The Season Of Giving Thanks

The story of the pilgrims and their journey to the New World has been a favorite of my sister for as long as I can remember.  It is her love of the story and a visit from my Aunt Dot that inspired this centerpiece design.

Last year, around this same time, my mother's dining room table lacked a centerpiece.  Normally this would not be an issue, but her sister, Dorothy Ann - my Aunt Dot, was coming for a visit.  A "naked" table was unacceptable to me so the wheels began to turn.

It was early November, the season of giving thanks, that gave me the direction I wanted to go. As I mentioned above one of my sister's favorite stories is that of the pilgrims - from the reason for their journey to the New World through what they endured settling here.  Her love of this story began a quest for her to find items related to the story.  I borrowed two of those items, a male and female Pilgrim, around which I would design a centerpiece.

There are times when I am designing a centerpiece that it takes more than one attempt before I'm happy.  (Those of you who know me well are not the least bit surprised by this confession.)  I must have gone through four or five designs before I saw what I wanted for a final result.  

It may be a little unorthodox to put a figurine in a lantern, but I like to think outside the box.  And in this case it worked beautifully!  As I began putting everything together these lanterns became the focal point around which I added other elements.  By using multi-colored pebbles I accomplished two things.  The first was to subtly represent the landing at Plymouth. The second was to add some additional texture and color.  Once those elements were in place I added some Spanish moss to soften the lantern tops and the base of a single, small tea light. The table linens - a solid, black tablecloth with both canvas and hand-crocheted runners - proved to be an effective base for all of the centerpiece elements.

As I put the finishing touches on the design I realized that the focal point of my centerpiece had changed.  For me, the focal point was now one small flame - that single tea light - in the middle of a vast array of other elements.  The Pilgrims had such a light...as do we all. 

For my sister, Lynn.  I am very thankful for you. 

Our Family Is Growing - A Baby Girl's Shower

Some of you might remember a post from back in May. My niece, Sarah, and her husband found out they are going to be the proud parents of a precious baby girl. The reveal was so much fun that my mother, sister and I hosted a family baby shower in honor of Sarah and to celebrate baby Adalind's arrival (which is scheduled to occur next month).

A baby girl!  Let there be pink?  Well of course there would be pink, but then I remembered a quote from the movie Steel Magnolias where M'Lynn says - "The sanctuary looks like it's been hosed down with Pepto-Bismol." I pictured my mother's dining room in my head. Hmmm...perhaps pink should be the accent color NOT the primary. Easy enough! Or so I thought. What color palette should we use? After much discussion and changing my mind a half a dozen times we finally decided on gray, white, black and pink. The nursery decor uses gray, white and pink so that should work nicely! And there are so many patterns of gray and white from which to choose. Not to mention shades of pink.

The invitation was designed based on the color palette, baby Adalind's monogram, and a pretty pink bow.  We decided to sandwich gray card stock between the front and back white card stock used for the invitation itself. It was a nice highlight. 

Theme or no theme?  That was the next question. I happened upon the answer quite by accident while on a scouting trip to Joann's. I found a piece of fabric with a sewing/clothes/dress form theme. The color palette was perfect and I realized I could possibly incorporate some of Sarah's own baby clothes into the decor.  Yes, there would be a subtle theme.

Once the color palette and theme were in place and the invitations mailed, the three of us began working on the details. My mother made a table cloth from gray fabric coordinated with the theme fabric.  From the theme fabric she made runners for the serving areas. The metal dress forms were found at Hobby Lobby. The bow on the larger dress form was painted pink to mimic the invitation and theme fabric.

I shopped my house and found some wooden pedestals and square vases. These would add some height and be great for the silk flowers. The plaster bows were an impulse purchase several years ago. (I KNEW I would use them one day!)  My sister painted them in three different shades of pink to match the color palette. Gray and white polka dot ribbon was used on the vases as an accent and to hide those pesky flower stems. Two white baby dresses - one, an antique, worn by both Amy (the grandmother-to-be) and Sarah, and another, Sarah's first Easter dress and bonnet - were carefully placed at the base of the pedestals. Each was accented in pink and added not only softness to the centerpiece, but lovely memories as well. Pink votive candles were the final touch.

