Winter Forest Tablescape

 

Don’t you hate those articles that tell you what’s “in” and what’s “out?” I am not a violent person, but oftentimes I want to punch the writers of such articles right in the face. Earlier this month I read that what’s “out” for this holiday season is traditional colors. Now, as you can see from this table setting, I did not use traditional colors, but this is a table for two that I enjoy on my own. The big table that’s going to hold Christmas Eve dinner is going to be all kinds of red and green.

 

These are the dishes that I told you about in this post. It was more challenging than I anticipated to create a table around them because they are not traditional colors, nor are they colors that I generally embrace; I struggled a bit to put it together. It took a decent amount of experimenting before I ended up with this particular setting, and I’m quite pleased.

 

A hunter green tablecloth provides the base. It is draped with a gauzy runner providing a bit of soft elegance. Simple wicker placemats hold the plate stack that consists of aqua chargers, and Lenox “Balsam Lane” dinner and salad plates.

 

Mini covered cupcake stands on top of each salad plate worked perfectly to hold a dinner roll. The mug is from the same dinnerware pattern as is the salt and pepper set; the water glasses, Villeroy and Boch, the crystal is “Gallia” by Rogaska.

I wasn’t sure that teal napkins would work here, but they did, and I like them. The gold flatware and metallic gold tapers were used in order to pick up the gold stars in the dinnerware.

 

The candlestick holders are antiques that the late Mr. O-P bought me about 20 years ago. I still love them. The snowflake votive candle holders are from Crate and Barrel years ago.

The centerpiece that I rather like in its simplicity, I can’t tell you a thing about. I’m not sure just where I got the reindeer with the removable wooden bowl, or the colorful potpourri that I used inside it.

 

The champagne bucket is a new acquisition and a big favorite. I never knew how much I wanted one of these until I got one. Now it holds juice, champagne, wine, you name it.

 These dishes are not specifically Christmas, so will be able to carry me into February until I bring out red and white. I hope you enjoy this different color palette for Christmas, and remember that no matter what is “in” or what is “out,” do as you please.

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 This post is linked to: Tablescape Thursday

Come for Pasta!

Sometimes I get stale. I admit it. Sometimes, I take a look at what I have and wonder how I can spend another moment looking at the same stuff. This is particularly the case where table linens are concerned. I mean how many times can I use the same tablecloth?  I do try to mix things up a bit. I'll use glass chargers, or colorful placemats, or top the table with an afghan. But there are days when I just completely run out of ideas, and think that I have thrown absolutely everything but myself on top of the table and now have come up completely dry. 

So when my cousin asked if I wanted a tablecloth and napkin set that was too small to fit her new, larger dining room table, I jumped at it. Sight unseen, I said yes. And then I saw it and I thought, huh, this looks vaguely familiar. The napkins, I think, were a gift from me. It was also something totally out of my comfort zone. 

Colors in a combination that I'd not used before, and stripes! Never in my life have I used a tablecloth that was striped. I do love a challenge though, and this got my creative juices flowing.  It also sent me to rummage through several closets looking for what might work, and mixing up and layering things that I would have never considered before. 

The end result is this table set for a pasta dinner. I like it!  The Fitz and Floyd salmon chargers I have only used with the similarly colored “Coquilles” set of dinnerware. What a nice backdrop it provides here for the painted pasta bowls. 

The multiple colors in the stripes also allowed me to use a trio of glasses in a variety of colors and styles. 

Water will fill the clear glasses, red wine will be served with the pasta in the cranberry colored glasses, champagne will fill the cobalt blue flutes and be served with the tiramisu. 

My favorite round placemats tone down the stripes, pressed glass crescent bowls will hold Italian salad. 

The Pottery Barn flatware, heavy antique replicas, are the perfect touch for this comfort food meal.

The centerpiece, a favorite that I use again and again, has been adorned with empty cheese boxes with a nod to antipasto.

I used no coffee cups in this setting, opting to serve espresso in cups purchased in Europe years ago to finish the meal. 

Buono Appetito!

Tablecloth and Napkins - Crate and Barrel
Water glasses - Mikasa “Marquis”
Wine glasses - Crate and Barrel
Placemats - Pier 1
Flatware - Pottery Barn
Chargers - Fitz and Floyd

This post is linked to:
Amaze Me Monday
Metamorphosis Monday

Table It Monday

Inspire Me Tuesday

Tuesdays At Our Home

Tutorials & Tips

The Scoop

The Charm of Home
 At The Picket Fence

Centerpiece Wednesday

Wow Us Wednesday
Work It Wednesday

What’s It Wednesday

Clever Chicks Blog Hop

Tablescape Thursday

Create It Thursday

Home and Garden Thursday

Home Sweet Home

Show and Tell Friday 

A "Shell" of a Great Table

 I started collecting dinnerware when I was in Junior High. My mother always set beautiful, elegant tables, and I wanted to move into my first home and be able to do the same. The fact that this was going to be a lengthy and expensive process never once occurred to me.  The first set I collected was Fitz and Floyd “Coquilles.” For a young girl who worked weekends behind the cosmetics counter at Famous-Barr (now Macy's), it took me a long time to get a full set.  My mother always preached “service for twelve” so that’s what I got. By the time I did I had not only graduated from High School, but college as well, and was two years into my first (ahem) marriage, at which point the completer pieces and accessories were nowhere to be found, replaced with the next exciting pattern. 

