THURSDAY: Tablescape Thursday Tents

Firstly, thanks to Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for letting me take part in this weeks Tablescape Thursday post! So excited for this one, even though my original plan failed. (Link for Susan's at the bottom too!)

My plan to have a great outdoor tablescape ready for all of you today was foiled by the weather here in WNY, rain rain rain. I'm not complaining though - after all, we needed it. So, it had my hands tied and I thought I'd share the tent parties again for all of you who might have missed them, and for those of you who simply want a second - or third - viewing.

It's funny, because I remember when I decided to have this party 2-years ago in September, the rain was relentless. After 14-hours of rain and gray sky, the sun came out just in time. At dusk, people started to arrive for appetizers in the dining room to be followed by a sunset dinner in the tent.

Looking back at these pictures, it's not just a reminder of the fun we had under the tent that evening, or the decor of the tent itself - but also the growth of my garden. Just take a look at this picture of nothing in the tent, and a view of my oh so youthful garden in it's first year:


Wow, a bit different, huh? Anyway - because of the rains, I didn't want to put any of the furniture or fabrics in the tent until it all lifted, i.e.: that afternoon around 3pm. Thankfully I had it all planned: I lengthened a dining room table we'd been storing in the garage with 4x8 particle board left over from a roofing project. The lines were just too harsh to leave as-is, so I had my dear friend "Margaret" sew a table cloth out of 4 black twin-sized flat sheets I got for $3/each at Wal-Mart.

The fit was beautiful. It draped the table perfectly, and just rested on the ground. The look was a little stark though - with just the black. So I cut 4 2-yard strips of 18" burlap to lay in sections atop the table.

See! Form and Function! Here you get a sneak peek at the food and the tent at evening. It was just lovely - didn't even feel like we were outside.

I couldn't figure out how to make it work the way that I wanted: scallops of sorts attached to the fabric of the tent with safety pins. The fabric on the tent was too tight, and the pins wouldn't go through. Thankfully - I have Scott for reason to my otherwise irrational thoughts. The way it was hung for tonight was all his idea - and quite a lovely one I do say!

I started off the morning looking for gladiolas. Ok - SEARCHING for gladiolas. I searched everywhere, which involved driving some 40 miles, only to find them waiting for me - yes, 4 blocks away. Thank you SAM's Club!

But that tent wasn't the only tent I've had in the yard. Remember the Bohemian tent I set up last spring?

I literally set this up in about 35 minutes. The idea of having a lovers dinner in the backyard filled my mind with a fury of ideas that I just had to get out or I thought I'd explode. I took bamboo that I had filling a vase in the sunroom and jute to make a nomadic tent-type structure. The drapes are from our dining room, used last fall. With a little effort, this was an easy project for one person to do. It helped that with a Bohemian theme, it didn't have to be perfect.

I purchased several yards of this medallion fabric to use for a Moroccan themed dinner party this summer. After hiding in the basement for a few months, I thought it a good time to introduce it to it's new surroundings. What do you think?

Seating consisted of a great Turkish kilim and two kilim covered floor cushions. I draped each with a Pashmina shawl in case it got a little chilly after dark. Candles and plants in mismatched planters and burlap rags filled the rest of the make-shift dining room. Even Earl showed up. He's a light eater.

The bamboo silverware made it's appearance again while the white ironstone took center stage atop the woven chargers. A sweet chardonnay and strawberries made the perfect appetizer for the lucky bohemians.

I purchased the Moroccan lantern a couple of years ago and it had found its way to a bathroom closet. (Odd - I know.) I happened to find it a few days ago, and thought - what a better time than now to use it? A tea light candle was all it took to have that warm amber glass fill the area with an ambient glow.

Brass candlesticks held thin white taper candles which helped to pull in the beauty of the white ironstone. The sage green linens worked so well with the garden greens surrounding the table, and I think that the astromeria tucked between the plate and the charger provided the perfect pop of color and scent before dinner.

A brass firewood bucket held purple salvia while antique brass balls found their way into the space between the wood and metal lanterns. A soft and romantic tablescape with a very bohemian feeling - I felt quite at home here - what about you?

Enjoy your Thursday, and make sure to check out the other beautiful Tablescapes at Susan's blog! And don't forget to take part in Friday Vignette's on Friday! The links will be up tonight by 10PM EST.