Learn about Jennifer’s crafting hobbies
I’m excited to talk to Jennifer about her experiences at Diner en Blanc. You’ll love to hear how she has gone all in on a white wardrobe, the special experiences created at Diner en Blanc, and even some of her other hobbies. She lives in Escondido, California, United States.
Coachable Heart: How do you describe your hobby?
Jennifer: Diner en Blanc is essentially a picnic with up to thousands of people participating! There are multiple events that take place throughout the year all over the world. The “en blanc” part is that everyone attending wears all white, the tables are decorated in all white and it is not simply a casual picnic on the grass, but an elegant event where attendees dress to the nines, whether in their most elegant or in amazing costumes. It is a chance to be creative and have fun! Oh! Also, the location is a secret! Shhhh…. You only know where you are meeting other attendees and from that point, you will either walk, take public, or provided transportation, usually by bus, to the secret location.
The whole event began in Paris in 1988 when François Pasquier invited a group of friends to an elegant outdoor dinner at the Bois de Boulogne, a large Paris park, asking them to dress in white so they could find each other. They had an amazing time and decided to do it again the next year and guests could invite other friends. The tradition continued and grew. François’ son brought the event to Canada where he lived and not long after, the first US event took place in New York in 2011. The event now takes place worldwide with many US cities participating.
For me, it’s a chance to dress up, plan a delicious meal, design a theme and decor for my table, and have a magical night with friends and strangers alike.
One thing that can put people off of the event is that you DO bring everything for yourself. Basically, each couple needs to bring A square folding table and two white chairs; a white picnic basket and/or bag including a 3-course meal for two, a white tablecloth and cloth napkins, cutlery, dishware, and glassware; and a garbage bag. Also, you can purchase meals directly from the DEB (Diner en Blanc) website and pick them up on-site and ALL wine must be purchased from DEB and picked up on site. (They only allow wine and non-alcoholic beverages) We used to be able to bring our own, but State laws do not allow this.
Coachable Heart: What is your favorite part of your hobby?
Jennifer: There are so many things I love about participating in Diner en Blanc, I like the uniqueness of the event overall and the exclusivity. But, I truly love dressing up in white! Is that weird? I literally have a whole closet full of white outfits from casual boho dresses to fancy, sparkly and feathered creations! I have become a bit obsessive about white clothing!
Coachable Heart: How did that become your hobby?
Jennifer: I love attending special events. When I heard it was coming to San Diego in 2012 and, at that time, it was going to be one of those types of events that you had to be invited to, I was on the hunt for an invitation. I then found that you could register to be invited if there was space available. I registered and in 2014, I was invited to attend! I’ve been going ever since and have also acted as a table leader and a group leader.
Coachable Heart: What other hobbies do you have or have you had in the past?
Jennifer: I have a ton of hobbies. More than I have time for! My husband and I love movies and he has a massive movie collection. We watch movies often, both at home and in theaters. We also enjoy playing pinball and have our own machines to do that right at home. I started learning to sew and I love it and see it being something I really pursue once I retire, but I’ve had some hand issues and surgery recently which has put sewing on the back burner. My number one hobby, though, is traveling. I spend a lot of time (and money) planning vacations and traveling. I belong to travel clubs and groups and I love exploring the world. My favorite place to travel to is Italy. Stateside, we travel and explore National Park Service sites and collect NPS Passport Stamps.
Coachable Heart: How much time do you spend on your hobby? How do you find or make the time?
Jennifer: Diner en Blanc is a hobby I am usually focused on when it’s coming up. Most years I attend only the San Diego DEB event, but I have attended events in Los Angeles, Orange County, and Paris. I’m on lists for DEB events around the world, it’s just a matter of the ability to make it happen while I’m working. In four years, I plan to retire and I expect to be attending many more, but as for now, work gets in the way of that.
When a DEB event is on the horizon, I spend some time planning. In recent years, I have acted as a Table Leader and a Group leader. Both roles require acting in a leadership role to assist attendees in understanding the event and the requirements and keeping the event running smoothly. When in those roles, I spend quite a bit of time in the two months before the event attending meetings, assisting members with questions, and sending out informational emails. It is time-consuming and this year I opted to attend only as a member as I knew I wasn’t going to have the time and ability to take on my normal role(s).