Prior to the shower we invited out-of-town guests to a light crab bite salad lunch. On the serving table we used a variation of the shower color palette based on some really cute plates we found. Black and white polka dots with pink and white stripes and scroll work.  The flowers and candles were able to pull double-duty and tie both the lunch and shower areas together.

The final detail was a favor bag for each guest to take home. Inside the bag were a delicious, beautifully decorated cookie - cut out in the shape of a little girl's dress ("Thank you, Jackie!"), a lightly-scented, pink votive candle, and a paper doll with two dresses that we adhered to magnetic paper. We modified the dresses to coordinate with both the lunch and shower decor. Some white shred was dropped into the bags for a softer effect. To close the bag a topper was designed and printed on card stock.  We placed one on each bag so that the handles slid through a small opening cut into the top of the "tent". The bags were placed on the entry hall table under a wall mirror on which were hung painted, wooden letters in baby Adalind's initials. Sarah plans to use the letters on the hospital door hanging when Adalind is born.

My mother, sister and I make a very good team, and I was quite pleased with how everything came together. A special day for a special young woman about to become a mother.  Love you, Sarah!  We can hardly wait to meet little Adalind. She is certain to be our newest "Beckman Girl".

Our family is growing!

A LAKehouSe Tea

Inspiration for Tea began with a tea set given to me by Amy and Sarah.  Once that element had been chosen I needed to give the table setting an English flavor. With the color palette established on the tea set I knew I had to go in a Victorian direction. And in this case inspiration ended up being two-fold. The second layer of inspiration caught my eye as I was looking for images on Google. Vintage cards - each with the illustration of a Victorian-era woman. Perfect!

It was a simple table. No tiered stands - no silver tea service. A yard of lace fabric served as an overlay. The napkins were tied with lace as well. Simple white plates with pretty cups and saucers. An informal arrangement of silk flowers served as a centerpiece - the flowers picking up colors in the cards.

                A menu card was designed around the invitation and theme.

           

           

The last element was a "thank you for coming" bag. Each bag was decorated with one of the vintage cards, a lace doily, pearl trim and a lace bow. In each bag was a set of teapot charms, clips made from embellished clothespins, teapot-themed tissues, and just for fun...bubbles!!!

The food was delicious, and we enjoyed our time together. The four Beckman granddaughters together again! 

Tea at the lake.

How civilized.

LAKehouSe Brunch: London-Inspired

Our week at the lake was a blast, as usual. Fun, food, laughter, and love filled every waking moment. I'm already looking forward to next year!

As you may recall from my previous post Lynn, Amy, and I made a trip down memory lane and spent the first part of the week revisiting the countries from our sojourn back in 2005. Sunday night and Monday were Belgium-and France-inspired.  All day Tuesday was inspired by England. We finished up on Wednesday morning inspired once again by Belgium.  And while I was the only one to create table settings, there was certainly no shortage of delicious food!  (Left) Milles Crepes Cake by Lynn and (Right) Macarons and French Chocolate by Amy

What were my inspirations for the two table settings I created?

The first was for brunch, and I was inspired by London. More specifically...a piece of fabric printed with a map of London and landmarks we had visited. My sister found it in NC where she was visiting prior to our time at the lake. Sold! From there it all came together with items I had purchased on previous trips, and dinnerware and napkins I already had.

For the centerpiece I chose two teapots: Harrod's and the iconic red, double-decker bus. They were purchased on a previous trip to England. (One must buy teapots when in England -  Especially if "one" has a teapot collection!)  Harrod's always adds a little bling and the bus was perfect for holding a few silk flowers. I pulled items from around my house as well.  Big Ben is actually a 3-D puzzle! 

The place settings were put together based on the colors represented on the London overlay.  My red-rimmed plates and bright blue napkins were a perfect match!  

                                                                                                                I created a menu card using the elements from the table. The shooter glasses were a last-minute addition based on the food I chose to serve - my take on the traditional English breakfast our B & B served. Instead of broiled tomato halves I served tomato juice shooters. The finishing touch was was a packet I made to hold a few London (England, Britain) favorites; as well as each person's invitation to Tea later on in the day.

