All Greens Go Together

Yay!  The semester is over, the grades are in, and maybe now I can post a bit more frequently!  Today I have a very short post about a new arrangement on my bench-used-as-a-coffee-table.  I wanted something more seasonal than the previous one, so I went with green -- several shades of green, in fact.

The base is a lime green wooden tray from Crate and Barrel Outlet.  To that, I added a stack of decorating books -- the top one is Nell Hill's Entertaining with Style, which I love.  Perched on top of the books is a bird candle from Pier 1 and a pot from Crate and Barrel holding yellow daisy mums.  The ivy leaf plate is made of melamine and is from Pottery Barn this season.  All the greens are a bit different, but I'm going with the "rule" that all greens go together!

I'll be linking to Table Top Tuesday at Marty's A Stroll Thru Life, so be sure to stop by her party to see some great vignettes for inspiration!

Easter Table

The inspiration for this table was a set of these cute nests my youngest sister sent me last spring.  I used them last year for a casual outdoor table, but I wanted to try them with my wedding china for Easter this year. 

The pale turquoise eggs bring out the turquoise centers of the flowers in the china pattern.  My sister also gave me the brown placemats, which echoed the color and texture of the nests.

 Once I had the places set, I started to think about a centerpiece.  I decided to go with a bright contrasting color, and I found these hot pink carnations at HEB.  Five fit nicely into each julep cup.

Four of the smallest blossoms were placed in the napkin rings, a gift from my daughter.  They hold turquoise napkins.

Here's a view of the tabletop.  Tall cream-colored candleholders and pillar candles add some height.

Here are some more views of the table. 

Here are the details:
China:  Lenox Windsong
Crystal:  Lenox Moonspun
Sterling:  Lunt Belvedere
Placemats, nests, and napkin rings:  Color (Nashville)
Tablecloth:  formerly my mother-in-law's
Napkins and candles:  Pier 1
Julep cups:  Fifth Season (Little Rock)
Candleholders:  gift shop (Salado, TX)

Thank you for visiting my table this week!  I will be linking to Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch, so be sure to visit to see lots of pretty tables!

The Tablescape Fairy Comes Through!

We had a busy weekend, so I hadn't found time to plan a table for this week's Tablescape Thursday at Susan's Between Naps on the Porch. I had decided I'd just have to skip playing this week.  BUT!  Monday afternoon when I got in from work, I found a package on the front porch!  The Tablescape Fairy -- AKA my sweet baby sister in Nashville -- had sent me some inspiration!  She included four brown woven raffia placemats and four red napkins, as well as four darling felt bird napkin rings -- all from a wonderful store in Nashville called Color.  If you're ever in Nashville, you must visit -- they serve mimosas and hot tea to shoppers -- and the merchandise is glorious. You can also get on their email list!  (Edited to say my sister wrote to say the birds are from World Market!)

Here's a closeup of one of the sweet little birds.  He'll be perfect for Christmas, too!

Here's a bird's eye view (pun intended) of the placesetting.  Aren't these interesting placemats?  I thought they might not show up on the dark wood of the table, but I think they hold their own.

Along with plain white plates and my sterling flatware, I used my red goblets.  In the background you can see that I'm "recycling" the coffee-beans-and-candle-in-a-hurricane I used in my table two weeks ago.  The brown from the coffee beans added more brown and more texture to the table, and they still smell wonderful!

Here's a diner's view across the table. 

Here's another view.  I like the simple but unusual -- at least for me -- color scheme of red and brown.  I think it works for a modern take on a Valentine's Day table.

Just love these little birds! 

Sisters are the best!  I hope YOUR tablescape fairy will surprise YOU very soon!  Thanks for visiting!

Valentine Tea Party

This week's table features my original everyday dishes, Royal Doulton's Fireglow.  I fell in love with the shape of the teacup almost 40 years ago, and I still love it.

To carry out the valentine theme, I'm using a red and white tablecloth topped with a drawn-thread bridge cloth made by my grandmother.  She also tatted the lace edging.  I like this closeup, because you can see the tiny stitches linking the tatting to the hemstitched edge.  Grandma Rachel loved all kinds of needlework -- sewing, embroidery, quilting, and knitting.  She taught me to knit, and she sewed my wedding gown. 

There are luncheon-sized napkins to match the tablecloth.  That represents a LOT of tatting!  The photo below also shows the red cake stand from Pier 1 that is actually Christmas-themed , but with a lacy paper doily covering the design, it works perfectly for Valentine's Day, too! 

Here's a closeup of the pattern on the plate and some of the drawn-thread work.  That napkin doesn't look very well ironed, but I really did try!

Like the dishes, this silverplate footed candy dish was a wedding gift.  I really like its lacy pattern and have enjoyed using it all these years.

Here's a view of the table.  You can see the silver coffeepot from my in-laws' silver service behind the cake plate.  This shot also includes the Fireglow sugar bowl and creamer.  Aren't you impressed that they are still intact after almost 40 years? My children knew Mama would be VERY unhappy if they broke the sugar bowl lid!  This view really shows off the pretty bridge cloth.

