the pour

Just in from Assouline - Vintage Cocktails. From Salty Dogs to The Pink Lady to French Martinis, this gorgeous libation resource has you covered. Handy, spiral-bound and fabulous on a coffee table (or cocktail table?), this book makes a fantastic gift. Get 'em while they're hot!

a week "off"

This fall has been non-stop with events and football and we've finally caught our breath to post on the old blog. Last week was particularly thick with projects...The UA Student Affairs Hall of Fame, a stellar engagement party, entertaining for the first "big" game, and of course, our usual route of football flower deliveries. Sorority initiations, Homecoming, fall galas, weddings and much much more is on the horizon for fall. While we have these next few days to rest our bones, we'll try to get in the groove of blogging again. Here's a snapshot of a bridal bouquet we sent out recently for a portrait. Isn't she lovely?

complete success!

We have completed one of our grandest projects to date! The DZ house on the UA campus went under a radical transformation this summer. We went into the project with plans to install over the course of the summer, but when the budget allowed for new flooring and some much needed upgrades, our installation was reduced to just a few days (which consisted of no sleep, crazy coodination with deliveries and fast and furious accessorizing). Check out our Facebook album with more images!

beach wedding

Tuscaloosa Magazine's Beach issue hit the web today and featured the story of a beloved home on Ono Island where we did a wedding last summer. (Happy anniversary to Harris and Cheri!) We couldn't help ourselves not to flip through all the wedding photography. It's still up on photographers Meg and Charles Baisden's site (here). Unfortunate for us, we don't have any Gulf Coast weddings on the books this summer...it sure would be lovely to plant in the sand and dip in the ocean after a long weekend of hard work!

Photo - Meg and Charles Baisden

pink damask

We're finally about to start painting a (pre)teen's room that is sure to be an epic before and after. Between the tornado and back ordered fabrics, the project has been drawn out several months longer than we anticipated. Although we won't post photos until the room is complete, we did want to share the perfect rosy creamy white wall color we'll be using. It's Benjamin Moore's Pink Damask and we are tickled to find such a bright, happy neutral shade. Definitely a little easier on the eyes than the polka dots or Honeysuckle pink - two options that were (sort of) in the running, but don't stand a chance against the this hue's timeless and feminine softness.

where we've been

We took some time away from the heat last week and weekend to work, play and celebrate on the East coast. Two of our very special clients and friends tied the knot in Newport, RI, and we were both honored to be a part of the weekend. On Tuesday, Matt and I parted ways - he went straight to Newport to help regulate and coordinate design for the after rehearsal dinner, and I visited my old home in New York before heading over to Newport. It was inspiring to be in the city and wonderful to catch up with old friends.

The after rehearsal dinner, on the other hand, took lots of very hard work from many design teams. Matt's talent was the glue that pulled the details of the event together, and it would not have been the same without his creativity and determination to show Newport how Alabama throws a party! From the lighting (special ordered by MCD, pictured above) to the table settings to the copy on the menu, the event was a creative director's dream.

Now, back to reality.

Image by Pam Poellnitz

LOV for the MOB

Last weekend's wedding (a few images here) was a sweet celebration and we were honored to work with such lovely clients and friends. Though the reception site - the childhood home of the bride - had little structural damage from the tornado, the landscaping was a bit disheveled and debris was piled up and down the roads leading to the home. With the help of some talented folks, everything was cleared and re-scaped beautifully, just in time.

When we started planning the event a year ago, the MOB (mother of the bride) kept mentioning Lily of the Valley. It's not often that we work with the tiny, delicate, fragrant blooms, but we were able to sneak it into our flower order for the weekend and nestled it around the reception as a surprise for her. A quick google search brings up the storied history of the flower with some references reading that it symbolizes a return to happiness. Undoubtedly, the wedding weekend brought a new found joy and we think we'll try to use Lily of the Valley every chance we get.

