Summer Wrap Up + Savings

It’s been quite a summer for everyone. Steve and I did a quick mental inventory over lunch, and we have much to be thankful for. Two new grand babies, family meals, gardening, continued work and quiet fun. Little did we know that our collaboration with Creative Candles would keep our creative juices charged throughout this spring and summer. We thank them for their top quality candles in mesmerizing colors, and kindness.

There is still time to use code MCKENZIE20 to save 20% on your total Creative Candles purchase by Sept. 6th.

Steve McKenzie
Summer Collection works beautifully together

Spring kicked off with a virtual Baby Girl Shower. Keying off this darling Blabla stuffed elephant, Josephine, the Barely Blush pink and Moss Green palette developed sweetly. We shared the fun with our new mom-to-be, family and friends virtually.

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Celebrations still happen! Custom cups and napkins by Sequins and Lipstick. Photo credit: Steve McKenzie

Then we really got creative, in our two bedroom condo and outdoor space. A romantic dinner for two on the balcony featuring lush greenery, textures and desert inspired candles.

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Candle lit table with green plants. Photo credit: Angie Webb Photography

Festive family dinner was next and you know Steve loves to set a gorgeous table. He’s also a fabulous cook, so it’s a win-win for all.

Brass, creamy Wedgwood Edme dishes, dreamy linens, florals and candle light set the mood.
Photo credit; Angie Webb Photography | Floral arrangement by Steve McKenzie
Thankful to be married to someone who makes me laugh. Photo credit: Angie Webb Photography
Serve yourself bar set up!
Photo credit: Angie Webb Photography

And our final summer wrap up is a self-serve cocktail bar with these vintage atomic candle holders and round bronze candles, an old-fashioned made with local Fiddler Bourbon by ASW Distillery, Schermer pecans to nosh on and bold buffalo check napkins.

Actually, this is a valuable documentation of this C-19 spring and summer. We’ll remember how and why we did so much work at home. Have you documented your experiences? Tell us what you’ve done to remember this crazy period of time. As always, thank you for traveling along with us. Cheers!

Snack Attack (hint, it begins with Schermer…)

Our snack routine got stale, with all this time at home, WFH, cooking ALL the time. Who’s in charge of the pantry anyway?! Then we remembered Schermer Pecans, a treat from The Southern C summit a few years ago. Remember going to conferences? Someday…

Grown in Georgia, these deliciously fresh pecans will change how you look at snacks forever. Once you read about their legacy, history and their dedication to quality, you will feel even better about supporting this delectable regional and national treasure.

Steve Jill McKenzie
McKenzie Design duo Steve and Jill McKenzie x Schermer Pecans
Steve McKenzie
A delicious array of snacks and treats from Schermer Pecans
All photo credit: Angie Webb Photography |Floral arrangement by Steve McKenzie

Our first snacks were the Roasted and Salted Pecans and the Cinnamon Pecans (the Cocktail Collection) to accompany a Friday evening cocktail. There is a difference in pecans – Schermer Pecans are so fresh, nutty, just the right amount of salt and then cinnamon to tease the tastebuds.

Schermer Pecans
The Cocktail Collection – beautifully packaged for a hostess gift
McKenzie Design
Snack set up with pretty buffalo check Dot and Army cocktail napkins
Schermer Pecans
Elliott Natural Pecans with a robust sweet flavor in a favorite R Wood Pottery dipping bowl

Need we say more? You need to try these delicious pecans for yourself. Get a head start on your holiday shopping too. They are a welcome gift too, see all the options here.

Did Someone Say Dessert?

cake party dessert candles
Dessert Soiree with Paige Minear

Happy Summer! What better way to kick off summer entertaining than a simple dessert soiree? Paige Minear of The Pink Clutch Blog joined us for a homemade Sour Cream Cake, complemented with some of her favorite things, including her gorgeous collection from Creative Candles, Mottahadeh china and classic monogrammed cocktail napkins from The Preppy Stitch.

cake Steve McKenzie
Whipping up a simple icing with Jackson Morgan Southern Cream

Everyone enjoys a little dessert. For a simple icing, Steve whipped up confectioners sugar, vanilla, fresh mint and added Jackson Morgan Southern Cream in Salted Caramel for a little something special. Perfect!

dessert Steve McKenzie cake
Steve adding the final touch to his cake
cake Steve McKenzie lifestyle
Paige making ice cream with Jackson Morgan Whipped Orange Cream
cake Steve McKenzie lifestyle
Refreshing dessert
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Ice cream all dressed up
cake Steve McKenzie lifestyle
Easy entertaining with a twist, and aren’t those candles perfect with the flowers?

