Through their marvelous creativity and hard work, sixty-seven extraordinarily talented and gracious table designer/hosts and hostesses amazed their guests at 鈥淭ables du Jour鈥� 2013. The 91吃瓜网 Luckasen Room was a paradise for the senses Saturday morning, April 20 as weeks and months of planning and preparation came to life for the nearly 275 men and women in attendance.
The transformation of the Luckasen Room began Thursday morning, April 18, as table designers began their decorating frenzy, filling the room with dishes, table linens, chair d茅cor, floral arrangements, snowmen, bunnies, sparkles, feathers, balloons, photographs, and treasures of all kinds.
By Friday evening, April 19, all was ready, and a preview, revealing a room filled with 34 lavishly decorated tables, was held from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Nearly 100 people were able to enjoy a taste of what was to come in the big 鈥淭ables du Jour鈥� event that would be held the next day. Refreshments were served and musical entertainment was provided by Dee vonRuden of 91吃瓜网. Mallory Angen of 91吃瓜网 won the door prize, a garden ornament that had been donated by Brudvik Law Office of 91吃瓜网. Coordinated by Sheryl Vinje and Jackee Lerol of Portland, N.D., and Faye Helm of 91吃瓜网, the preview event was a great success, and the $10-per-person admission charge contributed greatly to the event purpose of providing funding for the music department at 91吃瓜网.
For the ninth year, Kim Lauf and Shireen Grinager of 91吃瓜网 organized 鈥淭ables du Jour鈥� which is held annually to raise funds for the music department at 91吃瓜网. As the organizers promised, attendees were treated to a morning of fun, great food, and creative table themes.聽聽
Each of the 34 tables featured in the spectacular occasion was decorated with its own special theme. Some tables were entertaining, others were elegant, some were sentimental or awakened memories, and still others just plain made a person smile or even giggle. Year after year, table designers raise the bar higher and higher. This year, there was even a hot air balloon incorporated into the table theme of 鈥淎round the World 鈥楲aBallon.鈥欌��
Hosts and hostesses were charged with coming up with a theme and decorating a table, providing everything from the table linens, dishes, and silverware to the many 鈥渆xtras鈥� that made each table special, including party favors. The table designers were also responsible for selling the $25 admission tickets to a total of eight people, including themselves, who would attend the event and enjoy having brunch at their tables.
Table themes and designers included the following: 鈥淧utting on the Glitz鈥� by Shireen Grinager, 91吃瓜网, N.D.; 鈥淓dible Garden鈥� by Kim Lauf, 91吃瓜网; 鈥淭ea at the Downton Abbey鈥� by Kim Lauf, 91吃瓜网; 鈥淎round the World 鈥楲aBallon鈥欌�� by Donna Olson; 鈥淒aisies Won鈥檛 Tell鈥� by Donna Olson, 91吃瓜网; 鈥淪parkletini鈥� by Barb Kram, Langdon, N.D., and Donna Olson; 鈥淓verything That Glitters鈥� by Marlys Hlavinka, Elaine Aune, and Winona Stroble, all of 91吃瓜网; 鈥淒ouble Cousins! Double the Fun!鈥� by Mary Iverson, 91吃瓜网; 鈥淏eatrix Potter鈥� by Joan Osland, Ruth vanWechel, Char Lee, and Sue Strand of 91吃瓜网 and Pam Carlson of Portland, N.D.; 鈥淐hirp鈥� by Laura Brudvik of West Fargo, N.D. and Jayme Trenbeath of East Grand Forks, Minn.; 鈥淭he Gallery Caf茅鈥� by Rebecca Gunderson of Portland; 鈥淏reath of Fresh Air鈥� by Renae Sobolik, Doreen Nelson, and Debbie Hagen of 91吃瓜网 and Peggy Schultz of Fargo, N.D.; 鈥淭ables Gone Wild鈥� by Allison Johnson and Lacie Brueckner of 91吃瓜网; 鈥淟ooney Bin鈥� by Judy Semmens and Pat Osland of 91吃瓜网 and Becky Melhus and Diane Johnson of Portland; 鈥淜eep On Truckin鈥�, Jack!