) and his hero, Winston Churchill (just because).

The UK theme worked beautifully for early Christmas…all the right colours but nothing overt…have a look.

I used blank note cards for the invitation. Tartan & Pearls set the theme for guests and gave them an idea of what to wear. One smart couple came with the woman in tartan and the man in pearls. Another friend came in full kilt and gag-tam with red hair sticking out. Add in a few tartan bow ties and top hats and there were lots of laughs all round.

For loot bags I gave out little bottles of cognac, black licorice cigars, ‘keep calm’ sniffs and Scottish shortbread.

I found plain white note cards at Walmart that worked well for simple tented place cards and inside each one I wrote a Churchill quote. Bob had fun choosing quotes from his many books and speeches and deciding who should say what. When we sat down, the guests were told to look at their quote and to stand at some point during the dinner and recite it while others would chime in “hear, hear!”. I thought some people might be a bit shy but that was definitely not a problem with this group - it sounded like the British House of Commons on a busy day!

Bob couldn’t help himself from putting together a Churchill trivia quiz. It was so easy and fun. The winner got a box of Walkers Shortbread of course!

English and Scotch mints filled dishes with wintry white…

And I got out a bit of Bob’s memorabilia and displayed it around for fun…

To get things started…Churchill’s favourite champagne: Pol Roger, seen here chilling in the porch in the afternoon.

We also had a selection of British beers which you can buy singly or in small packs. Who knew Tetley made beer?
For dinner, I couldn’t go as far as steak and kidney pies, but steak and vegetable did the trick. Served with peas of course! And a hearty salad. After that we had a cheese course with English cheddar and Stilton and Carrs biscuits, then gingerbread cake, my homemade butterscotch sauce and cinnamon whip cream, yum!

Now the best part - the table - to get the theme going I bought a few yards of cotton tartan at the fabric store and cut it into two lengths so it ran from end to end. Then I pinking-sheared the remainder into napkins.

I have the perfect charger plates for this party, I bought them a number of years ago and they feature hunt scenes on each one. The white porcelain always looks great.

Down the middle of the table I stacked some of Bob’s Churchill book collection and used it for pedestals for votive candles and little crystal snowflakes my mom just gave me. It worked great and the red covers on many of the old books was perfect.

I regret I didn’t take a picture of the table just before we sat down when the candles were glowing - it was really pretty - but I was having too much fun!

There’s nothing better than the feeling you get the morning after a good party. It is most definitely our ‘finest hour’!

setting the bar

Posted by Cobi on Monday November 15, 2010 at 06:00 AM
display • entertaining • Comments (1)

With the holidays coming it might be a good time to think about setting up a little bar in your living or dining room. I can’t blame the MadMen phenomenon on the fact that I love the look of a little set up bar in a house. And I personally don’t drink mixed cocktails, so it isn’t even really self serving. I’ve just always found a designated spot for happy hour to look so glamorous and grown up. Very ‘New York apartment’.
What the heck, a girl can dream! Why not try it over the holidays….

You don’t need much - a little tray table…

A spot in front of a window, bookcase or blank wall….

Even just a tray on an existing console…

Or bookcase…

A trolley cart is perfect of course…

I love this one in Indochine black…

A sideboard that usually holds china or accessories can easily be put to work as a bar…

Setting up on a mirrored surface is extra glamorous and would be sparkly for the holidays…

I think it’s really just the ‘idea’ of cocktails that makes a bar so appealing. This whole set up does come with a built-in warning however, so be careful…

Caution: Proceeding with this decor idea may lead to Entertaining.

can it!

Posted by Cobi on Monday August 23, 2010 at 06:00 AM
collecting • cottage • entertaining • summer • Comments (1)

I snapped this picture right before we were about to leave our cottage for home.

Such a simple thing but it made me happy to leave a little group of ready-made hurricanes for the next group to enjoy (we rent in the summer), without worries of anything precious. I filled any jars we had kicking around the kitchen with sand from our beach and a few finds of shells and rocks and voila - not original but charming none the less. Here are a few other inspirational pictures I found….

The jars don’t have to be special to make an impact. Give new life to regular canning jars you’ve tucked away for when you find time to make grandma’s raspberry jam.

Of course, the old blue jars are more special…

The other thing we did this holiday was buy some wire at the local hardware store and fashion hanging hurricanes to bring home as a gift to my sister-in-law. We thought it was kind of fun and personal that we collected the sand and little finds from our own beach where she has visited and enjoyed.

