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Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Simple and Sunny

My inspiration for this late September table came from some napkins I picked up on sale at Williams-Sonoma several months ago.  I have always loved sunflowers (don't most people?!), and I've looked forward to setting a table featuring sunflowers.  Our HEB grocery store obligingly advertised sunflowers as their weekly special, so I began to shop the house for the rest of the things needed to set a simple table.


I started with some striped placemats from Crate and Barrel that repeat visitors have seen before, then added some dark yellow plates from Pier 1. 


I included the green glasses my father-in-law gave us earlier this year when he moved into a retirement apartment.  I used this tablescape (with a few more placesettings) when hosting our daughter's family and my father-in-law, and he told us that the glasses originally belonged to my mother-in-law's parents.  Her father managed a grocery store in Mississippi, and the glasses were some sort of premium back in the 1940s.  I was interested to learn that the glasses were older than I'd thought, and it was fun to see my grandchildren drink from glasses their great-great grandparents had owned!  The pattern is Inspiration, by Anchor Hocking, and is also called Burple -- but Inspiration sounds much nicer!


The silverplate is also from my in-laws' collection, purchased to augment their silver when hosting large dinner parties.  I was able to identify the pattern on Replacements.com as Wm. A. Rogers' Park Lane, but it's apparently also known as Chatelaine or Dowry.    Any ideas why it would have three different names?


Here's the whole table, with the stars of the show -- the sunflowers!  They can be tricky to arrange, so I used florists' tape to bind the stems together so they'd behave in the vase.  You might also notice that I've turned two placemats into a runner across the center of the table, to add a little interest.


Here's one more look at these wonderful flowers.  I'm writing this post almost a week after taking the photos, and the sunflowers still look great in my dining room.

Thank you for stopping by!  I hope you will leave a comment before you leave to visit all the wonderful tablescapes at Susan's Between Naps on the Porch!






34 comments:

  1. Tricia, thanks for stopping in and leaving your comment ;-)... I too love sunflowers, yours are beautiful. I love the idea about turning the placemats into a runner. That looks stunning.

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  2. What a wonderful story about the glasses and they are beautiful. Such a lovely shade of green. I also like how you positioned two of the placemats to appear like a runner.

    - The Tablescaper

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  3. Your setting is so relaxing. And those green stemware are just beautiful!

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  4. Tricia, I love your simple, but elegant table. The green glass goes so nicely with the gold plates...really makes those sunflowers shine.

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  5. Those sunflowers are gorgeous. I love the green glasses too. A very pretty autumn table, Tricia.
    Blessings, Beth

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  6. Sunny and filled with cheer! Wm-Sonoma has the best napkins and towels. I only buy them on sale because they are a little pricey too!
    Sunflowers are perfect for eary fall.
    You set a very easy, breezy and lovely table.
    Yvonne

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  7. What a beautiful September tablescape! Your sunflowers are gorgeous, and the linens pick up the rich color of the petals, and the stemware complements their stems! Thanks for sharing.

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  8. Hi Tricia! I love the color of your tablescape today, so bright and cheerful. Love those napkins!...Christine

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  9. You just can't go wrong with sunflowers as an inspiration, can you? They are the HAPPIEST flower to me. I really like those green glasses! It's great that you got a little history on them too so that you can "date" them.

    Old family pieces are my absolute favorites. They just make a table. Yours is a really pretty and happy one!

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  10. Hi Tricia...

    What a pretty table and those glasses are just beautiful AND versatile! I don't know why Rogers and Oneida had multiple names for the same pattern. I have an Oneida set called Vanessa/Francesca. Maybe tablescaping historian Bill will have an answer!

    Tess

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  11. Oh how pretty! I love the sunflowers and those napkins too! I think Burple is a great name. Thanks for sharing with us today.

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  12. I would love to have glasses that are called Burple! I think that is my new favorite word. And how neat to discover their history. I wonder about the mystery of your silver pattern, too. I will check back to see if someone can come up with an answer!

