Happy National Watermelon Day! (Or the Tale of the Traveling Tablescape)

 I believe that the watermelon is the quintessential summertime treat and I love that there is actually a day to celebrate it. August 3rd is the annual celebration of National Watermelon Day. 

Today I decided that whatever there will be for dinner (not inclined to cook these days!), we should have a celebratory tablescape.  And since watermelon equals warm sunny summertime days, that means outdoors and poolside. 

And of course every tablescape worthy of the name must have a special centerpiece.  Since we are celebrating the watermelon, I got a "personal" watermelon (that's what the grocery store called it) and went right across the aisle to the floral department. 

I have been pleasantly surprised by the flowers that our local grocery stores are carrying these days.  No longer are they just a place to grab a quick last minute bouquet for a gift, but they actually have a lot of different types of florals for different arrangements you can make yourself or they will make for you. 

Some times, a friend comes along to enjoy the flowers with you. 

This time I went old school and bought carnations.  I couldn't decide which color was more "watermelony", so I bought both pink and red.  I know carnations are not popular with some people, but I really love the pretty simplicity of them.  I sliced a bit of the bottom so the melon would sit upright and then used a small ice cream scoop to carve out the melon (working on my pumpkin carving skills!).  Pro-tip: place a small vase or bowl in the melon before adding water. It helps to keep the flowers in place and the water in the bowl (Do not ask me how I know this...)

I found these melamine plates and cups at the dollar store. They are perfect for poolside where we do not allow glass.  The tablecloth is from fabric I found at Walmart.  I just loved the blue background and those cute melons!  I was thrilled to find the napkin fabric at Michaels. I sewed up the napkins very quickly and I hope to post a tutorial at some point in the near future.  It is soooo easy and super special to add just the perfect touch to your table.   

Well, I live in the south.  Summertime here means it is either as hot as... well, it is very hot, or it is raining like it is time to join Noah on the Ark.  Today was the first. Hot.  I was about to give up in despair, not being able to get the shot right and burning alive while I was trying to do it.  Then I saw a spot in my yard that is usually reserved for the hammock and is quite shady and actually cool. 

So I picked up the table, tablescape and all, and moved it.  

It was amazing how much more cool this was than the poolside spot, even when I had the umbrella up. 

 

And we still have a view of the pool. 

But then, just about dinner time, it cooled off again. 

Just in time for the golden hour, best viewed poolside. (No, I am not going to admit I moved the table again!)

I will be linking to Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday.  Hop on over to see some beautiful, creative and welcoming tablescapes. 

I hope that you are enjoying plenty of sunshine, summertime and watermelon!  Thanks for stopping by today! 

Cynthia