market thursdays

There's a good thing going on every Thursday afternoon this summer and the best part is that it's a few skips away from MCD. Homegrown Alabama, the brainchild of some sharp UA students, sets up a farmer's market at Canterbury Episcopal from 3-6 every summer Thursday. Their farmers come out offering the gamut of Alabama produce (summer squash, strawberries, radishes, carrots, onions, garlic, fresh herbs), locally-raised beef, handmade soaps, pottery, live music, ice cream, fresh tea, jams and more. We guess this means we'll have to stop using impromptu beach trips as an excuse to pick up Chilton County peaches. If you missed it this week, mark your calendar to stop by next time, we'll be there.

warming up

Amidst prepping for a fabulous wedding this weekend, we pulled together a preliminary proposal for a client looking to refresh a masculine living room. We stumbled across this image from the January 2008 issue of Southern Accents (may you rest in peace) and were inspired to include details of weathered leather, whiskey tones, and woolly plaid to evoke a warm, traditional feel. Of course, we'd also suggest to keep the AC on and the ice chest well-stocked, since we are at the threshold of summer in Alabama.

not your mom's iced tea

Summer's just around the corner (well, after this freaky mid-May cold snap passes), and WSJ has already nailed our new favorite seasonal cocktail. What makes it our new favorite cocktail? It's concocted with MCD-favorite St. Germain elderflower liqueur (find it at Spirits).

Adapted from Wall Street Journal's compilation of summer cocktails with Aperol and St. Germain:

Pour 1 cup of loose Earl Grey Tea into 750 ml of Gin, seep for 7 days

Strain Tea (ahem, Gin)

Combine:

1.5 oz of Gin-Tea

1 oz St. Germain

.5 oz Lemon

Shake with ice, strain into a highball filled with funky ice cubes

Sip, repeat

Photo: F. Martin Ramin for the Wall Street Journal, food

Styling Brett Kurzweil

how sweet it is

To have a single gardenia bloom at your desk.

thibaut dreams

Paper is back in BIG way. It's been trending for a few seasons now, and we've been riding the wave every chance we get. Thibaut, one of our top wall covering firms has been pumping out classic designs like Tree of Life, Toile and Trellis patterns for over 100 years. We were pleasantly taken aback when we saw New York-based travel and lifestyle writer/decorator, Jason Oliver Nixon's guest room in the most recent New York Magazine, covered floor to ceiling in the Barron pattern. Extremely traditional and almost psychedellic...we kind of like it!

mother mother

A snapshot of our Mother's Day peony arrangements that were sent on Friday.

simply

A clock, garden roses, sunshine through french doors (when the power is still out from the tornado). Simple beauty is making us smile today.

currently

Our previous post is laughable considering the events that followed that evening. It's been a long week for our team and we are fortunate beyond measure to be where we are today. We've wept over loss and are encouraged by the spirit that's pulling our community back together. We are trying to keep a rhythmic balance between helping with relief efforts and helping our business thrive during this time of uncertainty. It has been overwhelming being in and out of the office, surrounded by the all of the "stuff" and unnecessary, lovely things at Matt Clinton Designs.

All said, we look forward to helping with the upcoming celebrations - weddings, engagements and of course, Mother's Day...by the way, we'll have an amazing deal on Mother's Day peony arrangements if you mention you saw it on our blog.

Almost everyone we've been in contact with has helped in one way or another. We are humbled by all of the organizations that are contributing, but would like to give a shout out to student-led start-up UA Greek Relief, as well as Project Blessings, which was founded by our friend, Marsha Sprayberry. If you (understandably!) can't fancy flowers for Mother's Day, click through the links above or check out Give Tuscaloosa to donate.

guest - check

While flipping through an old (May 2009) issue of House Beautiful, we came across a great little spread on essentials for the house hold. Designer Tom Scheerer curated the list of "Guest Room Essentials," and with graduation, Mother's Day, and spring weddings bringing guests in to our clients' homes we thought it was worth sharing. (we might nix the apple and/or orange and add a mirror with great lighting and a wastebasket).

