Ringing in the New Year 2015

 

 Ringing in the New Year - 2015

New Year's Day. There is a saying that says that what you do on the first day of the new year is an indicator to the rest of the year. I hope so!!! I did just what I loved, cooked for family, saw dear friends and had the best day of the year!!!

Faux florals in a Hutschenreuter tureen. This also gave me a spot to hide the battery packs for the fairy lights. I purchased all of mine on Amazon. The link is HERE. I have them in 30 foot lengths, 20 foot lengths and shorter. I fell in love with them when I saw the Christmas vignette on Restoration Hardware and then I went looking for a less expensive version. I filled the tureen with cotton balls, regular *stuffing* from the craft store would have been better, but it was icy around here. 

Black napkins were tethered in glimmering beaded napkin rings from Pier One.

Silver trays used as chargers. I had been picking these up at estate sales, but came across a large lot on ebay to round out settings for the multitudes. I used clear glass plates from World Market. These have the cute nobbies around the edge. I haven't seen this version there in a while. Ah, the clocks... I downloaded pictures of clock faces. Many different ones. Printed them, cut them out and placed them under the plates. The placemat on the black tablecloth is vintage. Flatware is from Horchows.

As I eluded in the last post about planning a year ahead, I was able to pick up the lighted trees at Dillards last year on sale. I've really enjoyed them this year. Added a few silver baubles to the centerpiece and I was done. Mikasa Parklane water/iced tea goblets rounded out the placesetting. Champagne glasses were dispensed to those who wanted at the drink station.

It's become second nature to decorate the chandelier.

I added super glittery snowflakes and icicles to the spokes of the chandelier. 

I've always wanted to be a fly on the wall, but I think a fly in the chandelier might be better!!

Yes, we lit the candles at lunch. they really added to the shimmer and shine on the table. We kept the drapes closed behind the table because of the bitter cold. It is a large, expansive window and sitting there can be cool. 

From our clan to yours, we wish you a year filled with health, joy and enough.

I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright no matter how grey the day may appear.

I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun even more.

I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive and everlasting.

I wish you enough pain so that even the smallest of joys in life may appear bigger.

I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.

I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.

I wish you enough hellos to get you through the final good-bye.

(The copyright for this poem belongs to the author: Bob Perkins)

 

In LOVE with green and blue tablescape

I have found myself smitten; heads over heels; in LOVE with blue and green this summer. I think it all started with a post I did back in February, HERE...

Lovely Scribbles

that featured this table, that I am still head over heels swooning about.

source

And then I posted this table. Still haven't seen blue flowers anywhere!!!

And then came these goblets.

Horchow's when they have their 25-30% off everything sale.

Bahia - green feet on a gorgeous blue bowl.

At Tuesday Morning last week, I found some Waterford place mats in a gorgeous light blue linen. 

They had 8, and then Saturday morning there was another set of 4 (to make 12) on eBay. 

They were meant to be!!

I found that I had a plaid napkin that had both blue and green. Perfect!

Added a white World Market napkin ring.

The Cambridge flatware from Horchow's.

Cabbage plate from Bordallo Pinheiro.

A pasta plate made in Italy with a gorgeous blue edge.

 The white daisies give just the feeling I wanted, relaxed and casual.

The tall etched hurricanes are a Pottery Barn find and the blue vases came from Home Goods in Dallas.

One tip about place mats:

Don't crowd everything onto the place mat, it's better to improvise and or leave off a piece instead of cramming everything on the place mat seam to seam. 

This is some of the hardest working flatware I have.

Are you tired of this color combination already?

Not this year, I am not.

As I was playing around with what to use, I discovered a few combinations that will be perfect. 

Salad on a World Market Passaro plate.

And if I wanted to dress it up, a blue and white china plate with an elegant embroidered napkin.

Totally a very versatile combination.

Cast:

Placemats - Waterford

Cabbage Plates - Bordallo Pinheiro

Pasta Plates - Toscana

Salad Plates - World Market Passaro

Blue and White Salad Plate - Hutschenreuter

Napkin - old but not vintage

Napkin ring - World Market

Flatware - Cambridge from Horchow

Glasses - Bahia from Horchow

Hurricanes - Pottery Barn 

Vases - Home Goods

Thank you so much for dropping in. I so enjoy your company!!

I'll be visiting over at Cuisine Kathleen's on Wednesday evening for Let's Dish

and then over at Susan's Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday.

I hope to see you there!

ps... I might have to do one more green and blue table.....

Heralding Spring Tablescape

Happy Spring! Have you been looking forward to spring, too? Although we've already had wonderful days, I know that our Easter freeze can't be too far away. So for now, I'll be celebrating a new season. 

