The Table That Almost Wasn't

I had a creative hiccup with my Valentine's table this year. Has that happened to anyone else? I kept looking at my previous Valentine's tables and just couldn't come up with a new idea. So....I decided to just create a romantic table of lace, flower-wreathed china, crystal and silverplate. It was O.K.,  but as I looked at other blogs and saw the red flowers and "be mine" accents, I knew my romantic table didn't really sing, "Happy Valentine's Day".  So,  I opted not to post a table. On Valentine's Day, hubby and I planned our day around brunch at our favorite Cuban Restaurant and then some antiquing at the antique malls that surround it. It was a beautiful day. We had just gotten back from a conference in Washington, DC where we shivered in -2 degree weather and here we were in CA where the temperature topped 86 degrees! The best part about antiquing that day was that all the stores had promotional sales going on.  I had a very successful hunt that day. I have been looking for red toile transferware plates for a couple of years and because of Valentine's Day, they were highlighted in many places. I took advantage of the sales and got four dinner plates and four salad plates. Then I found four more Willow design plates to complete my set for my hutch. So, Valentine's turned out to be a very pleasant day. I came right home and put a REAL Valentine's table together. At least one I felt is more traditional and celebrates the red and white colors of the day!

Here's My Valentine's Day Table:

Here's How It Was Created:

I started my table with my red tablecloth that I generally use for Christmas:

My dish stack began with my Zen chop plate from Mikasa that I've used many times as a charger. Actually, after I completed my photographs of the table, I felt I probably should have used my Maryland China Co. open-weaved chargers for a more romantic look, but I had thought about this table way too long to make any changes at this point!

Next, I placed one of the new dinner plates I purchased. It is labeled "Avon Cottage", Thos. Hughes & Sons, Ltd, Longport, Staffordshire, England. I love the happy couples in the scene, dancing to the music from the small ensemble, as well as the elaborate floral border.

For the next layer I used my Madeline salad plates from Pier 1 (frequently seen in my blog posts!).  I wanted to separate the layers between my two new toile transferware plates.

The new salad plates I purchased are difficult to identify. The only marking on the back is England, JD. I think it's just a potter's mark. I LOVE these plates. Their delicate design of a lovely pastoral scene sings out English countryside with the farmer's wagon, sweet sheep and a precious village in the background. So picturesque.

I topped my dish stack with a heart-shaped dish I found at the pharmacy last Valentine's Day! Now the table was starting to look like a Valentine's table!

To finish the place setting, I used my late mother-in-law's Heritage silver plate (wanted a romantic look); red water goblets from HomeGoods, and my wine glass labeled Gallia, Rogaska. I used my red and white napkins from HomeGoods and the silverplate napkin ring I found at a yard sale.

For the centerpiece, I chose my ironstone soup tureen that I filled with faux carnations. I used my red glass candle holders from Shonoda Design Center and then wrapped a heart-shaped wire wreath to add some texture and interest.

For accent pieces, I filled a heart-shaped crystal candlewick candy dish with candy, and completed the table with a sweet bowl I found in an antique store in Quebec. It is labeled Villeroy & Boch, Made in Germany. The design work is detailed and lovely.

As I stepped away from the table, I felt I had created a Valentine's table that was much more suitable to a Valentine's celebration than the original table I had planned. I guess I'll just always be a traditionalist! Ya gotta have red and hearts for V-Day!

I hope your Valentine's Day was filled with warm, fuzzy feelings, companionship and the chance to do something you enjoyed!

I'll be linking up to Susan's Tablescape Thursday at www.betweennapsontheporch.net and
Christine's Table It! party at www.rustic-refined.com.  Thank you, Ladies, for your continued support of these fun parties.  Be sure and check out these wonderful websites full of creativity!
















           

Turquoise Table in January?

