Happy Monday, friends!! First I want to admit, yes, I have been an incredible slacker on my blog posts. I am becoming so busy {yay!}, and I have so many projects that are just about finished that I will share with you soon! Some of those are my new rock yard, an East Hill mudroom, a Bayou Cottage, and a downtown office space. Stay tuned soon, I promise to post some great pictures soon.

Before I get to the other spaces I've been working on, I want to share with you a table scape I created for a good cause. I was thrilled when I received a phone call asking if I would decorate a designer table for the Pensacola Tour of Tables at First Baptist Church in Downtown Pensacola. Every other year, this event funds the program "Hungry at Home", and is extremely well attended by hundreds of women. It's a fun way to have a lunch or dinner with your girlfriends, and to see table scapes created by all the wonderful talent in Pensacola. Not only do local designers decorate tables, but church members as well, and they are all so beautiful! If you missed this year's event, be sure to check out pictures on the website: http://pensacolatouroftables.com/ .

If you know me, you know I love to put together a table scape. When I received the phone call, my mind starting going 100 miles a minute. What will I do? After much deliberation, I decided that I wanted to showcase something I would do in my own home. Something that anyone could recreate rather easily on their own. Something that was simple and natural, and appropriate for all the fall family gatherings we all have coming up.

The first step is the base of the table. I love to use natural materials layered on top of each other. The table cloth is a flour sack material. I layered a jute fringed table runner on top of that for some natural softness. To provide contrast, I placed a dark grey linen table runner with subtle stitching details on the top.

The next step is the centerpiece and plate chargers. I used these gorgeous woven plate chargers which tie into the natural elements I was going for on the table. For this event, I knew a tall centerpiece would be eye catching, however, I would shy away from this on my home table since it would prevent you from seeing the person sitting across from you.

The centerpiece started with a vintage shipping crate I found at an antique store. I love the height of this crate, and it's versatility. I knew I wanted to incorporate a fall theme, so I piled in white pumpkins and sage colored squash. The antique copper pitcher gave me the height I wanted, and I generously filled it with fresh olive branches. To fill in the gaps between the pumpkins, I placed some faux succulents. This is the one kind of faux plant I am OK with since they look pretty real. To add another natural layer of color variations, I filled the remaining gaps in with fresh eucalyptus branches and silvery dusty miller. Not only does this centerpiece look good, it smelled so wonderful with all the eucalyptus branches!

The dishes are my everyday white dishes from Crate and Barrel, I love the subtle organic movement and clean lines they provide. For a slight pop of color, I added a Navy colored dinner napkin between the plates. The water glasses are a staple in my home and are from DUH. They can be used for water, OJ, and I even love to serve wine in them as a casual Italian style glass. The wooden coasters pull in the wood from the crate and provide a nice layered contrast under the clear water glass. Layering in always the key to a polished looking table.

The brass and wood flatware is unique from my mother in law's collection. It was purchased when the lived in the Philippines. Who knew brass, copper and golds would be back in style?! I thought they were the perfect touch to this casual dinner table.

White metal chairs continue the casual simplicity. To warm them up, I added some cozy plaid pillows. But after all this, there was still something missing. I needed one more layer. So I called upon our former nanny, who has wonderful handwriting, to create some fun place markers for our guests!

White pumpkins with the names of your guests will surely be a hit for your fall gatherings! Here are a couple more up close shots of the table - ENJOY!

Even our beloved pup got a pumpkin place holder ;-)! Have a beautiful week!