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  13. You're so right -- we all love sunflowers -- mine lasted almost a week as well. You've done such a pretty table and the flowers are the star of your table.

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  14. That stemware is really very pretty! What a nice gift! I really like the simplicity of the setting, and the napkins are cute as a bug's ear! :-)

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  15. Hi T!
    You know I love the WS Outlet, and I even wait for the sale there! The table is lovely! Very peaceful!

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  16. I just love this! You always do something different, and I love how you used the placemats. Those napkins are incredible!! Beautifully elegant as always!

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  17. So did I get it right that the "Burple" glasses were a grocery store (stamp?)giveaway. They are really beautiful and special that they were from your mother-in-laws parents. Love the sunflowers too. Joni

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  18. Very pretty flower napkins Tricia. I enjoyed the tour of your lovely tablescape and my first visit to your blog. It's nice to meet you!

    Blessings to you and yours.
    Warmly, ~Melissa :)

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  19. Love the sunflowers. I recently found some of those green glasses at the Goodwill and love them!!

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  20. So you suppose that your wonderful sunflowers coaxed that perfect sunlight to waft across your table? Lovely setting! I adore the Burple glasses...such a gorgeous green. Thank you for sharing your charming design. Cherry Kay

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  21. what gorgeous napkins! Love the sunflower theme.

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  22. The glasses are just exquisite, their color is so rich and that adorable stem is wonderful. Wish they still did great grocery store giveaways like that. My parents collected a white and pink china set from the grocery store that we all loved more than her Noritake. What a fun story. The kids wouldn't even know what we were talking about.

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  23. I always loved sunflowers...your napkins are perfect for fall or summer! Love your header photo, I remember seeing it in your tablescape :-)

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  24. Tricia,

    Just lovely the way you pulled everything together. Love the glasses and the silverplate. Nice that you have their history. Sunflowers are the best.

    Carol

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  25. Hello Trish!

    Your glasses, flatwares & napkins are to die for.

    Absolutly, pretty...


    Happy TS Day!

    Greetings from a chilly Stockholmer,
    /chie

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  26. Your inspiration napkins are too cute! The green stemware is beautiful, I love the emerald green! Such a pretty table....thank you for sharing.

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  27. I love your sunflowers from HEB. My son goes there for his groceries and I enjoy shopping there when I'm in town. I also have some of the green glassware passed down from my grandmother. It goes so well with your lovely tablescape. Have a great Texas day!

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  28. I love the color of those water goblets! They look stunning on the table!

    Rainey

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  29. Love your embroidered napkins and of course your green boopie glasses...Have a wonderful week. Sharon

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  30. I L-o-v-e your table scape. I especially liked that you included the story behind the green glasses...how very interesting and another way to connect the generations.

    Your table is perfect. Colorful, neat and not too fussy. Again! I L-o-v-e- it.

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  31. Great table! I have the same glasses which were my Granny Jones's. She always said that loose tea came in them or with them -- and they were indeed a premium. It's so nice to have the things that are passed down -- they are always my favorites.

    I couldn't link my tablescape this week -- some kind of problem with Mr. Linky. BOOHOO

    Scribbler

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  32. Hi Tricia,
    this is really an outstanding table. It is sunny like a field of sunflowers. Love the emerald glasses and the lovely story.
    Greetings, Johanna

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  33. Enjoyed your beautiful table. It makes me smile

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  34. Love your table. I noticed the pretty matching runner but did not notice that is was the placemats until I read it in your text. I too had those glasses. They were my mother's and I am 70. We got them in the early 50"s as premiums with gasoline purchases. You would get a little ticket, similar to a theatre ticket, for each gallon of gas purchased. You could trade the tickets for premiums. She got the sherbets also. I use them for Christmas and St Patrick"s Day. I enjoyed the history of your glasses. It's great that your father-in-law got to enjoy seeing them used again. I will be posting my first blog post next Monday at BNOTP's Metorphosis Monday. please check me out and offer suggestions. Ginger

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