Shades of Green

Happy St. Patty's Day!  I love the hobby of tablescaping, and I have a closet full of dishes and accessories in my den/office that reflect my love of the hobby and all things porcelain, china, pottery, crystal and glass.  To celebrate March 17th, I decided to use components of all different shades of green so that some pieces I haven't used before (or, in a very long time), could be showcased.

Here's How The Table Came Out:

Here's How The Table Was Created:

I started with a square woven- weave placemat that I found at HomeGoods. I love its shamrock green color.

I anchored my plate stack with a jade-colored charger I found while antiquing in Ojai, CA.  I'm not sure what material they are made from. Could it be jadeite or would that be prohibitive for use in dinnerware? I absolutely LOVE this charger, and wish that I had an opportunity to use it more frequently. I've become more casual in my dinner table habits since retirement, and rarely use full dish stacks, except at holidays when the family comes over.

I decided to separate layers with shamrock-printed towels from Dollar Tree. They're large to use as napkins, but a hearty meal of corned beef and cabbage can sometimes get messy!

Next came my loyal white Metaceramica  Portuguese plates found at HomeGoods.

There are no ID markings on these kelly green glass plates I also found at HomeGoods. I love the texture on them. (BTW,  all the spots on the plate are from my flash: they were just washed and dried!)

To top off the stack I chose some of my favorite canape plates. They are from Mikasa, and labeled Antique Countryside Pear. I found these on a sale table at Macy's. I love the scrollwork on the border, the scalloped shape , and sweet picture on the plate.  The green on the picture is more chartreuse than kelly, but it's my favorite shade of green.

To complete my place setting I chose green flatware that I found at CVS pharmacy, and some cute shamrock-patterned glasses I found at Shinoda Design Center.

 For my centerpiece I chose some other green items I found. I used shamrock-shaped felt placemats from the Dollar Tree to start; then I anchored it with my pottery vase (note the shades of green in its design), filled it with white faux flowers, then flanked it with crystal candleholders and soft green candles. A St. Patty's spray and some favorite glass frogs from my hubby's frog collection complete the centerpiece that I wrapped in St. Patty's wire wrap.

The final addition to my table was my green salt and pepper set. This adorable "pea pod" set was a gift to me from my stepdaughter, and it always puts a smile on my face when I use it!

I'm singing in a Choral Concert on Sunday, so I won't be cooking on St. Patrick's Day, but it was fun to imagine what the table would look like if we were celebrating!  Enjoy your St. Patrick's Day!!

I'll be linking up to Christine's Dishing It! and Digging It! party at www.rustic-refined.com.  Please go over and enjoy the party!

I love to read your comments, and I appreciate your thoughts!

Ode to Spring

It's March 1st today, and I woke up with a case of Spring Fever! So, I decided to create a tablescape in honor of the season that is now upon us-----well, mostly.  In Southern California, there isn't too much distinction between seasons, but this year our Winter has been punctuated with RAIN, RAIN, RAIN! Maybe that's why I have Spring Fever: because I want our sun to shine again! (Disclaimer: I was born and raised in New York, so I know I shouldn't complain about rain being an aggravating weather event, given the terrible winter snowstorms that have been plaguing the rest of the country. I know how horrendous snow and ice can be. I will admit to being VERY spoiled with California weather, so I apologize for groaning right now.......just remember, we still have to worry about the earth shaking beneath our feet from time to time.....)

Here is the table I created:

Here is HOW I created it:

I started with a yellow placemat that I had found at HomeGoods.  I love the appliques on these mats. They seem perfect for a Spring table.

My dish stack started with these Chinoiserie plates I found at HomeGoods a few years ago.  I liked them so much, I purchased 4 dinner plates, 4 salad plates, a pitcher and a small tray: all in the same pattern. It meant that I had to travel to 3 different HomeGoods stores, but I got the pieces I wanted.  They were definitely calling to me from my dish storage closet when I got started creating my table today!

Next came the salad plate:

I topped the plate stack with blue linen napkins found at Old World Market, as well as floral napkin rings I found there.  I've always loved the color combination of yellow and blue, and it seems perfect for a spring table!

I finished the place setting with my late mother-in-law's International Silverplate that I was gifted. I love this pattern, called Heritage .  I then decided my table would be set for a champagne luncheon, so I added crystal champagne "boats" I found in an antique store in Clovis, CA. I love the delicate floral pattern that wraps around the boat.

My centerpiece started out with the matching rectangular tray. I then found some blue and yellow faux flowers and placed them in the matching pitcher.  The ceramic chinoiserie balls came from an antiquing expedition I went on with my niece when we were visiting Yardley, PA.  Hi, Patty!  I extended the look of the centerpiece with blue tapers that are sitting in sweet glass taper holders I found in an Animal Rescue Gift Shop in Ventura, CA.  I love the shape of these holders. They look like glass flowers: if you look closely, you can see the petals of the flower.

To add to the Spring Table theme, I finished off my table with a pair of ceramic chinoiserie birds; so sweet; as well as one of my Portuguese ceramic pieces: a watering can ( if Spring showers can't bring Spring flowers, a watering can should come in handy.)

It's raining again today! California needed all this rain to help end our extended drought, but I'll be glad when our skies are blue again and the sun in shining. I think I'll leave this table up for a couple of days to remind me that Spring will soon be here!

I'll be linking up to Susan's www.betweennapsontheporch.net for Tablescape Thursday and Christine's Dishing It! and Digging It! at www.rustic-refined.com. Please visit these sites to enjoy some wonderful creativity! Thank you, Ladies, for hosting these parties.