There’s something so charming about a homemade lantern…

Here’s a cute idea for parties ~ replace hook holders for solar lights with jar lanterns. A real flame to light the way seems so much more special.

Of course hanging lanterns on tree limbs, fences or porch beams always looks rustic and beautiful…

Just be sure to use lots to create a real impression…

One last thing - how cute is this - what a great party idea! I practically have enough of these in my basement to pull this look off with no more cost than the lemonade. This idea’s almost good enough to make you want to plan an end of summer party!

milk it for all it’s worth!

Posted by Cobi on Monday July 19, 2010 at 06:00 AM
collecting • cottage • entertaining • summer • Comments (3)

One of my favourite collections is my bits and pieces of milk glass. It’s particularly fun to use in the summer.

I use the vases for flowers and leaves from the garden - hosta leaves and hydrangea look great.

But also for votive candles - the white glass just glows (sorry I don’t have a shot at night).

I also have some pieces at our cottage in PEI, they’re perfect for holding a single Lupin or Daisy bloom.

But here’s a use I hadn’t thought of…

What I love about milk glass is that it’s so easily available. There’s always a few pieces at any thrift shop at any given time and for next to nothing - you can get it for $1.00 - $2.00 a piece, less at garage sales.

What that means is - it’s easy to amass a collection in no time.

Check out this one…

But you don’t have to have tons to make an impact:

Just a few pieces look great together.

Or even just one…

It’s also easy to grab a bunch of pieces if you’re throwing a party.

And with a bit of florist tape, it’s so easy (and affordable) to do your own arrangements.

Notice that all of these flowers are cut quite short so the look plump and full, not tall and spindly.

The white glass looks great at weddings.

But don’t just think flowers, check out how great this moss looks. This whole display could be done for under $5.00!

I love this shot…and I actually own 6 of these tumblers, but I don’t have a wire holder…hmmm….gotta run…

seeing red

Posted by Cobi on Monday February 08, 2010 at 06:00 AM
cobi's house • entertaining • winter • Comments (4)

This weekend coming up is an amazing time to throw a party. I can’t believe we’re not having one, but the family cottage beckons thanks to the long weekend.

If we were going to be home, I would definitely be doing a combined Chinese New Year/Valentine’s Party. Just think of all the decorating possibilities with that tomatoey Chinese New Year red clashing up against the pinky reds of Valentines. Yikes!!

Bob and I have a lot of fun planning dinner parties for friends - especially in the winter when life isn’t as busy. Last year we had a Valentine’s party since it was on a Saturday night. I just pulled out everything I own that’s red and/or pink to decorate the table and had lots of sinfully rich foods along with champagne and chocolate of course. We seated the women on one side of the table and the men on the other and had a lot of good laughs as Bob played Bob Eubanks and commandeered a personalized version of the “Oldie-wed game”.

I didn’t take pictures of the table or I would show them to you. I do remember, instead of place cards we put a pink lei on each chair for the ladies, and a red lei on each chair for the men - everyone likes to get lei-ed on Valentines!

A great place to get inspiration for a Valentine’s party is to rent the movie Julie & Julia. Meryl Streep/Julia Child throws a wonderful old fashioned Valentine’s dinner party - I love the idea of red roses and red felt hearts on everyone’s lapel - so classic and french!

Here are a few shots from a Chinese New Year party we threw the year before… I got right into it as you can see from the decorating. One guest asked me where I was going to keep all the stuff afterward, “in your Chinese room?”. I wish I had one! Right now it’s all in plastic boxes under our pool table. But I always find ways to reuse (you already saw my paper lanterns in use again last summer at an outdoor party).

I picked up Chinese newspapers when I went to Chinatown to buy the bbq duck we served, and lined the table with it. I also bought some cute plastic Chinese food containers and did little crocus’ down the table. I looked all over for colourful chopsticks but only found red and green - they worked fine with the colourful glazed bowls I bought and paper napkins and lanterns. Cheap and cheerful!

I found little ‘laughing buddas’ for each of the men and pretty paper fans for the women. Can you tell how much I love getting lost in Chinatown? I think sometimes the shopkeepers wonder who this strange 6’ redheaded lady is who keeps showing up.

I used fishing line to hang little paper lanterns between our ceiling lamps and from the curtain rods.

