If you read our earlier Blog on the grease trap debacle, you would know me as the Elder Who from Whosville. Although that title is new, I have been the proud wearer of the CEO title of Special Moments since our origination in 1984. A catering company CEO wears many different hats from decision maker, to visionary to administrator. And as an entrepreneur I would describe myself as somewhat of a jack of all trades. To keep our company interesting and on top of the trends, I spend a lot of time researching and building sets. Hence the reason I came to understand shabby chic!
In a catered setting or a fun meal setup, trendy “sets” are in order. To made a food table look interesting we rely on height, color and out of the box displays. Keeping track of what is trendy and currently in style requires paying attention to holiday and social events as well. And in spite of my “elder” status, I am quite proficient at Pinterest!
Being the creator of most of our set materials, I am often approached by the other Elder Who (Michelle) and am asked to build something for our food displays or tables. Although I enjoy the business side of my job, I really enjoy the opportunity to be creative and 
have fun in my workshop. 
Some of my creations include this brownie pop display and our “Chicken and Waffle” appetizer display.
Well, one day a while back, I was told we needed more “Shabby Chic” items. Not wanting to appear out of the loop, I took my Elder fingers to the Google search bar and asked what the heck I was supposed to do for shabby chic items. Here is what my friend Google told me, “Shabby Chic is a form of interior design where furniture or furnishings are either chosen for their appearance of age and signs of wear and tear or where new items are destressed to achieve the appearance of an antique.”
This was a challenge I was prepared to accept! I started by making a list of the items needed to create the Shabby Chic look. * Barnwood * Burlap * Industrial Fixtures * Reclaimed Wood * Old Trunks * Wooden Table Legs * Mason Jars * Old Creates * Drift Wood * Old Windows.
Now the hunt was on and to be honest, it’s kind of fun! I remembered two old wine type barrels I had in the garage that I used to store wood scraps. I thought they might look 
cool as a table base. I treated the old barrels with Linseed oil and built the top with furniture grade pine plywood. It’s become a favorite piece of many brides for their appetizer or cake displays.
I’ve assembled a variety of pieces over the past season and have a few more planned for the future. Next time I have the pleasure of transforming something old into something new, I’ll take some photos along the way to show you the process. I personally have enjoyed the shabby chic trend and suggest that you might too. When you’re looking at things with different eyes like I do now, a trip to the local thrift store or swap meet takes on a whole new perspective. Stay tuned for more of my fun designs and feel free to comment with photos of your own creations. I love to see creativity in action!