Antique Find for Fall

When we take out our motorhome, we try to find the local antique stores that are available near our campground. Not too long ago when we were visiting Bishop, CA, we found some fun antiquing possibilities. Today, I created a tablescape that shows off the dishes I found on this past trip.

Here's the Table I Created:

Here's How I Created it:

I started with a tablecloth that has graced a few of my Thanksgiving Dinners:

The place setting started with a brown basketweave charger I have used quite often with my Friendly Village, Johnson Bros. plates:

The next layer consists of my ever faithful yellow Metaceramica dinner plates from HomeGoods.

The top layer showcases the new salad plates that I found while antiquing. I love the fall colors it presents and the many happy flowers dancing across the plates. I also have a soft spot in my heart for scalloped borders on plates! The plates are labeled Copeland Spode, Great Britain, Gainsborough.

I used gold-plated flatware on loan from my cousin, Karen in the place setting. I felt it coordinated well with the yellow color I wanted to accent.  The wheat-colored napkins bordered in burgundy velvet are from Pier One and their color, along with the burgundy and yellow napkin rings mirror the colors found on the plates. I realized after I finished photographing my table that I had forgotten glasses for this post!! Try to imagine my Thanksgiving goblets rimmed in brown leaf borders around the top!

My centerpiece is from Hobby Lobby and picks up the gold color I was highlighting in my place setting. It's a more formal look than I usually go for in a fall table, but I like how it looks with the tablecloth and dish stack.

For accent pieces on the table, I've added a new 3-tiered server that I just purchased in my Johnson Bros. Friendly Village pattern. I also added 2 votive candleholders that I filled with "fall filler".

I'm glad the weather out here is starting to cool down a bit, so that it really does feel like fall at night. I'll be linking up to Susan at www.betweennapsontheporch.net for her Tablescape Thursday and on Sunday, I'll be linking up to www.rustic-refined.com for Christine's Dishing It! and Digging It!
Be sure and stop by these great link parties and enjoy all the creativity!!

I read all your comments, and really appreciate them!

FALLing Into Another Season

I decided to take the plunge and move into a tablescape for fall.  This table is honoring the FALLing leaves I remember from my days growing up on Long Island, New York.  I can still see the bare trees of pending winter, feel the crispness in the fall air, smell the dusty odor as we kicked through the piles of brightly colored leaves on the sidewalk ( and also smell the burning piles of leaves that were burning in the gutters: yes, back "in the old days" leaves would be raked up, piled in the streets and burned! Anyone else remember their folks doing this? Air quality was not a concern in those days!) I also remember the sound of crunching leaves under our feet as we'd walk along the sidewalk. It truly was a sensory overload as the fall season changed the landscape around us, and winter made its way into town. Memories of this season became the basis for this table.

Here Is My Fall Tablescape:

Here Is How I Created It:


I started with fall-colored placemats that I had found at HomeGoods a while ago.

My first layer of the dish stack is a new melamine charger plate I found at Hobby Lobby.  I was hoping they would work with my Johnson Bros. Friendly Village dishes I use every Thanksgiving. I LOVE these chargers with their cream color and tiny streaks of brown, but, unfortunately, when I topped them with my Friendly Village dishes, the cream colors didn't really match each other, and not enough of the brown detail on the chargers could be seen. So, my original plan for a Thanksgiving table will not work.  It's my year to host, so it's a good thing I still have time before November!

The dinner plate I chose was part of a four-design set of dishes I found while antiquing when I first started my blog. They are Royal Cauldon, England. I love the shape and raised edge detail on these plates, as well as the different pictures on them.

This is the pattern Ludlow Castle & Dinham Bridge:

The next pattern is Jesmond Dene, Newcastle-on-Tyne:

Another plate is : Glastonbury Abbey

And lastly, here is The Water Wheel, Groudle Glen:

I topped these dinner plates with leaf plates that I found at the Dollar Tree store last year. I've had leaf-shaped dishes before, but I love the detail on these plates. The veins running through each leaf are actually three-dimensional , and their colors are bright and so pretty. Perfect for honoring the colors of fall!

I also found the napkins at HomeGoods. They are reversible. One side has fall-colored stripes, and the other side is covered with leaves of bright fall colors! I couldn't leave these napkins in the store after finding them! The napkin rings are pottery pieces. I can't remember where I found them.

I completed my place setting with my Treble Clef flatware from World Market (thought they were reminiscent of tree twigs) and fall decorated goblets from The Dollar Tree store!

I kept my centerpiece fairly simple. The cream/white owl was discovered during a Hobby Lobby visit (their fall inventory is spectacular!!). The expression on his face just fascinated me. And, I thought his cream color would coordinate well with my dishes. He's sitting on a swag of felt leaves and some straw filler I had on hand. He's then flanked by two decorative votive candle holders.

I do feel fall is making its way into town. Being in CA, the Santa Ana winds will soon start blowing and that means HOT breezes, but it shouldn't be a long event. The nights are cooler and more comfortable for sleeping, schools have all started and pumpkin and other fall decor are popping up in yards, so the "BER" months have definitely begun. Here we go again!!!!

I'll be joining Susan at www.betweennapsontheporch.net for Tablescape Thursday. Please be sure and stop by her wonderful blog to see all the creative tablescapers and the wonderful information Susan shares about travel, cooking, home projects, fashion and a myriad of other topics!! I'll also be joining Dishing It! and Digging It! at www.rustic-refined.com.

I'd love to hear from you. Please leave a comment, and I will respond!