For decoration I bought extra oranges in Chinatown too. At this time of year they pack them with some leaves, which are so pretty in a simple glass pedestal.

I bought 12 restaurant style little plates for dessert (they were something like $1.00 each) and I already had the tea sets.

For dessert, I made an almond cake with an orange glaze - simple but at least it was homemade.

And did a second platter of traditional cookies, oranges and lychees.

We had a ball. I can only imagine how good it would be if we combined Bob Eubanks with my laughing buddas this year….maybe we should talk to the kids and re-think this whole cottage thing…

the comfort of hot cocoa

Posted by Cobi on Monday February 01, 2010 at 06:00 AM
cobi's house • entertaining • winter • Comments (5)

It’s February 1st today and I’ve got mini marshmallows on my mind….

I own 3 hot chocolate makers, and to all of my loved ones who gave them to me - don’t worry - they ALL make me very happy!!

My kids love hot chocolate in the evening, but not only that, I like to serve it as dessert at dinner parties in the winter.

I actually find that many people don’t eat dessert any more, and we’ve all had the disappointment of working hard on a homemade dessert, to have only a few people eat it, and even the ones that do, say “just a sliver!”, which means there’s a great big ‘ol chocolate cake for ‘guess who’ to nibble on in the days to follow.

I also find that many people don’t drink coffee after dinner - or maybe that’s just a “getting old thing”. Whatever it is, I’m not big on going to the trouble of making things that don’t get eaten or drunk. Drank?

And so I have decided, the solution to all the world’s problems is Hot Chocolate!! (Or at least a few of mine )

Hot Chocolate brings back heartwarming memories to anyone who grew up in Canada. How can you skate on a river, build a snow fort after the plow goes by, or toboggan down an icy hill, without coming home to a warm, milky cup of hot cocoa?

To serve it to adults, I like to make it in a pot on the stove - it’s easy to have ready beforehand so all you have to do is warm it up when dinner is done. Then pour it into one or two of my lovely jugs to ‘froth’ at the table. A bowl of mini marshmallows to pass is a must, or even better, homemade ones! (I’ve never made marshmallows and would love to hear if anyone has, or has a good recipe.) I have tried homemade ones from Whole Foods and they are amazing and really add an ‘elegant’ touch to the table.

My bodum insulated cups are wonderful - simple, classic and really work - I like this size (although they come in many) because they have room for some foam and marshmallows on top.

Here are some leads on my 3 pots if you’re interested….the glass one is also made by Bodum and has a plunger built into the lid that swirls the cocoa.

The ceramic one is made by a company called Bonjour and comes with a battery powered frother that sits nicely on a plastic lid.

And the beautiful, more old fashioned looking one, with removable wood handle and manual frother is really made for the thick and rich chocolat chaud, served in every good restaurant in France….. My dearest friend got it for me from my favourite store in Montreal, Arthur Quentin.

And on that note, I thought I’d leave you with a recipe for the best Hot Chocolate in the world. (For the real thing, you have to jump on the next plane to Paris and tell the taxi driver to drive directly to Laduree. Heaven is closer than you think….)

Hot Chocolate

Adapted from Dorie Greenspan’s Paris Sweets and Ladurée

Serves 4 people.

Use any bittersweet chocolate but keep in mind that it should be one you love, since its flavor takes center stage.

3 cups whole milk

5 Tbsp. water

5 Tbsp. granulated sugar

6 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

In a medium saucepan, combine the milk, water, and sugar. Place over medium heat and whisk occasionally until the sugar is dissolved. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the mixture just to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the chocolate. At this point, blend the mixture. If you have an immersion blender, you can do this directly in the saucepan; or if you have a fancy jug like mine, you can awe your guests at the table while you froth. Either way, blend for 1 minute on high speed - and take care, as hot liquids expand when blended. The finished mixture should be very smooth and frothy.

Serve tout de suite!

get ready, get set

Posted by Cobi on Monday December 21, 2009 at 06:00 AM
cobi's house • christmas • entertaining • Comments (3)

As a working mom for so many years, I’ve trained myself that the only way I can entertain is to plan and prepare ahead of time. For any relatively organized, ‘type A’ overachiever, it’s the only way to go.

With that in mind…I get my dishes out the weekend ahead of any special dinner to figure out the table and make sure everything is clean and polished - I know, it all sounds very ‘Martha’ - but, like mom, she’s often right.