Bath and Hand Towels, Washcloths

Fresh Soap

Shampoo
Bath Foam

A Unisex Terry Robe

Hair Dryier
Refillable Water Vessle and a Glass

Pad and Pencil

Alarm CLock

Magazines
Hangers

Luggage Rack

Bedside Nosegay or Single Blossom

Orange or Apple

image by Joni Webb via swamplot.com

yes ma'am

We swiped today's blog post straight from Mack. She nailed it...what a refreshing take on Bama Game Day decor inspiration! Here at MCD, we plan to re-stock our favorite (sometimes unexpected) elephant accessories before football season, so keep your eyes peeled for our interpretation of transitional Crimson Tide decorating.

image via modgirl

hollyhock II

Lee Jofa recently launched Suzanne Rheinstein's Hollyhock II collection. Inspired by Rheinstein's personal bevy of antique fabrics, the designs are understated and beautiful. A classic tree of life pattern will always have a special place in our hearts, and we love the pops of pink and muted navys in the Mimi Embroidery design, pictured above.

another storm

The lovelies over at Pi Beta Phi are hosting a little teacher appreciation event this afternoon. We special ordered some happy cherry brandy roses for this soiree, but it seems the Fed Ex truck with our sweet roses is running behind because of this morning's storm...this should make for an interesting afternoon of playing in the flowers.

While we wait and listen to the thunder rumble, we thought we'd share these nautical cocktail napkins from Gayle Warwick Fine Linen. The nautical trend is here to stay and the quality and craftsmanship from the London-based linen designer is unparalleled. The line of luxury linen is only available at a few retailers worldwide, but she will be hosting a trunk show in Hotlanta next Thursday (the 28th) from 10-6 at Gramercy Fine Linens and Furnishings.

new from nest

We love Nest candles and we love peonies (who doesn't?), so we've been pretty revved up about Nest's new Peony Blanche candle. Our shipment arrived today and the shop smells fantastic. Fresh, floral and feminine, it's perfect for Mother's Day. Hurry in - they are sure to go fast!

be bop

We've been be-bopping all over the place the past week and haven't had a chance to share our latest! Last weekend, we put on an amazing wedding and reception at Smith Hall. You may have seen our pictures on facebook. This week has been jam packed with meetings for new projects and planning florals for various UA-related events this weekend (rush, A-Day, meetings, graduation party planning) and more engagement showers (and future weddings...!).

We also had a major breakthrough in the shop: baby's breath. Call us flower snobs, but we cringed at thought of having it in our shop. We needed it for the wedding last weekend to make a sweet halo for the flower girl. It turned out beautifully and we decided to let down our guards (and elitist flower-designing values) and try it in an arrangement or two. We're not ashamed to say that a chic container filled with a big baby's breath bouquet is just lovely.

image via Real Simple.

in case you were wondering...

A refresher course on basic table setting. image via eventmuse.biz

one of our fave floral designs

The simplicity of this arrangement makes it one of our all-time favorites. We designed it for an event in Midtown with Special Events. Taziki's of B'ham catered and are opening an eatery here in May. Check out our FB page. for more pics from the event.

mac & cheese

We usually don't associate macaroni and cheese with Spring. However, we can't think of a better way to nurse yourself through a horrendous thunderstorm or a more appropriate accompaniment to BBQ. Not to mention that Bon Appetit (above) featured it as their cover story for the March issue. The magazine doesn't include a custard-like variation with eggs, milk and a whole stick of butter, but they should have.

Straight out of Luverne, Al., (my mother's mother) Bobbie's recipe is below. She would never use casarecce pasta, but if you can find it (Whole Foods), it's excellent for any mac and cheese recipe.

Bobbie's Mac and Cheese

1/2 package of noodles ( 8 oz. macaorni or casareccre) cooked extra tender, drained.

1 stick of butter (might be a little too much...) combined with 4 oz of cheddar cheese, grated.

Return noodles, along with butter/cheese to pot and stir. Pour into casserole.

Beat three eggs and pour over noodles in casserole.

Add 1 1/2 cups of milk (or enough to cover the noodles).

