The Tulip Table With Hester & Cook
Happy summer friends! To kick-off this season of entertaining, I partnered with Hester & Cook to style three tables with products from their fabulous inventory. We paired each table design with a fun cocktail recipe and fabulous party playlist, so that you have everything you need (aside from guests and food) to host your own fabulous fete this summer.
For those who aren't familiar with the brand, Hester & Cook is a company I've used for years as a source for fun and beautiful party decor, specifically, paper products. They design the most beautiful paper table runners, place cards, placemats, menu cards and so much more. There are seasonal pieces as well as a permanent collection of paper products that elevate any event from a casual tailgate to a seated dinner. I once used their football field table runner to create a backdrop for a child's birthday party. And don't even get me started on their holiday paper placemats- I've used them for years as decor for cookie-decorating during the holidays. Not only are they adorable, but because it's paper, you can throw them all away after the kids are done with their mess! I appreciate how many coordinated options there are too, since our goal here is to try to keep things as easy as possible without sacrificing aesthetics. Hester & Cook's themed pieces are so creative that the options on how to use them are almost endless. It's basically an entertainer's dream company to use!
But Hester & Cook offers SO much more than just paper products. I had the best time pulling from their brick-and-mortar Nashville and Franklin stores as well as from their vast online catalog. From colorful Rialto glassware to Juliska dinnerware, Hester & Cook has become a one-stop-shop for all things entertaining. Did you know, they even offer vintage silver-plated pieces that are one-of-a-kind?!? Whether you're celebrating a child's birthday party or hosting a backyard summer soiree, they've got just about everything you need to style an event. And with their recent acquisition of Bang Candy Company, they even have the cocktails covered too!
So, let's dive into the details of the first tablescape: The Tulips Story. Who needs to make the long trip to Holland and Belgium when you have the fabulous Tulip Story Collection by Laura Stoddart for Hester & Cook?!? It was such a delight to style a table around the this colorful collection that includes one of my favorite flowers- tulips. The blue and white accents found in the placemats and also in the table runners, paired beautifully with the Country Estate china in Delft blue from Juliska (which is one of the many dinnerware brands offered in their stores and online).
Tulips are some of my favorite flowers, and as far as I’m concerned, every season is Tulip season. And Hester & Cook created the perfect products to make decorating with tulips super easy. The tulipiere vases are not only beautiful, but make it incredibly easy to "arrange" flowers on the table (you simply insert one floral stem into each opening on the vase and viola- you're done)! For this table, I ran the paper table runner both vertically and horizontally over a white linen. Mixing the linen with the table runner gives a layered look, adds pattern and color, and protects the linen from getting dirty. The Hester & Cook paper accents pieces are ideal under drinks, silverware or as an added flourish to fill empty space. "More is more" for me, thus I love lots and lots of layers on a table.
I also included pieces from Annieglass, a newly carried brand at Hester & Cook. The gold-rimmed glass charger plates are not only elegant, but when you remove the Juliksa dinner plate for service, you can see the entire design of the placemat through the clear glass. I love that you don't even need a "jazzy" dinner plate when using a Hester & Cook placemat, since a simple clear-glass plate allows the artwork to shine through and adds to the decor on the table.
In the words of Julia Child, "A party without cake is just a meeting." So of course we needed to include a few sweets with this tablescape. My first call was to Southern Squares to order custom petit fours for the table and tea service. I also love coconut cake in the summer, and I added some fresh tulip buds to this yummy cake, which is sitting pretty atop its Annie Glass cake stand.
Before we get to the cocktail recipe, which is a star of this show as well, I must point out these light blue Rialto glasses. Hester & Cook carries this collection of glassware in so many fun colors and styles, and they are such a delight to use. I loved the color combo of the pink drink with our blue glassware, and there's just something special about drinking out of a coupe glass. For the cocktail recipe, we wanted something that wasn't too difficult to make, tasted delicious and was pretty to look at. Thus, the "Spring Campari Sour" was born. The egg white froths up when you shake the mixture together and creates the prettiest floater at the top of the glass. Below are the ingredients and directions to make our specialty cocktail along with our musical playlist for you to enjoy. I've linked everything on the table here, and hopefully all of this will inspire you to create your own spring and summer fete with friends!
“Spring Campari Sour”
Ingredients: 1oz of Gin, ¾ oz Campari, ¾ oz Lemon Juice, ½ oz Orange Liquor, 1 Egg White, and an Edible Flower Garnish (for the finishing touch)
Directions: Pour all ingredients (except flower) into a cocktail shaker and shake well (approx. 15 seconds). Add ice into cocktail shaker and shake again until cocktail is chilled to touch (approx. 15 seconds). Strain mixture into a coupe glass and add edible flower garnish. Enjoy!
Spring Dinner Party Playlist