Tablescaping competitions are very popular along the coast and southern states, but I hadn't yet encountered one in the Midwest. When my friend, Patty Cavanagh of Glen Ellyn Moms Village, reached out to me about The Celebration of Tables benefitting Glen House Food Pantry, it was an immediate add to the calendar. Collectively, the event raised $30,000 for the food pantry and it was a joy and an honor to play a small part in it!
Like some of the best people I know, Patty was brought into my life by the internet! We both use Instagram as a means of marketing for our small businesses and found friendship years ago through our shared interests and kindred crafty spirits. Some of our favorite days have been spent around tables painting, dining, and chatting away. We decided that our table should reflect just that - quality girl time merriment with a side of painting. We coined the title, "Blooms and Brushstrokes" from this sentiment.
Our journey began with every midwestern mama's dream - a trip to Homegoods! There, we found plates and chargers that inspired us to explore the blue and white aesthetic. We then swung by the dollar store and grabbed stemless and stemmed wine glasses and a pitcher to paint and made a nice afternoon of it! We used my hydrangea pattern that I've taught in various classes. See how they came together here!
A note on glass painting - there are paints specifically intended for painting on glass, but they often require being cooked in an oven, release gas and render the oven unsafe for cooking. The glasses then still must be hand washed. We decided to stick with acrylic paints as long as we're hand washing them anyway.
I've always wanted to try my hand at painting a champagne bottle. It's a fairly simple process - tape off the labels with painter's tape before painting on a base coat (spray paint is ideal), and then add details in acrylic paint. Some artists use mod podge for a finished, glossy look. I didn't feel like it, so yolo!
Another bucket list item was to try bow napkins! It's been on just about every Pinterest board I've had and I always thought it would be super complicated - I will tell you that it's almost annoying how easily these come together! Simply roll up the napkin from one corner to the other, fold it into thirds, slip a napkin ring over it, and foof. Here is a brief tutorial.
Our tablecloth was a project I wish I'd started sooner. My block print designs are on Spoonflower, a brilliant fabric and wallpaper printing company. They also apply the designs to home goods like table linens. If I would've allowed enough time, I would have ordered a 90" tablecloth to go over our 120" satin tablecloth (table was 60"). I ended up needing to order the fabric and make my own, which was surprisingly complicated. I am, however, very happy with the result and loved the addition of the tassel trim! Lessons learned for next year!
Patty and I opted to create our floral arrangement out of silk flowers! I keep a considerable stash of them in my basement storage closet to swap around through the seasons. We followed the age old advice - always have a thriller, a chiller and a spiller! Taller greens, poofy peonies and hydrangea, and white wisteria for draping. Came together nicely.
I've always been a big fan of party favors, and so it felt like the perfect opportunity to celebrate my new watercolor kits, sending everyone away with their very own 4x4" piece to play with!
It's also worth mentioning some of our friends who helped tie this together! Jen of Sweet Arrow Bakery crafted the most gorgeous hydrangea cookies we've ever seen. We also included our favorite bowls made by For Pete's Sake Pottery, curated by Mary Alice Meyer.
It was such a lovely day filled with snacks and mingling with likeminded creative ladies. Can't wait to dream up next year!
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