Country Bunnies Tablescape

 

This table is set for a country Easter brunch. I started with the rustic bunnies holding faux hydrangea blossoms, and glazed pitcher, filled with faux grasses for the centerpiece, and went from there.

This table setting came together very quickly, because I used so many elements from my previous table. Let this be a lesson to you, a few changes, particularly where color is concerned, and you have an entirely different look.

 

 The plate stack features a variety of colors and textures. The chargers are Bordallo Pinheiro cabbage plates, topped with Amelie Versailles dinner plates in white, topped with bamboo salad plates, topped with a Blue Ombre appetizer plate by Pfaltzgraff in their “Logan” pattern, on top of which I have lovely vintage glass tea cups with matching saucers, perfect for holding a cup of cold summer soup prior to the meal. That is quite a descriptive sentence, and quite a plate stack, isn’t it?

 

My mother made the sweet bunny napkins many years ago. I had completely forgotten about them until I started digging around in the Easter decorations and there they were. I’m so happy to have them at my table.

 

 The silver, freshly polished, is by International in the “Contessa” pattern. A friend gifted it to me, and I absolutely love it. I am one of those people who does not mind at all polishing silver.

 The cups are simple white cappuccino cups, the water glasses Villeroy & Boch.

Overnight guests gifted the pale green teapot to Jim and me years ago. The country cottage sugar and creamer set belonged to my mother. I had no idea that she had this set until I unearthed it when I was emptying out her and dad‘s house. I have had them on display in my home ever since.

 

I think you will agree that this is a charming and serene table for an Easter brunch.

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My Heart is Yours Valentine Tablescape

 

Obviously, I set lot of tables, and generally have a fairly easy time of it, but when Valentine’s Day rolls around, I’m always a bit stumped. Valentine’s Day is just not my holiday. Not because my sweetie has passed on to that big Valentine’s Day heart in the sky, but because my mother was the one who used to host the Valentine’s Day dinner every year and I suppose, because I never did it myself, my interest was a bit lacking.

 

 That said, I don’t like to see the holiday go unobserved in this household, so decided to put together a table for two that is bit bolder than those I have created in the past.

I took a cue from my Chinese New Year and went with red, black, and gold. Black is not a color that one would generally associate with Valentine’s Day, but it does look quite striking here. 

 The table covering is a bit of yardage that I inherited when my mother passed away. She was quite the seamstress, had a huge supply of fabric, and, despite the fact that I don’t sew, I had to have it all. On top of the polka-dotted table covering are round black placemats that are then topped with bold, red chargers that are encircled by a bit of raised rhinestone bling.

On top of the chargers are square black plates on top of which I have placed white heart-shaped salad plates. On top of those are sweet red heart-shaped soup or casserole dishes complete with matching lids. I believe I got these from Joanne about four years ago, but I’m not 100% sure.

  

The goblets are among my favorites and are from Villeroy & Boch, the gold flatware you’ve seen many times. I chose rustic candlestick holders for the center of the table, and after trying a number of different types of candles, decided on the metallic gold to complement the flatware.

 

The napkins are handmade out of Valentine fabric; the black cappuccino cup finishes off the place setting.

To add a bit of interest to the table, and break up the monotony of all those tiny little polka dots, I have scattered Valentine cards that my mother collected over the years.

 

 Whatever you have planned for your day, I hope it’s sweet, and that I have been able to provide you with a tiny bit of inspiration to aid you in setting a romantic table.

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 This post is linked to: Tablescape Thursday

Year of the Dragon Tablescape

 

There’s something I find quite appealing about Chinese New Year. I’m not sure if it’s the myths, the customs, bold colors, the intricate Chinese characters, or because it represents the end of winter* and the beginning of spring, but I set a table in celebration every year.

The table covering here is gorgeous fabric from Michael Miller in the “Asian Influence” pattern. I let this fabric dictate the colors of this table — gold, red, and black. Once this was decided, I was off and running.

I could have gone gaudy here, and initially headed in that direction with paper Chinese dragons in pink, yellow, and red, but instead chose to go rather minimal compared with what I generally do, in order to allow each piece to shine.

Metallic gold chargers set on top of round black placemats. Square black plates are on top of the chargers, each of which is topped with a collapsible fan.

Chopsticks are at each place setting, as well as sparkly gold flatware for those of us who tend to send food flying when using the “sticks.” Crystal chopstick rests are available for those who choose to use them.

The napkins are made from Alexander Henry fabric in the “Manju Kanji” pattern that blends amazingly well (I think) with that of Michael Miller.

 

I wanted a bold punch of red, so chose these beautiful goblets from Villeroy & Boch.

