Last night I chaired a dinner dance for my beach community. Many years we held it down at the beach on the Pavilion, but this year we had it at a catering hall. It is the same place Giada DeLaurentis filmed one of her Behind the Bash shows.
It was nice not to have to be worried about the weather.
Of course it turned out to be a lovely night weather wise, but still, not worrying is a big plus!
I made mini loaves of banana chocolate chip or Irish Soda Bread as a take home.
Wrapped in aqua with a beach themed closure.
There was no money in the budget for any type of table decor as we didn’t get the number of attendees we hoped for. So I had to be very frugal!
I had a lot of salt and pepper shakers for other parties, so
became…
I had these small round rattan urns/pots. I spray painted scallop shells from the beach silver and placed them in the pots with a dracaena spike plants, ( .99 ). I cut diamond frost from my pots and placed them in the pots. Placed on a mirror with votives, surrounded my mini ”vases” of hydrangea blooms from my garden, it was a simple beachy centerpiece.
The table numbers were streets in our community.
These big scallop shells …
Became candy dishes filled with, what else for a BEACH theme…
Lifesavers!
Everyone seemed to enjoy the party, and no one knew how little money was spent on the table decor.
One of my favorite summer things is a fresh peach and blueberry in puff pastry, drizzled with a sweetened sour cream. Good way to use up those bits of fruit!
Not a great picture, dh was poised at the ready to eat it!
Thanks for visiting!
I am joining Laurie for Favorite Things, The Tablescaper for Summer Sundays, and Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday.
Looks great, I'm sure everyone had a fun time! Dessert looks fab!!!
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful event - your budget table centerpieces look great and the picture of all the tables looked so elegant. I am sure everyone appreciated all your efforts - you are the hostess with the mostess :)
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on a successful event.
The peach and blueberry tart looks awesome!
You did a great job on this beachcomers dinner!
ReplyDeleteI have an award for you on my blog.
sandie
The tables look lovely! Creative thinking. The puff pastry with peaches and blueberries looks heavenly.
ReplyDeleteEverything came out just lovely. That puff pastry looks so good!
ReplyDeleteHugs,
Joanne
Kathleen:
ReplyDeleteYou struggled so over this and it all turned off great! How many of those loaves of bread did you make??? The little centerpieces are adorable. Sometimes necessity is the mother of invention. A fabulous job.
Thanks so much for being a part of "Summer Sundays".
- The Tablescaper
I love every detail ... you created a beautiful setting. Hope you all had as good a time as appears. Beautiful.
ReplyDeleteHave a beautiful summer's eve ~
TTFN ~ Hugs, Marydon
Looks like a great party and your tables look like a million bucks, you did an A++ job :)
ReplyDeleteYou survived! Looks like a great party...the table centerpieces were very nice for having no money. Good job, Kathleen!
ReplyDeleteIt is so hard to organize events when there is no budget...but, you did a wonderful job. It looks lovely and that tart...mmm!
ReplyDeleteKathleen, how clever to use s/p shakers to hold the pretty hydrangeas, and the basket with the ornamental grass and shell are perfect. Oh, I wish I had a loaf of banana chocolate bread! The people who didn't sign up for this party don't know what they missed. Looks like it was so much fun. Thank you for linking to Favorite Things Sat. laurie
ReplyDeleteKathleen, you are so clever and thrifty. What a terrific job. The tables look lovely, and the shells with the lifesavers is really a cute idea. Wish I had a slice of that peach and blueberry pastry. ~ Sarah
ReplyDeleteKathleen! That is just lovely! I am so stealing that idea with the shells for my upcoming party.
ReplyDeleteSorry for not visiting for a while... The new home is project filled! Love your blog title picture!
Mine is at my family blog this time:
http://complicatedsimplicity96.blogspot.com
Kathleen....what a wonderful evening and your tables were lovely. I love having a thrifty spirit...it has helped me in all sorts of situations as yours did here. I'm sure no one knew the tables were thrifty but you :)
ReplyDeleteBlessings!
Gail
Oh Kathleen,
ReplyDeleteI want to go to a Beach Combers Ball! That sounds like the neatest thing! And look at your beautiful tables done on a wee little budget, so fabulous!
Cindy
By the look of those tables no one would ever expect you had a tight budget! They look great and such imagination on your part.
ReplyDeleteKathleen it looks wonderful! I think anyone who didn't attend really missed out! Gorgeous!
ReplyDeletexoxo Pattie
The tables are beautiful, Kathleen, and your little salt and pepper shakers made perfect little vases. It looks like you had a lovely party.
