Setting a Pear Chalkboard Tabletop for Dinner Guests

Last week, I hosted bloggers who came to southern Oregon for 3 days to visit Harry & David. The weather was so fantastic, as you can see by these pictures I’m sharing today, and it was a joy to have my wonderful friends into our home. Read on, as I share about the fabulous pear chalkboard tabletop and all the juicy (sweet) details of how it all came together.

Keeping these 3 dinner party tips in mind, I couldn’t have pulled this big party off all by myself, so I’ve learned to ask for help.

Yes, I was running a bit behind, wrapping up the details, so here are some examples of how it all came together:

Don’t forget to ask for help!

Blank Form (#3)

WANT TO SAVE THIS RECIPE?
Enter your email below and we'll send the recipe straight to your inbox (and more recipes sent weekly!)

Email

Submit

1. I asked my neighbor, Ellie, for help. She cut up all the Granny Smith apples in the dessert and made the topping and the custard sauce for me. Sweet Ellie! I would do the same for her, if she needed my help!

2. My daughter took the photos of the beautiful table and the guests when they arrived. Thank you, Abby! She and my niece also helped set out the NEW cool chalkboard wine glasses.

3. My dear friend, Jessica, came around 3 to help out with odds and end jobs. She helped put together appetizers, went to the store for ice, helped me wipe out our NEW Mikasa chalk board wine glasses, and lots of miscellaneous jobs. LOTS of jobs. Jessica was a lifesaver.

4. Our friends Stephen and Judy came early. I’m glad they did. Judy said she’d never seen me so flustered right before a party. I was indeed.

5. My husband, Paul, is a Rock Star. We’ve been doing this together long enough now, and we know how to pull it all together. He’s in charge of the music, and he does a fabulous job! He’s also a great conversationalist, and makes everyone feel so welcome. (Below, Paul and Judy.)

Once the guests came, I started having fun!

It always works that way. What’s done is done. Right?

Earlier, our friends from Rosewood Vintage in Medford brought 2 of their tables and benches over. Loved the benches on the side and mix-matched chairs on the end.

Our dear friends, Carol and Susie, at Penny and Lu Lu, put together the cutest flower boxes. Chalkboard boxes filled with Harry & David Comice pears, branches, and leaves. Beautiful and perfect for the chalkboard theme!

On the outside they wrote sweet sayings like, So Juicy, and So Sweet, So Juicy, You can Eat them with a Spoon.

And, to top it off, we had hand-written place cards with different varieties of pears drawn on each card. So sweet!

What I loved about each place setting was that I primarily used what I already had on hand.

That’s the best kind of party!

Here’s what was involved in the Pear Chalkboard Tabletop:

Runner: I bought a chalkboard table runner roll of paper when I was in Kohler, WI, the weekend before, at Kohler Gardener shop. We ran 1 large piece down the center of the table.

Chargers: I used the bronze chargers I had purchased last year at Michael’s.

Black plates, glass salad plates, water glasses: Dollar Store.

Chalk Board base wine glass: Mikasa – but you can purchase them at Macy’s or Bed Bath and Beyond.

They were So easy to use. You write with chalk, and the chalk rubs right off. Brilliant – perfect for the holidays!

The next morning, cute chalkboard doodles on the table from the night before made me smile. Fun! :)

And I really love this photo at dusk, as the night was closing in, and the party was well on its way.

Great “sweet” friends on a beautiful evening in the Rogue Valley. (The group minus a few guests who arrived late: Lindsay, Ali, Melissa, Angie, Robyn, Shelly, me, Cassie, Judy, and Julie – missing the late arrivers, Helen, Gina, Amanda and Michael!)

Even with a few late guests, I’ve learned the party still goes on.

Having the attitude that everything doesn’t have to be perfect and learning to go with the flow is key!

It’s too easy to be stressed, and wish the party was over before it’s barely begun. I don’t want to be that kind of hostess.

Eventually, we were all together. One big happy Harry & David Family!

What’s your favorite part about hosting a dinner party?

Coming up … the menu, and the fabulous appetizers using Harry & David products! Tabletop last year had a pumpkin theme. Check it out, here.