Here's the hostess' view:

Family treasures, beloved dishes, and touches of silver -- what could be better for a valentine tea?  How about a chocolate cake?

And a piece or two of candy?  I'll just make the tea, and we can all sit down.

Thank you for visiting my table today!  I will be linking to Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch this week.  Be sure to check out all the great tablescapes!

Something Copied, Something Blue

This week's tablescape was inspired by Babs at Upstairs Downstairs, who posted last week about using coffee beans in candleholders.  I immediately thought of two hurricane-style candleholders that would be perfect.  I added coffee beans to the grocery list, then managed to find a bag for $3.99 at HEB.  I settled some short cream pillar candles into the holders, then poured the beans around them.

The dark brown of the coffee beans reminded me of some chocolate brown napkins I'd bought while visiting my sister in Nashville, at a wonderful shop called Color.  I'd bought them to go with some pale blue dishes -- Sophie Conran for Portmeirion in forget-me-not blue.  But I needed placemats!  At Dillards, I found some white mats trimmed in dark brown at 50% off, so they came home with me.  Here's the placesetting.

I remembered I had some small glass votive holders that I could also fill with coffee beans.  I've used them before filled with colored sugar or sprinkles, but coffee beans worked, too!

Here's what the plates look like by themselves.  I like the handmade look.

I added some creamy white alstroemeria, also from the grocery store, with stems cut to fit into a silverplate julep cup.

I was pleased with the simple and clean look of the table.

Another view. . .

One more. . .

Thanks again to Babs for the inspirational idea, and thank you for visiting this week.  I appreciate my faithful followers!  I will be linking to Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch this week, so be sure to check out all the other tablescapes posted there.

Pink Tulips

My inspiration for this table was a bouquet of pink tulips my husband brought home from HEB this week.  As I began to think about how I might set a table featuring the tulips, I realized that I don't have any dishes that include pink, nor do I have any pink table linens or much of anything ELSE pink.  So, I decided to let the tulips be the only color on the table, keeping the rest of the elements very neutral.

I wanted a modern feel, so I used a gray herringbone runner and gray napkins, plain white plates, clear ribbed glassware, and my silver flatware.

Here's a closeup of my silver.  I think I managed to capture a blurry image of myself, taking the photo!

At first, I'd planned to arrange the tulips in a pretty crystal vase, but then I had an (all-too-rare!) brainstorm.  I remembered the plain cylindrical bud vases we'd used on tables for my son's rehearsal dinner and wondered if they'd work with the same black iron candleholder I used with lemons for last week's table.  They fit perfectly! 

Each bud vase held two long-stemmed tulips, and I really like the look.  Here's a look at the table, set for four.  With the tall flowers, votive candles seemed to be the way to go.

Here's a shot of the flowers in the late afternoon light. 

I couldn't resist this closeup!

Here are the details:
Table runner - last year from The Great Indoors in Colorado (on clearance for under $5)
Napkins - Crate and Barrel
Plates - Pier 1
Glasses - Bloomingdale's (on clearance for $1.99 each!)
Silver - wedding gifts in 1972
Candleholder - Christmas gift from my mother a few years ago -- love it!

Thanks for visiting my table this week -- and thanks to those of you who choose to leave comments.  They are greatly appreciated!  I will be linking to Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch.  Don't miss all the pretty tables you'll see there!

Fresh Citrus

January brings the desire for a fresh, clean look after all the sparkle and color of the holidays, and I've enjoyed seeing other bloggers' tables reflecting this approach.  The inspiration for this table was a set of salad plates I found on clearance at Williams-Sonoma.  Those of you who visit Marty's Tabletop Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life saw these plates featured on my baker's rack this week.  Here is one, set atop a gold dinner plate from Pier 1.  The design is hand-painted, and each one is a bit different.

For the placesetting I chose green placemats and napkins, and our everyday stainless flatware and glasses.

Here's a closer look at one of the napkin rings I often use, as I just love them -- a gift from my daughter.  There is a small slot to hold fresh flowers -- yellow daisy mums today.

For a centerpiece, I first thought of a bowl of lemons, but then remembered another idea I'd had for using lemons. My son gave me this device -- a candle carver, according to the package -- a couple of years ago.  I decided to try it on some lemons.

Once I'd carved out space for a tealight for each lemon, I set them on this black iron holder my mother gave me one year for Christmas.  I've really enjoyed using it to hold candles, fruit, and flowers in the past!

Here's a closeup of some of the lemons. I removed the metal cups of the tealights -- a few minutes in the freezer make it easy to pop the candles out. 

Here's a look at the table, set for four.  Sorry about that glare on the left!

Here's another angle:

And here's the spot I've saved for you!

Thank you for your visit!  I will be linking to Susan's Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch this week.  You won't want to miss all the fabulous tables posted there each Thursday!