Rosh Hashanah Table Vibes

I love, love, love setting a table for a special meal, especially for the Jewish holidays. The autumnal colors, seasonal flowers, and rich, warm tones evoke that yummy feeling of family and home. I lost someone very close to me a couple days before the holiday, so I threw myself into my meal planning as a way to cope. Creating a beautiful space for my family and friends really did bring me much needed comfort. The tapestry I layered in the middle of the table was purchased on a family trip to Costa Rica. I knew it’d go well with my rust colored chargers and wedding china, a cherished gift from my mother in law. Each cream colored napkin had a sprig of fresh rosemary peeking out, plucked straight from my garden. Fresh herbs are a lovely, inexpensive, and fragrant way to add nature and whimsy to a table scape year round. The bronze vases I saved from my son’s bar mitzvah last June, and I brought them to my local florist to fill with seasonal colors. Since challah is such a crucial (and messy) part of the meal, each guest had a matching bread plate to control the crumb factor. The bread plates were really my china tea cup saucers. The little wire pears and apples are place card holders; I like to make everything seamless for my guests. Tons of varied shaped rose gold, speckled candle holders and votives made the whole scene come alive, during Covid mandated outdoor dining. It was truly show stopping, and my guests were delighted upon arrival. After the challenge and isolation of this long lockdown, it was especially meaningful to have a beautiful meal all together. It’s just been so long since a celebration, and that’s what the new year is all about; celebrating life, freshness, opportunity, and good times with loved ones. It meant a lot to me to show my children that we rise to the occasion, no matter the circumstances. There is always joy to be found amidst the grief, hardships, and challenges of life. May we all be blessed with sweetness, and the ability to accept the sour.