5th Annual Tablescape Contest Honorable Mentions--WE'VE MOVED

The Tablescape Contest produced so many wonderfully inspiring stories and photos this year that I couldn't let an opportunity pass to share many more of them with you.

Adelle Belnap's Treehouse Teatime is imaginative and provides a touching story.  In her words:

"I spend every day with my children.  We rarely have time apart. . . 

To read the rest of this story and see the other Honorable Mentions, please click here to be redirected to the new location for Rosanna's Table Talk.

 

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Preparing An Independence Day To Remember

The USA has a birthday that’s just around the corner, and it’s time to think about how we’re going to celebrate.

Here are some tips to help create a delightful and delicious 4^th of July gathering.

Decorate with Vintage Americana

I like my 4^th of July decorations to make a statement. Over the years, I’ve acquired a collection of vintage flags and Americana, which I mix and match with newer decorations and dinnerware. I find that incorporating vintage and antique decorations into the mix adds some soul to the aesthetic of the event.

There are numerous inventive ways you can decorate with your flags—place smaller flags in a vase as a centerpiece on your table, or use an extra large flag as a tablecloth.

You can collect vintage flags and decorations at flea markets or your local vintage store. You can also find some gems online at sites like Etsy and even eBay.

Tablesetting

Always have a set of 12 white dinner plates and 12 white napkins.  This is one of my little secrets.   Doing this allows you to mix and match salad plates to create hundreds of possible tablescapes, depending on the occasion.  For Independence Day, choose a patriotic-looking or an Americana salad plate.  If you don’t have one, find red or blue---after all, you’ve already got the white in your dinner plates!

Coordinate Your Costumes

To create a more festive feel for the event, encourage your guests to wear red white and blue clothing. The sillier, more flamboyant, and outrageous the clothing, the better.

Make One Special Drink

Make sure to have all the usuals—juice, beer, wine, water, and soda—on hand. In addition, make one special, summer-themed punch. This one drink can bring a surprising amount of cohesion to your meal and the event as a whole. Drinks that feature a refreshing summer fruit like peach, watermelon, or strawberry are always well received on hot days.

American Food with a Twist

Because the 4^th of July is all about celebrating America, and America is famous for its cultural and ethnic diversity, take a truly American approach to the holiday by incorporating your family’s food heritage into traditional American dishes. Make hamburgers with the spices traditionally used in your ethnic background. The same thing goes for pies, ice cream toppings, and fruit salads. Prepare a traditional side dish unique to your family’s heritage.   Better yet, ask your guests to showcase their heritage through a side dish they prepare.

Honor US History

When my children were little, one of the things they loved most about the 4^th of July was putting on an annual play. In the play, we reenacted important moments in US history. We performed Paul Revere’s famous ride, a scene in which George Washington asks Betsy Ross to sew the American flag, and the Martin Luther King Jr I Have A Dream Speech. We interwove these important events with the story of our own family in America, starting with our ancestors’ arrival to Ellis Island. We always ended the show with a rousing rendition of “Yankee Doodle Dandy.” Putting on a play can start with a fun brainstorming activity in which you ask children to think of important events in America. Later you can turn these into the plot for the play. Pick up a few white wigs and tricorn hats at your local costume store to add to what you have at home, and costumes won’t be too hard to devise.

Good, Old-Fashioned Games

Organizing a few games throughout the day, like croquet, bocce ball, Frisbee, softball, or charades, brings guests together and creates a spirit of conviviality.  On those sweltering Independence Days, have a water balloon toss with the kids.

           

Fireworks

Every state has different laws when it comes to setting off fireworks, but no 4^th of July celebration is complete without a few flashes in the night. At the very least, make sure to have some sparklers.

Family Tradition

Whatever you decide to do, make sure to create family tradition.  Teach your children about their own heritage and how it plays a part of the American Dream.  As I mention in my book, Coming Home: A Seasonal Guide to Creating Family Traditions, celebrating any festive occasion is always richer when personal meaning is attached.

