Bright Bold and Beautiful Blog
I am excited to announce that BB&B is participating in a Pottery Barn challenge. I received a “mystery box” from Pottery Barn, and I was asked to design a tablescape set up for a party of four. For this challenge, I chose an alfresco affair. I knew that I wanted an outdoor setting, and I love the idea of an easy breezy alfresco dinner party. BB&B’s tip: Keep it simple, casual and inviting. You want to relax and enjoy entertaining your friends! {If you like what you see, Vote for BB&B on the PB Facebook page}
An Alfresco Affair Venue:
My favorite time of day is six or seven in the early evening when the sun is on it’s way down for the day. Once I had the time set, I started thinking about my theme and designing the layout and color scheme. I decided on an ocean themed table setting with sand, seashells, and sea grape leaves. The color scheme is nature inspired by the deep blue ocean and luscious green landscape. Our tablescape is set on a large picnic table overlooking the ocean for a casual and comfortable feel with a warm ocean breeze.
An Alfresco Affair Menu:
BB&B tips: When entertaining outdoors, keep the menu simple and prepare most of your food ahead of time. We love to grill, so grilled chicken breasts were an obvious choice.
Grilled Chicken with Red Peppers
Lemon Orzo with Pine Nuts and Cherry Tomatoes
Italian Bread Loaves
Saratoga Sparkling Spring Water and Perrier Lime Water
Dessert: Fresh Fruit Tarts and Chocolate Covered Strawberries with assorted green grapes and blueberries. These made a delicious display on the Pottery Barn 3 tier stand.
An Alfresco Affair Color Inspiration:
I wanted to work with the colors in nature in order for the table setting to blend into the scene. Blue, green, white and a pop of yellow were the colors I selected. For one of my favorite centerpiece ideas, I chose the Pottery Barn Punch Bowl. Instead of punch, I filled it with green limes, a 3″ by 6″ PB Pillar candle, and a couple of starfish for fun!
An Alfresco Affair Party Tips and Ideas:
Thinking outside of the box for my outdoor table setting ideas, I used the Pottery Barn accessories in unique and creative ways.
1. I filled the tall glass display taper cup hurricane with a 12″ taper candle and cymbidium orchids. This elegant yet simple floral arrangement can be used all year round.
2. I used the claro cake stand for a gorgeous floral arrangement with cymbidium and dendrobium orchids, hypericum green berries, large monstera leaves and beautiful sunflowers for that pop of yellow!
3. Keeping with the ocean theme, I filled the Montana small bowls with sand and placed a 3″ by 3″ pillar candle in each.
4. For each place setting, I used the Great White dinner plates, white linen hemstitch dinner napkins and my own cobalt blue dinner napkins with a sea grape leaf on top. Each place card was tucked under a votive candle holder filled with sand and a white PB votive. Once again, simple and easy!
5. For another festive arrangement, I filled the small glass display hurricane with a little water, more orchids and seashells with a pillar candle in the middle.
BB&B had so much fun with this table top Pottery Barn Challenge! Be sure to grab some of these entertaining and outdoor tablescape ideas for your next dinner party!
Don’t forget to vote for my tablescape design on the Pottery Barn Facebook Page! Voting will be open from August 9 – August 20th.
Vote for Bright Bold and Beautiful and “live beautifully”.
Three lucky voters will also WIN the same Pottery Barn Mystery Box package, containing all the items used for the challenge!
