Anne of Green Gables Inspired picnic

Last month was my birthday and Jordan kept asking me what I wanted. He had already ordered me two bare root roses and there was nothing that I really needed but there was something else that I had wanted to do for a couple of years but felt too silly to ask for it for myself. Finally after hearing Jordan say for what seemed like the 100th time, “There’s got to be something else you would like to do for your birthday” I relented by telling him there was something else I really did want to do. I wanted to have a picnic in the woods with a few family and friends.
We’ve put on many picnics at the farm over the last few years for others but I had never had one that I put on just for me. I felt silly and a little selfish to have a birthday picnic for myself. I wasn’t turning any “monumental” age and I guess somewhere in my mind I was afraid that what I would think was fun and magical but others wouldn’t. I’m glad I set those silly thoughts and feelings aside.
I had been walking the woods and noticed a little deer path crossing. It opened up to a little spot with no brambles or bushes and right off the trail so too close for any deer to use as a bedding area for fawns. Maybe it was because I had finally been getting around to reading “Anne of Green Gables” but it felt like my own personal Idlewild. I asked Jordan to clear it out a little more for me and after a few hours Jordan had created a wider trail and mowed down a little area and my own little Idlewild was created. Just a little spot right off the trail with dappled light and hidden enough to feel like you’d found a little secret nook in the forest. We decided this was the perfect place to hold my birthday picnic.

It began raining that morning so Jordan got out the tent so we could still have our picnic in the woods. We used wooden picnic table tops setting on saw horses and mismatched old wood chairs for our furniture. I had made everyone flower crowns with wildflowers and honeysuckle picked from the farm (they smelled amazing) that also served as place settings around our crystal plates. I used small little bud vases and vintage creamer pitchers filled with roses and pincushion flowers from my cottage garden over a large arrangement because I wanted something not only low to the table but also I loved the idea of little specks of not only color but fragrance around the table. For a small party favor I stamped little kraft notebooks with a wildflower stamp for each guest to take home.

For food I created 2 charcuterie boards filled with various cheeses, fruits, meats, crackers and bread. I also included fresh local butter from a local maker in a butter crock that paired lovely with the bread. I commissioned my friend and local Baker, Sprinkled Sweet, for chocolate chip cookies and the most amazing strawberry cake!
Along with our food we had strawberry lemonade from our local strawberry farm, Jone’s Strawberry Farm. It didn’t take us long to go through the entire gallon of lemonade because it was so delicious!

I’m so glad I put all those negative feelings aside and decided to throw myself this picnic. Everyone loved the idea and we all sat and laughed wearing honeysuckle and daisy flower crowns forgetting ages and the world outside of our little Idlewild in the woods.
The picnic was a good lesson for me to forget worrying about looking “silly” and to do the things that you truly love and enjoy in life. It’s ok to gather loved ones around and share a bit of your imagination with them and celebrate your life as it is right now.

“Kindred spirits are not so scarce as I used to think. It’s splendid to find out there are so many of them in the world.” Anne of Green Gables