After a year full of ups and downs, by the time we got to December I had decided that one thing was for sure: I wasn’t going to let 2020 stop me from creating a joyful table to celebrate the holidays this year. I wanted something that felt warm, light, and – quite literally – peaceful.
So I started here – with this peace wreath. Which immediately had me thinking… elevated hippie? Sure, why not! Let’s add some magical mushrooms, and groovy flowers, but make it modern and keep it organic.
I handed the wreath – and all floral duties – over to my right hand gal, Carey at Bleedfoot Florals. She gussied up that peace sign with beautiful dried bits, and left the table soft with airy plants and mushrooms…
To build this meandering ‘runner’ of florals, mushrooms and candles, I started with a small vintage dough bowl (thrifted!) that that we filled with a few totem candles, and then carefully added bits of sage, dried flowers and mushrooms to. From there, I lay down a couple strands of wood bead garlands, and started tucking the candles and mushrooms in between. Keeping things imperfect makes this feel natural and easy.
My biggest task for this table was actually creating these little mushroom cakes! This was definitely out of my skill set, and while I could have hired a baker for the task, I really wanted to attempt this myself. We made a basic white coconut cake baked in large ramekins and double tiered to make them small, but high. Then I followed a recipe for meringue mushrooms, and crossed my fingers!
We added coconut to the frosting which gave it a… unique texture. I’m not sure I would recommend that, but I didn’t mind the organic nature of it! I placed the mushrooms around the cakes with a bit of sage for color, and they became a fun addition to the setting.
To be honest… styling this table was probably one of the highlights of the year. The way this beautiful setting came together felt effortless – and that’s something worth celebrating in a year full of hardships and exhaustion. For me, styling fills me up and brings me joy, but I realize that may not be the case for everyone. These tables are always about inspiration, so I hope that you can take some from this setting and create it in your own way – whatever that looks like for you. It’s never about perfection, but the love and creative energy that you put into it that matters the most.
Sources :: 1. taupe champagne coupes | 2. modern gold flatware | 3. wood pedestals | 4. wood garland | 5. peace wreath | 6. cream linen napkins (similar) | 7. mushroom twist taper candlestick | 8. cream totem candles | 9. cream dinnerware set | 10. glazed concrete taper holders
