Tara Shaw Maison Polished French Compote, Eclectic Pie Server, Rosanna Set of 4 Clear Pressed Glass Goblest, Rothschild Silver Tray, Set of 6 Khaki Petite Rose Dinner Plates, Rosanna Decor White Footed Round Bon Bon Cake Stand, Lili Alessandra White Placemat Set and Napkins, Set of 6 Blenheim Napkin Ring and Placecard Holder, Set of 4 Antique Rose Dessert Plate, Eclectic Place Setting

Clockwise from top left: Khaki Petit Rose Creamer, Early Bird Table Runner, Aidan Gray Decor Antique White French Lace Tabletop Basket, Le Parisien Set of 4 Napkin Rings, Rosanna J’Adore Paris Set of 4 Appetizer Plates

Clockwise from top left: Rosanna Pink Etched Vase, Rosanna Decor Bon Bon White Footed Round Cake Stand, Pine Cone Hill Set of 4 Chickles Fuschia Napkins, Pine Cone Hill Set of 4 Ink Dots Fuschia Napkins, Rosanna Les Cookies Cookie Jar, Big Pink Flowers Tablecloth

Clockwise from top left: Pine Cone Hill Set of 4 Petite Ruffle White Napkins, Pine Cone Hill Set of 4 Linen Natural Napkins, Ribbon Rose Khaki Sugar Bowl, Chinese Rose Blue Bowl, Shabby Chic Khaki Table Runner, Petite Rose Khaki Dinner Plate, Regina Andrew Decor Multi-Tone Bone and Brass Tray

With summer on the horizon, it’s time to pull out the fancy tabletop essentials and throw a party! By that, of course, we mean ladies’ brunch, high tea or baby/bridal shower. With those occasions in mind, we created three looks using our favorite tablecloths, napkins, dishware, glassware, serving pieces, trays and more. The best part is, you can easily achieve the same result at home! Simply choose a standout piece–we love our Khaki Petit Rose Creamer, Pine Cone Hill Chickles Napkins, or Shabby Chic Khaki Table Runner–and let it set the tone for your color palette and theme. Mix and match with pieces you already have, and shop our tried and true kitchen and tabletop wares, to complete the setting with a uniquely personal and charming touch.

Every Friday our staff in Pasadena shares a few of their favorite products AND we’ll be giving you 15% off them for the day! Today they’ve chosen their favorite hostess gifts, which are perfect for all the spring cookouts, wedding & baby showers coming up! Enter code: FRIDAY2 at checkout, and remember, this deal ends at midnight EST today. Shop our Friday faves >

Rosanna Les Petite Sweets: Medium Compote, Small Compote, Cookie Jar, Large Compote, Square Compote

Rosanna Petite Patisserie: Serving Platter, Dessert Plates Set of Four, Cup and Saucer Set of Four

Rosanna Etched Vase in: Blue, Pink, Green, Purple

Rosanna White Pedestals with Optional Dome

Rosanna Les Petite Sweets Small Compote, Les Cookies Cookie Jar

Rosanna J’Adore Paris: Appetizer Plates Set of Four, Dipping Dish Set of Four

WIN IT! Spring is on its way, and we have some of the prettiest new serving pieces, glassware and more from Rosanna. Tinted, etched glass vases for your centerpieces, delicate ceramic cups and dessert plates and our favorite “Les Petite Sweets” collection of white compotes are the perfect touch for your Easter table or any celebration. In fact we’re so sweet on these, we’re giving away a Rosanna “Les Cookies” Cookie Jar to a lucky winner! Enter to win by leaving a comment below or on our Facebook page, telling us what your favorite dish is to make for the season. Enter by Tuesday 3/13/12 midnight EST – we’ll announce the winner on Wednesday! Good luck to all, and shop new Rosanna here.

Congrats to Sandra M., winner of our Rosanna cookie jar giveaway!

Images by Inga Finch Photography, courtesy of Brandi Brown.

Images by Inga Finch Photography, courtesy of Brandi Brown.

Images by Inga Finch Photography, courtesy of Brandi Brown.

Images by Inga Finch Photography, courtesy of Brandi Brown.

Summer grants most of us the longest days of the year. I find the extra hours of daylight and warmth perfect for lazy afternoons or late evenings spent outdoors with family and friends. It’s Kate Landers again, here to share a few tips for outdoor summer entertaining with style and ease.

