Love Bug

Here you go...

My 2009 Valentine's Day tablescape!
THEME:"A Love Bug Bit Me!"
MY INSPIRATION:
Anchor HockingLove Bug
slim & straight Glasses
Yes, just like the Jonas Bros., I too, got hit by the "Love Bug".
(I found this at our local Dollar Tree for, yes, $1 each!)

Back in January, while every store is busy cleaning up their New Year retail clutter, my dh and I went out to go search for another yearly planner in the Dollar Tree near us. Suffice it to say, there were none yet so, naturally, I wandered off to the Valentine aisle they had up on the front end of the store.
I didn't pick it up right away because of the other cheesy (and I mean cheesy) Valentine junk, but when dh disappeared for maybe 10-15 minutes into the next set of aisles, I took a second look and the idea just hit me like a ton of bricks!
I picked up 8 and after finding Charlie, I immediately told him I wanted to do another Valentine's Day table. With one look, he expressed that "What now?" curiosity and "Brain" and I were off explaining. And since he had to work that night, he approved of the idea! (Thank you, Honey! You're the best!) I also found this cute decanter (also $1) to hold the drink (you know, just like in nice restaurants). The slim and straight look of these glasses was perfect for the little hands of my 6 & 9 year olds-they loved using it! Plus, when I found some Sansi black bowls with white polka dots at Ross, a few days later, the whole theme came together. (Such a lovely thought it was, "Brain" was very delighted at the idea.)

The following placesetting was a mixture of great deals from Walmart, Kroger & Ross (bought over time since January).
If you've been following this blog, this theme had been shown in snippets. I wanted a fun but formal looking table and the polka dots on the lady bugs guided my theme.

(Love that!)

For starters, to emphasize the fun side, I placed the utensils in the bowl tucked under the napkins. I originally wanted a red tablecloth, but those went first when Christmas Clearance (CC) hit. I knew I wanted to focus on the "Love bug" concept, so I searched for black round placemats, and last minute, I found some at Ross. (Yes!)The look of the napkins provided a sense of lightness to the tablescape. To extract the hearts on the glasses, I opted to use solid red votive holders and red heart-shaped tea lights.
By having the glow come from the table up, romance was achieved; though it looked formal, I also achieved a fun, romantic, family friendly table; tall candle holders and taper candles would have given it an air appropriate for Oscar Awards night type of gatherings. (Didn't want that!) The flowerpots were elevated onto cake stands so the main centerpiece was balanced out on each side. Both flowerpots were also placed on opposite sides, diagonal to each other to create movement while maintaining symmetry. By sticking with red, white and black, the green of the leaves seem to disappear.

DH surprised me with flowers (red roses and carnations) from Walmart, so...
I made those part of the centerpiece! (Gotta love that...) It made such a difference in creating a high enough focal point on the table without overwhelming it-I originally wanted to just use the desserts as the main centerpiece of the theme; gourmet fortune cookies, individual cheesecake brownie cups and Ferrero-Rocher's Rondnoir dark choc balls for extra sweetness, after dinner. Yum!!! (We're talking chocolate overload!)
My three kiddos and dh, all said, "Wow!" Of course, I had to try out the candles; it was so romantic that my teen said, "I just really like that, that's why it's my favorite. And not just because you used black!"
Now that's a compliment! (Did you notice how slim the table was? It's the new one! It was perfect for the job!)
TABLE GOODIES:
Corelle white salad plates; MINE (Back in AZ)Anchor Hocking Love Bug Glasses; Dollar Tree- $1 eachGibson Chrome Bamboo utensils; Ross- $18/ 20-pc box
Black round placemats; Ross- $5.99/4 Sansi black w/ white polka dot bowls; Ross- $2.49 each
Red plates (6), ribbons and runner; Walmart-total $26
Bordallo Pinheiro "Daisy" white cake stands; Marshall's- 50% off each
Big white cake stand- FREE (FreeCycle)
Heart cake stand, Sur La Table- 56% off
Red heart candle holders, Walmart & CVS- 10/$9 total
Red votives; Tom Thumb- CC, $2/4
Paper "Love Bug" Boxes- Hallmark
(indulgence @ 6.95 each)
Red polka dot pots, Kroger- $5 each
White tablecloth and 6 napkins; Kroger-CC, $8.50

MENU: (I decided to make it light; nutrition and portion wise)
Italian Wedding Soup (Campbell's)
Heart-shaped pasta with shrimp and chicken
tossed with lemon juice, olive oil and parsley
Hands-on salad (lettuce wrapped salad)
Grape Sierra Fizzy (it was requested) (I know, I know... these are not light, but each person only had 1!)
Individual Cheesecake brownies
Fortune cookies
Chocolates

I hope you like it, too! If you do, make sure you tell me! Ok, love ya!