Tablescapes: One Church's Annual Event

A couple of weeks ago my sister and I were the guests of a friend (Thank you, Mary Lee!) at a tablescape viewing sponsored by the women's group of a local church. This annual event includes a silent auction, a delicious buffet food tasting, and a viewing of forty tables decorated by women in the church. Proceeds from this event benefit missions, including programs for women, children, and youth in the community, state, and around the world. This year's theme was "Celebrating God's Plan for Us," based on the scripture from Jeremiah 29:11 - "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord.  Plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

After receiving a plate of tasty food bites we walked into the fellowship hall of the church where the tables were presented.  It was apparent as we walked by each table that much thought had gone into the table's decor.  While some were more elaborate than others each told a story.  From weddings to travel to hunting to holidays - each tablescape was an expression of love and joy from those who had created them.

While I do not have a picture of each table the pictures below are of some of my favorite tables and elements.

This tablescape was a particular favorite.  It used many elements of which I am quite fond.  The muted color palette, nests with eggs and cute little birds pointed to the promise of Spring.  The effortless, yet deliberate, mixture of textures (fabric, pottery, crystal, wood, metal and vines) gave a feeling of bringing the outdoors inside.  

And I do love the ruffle on the napkin!   

I am very fond of this tablescape.  The plates, goblets, and flower pots were all hand-decorated by "Seedsters" who participate in a creative Ceramics Program and enjoy a range of recreational, social, and cultural activities through Mustard Seed, Inc., a Christian community for adults with developmental disabilities.

Each item is unique, but if you know a Seedster's "trademark" pattern you will know who designed and painted it.

As an aside - The Bells of Faith bell choir from Mustard Seed performed during this lunch-time event.  While I have not heard them in person I understand they are awesome!

  

Check out Mustard Seed, Inc. and the Seedsters.  Abilities abound!   (www.mustardseedinc.org/) 

This table held my favorite centerpiece.  Vintage hats placed on a tiered plate stand.  Inspired!  I am a huge "vintage" fan as well as a lover of hats.  It's possible I was born in the wrong era, but I content myself with admiring the workmanship, design, and beauty of these items when I find them.  

While the height of this centerpiece may be an issue for some, placing it on a sideboard or tea cart would be perfect!  I don't mind the extra height because the lower tiers can be seen through at eye level making conversation easier.

Isn't the hat on top wonderful?  I'm feeling a "Ladies who Brunch" event in my future.  Flea markets, here I come!

These are just three of the tables by which I was inspired.  There were several others but I will save them for a future post.  Keep checking back!

I would like to thank the women from Christ United Methodist Church, Jackson, Mississippi, for hosting this lovely event, and allowing me to post about it on my blog.  I am certainly looking forward to next year's "Tablescapes"!

Happy Easter - The Centerpiece

It is no surprise to my family that the centerpiece arrangement was the last thing I fussed over just before we sat down to eat. Positioning...re-positioning...taking out... putting in...a snip here and a tuck-in there. Creating a centerpiece, for me anyway, is what brings the table decor together - using elements I chose for the place settings and perhaps adding some new ones.

The elements I chose for this centerpiece were based primarily on the place settings. The arrangement was in a silver pedestal bowl. The head of cabbage and the pink flowers restated the plates, and the dogwood branch I chose for a contrasting white element and because I love dogwood blooms. The dogwood also gave me the height I needed.

I used floral foam in the bowl as a base for building the arrangement. The head of faux cabbage was enormous but beautiful! I removed the three outermost layers of leaves for a better size relationship to the flowers. These leaves I reserved for later use as "filler". Spanish moss helped fill in gaps and position the cabbage leaves and pink flowers.

One note. I use silk flowers and greenery most of the time. I may, on occasion, mix fresh with silk for some interest, but primarily the flora is silk. It's not that I don't like fresh flowers...I love them! I just can't always find the color combinations I want to use. Using silk gives me more arrangement options as well as opportunities to "recycle" in future table settings. I am continually surprised how different the recycled flowers and greenery look in different arrangements.

When I do use fresh flowers my sister arranges them.  Family Skill Set!

Rounding out the centerpiece were pink pillar candles, a silver compote dish and a sheep, which my sister has named "Ramen Lamben" because its curly wool feels like Ramen noodles. It was a whimsical addition to the table and was put at each place setting at some point during the meal. It made us smile.

From a Strawberry Cake inspiration to a table setting.  I believe it worked!

Happy Easter - Place Settings

These cabbage plates are some of my favorites.  They have been used many times for different occasions.  The beauty of having these is that they compliment different style settings. They were a purchase I made when I worked at "my favorite store", Williams-Sonoma. 

The pink-rimmed plates were actually an impulse buy when I checked-out an "antique" shop that opened around the corner from my house.  The  shop has since closed so I'm glad I bought the plates when I did.  $10!

