Happy Tuesday! Don’t forget to stop by the community garden tonight from 5-8…
Happy Tuesday! Don’t forget to stop by the community garden tonight from 5-8 to try some amazing Cajun food from our friends at Kayjuns FoodTruck. See you soon! #rmbresidentevent
Your Place at the Table
Isn’t it funny how a chore we all tried to get out of when we were growing up is now almost a hobby? From basic place settings to trendy tableware, our Idea Specialists™ at The Retreat at Mountain Brook in Birmingham, Alabama, are here with recommendations on how to set your table for spring! HARMONIOUS WHITES There’s no better way to start than with a set of strong white dishes—the potential for mixing and matching them with other elements of your table settings is almost limitless. An always reliable go-to is the Gibson brand, and its Noble Court timeless rim shape 12-piece set is a value buy at Target. If you’re in the mood for something a little more funky, check out Mikasa’s Coronado Pearl 4-piece place setting (part of its Portugal Dinnerware Collection) offered by Macy’s. Unique shapes and rich pearlescence turn everyday soup bowls and salad plates into works of art in their own right. For serving pieces, pop over to Lamb’s Ears in Crestline Village, or visit them online. From elegant Montes Doggett pieces to the whimsical Bow Wow Platter, there’s something for almost every bunny in their stylistically wide range of offerings. GLAMOROUS GLASSWARES Pair your new dishes with a mix of goblets and glasses in all hues of the rainbow. We could (and do!) spend a lot of time looking at Lulu and Georgia’s Insta, so it just makes sense that we would be drawn to their Estelle Stemware, which comes in a variety of colors. We’re partial to smoke as we head into spring. But if you’re already ready for brighter and lighter, Pottery Barn’s Happy Hour Goblets might be just the ticket! FUN WITH FLATWARE We will always be a fan of Oneida and its classic Louisiana flatware, even if we do live in Alabama. What’s not to love about the luster and the details, not to mention the balance of the pieces? Plus, it’s always easy to find, just in case you accidentally get the butter knife caught in the disposal. Not that we’re saying we did that, you understand. A 45-piece set now available online at Bed Bath & Beyond includes dinner forks and knives, salad forks, dinner spoons, teaspoons, and more. For something a little more casual, there’s the West Elm Color Pop Caddy—four place settings in Easter egg colors stored in a clever handled carrier, which means it’s easy to take back and forth from the dining table to the porch if you want to dine al fresco! For steak knives, The Retreat at Mountain Brook Idea Specialists™ recommend shopping locally at Table Matters in Mountain Brook Village. We like the Vagabond House set with shed stag horn handles, adorned with pewter crown and accent ferrule; it mixes elements of elegant and rustic for useful and striking implements. GET IT TOGETHER Whether you’re serving a serious Sunday dinner or just enjoy seeing your table nicely set, a table runner is a little piece of magic you can use to draw everything together. No matter your style, from contemporary to Victorian with Southwestern and Scandinavian in between, the Houzz collection features almost any option you can imagine, and at almost that many price points! We decided on the Metallic Glam one in rose for our first one. Placemats are another way to coordinate, and it’s really hard to have too many. From holiday happies to patterns and solids, again, options abound—it’s all about what makes you happy. The Spruce featured SHACOS round braided placemats as one of its 14 Best of 2021, and we can see why: They’re easy to wipe clean and come in everything from canary yellow to plain ol’ beige. We can work with that!
The Healing Power of Plants
The Retreat at Mountain Brook, takes pride in its plants. Not only is the upscale apartment community—located just minutes from downtown Birmingham, Alabama—and nestled against the City of Mountain Brook, Alabama, with mature trees and naturally wooded topography, it’s also known for its popular community garden. The Retreat’s residents enjoy and appreciate easy opportunity to step outside and enjoy some of the benefits and beauty that nature brings. Their homes’ balconies, sunrooms and bright and open interiors are just the right spaces for the pleasant and practical placement of even more plants. And plants are more than pretty. There’s a healing power to them, both for body and soul: lavender to help you relax and get to sleep, a lush pot of variegated arrowhead vine to round out a corner and serve as an organic air purifier, and that reliable stalwart, aloe vera—it’s not just for sunburns anymore. Ready to step into the spirit of spring by bringing some greenery into your home? The Retreat at Mountain Brook’s Idea Specialists ™ say it’s hard to go wrong with these popular and hardy indoor specimens: Aloe Vera Snake Plants Philodendron Lavender Spider Plants Note: When deciding which types of plants to have in your home, do your research. Know which plants are best if you share your abode with pets: Plants and Pets. They also can’t say enough good about Oak Street Garden Shop and Local Market. Located just a few minutes away from The Retreat at Mountain Brook in the heart of Crestline Village, it’s the perfect place for a Saturday morning outing, with a funny and fabulous staff who, among other things, specialize in container gardening. Just imagine one of their Southern Living Magazine-worthy plant collections beside your large living room window! And of course, The Home Depot is right around the corner on Crestwood Boulevard, with everything from decorative containers to dirt and fertilizer and, yes, the plants themselves. One-stop shopping! No time for that sort of field trip? Another easy way to get started is to buy fresh herb plants when you’re making your regular run to the Montclair Place Publix. If you’re looking for a fun project, you can make yourself a hanging herb garden with their guidance. You also can find all manner of indoor garden starter kits on Amazon, including this cute and low-maintenance mason jar set of hydroponic rosemary, lavender, and oregano. (Remember, lavender has been shown to help with anxiety and insomnia. And, speaking of science, check out this study conducted with Texas A&M that showed that being around plants helps with memory retention and concentration!) Whether you’re new to the greatness of greenery or just feel like you need a little refresher course on care and feeding, a reliable source for guidance is MarthaStewart.com. Martha always offers up great tips and techniques to help navigate plants, both the indoor and outdoor types. And some aloe vera. Because in addition to being a safe and effective treatment for minor burns? Its anti-inflammatory properties make it a great vitamin-rich and decidedly wallet- and eco-friendly skin serum. So, with spring right around the corner, March 20, to be exact, plan now to bring the outdoors inside your apartment home at The Retreat at Mountain Brook and enjoy all the benefits plants have to offer!
