6th Annual Tablescape Contest Winners Announced!

This year’s theme was centered on dressing up home-cooked meals. I was interested in how you dressed your table for holidays, family get-togethers, and Sunday night dinners. You certainly delivered! We received many entries and they were all so lovely – I had a very hard time choosing the winners!

First Prize: Chahyun Hwang

Chahyun’s table was absolutely stunning! She dressed up her table for her best friend’s bridal shower with lovely mercury glass votive holders and vases, beautiful flowers, and the Rosanna Dauphine candle sticks in white. Chahyun also cooked everything on the extensive menu from scratch – it looked absolutely scrumptious in the photos she sent! Rosanna Décor Bon Bon, Gelato Cups, and Napoleon Flatware were use during the main course, while the Eat Dessert First plates were used to present dessert.

Second Prize: Lisa Hexom

Lisa’s table is pure glitz! Her parents live in Coronado, CA (or “Crown City,” as locals call it), are retired Navy, and have enjoyed entertaining friends and family for years. Lisa wanted to throw a special, “Fit For a King” party that would wow her parents and their guests. Kings Road Redux certainly delivered! If the beautiful place cards and floral arrangements are any indication, the party went off without a hitch!

Third Prize: Lisa Moore

The story Lisa sent in with her photos really spoke to me: She grew up eating family meals and she still carries that tradition on today with her family. What with today’s busy lifestyle, she feels the act of pausing to have face-to-face time, sharing a meal together, and showing you care is very important. I couldn’t agree more! Lisa sent in photos of her family’s Easter breakfast. She used the La Vie Boho collection and Parisian Glass goblets beautifully!

I want to thank each and every person who submitted a table setting – it was so hard to pick! I hope the theme inspired you to sit down to a home made meal with your loved ones and take the time to enjoy each other’s company.

Prize Info for Winning Entries

Entries that have been chosen will be notified by email by a member of our customer service team within one week with details on how to claim their Rosanna gift certificate prize.

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Savoring the Last Hit of Summer

The end of summer can be a rude awakening. Parents and children return from their vacation reluctantly, sporting golden tans developed over the course of a long, carefree summer, resigned to the fact that it's time to reenter the world of responsibility and adhere to the structured schedules of school and work. No matter that this happens every year, the abrupt change in season never fails to prompt a cascade of shoulder shrugs. As much as I enjoy fall after it arrives, I squeeze summer to the last drop.

Lovely and bright sunflowers at a farmer's market in Oregon.

To prolong the feeling of summer for as long as possible, I have a few tips: First, practice denial. Instead of spending the last days before school starts anxious about the fast-approaching end of the holiday, I simply pretend I have much more time before my girls begin school again than I actually do. Denial can be a beautiful thing. The older I get, the more I see how a little innocent suspension of reality can be a wonderful way to suspend happiness. Second, make sure you don't overschedule yourselves or your children. Be in the moment and make the most of it!

My family's end-of-summer retreat, our home on the Oregon coast.

The end of summer still affords small windows of opportunity to take mini-breaks or day trips with your family. If you can, try to schedule some special time to visit a favorite place that will give you that last hit of summer. These mini-vacations renew the spirit and help us keep our families united before the mad dash on fall activities, and they create memories of well-being for us to draw upon during the hectic months ahead. For our last shot of summer, my family goes to the Oregon coast. We pick wild blackberries, stroll through the antique malls and farmer's markets, and make delicious meals from local, fresh ingredients (I like to use the Farmer's Market Collection to serve meals like these in). It's a lovely way to end the summer and begin the fall with grace and ease.

Some of the many fresh offerings at a local farmer's market in Oregon.

Farmer's Market collection, $22 - $56. Available at RosannaInc.com

Remember, summer doesn't officially end until September 22nd. Enjoy every moment you have left!

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