My First Halloween Tablescape

Before becoming empty-nesters, Halloween meant jack-o'-lantern carving parties, hunts for costumes, and bags of candy hiding in the pantry just ready for distribution on Oct. 31st.  Then on the "night of", I'd put out long rows of luminarias leading from the front gate to the front door; put on a CD of scary music to greet treat-or-treaters;  turn out all the lights except for a lighted pumpkin, and wait for the trail of costumed princesses and ghouls! I never really set a "Halloween Table" because the family was running around getting ready to scour the neighborhood for goodies.  So, the concept of a Halloween tablescape is new to me.  It is a fun adventure, however, and this is what I came up with:

Here's how the table was created:

I started with a new tablecloth from Home Goods.  I like the fact that it has some sparkle in it!  I then added a spider web placement from Dollar Tree.

    I found these orange plates at a local pharmacy (RiteAid)! They are marked RiteAid Home Design, Stoneware Dinner Plate.

These Halloween plates are melamine and they have different pictures on them and were found at a Design Center.  Once, again, I am surprised at how popular owls have become this year.  I liked the fact that they're kind of cute, not scary and creepy like so many Halloween decorations have become.

The stack continues with some appetizer plates from Portugal I found at Pier One.  They are from their SUL collection.

These pumpkins fill my Thanksgiving bowl that is usually on my dining room table at this time of year. I found these wine charms at Home Goods (Yup...they jumped into my cart at the check-out line!)

My flatware came from Target and was a great buy at their end of summer clearance sale ($1.98 for each place setting!).  I brought out my amber stemless glasses from Pier One and was glad to see my napkins from there reminded me of candy corn and would work in this setting. Some cupcake holders full of candy corn finish the place setting.

    This is the centerpiece.

This Halloween wreath has been in my decorating bin for years, and usually hangs on my front gate.  I hadn't hung it up yet and thought, "...um....maybe it would work on the table!"  And it did!

I found the witch at Dollar Tree, and couldn't resist the cute expression on her face.  She's not going to scare anyone; she's just looking for a good ride through the night air, and maybe sneaking a treat or two!  Black gauze and orange candles finish the centerpiece.

These two scarecrow dolls from another pharmacy (CVS) normally sit on my bookcase, but I thought they'd enjoy joining the party!

These accent plates were from JC Penney's Homestore and have been part of my fall decorations for years.

So, that is my first Halloween tablescape.  I do like the colors together.  There is something quite striking about black, orange and white.  I think I'll dig out that old "Haunted Mansion" soundtrack and set up the CD player by the front door!  HAPPY HALLOWEEN, EVERYONE!!!!

I'll be linking up to Susan's Tablescape Thursday at   www.betweennapsontheporch.net

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50 Shades of Brown

Fall decorations are not just gold, yellow, brown or orange anymore. Popular magazines and social networking boards and blogs show fall-accented rooms in colors of creme, gray and pale green!  Pumpkins are not just orange:  they're white, blue, gingham, decoupaged, velvet, have autumn scenes painted on them; they're even made from mercury glass and can be bedazzled in sparkles!  I'm sure these trends are not new for most people; I'm just one of those people who is SLOW to embrace decorating trends after being even slower to realize that things have changed!!  Give me the colors of the falling leaves I used to rake up into piles, jump into and scatter before my Dad would pile them into the street by the curb to burn (so much for air pollution control!)  But....there is growth in change, so today I venture into a new land.  A challenge has been issued:  create a fall table with WHITE dishes only and ONE accent color for linens, etc.  So, I got out whatever white dishes I could find in the house, and decided that brown would be my accent color (at least ONE of my colors had to be traditional!)  But, I used SHADES of brown, so there's chocolate, amber, creme (that's in the brown palette, just brought down many levels, right?) and variegated browns of pine cones, straw and willow branches.

Here's the "new" fall table.  I've moved my tablescape location into the living room so I could share my fall mantel decorations.

Here's how it was developed:

I started with white placemats from Macy's.  I wanted something that was "non-fussy" for this new look.

My stack began with my basketweave chargers from Michael's. Boy!  Are these these chargers getting a workout this fall season!

I then added my white "Metceramica" dishes from Portugal, purchased at Home Goods.

Next, I added white salad plates recently purchased at the Pier One Clearance sale.  It is their own ironstone and the pattern is "Madeline".  Once I got home, I realized how much I liked them, and since I only got four, I'm going back to get eight more so I have enough for family dinners.  I like the subtle swirl of pattern on this plate and slightly irregular "roundness" of the dish:  it is almost scalloped.

This next white plate I found at Home Goods.  It is labeled as "Tabletops Lifestyles Castleware".  I absolutely love its shape and texture.  All of my white dishes are smooth, and I thought it would be a nice contrast to have some plates with a bit more "personality".

I topped the stack with white bowls that I found at Williams-Sonoma. They were advertised as "chili bowls", and came as a set of four.

