It's Almost My First Blogaversary!

Last September 12, 2013, I began my adventure into the world of blogging.  It was the start of a hobby that has given me so much pleasure.  A good friend, more like a family member, came over and set up my blog for me.  He used Blogger, showed me how to fill in the blanks of the template, and I began.  My first blog post can be seen here.  Since then, I have changed my layout somewhat and learned much more about photography ( got an attachment for my flash unit for better lighting; decided I liked the "x-large" size of photos; and, tried some creative shots of dishes and accent pieces).  It's gotten so much easier to put a post together.  When I started, it took many hours to set up the table; then it took a long time to take pictures that weren't too dark or didn't highlight the tablescape very well; then it took forever to actually compose the post (figuring how to download photos from iPhoto; figuring how to to link up to parties----I didn't even know what a "thumbnail" was!)  It really was at least a two day project.  Things have improved dramatically.  And I credit the sweet fellow bloggers I have met in the course of starting this hobby, for making that improvement.  Thank you, Susan, from www.betweennapsontheporch.net  and Dawn from www.wecallitjunkin.com for your encouragement and willingness to answer my questions.  In those beginning days of confusion,  you both really kept me going, and I'm so very grateful.

It's been wonderful over this past year sharing my love for dishes, linens, flatware, crystal and accent pieces with other tablescapers who share this same fascination.

For this blogaversary tablescape I decided to challenge myself.  I'm still trying to use things I haven't used before.  I did that for my last post, so by the time this post came, it was really difficult to find new components.  But, I was determined.  So, everything on this table has not been used this entire year.



Here's The Result:

Here's How It Was Created:

I started with a placemat I had purchased at Pier One just as I began blogging:

The first layer of the dish stack is the only dinner plate I haven't yet used.  I got it at the Shinoda Design Center, and it was my determination to enter the world of more contemporary table design that convinced me to get a square-shaped plate. I decided to go with white so I could pair it up with any other plate design or color.

The next plate is a salad plate I found at World Market. It is just marked on the back, Made In Portugal.  I loved the pattern and colors, and would have preferred pairing it with an orange dinner plate, but I realized I had already used my orange plates for last Halloween, and so I couldn't use them for my challenge!  I know it was a stretch to pair this plate with this particular placemat, but I felt the orange in the placemat "sort of" went with the orange in the plate's border design.

The first hiccup in my plans for this table were the napkins!   I had nothing I hadn't already used or any napkins that would really complement the salad plate or placemats.  I found these napkins in my napkin storage and thought, "Umm...they've got blue and gold...maybe they'll work."  The second hiccup was that I had found these napkins at World Market on the clearance table and there were only three left.  So, my table became a table for three. The gold napkin rings are from Bed, Bath and Beyond.

To complete the table setting, I used my mother-in-law's flatware.  It is only labeled "V.U. Stainless Nickel Bronze". Since I did not have any glasses that I hadn't already used, I decided to use these Netas: Made in Italy mugs I purchased from HomeGoods a few Thanksgivings ago.  Their color blended well, even if I rarely serve dinner beverages in mugs!

The centerpiece was very hard to produce.  I searched all around the house for something I had yet to use in a tablescape, and couldn't find anything at first.  A placemat that I use on my sideboard seemed to coordinate with the colors on the table.  Then I found a blown glass vase that I had bought at a street fair in Ventura, whose color also blended with the table components.  I looked outside, and the last of my dahlias was blooming so I grabbed it and flanked it with two LED candles my hubby got me for Christmas.  I wanted a little height, so I turned a tray upside down and "voila!"

I added a gold tray (a Christmas gift from a dear friend) and the serving pieces from my mother-in-law's flatware set to fill the empty spot where the fourth tablesetting would have been, if I had bought four napkins instead of three!!

So, I was able to complete the challenge I had set for my first blogaversary.  There is nothing on the table that has been used during the entire year.  Thank you for stopping by and helping me celebrate.  Know that all of you who have become followers hold a special place in my heart.  Your support means more than I can say.  And to those of you who take the time to comment, thank you.  You truly do make my day.  I've so enjoyed getting to know all of you over the year, and appreciate every comment you make.  I never realized how important this hobby would become to me.  It's made me push myself to learn new things, organize myself and get the cobwebs out of the creative side of my brain which had gotten pretty congested since I retired!

I'll be linking up to Susan's Tablescape Thursday at www.betweennapsontheporch.net
and Christine's Table It! Link Party at www.rustic-refined.com.
Thank you, ladies, for hosting these parties and giving us a chance to share our ideas.

