“a stylish December birthday dinner sans kris kringle”

I helped my friend Randy Burt with the decor for a 35th birthday celebration he hosted for his wife Kimberly – also a dear friend of mine.  I too have a December birthday, so I know the angst of seeing Santa invade your big day.  Accordingly, my motif was cozy winter with lots of feminine flourish for the very girly guest of honor..

The dinner was a seated affair in the basement wine cellar of the cozy and always delicious Rustic House in Lincoln Park (kudos to their talented chef Jason Paskewitz). And to keep things super intimate we decided on one long narrow table keep everyone a part of the same celebration.

Kimberly’s favorite flowers are hydrangeas, so to stay in the spirit of the season I paired them with sprigs of winter greenery and white queen anne lace . To build on the outdoor forest feel I lined the clear round vases with pliable 1/16″ sheets of birch bark. One long piece of thick cedar roping bisected the table, weaving through the center pieces.

Along the long cellar wall I draped twenty yards of fresh cedar roping (accented with juniper) along with metallic pennant banners and jute letter flags which spelled “K I M B E R L Y”) both constructed from children’s birthday supplies found at The Land of Nod. To keep it extra cozy, I turned the lights way down and let three dozen candles (votives and tapers) light the room. It almost felt as if we were dining by firelight.  And then the cake arrived – glowing like a torch in the dim room.

All in all, a warm, chic celebration in the city.  What more could a birthday girl wish for?