The 70 Cent Safari

I wanted to do one more tablescape for January, so I went to HomeGoods to use a gift card my sweet stepdaughter gave me for Christmas, and found inspiration for my January table!  You just gotta love the clearance aisle of HomeGoods! You never know what treasure you may find there.  On the bottom shelf of the aisle there were stacks of dishes, all in the same pattern: some dinner plates, and some salad plates. When I picked one up and checked the bottom, the sticker read, "70 cents"!  I couldn't believe it!
So, I immediately grabbed four salad plates and headed for the checkout.  For some reason, the minute I saw these plates I thought of an African Safari. I think maybe the pattern reminds me of "Big Cat" prints: like a panther or cheetah...something like that. I thought of my black dinner plates at home, and felt the color combination really lent itself to a Safari theme.  So, this table was born:

HOW IT WAS CREATED:

I did not use a tablecloth because I felt the wood of the table added to the texture and color I was looking for (minus the flash!)

First, I added my seagrass woven placemats to use as chargers.  I found these at Kohl's.

Then, came my black pebble-bordered dinner plates, gifted me by my other sweet stepdaughter last Christmas. (It's so nice when your family helps support your obsession hobby!)

The inspiration plate came next. I love the color palette of these plates! Can you see what I mean about the "footprints" on the plates? I'm not sure why these didn't sell (there were many plates unbought!). I must say that the bowl of the plate is very flat and serving food on them could present a problem: it's almost as if the food would slide right off! So, maybe, these were seconds and rejected for that reason.

My place setting was completed with my Treble clef flatware from World Market, new Lenox
napkins from HomeGoods (I know they look rather formal, but I thought the fern pattern in them looked like a jungle tree!), wrought iron napkin rings from Bed, Bath and Beyond and Dollar Tree stemware (just love that store's glassware!)

My centerpiece got started with a scarf of mine whose print reflected the zebra and spotted cats that might be seen on a Safari. The focal point of the centerpiece is something I discovered on the way to the checkout line at HomeGoods on my shopping excursion.  As I was thinking about a Safari theme, this darling wood elephant was right at my sight level! Before I knew it, he was in my shopping cart!  I'd like to think his raised trunk will bring my luck to my house (isn't that what they say?), but I know for sure he's a welcomed addition to my tablescaping goods and perfect for this table.  I then added a wrought iron lantern that normally sits on my kitchen counter, and filled it with faux greenery that is usually on my fireplace mantle.  I wanted to give the impression that my little elephant was getting ready for lunch at an oasis on the African plain!  I then added some wooden spools I'm using as candlesticks (found while antiquing in Santa Cruz).  I completed the centerpiece with some votives for extra glow, and surrounded them with some wooden necklaces for accent.  Another accent are my elephant salt and pepper shakers I received for Christmas.  How cute are these cuddling elephants?!

So this is my 70 Cent Safari.  I can't believe January is almost over.  Soon I'll be taking out my red and white dishes to get ready for Valentine's Day!                                                                                            I hope your new year is starting out well. I'll be linking up to
Susan for Tablescape Thursday at www.betweennapsontheporch.net  and Christine at
www.rustic-refined.com for Table It! on Monday.  Thank you, ladies, for giving us all a chance to share our tables.

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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

Christmas, 2014

I wanted to change up my Christmas table a bit this year.  I have one set of Christmas dishes that I use every year and my table pretty much looks the same each Christmas, so I decided to try something different.  Here's how the table turned out:

Here's How It Was Created:

I started with my usual red Waterford tablecloth.  But then I added a new-to-me lace tablecloth I found while antiquing in Bakersfield, CA.   Once we put in all four leaves of the table I have to use a banquet size cloth, but eventhough this new lace cloth is slightly small, I felt it worked well as an overlay. I love the lace pattern in this cloth!

I started my place setting with my usual "gold" chargers from Big Lots, purchased many years ago!  It's almost time to do some replacing since a couple of them were cracked when I took them out of storage (good thing my guest list was a bit smaller this year!)

Then I added my beloved Christmas plate. I love this set, although I admit I've seen other patterns over the years that have attracted my attention.  Since I only use these plates for Christmas dinner, I really feel a replacement is not needed. And, besides, when I revisit them each year, it's like welcoming an old friend to our holiday meal!

Normally, I would use the red napkins that match my red tablecloth, but since tartan plaid was such an item this year, I found new napkins while in HomeGoods and decided to get them. This meant I had to also change my napkin rings, since my usual napkin rings are tartan plaid already (just a slightly different coloration) and wouldn't have worked together. So, off to Bed, Bath and Beyond I went to find some gold napkin rings!

My place setting was completed with my late mother-in-law's silverplate and my Mikasa glasses I bought many years ago when the Mikasa Outlet was still open in town (how sorely I miss that store!) I would love to have gold flatware for this occasion, but the set I have on loan from my cousin has only six place settings and wouldn't have worked this time.

