1. Choose a centerpiece and repeat the theme. Layering patterns and texture looks great. Group items from the middle of the table outwards. Remember to be aware of height - you do not want to lose eye contact with the guest across from you.

2. Candles create instant elegance. Turn down the lights and add as many candles as possible. Avoid scented candles or they may overpower the dinner palate.

3.. This is the time to use your linens! Cloth napkins and napkin rings add elegance to a table. They dress up even the simplest of plates. Don't be afraid to mix and match linens, china or utensils. For an unconventional look, find a great fabric and cut it into squares for napkins with pinking sheers.

4. A mini gift on each place setting will impress your guests. A small embellished photo frame or a personalized ornament can serve double duty as a place card and take home memoir.

5. Think outside of the box. The Holiday table does not have to be your ordinary garland, pinecones and evergreens. Go for succulent and berry centerpieces, collected branches or driftwood decorated with found chandelier crystals or bamboo sprigs sprayed in gold.

Designs in photos by Dodie Sy, photos courtesy of HGTV.

Nostalgic and campy holiday music. A hodge podge of fun Christmas covers by Peggy Lee, Lou Rawls, Dean Martin, and the immortal Nat "King" Cole, with some mambo or jazzy organ thrown in. We especially enjoy the Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer ala Mambo version. The cd also comes with its own cocktail manual and the recipes for Hot Toddys and Hot Tom and Jerrys.

Receive 10% off this cd when you mention this issue

Eco Bamboo Furniture

Our revolutionary new line of bamboo furniture is made wholly from bamboo. Bamboo is one of the earth's fastest growing plants and it is a grass that grows to maturity in 5 years or less. Unlike many of the veneers out there, this is the solid product, made as natural as possible with low VOC glues and water based finishes that are well below California's OSHA standards.

We currently offer two styles: classic (photo) and exotic. The classic finish looks like bamboo strips and is 20 times harder than oak, while the exotic finish does not look like bamboo strips and is 200 times harder than oak. Both share a similar process:

The bamboo is cross cut to the required length. The outside bamboo knots are ground off. It is put through a splitting and sizing machine. The inside bamboo knots are ground off and the outer skin is removed and milled into rectangular shapes on all four sides.

The bamboo strips are put into a pressurized steam vessel to achieve the color changing carbonization process. Before this stage, these bamboo strips are still a blond color which is the natural color of bamboo. The carbonization process alters the color into a tan color. We can also stain the bamboo into an espresso finish for the three color options of natural, tan and espresso.

The strips are then kiln dried for several days. The moisture content of the bamboo strips reaches to 6%-9%. They are then put through a fine planing machine. At this stage, we have long strips that are ready to be assembled together. Our strips are sorted according to color to achieve the best match.

For the classic style, the strips then are covered with a low VOC glue and assembled together to produce large boards. The bamboo is placed into a hydraulic press set by a combination of heat and pressure to insure a strong, stable bond. The assembled planks are planed and sanded on both faces.

The exotic bamboo process takes the strips and instead of laminating them with glue, crushes them in a mold under heavy pressure to fuse them. We therefore obtain large boards from either process that will be cut into a variety of dimensions and styles we sell. All pieces are then finished with a water based polyurethane.

To view the styles we carry, click here or visit us Downtown.