Last month, we threw a little get-together at work to congratulate two teammates who had achieved some major milestones.  The vibe was supposed to be casual and nothing too fussy, yet I wanted it to feel pulled together with some commonality. Since it was almost fall, but was still so incredibly hot, I decided to play around with a harvest theme that incorporated some cooler hues to keep the design from being too stuffy and hot on a scorching September afternoon (no reds or oranges here!).  Thanks to a recent trip to the Rose Bowl Flea, I had a ton of indigo fabric that I knew would make a great base.  I picked up some weathered indigo cloth napkins from World Market to keep the look cohesive and to create some contrast against our simple white plates.  Playing off of the harvest theme, each place setting had a little artichoke on the napkin and larger artichokes, bay leaf, and simple fall greens placed down the center of the table.  I evenly spaced a few white marble candlesticks and some simple votives to bring in a little warmth and glow.  Since we were super limited on time, I threw some extra greens in a pitcher for the buffet table and painted a really quick congratulatory sign with watercolor to hang above.  The food was also kept simple with a cheese and charcuterie board to pair with each of the wines we were going to be serving that night.  A few sprigs of green kept everything tied together and we were ready to go!  Take a look at some of my favorite shots from the party below.  Cheers!

{All images by Joel Maus of Studio EMP}