Sliding into holiday vibes with minimal shoving. This year I am inspired by the idea we can actually gather with loved ones to celebrate this season together. I also love this time of year when we bring more elements from outside to create cozy and beautiful experiences inside. This time of year was absolute magic for me when I was growing up bc of family traditions and transforming our home using fresh branches, trees, wreaths, adding pops of red and by using special lighting. I still use this formula from my childhood but have put my own spin on family traditions in our own home.
Last year myself and a highly dedicated team of massively talented creatives were eyeballs deep into making sure this wedding event was the most epic creative collaboration we had ever put together. And it was.
While this feels like all but a dream the reality is Feb 29, 2020 Everhart In Love:Ron+Gavin, became my last event I have worked. This gorgeous day was held just days before we were all told to stay home so we could keep each other safe. So these images and memories are even more special now and should be celebrated. Thank you for coming here and allowing me to share what inspires me and keeps me going. I continue to be inspired by our community of creatives. And in this wild time I truly believe it will be this part of community that carries us straight into the light with all the good and new things we have to look forward to again…like the celebration of togetherness. Xoxo, V
And a very excited THANK YOU to @theknot for featuring our gorgeous Everhart In Love: Ron+Gavin 2020 in your national wedding publication! Art Direction by me made possible by almost 30 incredibly talented, dedicated, hard working, generous Scranton Vendors that I am honored to have been on their team.
Creating magical holiday dining experiences this year is challenging in a million ways. But hosting a social gathering outside has become the new normal. This year my VKD Holiday Launch is a different kind of launch. It will instead be a launch of creativity, inspiration, and magic. Please feel free to get lost in the magic to spark some in your own life. A few weeks ago, Valerie Kiser Design, Chippy White Table, and Danielle Coons Photography met in the middle of a field, as friends on a magical mission, to style two different holiday table looks and a festive lounge outside at the stunning Candle Tree Farm property in North Abington Twp, Pennsylvania. Even our friend Electric City Bakehouse came to the rescue providing the most delicious but equally beautiful sweet treats we used in our styled set up. Surrender to the magic! 2020 so desperately needs the creative tribe to collectively cultivate joy around the globe. I wish you and your friends and families a safe and joyful holiday season. xo, Valerie
MAKE YOUR MAGIC: Tips on creating memorable holiday table set ups…
–Choose Your Theme. Pick a theme, from traditional, modern, whimsical, elegant, or casual, the oh so many ways you can go, just remember to have fun! If you need inspiration browse Pinterest but most importantly take stock of your cupboards, closets, and yard for your own unique and gorgeous table-scape making supplies.
–Set up Your Inside Furniture Outside. Bring your inside furniture outside, just do it, you won’t be sorry. Bring out the chairs, tables, rugs, couches, throw pillows and even some extra blankets taking it to the next level while keeping guests cozy. Go ALL OUT!
–Use a Blanket as Tablecloth. Choose a woven or textured blanket on the table draped at an angle, covering the whole table or folded as a runner to elevated the vibes and set a cozy tone. I used my VKD X’s Blanket and Electric City Blanket as tablecloths for these styled set ups.
Electric City Blanket Tablecloth
Electric City Blanket Tablecloth
–Design the Place Settings. Gather your plates, flatware, glassware, linens, favors, name cards, etc. and make a mock-up place setting. Be creative and use what you have around the house in new ways to design your place settings. You’ll be surprised by the multitude of options from “shopping” in your own house. I love using black satin ribbon to style events. You could use 1/2 inch ribbon to make pretty flatware bundles, use 1 inch ribbon in long 20″ strips under place setting for a fun added element for the placemat, tie bundles of evergreen with 36-50″ ribbon attached to the back of the chair creating festive and dramatic tones, cascade the ribbon down the center of your table for another added element. I recommend using only two of these satin ribbon ideas at time to keep it simple. So try them all, keep your two favorite looks and edit out the others. Less is more. And for my favors this year I’ll be using VKD Electric City, The Globe Store, and Everhart Museum Ornaments as well as using Electric City and The Globe Store notecards to write handwritten messages to my guests. This really sets my holiday theme into place and helps everything else come together.
–Design the center piece. Gather up your decor at the table to practice laying out the items on the center of table. Make sure there is enough room for the place settings. Again, be creative with what you have or what you are using for the favors and build more on that theme like I did with the ornaments. I used candle holders and dish ware to display ornaments as table decor, simple vases with evergreen springs, and cranberries for a sprinkle of color. But I designed these around what I chose as the table cloth vs a runner. So start there and build your theme. Again, try a bunch of things, have fun, and keep it simple.
–Create a Chill Lounge
Whatever you do this holiday season, my Friends, just stay inspired to keep the magic alive! And if you would rather keep your “inside furniture” inside you can always rent all your needs including dishware, flatware, glassware, decor, and more from my friends, Chippy White Table. Plus, if you would like a team of magical stylists to design, and come set up your holiday digs this year I know a good crew:) Just shoot me a message at hello@valeriekiserdesign.com
Happy Holidays, Peace and Love, Keep it Kind!
Dream Team: Art Direction & Styling by Valerie Kiser Design and Chippy White Table, Desserts by Electric City Bakehouse, Venue at Candle Tree Farm, Images by Danielle Coons Photography
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. I’m partnering with the Women’s Resource Center of Scranton to donate 100% profit of my Survivor Series and 15% site wide on www.valeriekiserdesign.com from Oct 15-31.