If you would like to become a follower of The Magic Hutch, just go to the top of my blog, fill in your email address by "Follow by Email" and hit "Submit"! Many thanks.

September Road Trip!

These are three words that are music to my ears!  Ever since I retired from high school teaching, the month of September has taken on a new meaning.  The word used to loiter on the edge of my consciousness throughout the summer;  then it would intrude into my thoughts about the middle of August, and by Labor Day it would pounce into my awareness like an intruder who's been waiting for an open window to wreak havoc on my sense of serenity!  And the year would begin.  Don't get me wrong; once I got into the routine of interacting with new students and personalities; once I reconnected again with colleagues; and especially once I jumped into the curriculum of treasured literature and the challenge of sharing my love of the written word with my classes, I would remember what brought me to the profession in the first place, and I was actually happy to be back in my classroom.

However, I have to admit that the sense of freedom that retirement brings with it, is a very close second to the fulfillment that my teaching years brought to me.  One thing this freedom brings is the ability to travel outside of the summer months.  And traveling is much easier then.  So, when my hubby said he had to attend a conference up in Northern CA,  I opted for a Road Trip, rather than a flight.  This way we could take a few extra days and "explore some little towns" along the way.  Translated, this means visit "some antique malls to search for more tablescaping goodies!"

This whole explanation is a very long way of explaining why I produced this tablescape today.  I suddenly got to thinking that I really should use some of my current dishes that I haven't shared with you yet, before I continue to add to my inventory.   I've been thinking about blue and yellow for the past couple of weeks, so I searched the house and this is what I came up with:

Here's How It Was Created:

I started with my navy blue tablecloth (I love this cloth; spills just bead!)

I then added a yellow straw placemat found at HomeGoods.  I like the color contrast.

My dish stack started with a royal blue glass charger I found while antiquing in Ventura, CA.  I've been wanting to use them for a while.

The next layer is my yellow Metaceramica dinner plate from HomeGoods (seen many times in my posts).

I then placed a navy blue linen napkin from World Market to separate the salad plate from the dinner plate.

I've been waiting for the right table to share these salad plates.  These were found at a store in Ventura that raises money for animal rescues.  I was delighted to contribute to their cause!  The pattern is called Summer Fruit 174, and it is from International Tableworks.  It really was the inspiration for this table of blue and yellow.  I love the pattern and it reminds me of a picture out of a coloring book!

The place setting is completed with my lime green flatware (from the supermarket!) and my blue glasses from Mexico (found at Pier One).

I've noticed other blogs where the tablescaper has chosen to place the "centerpiece" at the end of the table, instead of in the center. I decided to try this look for this table. It was a real change for me, but I have to admit, I really like the change.  I especially could see this working for a meal with many serving dishes.   They could be lined up along the middle of the table for ease of serving, yet an attractive vignette can still be a part of the table without getting in the way.  My centerpiece, or in this case, table vignette, consists of a tray from HomeGoods, lined with a yellow linen napkin and filled with pieces I found around the house:  a sunflower plate marked Italy and found at a swapmeet;  a salad plate also just marked Made in Italy and found the same day; two blue and white ceramic pieces found at Hobby Lobby, a candlestick and bird (they have no markings); and a floral arrangement found at Michael's.  The tray is flanked by two white lanterns given to me by a very special friend who encourages my hobby!  Thank you, Mary Beth!

The other accents on the table include a thin runner of burlap ribbon on which sit a Godinger & Co. plate from HomeGoods, and a ceramic teapot given to me as a birthday present.

In one of her posts over at Between Naps on the Porch, Susan had shared the idea that the arrangement with two settings on each side of a square table, promoted easier conversation and closeness at a table (those weren't her exact words, but that was the idea I carried away from her comments).  So, I decided to try it, and I really liked the intimate feel of the table.

So, I've shared some plates with you that I haven't used before, which frees my guilty conscience up a bit to explore for some more!  I'll let you know how the road trip goes.  I'm looking forward to the change of scenery, but I also wouldn't be disappointed if a vintage tablecloth came home with me!

I'll be linking up to Christine's Table It! Link Party at www.rustic-refined.com 
and Susan's Tablescape Thursday at www.betweennapsontheporch.net

Thank you, ladies, for hosting.

If you'd like to become a follower of The Magic Hutch, please go to the top of my blog, enter your email address where it says "Follow by Email" and hit "Submit"!  Thank you!

Your comments absolutely make my day! Thank you for taking the time to do so.......