ReplyDeleteGreat job on the tables!
ReplyDeleteYour dessert looks so good.
Oh, I have had to do that before and it is so hard to come up with an inexpensive table centerpiece. Yours is lovely. Who would have thought of using S&P shakers for vases. I love the fresh flower and the shells. You did great!
ReplyDeleteIt looks like you did a terrific job! Congrats!
ReplyDeleteYou are so smart...and talented. I love your pretty tables...
ReplyDeleteSo glad everyone had such fun.
I am spending the night with my friend that had the stroke a few months back. Her hubby is going in the hospital overnight for some tests, her daughter is out of town..we'll have a little mini slumber party (for awhile) and watch a good movie. Maybe I'll make one of your fruit thingys to take over. I have peaches, strawberries and some puff pastry. I am searching hi and lo for something called SANDING sugar. Ever heard of it? It makes Stone Gables's tarts look amazing..
xo bj
o, and I hope your computer is doing good. I had to buy a new keyboard and mouse yesterday and I did NOT have them in my budget!! Dang !!
Great way to make frugal look fabulous. Looks like everyone has a wonderful time!
ReplyDeleteChristi @ A Southern Life
http://asouthernlife.com
You did an amazing job. Love the salt and pepper vases. Looks like a great time was had.
ReplyDeleteCarol
What a wonderful job you did of making a festive table with so little money to work with, Kathleen! Very creative. What a lovely hall too. I can see why Giada would have liked it!
ReplyDeleteI had to laugh at the life savers...perfect.
Kathleen-You are so creative (and thrifty too!). I think your centerpieces are lovely. Anybody can make a good one with lots of money but it takes work and thought to do one on a budget. The hall is really lovely too. Love how you wrapped the mini loaves! Your weather gadget says it is 73 degrees there. I just checked my weather button on my home page and it says the heat index is still 104 here at almost 10 pm--miserable! Congrats on a great party--they were lucky to have you chair it!
ReplyDeleteKathleen...you are one smart cookie! I love what you created for the bash! Sometimes it seems when we don't have a bunch of money is when we come up with the neatest ideas. I bet everyone loved their take on goodies. :)
ReplyDeleteSusan
Kathleen, how wonderfully creative you were in designing those delightful centerpieces! I'm majorly impressed that you had about 21 S&P shakers, by my count of the tables visible in your photos!
ReplyDeleteI cracked up at the lifesavers in the shells...very clever idea!!
All my years in FL, I never thought of doing that. I don't have your creative genes.
The berry cobbler looks yummo, but please tell me...do you put the sweetened sourcream on BEFORE or after you bake it??
You did a wonderful job and I can't tell that you spent very little either except that you told me. Everything looked great...what fun!!
ReplyDeleteNo one would ever know you were on a tight budget as this room and tables are perfect! You did a lovely job ~ so creative! Looks like a good time was had by all!
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely looking event and the decorations are fantastic. Your creativity - on a budget- is superb. I continually enjoy your blog.
ReplyDeleteKathleen, your no budget centerpieces looked very nice! Glad you had so many of your own things you could use. The loaves of bread and the fruit tart look delicious!
ReplyDeleteLOL Kathleen... I'll take colored pencils over diamonds and gold any day. (my husband doesn't know how lucky he is!) :-)
ReplyDeletegood for you! love the life savers on shells...
ReplyDeleterose
http://www.finecraftguild.com
Love the salt and pepper idea to use as little vases and the Life Savers made me SMILE:-)
ReplyDeleteI had a good chuckle at the Lifesavers :-) Your table centerpieces look nice and the tables very elegant. The reception hall is lovely too.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on a successful event!
Kathleen, everything you did was so creative and beautiful! You were the right person to be in charge of the dinner dance and I bet those that didn't attend regretted it after they heard what a nice affair it was.
ReplyDeleteI'm so slow getting around to blogs the past couple of weeks I have a lot to catch up on! You did a wonderful job on the tablesettings and the turn out looks pretty good from my aspect. Way to go Madame Chairwoman! You must be famous far and wide for your breads.
ReplyDeleteYou came up with great decorations "on a shoestring!" Good job!
ReplyDeleteKatherine
You are really talented!
ReplyDeletenow that is using your noodle! we could all save money if we were as creative as you. Think outside the box (and wallet)! job well done.
ReplyDeleteEverything is just beautiful, Kathleen, you did just an outstanding job - its very elegant. I can't even begin to imagine baking all of those little breads - your packaging was adorable! What a lucky crowd to have you as the chairperson.
ReplyDelete