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Sunday, January 12, 2014

In Praise of Pansies

Pansies bloom throughout the winter in our part of Texas, and even our recent VERY cold (for us!) weather has not daunted their spirit.  Planted in October, when the weather finally cools off, they brighten the flower beds when most other flowering plants are dormant.  We are lazy gardeners, so we've started buying hanging baskets of pansies and planting those, rather than flats of the smaller plants.  Much less kneeling and digging required!  In past years, I have chosen the yellow and purple varieties, but this year, the purple and white ones spoke to me.  Here's one bed, at the end of our driveway.
I have been wanting to do a table celebrating pansies, but I have very little purple in my house.  In fact, I have trained my husband to bring home any color of flowers EXCEPT purple, because it just doesn't go with our decor.  So.  Time to hit Pier 1!  They had mailed me some good coupons, so off I went.  Just inside the front door on the Clearance table were purple hemstitched placemats and napkins.  Sold!  With my coupon, the napkins were under $3 each, my kind of steal deal.  They also had three different kinds of stemware in purple, but I reluctantly realized that a) I would not use them very often and b) I do not have room to store them.  Such restraint!

I knew that I wanted the pansies to be the star of the table, so I limited the color scheme to purple and white.  For the centerpiece, I pulled out my pansy ring and elevated it on a white cakestand.
I also wanted to use my bud vase napkin rings.
Here's a look at the placesetting.  Simple white plates with our wedding silver and crystal.
Also new to my collection are the silver pea pod place card holders.  I couldn't resist them in Williams-Sonoma's clearance sale.  I will also use them to identify dishes when we serve buffet-style.
Here are a few more photos of the table.  The host's view:
 The pansy ring looks like a cake in this one.
 A guest's view:
Thanks for stopping by!  I will be linking with Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch.

22 comments:

  1. This is absolutely gorgeous - simple and elegant, and the purple-and-white combination is just beautiful!

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  2. Love pansies, the the purple and white of this tablescape is just lovely!

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  3. Tricia, our pansies and viola are really happy too. Good thing, because everything else looks pretty bad since last weekend's deep freeze. Love the crisp look of your table. The napkins and placemats are a nice touch with the white dishes on that beautiful wood table. Love the little pea pod place card holders. I didn't see those at WS. A friend gave me a pansy ring a few years ago. I should pull it out and enjoy some of the pansies in the house. Thanks for the inspiration………..Sarah

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  4. I didn't even know they made pansy rings, so this is educational as well as a visual treat! What a pretty table and use of accessories. If it's any consolation, the purple glasses might have been Too Much.

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  5. Well if you ask me it was all mean to be! Love the pansie floral ring- that's really sweet and it does look like a cake at a distance! I'm the same as you in that purple doesn't work well with my home. Good deal on the napkins and placemats. Less guilt when they don't cost a fortune! I love going through Pier 1's dinnerware and drinkware. It would be so easy to buy something there each time I go in so I limit myself! I love pansies and violas. They should recover even if you did get a frost/freeze. You can always clip them down and see if they'll revive. My violas are the first flowers to pop up out of the ground even up here in my frozen tundra! I have some dishes with purple flowers- you've inspired me to do something with them!

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  6. Like you I don't have much purple in my house, but I should. Your new napkins and placemats are perfect with the purple blooms. how lucky you can have flowers outside right now. I guess everything is bigger and better in Texas. Love your photos! Joni

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  7. Hi lovely lady.
    Wow this Tablescape is Gorgeous with the color purple and white..Thanks so much for your sweet comments on my new Tablescape. Hoping you have a wonderful week with your family.
    XXOO
    Diane

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  8. Tricia, this is simply beautiful! The napkins and placemats are just the right amount of purple to pick up on the color of the Pansies, and the whites are a wonderful pop of bright in the midst of the purples. Love those pea pod place card holders. laurie

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  9. Forgot to say, I also enjoyed seeing the Moonspun crystal being used. I think we did good with our selection of a timeless crystal pattern. laurie

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  10. Such a lovely table this week and I certainly wish we had anything blooming here in Chicago! I've been working on a purple tablescape myself, so I hope you will stop by again soon!

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  11. That is the smartest idea yet abdout planting pansies from hanging baskets!
    Woo hoo!
    No more tiny flats for me.

    And I love your purple table-
    it is lovely.

    Thank you for visiting my blog,

    Laura
    White Spray Paint

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  12. Your table is so simple and yet so beautiful, Tricia. I love the colors. The intense violet colors against the white looks so pretty...Christine

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  13. Love your elegant table and the colorful tablecloth!

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  14. Love the purple in the depth of winter and to see those pansies just makes my heart sing.

    - Alma, The Tablescaper

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  15. Oh Tricia, you are exactly the kind of person I was envying in my post today! How wonderful to have such lovely weather that can support such beauty all year long. Of course I love them - they are the sign of hope and spring here. We plant them in the fall and they get an early start in the spring, but nothing that looks like this and they get all burned and shriveled by the cold. I love your use of the pansies and of course I love the color! How fun.

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  16. Beautiful purple Winter table Trcia and so elegant too. I love the glassware, just lovely everything! I'm very inspired, although I have nothing for a purple table, except for the purple stems of glasses I received for C'mas. Happy new year and many blessings.
    FABBY

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  17. Love the napkins rings; never saw any like that before. And the little name holders are adorable! Thanks for stopping by my blog today, and your kind words!

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  18. Your table is absolutely beautiful. It's funny, I was at Pier 1 today and saw the same purple placemats. I even had one in my hand, and thought, "I wish I had some purple dishes", totally forgetting my white plates! You've inspired me to go back to the store tomorrow! Thanks for sharing such a pretty space. Rosie @ The Magic Hutch

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  19. I have never heard of a pansy ring…it makes for such a nice centerpiece! I know I would enjoy sitting at this table! Also happy to hear you were a Bobbsey Twins fan, too!

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  20. That is a breathtaking table! I love the purple! It would make a beautiful Easter tablescape but the pansy's make it so unique. Thanks for popping in and visiting.
    Sandy

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  21. Yes, I'm late to this party, but I hope you see this. This table is just stunning to me. I love pansies anyway, and you have no idea how many times I have wanted to do a pansy table. I never have because I just don't have the right stuff. This is gorgeous, and your colors from the linens are perfect. Love every bit of it.

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  22. Tricia your table looks beautiful pansies are my favorite flower in the whole world especially the little purple ones. the colors mathced so nice together.susie

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