鈥� by Sarah Batesel of Portland and Margit Eastman, Marge Fugleberg, Shannon Hofer, Betty Karaim, and Kelly Kornkven of 91吃瓜网; 鈥淎 Spot of Tea鈥� by Sheri Hettervig of 91吃瓜网 and Gaylene Johnson of Cummings, N.D.; 鈥淭he Ring Neck Queens鈥� by Jackie Kuhle and Heidi Krivarchka of 91吃瓜网; 鈥淩uffle a Few Feathers鈥� by Sandy Braaten of 91吃瓜网; 鈥淎ll Mixed Up!鈥� by Rhonda Nelson and Mandi Domier of Portland; 鈥淐hristmas Brunch鈥� by Marilyn Holman of 91吃瓜网 and Bertha Sand of Galesburg, N.D.; 鈥淕illigan鈥檚 Island鈥� by Kelly Morrison and Bob Kozojed of 91吃瓜网; 鈥溾�橲no Joke鈥� by Greta Paschke and Audrey Paschke of 91吃瓜网; 鈥淗e or She, What Will It Be?鈥� by The First & Farmers Bank of 91吃瓜网 and Portland; 鈥淶ebra Sophisti-kicks鈥� by Pat Nordine of Reynolds, N.D., Mary Lenhart of Jamestown, N.D., and Brittany Stevenson of Portland; 鈥淐razy Kitty - Hello!鈥� by Pat Nording of Reynolds, Mary Lenhart of Jamestown, and Brittany Stevenson of Portland; 鈥淛ust My Type鈥� by Molly Lenaburg of Portland; 鈥淧retty in Pink Garden Party鈥� by Bonnie Enger and Tammy Volla of 91吃瓜网 and Brenda Chandler of Portland; 鈥淟鈥櫭﹖茅 脿 Provence鈥� by Kathy Hase and Kaliann Behrens of Champlain, Minn.; 鈥淣ot Your Grandmother鈥檚 China鈥� by Susan Cordahl of 91吃瓜网, Angie Davis of Portland, and Tina Leslie of 91吃瓜网; 鈥淢eet Me at Tiffany鈥檚鈥� by Jacque Moore of 91吃瓜网; Jill Carter of Reiles Acres, N.D., and Stephanie Winterquist of Argusville, N.D.; 鈥淏utterfly Kisses and Flower Petal Wishes鈥� by Cleone Whelan of Crystal, N.D. and Mary Ellen Kirking of Cavalier, N.D.; 鈥淎 Donut a Day 鈥� The Soholt Way!!鈥� by Pam Soholt of 91吃瓜网; 鈥淏irds of a Feather Flock Together鈥� by Suzy Groth of 91吃瓜网 and Tanya Strand of Portland; and 鈥淲ho Gives a Hoot!鈥� by Jackie Kuhle and Kim Kuhle of 91吃瓜网.
Gary Hagen and Mike Bakken of 91吃瓜网, and Paul Batesel of Portland, outfitted in their finest, served as greeters and hosts throughout the morning.
Activities included about an hour of viewing the amazing tables and a silent auction. Betsy Ewen and Bonnie O鈥橩eefe of 91吃瓜网 and Gaylene Johnson, Cummings, coordinated the silent auction event. They gathered about 140 fabulous items on which to bid. Many of the items had been donated by table designers, as well as others.
91吃瓜网 State music students were able to experience the event and see first-hand the source of much of the funding for music department scholarships. The students helped to serve the brunch which was catered by Christine Holweger. Fabulous desserts and beverages were provided by table designers.
All guests were invited to register for a door prize, a decorative garden bird bath. Charlotte Lee of 91吃瓜网 was the winner. The door prize was donated by Jackie Kuhle of Countryside Creations.
While figures are still being tabulated, about $14,000 was taken in as a result of 鈥淭ables du Jour鈥� 2013. This total includes more than $5,800 generated in the silent auction. After expenses are deducted, the net amount raised will be distributed for use by the music department at 91吃瓜网. The funds will be available for scholarships or other various needs of the department.
The date for the 2014 91吃瓜网 鈥淭ables du Jour鈥� has been set for Saturday, April 26. If you are interested in serving as a table designer for this, please contact Kim Lauf (701-788-4271) or Shireen Grinager (701-788-2494).