G’day all! I’m so excited about the Tablescape Link Party I announced yesterday, so I couldn’t wait to share some inspiring ideas with you! Setting a table is so much fun, because the table is that place where people gather to do two of the very best things in life: eat and talk. Eating and talking, talking and eating, really does it get much better than that? I don’t think so.
I rounded up a bunch of inspiration for you and some tips for setting a stylish table with ideas for all of the upcoming holidays, so here we go!
Choose the Classics. You can’t go wrong when you opt for the traditional palettes we associate with each holiday, whether it’s the warm amber hues of Thanksgiving, the blues and whites of Hanukkah, or the classic red and white of Christmas.
Hello ladies and gents, it’s that time of year where we’re all planning for the holidays and part of that is setting an inviting table. Would you like a chance to win a gift card to HomeGoods by setting your holiday table and snapping some pics?
Well I’ve partnered with HomeGoods to host a holiday tablescape contest next month, right here! It’s gonna be fun and filled with inspiration!
To get your creativity flowing, take a peek at a few helpful hints for setting a stylish table by interior designer Elaine Griffin.
I interviewed Elaine last year, and she’s one of my most favorite designers. Elaine has also partnered with HomeGoods to create a series called ‘Design Happy’ – hop on over to check out her short videos, she’s sharing her best advice on everything from hanging art to arranging vignettes on a table.
Here’s how the holiday tablescape contest will work. On Wednesday November 30th, the Link Party will be right here for one day, and here’s what’s up for grabs:
One Grand Prize Winner will receive a $100 HomeGoods Gift Card
Three Runners Up will receive a $50 HomeGoods Gift Card
To enter, you’ll need to style a holiday tablescape and post it on your blog on or before November 30, 2011, then link up to the party on that day. Or you can enter via email with a minimum of two different images sent to tablescapecontest@gmail.com.
Tablescapes to be judged in the spirit of HomeGoods based on style, affordability, and creativity. The tablescapes must be fall or winter holiday related (Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, New Years, etc.) and must be set on a dining table (no mantels or bookshelves, etc.) The panel of three judges who will determine the final winners includes myself, Rhoda from Southern Hospitality and Courtney from Courtney Out Loud.
Here is the Date to Remember:
Tablescape Contest Link Party: Wednesday, November 30, 2011
(or enter via email to tablescapecontest@gmail.com by midnight PST on 11/30/11, minimum two different images of your table)
Start thinking about the fabulous table you will set !!
Are you in?
Disclosure & Rules of Entry: No purchase necessary. Entrants must be over the age of 18 and a resident of the United States. Official entry occurs by linking up your blog post with images of your tablescape on November 30, 2011 on this blog, or via email (minimum two images) to tablescapecontest@gmail.com sent before midnight PST on November 30, 2011.
The odds of winning depends on the number of entries and the final choices of the panel of judges based on the criteria specified. One entry per person. Any disputes to be resolved at the sole discretion of the blog owner. All contest winners will be announced on this blog before December 12, 2011, and via email provided. This blog to be held harmless in the event that the prize or sweepstakes in some way negatively impacts the winner. Home Goods is the sponsor of this contest at no cost, however the blog owner and judges have been compensated with gift cards to Home Goods for this promotion. The state of California is the jurisdiction of the regulation of this contest. Void where prohibited by law.
Oh we love our tablescapes during the holidays don’t we? I know I do. Most of the year, you’ll find a simple bowl of fruit and some fresh flowers on our dining room table but during the holidays, like many of you, I set it with a pretty centerpiece. Friends appreciate it, and an attractive centerpiece on a dining room table is a great way to creatively get into the spirit of the season.
Beckie from Washington sent me this email with a great question about what to do with decorative centerpieces when you’re serving guests a meal:
“Hey Kate. This is one of those questions that I think a lot of people (ok me) have always wondered how to do gracefully but seem too afraid to ask. Real life just doesn’t work the way you see it in a magazine, so here goes.
You go to all the trouble and creativity to set a beautiful table for a special occasion, you set up a nice well thought out centerpiece and you bring out your best dishes and set up the place settings and your nice stemware and everything looks perfect . . . You’ve cooked your meal and now everyone is sitting at the table ready and waiting with baited breath, but wait… there is nowhere to put the food as you have filled your table with beautiful things. How do you deal with that?
Do you set up a buffet? Remove the centerpiece? Fill each plate and serve each person like a waiter? Am I the only one who doesn’t know how to do this right? Awaiting you answer for the holiday season. ~ Beckie”
Hey Beckie, great question! I don’t believe there is any one way to “do it right”. There are several ways to work around your table decorations during a meal, it just depends on your preferred method of serving guests.
When it comes to how to serve your meal and where to put the food, you have a few options. You can clear your centerpiece and make room for the food on the table, family style. You can set up a location for the food elsewhere such as a sideboard, and serve buffet style. Or you can choose the formality of serving your guests on a plate one by one.
Ah, brunch. Truly, nothing brings to mind relaxation on a weekend morning more than the thought of a leisurely brunch with friends. If I’m ever on vacation on a Sunday, one question I always ask is “Where should we head for brunch in this town?” Even at home, and especially at Easter, one of my favorite things to do in the spring and summer is host a brunch.
Today, Courtney Lake is back for his monthly contribution on the topic of how to stage a simple and stylish brunch for your friends and family.
Please welcome Courtney on the subject of How To Brunch in Style!
“Summer is the season of alfresco dining. Simple, easy and care free meals with friends and family at a leisurely pace are one of the season’s little perks. I can’t imagine a meal better suited for this type of entertaining than brunch - that wonderful combination of breakfast and lunch. Brunch is the perfect opportunity to break out of your formal entertaining rut! Here are a few quick and simple steps to creating an effortless brunch for six on a budget.
MENU PLANNING
Look at the people coming to your brunch and ask yourself a few important questions. What time does the brunch start ? The general rule is the later the brunch, the hardier the menu. Do any of your guests have dietary restrictions? Food allergies, low-sodium and gluten-free diets are becoming more prevalent, so think about dishes that can hit multiple categories.
How much food should you prepare? I go by the rule of having two additional servings for each dish. Since the number I typically expect for brunch is six, I plan that the dishes should feed eight. It guarantees that those bigger eaters in the group will have plenty, and also that you will not be stuck with a fridge full of leftovers.
When I serve brunch at my own home, I love using this menu for its ease and ability to please a variety of palates:
1) Baked Eggs with Tomato Compote: So simple and versatile, this dish has earned an honored spot on my brunch menu. It can be morphed into any number of variations but I found this particular version is especially tasty. Add crumbled feta if you like an extra layer of cheese.
Hey kids, I’m on a bit of a food kick lately, so if you’ll indulge me, today I feel like talking about cheese yet again. In fact I made up a cheer just for the occasion. “Cheese is good, cheese is great, cheese be the one you’re glad you ate!” Pay no attention to those grammatical errors, and please just focus on the message.
I’ll be back to painting something soon I assure you, but today I need to talk about one of the most important things in my life and that is cheese. Not just any cheese, or your ordinary mass produced American chunks of cheddar, no I’m talking about the cheeses that come from the artisans. Gather round friends, because I’m about to share with you the secrets to serving a perfect cheese course.
Hi, I'm Kate from Northern California. I'm a bargain hunter, design lover, and incurable DIYer. I'm on a quest for diamond style on a dime, and I'm out to make my world fabulous, for less, one do-it-yourself project at a time. Learn more.
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