 

The tea set belongs to my number two son who, years ago, became fascinated with Asian tea service. I found it perfect to use here, considering we’re celebrating the Year of the Dragon beginning February 10.

The saucers under the simple cups are in the shape of leaves, something I find charming.

 

The simple but unique candlesticks can be found here.

 

If you are as eager to see the end of winter and beginning of spring, as I am, consider celebrating this holiday in your home, and brew a nice cup of Chinese tea.

 *For some of us it has been shockingly cold (read awakening to the temperature of -7° F). For me, personally, it involved being stuck, diagonally, in the middle of my street, blocking traffic in both directions, when I tried to venture out after a deceptive layer of ice coated the street under the guise of a dusting of snow.

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 This post is linked to: Tablescape Thursday

Dinner in the Vineyard Tablescape

 

As I mentioned a number of months ago, I have challenged myself to take one (or more) items from one week’s tablescape to include in my next tablescape. Because the last one differed greatly in both color and style, the only thing that I was able to bring forward was the Mikasa hammered “Opulent” flatware. This table is one of my favorites of all I’ve created this year. In my attempt at organizing, I ran across this beautiful fabric that I bought more than a decade ago (for what purpose I have no idea), and it was my inspiration. I turned it into a table topper, and went from there.

 I did not use any placemats because I wanted as much of the tablecloth to show through as possible. In keeping with the Italian theme table covering, the charger plates are ceramic imports from Italy. They are topped with square black dinner plates on which I have placed square plates in a grape pattern from Tabletops Unlimited (their “Cabernet” pattern).

 

I picked up the color of the grapes in the glassware; the water glasses in a beautiful shade of green are by Villeroy & Boch, the purple goblets I found here.I chose green napkins from Urban Villa, and really liked the look. The cups and saucers, in mint green, are some of my favorites. I enjoy my morning cappuccino in one every day.

 The three-tiered tray in the center of the table was purchased years ago from a local furniture store that, sadly, went out of business about 15 years ago.  It was called Oak Tree Furniture, and I still miss it.

 

Faux grapes and greenery fill all three sections of the tray, as well as the deep purple votives that I also have at each place setting.Some bottles of wine from a local Vintner will be enjoyed during the meal, as well light from the flickering candle in the Chianti bottle.

 

Italian food will be served at this table, more than likely Steak Modiga*, a personal favorite.

 *Recipe coming soon!

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This post is linked to: Tablescape Thursday

Rooting for Spring Tablescape

You may (or may not) have noticed that I’d taken a bit of a break. That’s because I decided, at long last, to clean. I am not a cleaner. My mother LOVED to clean; me, not so much. She came to help me clean before a party once, and said that she really enjoyed cleaning at my house because she could really see results. That pretty much says everything.

 

Why do I mention that, you ask? Because I was inspired by the great outdoors, and my budding vegetable container garden, to create this table. For those of you who enjoy vegetable gardening as much as I do, this one’s for you.

This past week I decided to tackle the conservatory. I divided it into quadrants, so as not to be overwhelmed.  For those of you who have plants, and I am talking a lot of plants, you know how time-consuming it is to care for each one individually, particularly if you grow citrus indoors, and that citrus has scale. Scale produces a type of sap, called “honeydew,” that is a clear, sticky substance that, I soon came to realize, pretty much had stuck to everything from the floor, sofa, cushions, to the windowsills, etc. I spent a good portion of last week on my hands and knees, with Dawn and a soft sponge, scrubbing. On the plus side, those trees are now outside and being treated, and the conservatory is sparkling clean, and all the plants look beautiful and healthy.

I became enamored with the carrot theme around Easter and that inspired the purchase of the Maxcera carrot mugs, the Spoonflower carrot fabric (that had me hemming napkins and the table topper), as well as digging out my plates for the summer, including this set from Williams-Sonoma featuring beautiful carrots.

 

The carrot fabric napkins that I made paired nicely with the green checked napkins that I had gotten from Pottery Barn. Naturally, I had to have orange flatware to go along with it. (Imagine how lovely these would look with dark blue, not to mention fall colors.)

Carrots have those wonderful green tops, so I thought my Villeroy and Boch glassware appropriate.

 

The Chantal carrot bowls (purchased at Home Goods more than a decade ago) alongside are favorites of mine. They are whimsical and fun, and perfect for serving small salads be it fruit, coleslaw, or leafy green. The Blenko pitcher reinforces the carrot orange. 

The chargers are my favorite Bordallo Pinheiro geranium leaf chargers. They are topped with wonderful bright oval orange plates.

 

The simple centerpiece features a nice variety of carrot seed packs to drive the theme home.

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This post is linked to: Tablescape Thursday