 It was quite a dilemma this week... gingham napkin with white ring, or the Ralph Lauren napkins I used for St. Patrick's with the same green rings... Your thoughts?

Last week, Bordallo chargers, Wedgwood dinner plates, and clear glass salads. The Ralph Lauren napkin with the glass napkin ring. Silver flatware. 

The Bordallo charger plates make really great dinner plates! Seriously. They are just a smidgen larger than a regular dinner plate and I find myself using them more than the Bordallo dinner plates! I added a pretty reticulated salad plate with figs and blueberries. Once again, the Dollar Tree glasses. They sure get a workout around here.

I added a "nest" charger from World Market and the dark bamboo flatware. 

I also used the same white placemats. It's really pretty easy to change up dinner from week to week with just a few changes.

 

Instead of shamrocks/oxalis (which I did find just in time for our St. Pat's dinner Sunday evening), I planted a bunch of fabulous fauxs in the wooden box.

 Why fauxs? Let's see, Thursday evening we will be celebrating our sweet Zoe's 6th birthday, and around here.. it's way toooo late in the year to find bulbs in bloom. My planted daffodils are starting to wither already. 

I really wanted to pick up some of the "nest" chargers from Pottery Barn, but I found these at World Market instead. No need for shipping! And I do like them with the bamboo flatware.

It's hard to believe that the Easter Bunny will be making his appearance in little over a week. I'm hoping for a nice warm day so that the house full, we are gathering here this year, can move straight out to the patio!

I've always loved these plates. I use them for both salads and desserts. From Spring through Summer.

Thanks for dropping in.. I hope you had fun seeing a quick transformation from St. Pat's to a table to herald the awakening of Spring!

Cast:

Irish Linen Placemats

Pier One Nest Chargers

Horchow Dark Bamboo Flatware

Bordallo Pinheiro Cabbage Chargers

Brunelli Salad Plates

Ralph Lauren Napkins

Stein Mart Napkin Rings

Dollar Tree Wine Glasses

I'll be going to view all the pretties for our pleasure at 

Cuisine Kathleen's Let's Dish

and

Susan's Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch.

See you there!!

 

A Calm Welcome Tablescape

 

After all the color from the past season, I was yearning for calm and quiet. White on white with a hint of nature. Which in my book reads green or brown or both. 

 I removed the greenery from my favorite box, will I ever get tired of it? Added the last of the paperwhites and some pine cones. I must tell you a bit of a confession. I pick these things up from everywhere we visit. I just love how they add nature back to our home. 

When it's hard to reach over or around a centerpiece, individual salt and peppers are a must on the table. Especially when, if like me, we have reduced our salt intake and others around us have not.

I force my paperwhites in a ceramic planter with rocks. I did a little bit of a test this year. I some forced in water, you know those special little containers where the bulb sits in the top bowl and the roots grown down into the larger cavity. And I forced some on top of small rocks. I forced 3 batches this year. Each bath contained some of both. The paperwhites came from various sources, but repeatedly and without fail, the paperwhites forced on the rocks (what a lively concoction) sprouted and bloomed earlier than the ones just forced in water. 

Sorry it's just a gloomy day. Rain is predicted, 90% chance and the clouds are hovering, but nary a welcome drop has fallen.

I know some say that the heady perfume from the paperwhites is too much for them, but we welcome the fresh scent that permeates our home.

I used three different vessels for liquid, one for the appetizer, a water and a wine goblet.

I love how they play so well together in the same sandbox. Each robust enough to stand on it's own, but somehow, together they create a 3 part harmony.

Is it really too early to use bamboo flatware? Is this akin to wearing white pants or sporting white shoes before Easter?

Should I remove the paperwhites before dinner?

 The pine cone napkin rings came back out to play today. I think they bring the pine cones from the centerpiece to the table.

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 Since there wasn't room for large candlesticks, I added individual candles to the "green things". I think these were originally individual ashtrays, but I've scrubbed to within an inch of their life and used them to hold candles and as salt sellers. 

Using a heavy matelasse covering does give the table a bit of warmth during these cold days of winter!

Cast:

Matelasse - vintage

Teak chargers - vintage

White dishes - Wedgwood Windsor

Bamboo Flatware - Horchow's

Napkins - Pier One

Napkin Rings - Kohl's

Large wine goblet - Dollar Tree

Water glass - handblown in France, purchased in Santa Fe, NM

Sherbet - Fostoria

Indivdual S&P's - old

Thank you so much for dropping in today! I love having company and wish each one of you could sit at my table so I could get to know you better. Do pop over to Cuisine Kathleen's Let's Dish party on Wednesday evening and then on the Susan's Tablescape Thursday on Thursday for more pure dish entertainment!