When work involves planning an Autumn tablescape, floral arrangements with ALL local flowers, styling a communal table in a gorgeous setting, playing with a photographer I trust 1,000% to capture my work, and then attending a scrumptious dinner with my husband (and baby, who everyone welcomed in such a loving way I was BLOWN AWAY by their kindness). It’s times like this that I like to sit back, try to soak everything in, and remind myself how blessed I am. And then I ask IS THIS EVEN REAL LIFE?

The meal was rustic and everything a fall meal should be, but my absolute favorite part were the tartine appetizers (radishes and butter and bread and salt? yes, please!) and the pre-dinner seasonal cocktail: apple cider and champagne with star anise and lemon peel. So flavorful and simple to recreate!

It was really wonderful working with Le Pain Quotidien and FEED Projects on this recent supper. We raised over 9,000 meals for families in need across the US and around the world. Doing what I love & being part of something with so much impact was eye-opening and made me want to give back more often. I loved being able to bless others – others I may never meet – through my work! Really grateful to be a part! You can still attend one of these #LPQxFEED dinners – they’re being hosted across the US through October 16 (and you can host your own FEED Supper if you miss one with Le Pain Quotidien).

For this tabletop, I was inspired by this photo on the FEED’s instagram. The caption on this photo read, “We were inspired by the idea of journey – winding roads and nature walks. Colors like asphalt, wheat, indigo, and brick felt true to this story.”

To illustrate this theme of a nature-filled journey, I incorporated 100% locally sourced, seasonal flowers & foliage (from Greenstone Fields & Fields of Flowers), and played up the wild, “foraged” look with lots of grasses and wispy foliage. The flowers that were available at my two favorite flower farms were utter perfection: cascading green amaranthus, opopeo brick-colored amaranthus, plumed celosia, sea oat, wild grasses, dahlias, cosmos, and some zinnias. I love the texture and variety of these seasonal arrangements! I was able to incorporate the journey theme again with asphalt-colored napkins, mini favor (herbs de provence sea salt wrapped in slate gray paper bags), and slate boards for the pillar candles & flowers to rest on.

FEED bags typically use gorgeous brass hardware, and I was able to pick up some brass D-rings at my local hardware store to serve as napkin rings. They added warmth and sophistication to the table settings. One of my favorite elements I was able to design for this gathering was the photo booth backdrop. I created a stencil out of the LPQxFEED logo and then painted it on a canvas drop cloth. Now I want to make stenciled back drops for everyone!

You can see more photos and read more about my styling philosophy on the Le Pain Quotidien blog today!

Photography by Sweet Root Village for Le Pain Quotidien