Picnic Blog

Dejeuner sur L’Herbe

One of my new favourite activities is lying with my baby on a blanket in the park, looking out at the world from her vantage point. Recently this involved “tummy time” in Spadina Gardens, eye level with red tulips and lying on our backs, staring up at the green, leafy canopy. It’s extra nice when a picnic of some sort is involved. Here is collection of favourite references, memorable picnics, beach picnic menus, sandwich suggestions, dessert ideas from Elizabeth David, a cake soak, Dream machine chocolate, picnic attire, a watermelon basket etc. etc.

Picnic Inspiration

A truly lux picnic scenario from The Laura Ashley Book of Home Decorating by Elizabeth Dickson & Margaret Colvin.

A beautiful picnic hamper and all sorts of outfit inspiration in Season 2 of Sex and the City. This was a picnic of deviled eggs, coffee and chocolate chip cookies with some type of tapestry as the blanket. For some delightful commentary on Miranda’s iconic (and divisive) picnic look I recommend reading this interview with my friend Cameron Lee on Sara’s fabulous substack Scene It.

Another inspired outdoor eating scene from The Laura Ashley Book of Home Decorating. I love a director’s chair for outdoor dining (there is a similarly beautiful scene featuring director’s chairs in this post). I love the yellow carnival stripe. RELATED - LOOK at this tiny yellow-striped director’s chair for a baby’s picnic.

Detail of Claude Monet’s Luncheon on the Grass, 1865-1866, from a visit to Musée d’Orsay. The way the fruit is presented served as inspiration for many future picnics.

Absolutely adorable, the above image shared by Giulia Lanaro on her endlessly inspiring instagram feed. I love the aesthetic of mesh food coverings like this - I bought lace-trimmed ones to use at my wedding to protect the cakes - I wonder if they would fit over my baby - ha!

Extremely elevated picnic set up here in Jacques Rivette’s La Belle Noiseuse, 1991. I love the leaves and the draped white tablecloth.

A two page spread from Monet’s Table, The Cooking Journals of Claude Monet by Claire Jones. I love this book. Monet was very serious about picnic season. I was looking at Alessi products the other day and saw the En Plein Air Picnic Set, which could only really be bought by someone very serious about picnics.

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Memorable Picnics

Once, a friend and I were out for a walk and happened upon two teenage girls happily eating a picnic, basket and all, on a blanket right on the sidewalk. They were sitting on the edge of a park that was closed for construction, enjoying their lunch that was obviously intended to be eaten inside of the park rather than on a square of cement outside it. “Sidewalk Picnic” became our shorthand for when we needed to channel the positive attitude of these two girls and roll with it whatever was happening.

Of course some of my most memorable picnics involve cake(s):