Sprinkle with paprika. Bake at 350 for 40 min. (or until the custard is set).

official biz

We have an opportunity to help decorate a colleague's office and couldn't be more excited!Naturally, we turn to designers for inspiration. DVF at work, above.

image via Habitually Chic

goop

It's sort of a guilty pleasure, but we have to admit we love GOOP, Gwyneth Paltrow's (not to be confused with Partlow...) weekly newsletter. This week's edition outlined how to organize your closet for Spring and the season's trends from LSD. It's not necessarily interior, floral or event related, but we thought it was worth sharing!

(By the way, if you google Vogue's column, APT with LSD, our nifty little blog pops up on the first page of Google results!)

sunny

A polka-dot relief vase filled with moss, sunflowers and bright roses could cheer up even the gloomiest day.

cherry blossom

Some flowering branches from around town...Spring is ringing!

elizabeth taylor

"You know what I feel like? I feel all the time like a cat on a hot tin roof."

meggie

Marc Jacobs S/S 2011 from Kalvin Lazarte on Vimeo.
Had to share this clip from the Marc Jacobs handbag collection. Friend and Ttown native, Meggie is the blonde beauty. It was shot at the James hotel in NY - we love the modern minimalism, and dream of lounging by a fire surrounded by a herringbone-tiled wall with copious amounts of champagne.

Wishing you the best, Meggie!

adios!

Friday in Tuscaloosa, the day before spring break. Traffic is awful with kids and parents itching to get out of town. Most of the MCD team will be scattering to various coastal destinations (Destin, Mexico, Seaside and Key West) this weekend and next week for (sort-of) working vacations. Cheers!

lonny on louis

We adore Lonny Magazine (but really wish they'd just print it and mail it to us!). It's a fabulous online shelter publication with perfectly chic style and the convenience of clicking through to shop/source the items they cover. They also do a great section called "A History of Style," where a period or specific design is explored and explained. In the current issue, the Louis XV style is profiled and it's a great little lesson for those curious about classic French style.

marvelous berries

A terrific idea! So Wonderful So Marvelous shared a delightful recipe for a delicious treat: cheescake-filled strawberries. They suggest using pre-made filling, but we'd opt for a homemade version with mascarpone (or maybe stilton for a savory kick?). We're willing to bet these will disapear as fast as Madeline Passerini's bon bons and we will undoubtedly serve them at Matt Clinton Designs' next champagne and dessert party!

Image compliments of So Wonderful So Marvelous

let me take you to the mardi gras

Just about every party-loving Alabamian knows that Mardi Gras began in Mobile, and without a doubt, there have been some amazing events and parades over the past few days down in Mob town. We've also had a fair share of parties here in T-town that traditionally celebrate during the weeks leading up to Mardi Gras. However, we wanted to reflect on a recent trip to New Orleans where I stumbled into a little jewel box of a shop called Masquerade. A snap shot of one of the walls lined with intricate handmade masks is above. The sequins, feathers and fine details make us want to throw our own masked-ball next year.

orchids and lilies

Not your typical orchids and lilies! Orange Mokara and Mini Dark Pink Callas made it through the weekend's five events and are happily brightening our office.
In other news, we've been working on a charming little DIY project this evening for a ladies garden club presentation tomorrow. Can't wait to share it on the blog!

piggy

We just received a small shipment of merchandise for the shop and couldn't resist sharing these charming little piggy banks! Saving up for Spring Break? What better way to gather your change than in a chic glass piggy? Stop by the shop for these and other lovelies ASAP!

