A Touch of Pink

Again this week, my table began with a glass -- pink this time.  I had admired these at Pottery Barn, so when they put them on sale in December, I ordered them.  At the time, I had no idea how I'd use them to set a table, as I have no pink dishes or table linens.  I just bought them because they were pretty!

I looked for pink placemats and napkins online, but apparently pink is out of vogue, because I didn't find any I liked. I decided to bring in more pink using flowers instead.  Here's a "diner's view" across the table -- white placemats and napkins, pink and white alstroemeria in short glass vases, Grandma Rachel's china, and our wedding silver.

I use these bud vase napkin rings, a gift from my daughter, all the time.  They are wonderful for bringing a little more color to the table.  Oops, that napkin could have used ironing!

Here's a view of the table, set for a lunch with friends.  Just enough pink for me!

Here's a closeup of Grandma Rachel's china -- it's the Admiral pattern by Heinrich H&C.  The little cluster of pink flowers is the only pink on any of my china patterns.  (I'm more of a blue girl.)  I think Grandma Rachel would be tickled to see me pairing her pretty vintage china with glasses from Pottery Barn!

The alstroemeria included the perfect shade of pink!  And 15 stems were just $7 at Sam's Club.

Another view. . .

Couldn't resist this closeup.  Those two central striped petals form a heart!

One more look at the placesetting.

Thank you for visiting!  I will be linking to Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch.

Start with a Purple Glass

It all started when I saw some pretty purple glasses in the clearance pages of a Ballard Design catalog.  They were marked way down, plus I had a coupon, so I ordered them.  They arrived in just a few days, and they were even prettier in person.  If you look closely, you can see the pattern includes a crown. 

I asked my husband to bring home some purple flowers from the grocery store, and he obliged, selecting these lovely Dutch iris.

I tried several combinations of china patterns and placemats and even briefly considered ironing a giant white tablecloth before I came to my senses.  I only have one set of napkins in my stash that includes a little purple, and no other linens in the "right" purple, so I finally settled on using the plain white backside of some placemats.

I used plain white plates set on silver chargers -- really silver trays we received as wedding gifts.  Each one is a little different.

 Silver was apparently a LOT less expensive way back in 1972, because we received a lot of it!  Over the years my trays have played a role in many receptions, bridal and baby showers, etc.

Once I settled on using the silver trays as chargers, I pulled out more silver to continue the theme.  The silver goblets were also wedding gifts.

The tiny salt and pepper shakers belonged to my in-laws.  Aren't they sweet?

I happened to remember some purple candles, left from our Advent wreath, so after a quick polish of the candelabra, the centerpiece was complete.

Here's a placesetting. 

And here are a few views of the table.

Thank you for visiting! I will be linking to Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch later this week.

Bring on the Daffodils!

Who's tired of wintry weather? Hands? I thought so. We Central Texans have had to wear COATS lately.  Yes, they are Texas coats that wouldn't protect us from, say, a Chicago winter, but most years, we only have to pull them out a few times.  This year, they're getting a workout.

While at Home Depot over the weekend, I spotted these miniature daffodils in pots and couldn't resist the hint of spring they offered.  Of course, I had to set a table to show them off.

Yellow and green was the obvious color scheme, so I pulled out green placemats and linen-look napkins with a green blanket-stitched edging, then added a green and yellow salad plate (Williams-Sonoma, two years ago) and a yellow appetizer plate that was a gift from my daughter.  A green water glass and our wedding silver complete the placesetting.

The daffodils were soaking up the late afternoon sun in the dining room after several overcast days.

Love this golden light!

When daffodils appear, can spring be far behind?  Come on, Mother Nature!

Thank you for visiting The Dull and the Dutiful this week!  I will be linking to Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch.