Wanderlust

It's been a while since I've posted a table, but life has just been getting in the way. So, today I decided it was time to get back into the swing of things! For some reason, August has always been a vacation time for me. Even when I was teaching, this last month of August would signal a time for adventure before the school year began (with the holiday crazies soon to follow!!).  The table I planned for today reflects that desire to "hit the road". However, today I'll be "hitting the road" in my imagination only. I found some new dishes in Steinmart last year and have yet to feature them. They became the inspiration for today's table, however.

This Is The Table I Created:

This is How It Was Created:

 I started with placemats that I found on sale at Bed, Bath and Beyond. I like the "window shade" look to them, but they are fragile. I don't believe they'd be sturdy enough for every day use, but they are perfect for the theme of this table. Somehow, my "Wanderlust" is being reflected in a desire to seek adventure in exotic places and preferably places nearby to a sea. "Go Figure........."

The next layer is a plastic charger plate I found at Michael's and is normally used with my Johnson Brothers dishes at Thanksgiving. I wanted texture for this table, and the color is perfect for my new accent plates.

The next layer is one of my yellow Metaceramica plates from HomeGoods. They are truly workhorses in my collection.

To top of my dish stack is the dish I found at Steinmart. I loved the colors on these plates, the wicker texture-like print and also the image that brings new and different places to mind. I did some research on the map that is depicted on this plates, and it is a reproduction of an old map completed by a French cartographer in the mid-eighteenth century by the name of Jacques Nicolas Bellin. It shows the coasts of the Persian Gulf, Iran, Pakistan, Western India as well as the Maldives Islands. These areas during the 1700's certainly were prime areas for exotic exploration. I could visualize the elephants that ambled along (covered with brightly colored cloth and perhaps with a royal leader on top!), as well as the untouched beaches of the Maldives.

To complete the setting, I chose my green ruffled napkins, two napkin rings: leather and shells; my  Treble Clef flatware from World Market and green goblets from Pier One.

For my centerpiece I chose components that would reflect a sense of adventure related to the geographical map location on the plates. Using a tray decorated with shells and found at TJMaxx, I filled it with my happy elephant statue found at HomeGoods, a faux green plant to mirror the palm on the plate and shells found at Michael's (although I'm not far from a So. CA beach, the shells found near us are not as interesting). Flanking the tray are my wooden spools found while antiquing that I ringed with new shell napkin rings found in Maine! A faux fishing net with more shells and faux sea urchins nestled inside, completes the centerpiece.

All in all, I hope the table showcases some favorite new dishes, but also reflects the feeling of "Wanderlust" I am feeling: this desire to explore new regions. I can't go back in time to when Persia and Pakistan were strikingly strange and unusual, but I could get into our "new-to-us" RV and seek new destinations! Hmmmmm......now there's a thought!!

I'll be joining Susan at www.betweennapsontheporch.net for Tablescape Thursday  and Christine for her Dishing It! and Diggin' It! at www.rustic-refined.com .

Thank you, Ladies, for hosting these parties. Be sure and visit these wonderful blogs and get inspired by all of the creativity goin' on!!!

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!

The Flowers That Bloom In The Spring

"The flowers that bloom in the spring...tra la! Bring promise of merry sunshine!" is a song from Gilbert and Sullivan's "The Mikado", one of my favorite operettas ( I played the role of Pitti Sing, many years ago!) I woke up this morning and knew that the roses in my front yard had bloomed and were rapidly starting to show signs of deteriorating, so if I wanted to feature them in a post that cheered on the lovely spring flowers, I'd better get busy. I dug into my "tablescaping stash", and here's what I came up with to showcase the spring flowers:

Here's The Table I Created:

Here's How I Created It:

My place setting started with some lovely placemats that were gifted to me by a special relative and friend. Gude is my stepdaughter's mother-in-law who lives in France and comes to visit a few times a year. It is always a treat when she comes to visit, because she is charming, vivacious, warm and funny and we enjoy each other's company. She loves my tablescaping hobby, and brings me things from France that she thinks I will enjoy. These placemats were her latest gift to me and I've been wanting to use them. So, they became the basis for today's table. Aren't they lovely? They are linen, and the precious purple flowers just dance across the placemat!

The dishes I chose to go with them are from my first tablescaping hunt for supplies. I had gone to a swap meet and found a booth that was packing up. The lady saw my interest in these plates and made me an offer I could absolutely not refuse. She told me that her hairdresser's Mom had recently passed away and she was selling them for her. Her hairdresser was very sad that she had to break up her Mom's home. I told her how I was starting a new hobby and that I wanted her to let her hairdresser know that I would honor her Mom's dishes and take good care of them. We both had tears in our eyes. So, I proudly present these plates labeled Wedgewood Corinthian in the Cotswold pattern. They are     perfect for a spring table. I am also delighted that the flowers match the tiny flowers on the placemats so well! Here is the dinner plate. Note the colorful flowers, and how each different- sized plate has a different bouquet of blooms. I love the cream color of the plate and the detailed pattern work around the border.

Next, I've used the salad plate.

I finished the stack with an appetizer plate:

I completed my place setting with my late mother-in-law's 1847 Rogers Bros. silverplate in the Heritage pattern; my Mikasa water glasses; my Rogaska Gallia wine glasses; and then I used the linen napkins that match my new placemats.  I opted to have them standing in the glasses to be reminiscent of a flower in a garden!

My centerpiece highlights the roses from my garden. I placed them in my Lenox Woodland vase.  While antiquing recently, I found these matching Lenox bud vases, and thought they would look nice flanking my other vase. I felt the table needed height, so I added some tall twigs from a floral arrangement.

Accent pieces for this table were difficult to find. I realized that almost all of my china inventory: cups, saucers, vases, salt and pepper shakers,  accent dishes, etc. have white backgrounds! I have very little cream-colored pieces, but I did find these two pieces that I thought I would share.  The first is a salt and pepper shaker set I found while antiquing in Bakersfield.  It is labeled Lord Nelson Ware # 2528, Made in England. " I absolutely love the small tray that came with the set as well as its intricate pattern.

The next piece was a plate I also found while antiquing. We had purchased some other items, and the owner of the store saw me looking at this darling plate. I would look at it, then put it back; pick it up, then put it back. She said, "You can just have that, if you want." I couldn't believe it! I love the colors, and delicate painting and was especially impressed with the inscription on the back. It says: "By Appointment: To Commemorate the Birth of the Princess Margaret Rose, Aug. 21st, 1930, England". Apparently, it was a souvenir from a very special time!

I hope your spring has begun wherever you live! It's such a special season of floral displays and new beginnings,  before we head into the "June Gloom" of California, with its overcast skies and then break into the warm days of summer. Enjoy your spring flowers!

I'll be joining Christine today for her Dishing It! and Digging It! at www.rustic-refined.com as well as Susan on Thursday for her Tablescape Thursday at www.betweennapsontheporch.net.  Thank you, ladies, for hosting these parties. Please be sure and take a peek at these wonderful blogs!


Thank you in advance for your comments! They really do put a smile on my face.