A Garden Tuxedo – A Key to the Armoire

April is quite the festive month in our home because both my dad and my brother celebrate birthdays within a few days from each other. This table was set to celebrate my dad’s special day, which served as the perfect reason to feature PartyLite’s elegant “Silver Bands Votive Holders” and their fabulous soy wax “Be Balanced” tealights.

When PartyLite contacted me for a collaboration, it was hard to choose among so many wonderful products but, as those of you who follow me know, I have quite the collection of sterling silver overlay, so as soon as I saw the “Silver Bands Votive Holders”, I fell in love, and immediately planned like 50 tables in my head! Choosing the appropriate tealight was a bit (a lot, really!) harder because so many seemed perfect. At the end, I decided to choose the “Be Balanced” 100% natural soy wax with essential oils. These candles are free of parabens, phtalates, sulfates, and dyes. They’re just as wonderful as they sound! Normally, I would not feature scented candles at the table, but the aroma was pleasant and relaxing, and truly not interefering at all.

The “Be Balanced” tealight has a cedarwood and vanilla scent that worked beautifully with my garden table. It was a perfect mix between masculine and feminine, which was exactly what I was going for when setting this table. The masculine side was supported by the dark, rich colors, particularly the black striped plates by Grace’s Teaware and the Andrea by Sadek, John Bowles Wintherthur reproduction botanical prints plates (they’re all different!), hence the post’s title. The flowers and butterflies were the feminine side, naturally.

As you can imagine, I had to feature some of my sterling silver overlay to accompany the silver banded votives, so I decided to bring out my Silver City “Flanders Poppies” plates and feature the matching carafe. Don’t they pair beautifully?

I accompanied the natural “Tete a Tete” dwarf daffodils with my assorted collection of antique Bovano of Cheshire glass enamel-on-copper flowers, and expanded the garden to feature old Andrea by Sadek bisque porcelain place card holders.

The stemware featured a mix-and-match of colors, reminiscent of the print plates. The etched blue goblets paired nicely with the antique sterling silver water goblets by Alvin, and the crimson Clarendon cordials by Waterford. I was also happy to finally feature the Sheffield Cork & Son rosewood and silver flatware. The darkness of the wood harmonized with the black details, while the silver tips complemented the other silver elements on the table quite nicely.

I wanted the dramatic contrast to stand out, much like that of a tuxedo, particularly when the tuxedo features a white jacket, so I chose a white damask tablecloth and layered over it an antique handmade filet topper in the most delicate ecru. Although you may not see it in the pictures, the background on the print plates is not white, but the exact creamy color as the topper. I also loved the fact that it was a lacy layer reminiscent of a butterfly net.

As you can see, it is a simple table, but I feel that it was perfectly suited for a dignified and elegant birthday celebration. My dad certainly enjoyed it, and we all loved gathering around it to celebrate him.

As always, I am featuring same or similar pieces for you to shop, but this time, I am also sharing with you a very special offer! PartyLite was kind enough to help me celebrate my dad’s birthday by allowing me to share with you a special code for 15% off your order! All you have to do is use my code: ARMOIRE to get it! Hurry up to order while it is active, and take advantage of the fantastic selection they have!