The second half of 2010 started with a surprise! A summer table we'd set at our friend Phoebe Howard's store in Atlanta, originally shot for the late Southern Accents, appeared in sister publication Southern Living.

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Weeks later, on a warm, bright Sunday in upstate New York, Mom-mom and Pop-pop celebrated 60 years of marriage.    

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Lunch I served informally on the porch, then finished the meal with their favorite buttercream cake, decorated with white roses and pink strawberry blossoms from the garden. 

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After a relaxing few days with friends at their Long Island beach house Jaithan and I helped decorate, published in Country Living

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…it was back to business in the city with our first window for Carleton V, the fabric house from designer Dorothy Draper's onetime protégé, Carleton Varney. Here's what it looked like before we began.  

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And here it is all finished, a jewel box studio for the jet-set designer. 

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Back upstate, fall exploded with color, so to bring it indoors, I made an earthy arrangement of roses and carnations in a ginger jar plucked from a thrift shop.

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The more purplish tones of fall, like cranberry, burgundy and plum, inspired the backdrops for a cover story I did on harvest centerpieces, published in a newer, fresher Woman's Day.

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After an intimate evening at terrain, teaching gourd arrangements to Sheila, KellyAmyJan, Colleen and others… 

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Jaithan and I headed to the Governor's Mansion in Little Rock to inspire members of the Fine Arts Club on a much grander scale. 

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It was actually that very morning that The Times feature came out on flea marketing…

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…just in time for our three sold-out trips to the Metrolina in Charlotte.  

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For Thanksgiving, we set two tables, one for an event at another of Phoebe's stores in an unconventional palette of pink, brown and white…

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…and the other at our home with shimmery hues of gold, sapphire and kumquat, published in Lonny.  

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December brought a mix of budget and extravagant holiday decorating, both equally beautiful in my eyes. First, there were the videos we did for Sears and Kmart, including tips on how to decorate an entryway.

Here's what the house looked like at night.

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And here's a more extravagant home we do for a client year after year, published in Serendipity.

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For Christmas dinner, we set two tables, the first for an event at the Apawamis Club in a vivid palette of pink and green…

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…and the other in our dining room, a chameleon of sorts, published in Southern Living.

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Finally, to close out the year in style, we hosted an intimate dinner for four, complete with all the kitschy-chic accoutrement befitting of the occasion.  

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The dinner plates, Royal Doulton encrusted with gold. were famed photographer Slim Aarons' personal own. They were a gift from his daughter Mary, a longtime reader of ours from Boston. We even had the opportunity to visit his house in Katonah, New York, where he lived and worked for most of his career. More to come of course…

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And with that, we close the chapter on 2010 with overwhelming gratitude for the gifts you've given us—your creative curiosity, your loyal readership, your continual words of encouragement with every step we take. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you. Now, onward and upward we go—together!