Hi All!! I have packed our little row boat full of cherry goodness for a fun outdoor dining experience!
Since it is cherry season and boating season - I have combined the two for my Life is a Boat of Cherries - dining alfresco tablescape for our hop.
Once again, Chloe Crabtree has assembled a wonderful group of talented table stylists for a week long hop of outdoor dining. All of the links to the blogs participating are listed at the bottom of my post. It is always fun to see what everyone has come up with and how creative the tables are.
I hope you enjoy my little take on words with this one!
Years ago I had purchased these faux picnic plates with cherries on them up in Michigan when we were on vacation. I have been meaning to do a table with them every summer and never did. Our dear neighbors, Patsy and Ron, had just recently given us this adorable little row boat - and the boat just happen to match my cherry dishes!!! Who would have thought- but that is the way my mind works! And after picking up some fresh cherries, it all fell into place.
I had an extremely hard time with this, though, because the weather was just not cooperating!! I poured a lot of sweat into this - literally - I was sweating buckets setting this up in 93 degree temperatures with about 100% humidity.
After checking the weather forecast I dragged all the stuff down the hill to the water and started setting up my boat - and with the sun still shining - down came the big huge rain drops!
So I packed it all up, hauled it up the hill and waited for two days.
I watched out my window as my little rowboat filled up with water.
I finally got a beautiful day of sunshine and hauled it all back down the hill -and dumped out my boat, set it all back up again with new food. I should pack a picnic basket that nice when we really do eat out on the pontoon boat!
But more trouble came when some of our other neighbors had guests over with a couple of dogs visiting as well. I am a dog lover - you have seen my dogs make a few appearances - but these dogs were running all over the place and I was so afraid they were going to eat my food sitting in the boat! It kind of reminded me of the the scene from A Christmas Story - when the Bumpuses dogs came over and stole the turkey! Plus I am sure they thought I was nuts for putting all this stuff in an old row boat and walking around it taking a million pictures - shooing away the dogs at the same time. It is hard to explain to someone just what you are doing and why!!!
But we had fun with it - no dogs were harmed in the process,
and they now know that the lady two doors down has a very odd hobby!
I battled with sun and exposure issues as well.
I baked these mini cherry pies and boxed them up with boxes and labels I made on my Silhouette, but I had a hard time getting a decent shot of those through the acetate window I put on the boxes.
Oh well!! It was still a beautiful sunny day and I was doing what I love to do!
A couple of bottles of Stewarts Black Cherry pop (yep, I am from Ohio!)
are on ice for a nice cold beverage on a super hot day.
are on ice for a nice cold beverage on a super hot day.
See that ice in those polka dot glasses - faux ice - that's why it's not melted.
After we (because my husband came down when he saw all the dogs) hauled it all back up the hill - we jumped in the lake!!! Oh, and if you are wondering why I didn't put the boat in the water - well - she is not sea worthy!! She is going to be filled with flowers and used in our landscaping!
As promised - here are all the links to the other alfresco tablescapes participating in our week long hop:
Thursday
Monday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
I will be updating the links as each day goes live. I hope you have the time to check all these great tables out and enjoy our versions of alfresco dining!
Thanks so much for stopping by!
Ann
I have linked up to the following parties:
Reader Tip Tuesday @ Jodie Fitz
Celebrate Your Story @ Celebrate & Decorate
Tablescape Thursday @ Between Naps on the Porch
Dishing it & Digging It @ Life & Linda
The Scoop @ Confessions of a Plate Addict
Inspire Me Tuesday @ A Stroll Thru Life
Ann, Your alfresco table and boat of cherries is OVER THE TOP creative and FLOATS MY BOAT! I love all the darling details from the adorable cherry plates, bucket of cherries, cute flatware tied in a ribbon, cherry pies and of course, your boat! I love the life ring pillow I got a glimpse of in the bottom photo too. I've always wanted a row boat to plant. We saw several when we visited Maine a couple of years ago as part the landscaping by the water overflowing with blooms. I feel your pain and the sweat equity and effort you put into this post. It has been a hot, sultry summer here. It's pore-cleansing work to haul table supplies outside and proceed to photograph, keeping an Ann on Mother Nature and dodging rain showers and I don't have a hill to hike up. Bravo, thanks for the fun this morning. Pinned to my ‘floats my boat’ board. ♥
ReplyDeleteOops. Lost my comment!!!
ReplyDeleteAnn, You have entertained and inspired me this morning. I relate to the sweating in high humidity! The last table I did that I have not published I drank all the glasses of tea right away I was so hot! Nice to learn about fake ice! Now, what can you do about glasses and camera lens fogging up!
Love your cherry plates! They are darling. I've been eating cherries lately and the label says they are high in melatonin. Your colorful flowers in the stripe pitcher and checks and stripes in your cloth and pillow are so eye catching.
Yes, it takes a tablescaper to understand location shooting! You r rain and dog stories give you an "A" for perserverance. Great post.
Well this is the cutest idea ever! You really did a fabulous job with the accents. Love the cherry plates (I’ve seen them for sale at some stores up here). I’m sorry but I was snickering about the dogs and how you related it to the Christmas Story scene- although I would have been highly irritated! Your sweat equity really paid off- this was done so well and some day when you fill the row boat with flowers I hope to see it!
ReplyDeleteAnn, what a creative and beautiful idea! I understand the sweat and hauling things in and out, but you persevered and we are grateful. All of your details with the cherry plates, cherry pies, cute ribbon tied flatware, and a bowl of cherries makes me smile. I can’t wait to see your boat planted in flowers. Blog hopping with you is always fun!
