An Easter Table

We aren't actually hosting Easter dinner this year, but when my husband brought home a large bunch of daffodils from HEB, they practically demanded that I set a festive Easter table.

I've been wanting to use the pretty Castleton Gloria china that Mama surprised me with last year, so I pulled it out of storage.  As you can see below, it has a thin robin's egg blue band inside the gold-trimmed scalloped edge and taupe roses in the center. 

The placemats and napkins from my Nashville sister work perfectly with this pattern.  This photo shows the "lizard" pattern in the placemat.  Belvedere is the silver pattern.

I added a single daffodil to my bud vase napkin rings to bring a little yellow to table level.

Couldn't resist this close-up!

To add a bit more yellow, as well as an Easter touch, I remembered some faux eggs I've had for several years, so added one to each coffee cup.

Then I remembered a couple of small nests I'd picked up when my mother and sisters and I visited Salado a few years ago, so I added those to the table, along with some eggs to match the placemats.

Here's what a placesetting looked like after I added crystal and silver.  I think these shades of blue and yellow play well together!

Here is a diner's view across the table:

Here are the stars of the show, the gorgeous daffodils:

Here's the table, set for four. 

Thank you for stopping by this week!  I will be linking to Cuisine Kathleen's Let's Dish and Between Naps on the Porch's Tablescape Thursday, and you will see many pretty spring and Easter tables there.

Lemon Yellow and Blue

My table this week was inspired by these gorgeous yellow roses that were on special at HEB. My husband brought home two bunches, enough to fill this vase and a smaller one, too. The table was set for a small dinner party we hosted Sunday evening for a visiting distinguished professor and a young colleague.

The bright color of the roses reminded me that I hadn't used this lemon-printed runner in a long time. 

With yellow and blue established as the color scheme, I knew it was time to pull out my Mikasa Windsor Court.  This bright and cheery pattern served as our everyday dishes until a couple of years ago, and I still love it.  The yellow dinner plates from Pier 1 made a good base for a salad plate and a cup, to be used for a cream soup.

Blue napkins and our silver, Lunt Belvedere, completed the placesetting.

The rim shot:

I love the pattern on the side of the cup.

Glasses from Villeroy and Boch added another touch of blue.

Here's the table, set for the four of us.  The menu included brie and crab bisque, shrimp Creole, sensation salad, and French bread, with dark chocolate creme brulee for dessert. I had never tried the dessert recipe before, but I figured, "How bad could dark chocolate creme brulee BE?"  It was heavenly!

Thank you for visiting!  I'll be linking to Cuisine Kathleen Wednesday night and Between Naps on the Porch Thursday morning. 

Blue and Yellow Outdoor Table

The inspiration for my table this week was this bouquet of deep yellow ranunculus my husband brought home from HEB, our grocery store.  Aren't they stunning?  I have never seen them at HEB before, but I hope they will keep stocking them.  I read about ranunculus online, and apparently they can be grown in our part of Texas, so I plan to look for bulbs at the nursery this fall.  Have any of you grown them?

I decided to use the flowers on our first outdoor table of the season.  Although we have gone from Lovely Spring weather to Fiery Furnace weather in the last few days, it's still nice and breezy here in central Texas.  I chose a blue and white Williams-Sonoma tablecloth for the patio table.

Blue and yellow are perennial favorites at my house, and this table also gave me a chance to showcase some pretty salad plates I bought on my recent trip to Sur la Table in Austin.  In addition to those cute rooster napkin rings, these plates caught my eye.  They are made of melamine, and I love the design.

 Here's the placesetting, anchored by a yellow dinner plate from Pier 1 and a blue and white napkin from Williams-Sonoma.  The blue glasses almost vanish on that tablecloth!

 Here's a closer look at the salad plate's pattern.

 And here's a "rim shot" that shows how perfectly the blues in the plate and the napkin go together.

 Another tabletop view. . .

 The glasses are Villeroy and Boch's My Garden pattern in blue.

 And a few more views of the lovely ranunculus. . .

Thank you for visiting my outdoor table this week!  I will be linking to Tablescape Thursday at Susan's Between Naps on the Porch so be sure to visit there to see lots of spectacular tables!