GIVEAWAY: Pottery Barn Vase + A Day with Nathan Turner

Last week I had the exciting opportunity of meeting Nathan Turner, one of the country's leading style experts, at a Pottery Barn event on styling ideas for tabletops and weddings. He brought in quite the crowd!

Miss Alaina was also there and we had the pleasure of chatting with Nathan beforehand at a private breakfast with the Pottery Barn team. He is the epitome of California cool -- laid back and so fun! I loved hearing the story of how he got into the industry, which involved honing his eye for style while living in France and Italy, buying trips to Europe for an antique store, opening a his own shop in LA, unorthodoxically installing a kitchen in it (he loves to cook), and the LA Times discovering him as the guy who threw parties in his store for friends. How fun is that!

At the event, we learned a few tricks of the trade, like using varying heights on your buffet tables through cake stands and tiered trays to create a table of dimension and visual interest. Rolled up napkins and cutlery is also a pretty and practical way to make the buffet experience more casual. And then, a tip I really loved was using things you already have in your kitchen as repurposed flower vases, like coffee mugs, soup bowls, and water pitchers.

For weddings or parties, Nathan showed us how things as simple as paper and ribbon can really tie a color palette and story together. I huge crowd please was his idea of wrapping floral arrangements in bundles within the vase so guest can easily take one home with them at the end of the night. This is an idea I'm definitely going to try!

Today I'm teaming up with the fantastic team at Pottery Barn to host a giveaway of their Villa Bottleneck Vase, part of a brand new collection! Designed with a footed base to showcase florals, it's made from handblown glass and looks good in any home. Below you can see how I styled it in my own place. I love how it turned out!

Entering the giveaway is easy. First, you have to be an official 'follower' of Plush Palate (on the right). Next just leave a comment and email address below and you'll be entered. The winner will be announced here on Friday morning. Good luck!

*For a second chance to win, head over to Alaina's blog, where she's also hosting the same giveaway today!