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    French Country Cottage Inspired Gatherings
    French Country Cottage Inspired Gatherings
    French Country Cottage Inspired Gatherings
    Ebook193 pages44 minutes

    French Country Cottage Inspired Gatherings

    By Courtney Allison

    4.5/5

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    About this ebook

    Entertaining starts with setting a fabulous table. In Courtney Allison’s signature French Country Cottage style, she showcases a myriad of romantic table settings for every occasion. Courtney provides the styling expertise to host your own French Country Cottage–inspired gathering, whether in the backyard, at the beach, under an old oak tree, or in a country barn. A simple picnic; coffee by the lake; a cheese board for friends outdoors; a bistro table for two; a long table for a formal meal—each setting exhibiting Allison’s dreamy style for you to emulate. The pièce de résistance in every venue, any setting, is the gorgeous arrangements of seasonal flowers; Courtney’s bouquets will take your breath away from spring to fall, for outdoors and inside.
     
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherGibbs Smith
    Release dateMay 26, 2020
    ISBN9781423653608
    French Country Cottage Inspired Gatherings
    Author

    Courtney Allison

    A freelance photographer and author of the blog French Country Cottage, Courtney also works as an editor, brand ambassador and designer.  She has a floral collection with Balsam Hill and with several licensed collections launching in 2018 and 2019,  Courtney's product lines will join her long list of creative accomplishments.  Her photography and home has been featured in magazines in the US and Europe including several cover shots. Courtney is a mother of three and lives in her vintage cottage in the California countryside with her husband and adopted dog Sweet Pea; you can often find her with camera in hand capturing a whimsical moment.  

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      Book preview

      French Country Cottage Inspired Gatherings - Courtney Allison

      For my mom,

      whose love of home and entertaining has shown me from a young age that creating a welcoming place for friends and family to gather also creates wonderful memories that last long after the occasion.

      My memories of those childhood occasions have encouraged me to create gatherings for my own family, who inspire me every day.

      Contents

      Introduction

      Elements and Layers

      Small Gatherings

      Nibbles for Two on the Dock
      Greenhouse Brunch
      Lilac Table
      Sweets in the Sweet Peas
      Wine Country Brunch for Two
      Flower-Laden Tête-à-Tête
      Wine & Cheese on the Patio

      Entertaining at Home

      Under the Oak Tree
      A Table in the Woods
      Chic Barn Celebration
      Dining Room Casual Lunch
      Harvest Table
      A Grazing Breakfast in the Kitchen
      Backyard Glamping

      Inspirational Settings

      Flower Meadow Picnic
      Apple Orchard Pie Social
      Vineyard Formal Dinner
      Private Beach Party
      Summer Fields Gathering
      Autumn Interlude

      Inspired Florals

      Credits

      Acknowledgments

      About the Author

      Introduction

      Gatherings. It is a word that brings to mind something wonderful. Something full of excitement and anticipation and inspiration. Lots of laughs, special conversations, meaningful moments, and memories in the making.

      Inspired gatherings with friends and family—whether small and intimate or full of guests and energy—are food for the soul.

      From the time I was a young girl, I remember being quite enamored with anything to do with gatherings, from dinner parties to lakeside getaways with family and friends to Thanksgiving dinner at my grandmother’s house in the mountains. There was something about those special times that held a certain fascination for me, even when I was little. When I knew that there was a special occasion coming up on the calendar, I got a little bit giddy with the anticipation, knowing what was sure to be an enchanted event was just around the corner.

      Though I wasn’t involved in the aspects of party planning, packing for a getaway with the family, or the basic details of what goes on behind the scenes, the appeal for me started with the simplest of things: a notepad and pen that mother would use to jot down things to remember and the smallest of details she didn’t want to overlook. She would plan everything, right down to when the invitations would go out and what time in the evening the candles would be lit.

      The hors d’oeuvres. The dinner. The beverages. The desserts. They were all there, of course, but beyond those handwritten notes and list of nibbles were the things that delighted me most. The candles. The Christmas tree twinkles. The music playing in the background. The way the sun dropped behind the trees at a particular time and the stage that had been set for the party felt like it came to life. Along with all this came the laughter of guests and the smile that my mother wore when she could finally take a moment to relax and enjoy the moment.

      Now that I am older, I think back to our gatherings when planning and hosting my own, and while I have vivid memories of the elements and layers that went into each one, the china patterns, the tablecloths, and the particular food are not what stand out to me. It is much more the feelings, sights, sounds, smells, and ambience of the gatherings that have stayed with me. That sweet smell of my grandmother’s fudge that you could almost taste from the moment you stepped in through her front door for Thanksgiving dinner. The crisp mountain air and smell of smoke from the campfire at the lake and & the feeling of the scratchy wool camping blankets. The burst of yellow and pink wild flowers gathered up from the garden and placed on the table for a summer evening barbecue.

      It seems our family has a long line of entertaining women who had scratch pads filled with lists, notes with tidbits to remember stuck to the counters, and old favorite recipes earmarked in the ruffled pages of cookbooks. Those formerly secret family recipes handwritten on old recipe cards were spotted with flour and oil stains, evidence of how many times they had been used over the years.

      My mom was always planning the next great get-together, whether it was a grand occasion, like a block party, or something simple, like a picnic dinner at the ocean. My grandmother was much the same in her love of entertaining and having a house full of people. No doubt she was an influence on my mom, just as Nana, my great-grandmother, was on her.

      The same dishes that my grandmother used—the ones covered in pink flowers and lace details—are in my cupboard for everyday occasions now, and whenever we bring them out to use them, I am reminded of those Thanksgivings and Easters at her house and the memories that come along with them.

      Though

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