This post did not come easily. I stood at my dish closet and just could not muster any table ideas. I really wanted to do one last winter tablescape, but in Southern CA, it's just difficult to imagine ice crystals and wintry scenes. I felt like a fraud after watching news all weekend about the 26-30" of snow that fell in my old hometown on Long Island, NY!  I also had a gift card from Christmas from my all-knowing cousin (who consistently spurs on my tablescaping hobby!) that was burning a hole in my pocket---BIG TIME.  So, my good friend, MaryBeth, and I hit the road, and after hours of roaming around HomeGoods and Marshalls, I found some unexpected treasures. The ironic part was that although I went in with no preconceived notions and really just chose things that caught my eye, when I got home I realized the components all went together remarkably well. It's just that the turquoise and white palette really didn't conjure up visions of winter.  However, I've noticed other favorite bloggers of mine have indeed done turquoise or aqua tables in recent days, so I feel like I'm in very good company!

Here's the table I created:

Here's how it was created:

I started with my white linen-like placemats I found on clearance at Macy's:

Next came the new dishes I found on my spree at Marshall's.  I absolutely love the turquoise color of these plates! They are Metaceramica from Portugal . I have the white plates from this company that have graced my blog on many occasions and get used when the ENTIRE family comes for dinner (I gathered 20 of these plates from different HomeGoods stores when I first saw them!)

Next on the stack are my Madeline salad plates from Pier One. I never tire of the simple design and scalloped edge of these precious dishes.

To complete the stack I'd like to introduce you to my favorite find of my shopping day at HomeGoods: these colorful peacock plates are labeled 222 Fifth, Lakshmi.  They are rimmed in gold to match the gold accent found on the peacock's tail.  I love the delicate yet striking nature of the design on these plates. I would have loved to have found them in dinner plate size, but these appetizer plates are perfect for the top of a plate stack.

To complete the place setting I used the gold-tone flatware set on loan from my cousin (I told you she spurs on my hobby!); then I added some turrquoise blown- glass goblets given to me by a good friend who was moving; turquoise napkins I found at Macy's on clearance; then, another happy find from my gift card shopping spree: these napkin rings were on a table at Marshall's under some other objects. They were marked $4.50 for all four rings. I had not idea how I'd use then, but I liked their unique look. Who knew I'd go to another store and find peacock plates that went perfectly with these napkin rings?! Don't they look like the head crest on a peacock? This table was just meant to be!

 I wanted to keep my centerpiece simple. I found a scarf from one of my daughters that worked well for a base. The colors and gold threading accented the table's theme.  I just filled my white vase from Marshall's with some faux flowers and added two turquoise votives I had from my daughter's bridal shower. Then I added my Michael's clearance birds for fun,  and just for some whimsy and a nod to Valentine's Day approaching, I wrapped a white heart vine around everything for accent.

So, my winter table turned into something very different than I originally planned. But that is the joy of this hobby. Inspiration comes from many different places and half the fun is letting yourself just "go with the flow"! Something I RARELY do! That's probably why I embraced this hobby in the first place. At times, I'm totally out of my structured comfort zone and yet so HAPPY creating new tables.

I'll be joining Susan for Tablescape Thursday at www.betweennapsontheporch.net.  and  Christine for her Table It! Link Party on Monday at www.rustic-refined.com. Please stop by and enjoy these wonderful blogs. Thank you, Ladies, for hosting these fun parties.

If you'd like to become a follower of The Magic Hutch, just fill in your email at the top of the blog page where it says, "Follow by Email"  and hit "Submit".

I truly appreciate your comments. They definitely put a smile on my face! Thank you, in advance, for taking the time to share your thoughts.

NYE in Black and White

Happy New Year, everyone.  We had a very nice New Year's Eve.  First, we went to dinner with friends and then came back to our house for dessert and to watch "the ball drop" in Times Square.  I had set up a dessert table, but did not photograph it! Go Figure! I wanted to plan a New Year's Eve tablescape, so I actually set this table on New Year's Day. I wanted a black and white color combination, so this is what I came up with:

I was going to do a table for four, but when I first started the planning, the silver runner I wanted to use looked better turned across the width of the table, instead of the length of the table. So my table for four turned into a table for two.  Here is the silver runner:

I wanted a sleek, sophisticated feel to the table, so I started my dish stack with these porcelain chargers from Mikasa. They are labeled, "BLOCK, Zen". 

Next, I added my black plates from Anna's Linens.  They are labeled, Royal Norfolk. I chose these plates over my other black plates, because they have a sleeker look to them, and coordinate well with the chargers.

