I cannot believe we are almost into the winter months, as here in Vancouver our weather continued to be lovely and warm well into November.
However, the leaves are finally starting to fall and you can feel fall is turning to winter now.
I include a lovely light cake recipe from Designer, Decorator and Author, Danielle Rollins, which she kindly has said I can share. You can see the instructions here.
My coffee table book, Best Dressed Tables continues to be well received and I still love styling tablescapes to give you all inspiration hopefully and ideas to be creative with setting your own tables.
A look back at Summer 2022 Tablescapes…..
First Day of Summer
It was wonderful to be outside and I used my large table in my lower courtyard with white linen and a fabulous Nicole Miller table runner in all the colours of the ocean (in the Bahamas where I grew up).
Navy blue straw placemats with melamine plates in blues, turquoises and greens just like the runner with navy napkins in white fun napkin rings.
I used my seahorse candle holders and had blue coral votive holders.
The centrepiece was a lovely light blue glass bowl filled with seashells and I had turquoise candle holders and scattered sea shells all in the white. I mixed the glass ware as you can see with my cobalt blue and turquoise glassware.
Sails Up
Loved filling the sailboat with corals, seashells and glass balls.
Keeping the nautical theme with the anchor napkin rings, straw placemats and fish filled smaller sailboat. The touches of anchors on the bread plates, the blue and white runner over white linen and the
Cobalt water glasses completed this summer table.
Flamingo Magic
My love of flamingoes continues every summer……
For this one I started with a colourful runner and hot pink potted Hydrangea in the centre and filled two glass cylinders with green grapes and pink marsh mellows.
I layered a white china plate with a turquoise melamine plate and topped that with ha mini pink flamingo and tucked a hot pink and also turquoise napkins inside with custom flamingo place cards. Just for fun I added lighter pink straw in the base of the Hydrangea. You will notice the turquoise placemats were too big for my table so I folded them under.
Shell Themed Luncheon
The centrepiece was simple a glass candle holder and white candle on the terra cotta runner. I wrapped seashells around the base of the candle and carried the shell theme to the terra cotta napkins and I used two types of shell napkin rings for this luncheon for four. I used my sea through white glass plates so you could see through to the lovely white, green and terra cotta place mats.
I wrapped the wine glasses with sea shells on the bottom of the stem and added a few sea shells on the table and finished it off with two water jugs.
Bold Statements with Strong Colours
For this simple yet bold table, I had white linen and a black and white runner.
Just simple greenery down the centre. With two apple green candle holders in black iron stands. This tied in with the apple green chargers white plates with black smaller plate and apple green apples on each plate.
Kept the napkins just folded with the black and white stripped ribbon holders.
Butterflies and Orchids
I have had these butterflies for ages and decided this summer was the time to use them.
White linens, with pink and white plates topped with a fresh cupcake with pink butterfly on the top.
The napkins were just tied gently and there were light pink candle holders and a centrepiece bowl that I had filled with pink orchids and white and pink butterflies. The pink water glasses finished it off and I added a single white candle in holder.
Sunshine Tuesday
I had fun with this tablescape which came together when someone gave me the lovely yellow blooms. I pulled all the yellows I could find from round and pillar candles using some of the petals around one of the candles and sourcing the perfect flower cookies for the top plate.
No tablecloth was needed with this outside bright table and the straw placemats blended in with the dish pattern and bright yellow napkins.
These napkins pop up in my book and elsewhere each year which I had made years ago.
Pretty Flamingos
Yes, I had to do another Flamingo table as summer was winding down.
This time using all pinks and greens and whites and leaf placemats.
I had a few more of the custom flamingo name cards, brought out the wee flamingos and instead of filling them with napkins I used fresh Gerber flowers. My large Flamingo was the centrepiece tied with white ribbon around the neck and another fresh Gerber bloom.
The green and white leaf runner was perfect with the green placemats and I had pink napkin holders on the white linen napkins.
The cupcakes on my Flamingo plate had wee green wooden leaves to tie in with the leaf pattern throughout.
Summer Flowers
This tabletop started with the pretty runner with the dainty flowers and I went with the colours for this bright and dainty table.
Again the white linen tablecloth was my starting place and then I added the lovely light green plates with two toned coloured napkins gently tied.
The flowers were from the Bowery Farm from Amber Gabriele which were so colourful and I used soft colored glass holders and larger vase in the centre.
Last Day of Summer
For the Last day of Summer I designed a table in my dining room.
I had to use the Nicole Miller Runner again and the same light blue glass plate underneath the white silk blooms with a raised turquoise candle holder. To add a pop of apple green I cut some potato vines from my garden to wrap around the silk blooms.
I then added the green fruit scoops to each place setting which is also in the straw mats from Provence. A few silver votives with the final touch along with the clear glassware.
Note, you do not have to use matching colours. See how I not only have the turquoise plates and beaded turquoise napkin rings but I have a few light blue votive holders which blend in beautifully.
My next blog will be Winter holiday inspirations but stay tuned as I will be featuring on social media some of my favourite Christmas Tablescapes and Décor.