My next post?  Our afternoon Tea and its inspiration.  See you then!

The Table Girl's Birthday

Paper Plates and Crystal has been hijacked! By me, Kathy's sister. And there's a reason for that...

Once a year the family's celebrational table suffers because Kathy is not allowed to create the table setting. The family rule is that whoever has a birthday doesn't have to prep, cook or clean up. Which means that every July there is a table setting to do, and Kathy can't do it. It usually falls to me, her sister, to do the table setting. And I try to do something fun and interesting...and not outside the scope of my abilities.

This year Kathy sort of chose her own. Often she begins with a single inspiration. I decided to let her provide my inspiration. She chose a tea party with finger food rather than a sit down birthday meal, so I asked her to choose a teapot from her collection to be the starting point for the table. Such a rule follower she is. Not. She chose two. One that was a gift from friends and the other that belonged to our grandmother. The final choice was mine.

One teapot had more of the colors to which I am naturally drawn. I chose the other: a plump little apple green teapot with daisies and ladybugs. Our Mom created a wide table runner in the same apple green. The teapot was elevated in the center of the table on a glass cake stand, and a total of nine little bouquets of daisies surrounded the teapot, anchored the runner and sat on the birthday girl's plate in lieu of a place card.

I provided a slight nod to the red ladybugs (I can't stand the color red), plopping a maraschino cherry in the glasses of punch. We didn't really have hot tea because, hello, hundred-degree weather. So the yellow punch with the smallest spot of red worked just fine for me.

The menu (does Kathy usually write about menus?) included sandwiches (some were ham and some were smoked salmon), cheese-pecan wafers, stuffed snow peas, blue cheese and caramelized onion tartlets and petits fours. Pretty tasty. And the table looked fresh as...well...as fresh as a daisy. So that's the story of 2015's "Happy Birthday, Kathy!"  She'll be back for the next post. And I'll see y'all next July!

LAKehouSe Or Bust

I was recently reminded that one of my favorite weeks of the year is less than a month away. It is the week of my mother's family reunion! And this year there are FOUR generations of our family who will converge on a Mississippi State Park from eight states across the U.S.  Some of us will come and go during the week. Others of us will be there the entire week! I will be one of those.

You are probably wondering what this has to do with my usual posts of table settings and events. While it is a little impractical to try to "set" the tables after the masses descend, the first part of the week is generally dedicated to what my sister, cousin, niece and I refer to as "LAKehouSe". During these few days while everyone else arrives we enjoy a little calm before the joy- and fun-filled storm.

LAKehouSe (representing Lynn, Amy, Kathy and Sarah) is always a carefully thought-out, well-planned, lovely few days. We share a cabin and divide up the activities and the cooking. Some years we have a general theme and then each of us comes up with our own details. Other years we just leave open. As you might suspect I have been known to throw in a table setting or two over the years. Have table settings...will travel!

This year we are celebrating the 10th anniversary of our trip "across the pond" where we traveled to England, France, and Belgium. Since daughter and niece, Sarah, won't be joining us the first part of the week, Lynn, Amy, and I "drew" for which country(s) we would represent in the cooking and activities we plan. I'm all England this year while Lynn and Amy will share France and Belgium. And, yes...there will be a table setting...or two. 

I will post about this year's LAKehouSe after I get back. Until then you can imagine me (spread sheet in hand) planning menus, activities and table settings with an English flair.

Cheerio!  And thanks for stopping by.

(I wonder how much work it would be to replicate Stonehenge in miniature?  Hmmm...)

Red, White and Blue!

When I see the colors red, white and blue I think of the American flag and our country's patriotic holidays. While we have several that honor and celebrate our country and its armed forces, the one I think of more as a celebration is America's birthday - the 4th of July. Maybe you place a wreath on your front door. Or perhaps you create a patriotic vignette on your porch or patio. Maybe you fire up the backyard BBQ grill, plan a picnic to watch the fireworks or set up a table under the stars. Whatever your reason to decorate, the colors of red, white and blue will generally find their way into your festivities in some way.

