A Pre-Valentine's Day Tablescape

Playing with dishes really is a lot of fun! While I have another table planned for next week. I was dying to use these new Juliska plates! And it is still winter, you know. Really go check the calendar.. not the thermometer. LOL, we sat outside and had lunch today. Kind of unheard of.

So I paired those sweet dishes with a red plate I found, wait, that found me.  Added a silver heart, some lace and tulips and the red flatware and called it a Valentine. It could pass, couldn't it?

I think the lace on the napkins really does tone down winter and brings out more of the love.

Yes, these red plates jumped into my basket at Tuesday Morning, after Christmas, during one of their sales. They were a whopping 1.87! Now with that price there was no second guessing. And for those who played along earlier, HERE, those dishes haven't made their trek back to Pier One. Yet.

I really love the edge of the Juliska plate. So curvy!

I "planted" the tulips in a vintage Burgenland serving bowl. They are really not too tall to leave on the table. A silver candlestick and a red votive holder complete the centerpiece.

There's a story to the red votive cups. Our youngest son and my father conspired to bring a lot of mom's stuff (that no one else wanted) to rest in our garage. What a horrible mess it was. Last Saturday, I bagged up 8-10 bags of fabric, a vhs player, a bag of ribbon, some clothes, etc and we took those to Goodwill. Amongst some of her things there was a bag purchased at a now defunct Christmas store. Inside the bag, amongst some pinecone ornaments that I love love love, I found these red crackle glass cups. Love them too. You might think I rescued them, but they rescued me.

Sweet Mr. CJ bought these hearts for me last year. Aren't they precious tucked into the braided, red napkin ring with the lace napkin.

 

Here is the start of my latest obsession with Juliska. Youngest son gave this platter to me for Christmas. It's their Holiday Country Estate line. He loved it, I loved it. And I love him for it!

 Flowers were very scarce last weekend. What's up with that? So I found these red and white potted tulips and thought they added a good mix of pretty to the table. 

 

 I added a bit of green dried stuff to the edges of the bowl to soften the look and plopped an unused heart into the bowl.

Because the Juliska plates were so curvy, the Mikasa French Countryside goblets fit the bill for a glass. Their curves mimic the edges of the plates. Repeating elements on a table or any other design, is always pleasing to the eye.

As if to give a stamp of approval, the sun broke free of the clouds and danced across the table with joyous abandon.

I was skeptical of the red flatware, thinking it might be too much, but it just brought the plate outward and completed the setting perfectly.

 I brought this lace runner back from Switzerland as a remembrance of working there. Andrea took me to the textile museum in St. Gallen. Also HERE if you can read German. It is certainly a place that is a must see.

Each set of Juliska holiday plates has 4 plates with 4 different scenes. Well, I had a tray, I needed something to go with it, right? It was perfect by itself, but so much happier with friends!!

Cast:

Chargers - Pier One

Dinner Plates - Thomson purchased at Tuesday Morning

Salad/Dessert Plates - Juliska Country Estate Holiday

Glasses - Mikasa French Countryside

Napkins - vintage

Napkin rings - World Market

Hearts - United Market Street

Flatware - Cambridge

Lace Runner - St. Gallen, Switzerland

Bowl - Villeroy & Boch Burgenland

Silver Candlesticks - Gorham Chantilly

Thank you so much for dropping in on this post. I'm always so happy to see you've been by and love reading your comments. I am joining the following ladies at their parties this week. I sure hope you will join me. There are so many pretty tables set just for you! 

Cuisine Kathleen's Let's Dish on Wednesday evening, and

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

Bountiful Summer Tablescape

I was wanting to wait and show y'all this table in the midst of summer. But that would have been mean. After all, then you couldn't scurry on over to your nearest Hobby Lobby, take advantage of the sale on these fun metal wall plaques, re-purposed as placemats, the sweet tags that go with them and the darling tray! All available at your local Hobby Lobby - 50% off!

The wall plaques (yes there are hooks on the back but they don't interfere with setting a table) come in three variations, cabbage - choux, cherry tomatoes - les tomates cerises, and corn - mais. It makes it even better since the words are in French - dontcha think?

Because I wanted the pretty metal pieces to show all their glory - I used my clear glass plates, of which I've probably got a gazillion (well a bit of an exaggeration). Also used a rugged looking woven napkin and placed all on the fabric du jour - burlap! Don't the tags, they already were on the twine hangers, make cool napkin rings?

Our kitchen flatware seemed to be the perfect match for the casualness of the table.

Then I had a blast creating the centerpiece. It's all edible, well except the candle and hurricane. Fresh corn, cauliflower, squash, tomatoes, mushrooms, lemons, limes, artichoke, and bell peppers in all colors. 

Makes me hungry just lookin' at them.

This hurricane has travelled from far and wide to be part of this table. I brought it back to the states, in a backpack, in the overhead of a crowded airplane, all the way from St. Gallen, Switzerland.  Love the cracked glass. The cracked glass throws reflections everywhere. So magical. 

The pitcher and the rooster and hen salt and peppers are from the Chanticleer collection by Fitz and Floyd.

Favorite goblets, French hand blown, carried home gingerly from Santa Fe, NM.

 A darling tray and veggie spreader to hold the jalapeno butter (recipe on Friday ;-) ) for the fresh sweet corn.

Cast :

Placemats, tray, spreaqder and hanging tags - Hobby Lobby

Clear plates - Pier One

Flatware - Gorham

Goblets - French, from Santa Fe, NM

Napkins - really old

Hurricane - Stl Gallen, Switzerland

Pitcher, salt and pepper - Chanticleer collection, Fitz and Floyd

Centerpiece - the grocery store

  Linking up to Susan's Tablescape Thursday and to the Tablescaper's Seasonal Sunday. Be sure to drop by on those days so as to see all the pretty things published just for you!