Wait until you try Creative candles! Honestly, we’ve used their Paris Gray candles for every occasion for years. After seeing these in person, we may change to Paige’s summer collection as it’s so cool, soothing yet vibrant.

dessert lifestyle
Paige lighting the candles, such a lovely touch~
dessert china Steve McKenzie
Sour Cream Cake with Jackson Morgan Salted Caramel icing, served on Mottahadeh plates
dessert Steve McKenzie
Summer Dessert table

Keep cool in the kitchen and enjoy a summer dessert with your family and friends. We’re happy to share our recipes and tips with you. Just send us a message!

How to Easily Elevate Your Next Party with Napkins

From a relaxed rehearsal dinner to a special bridal shower to a themed party, Dot and Army offers an easy, simple custom napkin program that will make your special event sparkle!  Recently, their napkin rental program added the perfect elevated touch to our rehearsal dinner with a variety of coordinated custom fabric napkins at each table.

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Ready for Love

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First a little background on this family business located in beautiful Brunswick, GA, Dot and Army‘s owner, Jennifer Zamudio’s charming store front offers a full variety of kitchen and table linens plus other local treats, while the workroom (and piles of gorgeous fabrics) are housed in the rear of the downtown building.  At steve mckenzie’s we’re in love with their seersucker cocktail napkins, Unpaper Towels, denim cocktail napkins.

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Colorful Seersucker Cocktail Napkins, eco-friendly Unpaper Towels and Denim Cocktail Napkins with contrasting edging

Back to the rental program…All rentals are customized.  They rent everything from their seersucker to cotton prints to linens with metallic edging.  The rented set can be entirely the same, from one fabric, or mix and match.  We sent them a Pinterest mood board for our event including some inspirational floral images.

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Napkin choices from Dot and Army

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Floral inspiration

Here’s how easy it is to choose your custom napkins:  pricing discussion is via email, and Dot and Army emails images of samples.  Want to see a fabric in person? Easy, they’ll mail it.  We chose the edging colors, sent the deposit and voila, 60 custom napkins arrived at our doorstep.

And you know what else? Return the napkins to them without washing.  Again, easy and no laundry for you!

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Ready for the Rehearsal Dinner! Designed by Steve McKenzie

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Party ready!

Take this tip and add it to your Party File, and as always, steve mckenzie’s is ready to help you make your next event extra-special and easy, be that custom fabric, floral design or table settings.  Stop in or to start the conversation!

 

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Top Tips for a Relaxed Rehearsal Dinner

As our family had the privilege of recently hosting our own rehearsal dinner,  I want to share some thoughts while they are still fresh in my mind.  Traditionally, the rehearsal dinner is held the night before the wedding and hosted by the groom’s family.  It’s the vehicle to gather the close family, attendants, officiant and bridal couple together, break bread, and fellowship together, and kick off the Big Event with food and merriment.

Take a look at these top tips for a successful, relaxed rehearsal dinner ~

1. Choose a style that is distinctly different from the wedding.

Not wanting to compete with the black tie optional wedding, we went the other way – a pizza truck!  Here we used black and white gingham tablecloths from steve mckenzie’s, pulled up a wood-fired pizza oven food truck, and served ice tea, beer and wine.  Father of the groom, Atlanta interior designer Steve McKenzie created the lush winter floral arrangements.  Festive color-coordinated napkins from Dot and Army completed the table.  More about their easy napkin rental program soon…

The wedding is the main event, so offering a different experience to the wedding party gives them a more complete weekend.