Note:  Photos by John Granen, for “Coming Home,” published by Stewart, Tabori & Chang

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Fifth Annual Tablescape Contest

Years ago, people would invite a neighbor or friend over on the spur of the moment for a cup of coffee, dessert, or for a weekend grill. Our day-to-day lives have become so busy in recent years that dinner parties are planned 3 months out. Part of my belief in creating traditions is to foster relationships and connections through daily rituals and traditions. Much of the joy in my life has come from informal get-togethers. This year’s Tablescape Contest Theme is “The Spontaneous Gathering.” It’s time for you to set your table for the spur of the moment get-together. Use your creativity, mixed with Rosanna collections, and remember spontaneous gatherings don’t necessarily take place at the dining room table. Share with us the story behind your tablescape design. Winners will be chosen by Rosanna herself. So join in for your chance to win a $500 Rosanna gift certificate, and be featured on Rosanna’s Table Talk blog. New This Year Starting on July 11th, we will choose a Table Of The Week to showcase on our Facebook, Twitter, and social media sites. At the end of the contest, all the Tables Of The Week will be entered into a drawing to win an additional prize.    Get Setting Now Our Fifth Annual Table Setting contest will start on July 1, 2011 and end on August 31, 2011. Winners will be announced shortly after. For a little inspiration, take a look at the photographs from our last few contests: 2010 2009 2008 2007

OFFICIAL RULES 1. Anyone with a passion for Rosanna-ware and tablescape design is welcome to compete, regardless of age.  2. Set the table for at least two. No actual food or Rosanna products is required. 3. Contest begins on July 1st, 2011 and ends August 31st, 2011 at 11:59pm PST. 4. Submit up to 2 photos of your tablescape and the story behind the design. Digital submissions must come as jpegs, around 4x5 inches, no less than 72 dpi and no more than 180 dpi. 5. When entering, make sure to include your name, your city, and an email or phone number where we can reach you. We respect your privacy and will not give out any of your information. 6. Photos in hard copy will not be returned. 7. Rosanna Imports, Inc. reserves the right to use and/or publish photos of your table setting submission however we see fit. Photos may be published on social media sites. Publishing does not necessarily constitute a winning entry. By submitting your photo, you agree to these terms. 8. Please email all enteries to info@rosannainc.com. Mailed entries should be sent to: Rosanna Inc Attn: Tablescape Contest 6755 East Marginal Way S. Seattle, WA 98108

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Fourth Annual Table Setting Contest

In honor of my new book, Coming Home: A Seasonal Guide to Creating Family Traditions, it's time for you to set your table using your family heirlooms, mixed and matched with Rosanna collections, as well as, sharing their history and what they mean to you. Join in for your chance to win a $500 Rosanna gift certificate!

Our Fourth Annual Table Setting contest will start on July 1, 2010 and end on August 31, 2010. Winners will be announced shortly after.

For a little inspiration, take a look at the photographs from our last few contests:

2009

2008

2007


Here are the rules and a few guidelines:

Rules
1. Anyone with a passion for Rosanna-ware is welcome to compete, regardless of age.
2. Contest begins on July 1st, 2010 and ends August 31st, 2010 at 11:59pm PST.
3. We encourage you to use family heirlooms and provide a story about what this piece means to you & your family/friends. For inspiration pick up a copy of Coming Home: A Seasonal Guide to Creating Family Traditions.
4. Digital submissions must come as jpegs, around 4x5 inches, no less than 72 dpi and no more than 180 dpi.
5. When entering your photo, make sure to include your name, your city, and an email or phone number where we can reach you. We respect your privacy and will not give out any of your information.
6. Photos in hard copy will not be returned.
7. Rosanna Imports, Inc. reserves the right to use and/or publish photos of your table setting submission, however we see fit. By sending in your photo, you agree to these terms.

Guidelines
-Set your table for at least two
-Include a statement with a little bit about yourself and your inspiration for your design
-No actual food or Rosanna products required.

Please send all entries to Info@rosannainc.com or via snail mail to 440 S. Holgate St., Seattle, WA 98134 USA Attn: Table Setting Contest.

I'm very excited to see this years' group of submissions. Good luck!

www.rosannainc.com