In keeping with the flavor of My French Twist, I decided rearrange the colors of our flag just a little for this bloghop … from red, white & blue to bleu, blanc rouge. Let’s raise our glasses to our friends across the Atlantic, shall we? Besides, without the French, we may not have won our independence from England. Without the French, the Statue of Liberty would not reside in the New York Harbor. And without the French, we would all be serving Boone’s Farm Wild Irish Rose with dinner.
So for this red, white & blue tablescape, I’m celebrating Bastille Day. Before I bring out the pâté, though, I have to share a photo with you of one disgruntled family member who refused to participate in my French fête. As you can surmise from this photo, he’s loyal to only one country. (Yes, he is posing in a crock pot, but that’s another post entirely.)
(This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure here.) Now back to baguettes… I decided to host my Bastille Day “preview” party indoors this year, as we’re in the middle of rainy season in Cincinnati. I also decided to keep things easy. That means setting up a buffet, buying all the food, then transferring it to my own bowls & platters. Sorry mes amies, but authentic ratatouille just takes too long to make.
Every good party calls for lively decorations, so I hung some paper lanterns over my kitchen island. The space between my two contemporary light pendants was the perfect spot for a festive garland. I strung florist wire between the pendants then camouflaged it with fresh stems of greenery.
Next I added a chalkcloth banner above the door to my courtyard. Vive la France!
In keeping with this chalkcloth theme, I added a runner to the table, onto which I labeled all the dishes. Underneath the runner, however, is a whimsical blue & white tablecloth. Okay, not true. It’s actually a cotton shower curtain I bought from Target on sale for $6, but I adore it. The print reminds me of a Matisse design.
I adorned the table with fresh flowers, spreading extra greenery stems on the tabletop. I also found some tiny bud vases at Target for only $2 each, so I filled them with old wine corks (cut in half), then added a candle.
Now, for the menu – (I might add that up until this point, I have neither seen nor heard my lazy little pug for hours) – I served fresh baguettes with pâté and cheeses, quiche and tabouleh. Of course, dessert included macaroons with a chocolate cake.
Uh oh, once the food came out, look who decided to join the party.
The French enjoy a glass of Pastis before a big dinner, so I added that to my bar. If you’ve never tried this anise-flavored apéritif, you should! It is mixed with water & ice and has a distinct licorice taste. And of course, I served French wines. A tip about French rosés: the rosés from southern regions of France tend to be the most dry, especially Aix-en-Provence.
On July 14, be sure to offer a toast to France. “Liberté, égalité, fraternité!” my friends, even to conniving little canine defectors.
Be sure to click on the links below and check out how my fellow blogging friends have decorated for the 4th!
Monday
Home is Where the Boat Is
Red Cottage Chronicles
Belle Bleu Interiors
A Casa di Bianca
Tuesday
Corner of Plaid & Paisley
Everyday Living
Life and Linda
Knock it Off Kim
Wednesday
At Home with Jemma
The Painted Apron
Living With Thanksgiving
Our Crafty Mom
Thursday
PMQ For Two
Debbee’s Buzz
Camelot Art Creations
Celebrate & Decorate
Friday
Around My Table
Blue Sky at Home
My French Twist
Me and My Captain
Wendy, what a fun post and tablescape! Such a creative “french twist”. I know you know that already. haha I love all of the elements and that little pug of yours – what a sweetheart! I’m sure the french would forgive him almost anything.
Thanks Kim! Yes, Hadji gets back with anything! He’s my baby.
Wendy, the chalkboard runner is such a great idea, and your dog is so cute! Bonne fête de la Bastille and… Happy 4th of July!
Merci Donna!
The chalkboard runner is such a brilliant party idea. Love it.
I feel a little bit bad commenting here, as an English girl from the UK it was us that the french helped save you from! Sorry about that. I could suggest red white and blue could be for our flag too, does that make it any better?
Lol… you are our mother country!❤️ thanks for checking out the post!
Wendy, I love your French twist on everything! Your pug is adorable, I hope he got a macaron or two! Your setting is fun and festive and the menu sounds fabulous! It is a pleasure blog hopping with you!
Thanks so much Pam. It is always fun to bloghop with this group of creative women!
What a sweet puppy you have Wendy! I absolutely love your buffet with the chalkboard runner. What a great idea. I also like the pop of yellow daisies. The baguette, macarons and the french wines are the perfect french touches!
Thank you so much Maureen!
Wendy,
Oh my goodness-your little pup is adorable! Your chalkboard runner has me swooning and I love, love the flowers. What a beautiful tablescape!
Thank you Michelle! Fun bloghopping with you!
As always your French Twist is très intelligent et charmant, especially your canine defector! Love your chalkboard runner and your celebration menu looks delicious. It’s always a pleasure to blog hop with you!
Awe. Thank you so much Mary!
Your French twist on this is fun. I love the greenery added to the string of paper lanterns – it just makes the red, white and blue pop more. I know nothing about wines – so I found your selection interesting. Your macaroon loving dog in the crock pot is an adorable photo!!!
Thank you Ann and thanks for stopping by!
Outstanding Wendy! I love your creative interpretation of the theme and thanks for the lesson on French wines. Your pug is adorable and I hope he got a nibble or two. This table is simple, elegant and festive. Have a happy holiday and I’m looking forward to our next hop.
Me too Sandra! Thanks for stopping by!
Love your french twist with bleu, blanc and rouge for Bastile Day. Your paper lanterns over your island are the prettiest I’ve seen.
Clever to use a shower curtain for your tablecloth. I would have never known.
All your food looks delicious.
Nice to bloghop with you.
Thank you so much Bonnie!
Wendy, how clever and darling is this post. How did you get your sweet pup to sit in this crock pot! Love your creativity and celebration of Bastille Day! The table runner is delightful as are the wine cork candles.
Lovely sharing the blog hop with you!
Jemma
Thank you Jemma! Blog hops are fun with these talented ladies😊
hi Wendy, I was smiling all the way through this post with your “French Twist” on everything! Your runner with the french dishes is so clever, and the simple tower of wine corks with a flag and candle is perfect! How did you ever get your sweet pup to sit in the crock pot?? Very French, Fabulous & fun!
Jenna
Thanks so much for stopping by Jenna! My dog Hadji is never far from me!
Wendy, how unique and creative to celebrate Bastille Day! I especially liked the runner and wine cork candles. My French great-grandparents would have loved the table.
Thanks Debra!
woops…. auto correct…. I mean Debee!