“You have your brush, you have your colors, you paint paradise, then in you go.”
~ Nikos Kazantzakis
Summer is sunshine!! Therefore creating a celebratory seasonal tablescape for this joyous time of year becomes about interpreting your concept of the beauty of the sun!!
One possible way to do this is to go straight up yellow!! This was my approach last year. Click here for details. This year, I went with a slightly different angle. Being that the perception of vibrancy of color is correlated to intensity of light, I decided to create a a bright and colorful decor worthy of the magic of the sun! The details of my selections follow! Enjoy!
“Color is joy. One does not think joy. One is carried by it.” – Ernst Haas
Tablecloth, Placemats, & Runner:
- Tablecloth: Gold tone to represent sparkling and vibrant rays of sun. This very affordable cloth is a solid polyester available at Bed Bath & Beyond.
- Place Mats: Blue/green rattan placemats for their naturalistic texture and their sky/water-like color,… They are available at Pier 1 Imports.
- Runner: I repurposed a lovely fringed Delineation Linen Cotton Scarf of mine (manufactured by Karma Living) to add vibrant stripes to the center of the table.
Dishware:
- Dinner & Salad Plates: This lovely art glass china might be one of the sunniest dish sets I have ever seen. In fact, it almost glows, and that is precisely why I chose it! It is made by a German company called Dibbern and the particular pattern is “Kristina” and was manufactured in many colors. I originally purchased it at Crate and Barrel. It is no longer available there. However, Replacements, Ltd. does carry some of the pieces as they become available. I chose yellow for the dinner plates while complementing them with assorted hues of salad plates
- Bowls: Lovely leafy green bowls made by Royal China Porcelain Co. and purchased gently used on ebay add the perfect enchanted embellishment!
Glassware:
- Large-stemmed: The multi-colored wine stemware are a Lenox product and are called “Tuscany Harvest Balloon Glasses” available in sets of four through O.co. I am not sure if the pictures do these glasses justice, but they are truly stunning and added an incredibly lovely and regal quality to the jewel tones of the table setting.
- Small-stemmed: Petite European crystal wine glasses look lovely and allow small, frequent pours for course pairings. These were purchased on ebay.
- Water Glasses (not pictured): Water glasses were purchased in a set at TJ Maxx.
When considering a purchase, it may be helpful to note that many of these tend to be the same glasses I use every holiday, so they get plenty of use. At times I embellish them by using seasonal stirrers or glowing LiteCubes in the water glasses. (For this particular festival, glowing yellow proved sunny and fun!)
Pitchers:
Two pitchers adorn this enchanted tablesetting:
- One is an adorable Grasslands Road Spring Petals Blue Pitcher available on ebay. (It was used for water.)
- The other is a beautiful Artland Iris Pitcher in slate blue. (It was purchased discounted in an online auction and used for serving the first course of the festival meal.)
Centerpiece:
The centerpiece for this festival simply bursts with magical color! Each element is detailed below:
- Tiered White and Pink Beaded Multi Cake Stand:
- At the very center of the table display rests this sparkly cake stand purchased from my local Michaels Craft Store. On each of the small surrounding pedestals sit multi-colored tea light holders from Bed Bath & Beyond, and it is topped off by a lovely Grasslands Road Rose Petal Platter available on ebay and containing multi-colored, candy-coated sunflower seeds. How perfect is that?!
- Candy Bowls: What suggests summer more than salt water taffy? (I remember strolling along the ocean boardwalk and being utterly awed by the taffy pulling machines in the candy store windows, crossing my fingers that maybe just maybe we could buy some… now that’s a magical feeling!) A yellow Tag Bouquet Serving Bowl shaped like a flower sits on one side of the centerpiece with a Grasslands Road-Celtic Irish Shamrock Open Weave Crown Bread Basket Server on the other. Both were purchased on ebay and sport multi-colored, multi-flavored morsels of this seasonal specialty confection!
- Fairies:
- The last but certainly not least contributor to the centerpiece of this tablescape are the fairies sprinkled in and around the servers. They were handcrafted by me and members of my family last year and have quickly become a treasured summer celebration tradition. Not only was this a a fantastically fun activity for us, but also when we look at the table, we all have a special fondness for our little creations. I tried to place some of each of our favorites within view of our seats. (Click here for detailed instructions for fairy-making.)
Napkin Treatments:
- Napkins: These are the matching napkins to the tablecloth and are also available at Bed Bath & Beyond.
- Rings: The magical aqua and gold napkin rings are designs of Studio B. by Magenta, Inc., available in sets of four Set of 4, and were purchased in a discounted online auction.
- Embellishments: Multicolored beads, available in sets of eight at the Dollar Store are gently draped over each napkin treatment to add a touch of both playfulness and sparkle!
Chair Treatments:
- Fringe: I purchased red and gold fringe trim by the yard at my local JoAnn Fabrics craft store. Then through simple draping over the chair backs and securing with slip knots, these adornments took on a life of their own to both magical and Bohemian effect!!
- Leis: These tropical luau floral leis provide both color and summer fun! (Available in sets from iparty).
- Chair Cushions:
- I love love love these chair cushions! They are colorful, ruffly, and just plain lots of fun!! They are available at Pier 1 Imports.
Other Embellishments:
- Candy Jars:
- These sweet little jars were purchased from Michaels Stores (in a boxed set in the wedding section). They were intended to be for wedding favors and came with “Thank you” stickers. However, by wrapping them in multi-colored satin bows, they have become Summer favors! The candies inside are candy-coated sunflower seeds just like those in the centerpiece platter.
- Fans: The fans serve as playful reminders that summertime can be hot and that sunlight and heat are part of what we celebrate when we attune ourselves with this season! These are available at Michaels Stores. Just as with the favor jars above, these are sold boxed in sets in the wedding section of the store.
And here’s how it all came together…
~
And at last, it was time to eat! We enjoyed our delicious summer celebration menu (click here for details) starting with cold strawberry soup! Yum!!
“Life is a celebration of passionate colors.” ~ Leialoha Cator
Happy summer!!!!!!
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