Cleaning Your Table Linens -- Quick Tips

The day is almost gone and now its time to clean up! Don't forget those table linens. I always take all of my napkins and the tablecloth and make sure I've started the cleaning process before I go to bed. I fill my tub with cold water and a little Joy dishwashing liquid (any dishwashing liquid without bleach will do). After I have several inches of water in the tub, I add the tablecloth and napkins and leave them to soak overnight. This process seems to lift out grease stains from the linens and acts as a pre-soak. Let the water out and either let the linens dry in the tub or take them to the washing machine. (I let mine dry first because its easier to spot "stains"). Then, I pretreat any remaining stains with a product called Linen Wash, let stand for an hour or two and then wash the linens in the washing machine on gentle with more Linen Wash. Linen wash is a product that is specifically formulated for both table and bedding stains and is colorfast and can be bought at The Linen Gallery. Using Grandma's fragile and beautiful tablecloth???? If you're afraid to wash it yourself, bring it to The Linen Gallery by 2:00 on Friday and we will send it to Blanc Plume in Kansas City for professional laundering and pressing -- all they do is table and bed linens so they do them right!

Cotton Prices Set to Increase!

We received an email the other day from a very venerable vendor that is disconcerting and will affect everyone! Due to the economy, production of cotton this year was down -- as need was predicted to be down. However, the cotton crops saw unusual weather that wreaked havoc with production -- causing yields to be much lower than expectations. This is especially true in China -- who is having to pay higher prices to import cotton to meet their production demands. Prices are starting to rise and it is predicted we will see increases from 10-20% in raw materials in the near term -- affecting everything made with cotton! That can only mean retail prices will start to increase sometime in 2010. Keep this in mind -- delaying a purchase may cause it to be much more in te long run!

Candle & Diffuser Sale -- Save 15-20%

This week our Black Friday special of the week is a sale on all our candles and diffusers -- just in time for the Holidays! Save 15% on our favorite Holiday candle from NEST -- pictures to the right. The candle comes in three sizes and is undoubtedly our most popular candle year in - year out. It is a blend of Pomegranate, Mandarin Orange, Pine, Cloves and Cinnamon with a hint of Vanilla and Amber. We also have all the other NEST candles on sale, as well as our Anthousa diffusers and candles and our La Lozerie en Provence fragrances.

Our Favorite Napkin Rings

We fell in love with these napkin rings and think they are the perfect table accessory for the Holidays! Little baubles in shades of red, apple green, gold and turquoise blue, each napkin ring in the set comes with a hanging tag saying either "Blessings", "Joy", "Hope" or "Faith". What makes them even more special are the messages on the back. Blessings reads "The infinite array of God-given favors that, when recognized and appreciated by the recipient, hold the key to creating joy for the moment and sustaining joy for a lifetime". Joy reads " A contagious exuberance that originates in the soul, penetrates the heart, and radiates from the countenance; recognizable by all who encounter its glow...achievable by all whose faith speaks louder than facts and whose lives are grounded in grace and gratitude." Faith stands for "Find Answers In The Heavens". And finally Hope, which reads " Whether a glorious revelation or a gradual glimmer, the inner belief that meaning and purpose are to be found in life's tribulations; that peace and fulfillment are possibilities, and that something positive awaits as the result of one's prayers and perseverance".
$43 for a set of four, mention this "blog" and receive two sets for the price of one. This was one of our favorite girlfriend gifts last year -- everyone loved receiving them!

Winter's Chill is Upon Us!

Today is gray and that damp winter like chill is in the air!!!! And its probably a lot more places than just Nebraska. These are the days when I start to pull out all my special things that keep me warm all winter long. When I'm just sitting around and I can feel the chill in the air, I love my Scandia Down "Puff" -- which is my personal lap comforter that rolls up into its own pillow. In less than a minute, I am toasty and warm all over. I recommend you put this on your Christmas Wish List!

When it comes to winter sheets, I am all over my 13 year old set of SDH Purists' damask weave sheets and duvet cover. They are soft and warm to the touch and cozy like a flannel, but thinner and more sensuous. Although they seemed extravagant at the time, they definitely come out near the top on a cost-per-use basis. And I have to take them off, wash them and put them right back on once a week becaue I can't get through the winter without them.

