The Art of Tablescaping

I was given this e-book from NetGalley for an honest review.

5 stars!!!

I loved book. I'm a fan of Bugsy (from below deck) and I follow her on Instagram. I'm always fascinated on seeing her amazing centerpieces and table setting skills, so I was thrilled to hear she had this book coming out.

This book is not only beautiful, but also very informative. You can see Bugsy put a lot of work into it, and she explains everything so well on what to do (and when to stop before making it the table too cluttered/full)
I loved how there is a checklist near the end, so when one wants to do their own table scaping they can used that.

I will defiantly buy this book when it becomes available in stores and I even know a few people in my life that will love getting this book as well.

I've always been a fan of Bugsy and her tablescapes on Below Deck Mediterranean. I found the book to have great tips for decorating tables and I can't wait to use them when the pandemic is over and I'm able to have people over again!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

I loved book. I'm a new fan of Bugsy (from below deck) and due to this book I recently started following her on Instagram.

The pictures in the book are beautiful as well as informative. I feel greatly inspired by Bugsy's eclectic extravagance. Bugsy lends an imense amount of time and energy bringing her creations to life and her boldness and free spirit are fascinating.

Fantastic find for anyone wishing to create the perfect setting for any fun gathering. Truly a treasure to be enjoyed.

I received this book from NetGalley for an honest review.

Very inspirational! I wish the photos had been in color, but I still enjoyed the read and pictures. I like that the all the elements come together so well, the flowers really do offset the cheap items to create fun centerpieces! Color schemes work well, too. I haven't tried mixing up shapes to much, but I likes the idea and will be experimenting with them in the future. I enjoy themes in my centerpieces, too. The height of centerpieces always threw me, but Ms. Drake makes it looks so simple, I may well give it a try! I love wine bottles with lights in them!
This is a good idea book! It will get one started in table decorating.

I watched Below Deck and have seen the author on tv. I was excited for her to have written a book about what she is so great at!! The book begins with talking about how she became a part of a sailing crew. Throughout the book their are gorgeous pictures of the the author showing different parts of boats and tablescapes. I loved that
she shows you step by step on how to come up with a theme and how to transport the guests into what it is. She gives step by step on how to fold napkins for different themes. The whole book has gorgeous pictures where you feel like you are right on the boat with her. I would recommend this book to anyone who would like to start doing table centerpieces, or having parties.

Thank you netgalley for my arc. I'm a huge fan of the below deck series so I was very excited to look through this book. Bugsy did not disappoint. All beautiful and fun different tablescapes. She is very creative and I like how she breaks everything down in the book.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I had not heard of Bugsy before picking up this book. I'm aware of the show Below Deck but haven't seen it before so I went into this book with little context.

The tablescaping pictures are beautiful! It's like grazing boards with non-edible things. Drake gives tips for varying colors and heights to draw the eye. She has guides on creating specific themes as well as questions to help you nail your own. It's a more thorough guide than I expected.

The pictures are great to look at and there are some fun ideas!

I was not aware of Bugsy (or the show she is from) before reading this book so I went in without any context but I still really enjoyed it. The ideas were very beautiful (albeit not the most practical or easy to replicate) and fun look at and get inspiration from,. I loved the tips about how to think of table scaping in terms of height, size shape ect.

First off I love Bugsy and her designs. It was the reason I requested this book. As a huge fan of Below Deck I have seen so many of her table designs put smiles on guests faces (and likely more money in their tips)

My problem with this book may not be an actual issue once published but is now, it is just very oddly laid out and almost impossible to read. There are all kinds 9f odd characters mixed in with the sentences...

Still the photos are the highlight of the book. Learning how to create the perfect design space with Bugsy as your guide is extremely fun and you won't be disappointed

Thank you netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Great ideas in this book on the art of tablescaping! Beautiful pictures and step by step instructions on napkin folding. I love the creative themes for every occasion. definitely recommended as an easy to read guide.