Reluctant Transition

When Kathleen from  www.cuisinekathleen.com issued an August challenge for an end-of-the-year summer table, I was excited to hear about a new challenge, but I still reacted to this particular one like a truculent child: I just hate to accept the fact that summer is nearly over and we soon will be thrown into the frenzy of fall!  Because fall means that Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas are RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER!!!! I just can't wrap my head around how fast the year has gone.  I know I'm getting older, but I really do long for the days when summer just ambled along with long sunlit hours, no schedules, nighttime ice cream runs, unencumbered by worries of daily commitments.  I dread that soon every day will need to be accounted for, and long "to do" lists will cover my refrigerator door. Even in retirement, these are true statements.  So, I decided to respond to the challenge, but be somewhat rebellious in its application. Hence, the post title of, "Reluctant Transition".   My table reflects more "what tables I could have produced if summer were only longer".  My theme for the table reflects the "fruit of summer".  One of the best things about this season is that fruit is plentiful and oh, so sweet.

Here's the Final Table:

Here's How It Was Created:

I started with bamboo placemats I found at HomeGoods.  I liked the summery green color and the informality of the bamboo for a summer table.

My first element of the dish stack was my scrollwork chargers from Maryland China Co.  I just used these in my last post!  But, I wanted something with an airy feel.

The next addition to this dish stack is part of my mix-n'-match table.  I've used four different dinner plates to show the four tables I would have done with my salad plates if summer had gone on longer, and I could have had more summer tables!  First, I would have had a table with my purple dinner plates from Anna's Linens.  They are marked Monterey and they are from their Gallery Tabletops.

My green table would have started with a Fiesta plate, lemongrass from Pier One.

My yellow table would have started with my yellow Metaceramica plate from Portugal found at HomeGoods.

My white table would have started with a white Metaceramica from Portugal plate  found at HomeGoods.

Next, I added my napkins in the Ambrosia pattern found at Anna's Linens.  I bought the matching tablecloth, too, but decided I liked the wood of my table showing for a summer table. Note the brightly-colored fruit on these napkins. I LOVE their watercolor-like pattern.

I have two salad plates on the table.  They are both from Mikasa, labeled Antique Countryside; one is Pear, with a gently scalloped edge:

The other is Fig, with more of a pointed scalloped edge.   I love the patterns and textures of these plates.  I found them both on the clearance table at Macy's.

The place setting is completed with a bread and butter plate from Mikasa in the Pear pattern; Treble Clef- patterned flatware from Old World Market (I felt this flatware looks like stems on fruit); and, two different types of glassware.  One is a purple wine glass or small goblet from Hobby Lobby:

And the other is a green goblet from Pier One:

My centerpiece is sitting on a mini burlap runner and is highlighted with a wooden toolbox I found while antiquing. I lined it with a green napkin, and then filled it with faux fruit from Michael's.  On either side of the toolbox are two ceramic bowls (found at a swapmeet and just marked Italy), and two pillar candles I borrowed from my living room mantle.  I felt the bamboo-like pattern on the sides of the candles coordinated well with the placemats.

I completed the table with a favorite accent piece of mine.  It is a watering can that was made in Portugal, and a gift from a very dear friend.  I love its brightly-colored handpainting. Thank you, Judy.

I also added some small green bird figurines I found at Michael's.  I've used my white bird figurines so much in summer tablescapes, that I felt the new green ones would be appropriate for an end-of-summer table.

So, I present my end-of-summer table with the thought that if the season had been longer, I would have had at least four summer tables, using the dishes you see in this post.  Oh, I sigh when I think of starting with the fall colors that I'll begin to take out of my dish closet. Here in Southern CA. we're sure to have extremely warm temperatures throughout September and October (along with the searing Santa Ana winds: hot and furious!)  But, I'll still get out my golds, browns and yellows and start the reluctant transition, as I do every year.  It just kind of leapt out at me quicker this year!

I'll be joining Christine at  www.rustic-refined.com for her Monday Link It! Party, 
Kathleen at www.cuisinekathleen.com for her Wednesday end-of-summer challenge. and
Susan at www.betweennapsontheporch.net for her Tablescape Thursday.

Many thanks to these hardworking ladies for hosting their parties and giving us a chance to share our tablescapes. Please visit their blogs and enjoy all the creativity there.

I love to read your comments, and appreciate everything that you say.

If you'd like to become a follower, please go to the top of my blog, enter your email address where asked, and hit "Submit".  Thank you for doing so.