Mae-web.jpgThose who attended Tables du Jour 2015 at Mayville State University were in the good company of Jacky Arness, Miss North Dakota 2014. Arness, from Fargo, delighted the crowd with her beautiful singing of two songs. She was the guest of honor at the Miss Congeniality table, hosted by Kim Lauf of Mayville. Jacky was named Miss Congeniality at the Miss American pageant last fall.

The eleventh annual Tables du Jour fundraiser was held Saturday morning, April 18 in the MSU Campus Center Luckasen Room. Weeks and months of planning by many talented and hard-working table designer/hosts and hostesses culminated in an over-the-top event for the nearly 250 guests who attended, and left many people wondering how, even after holding the event for eleven years straight, the bar could keep getting higher and higher.

The decorating frenzy began Thursday morning, April 16, and by Friday evening, April 17, all was ready. A preview, revealing a room filled with 31 lavishly decorated tables, was held from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Nearly 60 people were able to enjoy a taste of what was to come in the main “Tables du Jour” event that would be held the next day. Refreshments were served, and Lois Smith, Cummings, N.D., won the door prize, a decorative wine cork holder donated by Aasen Drug in Mayville. Coordinated by Sheryl Vinje and Jackee Lerol of Portland, N.D., Faye Helm of Mayville, and Sheri Paulson of Galesburg, 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 Mayville State University.

For the eleventh year, Kim Lauf and Shireen Grinager of Mayville organized “Tables du Jour,” which is held annually to raise funds for the music department at Mayville State University. As the organizers promised, attendees were treated to a morning of fun, great food, and creative table themes.  

Each of the 31 tables featured in the spectacular occasion was decorated with its own special theme. Some tables were entertaining, others were Miss_ND-web.jpgelegant, some were sentimental or awakened memories, and still others just plain made a person smile or even giggle. 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 “extras” 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: Classic Vivian by Shireen Grinager, Mayville; Miss Congeniality by Kim Lauf, Mayville; Spring Garden by Donna Olson, Mayville; Courtly Check Tea Party by Donna Olson, Mayville; Route 66 by Barb Kram, Langdon, N.D. and Susan Jaramillo; Fairy Fantasy by Joan Osland, Char Lee, Sue Strand, and Ruth vanWechel of Mayville and Pam Carlson of Portland; Little Black Dress by Debbie Hagen and Doreen Nelson of Mayville and Peggy Schultz of Fargo; Stardust Drive Inn by Kelly Morrison and Bob Kozojed, Mayville; Thanks a Latte by Molly Lenaburg of Portland; Peter Rabbit by Sarah Batesel of Portland and Margit Eastman, Marge Fugleberg, Shannon Hofer, Betty Karaim, and Kelly Kornkven of Mayville; Imari With Royal Peacock by Mary Iverson of Mayville and LeAnne Dressel of West Fargo; “She Sells Sea Shells” by Laura Brudvik of Fargo and Jayme Trenbeath of Thompson, N.D.; A Picnic in the Forest by Becky Gunderson of Portland; Platinum by Jackie Kuhle and Kim Kuhle of Mayville; An Hanami – Japanese Garden Party by Kathy Hase of Big Lake, Minn. and Kaliann Behrens of Shakopee, Minn.; Everything is Coming Up Daisies by Rhonda Nelson and Mandi Domier of Portland; S’mores with Moores by Jacque Moore, Mayville, Jill Carter, Reiles Acres, N.D., and Stephanie Winterquist of Argusville, N.D.; Cattails and Cocktails sponsored by The First and Farmers Bank of Mayville and Portland and hosted by Michelle Braaten of Portland and Loree Stenehjem of Mayville; Elegant Evening by Winona Hartley and Marlys Hlavinka of Mayville; Scarlet O’Hara by Marilyn Holman of Mayville; Enchanting Memories by Bertha Sand and Janice Olstad of Galesburg, wedding-web.jpgN.D.; Forever 21 by Bonnie Enger of Portland and Tammy Volla and Kim Lorenz of Mayville; Mixed Emotions by Great Paschke of Mayville and Audrey Paschke of Oslo, Minn.; Happy Trails by Joan Huus and Paige Strom from Grand Forks, N.D.; Long Green Line! By Dorothy Nelson of Mayville and Laurel Erickson of Galesburg; Vintage Wedding by Sheri Paulson, Kathy Ust, and Dawn Flaten of Galesburg; Burlap, Buttons, and Bows by Cheryl Angen of Mayville; What Happens at Tables Stays at Tables by Allison Johnson of Mayville and Lacie Brueckner of Linton, N.D.; Aloha by Annie McMahon of Portland and Lonamalia Smith of Grand Forks, N.D.; and Spring by Jackie Kuhle and Kim Kuhle of Mayville.

Gary Hagen, Rob Lauf, and Merwin Lyng, and Mike Bakken of Mayville, outfitted in their finest, served as greeters and hosts throughout the morning. Mayville 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.

Activities included about an hour of viewing the amazing tables and a silent auction. Betsy Ewen, Sandy Braaten, and Bonnie O’Keefe of Mayville and Gaylene Johnson, Cummings, coordinated the silent auction event. They gathered about 100 fabulous items on which to bid. Many of the items had been donated by table designers, as well as others.

All guests were invited to register for a door prize, a $75 gift certificate to be used at Countryside Creations. Nannette Bagstad of Mayville was the winner. The door prize was donated by Jackie Kuhle of Countryside Creations.

While figures are still being tabulated, more than $13,000 was taken in as a result of “Tables du Jour” 2015. This total includes almost $6,000 generated in the silent auction and nearly $600 in outright scholarship donations. After expenses are deducted, the net amount raised will be distributed for use by the music department at Mayville State University. The funds will be available for scholarships or other various needs of the forever_21-web.jpgdepartment.

The date for the 2016 Mayville State University “Tables du Jour” has been set for Saturday, April 23. 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).

Captions for photos:

Top: Mae Karlstad (right), a 1942 Mayville State graduate who will turn 92 next month, enjoyed a photo op with Miss North Dakota, Jacky Arness.

Second: Jacky Arness, Miss North Dakota 2014, entertained the crowd with two beautiful vocal solos. Jacky was the guest of honor at Kim Lauf’s Miss Congeniality-themed table. Jacky was named Miss Congeniality at the Miss American pageant last fall.

Third: No detail was spared at the Vintage Wedding table. The placecard for each guest featured a wedding photo from the guest’s wedding, and the chair cover at her place was a bridesmaid dress worn at her wedding.

Fourth: The Forever 21 table celebrated youth and the excitement of turning 21.

fairy-web.jpgFifth: The southwest corner of the Luckasen Room became a Fairy Fantasy for Tables du Jour 2015.

Right: Tires served as chargers and hobo packs were goodie bags at the Route 66 table.

Bottom Right: The “She Sells Sea Shells” table provided the perfect setting from where Jacky Arness would sing her rendition of the theme song from Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” movie.

Bottom left: Kaliann Behrens constructed this lovely cherry tree from PVC pipe and gave it a very authentic look by covering the trunk in real tree bark. The table had a Japanese garden party theme.route_66-web.jpg

cherry-web.jpg sea_shells-web.jpg