A Loving Table: Creating Memorable Gatherings

by Kimberly Schlegel Whitman, Shelley Johnstone Paschke, Mark D. Sikes (Foreword)

Inspiring tables and entertaining styles of 34 tastemakers in their regions or society at large show how they keep traditions passed down from mothers and grandmothers alive in their families. Thirty style-setting women pay tribute to how their mothers and grandmothers have influenced their own styles of entertaining at home. Whether they proudly incorporate recipes passed down from a grandmother’s collection or follow a mother’s lessons for making guests feel comfortable, it is clear that family role models have had a strong influence. Blending inherited dinnerware or decorative pieces in their modern tables is also big in the way women embrace their heritage for entertaining. From formal to casual occasions, city to country, and grand to intimate, indoor and outdoor tables beautifully designed tell a story about how these women host guests at their tables. Each style maker shares tips and lessons in entertaining that she learned from the women in her life. Tip boxes from each generation will help the readers reproduce the ideas and perpetuate their own familial traditions.

Genres: Design, Cooking, Coffee Table Books

304 pages, Hardcover

Published April 19, 2022

About the author

With a talent for making the ordinary extraordinary Kimberly Schlegel Whitman has taken her clever and original take on parties and created an entrepreneurial empire. While planning her own Idlewild Debutante Ball in Dallas, Texas, Kimberly found an undiscovered opportuity-a lack of quality goods for party rentals. RSVP Soiree Luxury Event Rentals was owned and operated by Kimberly for nine years before it was sold to it's largest customer in 2006. Her success in this field let to the publication of Kimberly's first book, "The Pleasure of Your Company: Entertaining in High Style" (Gibbs-Smith, $34.95). Recently, Kimberly released her second entertaining book exclusively for dog lovers, "Dog Parties: Entertaining Your Party Animals" (Gibbs Smith, $19.95). Kimberly's next project, "The Wedding Workbook: A Time Saving Guide for the Busy Bride" (Gibbs-Smith, $24.95) followed her season as the star of the Style Network's hit show "Whose Wedding is it Anyway?" Kimberly's highly anticipated next release is "Tablescapes: Setting the Table with Style" (Gibbs-Smith, September 2008) will feature tabletop designs and tips for entertaining. Kimberly has been featured in Vanity Fair, Elle, Vogue, Town and Country, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Real Simple, Elegant Bride, BusinessWeek, Canadian House and Home and many more. She has also been coronted an "Entertaining Expert," a "Style Expert," and an "Arbiter of Taste and Style" on The Early Show, The Tyra Banks Show, WB in the Morning, Designing Texas, Designing America, Good Morning Texas, Good Day Dallas and many more. "

Reviews

[Kathleen Nalley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointing although photography and table settings were beautiful.

[Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gorgeous pictures of placesettings & celebrations. You can thumb thru and just marvel at the photos or read each essay describing the thought and effort creating each beautiful tablescape.