Annette Joseph Book Signing

For those of you that made it out on Saturday, you know that we had an absolutely lovely time hosting Annette Joseph here at The Paris Market. After meeting Annette during Taste of Savannah & seeing what a joy she is to be around, we just knew we had to have her come to the store & do a book signing & she definitely did not disappoint! Not only was she stationed all afternoon signing copies of her book Picture Perfect Parties, she also brought along supplies to do a lovely holiday craft. Her DIY holiday snow globes were a huge hit & Paris Marketeers of all ages enjoyed making a little memento to take with them. We'd like to say a big thank to everyone who came out & made the event such a wonderful success, & also, to Annette for coming out & spending the day with us! For those of you that weren't able to make it, check out some of the photos we captured of the fun day below! 

Get to Know: Annette Joseph

We are beyond excited to be welcoming Annette Joseph to The Paris Market this weekend for a book signing & holiday how-to! With over 20 years of experience, Annette is an expert on entertaining, styling, & cooking. Specializing in lifestyle editorial images for magazines, she has done a little bit of everything, from photo styling for interiors to food propping to special production projects. She regularly appears on The Today Show & Martha Stewart Sirius Radio as a lifestyle contributor. She decided to share the many ideas, tips & tricks she has gained as a nationally recognized photo stylist/producer in her most recent publication Picture Perfect Parties: Annette Joseph's Stylish Solutions for Entertaining. She will be joining us to sign copies of her book & also to share a how-to for making your own holiday place cards. After her table setting demo at Taste of Savannah using props from The Paris Market, we had the opportunity to catch up with Annette & find out a little bit more about what makes her tick. Check out the interview we did with her below (which includes a sneak peak at some of the images from her book) & then be sure to come to the store on December 6th, 2014 from 12-3PM to pick up a copy of her book & ask her any questions you may have about styling or entertaining yourself!

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I am a prop/ food & lifestyle stylist plus a producer/editor who lives in Atlanta & in Italy part-time. I work with magazines & cookbooks, & work on TV shows like The Today Show as a lifestyle expert. Most recently I have written a cookbook from a stylist’s point of view called Picture Perfect Parties for Rizzoli, NY.

How did you get your start as a stylist?  
I started working as an assistant stylist in a studio over 20 years ago, before anyone even really knew what that was, including me. The photographer I worked for told me he thought I would make a great stylist, so he invited me to his studio to observe & I never left. After 3 years of working with him, I went out on my own as a freelance photo-stylist.

What is one of your favorite things about being a stylist? 
I love collaborating with other creatives & photographers on set. I love to shop for amazing props all over the world. I love making beautiful images.

From photo styling to interior design to working as a lifestyle contributor, you wear many hats. Is there one thing you enjoy doing more? 
I love styling the most, I am happiest when I am on set creating beauty.

Can you tell us about the inspiration for your book “Picture Perfect Parties” & a little bit about the process behind making it? 

People always ask me: "How do you come up with these ideas for photo shoots?" I decided it was time for me to share my styling tips & tricks & stylist secrets. So I wrote Picture Perfect Parties, Stylish Solutions for Entertaining. It is essentially the primer for creating the perfect party with little stress. Once you have the stylist secrets, you’re all set.

What is one of your favorite holiday recipes? 

I love Thanksgiving & I think that my turkey is really delicious, & the Thanksgiving cocktail the “Ginger Snap” is a must try recipe! I love the Thanksgiving Chapter in my book.

What inspires you?  

I am very inspired by my travels, & my summers in Italy. Style & entertaining there seem much more effortless & natural than here in the US. I tend to get especially inspired on the Italian Riviera where I live in the summer.

What are you most looking forward to about the holiday season? 

I love spending time with my family. My children are amazing & an inspiration. They are smart, funny & filled with wonderful insights. I love our family discussions. And of course I LOVE to cook, so non-stop cooking & entertaining is something I can’t live without & look forward to immensely every holiday season.

*Images courtesy of Annette Joseph from her book Picture Perfect Parties

Taste of Savannah: "Setting the Perfect Holiday Table" with Annette Joseph

The Savannah Food & Wine Festival culminated this past weekend with Taste of Savannah, an event that shut down Ellis Square & was full of all sorts of food & wine tastings, cooking demonstrations, & food-related learning experiences. One such experience was a demo by the entertaining expert for The Today Show, Annette Joseph, in which she shared her tips & tricks for "setting the perfect holiday table." And she did so with items she borrowed from our shelves right here at The Paris Market. Her demo was wonderfully enlightening & we jotted down a few of her party planning tips:

• Create a party tool kit: Collect all your party materials throughout the year & keep them in one place so you don't waste time running around during the holiday season trying to find things. (For those of you that may be more regular entertainers, a "party pantry" may even be in order.)
• Before you go out & buy something new, look & see what you already have. 
• Think outside the box! For instance, something as simple as tea towels have so much versatility: use them as napkins, place mats, or even mix & match different ones to make a table runner.
• Shop like a prop stylist. Collect things as you see them. Chance are, if you like it, it will most likely go with the things you already have.  
• Don't be afraid to mix & match! Different textures create a more interesting table.
• Give your guests a take-away gift; something for them to remember the event by. For instance, a little bag of pumpkin potpourri. :)
    

Annette will be joining us here at The Paris Market on December 6, 2014 for a signing of her book "Picture Perfect Parties." Check out the trailer for the book below & stayed tuned to our social media channels for more details on the event as the date gets closer.