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.

St. Patrick's Day Table

I have never set a table for St. Patrick's Day before, but I have admired many in Blogland and decided to give it a try this year.  When I started, I knew only that I wanted to use the vintage forest green "Burple" glasses that originally belonged to my husband's grandparents. I always use them at Christmas, and this year I also put them to work on my Mardi Gras table. 

I especially love the swirly feet of these glasses. 

Then I remembered the Battenburg lace placemats and cutwork napkins my daughter bought for me while on her honeymoon in Ireland.

To show off the design, I layered them with green placemats and napkins.  (Please pretend I ironed that napkin below.)  I don't have any green plates, but I do have my grandmother's wedding china, which features a green band, so I pulled out the dinner and salad plates. The pattern is Admiral, by Heinrich H&C.  I have a large set of it and could serve dinner and coffee to 24 people, if I were so inclined.  This table, though, is set for only four.

For a centerpiece, I remembered an idea I had seen on Pinterest for using gravy boats to hold flowers.  Grandma's Admiral has two gravy boats (Southerners like lots of gravy), so I pulled those out.  I found green and white mums and green hypericum berries at HEB, and they practically arranged themselves. 

The table needed a little more green, so I checked my usual storage places and found this small vase that belonged to my in-laws.  We'll pretend it's a pot o' gold.

Here's a look at the whole table.  You can see the late afternoon sun streaming in. 

Nary a shamrock or leprechaun to be found, but maybe this green and white table works for St. Patrick's Day.  To see lots more festive green and white, be sure to visit Cuisine Kathleen's 5th Annual St. Patrick's Day Blog Crawl!  I'll also be linking to Between Naps on the Porch's Tablescape Thursday. Thank you for visiting!

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.