A table full of love

Hello friends, it’s been a while! I want to welcome you back to the shiny new Lotts and Lots with this joyful table setting. Grab yourself a virtual (what other kind is there at the mo?!) chair and enjoy.

After nearly ten years of blogging and over 800 posts, I decided last summer it was time to invest in a proper website to home not only my blog but my fresh flowers, workshops and photography. I’ve been working with a lovely and incredibly patient web developer (Charly Anderson) to create an online space that is feminine, light, airy and full of inspiration – I couldn’t be more delighted and proud of it. I hope you love it as much I as I do.

There are so many things I’m bursting to share and so many posts photographed, it’s going to be fabulous. But first let’s get stuck into this gorgeous table shall we?

I styled this table on the very last day of summer, the garden was glowing with the light of early autumn and my homegrown flowers had been really beautiful and abundant. I was missing (and still am) my friends and imagined the table that I would set for them. I wanted to create a space that was full of warmth and that buzzy feeling of excitement you get when you meet up people you love but haven’t seen in so long – still dreaming of that tbh.

I used a brand new tablecloth,  I splashed out on this yellow hand blocked table linen and contrasting pink patterned napkins I had been admiring for a while. Whilst on a shopping spree, some of these gorgeous lilac Fairholme handmade candles  popped into my Etsy basket. They are the most perfect shade of muddy lilac and when lit, have the most photogenic drip ever – just gorgeous. I’ve been treasuring them all winter and only lighting on special occasions!

Styling wise I wanted to get as much on the table as possible and show-off my homegrown bounty. After the fab tablecloth I layered a mix of vintage plates, candlesticks, glasses and cutlery  – be as brave as you dare here, really get those tones and textures dancing with each other. For the flowers I filled different height and width jam jars with flowers, cutting stems at different heights to create a really full and juicy table centre (I wasn’t imaging much food!). To finish, I raided the pear tree and added pears along with a few allotment apples, I love adding fruit to tables it reminds me of a painting and feels very decadent.

I’d purposely been saving these photo’s for my blog launch and the timing couldn’t be better. As we head into spring and start to make plans for all the flowers it’s good to pause and remember the highlights of last summer before the season begins again. I’ve used a mix of dahlia’s, some from tubers but others from seed. I wish more people spoke about seed dahlia’s I think they are fabulous, SO easy to grow and provide such a wide variety of colours. I’ve also used zinnia’s, sunflowers, sparkling fountain grass, cosmos and late blooming garden roses. All of these are really easy to grow and available at any good garden centres, if this year is going to be your gardening year then add some of these varieties to your seed list and you won’t be disappointed.

I’m so happy to have this space back, I have really missed writing and sharing all that is inspiring me. There plenty more posts in the pipeline so pop back when you can . It’s lovely to see you. xx