To top of the stack, I used my appetizer plates, also from the Mikasa website. They are labeled, Urban Rose. They definitely have a modern feel to them, and I love the tinge of gray swept across the flower.  I hope you can see this in the photo.

I finished the place setting with my Oneida flatware and etched glass champagne "boats" I found on an antiquing trip. Don't ask me why, but champagne really does taste better coming from these glasses! I've seen this style of champagne glass in many 1940's movies and wanted some for my hutch, and found that when I used them instead of my flutes, the champagne was delicious.  Maybe I was just channeling my inner "movie star from the 40's"!  I added a black stemmed wine glass from the Dollar Tree store! Love the swirled glass.

For my centerpiece, I used a glass chimney candle holder that had been my Mom's.  She purchased it at a Princess House party, and I'm sad to say, the twin to the holder was broken a few years ago.  The crystal candlesticks were a wedding present. I added a couple of silver-filigreed votive holders for some extra interest and light.  These items were nestled in a silver garland that I found at Ross. I've used it before in a previous New Year's table here.

Eventhough I didn't use this tablescape for an actual meal, it was fun to design and create this table.  Somehow, planning a New Year's Eve dinner table is a fitting way to say good-bye to the previous year and get ready for a new one.  I haven't really made any resolutions yet.  Have you?  I hope your New Year is filled with many joys, as well as the strength to meet the challenges that a new year can bring.  Here's to 2016, dear Friends!

I'll be linking up to Christine's Table It! Link Party on Monday at www.rustic-refined.com and
Susan's Tablescape Thursday on Thursday at www.betweennapsontheporch.net.  Many thanks, Ladies, for hosting these parties.

If you'd like to become a follower of my blog, just go to the top of the page, fill in your email address and hit "Submit"!

Thank you in advance for your comments.  They really do make my day!

A Last Hurrah for 2015!

The end of the Holiday season is rapidly approaching. I'm sorry I've been absent as of late, but I discovered my normal Holiday crazies were a tad difficult because of my open heart surgery four months ago. But, everything worked out well. We had a quiet Christmas Eve (just Chinese dinner out with our cousin, and then completing the finishing touches for Christmas). Then, Christmas Day was filled to the rafters with the family. It was so much fun with daughters, sons-in-law, cousin and grandchildren all full of Christmas spirit and happiness. I had the Christmas Dinner catered ( a yummy Italian menu) and had lots of help with the clean-up.  I can't tell you the gratitude I felt that I could experience the fun and joy of this Holiday with a loving, joyous family surrounding me and know that my health is getting better each day!! The house was "rockin'" !!

I took a few pictures before the festivities started, and I want to share them with you. I hope you all can look back at these last few days and know the happiness that I did as the year 2015 comes to a close.

Pictures of the Holiday:

As the family entered through the front door, this table greeted them in the living room.  All these figures move in some way when their buttons are pushed. They all have a different Christmas song. They're "child friendly" and the grandchildren know they can play with them while they're visiting. Giggles start as soon as the the snowmen, penguins and Mr. and Mrs. Claus start singing and dancing!

This is the Christmas table that everyone saw as they came into the dining room:

This year I didn't use my gold chargers, but hopped onto the "tartan wagon" and purchased these tartan-patterned chargers at Michael's.  I used my normal Christmas dishes that I have had for around 33 years. I still love them. I also used my Mikasa Christmas glasses that were purchased not long after my Christmas dishes.

This was my centerpiece. My niece and nephew from Pennsylvania once again surprised me with a gorgeous floral arrangement that included a Lenox Santa. Isn't this exquisite? I love the sweet expression on his face. Thank you so much, Patty and Chris.

Here is my husband's train that circles around the tree every year. The grandkids look forward to seeing and playing with it every year.

I'll leave you with a picture of our tree and with warm wishes that this Holiday Season was all that you had hoped it would be. Thank you, dear friends, for all your good wishes and support during 2015. Your thoughts and kind words mean more to me than I could ever express.

I'll be linking up to Christine's Table It! party at www.rustic-refined.com and
Susan's Tablescape Thursday at www.betweennapsontheporch.net.  Thank you, ladies, for your continuing efforts to keep these fun parties going.