Finally, photos from the McConnell House Open House this past week. I had the pleasure of designing 4 theme tables, the mantle in that room and the old jail cage in the bar area.

This was my favorite table - The Story Table - it represented a writer from NYC who fell in love with an artist from Italy who romanced her through messages sent in bottles. The centerpiece was an antique urn filled with a mossy branch to represent the "old moss tree" where the two were to finally meet and marry. I added white roses and green & white foliage to the base of the branch. I included real sand at the base of the urn to simulate the bottles washing ashore.

Many vintage props were used in this design - many old bottles and old letters rolled and tied with twine, an old typewriter, an old window, old eyeglasses, old mirrors, old books, an old painting that I ripped to use on the artist floor and around the bottles. I filled the bottles with letters and flowers of a wild nature (I thought that looked more authentic). We couldn't find an old easel and artist pallet at the last minute so my sweet friend, Clare, who is only 15, and an artist herself, painted them to look old. She painted the boat beneath the urn - as the suitor came to fetch his love in a boat, of course. And, lots of candles. I especially loved the one with wax dripped down the bottle which was beside her typewriter and window for light.

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More designs to come later - the kids want to play UNO.