What's Hot: Influencers go alfresco
During a sun baked August our influencers went alfresco. We share their inspiration and their different approaches to outdoor dining.
We love how Charlotte of @lottsandlots shows that you can lift a garden space into something very special with a little imagination. She says: "I love this corner of the garden, not only can I see all my cut flower beds and down the garden path. It’s all reclaimed and feels like a secret spot. The fences did need replacing so I covered the worst of them with a French linen tablecloth – don’t worry if you need to play a bit of hide and seek when setting up a table. It all adds to the secret nature of this lovely little garden party nook." You can read more about Charlotte's table here.
When we asked Em of @the_em_edit to take our eco-taining charity table challenge - mixing charity sourced items with TT reusable products - she really did us proud. She explains: "I did my upmost to stick to the following boundaries while shopping:
- "Do I need this item/is it something that’s going to be reused until the end of (my) days?
- Can I adapt something I already have to do the same job? E.g. the napkins made from a second hand pillow case and napkin rings made from curtain rings which I have in swathes.
- Is this multifunctional? (such as the candlesticks - look great on the table but also on the mantlepiece or around the bath).
- Am I contributing to something bigger than me when I buy this thing? (This also influences which charity shops I actually use in terms of their ethical values.)
- Is it reyt proper nice?"
Read more about Em's table over on our Inspiration page.
We are so admiring of Rebecca's beautiful Cambridgeshire rural garden and so jealous of her garden party guests. "My guests will be talking about my table…and my bunting…and my candles…and these prettiest of oh la la look at those solar lanterns," she says. "The colours are simply beautiful and couldn’t be more suited to this time of year."
Follow Rebecca at @myenglishcountrycottage.
Who needs dinner guests to make a dining occasion? As Rachel, aka @hashtag_this_girl_can, says: "Eating on your own is weird. It feels like a bit of a non-event. And food should be an event. I try to make as many proper meals as I can when it’s just me, which is a lot of the time, otherwise it’s such a waste of a moment. And who wants to eat rubbish?! I always set the table. And I just fill out the space with lovely dishes. Perfect."
She adds: "Loving these beautiful candles and glass holders - on the box it says ‘Romance The Table’ which makes me think of Romancing The Stone - time to dig out that epic to watch again. Young Michael Douglas, swoon." It's one of our favourite movies too. We're also loving the pink and orange combo.
Natasha conjured up some animal magic over at @at_home_with_taddy. "You know I can never say no to a party... especially a safari themed one," she says. "Talking Tables asked me to create a bright safari themed party with their products and it was so much fun to do. I was honestly amazed by the quality and the kids had the best time."
Create you own safari with our Party Animals collection. Leopard not supplied.