• Take Advantage Of The Fruits Of The Season. I absolutely adore serving fresh fruit during the summer, purchased from local farmers markets and produce stands when possible to support my community. While I enjoy serving mini fruit pies throughout the summer (topped with homemade ice cream of course), many guests prefer to enjoy the fruit as a dessert on its own. Therefore I recommend setting out a food-safe bucket or bushel full of ready-to-eat berries, peaches, cherries or your favorite fruit in addition to the sweets you bake them in, for all guests to enjoy!
• Bring What’s Indoors Outside During Summer Months. It’s becoming more common to bring weather-proof pieces of furniture (such as an armoire or hutch) to a protected area outside to provide a stylish and practical surface to serve guests. Where you use it for a serve-yourself beverage station or to set up a casual breakfast buffet stocked with pastries and jam, you will likely wonder how you went all these years not using it for your outdoor soirees.
• Create A Casual Atmosphere With Your Tableware. Set the mood for a comfortable and relaxed outdoor celebration using casual tableware, such as mason jars for beverage glasses. These work great for ice cold drinks, and double as lightening bug catchers for the kids!
• Use Products From Nature For Tables and Seating. Bales of Hay can be used as both a table and seating for children and adults for your backyard bash. Cover with a seasonal fabric to create a theme for a BBQ or afternoon picnic.
• Keep Supplies Handy. I like to stock a bucket filled with sunscreen, wide-brimmed straw hats, bugspray, flashlights, a few decks of playing cards, hand-held fans, beach towels and blankets to provide guests protection and comfort.

Keep outdoor entertaining relaxed and simple. Enjoy yourself. Remember, nature has an incredible calming effect to help melt away those hostess-nerves–so enjoy every moment you can outdoors!

Ah Rosanna, we have to thank you for consistently bringing us such a wide selection of fabulous dishware to tempt us with. Spring 2011 is no different, and to be honest we have no idea which makes us want to throw a party and entertain more. Maybe you can help us decide? Click on any of the images above to preview the collections or shop all the new Rosanna additions here.

Rosanna Bowles has a passion for capturing the sweetness of life through food and traditions. She channels that inspiration to her company Rosanna, Inc. creating a fashion-forward yet functional line of dishware that sets the table for anyone to entertain with elegance and ease. She joins us today to share how she went from a little girl with big taste to beat the odds at starting her own company. And of course, she hasn’t come empty handed!

Tell us how Rosanna, Inc. came to be
When I graduated from college, young women from my generation had to struggle to find places for themselves in the business world. My educational background made the search trickier since I had spent most of my college years studying art history, literature and Romance language, getting my Masters in Italian Language and Literature. I soon realized I wasn’t going to find my “dream job;” I needed to create it. I started “Rosanna Imports, Inc,” a company that imported hand-painted ceramics to the US from Italy. Because I spoke fluent Italian, I was able to work directly with the artisans and factories, drawing on my knowledge of art history, foreign language and design.

In the beginning, Rosanna Imports operated out of my small bungalow in Seattle. I packed and shipped all the orders myself and didn’t take a salary for three years, investing every penny back into the company. It was hard, very hard, but my dream to produce beautiful dishes for the home was so strong that I did not, would not, give up, even in the thick of the most challenging situations. In the 1990’s, I almost lost the company due to overstock, but just in the nick of time received a large order from a well-known high-fashion home store. They placed an order for $400,000.00, which ensured the company stayed afloat.

I have learned so many valuable life lessons being president and founder, as well as designer, for Rosanna Inc. As trite as it sounds, the most important lesson I learned to believe in myself. I never stopped telling myself that I could accomplish anything, as long as I never gave up and always persevered. Today, I am proud of the example I have set for my daughters. They too are young women on the path to realizing their dreams.

How would you describe your personal style and how does it influence your designs?
My personal style has been influenced strongly by my life experiences and my education. I grew up in Portland, Oregon, and my mother was my muse. She was a self-made woman from the Midwest, Kansas born and bred, with a strong commitment to the importance of family and traditions that has inspired many of my collection ideas and designs. My studies in art history also had a great influence on my aesthetic, broadening my awareness of different visual movements that I frequently incorporate in our collections.

Truly though, my most important source of inspiration is my family. I try as often as possible to incorporate the values I want to teach my children and the legacy my mother left into my designs. My goal is to live well, live mindfully, and create a foundation of love, tradition and respect as I live each day. These are the fundamental values that influence my designs.

