A Sea Turtle Tablescape for Our Grandson

Recently, we enjoyed a weeknight dinner around a sea turtle-themed table—a theme requested by our grandson. He had watched me create tablescapes with our granddaughter, so one evening after preparing a table with her, I looked over at him and asked, “Is there a table I could create for you that you would like?”

He thought for a moment and said, “A sea turtle table.” I am still not sure where that idea came from, but this Nana was immediately on a mission. After doing a little research, I had a plan in place.

World Sea Turtle Day is celebrated on June 16, and although our dinner took place a few days earlier, it felt like the perfect opportunity to celebrate these amazing creatures together as a family.

I cannot fully explain the joy I feel in sharing my love of family, home, and tablescapes with our grandchildren. My husband and I are blessed to live within 30 minutes of both of them, and we try to see them weekly for dinner, a sleepover, or simply time together.

I missed out on having biological children of my own, so I am especially grateful for my stepdaughters and their children, whom I love dearly. I also know God has a sense of humor. When I was dating, I had a very long and detailed checklist. At the top of that list were two firm rules: do not date a divorced man, and do not date a man with children. However, God had other plans—and I am so grateful He did.

This post is being published a little later than I had hoped. Last week was filled with technical issues (one is still showing up in this post with the text below with larger size text) and, honestly, simply not enough time. As you follow my blog, I want you to know that this is not a professionally published blog, nor is it written by a third-party contractor. It is me—Marilynn Jane DeBuse White. I strive to keep it real, honest, and informative.

Below are the details of our sea turtle tablescape. The photos shared below were taken very hastily and some of the pieces were not included on the table such as the sea turtle platter, and sea turtle salt and pepper shakers. I also assembled some fun facts to use as conversation starters at the table. During dinner, we enjoyed meaningful conversation, laughter, and wonderful family time.

Table Details

The sea turtle salad plates are on www.janeandlizzee.com They are both dishwasher and microwave safe.

The dinner plates are white, restaurant-grade porcelain. They are my everyday china, and after 19 years of daily use, I still love them. They are durable, classic, and wonderfully versatile.

The tablecloth is a denim one made by my late mother, which makes it especially meaningful to use. I chose a tan table runner to represent sand and added aqua tulle to create the illusion of water. The assorted sea turtle figurines came from my own collection of decorative accessories.

Sea Turtle Fun Facts

1. There are seven species of sea turtles: green, loggerhead, leatherback, hawksbill, olive ridley, Kemp’s ridley, and flatback.

2. Sea turtles have long lifespans, with some individuals estimated to live between 50 and 70 years. One-way scientists can estimate a sea turtle’s age is by examining the growth rings in the humerus bone after the turtle has passed away. This process is called skeletochronology. Like counting rings in a tree trunk, scientists count growth rings in the bone to learn more about the turtle’s life.

3. The incubation period for sea turtle eggs is typically 50 to 70 days.

4. Sand temperature helps determine the sex of sea turtle hatchlings. In general, eggs incubated above 31°C (87.8°F) produce mostly female hatchlings, while eggs incubated below 27.5°C (81.5°F) produce mostly male hatchlings. Temperatures in between can produce a mix, with about 29°C (84.2°F) often resulting in a roughly equal male-to-female ratio.

When sea turtles hatch, scientists believe they learn their location using Earth’s magnetic field, a phenomenon known as geomagnetic imprinting. Years later, when they reach maturity, many sea turtles can return thousands of miles to the same beach—or a nearby beach—to lay their eggs. This remarkable process is called natal homing

EnJOY!

Marilynn