Flamingo Frenzy

I know.....I've been missing.  I have ignored my blog in favor of Instagram.  It's a matter of time management.  I won't totally walk away from A Toile Tale, but I'm posting less.  I'm not entertaining less, however, so please follow me on Instagram at #ldpete2626.

  

I'm soooo not ready to give up summer entertaining.  Will the rest of you bloggers please refrain from pushing fall?????  This table is a perfect example.  It's still hot, hot, hot here in Atlanta, so why pretend.  

These plates inspired the table.  They came from World Market last summer.  I pulled the bold colors from them and set a screamingly bright table.  

We needed the shade, so I chose the lower terrace.

Fiona the Flamingo made the perfect centerpiece.  She's covered with pink feathers and has a little sister, too.

I found them at Lucy's Market in Buckhead.  They are going to go to my daughter's pre-school class when I am done playing with them.

Here's the oasis ring that holds the pink carnations.  It has plastic on the bottom which will protect your table, but once it's soaked in water, it will hold flowers for days, just like a brick of oasis.

I wrapped a varigated Apisdistra leaf and a small orchid on the ordinary water glass, and held them in place with a piece of rafia.  The plain Tiffany wine glass was filled with Hogwash rose.  (Several times!)

These salt and peppers came from The Christmas Tree Shop.

Everybody seemed to enjoy the gazpacho and the salad with mango and shrimp.  I could do it all the day ahead, which is the way I like entertain.

These dessert plates came from Target years ago.

I used a flamingo margarita glass on a leaf to hold pineapple/coconut ice cream  for dessert.

Caspari handtowels were joined in the guest bathroom by a blow-up flamingo filled with fresh carnations and orchids.

And a flotilla of them were in the pool.  I must admit that the sound of the waterfall into the pool was a cooling sound on such a hot day.  But the warm friendships felt good!

Tropical Salute to the End of Summer

Last weekend, I decided to give summer it's due!  I've wanted to do a completely tropical table all season.  Then.....drumroll please......I found these bamboo edged dishes on sale and I jumped for joy.  There was no delay!  I couldn't wait to invite friends and get going.

It was a bit warm, but this HAD to be set up outside.  

I found this grass table skirt at Hobby Lobby, and I pinned it on over a simple white caterer's cloth.  Without this, it wouldn't feel quite as festive.

What could be more tropical than a pineapple centerpiece?  I've seen so many pintrest posts where the pineapple is used as a vase, but to be frank, I like the top of the pineapple as much as the fruity part.  AND, you can then use the pineapple afterward.

I usually avoid the cheap grocery store bouquets, because they sort of look like a fruit salad, but in this case, that's exactly the look I was going for.  I just used blocks of oasis around the pineapple and placed them on a pink plastic plate.

These tropical leaves are from the floral wholesaler.  I used them under each dinner plate and under the centerpiece.  By the way, they lasted forever!  These orange placemats grounded the plates on the white cloth.

These plates were on sale at the Pottery Barn outlet.  I bought 8 dinner plates and 8 salad plates for less than $70!!!  That was a sale to get excited about.

And here's why I was so excited!!! This is the dinnerware I have been coveting for a long time.  It's Juliska's bamboo pattern and it is fabulous.  This dinner plate runs $42 each and each salad plate is $22.  Not extremely expensive, but I haven't jumped on them just yet at that price.  Now, I'll just be very happy with the Pottery Barn plates.  They are melamine, not pottery, but that is actually great for this style.

Of course, my bamboo handled flatware was just the ticket for this table.

To introduce even more color, I used green cotton napkins and a silk hibiscus ring.

I don't remember where I got these, maybe  Party City.  That green strip is lined with wire, so you can just roll it into a ring.  It came in several colors.  That T-pin in the background is what I used to pin on the "hula skirt".

These hot pink plastic glasses came from Homegoods, I think.

Didn't it come together fun?

And everyone got a lei to take home.  Believe me, I didn't expect anyone to wear one, and it was much too hot, anyhow, but I love to have a simple little gift for our guests.  You never know when you might be invited to a Jimmy Buffett concert, right?

Joining:

 Tablescape Thursday 

at

Between Naps on the Porch

Dishing It and Digging It (Sun.)

at

Rustic and Refined

Share Your Style (Wed.)

at

No Minimalist Here

The Scoop (Mon.)

at

Cedar Hill Farmhouse

Inspire Me Tuesday

at

A Stroll Thru Life

Be Inspired (Tues.)

Elizabeth And Company

Home Sweet Home (Fri.)

at

The Charm of Home

Feathered Nest Friday

at

French Country Home

Foodie Friday

Designs By Gollum

Wow Us Wednesday

at

Savvy Southern Style

Monday Funday

All Things Heart and Home

Make It Pretty Monday

at

The Dedicated House

Moonlight and Mason Jars (Wed.)

Celebrate It Sunday

at Celebrate and Decorate

Share It One More Time (Sat.)

designthusiasm.com

Share Your Style (Thurs.)

21 Rosemary Lane

The Creative Exchange (Thurs.)

The Happy Scraps

The Greenbrier Look

It's no secret......I love the Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia.  It is a truly timeless hotel that has such iconic decor that it has spawned it's own style.  "Greenbrier Style" says it all.  Originally decorated by Dorothy Draper, it is resort style at it's best. It's Chinioserie, it's Chippendale, it's tropical, and it's BEAUTIFUL.

So you can imagine my excitement when I saw this fabric on sale for less than five dollars a yard.  Yep.  Less than five dollars. (Thank you Amy Barfield for this awesome source of deeply discounted designer fabric!)  This is really from the Williamsburg collection, but it says "Greenbrier" to me!

Don't you agree?  This green is a shade that is on trend right now.  Emerald green?  Maybe, but it's Greenbrier green to me. And I knew the pink would give me another fresh, preppy color to use on this table.

And here's the detail that put the table design squarely into the style I was looking for.  I painted the grey metal palm tree candle holders that Target has for sale right now with white glossy spray paint.  Bingo!  It goes old-school tropical and is perfect for what I wanted.

Then, I remembered that I had a pair of these white Chippendale style chachepots.  I used one of them for this arrangement of pink roses and alstromeria.  

So here's the way the table came together.  I set it up early in the day on the round white deck.

I spray painted an inexpensive plastic charger from Old Time Pottery with green paint from Home Depot, and used one of my favorite white wicker patterned plates from Portugal.  The salad size plate is green Depression glass, and I topped it with a white lions-head tureen.

This green handled flatware is from World Market.

I was so excited to find these hobnail goblets at Homegoods.  I bought the only four that they had and paired them with Reidel stemless wineglasses.

Here's the placesetting.

The napkins are also from Homegoods and I thought they looked just right without any special folding or napkin ring.  

It was even prettier by evening than it was earlier in the day. 

I can't say that 28 presidents have had dinner with us, but it does make me feel like we're dining a la Dorothy Draper.

Joining:

Tabletop Tuesday

A Stroll Through Life

Wow Us Wednesday

Savvy Southern Style

Open House Thursday

No Minimalist Here

Tablescape Thursday

Between Naps On the Porch

Inspiration Friday

At The Picket Fence

Feathered Nest Friday

French Country Cottage

Fridays Unfold

Stuff and Nonsense

Seasonal Sundays

The Tablescaper