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Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Something Old, Something New

For this week's Tablescape Thursday at Susan's Between Naps on the Porch I am featuring my original everyday china, selected as a bride in 1972, and some new table linens that were an incredible deal at Bloomingdale's Home store in Chicago.  The china is Royal Doulton's Fireglow, and I still  like it, even though I moved on to a different everyday pattern after my 25th anniversary. Fireglow was one of the early freezer-to-oven-to-table patterns, and I like its cheery floral border.  I even had kitchen wallpaper to match in one house we owned in Tallahassee back in the 80s!


Here's a close-up of the pattern.  I've tended to use red placemats and napkins with it, but green also works well.  Today I've layered a red salad plate from Bed, Bath & Beyond with the Fireglow dinner and bread & butter plates, atop the new placemats.


The linens were an amazing deal.  When I was in Chicago recently for a conference (with a few days of shopping tacked on), I visited the always-wonderful Bloomingdale's Home store. (I think Heaven will be somewhat similar!)  I enjoyed browsing the china and table linen departments, and at the checkout desk, I spotted a stack of these placemats and napkins with a sign reading "$1.99."  I had seen the same linens back in late December when we were there to celebrate our 37th anniversary, but the prices were still way too high for the likes of me.  In true Dull & Dutiful fashion, I waited patiently by the stack of linens until the salesman finished a complicated transaction with the woman ahead of me, then asked, "Are these REALLY $1.99 each??"  He assured me that was correct, whereupon I gleefully grabbed eight placemats and eight napkins, then gave him my 20%-off-the-sale-price coupon!  Here are the original and marked-down prices for the placemat...


and for the napkin:


I can't even conceive of anyone being able (or willing) to pay the original prices for these placemats and napkins, but for $1.99, I was there! 

Here's a view of the table, which includes Georgian-Ruby (by Viking, now discontinued) water glasses, a red lantern purchased recently at Pottery Barn in Austin, and some preserved boxwood topiaries from the Williamsburg catalog.


The little ramekins are favorites of mine -- so versatile!


Here's another view of the table that gives a better view of the lantern and topiaries. You'll probably see the lantern again soon in a Flag Day or Fourth of July tablescape!


Here's the guest of honor's view, distinguished by a rose from one of our Knockout rose bushes.


Here's a closeup of the rose:


Here's the best bird's eye view of the table I could manage.  I don't know how the rest of you do it, but I'd have to hang by my knees from the ceiling fan to get high enough to snap the whole tabletop unless I used a ladder, and my recent foot surgery precludes that option for now.


I like this bird's eye view, which includes the centerpiece elements and parts of the placesettings:


And here's one last view of the table from another angle:


Thanks for visiting!  I love to get your comments, and please also stop by Susan's Between Naps on the Porch to see some beautiful tablescapes.





43 comments:

  1. Red always makes a statement, doesn't it? I do love your table, simple and yet elegant, and red! Looks great!

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  2. The red and white really pops! And I think I want to go shopping with you. You really know how to wait it out for a bargain.

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  3. Love this setting. So simple yet striking.

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  4. Oh how pretty! I love your reds and those Williamsburg boxwoods. What a wonderful table!

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  5. I love red and white and this is stunning. Oh the placemats!!!!!!! To die for!!!

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  6. Hi Tricia!

    Thank you for visiting my table setting and for the kind words. I love your red and white with a pop of evergreen on the beautiful wood table as the back drop. I love the place mats and the napkins. What a steal of a deal. You have a great eye for design.

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  7. Very pretty! Love all the beautiful reds! And the dishes are just wonderful.

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  8. How beautiful! I love the dishes, and what a deal on the mats and napkins! I agree..who would pay full price? Same thing at WSonoma...I wait them out..it's the thrill of the hunt!
    Lovely table, T!
    Have a great weekend!

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  9. absolutely divine. Congrats on your wonderful find. I love shopping Chicago!

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  10. The red makes your original everyday dishes POP! What a great table. And the deal you got on those linens is amazing!!!!

    I'm hosting a new meme, "Summer Sundays". It's all about what summer means to YOU - like bright red tablescape? or those wonderful knock out roses? Hope you'll come and join the fun.

    - The Tablescaper

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  11. Tricia, love the red and white table...very pretty china and oh, those water glasses, yummy color. Stay off the ladder, we don't want you breaking anything!

