This holiday season, Rachel of Helen Olivia and Kristin of Kristin Try Interiors teamed up to create a couple of festive tablescape ideas for you at Kristin’s home. Together, they’re sharing their tips and tricks to help you craft a stunning holiday table that’s as warm and inviting as the season itself.

It goes without saying that table styling is serious business in my house. And, as evidenced by the overwhelming number of orders we get from our Stylebook community each year, I know that it’s serious business in your homes, too. One of the things I love most about Alexandria is how much we all love a holiday and decorating. We have new tabletop décor items, many of which are transitional from Thanksgiving to Christmas.

With chlorine, sun and salt water no longer wreaking havoc on our manicures, we’re all in for rocking some new nail looks this fall. Our hands are an extension of our daily look/vibe/mood and keep us feeling polished (pun intended) during the fall madness. While we’ve been out and about in Old Town, we couldn’t help but notice the vast range of shades and styles displayed on our friends’ hands. So we asked our contributors to share the fall hues they’re loving:

I tend to be a strictly no kitsch girl when it comes to holidays, with the exception of Halloween.  Halloween is the holiday where I break out all of the skeletons, giant spiders, and tombstones. My love of Halloween décor doesn’t stop at home, and each year our collection of spooky floral décor grows at Helen Olivia. Here’s what’s new and frightfully exciting for the season ahead:

Hotel Heron has a vibe, and if you’ve been there you know it.  History meets modern meets eclectic meets warm is how I’d describe the furnishings and finishes. Every detail has been selected with care and thought. When I was invited back to the hotel in my official florist capacity to collaborate on a wedding styled shoot, I hoped I would find the same feel carried through to the events space.

Each trip to market in Atlanta comes with thoughtful planning and list making. And, about two hours into each trip, I always seem to find myself veering completely off course. This year, it was a collection of incredible orchid planters that did me in. 

Before workshops were ever trendy, and way before Eventbrite was a thing, Marianne was teaching floral design. She built a cult following in Old Town, and each week a devoted group of ladies would clammer for a space in her class. Fast forward to today, workshops are still sacred to our team.

While we commonly see celebs sharing what’s in their purse – we prefer to know what’s in the bag you’re toting to the pool and beach, because we inevitably always forget something! So we asked our contributors to share what’s stowed in theirs.

Last summer, I set out to reconnect with my love of flowers through visiting several gorgeous flower farms right in our backyard. In addition to soaking in a little country air, the views (and flower smells) were incredible!

We tapped two of our local home and entertainment experts, Amanda Mertins of Patina Polished Living and Rachel Gang of Helen Olivia, for tips on outdoor entertaining.

Our favorites? The gorgeous peony collection in trendy green chinoiserie and the soft shades of blue and white paired with wrapped cane vases.

Each year, Helen Olivia, along with a few of our closest industry pals, team up to put on a party just for industry friends. Spearheaded by Ridgewells Caterers and Design Foundry, event planners, venue managers, and vendors alike all don their best frocks and gather for a fabulous event.