ReplyDeleteYour little boat vignette is just too cute, and I appreciate all the trouble you went to - dogs and all! I have a little pug who is always in the middle of everything I'm doing!
ReplyDeleteYou have outdone yourself here Ann, this is really the cutest summer table ever!!! I was laughing {and relating} to your set up story, oh the things we do for a tablescape set up 😂 I am so glad you kept trying because the result is worth all your sweat and worries!! First of all the boat is so cute, and the red checked cloth with a picnic theme is just perfect!! I am drooling over your picnic basket and homemade cherry pies, and the flowers in the striped pitcher are so adorable! The icing on this table is the sign you made to go with it, so much fun!! Such a creative and fabulous idea, and I can't wait to see your boat full of flowers in your yard, please do post that!!
ReplyDeleteI love your boat Ann....so clever you are! The attention to detail is award winning and your picnic basket reminds me of the picnics Donald Duck and his nephews would go on. I loved those cartoons as a kid (and as an adult too). I can also relate to the high humidity and heat and drinking during a shoot. I did it this time and my table ended up with iced tea glasses in odd places on my tablescape. LOL Love blog hopping with you!
ReplyDeleteOkay, now I want a row boat just for this reason! I can appreciate the difficulty working in the heat and humidity and the curious puppies! I would never have known you were struggling with either as your tablescape is spot on! I just love the whimsy of having it set in a boat that is not in the water! The red check tablecloth adds such a dramatic backdrop to the table! Oh, and the picnic baskets and pillows! I can't even! The perfect blend of fun and romantic!
ReplyDeleteAnn, using the (sinkable) boat as a dining table is genius. It's so cute. I understand the heat issues, but 93 sounds cool to me. Love the combo of the cherry theme with the boat. You deserved a dip in the lake. The cherry plates are precious.
ReplyDeleteI could just see those dogs running around. I would have been worried about the food too! Everything turned out so fun and festive. I would have never thought to have a picnic in a land boat but that is the cutest thing I've EVER SEEN! Wish I lived next door so we could do these "hobbies" together. You seem so fun!
ReplyDeleteOh Ann, how creative!! This is so adorable, I don't know where to begin! Your boat of cherries is wonderful. your story about getting this all done with the heat, humidity and the dogs is hilarious! I feel the same way with the heat whenever I try and style a table, maybe I need to move this alfresco tablescape hop to May! Thank you for sharing your talents and your creative tablescape in another tablescape blog hop!
ReplyDeleteAnn, this truly is the most darling table styling I've seen in a very long time. A+ for all the effort and crazy looks you likely endured (and they're probably still talking about you, lol). The details here are incredible, from the real cherries to the faux cherries on the plates (super cute, matching the boat, and yes, my mind winds like that too!). Faux ice - gotta get me some of that! And those pies - I LOVE cherry pie! I think most of us battled the heat and humidity on this one, and I even went out at 8am. But, I gotta tell ya, your effort really shows here, Ann. And I'm not just cherry pickin'! ;)
ReplyDeleteAnn,
ReplyDeleteThis is positively precious and super creative. What a commitment you made to make this happen and we are all enjoying the fruits of your efforts. Such a creative and beautiful idea! Each detail with the cherry plates, cherry pies, cute ribbon tied flatware, and a bowl of cherries make me so happy! Blog hopping with you is always fun!
So enjoyed reading about your escapes in creating "the scene" for this fabulous boat-scape! Everything turned out perfectly in the end and it is so easy to imagine sitting in your boat and eating all the yummy food and drinks - you went all out and it shows! It was fun to hear how your neighbours might have thought you have a strange hobby - I'm sure mine think the same!
ReplyDeleteWhat a genius idea for a tablscape! I love reading about it!
ReplyDeleteThis is beautiful, Ann! Bravo!
ReplyDeleteAnn, your boat filled picnic is so fun and creative. I can relate to hauling things down.
ReplyDeleteOur pool is quite a ways from our home, so that is why we are building a pool cabana. Your husband is a keeper. Love the cherries theme. The checked tablecloth is perfect for a picnic. You always amaze us with your lovely tablescapes. Stay cool.
How fabulous! Your boat is fabulous!
ReplyDeleteI so enjoyed WHAT you had to go through! It was all worth it as this is amazing!!
I found you through Pam at Everyday Living.
~Nancy
Ann, your fun post mad be laugh this morning! What us bloggers won’t go through to get a blog post ready-lol! Your boat picnic is so pretty and cheerful! The food looks scrumptious too! It was so much fun hopping with you!
ReplyDeleteYour boatloads of persistence paid off! All your details present a charming picture of languid suppers on the lake at sunset -- minus the dogs! Lol! I would have liked to have watched you put this together - twice!
ReplyDeleteAnn, this is such a clever post, and I feel your frustration of setting up in heat and humidity, then sudden rain, followed by a new adventue of dealing with the dogs. That's the kind of experienceaI often have when trying to set up and take photos. That said, your end result was just grand. I love the picnic spread! When we had our sailboat, I would pack special picnics for our meals. I miss those days. Of course, if it were now, I'd want to take photos of every detail and that would destroy the purpose of the sail. Thanks for sharing and happy summer!
ReplyDeleteA magazine worthy tablescape! I absolutely LOVE the setting, the dishes, the food presentation, and the "table" rowboat! Exceptional.
ReplyDeleteWhat a creative way to set up a Summer Tablescape! I love the check tablecloth and the setting is just stunnin!
ReplyDeleteI found you at Life and Linda's blog! This is so adorbs! Your hubby is too cute that he came to your rescue. All's well that ends well.
ReplyDelete