A RED HOT TABLE DESIGN FOR SUMMER SOIREES

Oh, the goddess tables. I am a bit embarrassed to say that Jen and I designed this table MONTHS ago. It turns out launching a blog is kind of a lot of work. Who knew?!

I have fond memories of this one. Why, you may ask? Because it was our first, and Jen and I truly worked together on the whole design. You’ll notice many of our tables have a “design leader” or “master visionary,” lol. Jen is more eclectic and colorful, and I am more modern and monochromatic. This table is what happens when you put all of those characteristics into one design. 

THE FIRST TABLE OF MANY

We learned A LOT from this first shoot. Truth be told, this wasn’t exactly our first rodeo. But since this was truly ours, we might have gone a bit over the top. I mean, just look at the size of that floral arrangement. It’s re-goddamn-diculous!

Also, with everything shut down for Covid-19, we had to scout an outdoor location we could easily access. This proved almost impossible with all of our local park roads and main entry ways closed.  Lessons learned: Never set up a table a quarter mile away from your drop off point and never ever schedule your styled shoot during the height of a pandemic lock down.  

THE SIDE PLATES THAT STARTED EVERYTHING 

Now back to these plates. They were an accident. Jen ordered the Clare V. Lip Plates from Anthropologie, and I, the one who can’t sit still even during a pandemic, was in charge of picking them up. Not only did I succeed in this endeavor, but I also came home with these too-good-to-pass-up Goddess Plates that were part of their Hestia collection. Jen obviously approved of the purchase. Goddesses unite! 

I knew I was going to do a lush Mother Earth thing with these plates the instant I saw them, which turned out fabulous by the way, but we also wanted to something bright and lively. 

Since we desperately needed some pretty “coming soon” pictures that matched our branding, we decided to hijack our own Pretty Together color palette and get to work. 

A MORE IS MORE APPROACH TO DESIGN 

We started with a Pale Pink Linen Tablecloth that we found at Target. Since we knew the florals were going to be bright, we opted to use a few neutral layers to balance things out. The Black Stoneware Dinner Plates and Acacia Wood Chargers, also from Target, provided the perfect base for our Goddess Plates. Then we added one final pop of color with these Coral Wave Napkins we found at World Market. 

Although we didn’t want to distract from the beautiful image on our plates, Jen couldn’t resist designing a menu to match, which you can download here. To reiterate, we went a little crazy on this table. I’m not sure if it was because it was the first, or if it was because we had been cooped up so long. Either way, we decked out that damn table to full capacity, which is pretty for pictures, but horrible for real dinner party scenarios. Jen admitted that she would be the first one to knock something over or send one of those nectarines flying. Honestly, she can be a bit of an animated storyteller after a glass or three of wine.

FLOWER POWER 

Can I tell you how much I love this flower arrangement?! Again, it was WAY too big for the table, and with both of us only being 5”2”, it’s unlikely we’d even see each other if seated across from one another. Of course, if you and your friends are part of the WMBA, perhaps this is the perfect arrangement for you. I mean this a goddess table. Amazons and Wonder Women welcome!

But enough about the insane size of this arrangement, if you peruse our blog for a bit you will quickly find that I have an affinity for including produce in my arrangements. In this case radishes, nectarines and apricots. This not only adds beautiful color, but also interesting textures. Just pierce your fruits or veggies with a skewer and add them like you would any other stem. 

WHAT WOULD YOU SERVE IF YOU HAD ROOM? 

So, if I was going to use this table for an actual dinner party, I’d probably serve some small plates.  Not because there isn’t room for anything larger, but because I definitely get a tapas vibe from the décor.

Some of my favorite small plates, which by the way would TOTALLY match the color scheme and look amazing, are as follows: Israeli Bruschetta, Lentil Salad with Roasted Tomatoes, and Roasted Beets with Yogurt and Dill. A refreshing Rosé would pair nicely, and let’s not forget about dessert. You can’t wrong with Tiramisu Brownies. 

So clearly this took too long to post, but everything worthwhile takes time. We hope you keep reading and get inspired to host your own parties once it’s safe. Until next time –  

Cheers! 

So clearly this took too long to post, but everything worthwhile takes time. We hope you keep reading and get inspired to host your own parties once it’s safe. Until next time –  

Cheers!