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  12. The little flowers on the dishes are so cute. Your setting is very nice...love the roses.
    Debbie@houseatthelake

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  13. Tricia, I have never seen Fireglow before and you presented it beautifully! Love the deal on the linens! Joni

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  14. Another gorgeous and elegant table! You have the most wonderful collections, and you set the table with such class! Beautiful!!

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  15. The reds set off those pretty dishes so nicely. What a deal on those linens!

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  16. No wonder you fell in love with those dishes--they're so pretty and cheerful. I really like your story about the napkins!

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  17. We tablescapers just love those bargins, don't we? The red is so striking with your colorful dishes. I too love those ramekins and ruby glasses. Beautiful table. Thanks for sharing.

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  18. Tricia, 1972 was a great year! :) I love all things related to the era {and 60's too}...I LOVE those dishes!! The are so cute and I see why you have kept them, what gems! I love the little topiaries too! Great job!
    Michelle

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  19. What a stunning tablescape! It's perfect in every way. The plates are gorgeous and so unusual!...Christine

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  20. Very pretty table. Simple, yet elegant.

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  21. I really like your dishes and I love the red. Love your centerpiece. I like how elegant the whole table feels. You did a wonderful job. It looks really really beautiful!
    Blessings,
    Debbie

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  22. Tricia, you were are so lucky to find this perfect matching tablemats and napkins for that low price. Combined with your pretty china they make a simple and therefore very elegant tablescape. I love it.
    Greetings, Johanna

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  23. Cute plates, and I love the goblets! Great purchase on the linens, that's my kind of shopping trip!

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  24. You weren't joking about the fantastic deal on place mats and napkins, not a bit. It makes for a fantastic table look with your wedding china. I like the ramekins and centerpiece a lot, too.

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  25. Tricia, I LOVE this! But those linens! Holy cow, girl, you STOLE them! I would have been dancing down the aisles for sure. Lovely table!
    xoxo Pattie

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  26. Wow! a great - bold pattern for a new bride! Love it! It looks great still and so many colors! I just love reds! The lantern is beautiful!
    Good job!
    Kathy

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  27. What a great job you've done pulling all the elements together. I love the red glasses, and there's nothing better than finding a bargain.

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  28. Beautiful, I love the red it's so cheerful to me it says happy!
    ~ ~Ahrisha~ ~

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  29. Tricia-love those dishes from the 70's! Wait till I pull out my olive green Corelle that I got when I got married. Oh and BTW-you should have gotten arrested for "stealing " those linens-they're fabulous! thanks for sharing with us today!

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  30. Simply lovely! Love the plates! Enjoy your day!

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  31. What a really pretty table you have set...I guess you did get a good buy on your linens but that to me just shows they are simply stealing from people...I don't even bother going into the high priced stores...but that's just my thinking.
    I especially liked the red glasses. Trish

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  32. Thanks for visiting my very first tablescape. How fun. I love the red glasses. They are a tradition in my family for 4 generations now. Thanks again.

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  33. Thanks for your visit and I also like your red and white. As for the crystal candleholders- one set I got at Yankee Candle after Christmas, one was my grandma's and one I got at Salvation Army! Thanks! ~Nana~

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  34. Very pretty, as are all of the dinnerware on your blog.Love the linens!

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  35. What a pretty table! I like that 70's china, what a cool pattern. And, the topiary and lantern look wonderful with it. What a steal on that RL linens! Have a great weekend!
    Sherry

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  36. So pretty. I love the simplicity and elegance - and the whimsey of the red! What a buy - don't you just get a super feeling inside when the stars line up and you find a bargin like that! Sometimes I feel like they might try to stop me as I leave the store!

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  37. These are such pretty dishes, I've never seen this pattern before. Lovely photos!

    Donna

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  38. I love this table setting. I've never seen these dishes before. They go great with your linens and lantern.

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  39. Your everyday china is so cute and cheery. What a great buy on your table linens. You've got me thinking that I should take a trip to Bloomingdale's Home store and see what other linens are on clearance.

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  40. I love the red setting and clear lines on the place mats. A great way to show off that cute floral design on the dishes! Sometimes red, a great bold color can be too much but you have hit just the right note!
    Linda @ bushel and a pickle

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  41. Love this classic tablesetting. Those linens are gorgeous and all the red just pops!

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  42. hi, Its beautiful, red and white tablescape is one of my favourite, the colour gives a feeling of romantacism.. your china id gorgeous and table mats are simply beautiful. over all a very nice and inviting tablescape.

    http://craftaworld.blogspot.com/

    Its my blog, I am new at it, hope you will find something interesting there while your visit...Love

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