I created this table setting a couple of years ago for our 4th of July family get together. It's one of my favorites...mostly because I was able to use two of my favorite dinner plate choices:  my sister's Blue Willow (which she inherited from our grandmother) and my Red-rimmed White. They were perfectly suited for both each other and the occasion. With so many blocks of solid color, the Blue Willow added just enough pattern to make the settings interesting. The woven chargers kept the look informal and the red napkins were placed with the Blue Willow plates for a little contrast.

The centerpiece was a mixture of both fresh and silk flowers and greenery. I enjoy using a combination of fresh and silk. I can't always find the fresh flowers I want in season, but fresh greenery is generally available in abundance.  And it's usually FREE! I used an antique, tarnished coffee pot as my container. The lid was hinged to stay open which made for a unique visual. As you can see from the pictures three small American flags along with red flowers, white flowers and greenery composed the arrangement.  Star-like votive candles completed the centerpiece. I was very pleased with the patriotic atmosphere.

While this was for an indoor meal I would have no problem placing this exact setting in a gazebo or on a patio.  It works for both indoor and outdoor celebrations.

Show your patriotic spirit this 4th of July!  Here's to the Red, White and Blue!

Father's Day

I was looking at my calendar yesterday and realized that Father's Day is in just a couple of weeks. I will add that to my list of events that need some planning and engage my muse in some "inspirational" conversation.

In the meantime I will share a table setting I created for my father a few years ago. It happens to be one of his favorites...and mine. You see, my father has always been fascinated with ships. Especially the tall ships in full sail. He also loves books! As it happened I was able to use items belonging to him to help the centerpiece come to life. This made the table setting even more special.

The ship models were painstakingly put together by my father many years ago. They have survived four moves - three of which were state to state - and currently reside on the shelves in his office. The books were chosen by title to fit the theme, and dust cover for color. They also pulled double-duty by adding height to the centerpiece.

The scavenger hunt around my parents' house continued into the entry hall where my mother keeps her shell collection. A few carefully selected shells and driftwood brought added texture, color and visual interest. Some antique silver items (pilfered from my sister), colored glass "stones" (from my stash) and tea lights achieved my goal of finding theme-related pieces. I love to use items I find around the house!

Due to the more detailed centerpiece, I chose very simple place settings. Black chargers, white plates, clear water glasses and alternating napkins in ocean tones completed the table top.

It was a Father's Day dinner and the table was all about my father. Mission accomplished!

Rehearsal Dinner Deconstructed: Final Thoughts

It is always bittersweet for me when an event takes place and the packing-up begins. I love the planning process and seeing the vision come to life. From the first phone call and email to the event itself, planning this rehearsal dinner with the mother of the groom was so much fun! And that is as it should be. Don't get me wrong; it takes a lot of time and a great deal of work, but it's worth it. While I was very pleased with the end result, knowing that the groom's mother and the groom himself were pleased was the most important thing.

Whatever the event or occasion I like to think "outside the box". And this rehearsal dinner was no exception. Sending an invitation box was inspired! It introduced the event perfectly and we remained open-minded to other unique ideas during the planning process. Upholstery fabric, slate tiles, double old fashion glasses and pebble tiling sheets were used, but not for their intended purposes. They instead became napkins, coasters, vases and place mats. Be original! Use your imagination! It can make the event or occasion more personal and more fun.

While we were on our way home, my sister asked me if I would have done anything differently.  I hadn't had time to think about it then, but now I would probably answer her question with a "no". It was perfect just the way it was! Oh, there might have been some little things like the way the napkins were folded or "hiding" the cut ends of the manzanita branches; but our planning had been so successful that second-guessing the end result wasn't an issue. I love it when a plan comes together!

Many thanks to Lynn, Peggy, and Amy for your individual efforts.  And to Wendy, the groom's mother?  You are awesome to work both for and with!

I would also like to thank [again] Dick, Wendy, Crawford and Shannon for allowing me to post this series. It was a wonderful evening!  Heart.

The happy couple recently celebrated their first anniversary.