Sarah’s Day @ the Jersey Shore – Table Decor Heaven!

Succot

Hey KS Fans,

I know people here on KS mainly know me for my cooking, but my first “hobsession” – hobby obsession – is really Flowers and Party Décor. For many -many years, even before I opened my restaurant, I had dabbled working as a Private Party Planner (I fancied myself as the Jewish Colin Cowie).

While maintaining a full time marketing director position at a company, I would hire myself out – doing  jobs for specific friends &  clients who were looking to do great parties that were a little out-of-the box in style and flair  -my style was very different than the typical parties that were being thrown at the time.

It was a lot of fun, creating themes and having grand ideas of what kind of ambiance we wanted to invite people to party in – and then actually executing, these sometimes seemingly  impossible schemes, into a real life party for all our clients  and their guests to enjoy –  but at the end of the day -it was a TON of work and too much for me to do as a “side” job!

I think it was ultimately why I got into the restaurant business; it was like throwing a great party every day for different people. The satisfaction I would feel, when I saw my café full of people enjoying their meals and having fun, in an ambiance that I created, was euphoric. But it was still a TON of work  mind you, just weirdly,for me, somehow less stressful.

Recently this past year, I had briefly gotten back into the fun of table décor and setting, as a contributing editor for the HOME section of Binah Magazine. My great friend Margalit Lankry & I, have had a blast creating new ideas, for holiday themed table design & decor.

This year I was also introduced to a new friend, Marlene Mamiye  – THE JEWISH HOSTESS.com, a woman who has a pure passion for all things beautiful and appealing – as it obtains to setting your table and creating an atmosphere – to entertain your friends and family in.

A few weeks ago, Marlene invited me to an incredible event she organized in Deal, NJ for the Morris I. Franco Community Can c er Center.

This event was truly a spectacular one! These incredibly artistic women of the Sephardic Community got together and created the most amazingly beautiful tablescapes.

Each team of talented women were given a Jewish Holiday or Special Event theme  -to which they then had to create a unique and one-of-a-kind design for.

From Birds nest place card holders on a Table for Shavout – to a Tiffany Blue  inspired Chanukah, each table was more stunning and impressive than the next.

Shavuot

Chanukah

Hosted in the breathtaking home of the extremely generous Mr. & Mrs. Ben Dayan, this was an afternoon to remember.

I had such fun and delight going table to table, looking and taking in the sheer majestic beauty of these incredible tablescapes  ! A true piece of art each one  -incredible what these women thought of and actually put together.

Their creative ideas, and innovative design choices were so fabulous!

So for all of you out there in KS land, I am posting a few of the pictures that I took at this event for you to see.

But for detailed description on each tablescape, informational how-tos and terrific professional pictures you MUST go to the link on the bottom of this page and visit my friend Marlene @ The Jewish Hostess.com

You will be amazed and inspired as I was!

Happy Table Decorating!

Sarah

Mothers Day

Nest Egg Place Holders for Rosh Hashana

View of Our Host Spectacular Back Yard

Flower How-To by Josh Flowers in Brooklyn NY

Click here to read the entire Post

Holiday Table Settings Showcase by Ariella and Charles Ben Dayan

On Tuesday July 11, the fabulously talented women of the Sephardic community in Deal, New Jersey unleashed their creative table setting talents to amaze hundreds of Jewish women who arrived to support the Morris I. Franco Community Cancer Center. This event, staged on the spacious summer porch of the home of our gracious hosts,Charles and Ariella Ben Dayan, was a competition that consisted of eight teams of 1-5 women per team. Each team was given a random holiday theme, in which they created a unique table setting. The basic rule was that they must use a 48 inch round table that was supplied to them, and from there on in, the sky was the limit.  An impressive lunch, chinese auction gifts, and demonstrations were also featured during the day. Pictures are worth a thousand words, so go on and feast your eyes!!!!

Rosh Hashanah

Table by:

Marcy Smeke, Pauline Assa, Michal Gindi, Grace Chehebar, Tunee Missry

This  Rosh Hashanah table is truly a work of art and imagination. The table was lined with a vintage table cloth. Next, the girls layered the table with bamboo place mats, a gold woven place mat, green glass charger, gold dish, a hand painted gold leaf salad plate, embroidered leaves napkin and gold flatware. Note the symbolic silver apple that tops off the whole place setting. Of course we “dip the apple in the honey” to symbolize the hopefully sweet upcoming New Year.

Are you starting to get a little anxious about when is Rosh Hashanah this year of 2011? Well, mark your calendars and get back on the beach! You’ve got till Sept 28 at sundown to start dipping those apples…..

Above: Note the LIVE FISH swimming in the elongated green vases. A genius idea!!! Of course the fish are a perfect symbol of The Jewish New Year, as many people serve the head of the fish on the Rosh Hashanah table to symbolize the fact that we should be the “Rosh”  (the head)and not the ” Zanav”(the tail).

TO READ THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE & FOR MORE TABLESCAPE IDEAS - go to www.thejewishhostess.com