Beach Picnic for Two: A Little Rustic, A Little Glam, A Little Romantic

Creating beautiful table decor and planning parties is one of my passions.

I thrive on designing all the little and big details, but especially the personal details.

A great table and a great meal at the right location,

at the right time creates magic and memories,

and can really help a couple connect and reconnect.

It is the "Season of Love," but everyday can be a special occasion.
 There are different ways to create a seductive table and bring a little romance into your daily routine. You do not need to plan a whole production - what is most important is that you do what feels right for you - what fits into your life, your budget, and marries well with your personality.
For some that may be a rooftop picnic with champagne and strawberries,
for others a five-course meal on an intricately set table,
and still for others hot dog and a soda at a ball park.
There is no wrong answer when it comes to creating couple time, just create the time.

 Have you thought about creating a "moment" for you and your special someone?
This book inspired me to create a wonderful Beach Picnic for myself and my husband.
Whether you have, or you are just starting to think about it, Seductive Tables for Two: Tablescapes, Picnics, and Recipes that Inspire Romance by Moll Anderson is here to provide guidance and inspiration. 

I am kind of obsessed with books on design, table decor, and celebrations, so when I was shopping online (you can read all about my shopping trip on google+), I saw Moll's book and was immediately interested in reading about her philosophy for creating a Seductive Table for Two. The book has a little something for everyone.
 

Moll is a lifestyle and romance expert who has created this amazing book full of recipes and tips and advice, not to mention gorgeous photographs of a variety of themes and ideas for creating your own special celebration. Moll's essential elements for creating a Seductive Table for Two include: color, lighting, music, flowers, and fabric. These elements work together to create a beautiful, memorable experience to share with someone you love.

From creating "Seduction To Go" to "Seductive Celebrations" you can easily find inspiration for creating romance and #SeductiveTables in the pages of Moll's book.

 After pouring over Moll's book, 
I began to formulate my own plan for creating a seductive table for two.
 It is almost my husband's birthday...
and I wanted to do a little something that would allow us to escape from reality,
if just for an hour or two, just the two of us.
My husband could really care less if I delivered his dinner in a bag
(that is a wee bit of an exaggeration).
But really, if it was up to him, there would be
no flowers no candles, no sparkles, no special details...
and how sad of a world that would be!
But I am in charge of the decor and here is what I planned:

Beach Picnic for Two

I happen to live on one of the most gorgeous coastal areas in California - Asilomar State Beach. We love exploring the Central California shore, and there is something about watching the sunlight dance on the water, and listening to the waves crash that puts life in perspective. That is why I chose this to be the inspiration and backdrop for my seductive table.

Planning an event, even for just two of us on the beach - or anywhere that you have to transport everything from food to decor to music - takes planning and thought...and preparation. But it is worth the effort. 

Decor

I tried not to let the beach location define the table or the menu - that is way too matchy-matchy for me. I like to let the locale speak for itself and let the other elements accent and enhance the experience.  

 I wanted a romantic and slightly rustic look, with a hint of glam. I LOVE textures - combining textures and layering, not only with fabric, but with plants and other design elements as well. It makes my heart go pitter-patter. I like to mix things up - rustic and glam, sweet and spicy, rough and silky - in my world, whatever goes! 

I knew this would be an essential part of my design. 

 I laid down a faux fur throw for us to sit on and then topped it with a low table. I hate sand in my food, so I brought down one of those inexpensive decorator table (I had previously cut the legs down) to set our food and beverages on. 

Here is the thing about outdoor/off location events -

you sometimes have you go with the flow!

 I did not intend for the burlap to be the top layer of the table. I had this gorgeous sea blue fabric...but it was so windy - so windy and the blue fabric was flying everywhere, whereas the weight of the burlap held steady. So, I flipped it. Normally I would not want burlap on top, but the table was small, the platter I served on was large, and well, it worked.

A mix of succulents and fresh plants were my centerpiece. I mixed them all up and used a silver champagne flute to plant the centerpiece. It was encircled at the base with a "driftwood" wreath I already had. Then I tucked succulents into the crevices, and added a few seashells here and there. On either side I used a glittering flower (Christmas decor) and set a small bottle of sea glass atop each flower. 

As for candles...in my perfect world there would be 100 candles - but I wanted to enjoy my time and I would have spent every minute relighting candles. I picked up some LED candles, wrapped them with a pretty ribbon and pinned a vintage earring on them. I did have some additional LED candles but as luck would have it...it had been overcast and gloomy for days...the sun burst out from behind the cloud...so you could not even see the candles glowing...just imagine them ok?

Finally, I wanted to define the space, so after the picnic was set up,

I put up some flowing ribbons.

(simply attached to a wood dowel and placed into the sand)

The evening was perfect...the sun coming out may have killed my candle light ambiance, but the sunlight glowed and glistened on the ocean waves and was simply gorgeous. One of our favorite things in the world is to sit on the shore and listen to the waves...

it was the perfect time of the day to do this.

The Picnic Menu

I decided that our food would be cold selections. It would be much easier and enjoyable to navigate a beach picnic - I packed it all in our vintage cooler, picked up a fresh baguette from the local bakery, and we were ready to go.

Depending on your outdoor venue, you also have to consider bugs and other natural elements. By using the small elevated table and jars with lids to transport and serve the food, I was able to control the flow of sand into our food...

and keep the pesky seagulls away!

Small Bites Menu

Carrot Hummus

Lentil Dip 

Confetti Salsa

Hard salami (my hubby is a meat guy!)

Brie

Pinot Cherries 

Lentil Chips and a baguette would be served with all of the selections. 

Dessert

Blackberries

Spicy dark chocolate brownies (recipe coming soon!)

Cherries and Almond in Dark Chocolatebars

(I picked these up on a whim and they are hubby's fave!) 

 

Beverages

Now I would have loved wine or Blood Orange Arancello, but this particular beach is alcohol free (and the Rangers are out in full force)...

so I selected sparkling water garnished with blackberries and lime.

Service

I chose not to do individual plates. I packed up the dips in jars, brought a cutting board, a few small bowls, and my favorite large white platter.

I happened to like the informal, eclectic look of this service.

I did bring cloth napkins and real flatware.

So what do you think?

Are you ready to create a Seductive Table for Two?

As you can see my table was relatively simple and just perfect for us. 

What would your seductive table look like?

Love this book? Want to hear more of what Moll has to say and share?
 Be sure to tune into Moll Anderson’s radio show 
is on XM Talk 168 every Saturday at 5:00 pm EST.

 Seductive Tables author MollAnderson on AccessHollywood tomorrow!
Times: http://cbi.as/5dok0  -  don't miss it!

You can also connect with Moll on twitter, Moll on Facebook, and on Moll's website.

This post is written and created at 504 Main by Holly Lefevre

I am a member of the Collective Bias®  Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias® #cbias #SocialFabric #SeductiveTables