Lake Forest Spirit of 67 School District Home Tour

It's time again for the annual fundraiser for the Lake Forest School District 67.  We have been asked to create several tables for this event and started the set up today.  Finishing touches and the outside table by the pool will be completed in the morning.

This home is a large spacious home with a very accommodating dining room that seats 14 guests very comfortably.  The owner has a collection of brightly color art glass displayed in the room, so we decided to go BRIGHT this year.  Using tangerine, amethyst, and turquoise, we created a vivid table scape using the home owners gorgeous black and gold china service.

 

Candy layered orange pin tuck napkins over chartreuse and turquoise napkins, then tied them with a hand dyed orange silk ribbon and a rhinestone cocktail ring for a little sparkle. The orange napkins and runners are from www.tableclothsfactory.com and were great for the price. However, they are a bit skimpy and needed to be layered over another napkin to create a full napkin effect.  (Unlike their tablecloths in this fabric - which are full, great colors  and wonderful for the price!)

Orange pin tuck runners crossed the table horizontally

 

Kathy from the Flower Cart in Grayslake worked her magic and created the florals in the lanterns that we had previously painted black and gold.

 Blackberries were placed in orange lilies on each place setting.

 Moroccan tea glasses were used to hold the little blackberry bouquets.

 

 

Kathy created the large arrangement in the black and gold urn for the center of the table, and the lanterns were placed on the sides. 

 

 

 

 

The large kitchen has two grand islands- so wonderful for a large active family. So we decided to create a Tuscan feast.  Using ingredients that are used to make a large Italian feast, we staged a cook's dream pantry on the island!  Using wine boxes and apothecary jars as the base, exotic vegetables were gathered and displayed.  Large loaves of freshly baked bread, baby eggplants for eggplant parmigiana, an apothecary jar filled with black olives and one with sun dried tomatoes in olive oil- you get the picture. A cooking party is about to happen!

 

 

Sundried tomatoes, black olives and an assortment of vine ripened tomatoes

Exotic squashes and tangerines 

 Vivid roses filling a wine crate!

Tuscan inspired linens peaking from the wine glasses.

Love this chicken wire basket with the tangerines.

 

And of course, one of the apothecary jars held the invitation to our

Parisian Hideaway Event next weekend!

 

Hope our local customers can make this event!!!

 



Springtime Tablescape

Finally, a few warm days in Chicagoland!!!!  It's time to set the table for weekend guests that are visiting from out of town and coming to dinner tonight!  The warm weather inspires me to use eggs and pastel flowers in my centerpiece. 

 

I  had kept the gnarly flowering tulip branch from flowers (above) that were in my kitchen a couple of weeks ago. They were so gnarly and cool that I couldn't bear to throw them away

 when the flowers died.

It was perfect for the base of my centerpiece.  I started by placed them in the center of the table.

Using pink and white roses, I created little bouquets in silver champagne goblets.

 

Then placed these little arrangements throughout the flowering tulip branch.

It kind of looked like a nest!

 

I then gilded and embellished eggs and placed in a gold nest lined with moss.

 Placed several nests in the branches.

 

 Turquoise tea glasses were used as votives throughout the floral centerpiece.

 

 

I used powder blue chargers with antique white and gold china and then popped it with gold and white zebra print napkins. 

 

The rhinestones on the eggs glittered in the candlelight during dinner.

 Next, it was on to the kitchen to add a little touch of springtime!  Home Depot just received their first shipment of spring flowers- yea! So I purchased a pot of violas - I love their faces!

 

 In the kitchen on the patisserie stand, I placed a vintage egg cup server and filled it with some of the  violas! 

 

 Added a couple of vintage ceramic lamb boxes to sit among the flowers on the stand.

Maybe we can't go outside yet and dig in the dirt- but this reminds me that it's not too far away!!

 

Have a wonderful Easter weekend everyone!