Review to come April 30th on blog/goodreads/etc..

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.

So I had no clue what tablescaping was nor did I know who Bugsy Drake was. But, I am an adventurous reader and I got curious. So here I am. And I learned a lot of fun new things to decorate a table, should I want that. For now, with COVID, the answer is no because we can only have 1 visitor around (I wonder if by the time this review comes up in May (it is late March now) things have changed, I hope so). But maybe when things are better I can try my hand at tablescaping with whatever I have in the house.

Tablescaping I found out is just a fancy way of saying setting the table. Haha, well, OK, it is fancy setting the table, but you get the idea. In this book we learn all the basics plus more about how to set a table. With various sections and various questions that one need to remember when you set a table. It was all very interesting to read and I loved that it wasn't all fancy and chic. Instead you can also just set tables with whatever you have lying around in house. Vases, food, fruit, whatever else. And that made me happy, because when I started reading the introduction I thought for sure this was going to be fancy and expensive. Now a whole world opens to me. I learned so so much while reading this one. New words, new terms for things. I love it! I had so much fun reading and learning and soaking up all the information. However, I do have to say that I guess I will eventually run out of ideas. I may buy an item or so extra once in a long while, but I am trying to not clutter my house with stuff I barely use. During this COVID time and when I moved 2 years ago I really got rid of a ton of items and I am not planning on adding a lot of things back. Why would I buy a skull when I only use it once? Or why buy fancy plates when I only use them a few times? I just don't have the space for it all, plus again, clutter no thank you.

The first part of the book is all about how to set the table, hints, tips, and everything you may want to know about tablescaping. Each part is about another part of tablescaping. From decorations to centerpieces to completing the table and making it all come together.
The second part is all about inspiration! With several themes from Glam to Elegant and how she made them, what to drink, some music ideas, and more. I really loved this part and loved seeing some more of Bugsy's amazing tablescapes.

I also love that we learn some folds for napkins. I am not sure if I am going to be remembering those, I just don't have any napkins in my home (we never use them) to try things out. But I still appreciate they are added and that we even get some tips on how to make sure the fold holds (starch everyone, starch). Also DANG that lotus fold. That is just too gorgeous! I wouldn't even be able to use a napkin then. Haha.

I liked the additional "Bugsy on Board" pieces scattered throughout the book. They were tons of fun to read.

The photographs are really pretty and it made me want to step into the book and just sit at the table!

All in all, I enjoyed this book and I learned a lot of new things, got new tips, and I am feeling quite creative. I would recommend it!

Bugsy was so amazing on Below Deck and I loved every table that she decorated. I only wish I was able to see more details! This book was perfect for that. While I am not a stew on a boat, I think that this how to guide creating the perfect table can work in any setting. I really want to try to get more creative when setting the table and her suggestions make me even more excited! I think this book was great!

I love a good tablescape. I have two dining tables just to decorate for holidays. When I saw this book I knew I had to read this! I didn’t know who Bugsy was before this and I’ll tell you what this lady knows her stuff! The pictures alone are visually stunning and worth the price of the book. Her tips and ideas make it even more! Definitely a must have for anyone that likes or wants to entertain!

Are you pretty serious about hospitality - or do you just want to enjoy the fun of setting a table? This book is loaded with ideas. It's like stepping into a Southern belle's brain. How do you theme a party? What resources and help do you need to pull it off?

I'm more of a general idea person so was boggled with the level of detail - from concept to text to photos. If you're a perfectionist, you're gonna LOVE it. Buy it to kick off your own creativity, too.

Being a fan of the Below Deck franchise and of Bugsy’s creativity, I was very much look forward to this book. It didn’t disappoint. What a shame that we are in a pandemic; the book provides much inspiration but, without any hosting opportunities, I’ll have to wait a bit before I can browse stores for trinkets and decorations. and tablescape for the benefit of guests..

A beautiful book with stunning, colourful pictures.

Thank you to NetGalley and Girl Friday Productions for the ARC.