The holiday spirit jumped off the tables at the soldout Boca Grande Garden Club annual Christmas Luncheon and Table Decorating Show Dec. 5 at the Gasparilla Inn & Club.
Members worked off the theme "A Storybook Christmas" to design 10 unique table interpretations.
Event co-chairs Shelly Corl and Jennie Albertson called on all table designers to tell the group how they interpreted the theme.
Article Photos
Garden Club Christmas lunch co-chairs Shelly Corl, left, and Jennie Albertson, right, bookend storytelling talent Katie Adams from Tampa.
Tables themes ranged from:
the original Christmas story of the birth of Jesus designed as a children's table setting by Jane Mauceri;
how tinsel comes from spider webs, designed by Bettie Coulter;
Fact Box
At the next Garden Club meeting, speaker Charlie Nardozzi will discuss "Contemporary Container Gardening" at 1 p.m. Jan. 9 in the Boca Grande Community Center Auditorium
To RSVP call Kay Ferland at (941) 924-7328, and mail check for $25 payable to the Boca Grande Garden Club, marked "Jan Mtg" in memo line to Doe Flannery at P.O. Box 1246, Boca Grande FL 33921.
Special extra: Orchid/plant sale by Line Berousek, Pomello Park nurser.
the original story of the Christmas candy cane by Betty Fisher;
Connie Sayer and Molly McCreadie used Golden Books as their centerpiece;
the team of Sue Reske, Hilary Dahms and Sharon Blasdell presented a Peter Rabbit Christmas Table;
Marjorie Moore and Judy Thomas designed a Froggy Christmas table;
Dee Wheeler and Nancy Lingeman featured "A Christmas Carol";
by Georgia McGurl's table featured Santa and seashells; and
Nell Cox riffed on nutcrackers; and
the team of Jane Moore, Lee Ann Tobin and Lois Hayden collaborated.
Entertainment was provided by Katie Adams, a professional storyteller from Tampa who is a member of the National Storytelling Network, headquartered in Jonesboro, Tenn. She told several stories including the tale of the origin of the Christmas poinsettia and a Russian fairy tale about the origin of the nesting dolls.
Co-chairs presented the designers with orchids and gave out door prizes to four local restaurants as a way of showing support for our local businesses.
Co-chairs for next year will Nell Cox, Pam Bayly and Ann White, who will select the theme.
Diane Johnson, first vice president, filled in for absent President Nora Lea Reefe, who is still stymied by red tide-related health concerns. But Reefe said next year's Christmas bash is already coming together.
"At least five teams have already signed up to design tables, an indication of how popular this sold out event is every year," Reefe said in an e-mail.
At the next Garden Club meeting, speaker Charlie Nardozzi will discuss "Contemporary Container Gardening" at 1 p.m. Jan. 9 in the Boca Grande Community Center Auditorium
To RSVP call Kay Ferland at (941) 924-7328, and mail check for $25 payable to the Boca Grande Garden Club, marked "Jan Mtg" in memo line to Doe Flannery at P.O. Box 1246, Boca Grande FL 33921.
Special extra: Orchid/plant sale by Line Berousek, Pomello Park nurser.
