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!!!

 



Tea Pots Re-purposed for Flowers

Many people own silver tea pots, silver tea service sets or simply

 a silver sugar bowl that was most likely given to you as a gift or inherited.

 Lovely to look at , but when was the last time it was actually used to serve tea?

But these silver pieces are beautiful containers and look so pretty filled with flowers. 

 I found myself using them several times over the Holidays as flower containers.

 

 

 

Love these large peonies with the white roses

 

A couple of tea pots used with a sugar bowl and

placed together on a small table for a bigger statement

Love the center container - it stood on its own.

 

I particularly love this style of tea pot filled with flowers.

 

The handle has such interesting details

 

the same tea pot filled with pink roses and blue hydrangeas

 

 

A large sugar bowl filled with flowers- also very useful as a silverware caddy for buffets.

 

 

Yes, maybe one day I'll have time to enjoy tea from these beautiful containers,

but for now arranging  my grocery store roses in them, makes me just as content!

 



Thanksgiving Table with a Blackberry Farm Touch

Casual Thanksgiving table set in the kitchen this year using a plaid throw for the cloth.

I found the faux bois plastic shelf paper at the dollar store and it works perfect as a runner.

Getting to use my Blackberry Farm plates - a special gift from some of my friends!

Love this faux bois wine bottle on the silver tray in center of table

Heavy linen napkins in horn napkin rings

The Harry Goblet -  great for the wine

vintage bone flatware

awesome hotel silver coffee pot with crown motif - found this weekend.
I have a weak spot for anything with a crown on it.

Mr Coykendall, the master Gardener at Blackberry Farm, drew the design for this dinner plate-
Love the orange color for fall.

An oval shaped bowl for the sauce at each place setting.

Medley of fall on a square silver tray with ivory handles for the centerpiece.

Old pantry door adds a sense of history to the area of the kitchen.

over sized natural linen napkins

Set of restaurant chairs from Europe sit at the sides of the banquette eating area in the kitchen.
They are one of my favorite chairs- I love the double nail head detail, the suede backs and carved tops.

This will be a quiet Thanksgiving this year.  Only my two sons will be here, so we have decided to fore go the traditionalturkey dinner this year and do a little experimenting1. My sons love to play chef and this year we are going to try to accomplish frying the "perfect oyster".  Accompaniments such as macaroni and cheese with Chesapeake Bay lump crab will be prepared, along with some other undecided vegetable dishes.  So for this casual meal, I set the table in the kitchen for dinner.  It is a cozy banquette with a little window and filled with  lots of pillows, so one can linger over a long meal with candlelight and chatter endlessly.  These two sons never stop talking from the moment they arrive and the conversation is always lively.  There will be many arguments over how to "fry that perfect oyster", but I am sure perfection will prevail.  {Maybe I'll stick a turkey breast in the oven just for insurance purposes.} Have a wonderful Thanksgiving everyone and enjoy your day!
We will be joining www.astrollthrulife.net for Tabletop Tuesday, a great place to get Thanksgiving table inspiration.