PS - we're still recovering from an amazing wedding weekend! Check out some of our pics on Facebook!

tip from the MOB

Last night, the MOB (a.k.a. Mother of the Bride) gave us a little tip we'd never heard before. To clean all of our favorite funky-shaped glass containers, pour in a little rice, hot water and bleach then swirl to clean. Works like a charm!

pink ice protea

We received some awesome Pink Ice protea today. It's not the first bloom that pops in mind for wedding florals, but we'll be using them for a gorgeous arrangement at the reception this weekend. Given their extra long life span, we'll try to scoop them back up for the shop after the party. Aren't they cool?!

required reading

We have a fantastic little book with fun ideas for flower arranging called Flowers: Chic and Cheap by Elle Decor editor Carlos Mota (whose followers include Ms. Tory Burch). Clearly, he's as big of a fan as we are of flowering branches - from azaleas to cherry blossoms to viburnum, Mota nestles them throughout. All this Tuscaloosa sunshine is encouraging some of the branches to pop around town. Rest assured, we'll have our snips handy when they do.

chirping

We're on Twitter! Follow us @MJPchezMCD. Thibaut's Newman print pictured above in honor.

all you need is love

And flowers from MCD. And dark chocolate. Happy Valentine's Day from the MCD team!

february flowers

Our flowers for Valentines Day and the weekend events have been rolling in all morning. The workroom (pictured) looks like Spring has sprung and with the sun shining, the MCD team has a little pep in our step.

If you haven't placed your vday order, call us ASAP! 205 464 0488

snow day

We don't get to take a snow day today, but have had a pleasant morning enjoying Tuscaloosa in whiteout. The weather has our flowers for the weekend held up in Memphis, but isn't it beautiful?

We started our day with coffee, Krispy Kreme and Karis (our go-to girl at Special Events). She's moving and shaking this new and elegant branch of Game Day Tents event rental empire. Without a doubt, their team is our first choice in Ttown for tents, tables, chairs, heaters, fans and the like.

In the meantime, we've been taking VDAY flower orders...it's not too late! Call us today 205 464 0488.

au contraire

We stumbled across a fun graphic design blog and wanted to share. Paris vs New York: A Tally of Two Cities launched last fall. Designer Vahram Muratyan explains his work as A friendly visual match

between two cities told by

a lover of Paris wandering

through NewYork.

Très Amusant!

weekend showers

Flamingo pink and Robin's Egg blue were our inspiration for the celebration of a mom-to-be and her growing nest. Check out the buffet table, above - who can resist the flamingos?

Many thanks to Mary Keeley McAllister for making our dreams of a photo booth come true.

hearst heards them in

Elle Decor was sold to Hearst last night. More details here. We hope they don't change too much...Elle Decor does such a great job paralleling the beauty of fashion, travel and culture with interior style. The team will certainly enjoy their new address at the Hearst Building!

mack attack

Our lovely friend, Kristin Mackercher, just launched a blog, Mack. It's a personal blog, but gah, the gal has a great spunky/preppy/eclectic style and we're thrilled she's opening up her musings to the rest of us. The image above is from an old (err...2005) issue of Vanity Fair that Kristin saved.

mob town

Our friend (and fellow Tuscaloosan) Miller Mobley has had amazing opportunities during his sweet career as a photographer in the South. From Business Week to gorgeous interior designer Web sites to major ad campaigns, he has an incredible portfolio. One of Miller's most recently published projects was with our favorite (seriously, favorite) publication, Garden & Gun, where he profiled Mobile, AL. If you are not a subscriber or have never read it, pick up a copy at Barnes and Noble.

We just wanted to tip our hats to Miller and wish him the best as he and his wife gear up to move to Manhattan. We swiped the image above from Miller's blog. It's from the Garden & Gun piece and is making me hungry.

hot for hollywood

How glam is the Design Center of the Americas showhouse, ahem, DesignHouse? Check it out on Kravet's blog.

pinky

Pantone announced the color for 2011, and we couldn't be more tickled...especially on a cold, rainy, January day. Pantone 18-2120 Honeysuckle pink is the hue of the year. We've already seen it popping up among tastemakers. From high fashion to interiors, we love a punchy pink pop.

The experts at Pantone explain, “The intensity of this festive reddish pink allures and engages. In fact, this color, not the sweet fragrance of the flower blossoms for which it was named, is what attracts hummingbirds to nectar. Honeysuckle may also bring a wave of nostalgia for its associated delicious scent reminiscent of the carefree days of spring and summer.” Speaking of summer, we're counting down the days until the solstice, and it's exactly 21 weeks until June 21st. Coincidence? We think not!