What a great story there is behind this spectacular citrus tablescape! It’s truly a testament to the power of connection. I’ll tell you all about it, but first, let’s just gaze at the table, shall we? Oh what I wouldn’t have given to have our friends sit down here and spend the evening!
A Mini Citrus Tablescape Blog Hop
Our location is the beautiful grounds of Peacock Ridge Farm, the home of Renae Frey. Renae is the author of a beautiful blog called – aptly – Peacock Ridge Farm! Then we have another friend, Leslie of Feet Under My Table, who created a fabulous light menu to go along with our citrus tablescape!
The three of us are having a little mini blog hop! I’ll put their links at the end of this post, so you can just hop from one to the next! Welcome along!
The Story Behind the Tablescape
As many of you know, I run a blog series called The Traveling Teacup. Renae was one of our teacup hosts, and unlike many of our hosts, she actually lives really close to me. I’ve loved her blog ever since another friend introduced me to it, and I thought I’d love to meet her in real life. So instead of sending our teacup back through the post, I went out to pick it up myself and meet Renae.
I had planned to just pop by after work for a few minutes. But she offered me a cup of tea. I did make it home in time for dinner, but it was a very late dinner!
The Creative Process
Here’s the gist of our conversation, as we sat on Renae’s lovely patio on that warm spring evening.
Barbara: What a lovely spot - and Oh My! Is that an outdoor dining room?! (Jumps up from chair and runs over to the other side of the lawn, where there is, in fact, a beautiful covered outdoor dining room.) Renae: (Joining Barbara at a more sedate pace) Yes, we love to entertain out here. Barbara: Oh wow - we should set a table someday! (Now literally dancing around and looking at the space with rapture.) Renae: I have a picture of a centerpiece with flowers and citrus that I've always wanted to recreate ... (both women look at each other with dawning realization, then zip into the house to look on the computer for the above-mentioned picture.) Renae: (Finds the picture.) There - isn't it lovely? I have two silver tiered trays I could use to make it. Barbara: Ooooh - I have peach table linens that would look beautiful with it, and silver candelabra! Renae: Let's look through all my cupboards and make a list of who has what! And let's meet at the flower market on Friday - it opens at 5:30am. Barbara: 5:30 it IS!
And we were off and running!
The Day of the Citrus Tablescape
By the following Sunday, we had purchased enough flowers for two tablescapes! (More on the second one later.) Our favorite stop at the flower market was Frank Adams Wholesale Florist. They had an amazing selection and everyone was so helpful and nice!
Renae had made her gorgeous citrus and flower centerpieces. And I had hauled over several bins and boxes of plates, linens, glasses, flatware, candles, napkin rings, etc. Plus the silver candelabra, of course!
We spent a wonderful morning playing with all our favorite table things, and taking pictures! Here’s the scoop.
It Started With the Centerpieces
It was Renae’s vision of the tiered tray centerpieces that started our citrus tablescape off, and she created such beautiful ones! While I was doing the place settings, she added a gorgeous fruit and flower garland down the center of the table. What beautiful vision and execution!
She filled her lovely tiered silver trays with the roses, ranunculus, stocks, hawthorne branches, and various other beauties we’d gotten at the flower market so early on Friday morning. We also got the little red berries, whose name I can’t remember now, but they made a perfect accent for the pink and yellow flowers.
She also used lemons, grapefruit, and kumquats. I love how she cut some, and kept some whole. The cut ones made the arrangement so lucious!
The Citrus Tablescape Place Settings
Renae’s table is long enough to seat 20 very comfortably, but we decided on 16. We each contributed about half of the china, silver, and crystal, and alternated each setting. Here’s one with Renae’s pieces.
And here’s one with mine. A whole different look, right?
If you’ve been around Mantel and Table for a while, you might recognize most of the pieces at my place setting. They’re my favorites and I use them all the time.
We both had exactly the same chargers, so those acted as the unifying base for all the settings. Even though the vibe of our settings was a little different, they melded together well. The gold, silver, and white color scheme is a classic, and is so easy to mix, match, or alternate!
Linens
Renae made the burlap and satin runner that spans the length of the table. It’s a long table, so making it herself was the only way, she said.
It made a beautiful underlayer for our center garland, and my blush peach runner. Both the runner and the matching napkins, which we used at four of the settings, were made by my friend Deb at Made on 23rd.
I brought two other types of blush napkins – some lovely vintage jacquard ones, and some heavy damask ones – that we interspersed along the table. You can see all three below.
Citrus Tablescape Glassware
What an assortment of glasses we had too! We used my cut crystal highballs and Renae’s goblets for water, and some of her clear wine glasses.
