Gathering in the Garden

A devilish little woman by the name of Alycia Nichols, whom some of you may know as the creative genius behind the Tablescapes at Table 21 blog, is to blame for my latest obsession. We share an email or two, and send pictures back-and-forth of our latest acquisitions. All she had to do was send me one picture of one of her Portmeirion botanical plates, and I immediately fell in love. Heaven knows I don’t need any more dishes, on the other hand (I continually reason with myself), when I am setting a table for two, I don’t need to buy a lot of them. Just two of each is all that I need for an attractive luncheon or dinner table for two. That’s how this table began.

I love the idea of a botanical table out in the conservatory. I mean, it stands to reason, that is the type of table that belongs there. I used my much loved round tablecloth in burlap, and topped it with artificial Monstera leaves on top of which I placed a pair of woven placemats, topped with another favorite, my much loved Bordallo Pinheiro geranium leaf chargers.

Blanc Amelie pattern dinner plates from Maison Versailles were placed on top of them, and then plates that I have been searching for forever, Lavender Bordallo Pinheiro salad plates.

The bowls on top of them represent my first Portmeirion purchase. The lavender hibiscus on these bowls blend amazingly well with the lavender plates underneath.

Checkered napkins from Pottery Barn flank each plate and they are topped with Wallace silversmiths Napoleon bee flatware.

The cups and saucers are simple cappuccino cups from which I get much use, and found on Amazon.

The candleholder at center used to belong to my mother. I had one like it in cobalt blue that was a casualty of a tornado that ripped through our yard at the old house back in 2012. I believe, but I’m not 100% sure, but these came from Pottery Barn. The candle inside is from, of all places, Wayfair.com. They have an amazing selection of candles in a wide variety of colors and lovely light fragrances to suit any table. I am not affiliated with Wayfair, I just love their products.

 

The glassware is the wonderful Made-in-France Lá Rochère.

The white butterfly dishes, generally considered to be used for hot mustard and sweet-and-sour sauce in an Asian meal, work very well for butter pats, salt and pepper, or, as you see here, to hold a sprig of mint and pair of lime wedges to use with the sparkling water.

A sprig of fresh thyme from my garden casually draped across the bowl adds a final and fragrant touch.

Come dine with me!

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This post is linked to: Tablescape Thursday

White Hot Summer Table for Two

Is it hot where you are, because good gravy, Marie, it is hot here! I am talking dog days of August hot, and it’s only June. I keep looking at the weather forecast, hoping for a reprieve, but we are going to be in the upper 90°s/100°s for the next 10 days to two weeks. It’s not often that the weather provides fodder for a table setting, but this heat sure did.

 

 This is the first time that I have ever decorated a table in all white, and I really love it! It started with a bouquet of white lilies that I picked up at the grocery store. I love lilies and their fragrance (I know that not everyone does), and the entire house smells wonderful! I trimmed them down to fit this white vase, and put it at the center of my table on top of a round tablecloth in burlap that I have used previously.

Chippy white chargers, as everyone knows, are from Pier 1. They are topped with dinner plates and salad plates in the Blanc Amelie pattern from Maison Versailles.

 On top of that I have put one of my absolutely favorite pieces, a Mottahedda pots de creme.

Because of all the white, I felt it needed sparkle, so yet again, used Mikasa Parklane stemware. 

I also decided to get out my crescent-shaped salad plates that I don’t use nearly as often enough.

Because I was looking for a lot of sparkle, I thought it was time to get out my mother’s crystal knife rests. She bought these in her brother’s gift shop in Las Vegas back in the ‘70s. Aren’t they beautiful! And such a good idea to keep the tablecloth from getting soiled. Honestly, I don’t know why there aren’t more of these around.

 If you look closely you will see little mini salt and pepper shakers at each place setting. These are small, but always hold enough to get the diner quite easily through a dinner.  I find that guests really appreciate these so that they don’t have to ask to have salt and pepper shakers passed. The flatware is by Wallace and it is in their Napoleon Bee pattern.

The candlestick holders were an anniversary gift from the late Mr. OP years ago. I found them in a local antique shop, fell in love, and he gifted them to me shortly there after.

Stay cool this summer with an all white table setting.

 As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

 This post is linked to: Tablescape Thursday