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Saturday, August 3, 2013

Create a Secret Garden Theme for a Special Dining Occasion...


As I recently began to prepare for a gathering I was having for a group of friends, I started to dance through some cookbooks and magazines for menu ideas and began to think about the type of theme I would like create for this special occasion.

I enjoy creating menus with themes that inspire table settings to spawn conversations to enhance the overall dinning the experience.




I often find that ideas for entertaining themes may come from many resources such as: cookbooks, magazines, conversations with friends,  on a walk or while running daily errands.

On a recent shopping excursion at one of my favorite arts and crafts store I discovered a set of unique antique-looking keys with inspirational words engravings.











As I held up the keys to look at them more closely my creative door sprang open painting in my mind a full picture of a Secret Garden theme for the upcoming gathering...Adding colorful ribbons to the keys, using them as centerpiece of the theme design, creating a picnic style lunch menu dressing the table with layers of miniature floral bouquets complimented with layers and layers of garden style place settings, glassware and napkins to enhance the Secret Garden experience for my guests--in hope to lift the souls and spirits of my guests they shared in conversations about the key planted upon our place setting that unlocked the doors to our secret gardens of friendships and treasured moments....

I also  add a little soft music to your recipe to add to the ambience for the gathering--and  for evening gatherings the soft touch of candlelight accents always creates a calm and peaceful atmosphere.