Entertain in style this fall

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Maybe it's the crisp air that energizes me or the beauty of the fall trees that inspires me, but when autumn hits, I can't wait to entertain. While I'm eager to fill my home with friends this time of year, I'm equally as excited to spend a Sunday afternoon creating a memorable dining-room display that will delight my guests.Angela, one of the designers who works with me at Nell Hill's, shares my unbridled passion for dressing up the table for dinner, and she creates some looks that would make your jaw drop. Here are a few tips from Angela to help you do the same when you entertain this fall:MASTER THE MOOD: Before Angela places one thing on her dining-room table, she decides what mood she wants the table to evoke. Her goal is to build displays that trigger fond memories, like going on a hayride, carving pumpkins or walking in the autumn woods.ASSEMBLE THE CAST OF CHARACTERS: Next, pull out every piece you own that could help you bring this memory to life, then lay them all out for your perusal. She starts with building blocks like silver candelabra, punch bowls, apothecary jars, twiggy baskets or wooden dough bowls, then brings in the bounty of the season through gourds, berries, fall foliage and flowers, apples and pears, hedge apples and bundles of twigs.Color is king this time of year, so when picking pieces for your table, be sure everything reflects the gorgeous autumnal palette outside your window. One of Angela's favorite combos is chocolate brown and apple green. To pull off this refreshing look, you could accent brown transferware dishes with bright green linens, fill a birch basket with hedge apples or display a bouquet of dill-weed blooms and green berries in a brown vase.START WITH THE CENTERPIECE: When creating a tablescape, Angela always starts with the centerpiece. The secret ingredient to building a centerpiece that brightens guests' hearts is to weave in a piece that's near and dear to your heart, like your grandmother's gravy boat or your mom's favorite turkey platter. There's nothing better for Angela than a centerpiece that tells a story and gives guests a glimpse into your life.To craft a centerpiece that's visually intriguing, you must incorporate a host of colors, textures and heights. For instance, pull out that little-used silver punch bowl and place an ornate five-armed candelabrum in the center. Then fill the punch bowl with gourds, acorns or hedge apples. Or place a rustic basket at the table's center and stuff it full of pumpkins, then insert a mini-birdbath holding a moss ball, lantern or candlestick.PLACE SETTINGS WITH PIZZAZZ: Once your centerpiece is perfected, use it as inspiration for place settings. Angela suggests pulling out key colors or textures from your centerpiece and repeating them at each guest's seat. For instance, if you used a basket in your centerpiece, pick wicker chargers or birch trays as the place setting's base. If your centerpiece is filled with pumpkins, find linens that include a hint of the same hue. If you filled a vase with dried red hops, repeat the same cranberry color in dishes or glassware.When you build each place setting, don't be afraid to push the limits by using unusual pieces in new ways. For instance, Angela has recruited a host of unlikely items to serve as plate chargers, such as open books, squares of grass sod, large oak leaves and rustic wood boxes. Be creative!Once each place is set, Angela suggests finishing off with a surprise or two to delight guests. Wrap small take-home gifts in brown butcher paper, tie them up with twine and tuck a bird's feather in the bows. Or cut a small slit in a red apple, insert a place card and rest it in the drink goblet. Use your imagination, and have fun adding this final, memorable flourish to your fabulous fall table.(Mary Carol Garrity is the proprietor of three successful home-furnishings stores in Atchison, Kan., and Kansas City, Mo. She is the author of several best-selling books on home decorating. Write her at nellhills(at)mail.lvnworth.com.)(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, http://www.scrippsnews.com.)