Friday, January 16, 2015

Celebrating Father Time

January is a transition month. Our homes, our towns and stores no longer wear their festive trappings.  The weather is unpredictable. Even in Southern CA:  we're still waiting for substantial rain, and we need jackets in the morning and evening, but can still wear flip-flops during the day: very confusing! Many of us are trying hard to keep to the resolutions we started so enthusiastically at the beginning of the month.  There isn't even anything to really look forward to:   Being retired, I can't really look forward to a day off on Martin Luther King's Day-------I know, stop whining! Valentine's Day usually means a nice dinner, but it really isn't until Easter that we get to plan a real family gathering and the weather brings spring flowers and the promise of summer.

I decided to try and jumpstart my lethargy by spending time doing what I LOVE to do, which is tablescape. So, I stood in my office (dishroom) and waited to see what idea would jump out at me.  One of my New Year's Resolutions, is to avoid purchasing new dish inventory until I have done at least one tablescape with each of my plates that I have accumulated. As I stood there looking around the room,  I realized I had yet to do a table with blue and gold.  It seemed to be a perfect opportunity to create a table that would reflect the excitement of a new year starting (my end-of-the-year activities precluded me from doing a New Year's Eve table this year!),  and still use some plates I haven't used yet.

This Is What I Came Up With: (Please excuse the empty hutch! I just realized as I looked at these pictures that I haven't refilled it since emptying it of my Christmas decorations! I told you I've been lazy!):




Here's How It Was Created:

I started with my often used navy tablecloth I bought at the County Fair.  I love it for its no-iron and stain repellent finish.



My dish stack starts with my gold chargers from Big Lots (recently used at Christmas dinner).



Then I added an additional charger (my cobalt blue glass charger I found while antiquing in Ventura, CA) for color coordination and texture.




Here is the plate that got my idea started.  I found it at HomeGoods for $1.00!! It is labeled 222 Fifth, Blue, Porcelaine Fine, Made in Indonesia.





I topped the stack with a colbalt blue glass sherbet dish also found while antiquing.




I finished the place setting with navy blue napkins from WorldMarket, gold napkin rings from Bed, Bath and Beyond, my gold glass tumblers from my trip to Venice years ago, and the "gold" plated stainless steel flatware on loan from my cousin.






I debated how to create my centerpiece. I thought some more about what I wanted this table to reflect.  I felt that the dark blue and gold color combination successfully reflected the celebratory nature of the starting of January and the new year. Then I thought about what a new year means: new beginnings, new challenges, and other changes. There is something that is constant, though.  Father Time will just keep chugging along no matter what our personal universe gets impacted with. I figured a clock would be good to represent Father Time! So, I walked around the house and looked at my hubby's clock collection (while I look at dishes and such in antique stores and swapmeets, my hubby swoons over clocks!)  I decided this Anniversary Clock  had the height and metal color perfect for my tablescape.  I love the intricate decoration on the face of this clock----so lovely and romantic.  If you haven't seen an Anniversary Clock ( named because it only has to be wound every year, so if a couple was gifted with one on their anniversary, they wouldn't have to wind it until their next anniversary!) They always have 4 globes that act as a pendulum swinging first in one direction, and then the other direction. They also have glass domes that house the clock's mechanism.  I then added two weights that are used as part of a wall clock's chains that work the clock's mechanisms through gravity. To finish the centerpiece I added  gold sprays.





The accents on the table are the serving pieces from the flatware set and a gold-finished plate that was gifted to me by a dear friend.






So, here is my salute to Father Time and my first tablescape of 2015. Completing this tablescape has helped with my post-holiday doldrums.  It felt good to get the creative juices going again and start on my plan to use dishes I haven't shared yet. How have things been going for you since your new year has started?



I'll be linking up to Susan's Tablescape Thursday at www.betweennapsontheporch.net
and Christine's Table It! at www.rustic-refined.com.  Thank you, ladies for hosting these parties so faithfully! Please take a look at these wonderful sites and enjoy the creativity that is shown.

I appreciate all your comments; more than you know!        Rosie

10 comments:

  1. Rosie, this is a beautiful table and the perfect setting for the new year!! I just love those blue and gold plates, and only for a $1 each? Wow!! Your Venetian goblets are stunning, too! Your centerpiece is simple, yet elegant and captures your salute to Father Time! Happy New Year!!

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  2. Very pretty! I love your salute to father time. Don't you just love HomeGoods? I found the same plates in green and gold at HG also at a dollar each. I do like the blue and gold much better than the green and gold. Your tablecloth is perfect with the pretty cobalt blue chargers and the Fifth plates. The centerpiece looks grand, I love anniversary clocks, their mechanisms are fascinating to me.

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  3. I love this color combo Rosie! I've only used it once on my tables, thanks for reminding me how lovely it is.

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  4. I just got off the phone with Pat - we have been drooling over your tablescape for ten minutes. She wants to adopt your cousin (for the flatware....sorry) and I am in love with everything on the table. Oh my goodness! Those blue sherbets! And the tumblers.....stunning. Glad to see that you have the "dish disease" like us. The "office" (if you are not careful) will soon move to a corner in some other room and it will become a room full of storage shelves holding everything and anything for tablescaping, Rosie. Anyway, your table is gorgeous.

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  5. Oh Rosie, the deep blue with the gold is so elegant! Love the stars scattered about on the tablecloth~
    Jenna

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  6. The blue and gold is quite wonderful, and I like the idea of building your theme around the clock.

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  7. Such a gorgeous table...I just love the colors that you used...so very elegant!!!

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  8. Wonderful table and I love the color scheme. So festive!

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  9. I replied to your question on my blog since I don't see how to email you personally. Check it out!

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