The inspiration for my centerpiece began when my beloved nephew and niece sent me an extraordinary floral arrangement this year for Christmas. It is a Lenox Santa Claus figurine surrounded by a boxwood wreath! I actually gasped when I opened the box! I knew it would be the center of my Christmas table and I surrounded it with new red candle holders I found at Michael's and my very special lead crystal candlesticks I use on my dining room table.  I had one Christmas runner that didn't complement the elements very well, so I searched the house and found that the runner I had on my sideboard worked much better because of the tartan plaid border, so that helped complete the look I wanted and didn't detract from the beautiful floral arrangement. Here it is:

Isn't he a precious Santa? He is going to be a cherished heirloom in my holiday decor and will be a part of all my Christmases. Thank you, Patty and Chris, from the bottom of my heart.

This year I took pictures of the "Kids' Table" as well.  I had to share the focal point of this table, because it, too, was a unique surprise gift I hadn't expected for the season.  My cousin's sister-in-law, Deb, from Massachusetts had crocheted a gingerbread house that I had admired and lo and behold a couple of weeks ago, a package arrived with the same gingerbread house!!  Deb had heard how much I loved the house and actually made one for me, as well! Can you imagine my surprise at such a thoughtful gesture? Thank you, Deb, for your efforts, creativity and kind spirit.  Here is the "Kids' Table":

Can you believe the intricacy of that gingerbread house? It is something I will always treasure.

I used my smaller Johnson Bros. plates for the kids:

And that was my Christmas, 2014 table. I hope everyone's holiday turned out well!

I'll be linking up to Susan's Tablescape Thursday at www.betweennapsontheporch.net. and
Christine's Table It! at www.rustic-refined.com . Please stop by and see all the lovely tables from Christmas!

Season's Greetings!

Hi, everyone!!  Just waiting for the family to arrive for Christmas Dinner with all the joy and chaos that ensues with a hubby, four daughters, four sons-in-law, six granddaughters, two grandsons and a granddog in attendance! No cooking today: I ordered from a wonderful Italian restaurant so we'll be feasting on baked lasagna, baked eggplant parmesan, meatballs, green salad and garlic bread.  The dessert table is full of pumpkin eggnog pie, cherry pie, brownies, Italian sugar cookies, and gelato.  Santa has left presents wrapped in red tissue paper (that way everyone knows which gifts he has left behind).  I'll be posting my Christmas table later today or tomorrow, depending on how much steam I have by the end of the day.  I just wanted to wish my special family and friends in blogland a WONDERFUL Christmas Day full of love, laughter and those memory-making moments that warm and strengthen us during those times throughout the year when we need some joy.

                                                         With love,

                                                                               Rosie

Taking a Christmas Challenge

Kathleen at Cuisine Kathleen issued a Christmas Challenge to find a tablesetting from Pinterest or another source that we liked, and to reproduce the same setting.  I  found a place setting that appealed to me for its rustic look.  I also realized I had very similar components to use to reproduce the look.  It's such a crazy time of year and I never thought I would have the time to complete the challenge, but I took the afternoon today to see what I could come up with and here is the result:

Here's the tablescape from Pinterest and I pinned it from hometalk.com:
Just in: after looking at Cuisine Kathleen, I do believe she chose the same entry from a different angle and she revealed the actual link is http://anita-faraboverubies.blogspot.com. Thank you, Anita!

Here's My Reproduction:

Here's How the Look was created:

The closest charger I had to the one in the photo is a plastic basketweave charger I had gotten from Michael's quite a while ago. No placemat or tablecloth was used on the original table, so I did the same.

The original tablescaper used all white dishes, so I did the same thing, starting with my Metaceramica dinner plate from HomeGoods.

There were two dishes on the dish stack in the original photo, so next I chose my Madeline plate from Pier One. I still love the scalloped edge on these plates!

The setting was completed with my Mikasa Regent Bead flatware, a red-checkered napkin in a holiday-festooned grapevine napkin ring, a red water goblet from HomeGoods and an Italian pottery mug. The inspiration photo used a white cup and saucer, but I didn't have one, so I chose the mug.  I fudged a bit on this element.  The cup actually has a Christmas tree painted on one side, so I turned the mug around for the photo!

While I was putting this table together, I kept thinking, "What will I do for a napkin ring that is similar to the one in the picture?"  I started digging in my napkin ring stash, and in the back of the drawer, I found four of these perfect napkin rings! I must have bought them at an after-Christmas sale last year and totally forgot about them!! I was so excited to find them, especially since they mirror the inspiration picture so well!!

The centerpiece first attracted me to this particular table setting. I love the wood boxes that have become so popular with tablescapers.  I had found this antique shoe polish box a short time ago, and have been using it in various tablescapes.  I still would like a box that is larger and covers more of the table, but this works fine for now.  I placed some Christmas greenery in it, added candles and pinecones, then perched it on a Christmas placemat.  I couldn't exactly see what the original centerpiece was layered on, but I figured it must have had a Christmas decoration to it.

So, I attempted Kathleen's Challenge!   It was fun to do!!

I'll be linking up to Kathleen at www.cuisinekathleen.net.  Please stop by to see how all the challenges turned out!!
I'll also be linking up to Susan's Tablescape Thursday at www.betweennapsontheporch.net  and Christine's Table It! at www.rustic-refined.com.  Many thanks to these ladies who give us a chance to share our tables!

I love to hear your comments. They really do make my day! Thank you.......
Have a wonderful Holiday Season!!