But my super favorites are her lovely gold Arte Italica goblets! I’ve admired them online forever, and it was really nice to see them in person. They’re much sturdier than they look, and so beautiful!
Not So Much Candlelight For Our Citrus Tablescape
The candles were our final touch, and they were lovely. However, they wouldn’t stay lighted! Of all the photos we took, we only got a few where any of the candles were glowing at all. We tried several times to relight them, then take our pictures quickly, but in the end we just surrendered to Mother Nature.
The Finished Table
We were so happy with our finished table! Like I said, I would have LOVED to have had a dinner party that evening, but it was not to be. Someday when we’re all vaccinated and can get together at a long table with anyone we want, we’ll do it again!
Hopping Along
In the meantime, continue on to the next stop on the hop, which is Renae’s post How to Create a Citrus Tablescsape.
And if we did have a dinner party, we could serve the menu that Leslie created just for our citrus tablescape! Don’t those look fabulous?! Click on over to her blog for A Summer Lunch Menu to Match a Beautiful Venue.
Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing our spectacular citrus tablescape! Hope you’re having a lovely spring!
This Post Shared With
- Tuesday Turn About #100 – Hosted by M y Wee Abode
- Thursday Favorite Things 05.20.21 – Hosted by Shoestring Elegance
- Tablescape Thursday #660 – Hosted by Between Naps on the Porch
- Friday with Friends #23 – Hosted by My Hubbard Home
- BFF Open House 05.21.21 – Hosted by The Answer is Chocolate
- Sundays on Silverado 05.23.21 – Hosted by The House on Silverado
- Centerpiece Wednesday #224 – Hosted by Karin’s Kottage
- Fabulous Friday 02.18.22 – Hosted by Peacock Ridge Farm
- Tablescape Thursday 03.09.23 – Hosted by Between Naps on the Porch
- Thursday Favorite Things 03.09.23 – Hosted by Katherine’s Corner
Out of this world beautiful!!! I am speechless!
Wow – thanks Marieza! It’s totally one of my favorite tables! 🙂 Thanks so much for stopping over!
You guys need to start an event planning company! Oh, my word – every detail is literally stunning. I love, love, love all the flowers you guys chose and the place settings are diving. It’s all fantastic! Hugs, loved and pinned, CoCo
CoCo you are so sweet!! I’m so glad you like it and I’ll tell Renae she could have an event space over there! 🙂 Hope you’re doing well over there – Happy October!
Barbara
This is just stunning. So many creative ideas. I’d like to share a link on Sunday’s Dirt Road Adventures.
Oh Rachel – thank you! How sweet of you! I’ll tell Renae – we’d both be honored! 🙂 Hope you have a lovely weekend, and see you over there!
What an amazing space for such an incredible party table Barbara! Using fruits & veggies with flowers and greenery is my very favorite centerpiece idea. So beautiful!
Thanks so much Kim – it really is an amazing space! It was a fabulous experience setting a table there! So glad you liked it!
Absolute perfection! Wow all the pretty flowers mixed with the citrus fruits is really quite spectacular along with the beautiful place settings! You two really knocked it out of the park! I am featuring this on Centerpiece Wednesday later today 🙂 Great work!
Karin
Wow Karin – thank you! How sweet of you! It was fabulous to have such a beautiful spot to set the table! 🙂 See you at Centerpiece Wednesday!
Absolutely stunning! I thought I was at a fairytale wedding reception. Not sure what I am more I envy more — the gorgeous tablescape and outdoor dining room, or getting to team up with another blogger, lol!
As an aside — I tried inviting you to a St Paddy Day and World Bee Day theme tablescape blog hops but never heard back. Wonder if it went into your spam folder? Let me know if you are interested in future theme hops and what email address to use.
Thanks so much Debbee! It sure was fun and we really liked how it turned out.
I’m so sorry we didn’t connect about the hops! I’ll send you an email soon – thanks for checking back with me! Hope you have a lovely week!
Barbara, this is soooooo beautiful! I’ve made it one of the features at the FWF link party! Thanks for adding this great tablescape 🙂
hugs
RR
Oh Rachelle you are so sweet! Thanks so much for the feature! I just love Friday with Friends! 🙂 SO glad you stopped by – see you then!
Wowsa Barbara! You and Renae knocked it out of the park with this gorgeous table setting!! I can just imagine many blogging friends gathered around the table and enjoying a great time together! Pinning!
Hi Cindy! Thanks so much, and what a great idea to have a blogger’s dinner! Give a holler next time you’re in Portland! 😉 Take care out there – so glad you stopped by!