And my regular weight Scandia Down Versaille comforter comes out of storage and the summer weight goes in!

My pajamas are Legna from SDH and I switch out from a light summer sheeting weight robe to a nice thirsty thick terry robe (mine is a rather ancient Anichini) that keeps me warm.
Right now the tip of my nose is cold and I'm hunkering down for the night. What sounds good to me is some good, old fashioned comfort food and a glass of wine!

Black Fridays!!!!!!

I think people universally know "Black Friday" as the day after Thanksgiving when holiday shopping season kicks off with a big bang -- as all the major retailers try to outdo each other with discounts to entice us all in their doors. With the economy being what it is, discounting is becoming a way of life and an expectation on the consumer's part. This season, many retailers have jumped off the band wagon and started "Black Friday" early -- one even started on October 30th! This is because last year's reaction to the stock market crash sent retailers scurrying to dump merchandise at huge discounts and now consumers are waiting on the side lines for last year to happen again. But, it won't. Retailers have been able to pare down their inventory levels and do not have to "get rid" of stuff this year like last. But the smart ones are starting Holiday discounting early in hopes of getting more of the consumers' dollar. So how does a small retailer like us compete? We decided to think outside the box ourselves and are having a weekly Black Friday special just for our customers! Keep you posted!

Napkin Rings -- To Do or Not To Do

The use of napkin rings goes back a couple hundred years, where they were generally monogrammed and used to identify one's napkin - which was used several times before laundering. Nowadays, we use napkin rings as a decorative accessory for our table! Napkin rings are a natural extension of the formality of your event -- you can dress the table up with a very formal napkin ring or you can dress down an otherwise formal table by introducing something whimsical and fun ! If you don't have napkin rings and can spring for them right now, you can use a beautiful ribbon to tie up your napkins and add something seasonal -- a small branch of bittersweet, leaves or flowers for a Martha Stewart look.
But if you really want to impress your guests, there is nothing like a beautiful folded napkin. Here we've displayed one of the many folds from Yves DeLorme's napkin folding brochure (available online at YvesDelorme.com or get one free at our store). Almost any type of napkin can be used to do a folded napkin that lies down on a plate. But those that stand up are best created with a heavier jacquard weave type napkin of cotton or linen, which has the body required to hold the form. Happy Folding!

The Holidays are coming -- time to prepare!

Each year the holidays seem to descend on us before we know it -- it seems the key to enjoying them is to start early and prepare! If you're hosting Thanksgiving this year (or Christmas for that matter) now is the time to start thinking about your Holiday table, If you need a new tablecloth or placemats and napkins, you should be ordering them now.
I'm frequently asked how to determine the correct size tablecloth. As a general rule of thumb, take the table's measurements, including the leaves you will use(length and width) and add 10" to each side. For example, a table that measures 40 x 80 needs a tablecloth that measures 60 x 100. You can get by with a 6 or 8 inch drop if the table is rectangular or oval. But, a round table needs at least a 10" drop to not look skimpy. Etiquette guidelines say a formal tablecloth is anywhere between a 12 and 20 inch drop -- but most of our clients don't want the tablecloth in their guests' lap. Measure from your seat height to the top of the table to determine what is the right length for you. And remember that cotton tablecloths can shrink -- so allow for that in your measuring.
What about napkins? We like 20-22 inch napkins for a formal dinner, although 18 inch will work. Anything less than 18 inches is considered a luncheon size napkin. Buffet napkins are generally bigger -- at least24 inches, allowing for your guest to adequately cover their lap.
If you want an easy care tablecloth that looks and feels like cotton, but is polyester and comes out of the dryer wrinkle free, we recommend Sferra's Orchard pattern. Remember though, polyester is harder to get stains out of then linen or cotton. All our tablecloths, placemats and napkins are on sale Friday, Nov. 6th for one week!
In my next several blogs, I'll address napkins and napkin rings as well as cleaning your table linens. Let me know if you have any questions!