You’ll no doubt spot a chef or professional party planner when you walk the aisles at ACE Mart Restaurant Supply. The warehouse-style store offers up major deals on tabletop essentials like gold flatware ($3.95 for a set of 25!), as well as bamboo plates, disposable trays, and a full range of plastic drinkware (flutes, martini glasses—even coffee cups). You can stock up on cooking supplies, too. Score everything from baking utensils and chafing dishes to concession-style food accessories.
Design Your Own Floral
Debby Jewesson of Branching Out Events shares how to make DIY arrangements with easy-to-find materials.
Keep it monochromatic. “If using fresh flowers, I keep my design simple by using the same color of flowers,” Jewesson says. “I always need an excuse to use my collection of vintage bottles, and stems of snapdragons go a long way.”
Use Vintage pieces as vases. “In the fall, I grab a few stems of Pee Gee Hydrangea to fill my vintage wine jugs,” she says. “Considering the larger size of the blooms, three to five make a big impact!”
Choose Hearty Foliage. “In some cases, I strategically purchase fresh flowers or foliage that will dry beautifully. Here I used a vintage piece of Marshall Pottery filled with dried eucalyptus,” she says.
Find inspiration in your garden. Jewesson says to never underestimate the value of decorating with fresh produce. “To create a stunning farm-to-table centerpiece, grab a few unique varieties. Style them on a linear tray or serving platter in mounds and clusters, varying the heights of your display for a more casual design. For a bonus, add found treasures from the great outdoors such as acorns, pods, horse apples, or berried foliage,” she says.
Put Your Stamp on It
Chef Justo Blanco of The Statler keeps wax and a custom seal in his work bag. “I have used it to add a special touch to a note for my wife and on a handwritten menu for a private dinner,” he says. Get one made at Acme Rubber Stamp Co., a Deep Ellum company that specializes in making rubber stamps (like the one they made for us), daters, seals, and self-inking stamps to add that personal touch to your paper.
