The Evolution of a Tray

Happy Hump Day my sweets!

It is an exciting day over here for sure as it is my first now...or, shall we say, ICE...day! I am enjoying some time to relax in my jammies and get things done today!

Those who follow along on Instagram know that one of my very favorite Christmas presents was this tray:

If you recall, one of the last remaining details for the sun room was a tray for the coffee table. Once I discovered this one, no other tray had a chance! I was head over heels! When my parents surprised me with it for Christmas I was beyond giddy! It is from one of my all time fave shops, Furbish, however the pink version is no longer available online. It is available in a very chic gray (here) and also black (here).

As you can guess, I got to styling the pink beauty pretty much as soon as I brought it home. Styling is one of my favorite aspects of decorating. It usually involves a lot of "play" and me walking all over the house looking for trinkets and knickknacks to fulfill my mission. In today's post I'll share my process with you...

This was my first attempt, very close to the final version, I must add...

I loved the first look, but thought it felt a little bare. 

I went upstairs and grabbed the little orange Tory box,

as well as my favorite Tocca candle and bee matches.

While the first look felt bare, this one felt cluttered, so...

I rearranged!

This still didn't feel right, and while I knew I wanted a candle on the tray, I decided the one above would be best returned to its spot in the bathroom. I did, however, remember some other tea light holders I hadn't used in ages...

I put larger floating candles in them to make a bit more of a statement.

We were getting closer, but the purple packed too much punch...

So I swapped them out for a clear version I also had,

and...

Decided flowers were the perfect finishing touch!

The final cut included:

• Books: Very Charleston and The Perfectly Imperfect Home
• Gold Urchin (you may remember my affinity for them from this post), on sale for just $7 at Hobby Lobby!
• World Market Tea Light Holders
• Bee Matches
• Agate Coasters (similar here)
• My Grandmother's Bowl
• Elephant Vase (found antiquing, mentioned in this post)

I also have put together some other coffee table styling picks for you. Shop below:

Do you have a styled coffee table or is yours more for utility?

What are your favorite aspects of decorating?

Have a great day!