What trends are catching your eye and how will we see them incorporated in future Rosanna, Inc. products?
Home-based entertainment, home cooking, and potluck dinners are occurring with more and more frequency across the nation. Home is becoming a place to entertain, renew, refresh and nurture. During last twenty years, I believe we’ve lost sight of the importance of homemaking and connection to those we live with, family, those we live next to, neighbors, and those we see frequently, friends.

This renewed interest in nesting reinforces the philosophy of how we design. At Rosanna, we design products that encourage the celebration of life’s small pleasures; products that help people connect, whether that means celebrating birthdays together, having a pasta dinner, or inviting friends over for a bottle of wine and appetizers. Lastly, we design products meant to be passed down from generation to generation. We strive to make our products reflect this commitment.

Let’s get to know Rosanna a little better with a “quick-fire” round of questions:

• Blogs I check daily: Head of the Table, Décor Amor, Design in Mine, and Ju Bella.
• My first job was: hand painting rocks, which I sold to a local department store when I was 12.
• My favorite color is: black.
• I cannot live without: my children and family.
• My favorite guilty pleasure is: old-fashioned candy!
• The best advice I ever received is: “Don’t give up.”
• A cause I care deeply about is: children’s education.

It’s giveaway time:
Let them eat cake! Rosanna has generously offered one lucky winner a large Le Gateau Pedestal! To enter for a chance to win, leave a comment here or on our Facebook page telling us about the most delicious cake you ever ate. Contest ends Friday, October 29th at 6pm EDT. And be sure to check out our newest arrivals for holiday from Rosanna!

With holiday entertaining around the corner, we’re looking for stylish ways to dress up a table to impress our guests. Maureen Anders and Adria Ruff, designers and co-founders of Anders Ruff Custom Designs, have created a classic Fall Harvest printable collection in earthy hues to add a special touch whether you’re sharing cupcakes at a school event or hosting a formal Thanksgiving feast. Here’s an exclusive first peek for Layla Grayce readers along with tips from Anders Ruff for transforming your table wear for the special occasion. And read on for details of a generous giveaway!

• Involve the whole family or even your guests in the design. Spend the month completing “I am Thankful” cards and use as part of the display – we strung them along the dessert table with natural twine and old-fashioned clothespins. We also displayed apples from a recent apple-picking trip on candleholders for a pop of color.
• Wrapping paper and patterned papers are an excellent and economical embellishment to use on table tops, buffets and box risers (see the dessert table). We wanted to use antique irish linens to keep with tradition, but created a rustic feel by making a table runner with a textured craft wrapping paper. The theme was carried to the favor, drink and dessert tables as well.
• Canning jars make perfect favor containers. We involved the children in making homemade cranberry applesauce. To make our favor unique, we layered in cranberry sauce into the jars to create a beautiful layering effect. We personalized and coordinated the lid with a logo from our collection.
• Dressing up your everyday dishes with a custom fabric charger gives a dramatic effect without breaking the bank. We secured burlap to cardboard cake rounds to make these chargers.
• Backdrops are a great way to transform your room for a thanksgiving feast. Find fabric and cover a large canvas or duct board (found at any hardware store) to create a dessert or food buffet backdrop. Tie in colors from your backdrop onto your tabletop.
• Consider a cider and wine bar for your beverage stand. We served spiced cider from an oversize Ball glass container. We dressed up Ball glass mugs with a stick of cinnamon and coordinated printed paper, and also detailed the wine bottles with raffia and logos from our collection.

It’s giveaway time! Anders Ruff is generously offering one lucky winner the entire Fall Harvest collection and this Customized Invitation Design (includes Anders Ruff personalization services). To enter, tell us your favorite thing about fall here or on our Facebook page. Contest ends at 6pm EST on Friday, October 15.

Congrats to Marissa, winner of our Anders Ruff giveaway!

Photography by Becca Bond Photography

You know the type; if it’s not you, it’s the gal you aspire to be like. She cooks, she cleans and she entertains in high style (always fashionably attired). She does it all herself and will soon be rocking the latest Jessie Steele kitchen gloves and oven mitts to match her favorite fashionable apron. With the perfect degree of sass she throws on some dangly earrings, bakes a cake that looks amazing on her new Rosanna Inc cake plate, cleans up the kitchen and then greets guests. Cooking and cleaning have never been so appealing!