 

textiles, gingham, dot and army napkins, floral
Black and white gingham fabric anchors the tables in the window-filled venue. Floral by Steve McKenzie

2. Consistent Details

Any well done event, especially a wedding, follows a curated path of carefully chosen details.  From the save the date to the invitation to the floral, consistent colors, fonts and written tone set the stage for your special day.  The groom’s love of outdoors and hunting were celebrated with custom stadium cups, monogrammed napkins and photo booth props.

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Custom monogram by Sequins and Lipstick

hunting, Etsy, lips
Photo props by Captivating Creations

Carter McKenzie, Jill McKenzie, The Homestead_GA
Groom + Jill aka Mom

3. Choose the Rehearsal Dinner Menu Secondly to Wedding Menu

The wedding menu plays a starring role in the event, and the budget.  Tastings are held, serving pieces are surveyed, table-cloth colors are coordinated, all these details culminating in this once in a lifetime event.  The rehearsal dinner should coordinate with this evening, not compete with it.  Southern Crust Catering food truck provided this complement to the sit-down dinner on Saturday night.

rehearsal dinner, Plaza Towers, Atlanta GA
Bride + Groom

Atlanta GA, Serenbe , green Chevy truck
Southern Crust Catering

Southern Crust Catering, rehearsal dinner
Hot pizza on a cold night!

roses, winter, floral
Floral by Steve McKenzie

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A moonlit magical rehearsal dinner!

 Cheers to your next celebration!  Hopefully these tips lay the groundwork for many special evenings for you and yours. All photos by Christina Wedge Photography

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Happy Saturday + Flowers + Antiques

Happy Saturday!  Your honey-do list may be a mile long, but if you can, treat your senses to a stop at The 2018 Cathedral Antiques Show and Flower Festival.  Get ready for breathtaking art, antiques, and florals featuring over 25 highly-regarded dealers from around the country.  Take a peek at some favorite bright spots gathered from my Thursday tour.

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Stunning roses, eucalyptus, ferns and more

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And Jewelry

art deco, art moderne
Gustave Klimt artwork

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Antique cork screws

 

Today is the last day!  The address is Cathedral of St. Philip, 2744 Peachtree Rd NW, Atlanta, GA 30305.

Did I mention FLOWERS?! Breath in this breath of fresh, spring air. Happy Weekend!

happy, May Day
Maypole Floral

 

 

 

A Sensational Spring Tea – steve mckenzie’s open house recap

It’s time to freshen up our tables – spring is here!  Let’s recap the fun from our recent Spring Tea Open House~

brass, staffordshire dogs, acrylic glass
Vintage Touches

Paige Minear of The Pink Clutch mixed vintage pieces dear to her heart, plus custom monogrammed napkins by Emily McCarthy.

brass, staffordshire dogs, acrylic glass
Vintage Touches

Waiting on Martha, The Pink Clutch
Blogger Power! Mandy and Paige

Waiting on Martha‘s, Mandy Kellogg Rye kept a soothing green palette for her table and incorporated topiaries.

Gien, Le Jacquard Francais
Green Goodness table by Mandy

Erika Preval of Charm Etiquette refreshed our manners – start on the outside for the cutlery, leave politics out of the conversation, etc.  She even offers classes for everyone to enjoy – young people, adults, corporate situations – remember good manners will open doors the best education cannot, as says Clarence Thomas.

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Vintage Finds

We fell in love with the jasmine tea from Just Add Honey and will add it to our next menu. So many flavors; if you attended, please let us know your favorite!

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This guy knows his teas!

A special thank you to Christi, our ambassador of Gien, Terrafirma, Le Jacquard Francais, Match Pewter and Royal Crown Derby, as she brought in so many delicious layers of textiles and plates for us to play with.

table setting, pewter, Gien
Gray goodness with Gien, Match Pewter, Terrafirma and Le Jacquard Francais table linens

So many choices!

Paige Minear, Jermail Shelton, Jill McKenzie, and Erika Preval

Gien, Terrafirma, Le Jacquard Francais
Charming Paris small plates

Our current Gien special of 20% off all new orders ends on April 26th. Call or email us for more details.

Thanks to all who came out for our Spring Tea Open House! If you couldn’t make this event, visit the showroom soon – spring inspiration abounds!!