Layered napkins are my way of adding color and interest without taking up additional space on the table.  I enjoy using different fabric textures, colors, and patterns.  For this place setting I gathered the napkins and used lace trim to add some texture and a little sheen.

The menu card is kind of a signature piece for me.  Even at family dinners I add a menu card.  For me it compliments the place setting and also satisfies my love of creating something on paper.  Yes...I am a font junkie! But that's a topic for a future post.

Check back in a couple of days when I will post about the centerpiece and how it came to life for this Easter table.

Happy Easter!

I hope each of you had a lovely Easter. I know I certainly did! And...as predicted...finishing touches were taking place as the Ham came out of the oven.

It was all about the cake!  Strawberry to be exact.  Pink frosting to be more specific!  Here is the end result.  

And...the inspiration.  

            

More to come later this week!

Getting Ready For Easter

Oh, my goodness! Easter is only one week away! And while I have had it on my mind, the off and on cold weather just didn't seem like the time for Easter planning. I had better stop planning and start putting my table setting together. I will post pictures of this year's table after Easter. It is very possible that I will be putting finishing touches on the table as the ham is coming out of the oven!

At the top of my list is deciding on a color palette. A quick review of tables from the last few years will make the decision easier.  I don't usually duplicate color palettes several years in a row.  Wish me luck!

This is one of my favorite color palettes. The bright green mixed with the apricot/orange sherbet was so lovely and fresh. The bright green, metallic charger and the orange satin ribbon lent a more formal feel to the setting. I may not use the same color palettes two years in a row, but I have been known to reuse the cute little bunnies and alabaster eggs. I added some paper mache' eggs for a texture contrast and left them in their original state. 

             

I really like pastels at Easter. The yellow, pink and muted turquoise looked lovely. The wicker chargers gave the table a more casual feel that year. The bunnies and alabaster eggs made an appearance. The addition of two little brown bunnies peeking out from under the center piece added a little charm. I love to add little touches that may not be noticed right away but complete the look and feel I want to achieve.

This color palette was all about the napkins! I am fortunate to have a mother who sews and is willing to serge and hem the edges of many a piece of fabric to create the napkins I want.* (Thank you, Mama!) The little ceramic chicks and alabaster eggs in bright colors completed this look. I wish I had a picture of the entire table. It was a bright, cheerful way to celebrate Easter Sunday lunch.

*I am a fan of cloth napkins. My collection of cloth napkins is varied and on the large side. I have nothing against paper napkins and use them frequently. However, there is...for me...something about a cloth napkin that completes a table setting.

As I said above I will post pictures of this year's table after lunch on Easter Sunday. Until then, I wish you a meaningful Holy Week and a joyful Easter Sunday.

                                                                 

French Country: An Entree' Inspiration

Rustic, French peasant food.  Historically that would describe the inspiration for this table setting: Coq au Vin.  The literal translation is "Cock (Rooster) of the Wine".  An older bird, which had outlived his usefulness, was braised in wine to tenderize the stringy, tough, meat.  While Coq au Vin has been elevated from from its peasant status and chicken or capon is traditionally used today, I took inspiration from the literal translation.  The warm color palette was an inviting accompaniment to this rustic, French entree'.

A matte, black table cloth served as the perfect neutral on which to build.  I used a weathered piece of board as a table "runner" and built the centerpiece around a decorative rooster I found on sale.  The flowers and greenery, arranged in a tarnished, silver sugar bowl, are a combination of silk and fresh. The addition of faux grape clusters and wooden candle sticks completed the centerpiece. Coordinating cloth napkins, textured chargers and menu cards added finishing touches to the tabletop design.                      

Make It Personal

There are occasions when my tablescape muse leaves me high and dry.  Such was the case recently when our family celebrated three birthdays at one dinner.  A table setting design and centerpiece that fit all three personalities just didn't materialize.  Then it came to me.  Why not personalize each place setting for each honoree?  So that's what I did! 

For my sister, the artist historian, inspiration came in the form of one of her favorite artists and paintings - Vermeer's "Girl With A Pearl Earring".  The royal blue and bronze color palette, complete with a string of pearls, was perfect for her.

For my husband Disney was the obvious choice.  Mickey Mouse came to mind when I remembered a set of plates we had purchased on one of our many trips to Disney World.  Mission accomplished! He still thinks his was the best!

The third place setting was a bit more challenging.  It was for my father.  I finally settled on his love of the universe and space.  I chose a photograph taken by Hubble and used God's color palette from the picture.  A purple charger and green depression glass tied it all together.  He loved it!

I'm thanking my muse now.  Making a multiple honoree dinner table more personal is not as daunting as I first thought. There were three completely different place settings to bring together, but it was worth it in the end.  Sometimes it's the little things...like making it personal.