Sunflower Serenade: Brunch & Brushes
There is something about a sunflower that makes you smile.
Maybe it is their cheerful yellow faces reaching toward the sun. Maybe it is the way they seem to say, “Choose joy. Look for the light.” Whatever the reason, sunflowers felt like the perfect inspiration for our September Beautiful Table Settings gathering.
This month, we named our event Sunflower Serenade: Brunch & Brushes—and it was one of those gatherings we will remember for a long time.
Creativity at its best
Our hostess, Natalie, planned something especially creative for us. Her daughter joined us to teach our group how to paint sunflowers. I loved the idea of combining two things that Beautiful Table Settings does so well: gathering around a beautiful table and creating memories with friends.
And this time, we added a paintbrush to the mix!
Central-AL Beautiful Table Settings was supposed to gather at a local coffee shop this month for brunch. But when an HVAC problem in extreme heat — changed those plans, our hostess with the mostest did what good hostesses do—she simply found another place for us to gather. Quickly!
A New Setting for BTS
Perhaps that’s part of the charm of gathering around a table. The setting may change, but the reason we come together does not.
There will still be conversation and laughter. There will still be friends arriving with stories to share, friends to pray for and this time, there was a little creativity in the air.
Several stayed to paint their sunflowers, —one golden petal at a time—as we also dreamt about our Trees for Hope table and what it might look like when all the pieces finally come together.
And perhaps our new venue is fitting in more ways than we realized. And it served us lunch instead of brunch.
Savages Bakery
Savage’s is an old Birmingham name beginning a new chapter under new ownership, while preserving much of what made it beloved in the first place. There is something beautiful about that—honoring what has been while making room for what is next.
Isn’t that what tables do?
They carry traditions forward.
They welcome new friends.
They make room for one more chair.
Meet Our Artist: Danielle Portera Lang
This month, we were especially excited to welcome Danielle Portera Lang, Natalie’s daughter, who was our artist and guide for the morning.
Danielle is a Birmingham-area artist with a B.S. in Art from Samford University. Her artistic work includes portraits, public art and murals, and she has participated in Birmingham-area art events and exhibitions.
Let the Sunflowers Begin
Danielle brought a wonderful combination of artistic talent and a love for creativity to our gathering. She took us from a blank canvas to a beautiful sunflower—and, hopefully, helped some of us discover a little artist hiding inside!
What could be more appropriate for our Sunflower Serenade than learning to paint from an artist who knows how to bring beauty to life?
Brunch, Brushes & Beautiful Friends
As always, the heart of our BTS gatherings isn’t simply the table.
It is the people sitting around it.
There is something special about gathering with women who appreciate beautiful things but, even more importantly, appreciate one another. We come together because we love china, linens, flowers, place settings and all the little details that make a meal memorable.
But somewhere along the way, (as I say in just about every BTS post), we have discovered that the real treasure is the friendship.
This month we gathered around a table, enjoyed lunch instead of brunch, sipped iced tea, picked up paintbrushes and attempted to turn blank canvases into sunflowers.
Some of us may have discovered a hidden artistic talent.
I had to leave early and didn’t get to paint, but I know I would have thought that painting is much harder than it looks!
Either way, I’m sure there was plenty of laughter.
And that’s one of my favorite things about BTS.
Before each gathering, I often wonder what it will be like. This time it was….
Will the paintings all look alike?
Probably not.
And I think that’s the beauty of it.
Just as every beautiful table has its own personality, every artist interprets the sunflower a little differently. Some paintings are bold. Some delicate.
And when finished, the ladies each had something they created themselves—a little reminder of a September morning spent with friends.
So, for this month’s Beautiful Table Settings gathering, we traded our usual tablescapes for lunch/brunch and brushes.
We headed to Homewood.
We followed the sunflowers.
And we left with a little sunshine of our own. Our party favors were exquisite! I can’t wait to have tea in my lovely new cup and saucer!
Want to see what else Central-AL BTS has been up to?
August: Lazy Hazy Daze of Summer
July: Bunko, BBQ & BTS
June: A Summer Salad Social