Happy Memorial Day!

This weekend we celebrated one of my favorite holidays. I love Memorial Day for many reasons. First, and most importantly, we as Americans take a pause and remember the men and women who now and in our past have so bravely protected and defended our democracy and freedom. We also remember those who are no longer with us who have lost their lives in the service of our nation.

On a lighter note, the end of May signals the summer season has begun: time to brush off the patio umbrella, plant bright flowers and get the outside ready for entertaining,

(As an aside, back where I was raised in New York, Memorial Day also signaled that white pants and white shoes could now be worn without recrimination!)

My table this week celebrates the red, white and blue colors of our flag and is my very small way of paying homage to this special day in May.

Here Is The Table I Created:

Here How It Was Done:

I started with one of my favorite placemats. I found these at HomeGoods and they were originally bought for Valentine's Day. I love their tomato red color and the pattern:

The dish stack started with a cobalt blue glass charger that I found while antiquing in my favorite antique mall in Ventura, CA.

Next came a plate that is a true workhorse in my tablescaping arsenal. It is my white Metaceramica dinner plate, made in Portugal.

On top of this layer I added a new addition I found in HomeGoods. It is also a Metaceramica plate, made in Portugal. I love the design on the edge and the pretty shade of red of this salad plate. I'm glad I had a special occasion to showcase it.

The next layer of my presentation is made up of two dishes. I only had three of the blue dishes, so I used two blue dishes for two place settings, then used white appetizer plates for the other two place settings.  The blue dishes are labeled Booths, "Lowesteft Deer", Made in England  the white dishes are labeled "Two's Company". Both sets came from an antiquing trip in Carlsbad, CA.

I completed the dish stack with a cobalt blue glass sherbet dish, also found while antiquing.

My place setting was finalized with white-enameled flatware from TJMaxx, red goblets from HomeGoods and two napkins intertwined to highlight the red, white and blue color scheme.

I also added some whimsical cheese spreaders to be used with appetizers. They each have their own patriotic decoration:

My centerpiece was anchored with a white pitcher found at TJMaxx and decorated with a flag swag design, and filled with faux red and white flowers and small American flags. I also added red candles standing in glass star candle holders found at a church rummage sale. To add a feeling of celebration, I encircled the white pitcher with two bead garlands. The white garland lights up and adds to the celebratory atmosphere. This centerpiece will probably stay on the table for the week to help commemorate the holiday.

Accent pieces on the table include a star glass dish and a lovely glass bowl that was gifted to me by a very special aunt. Aunt Toshi came by with numerous plates and serving pieces that had belonged to her beloved mother.  I so appreciate all the things she gave to me because she knows my fondness for anything having to do with a table! I will share the other treasures I received in future posts. Thank you so much, Aunt Toshi, for gifting me with these special pieces that meant so much to your Mom.

I hope your Memorial Day Holiday Weekend was a good one, spent with those who mean so much to you. And, that, at least part of the day was spent in remembrance.

I'll be linking up to Christine's Dishing It! and Digging It! at www.rustic-refined.com and
Susan's Tablescape Thursday at www.betweennapsontheporch.net.  Thank you, Ladies, for once again hosting these fun parties!! Your efforts are appreciated.

Two For Cinco de Mayo

Here we are into May already!  Two big chances for creating tablescapes are upon us!  My sister-in-law gifted me with place settings of the prettiest tableware, and I decided Cinco de Mayo would be a perfect opportunity to share it with you.  It is labeled Espana Lifestyle and the pattern is Bocca.
I love the vibrant colors and intricate pattern of these plates.  The dinner plate is quite large, and could really be used as a charger. The salad plate coordinates so well with the dinner plate pattern. There are bowls and mugs that are also a part of the place setting.  I didn't use the mug in this tablescape, but it is large enough for a hefty cup of coffee or tea, and its handle is nicely shaped so the mug is very comfortable to hold.

Here Is The Table for Cinco de Mayo:

Here Is How It Was Created:

I actually started with two placemats. I had my yellow woven placemats, but decided to add my straw ones as a base to make the place setting a bit more "solid" without losing the texture of the woven mats.

Here is the new dinner plate I told you about. I LOVE the square shape. It looks like a picture that could be framed and hung on a wall. Don't you love the design and intricate pattern? It's so appropriate for a Cinco de Mayo celebration, but really would make any dinner a festive event! I'll be using this plate as a charger for this meal.

Next is the salad plate.  I'll be using this as a dinner plate. We'll be having tacos, refried beans and rice.  My Hubby and I just started Weight Watchers, so I thought I'd try one of their suggestions and use a smaller plate for dinner to help in portion control.  I let you know if it works, or if we just have two helpings instead of one!!

I've added the bowl because my Cinco de Mayo meal will be starting with Mexican Albondigas Soup (it's a yummy meatball soup!).  Like the mugs, the bowls are substantially deep and will be perfect for this dinner.

I completed the table setting with two linen napkins (yellow and orange) that I nestled together and wrapped with a rust floral napkin ring from Bath, Bed and Beyond that matches one of the colors in the dish pattern perfectly! I used my lime green flatware from Tuesday Morning to also coordinate with the pattern colors. The last components of the place setting are my Mexican glass martini glasses (I still haven't gotten Margarita glasses, so Margaritas would be served in these!); and small bottles of Patron Tequila and my Mexican glass shot glasses.  In full disclosure, I must say, these glasses will be removed prior to dinner.  These days, we are sipping  infused sparkling water because of our diet (oops....lifestyle change!)

My centerpiece consists of a burlap runner that holds one of the wooden centerpiece boxes my Hubby and neighbor made for me (I have three nesting pine boxes that I can use!).  I filled it with faux flowers from Michael's; my brightly colored hen from Hobby Lobby; a ceramic sunflower plate marked just  Italy that I found at a swapmeet; and my wooden spools found while antiquing. I wrapped burlap ribbon around these items to coordinate with the table runner. Flanking the centerpiece are small ceramic flower pots that I actually filled with some new napkin rings I found at Steinmart; candle holders from Hobby Lobby;  and, three other accent pieces: some sweet special owl salt and pepper shakers from my special friend, Mary Beth;(I love their expressions and the multi-colored pattern on them);  a heart-shaped Mexican pottery dish I got on my honeymoon in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico; and, a tile from the same place that hangs in my kitchen and says, " My home is your home" (a lovely expression of hospitality).

I'm looking forward to a quiet Cinco de Mayo dinner: just Hubby and me.  It's always fun to set a dinner table for this particular celebration: lots of bright colors!  Thank you, Marie, for making this table possible with your dinnerware gift.  These dishes will get lots of use with the happy, sunny, summer days ahead!

I'll be linking up to Susan's Tablescape Thursday at www.betweennapsontheporch.net  and
Christine's Dishing It! and Digging It! at www.rustic-refined.com on Sunday.  Please stop by and check out these amazing blogs!  Many thanks, Ladies, for your continued efforts to keep these parties going!