Every year I spend time deciding what my own menu and decor will be. Some years we go a little crazy and other years, more simplistic. This year’s event is on September 15 and I’ve planned my menu, but I have not yet decided what I’m doing for the decor. This year is a little different also because I have opted to try a new process that provides my table and chairs for me. Normally we must bring our own table and chairs. Due to this there are more restrictions as to what I can do and I understand the table size is pretty small, thus making decor a little more challenging. Some years we have overhead hooks that we use to string flowers, lights, decorations, etc., while other years I might just paint shells and other seaside decor white and scatter the table. One year was my birthday and we had a birthday party decor/theme. It can be time-consuming the more you put into it. However, it’s only once a year! I don’t have to do it all myself as we attend with friends, so often we can share responsibilities.
Coachable Heart: How long has this been your hobby? How did you get started?
Jennifer: 2022 will be my 8th year participating in DEB (we did skip a year due to COVID, but we did do a virtual event which was very different, but still fun!). I mentioned how I started up above. I see this continuing to be something we continue doing. My husband, a surprise to me, also loves attending!
Coachable Heart: Is your hobby a solitary activity or do you spend time with others while doing your hobby?
Jennifer: Definitely not solitary, both in preparation and attendance. DEB events can be anywhere from a couple of hundred people to thousands. When I attended the 30th anniversary of DEB in Paris in 2018, there were over 14,000 people there! It was fantastic and I was able to meet François Pasquier. I also acted as a Table Leader at that event, which was nervewracking, but awesome.
We also have some friends that we’ve invited and now attend with us, so that creates another social aspect of DEB. Of course, I know others who attend and have built some relationships with other leaders and organizers of the event. There are many people who attend yearly, so we see a lot of familiar faces and you start getting to know each other over time.
Coachable Heart: What skills or qualities have you developed while practicing your hobby?
Jennnifer: I feel like my own qualities have actually been a benefit to the hobby! I’m not as organized in my personal life as in my professional life, but my organizational and leadership skills from my professional life translated perfectly into my leadership roles at DEB. I feel like I have a lot to offer the DEB community and plan to step up to participate in a higher role as needed, once I’m retired.
Coachable Heart: What is the most memorable opportunity you’ve had to use your hobby skillset?
Jennifer: As I mentioned, Paris was awesome. With the sheer number of people, trying to keep everyone on point and following directions was a serious challenge. In fact, during our entrance to Les Invalides, our location for the event that night, we had a mishap where someone’s table fell off of their dolly. While getting it picked up and back ready to go, we lost our spot in line and as I had never been here before, I was a little flustered. But, I just used my ability to take charge and make decisions and lead my table to a location that seemed like the right place to be and it all worked out fine.
Also, one of the most fabulous parts about attending in Paris is that you don’t have the same laws and rules in France that you have in California. While bringing 14000 people to a public place to spend the evening isn’t exactly legal, it’s not illegal and permits are not required like they are here. Also, it’s not illegal to drink alcohol in public, so that makes it much easier as well. It’s just a much more free and enjoyable atmosphere, vs the country of rules!
Coachable Heart: How can people learn more or sign up to participate?
Jennifer: Please let people know that they can register for various cities around the world to attend, including San Diego. Once on the main page: https://www.dinerenblanc.com/ they can simply check out all of the cities available to them!
Selected highlights from Jennifer
Thank you Jennifer for sharing your story with us. I love how Jennifer’s hobby lights her up, just look at those pictures.
One last note from Coachable Heart: If you want to learn more about hosting a special event as Jennifer describes here, I highly encourage you to read “The Art of Gathering“, by Priya Parker. From a dinner party to a business meeting, Parker teaches you what to consider, how to find a purpose, and how to build connections for your group. If you’re an event host, of any kind, you will not regret the time you spend learning from this book.
Let’s remember
Ichi-go-ichi-e. The concept roughly translates to “one meeting, one moment in your life that will never happen again.” (The Art of Gathering, Priya Parker)
Are you a hobbyist? Get in touch on Instagram or leave a note in the comments section if you’d like to be interviewed!
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