LOGO

This is a picture I am working on using for a logo or maybe a cover page if I made a book of all the settings I have done. I am still playing around with that idea. I love the black and white picture and then using an accent color for a little design in the corner.

Whats on Katie's table-October

Setting a fall table calls for some rich colors inspired by nature. I love to set the table in October because I get to use one of my favorite colors, Orange. I am a redhead and have always been attracted to this color when it comes to clothes and handbags, so I find it a particularly easy month to decorate the table. Some other colors that work well with orange are mossy greens, burgundy, chocolate brown and golden amber. I love clean lines so I tried to use all of my color in the center of the table focusing on bold colors. This makes the place settings more subtle, and creates the clean lines I was talking about. I like to use greenery from my yard to make my table unique and in season. I used a dramatic purple-burgundy branch in a simple round vase to mimic the curves in the pumpkins and create continuity. I have always heard it's good to group things in three's, so I am counting the two pumpkins and the vase as my grouping of three. I used the white table runner with mossy green stripes to add contrast and balance the bold colors in the center. I also added tall candle sticks in the same purple- burgundy shade to add elegance and warmth.

Katie's on the porch - July

Screen porches are a life saver in the South. I love to entertain outside but hate when the bugs think they are invited! For this dinner party I had a table for 4 but needed a few extra seats. I added a card table to one side of the preexisting table. As ugly as card tables are I figured this was nothing a tablecloth couldn't cover. For the table cloth I used a bold color so that it would be more of a background color and thus distract the eye from the uneven edges
I have said before how wonderful paper napkins are and I will say it again, they are a truly wonderful invention! For this table I used the napkin to be the color spectrum for the table. I uses a cobalt blue cloth napkin as a slim place mat folding it and placing it vertically at each place setting. Straw paper plate holders bring in texture and a true summer feel while dressing up a plain plate. I used silver napkin rings to give depth to the napkin instead of just having it sit beside the plate, how boring!
A fully opened napkin brings the eyes to the table greenery. Gardenia's in a sleek vase. I feel that there should always be different levels on a table and that is another reason why I used the slender vase. It makes the flowers stand taller.
Since there is so much going on with this vibrant summer table I kept the glasses and the candles in the same pattern. I felt the bubbles added texture and reminded me of a swimming pool which absolutely reflects a summer afternoon.

Katie's on the porch - September

In Aurora Ohio, Summer is a highly anticipated season. Coming from never ending, gray, and brutally cold winters, summer is peaceful, refreshing, and a picture of blooming colors. This makes a Summer dinner on the porch a wonderful treat. My family has a couple of folding tables we enjoy pulling out for a Parisian cafe feel. For this dinner party I chose to keep each table the same green color so that they would blend with the natural settings around them. I went for a simple table topper of flowers already growing in the backyard. A small white lace doilie underneath the vase of flowers gives a finishing touch. Since the dinner was held outside there was only natural lighting so I added the candles to bring a highlight to the tables. The plates used were simple white porcelain. I chose to use crystal glasses so that the color of the tea would bring a natural tone to the table. For an accent color I used decorative napkins to cover my bread basket and to sit with each plate. I love to use paper napkins with a design. They are inexpensive so you can buy the perfect set to go with any theme you are using and you can toss them out when the party is over!