I’ve learned many things over the years.  First of all, if I can get a full set of anything I get service for four.  If I’m feeling flush, I go crazy and get service for eight.  Period.  I don’t have a table large enough to comfortably seat twelve.  Oh, I’ve done it all right, but not comfortably, so eight services are really all I am ever going to need.  Plus, over the years I have learned to layer various patterns to get a multitude of results, and find that I really much prefer this. (You’ll notice the F&F “Cape Town” pattern figured in here.)  So, in looking at these pictures of attractive place settings of dinnerware, I hope there’s been a lesson learned.  Never, I tell you, NEVER buy service for twelve! 

Dinnerware - Fitz & Floyd “Coquilles” and “Cape Town”

Round Wicker Placemats – Pier 1

Bamboo Flatware – Crate & Barrel

Lobster S&P – Stonewall Kitchen

Fish Pitcher – Gift, years ago

Napkins – Pottery Barn

This post is linked to:

Let’s Dish!

Tabletop Tuesday

Tutorials Tips and Tidbits

Wow Us Wednesdays

Tablescape Thursday

Be Inspired Friday

Seasonal Sundays

Pattie's Desperation Trifle

When Jim mentioned, rather forlornly this morning, as he was walking out the door that he didn't get his usual trifle for his birthday this year (and I knew that due to unforeseen circumstances he didn't get one last year), I kicked into high gear and put this together while he was gone. I had to remove shelves in order to get it into the fridge!

Trifle is his favorite dessert, bar none, and he has a number of recipes for them, but I had no time to dig for recipes, just gathered things up like a squirrel preparing for winter and started assembling.  The bowl isn't even a trifle bowl.  It's a lidded glass candy dish that I bought in December at Crate & Barrel to use as part of the centerpiece on my Boxing Day table.  It worked out just perfectly! (Which pretty much goes to show you can make a trifle in any size.)

The process is shown below, the result was delicious!  Instead of vanilla pudding I made an orange custard that was just heaven (recipe below).  I'm going to keep it in mind for the summer as it would go extremely well on strawberry shortcake, or simply to top a bowl of fresh berries of any kind.  I can hardly wait until spring!

Slice Sara Lee pound cake into 3/4" slices.

Spread each slice with a thick coating of raspberry jam.

Fit pieces into the bottom of trifle dish as though you're putting a puzzle together, and drizzle generously, and I'm talking GENEROUSLY with cream sherry.  (You might just give it a taste, you know, to make sure it's still good.)

Top cake layer with fresh raspberries that have been thoroughly rinsed and inverted on paper towels to completely dry.

Pour a third of the custard over raspberries and spread to cover.

Repeat with another layer of cake, this time coating it with blueberry jam.  Again GENEROUSLY drizzle with sherry, and top with fresh blueberries and strawberries.  Is this a work of art, or what?  I seriously hated to cover it up with another layer of custard cream and cake, but I did.  The final layer of cake I coated with raspberry jam, once again, and placed it jam-side down on top of the berries -- more sherry --and then topped it all with whipped cream and strawberry garnish.

Look at those luscious layers.

I love this spoon that hangs from the side of the bowl (another Crate & Barrel purchase).

Beautiful!

Needless to say, he was surprised, and very pleased.  Here's the recipe for the custard that I used, but Instant French Vanilla pudding would work just fine.

Orange Custard Cream
1 1/2 cups milk

1 tablespoon grated orange zest 

5 extra-large egg yolks

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon Triple Sec

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon heavy cream

Combine the milk and orange zest in a medium stainless steel saucepan over medium heat and bring to a low simmer. Remove from the heat.

Beat the yolks and sugar on medium-high speed in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment for 5 minutes. Turn the mixer to low and slowly add cornstarch. Beat on medium-low speed until combined, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula. Turn the mixer to low and pour the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture. Pour the mixture back into the pan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens, about 5 to 7 minutes. Watch very carefully as it tends to thicken very fast.  Once thickened, remove from heat and add the vanilla, Triple Sec, butter and cream.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold.

This is linked to

TABLESCAPE THURSDAY - An "Ornamental" Holiday Table

The ornaments used to decorate this year's mantle got their start on last year's table. The tablecloth had been in place for Thanksgiving, and I found it looked wonderful doing double duty for Christmas.  My traditional centerpiece of greens provided the usual aromatic base and I went from there.

Guests always get a treat at our dinner parties.  Decorated Christmas tree cookies were the sweets given away.

Cranberry wine glasses were a lucky find at Crate and Barrel.

Tablecloth: Williams-Sonoma

Wine Glasses: Crate and Barrel

Gold Chargers: Target

Big Ornaments: Sam's

Live Greenery and Tree Cookies: Whole Foods

This is linked to Tablescape Thursday