What a lovely dining experience this would be, Barbara… and I LOVED reading the story behind the gorgeous photos! Pinned, and delighted to be featuring you at Tuesday Turn About tomorrow! Oh… and BTW… the berries are St. John’s Wort… I use them all the time in my arrangements. They come in several colors!
Julie! What a sweetheart! Thank you so much – I always love Tuesday Turn About! And thanks for the berry info. I like knowing what I’m working with! 🙂 See you Tuesday afternoon, and thanks again!
Barbara, I am WOWED! And I’m not easily wowed! Sooooo beautiful. And I love the story about how it came about.
Oh Jean – thank you! That means a lot! We sure had fun, and it’s amazing what two talescaping brains can do! 🙂 Hope you’re having a lovely spring!
STUNNINNG!
NOW I WANT TO SEE WHAT SHE CAN WITH VEGETABLES!
HOP OVER FOR SOME GARDEN GLORY AT MY POST!
Thanks so much Elizabeth! I bet Renae can make a vegetable look stunning too! 🙂 I just popped over and saw your gorgeous flowers – and puppy!
Absolutely stunning ladies! What a delight it would be to gather round. Just beautiful!
Hi Kim – I agree! Too bad it’s not quite the time yet, but you can bet we’ll do it someday soon! Maybe you should come down …? 😉
Maybe. It would be lovely I’m certain. If ever the border would re-open again and they lift the 14 day quarantine restrictions for returning international travelers lol…
Someday … ! 🙂
This is beautiful! Renae is an amazing lady, I can only imagine how wonderful it was to meet in person and spend a day creating this beautiful table.
Hi Elizabeth – thanks so much for stopping over! It was really wonderful to get to meet a fellow tablescape enthusiast! I’m sure we’ll be collaborating again soon!
Absolutely beautiful! I can smell the citrus and flowers as I look at the table. Exactly what I needed to remind me of the beauty in simple things. Thank you very much!
There certainly is my friend! I hope you get more of it very soon!! Love you!
What a fabulous location for setting a party table! I hope you had a big crowd to enjoy this! I love using fruits and vegetables with flowers or just with greenery for a tablescape and this is a lovely display!
We actually didn’t have anyone to dinner, unfortunately! We actually set another table right after this one – it’ll be coming up soon. I know you’re right there with us on beautiful fruit/veg and flower centerpieces! 😉 Hope you have a great week!
Oh how very beautiful and I love that it was made with citrus and then you can eat it later 😉 Hugs friend.
HA! We totally did, and even had some left over for my husband to take to work for the warehouse guys to devour! 😉 I’m so glad one of us works with people young and active enough to eat anything! Hugs back to you!!
Oh my goodness Barbara! You all outdid yourselves! What an incredible table! Love the citrus and all this gorgeous blooms! SO glad you found a new friend along the way too 🙂
Hi! Isn’t it amazing how many great friends blogging introduces you to!? Like you, for instance! 😉 So glad you like the table, and hope things are going well out there! Thanks so much for always being here!
What a stunning table. I love how you mixed the flowers and fruit. You could hardly go wrong with that space though. Wow! What a fun treat on a rainy day.
I KNOW – isn’t that the most gorgeous place!? Plus I just love a long table! SO fun to see you even for just a second the other day – wait was that just yesterday!?! Hope you’re doing well and having fun down there!
I visited Lesli’s blog and saw this gorgeous gathering! The table took my breathe way, it’s truly spectacular. It look like a wonderful time with so many pretty elements.
Hi Cindy! Wasn’t Leslie’s shrimp dish beautiful and delicious-sounding? Not to mention the CAKE!! It was so fun to have her join us! So glad you liked the table – Renae does a stunning centerpiece. Thanks so much for popping over, and Happy Wednesday!
Oh, Barbara! I felt as if I were there with you and Renae creating that beautiful table! I am swooning! I loved creating the menu and feeling as if I were a part of a fabulous party. I hope there will be many more times of
working together to create gatherings that linger in our memories. And, perhaps, one day, to have our feet under that table to share life, conversation and laughter would be the BEST of all!
Leslie! Having you actually with us would have been wonderful! I hope you can come out one day and whip up something in person. We’ll definitely set a lovely table for you! 😉 Thanks so much for joining us!
Absolutely stunning Barbara! I know you had hours of fun creating this beautiful table with a fellow tablescape lover! Her outdoor dining room is amazing, oh the parties she must have! I love the way the citrus and flowers are mixed together, so gorgeous!
We really did, Jenna! And it was wonderful being out in Renae’s lovely pavilion – I was dreaming of all kinds of parties! 😉 So glad you liked it, and thanks so much for stopping by! Hope you have a lovely evening!