The flatware is "Treble Clef" from Old World Market.  I wish I had a sleeker pattern for a flatware set for this place setting.  I wanted a more "modern feel" for this particular setup.  I don't have flatware that is without a pattern, but I may have to rectify that for future contemporary looks.  Any thoughts from anyone about this?  The amber glasses are stemless wine glasses (another new trend, so I'm told), and they were purchased at Dollar Tree.  I placed the chocolate-brown napkin the way I did, because I thought it resembled corn growing on a stalk and seemed "fall-like" (or have I been testing the stemless wine glasses too much?!)  My "horn of plenty" napkin rings were used so that the table said,"fall".

My centerpiece consists of a white ironstone soup tureen, filled with pinecones that were collected on "nature walks" with my grandchildren!  The white ceramic pumpkin is from Dollar Tree.  I added a branch of a pussy willows for some height and style. The owls came from Home Goods:  can you believe how popular owls are this year for decorating?  I placed them on dishes found while antiquing:  they are from a company called "Two's Company".

Other accents include amber glass turkey candleholders from Williams-Sonoma.  I had to include this teacup I found at Home Goods. It is labeled "Grace Tea Ware".  I LOVE its three-dimensional leaves and leaf-shaped saucer!

Yup, this tablescape was a challenge and a real eye-opener.  You know what? Although, my eyes will always be drawn to brightly colored plates, designs and patterns, and my tables will reflect this, I discovered I actually appreciate this more minimalistic duo-hued decorating trend.  It is a sleeker, less cluttered look.  Even a fall table can be updated to reflect a more modern feel.  It's a nice change.  I'm even considering this look for my Thanksgiving table this year.  Won't my family be surprised?!

I'll be linking up to Susan's Tablescape Thursday at www.betweennapsontheporch.net.
Thank you for hosting, Susan!

Easin' Into the "Seasin"

Easin' Into the "Seasin"


I wanted to do a table with the theme of falling leaves, emphasizing the colors of gold, brown, orange and bright yellow.  But....our climate has just not cooperated.  Where we live, this time of year is beseiged with HOT winds and blowing dust and the only leaves that fall are still green and were just unlucky to be hit with a gust of wind that catapulted them to the ground on the limb of an injured tree!  So, trying to reproduce the fall where I grew up (in NY) is almost impossible to do.  But, Halloween and Thanksgiving WILL arrive despite the weather, so I thought I'd just ease into the changing season with muted fall colors and some accents that pay homage to the fall I remember from my childhood.


Here's the table I created:

In my mind, I'd be having a fall lunch (with all the windows and French doors opened!) of Cesar Salad, a selection of cold cuts and cheeses, a selection of breads, sides of pickles and olives, and sliced fruits.  Since we would have had such a sensible lunch, our dessert would consist of Double Fudge Brownies with ice cream and tea or coffee.  Can I save you a place at the table?


Here's how the table came together:

This celery-colored tablecloth was a gift from my cousin.  I wish the color had photographed truer to the color that it is in person. As a new blogger, I still have to learn photographic skills!!  I started my stack with a placemat from Bed, Bath and Beyond (got to love their end-of-the-season sales!)

Then I added my basket-weave charger from Michael's that I have shown in previous posts.

This yellow plate is from Home Goods and is labeled Metaceramica from Portugal.  It is the same brand as the white plates I bought for my inventory when I first started to tablescape.

On top of this, I placed a fall plate from Hobby Lobby.  There is no pattern name, just Fall 2013 Table Top.

When I found these napkins and napkin rings at Pier One, I had no idea what I could coordinate with them.  I just knew I liked the colors (green is my favorite!) and that I was compelled to buy something because our Pier One was moving two storefronts down and having a HUGE clearance sale (almost 70% off EVERYTHING!)  Honestly, could I have left empty-handed?!  Was I excited when I saw I could use them for this post, and especially glad that they went so well with my new salad plates (the flower is almost an exact match!)  I completed the look with my Treble Clef pattern flatware from Old World Market and goblets from Dollar Tree.

I was delighted I could showcase these serving platters in this post.  My husband and I were visiting Knott's Berry Farm in Anaheim, CA years ago, and I spotted this trio in the gift shop.   They are labeled Grasslands Road, nested tray set.  He totally surprised me by purchasing the set, and it is now an important part of my Thanksgiving decor.  Yes, HE and THE SET are keepers!!

I kept my centerpiece simple, since this would be a lunch.  So, I have my votive candle holders from Dollar Tree and a flameless candle from a set my husband got me while at Costco!  The scarerow figurines are from Dollar Tree, and I thought I 'd give one to each of my guests as a "luncheon party" favor.

So, with this table and lunch, I'm "easin' into the 'seasin'" of fall, as much as I can until the weather turns cooler.  I hope everyone out there is making an easy transition into this busy time of year.  It sure does get here fast!!

I'll be linking up to  http://betweennapsontheporch.net for Susan's Tablescape Thursday and
                               http://CuisineKathleen.com for Let's Dish

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