Blue & White Spring Tablescape with Paige Minear 2020
Spring is here, and with it comes warmer weather and fresh blooms. But this year, it also comes with so much uncertainty as the world deals with the pandemic Coronavirus. To say things are a bit crazy right now is an understatement, and I would never have imagined what was to come when Paige Minear and I shot this table together a week before social distancing and travel bans became the new normal. And though it may be a while before we can host large gatherings and celebrate life's special moments together again (in groups of more than 10 people, which is now the government mandated limit), at least we can enjoy looking at fresh ideas and inspiration. The "party may be over" for a while as our country takes time and special measures to protect its citizens, but I know it won't last forever. There is more beautiful entertaining in our future, so for now, let's fantasize together about how we could use this beautiful tablescape one day...
One of my favorite people in the world is Paige Minear. She's become a close friend, and is one of the most supportive and encouraging women I know. I truly look up to her, and I'm blessed to have her in my life. We have the best time collaborating on entertaining content together, since we're both sassy southern women with a love of traditional design and aesthetics. We've styled several tables together in the past, which you can find here and here, but we've yet to collaborate on a blue and white tablescape. Looking back, I find this amusing as we mutually share an obsession with this particular palette. We also both love to delegate (neither one of us is fond of DIY-ing too much), so we combined our "powers" to create a swoon-worthy table fit for luncheons, birthdays, baby showers and more!
For this shoot, Paige did most of the heavy lifting for the tabletop items. She found a beautiful blue and white floral tablecloth and matching napkins from Frontgate. Not only are the pretty, but they're both stain proof and specially treated so that spills are easy to wipe away, making both indoor and outdoor entertaining even easier. The china used on the table is from her personal collection of vintage blue and white Spode plates along with other pieces she collected over the years. You can find similar blue and white Spode china here. The blue iced beverage glasses can be found here, and the wine glasses are from Juliska, and are some of my new favorite pieces of glassware as they work well with formal or casual place settings. Paige also arranged the flowers, and I love how she included pops of orange in the roses to add just a bit of contrast to the centerpieces. If you aren't going to order flowers for your table, it helps to have a friend who can arrange them for you- ha! She used my hand-painted Chinese jars from Wisteria for the vases, (they have a small opening at the top which makes for easier flower arranging). We also used a blue and white ginger jar from Frontgate without flowers in it as a centerpiece on the table, since it's stunning on its own with a lid on. What's great about these jars is that you can keep them on display in your home, and then pull them off your shelf as needed when entertaining. I've filled mine with holly branches in the winter and with blooming branches in the spring to use as easy but beautiful centerpieces. Our beautifully calligraphed place cards are by the talented Kate Fabling Calligraphy based in Nashville.
There are so many wonderful blue and white options for decor and entertaining, and it was fun layering in all the details for this table. I've become a big fan of Acrylic Sticks and all the fabulous stir sticks they offer for just about every occasion you can think of. We included the Poodle Topiary Stir Stick and the Blue Chinese Food Dog Stir Stick to use for tea/coffee service, and since they're reusable, they double as a fun little takeaway for guests. The blue and white macaroons from Nashville Petite Sweets acted as both decor (since they're stunning on their own) and an easily served dessert.
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Y'all know I love a good "Dress to the Decor" moment, and this was no exception. My friends at Willow Park Boutique sent me this fabulous blue dress from Crosby by Mollie Burch, which I paired with my favorite wedge espadrille sandals from Castaner. My earrings are from the spring collection from Hunter Blake Designs.I know it's not "fancy," but I think the saying "if it ain't broke, don't fix it," works well with this tablescape. Blue and white is such a timeless combination, and for me, it never gets old. Thank you Paige for making me laugh and bringing so much joy and beauty into my life. I think we all need more of it right now...Additional Sources/Vendors
Paige's Dress: Poplin Shirtdress from Talbots
Paige's Headband: Turban Knot Headband in Gingham from J.Crew
Paige's Earrings: Double Butterfly Earrings from Willow Park Boutique
Chairs: Rental folding chairs from Please Be Seated