My sister Amy was a survivor of traumatic sexual assault and Domestic Violence that affected our family for almost two decades preceding her suicide in 2017. By raising awareness for this issue I honor my sister and all those families that need crisis counseling, legal resources, safe shelter, and the social permission to talk about what is really going on, spreading the message that there is zero shame in reaching out for help.
Domestic Violence affects all race, gender, creed of every demographic background. Thank you for listening and for your kindness while helping me end the shame and misunderstanding surrounding Domestic Violence and Abuse.
Covid-19 has keep us inside and gathering in small groups so it’s beyond exciting to plan something interactive and outdoors. Special events are no longer just for the holidays and milestones with a large guest list they are simple acts of connectivity with quality interaction intimacy away from a screen. Fulfilling my creative and social self mini events like last years styled Treehouse Dinner Party designed in partnership with VKD and Chippy White Table last summer are pretty crucial to me. It was beyond magic and our team was an absolute dream. And while this styled set up was elaborate and required a team of designers to pull it off you can recreate something just as magical and keep it simple. Fill a backpack full of all your favorite snacks and a blanket and hike to a gorgeous clearing in the woods with your friends or plan an elaborate white cloth dinner in the woods. (Call me if you need help coordinating or invite me to this shin dig 😉
I just encourage everyone to unplug and go outside to create something joyful and enjoy our beautiful, natural world with your favorite people. Yesterday my family and I filled a row boat and kayaks full of food, beverages and fire wood and rowed to island with friends for an off the beaten path birthday party. We made a fire, cooked dinner sang happy birthday and just enjoyed each other while being outside. I wish everyone a healthy fall and to find joy in real life connections. xoxo, Valerie
Forinquires about booking a design team for a similar, nature inspired micro-dinner party such as this Treehouse Party please email hello@valeriekiserdesign
While we are on fourth week of covid-19 quarantine, and just found the kids won’t be going back to finish out the school year, we needed some projects to keep us engaged and motivated. I was inspired and encouraged by my Chippy White Table friends to create new content with an Easter Tablescape. So I set out around my house and studio to find some props for our Easter look.
In the studio, I found VKD pattern plexiglass placemats I had custom made for a styled wedding at Center City Print last year and bleached, dried ferns from Matterns Floral for this years styled wedding event, Everhart In Love, at the Everhart Museum (I have a million photos from that and will post when I narrow down which ones to post).
And from the house I gathered up vases, linens, flatware, glassware, my favorite dish ware that was a gift from another designer friend, throw blanket and throw pillows. To engage my kids in the fun I hardboiled some eggs that we dyed and added some hand-drawn patterns with markers (only one egg got dropped and smashed in the process!) I also downloaded some adorable Spring/Easter theme cut-out activities from MerMag that I highly recommend. I’m happy to report that those projects inspired the kids to create their own imagination projects. Such as a bunny pinata (pictures below) from a cardboard box we painted and filled with homemade confetti and left over Valentine school candy. They are now working on a mini theater box with their own story boards and hand puppets!
I hope you are all doing well and invite you to create your own tablescapes and projects. Tag @ValerieKiserDesign and @ChippyWhiteTable so we can see what you are making and styling in your home.
We had some fun creating some DIY projects like our bunny piñata and inspired projects we downloaded from MerMag. Here is what we did over the past week to have some Easter fun.
DIY Bunny Pinata!
Bunny Pinata!
Used plate to trace two circles.
Cut out circles, ears, and sides.
Used packaging tape to connect bottom and sides together.
We filled with homemade confetti, candy and small toys.
Tape top circle on and add ears on bottom.
Painted white.
Added face with sharpie marker.
Details, details. 🙂
Bunny Pintata, kids love him and so do I. Try one yourself!
Please join me for the 2019 Holiday/Winter Launch of Valerie Kiser Design’s first couture collection at LAVISH Body+Home, Nov 1, 6-9PM, Downtown Scranton.
Valerie Kiser Design styled a First Friday Pop-Up Wedding on May 3 at the Electric City Bakehouse in Downtown Scranton. The design inspiration was fresh, fun, modern, alternative, minimalist, black and white, pattern lovely, spring green, handcrafted, boutique, micro-wedding with custom VKD stylized wedding attire and decor!
We were thrilled to have curated and collaborated with 20+ other creative, community business partners to create a stylish, unique, all inclusive WEDDING for one lucky couple. That’s right, 100% covered…the Venue, Attire, Decor, Photographer, Food, Glam, Officiant, Favors, Style and Convenience! 🖤
Couples were invited to submitted their love story and one couple was chosen to be married in just three short weeks!
SARAH + MICHAEL, along with 18 of their closest friends and family joined us at the Bakehouse for a magical wedding event. I am super excited to share the following images I took from that day. More images to come of the whole wedding day experience by Amanda Krieg Photography.
This holiday season was inspired by light. Choosing these lux, velvet fabrics seemed like a perfect fit. The way the fabric changes color in different lighting and with the swipe of a hand is very beautiful. I’m so pleased to be able to offer these yummy, limited editions this holiday!-V.
I had the absolute privilege of shooting my Fall/Winter Collection with the most talented, gracious, funny and gorgeous staff at Lavish Body+Home. These ladies and gents were so gracious, and were nothing but enthusiastic and oozing with style, direction for each shot. Here are some fun behind the scenes, some of my favorite captures. It was real hard not to over post! xo, V.