Here are a few ideas for setting a special holiday table.

I bought 12 of these chargers a few years ago when I was doing a special winter dinner party for Bob’s 40th. It was a splurge at the time but I knew on the spot that I loved them. So classic and they look great at any winter dinner party but especially Christmas. I love their size ~ they catch all the mess! - and the four hunt traditional scenes. I don’t know the pattern, they just say Royal Staffordshire on the back.

I don’t have enough white plates of my regular pattern (Wedgewood Coalport Countryware) and so rather than just have a few spares of another pattern, I alternate them half and half with some lovely square white plates I bought from the Brian Gluckstein Home collection at Home Outfitters. It looks good alternating in a stack and on the table - like I’m doing it for fun rather than necessity - love that.

In memory of my Grandmother, we always serve tomato juice at Christmas dinner. I remember everyone sprinkling it with pepper and drinking it at the beginning of our dinner when I was a kid. I don’t have little crystal cornflower glasses as she did, but I do have these heavy bottomed, stemless, wine glasses I bought somewhere along the line and they work well (plus go in the dishwasher!).

Speaking of my Grandmother, I couldn’t set the table and not use some of the dishes she left me. She knew how much I loved them. It’s ambitious to use them for the whole meal because I just can’t bear to put them in the dishwasher, but I always use them for one course and I encourage you to do the same - salad, dessert, soup - 10 or 12 smaller plates or bowls are a breeze to wash up and seeing them out on the table brings back warm memories of those we love. I use her double handled soup bowls for shrimp cocktail.

My daughter Charlotte loves helping me with place-cards. I bought these cute balls at a Hallmark store a few years ago and add a clipping of boxwood from the garden. In fact, little clippings of boxwood look great added to bows on gifts too. So easy and a nice touch.

?Now I have to run and polish the silver and 99 other things on the list…. Have a wonderful holiday and no matter how much you have to do, take a moment to sit by the tree and count your many blessings and all the things that are good in your life.

all set for thanksgiving

Posted by Cobi on Monday October 12, 2009 at 06:00 AM
cobi's house • entertaining • fall • nature • Comments (3)

I wanted to show you my dishes this week because they work so well for the Thanksgiving table, they always make me happy.

They’re called “Woodland” by Spode.

Each plate has a different duck or bird in the centre which makes them fun to collect and keeps my daughter Charlotte amused when setting the table . I think she’ll have memories of family dinners with them and since I plan to give them to her one day I think of them as ‘future heirlooms’.

There’s something about the brown transfer pattern and scene in the middle that’s elegant and earthy at the same time. They’ve been a joy to add to my other patterns and work so well with hearty fall and winter fare. It’s also great that they’re dishwasher and microwave proof.

Charlotte and I always collect leaves for place cards (just use permanent marker), impromptu coasters and general scattering about on tables and mantles. So pretty and easy to do while the turkey’s cooking.

Here’s a nice picture of some pieces in the Horchow mailorder catalogue in the states…

Spode is available at lots of independant china and dinnerware stores across Canada including Ashley’s in Toronto.

Anyway, must run and join the fun ~ Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

light and bright!

Posted by Cobi on Monday September 21, 2009 at 06:00 AM
cobi's house • colour • entertaining • garden • summer • Comments (3)

Last weekend we threw a little engagement party in our backyard for my nephew Michael and his lovely fiance Wing. I wanted to give the party a fun and happy feeling since they are such a fun and happy young couple.

The solution was so easy and affordable, I had to share it with you…

Paper lanterns from Chinatown are one of my favourite things ~ you can probably tell from my website! Just brilliant balls of colour.

I put little ones down the table and scattered others with groups of votive candles….

We placed the large ones randomly around the yard and if they looked like they might blow into the pool and we just weighted them inside with a rock. They would also look great hanging from the trees with fishing line.

Besides the instant colour impact, the best thing about them is they fold flat for storage and so we can keep them on a shelf in the basement for the next birthday party, shower, New Years eve or any other celebration that calls for colourful balls of fun. The other good thing is that the dogs can’t burst them.

This is my mom’s dog Lucy.

If you don’t live close to a Chinatown, I found them easily online. Try www.asianideas.com or www.paperlanternstore.com.

No matter how much life weighs you down, don’t let it stop you from celebrating the good things when they come around…and they always do come around. You’ll feel lighter and brighter for it.