A Red and White Holiday Tablescape

Whether we are ready or not, December has arrived. 

Even when you've only got a few minutes to put a table together,

it's so nice when you do. The festive air it lends to dining is well 

worth the effort.

Simple red dinner plates, a white salad plate, favorite goblets, a few candles and a centerpiece and

you are ready to entertain. It's great to have a few standby tablescapes

that you can throw together in a jiffy! This is one of mine.

The white milk glass epergne (click HERE for some info and HERE for another epergne) is a wonderful tool to help you create a stunning centerpiece without much forethought. A few cedar or juniper clippings from the yard, some red ornaments and a couple of holiday picks are all that were used to pull this look together.

The runner was made from toweling yardage. It's linen and only gets better with each washing.

German candlesticks topped with a candle peg nappy (Cherry Kay of Entertaining Women blog shows some clever uses HERE) allows me to use a different type of candle.

 See the pretty picture I won above the leaded glass display case? It's an older oil and pretty darned cool. 

I was the lucky winner of the giveaway at A Beautiful Mess Antiques. You should go check them out.. very pretty blog!

This milk glass epergne was a wonderful piece I found at an estate sale for a small pittance. Love the grape design on the bowl and the insert. This is a crimped edge 12" Westmoreland paneled grape piece. More pieces can be found HERE.

The white linen napkin is very simply topped with a sprig of greenery. Can't get much simpler than that!

My favorite Mikasa French Countryside goblets always add a bit of flare to any setting.

 Villeroy and Boch Burgenland dinner plate

  Masons Vista dinner plate

 Spode Archive Collection Georgian Series Botanical

Spode Archive Collection Regency Series British Flowers

Signature by Old Company Plate

 Cast:

Table runner - vintage towelling

Candleholders - Villeroy and Boch Burgenland

Dinner plates - Villeroy and Boch Burgenland, Masons Vista, Spode Archival Series

Salad Plates - Wedgwood Windsor

Crystal - Mikasa French Countryside

Peg nappy and epergne - vintage

Napkins - linen

Greenery - from the yard

Red votive holders - vintage Crate and Barrel (I think)

Thank you so very much for coming by. I cherish your visit and can hardly wait to see all the lovely tables set for Susan's party every Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch! See you there.

Outside Elegance tablescape

An elegant table set outdoors. Who says you can't use your good china, silver and crystal outside? It's so totally unexpected and the outdoor setting makes it so much less formal than if it were set inside. 

I was over at Artie's beautiful blog, Color Outside the Lines, where he showed these fabulous tables all draped in cloth. Layers upon layers created a beautiful mosaic commanding your attention. He made me do it! I pulled out a Frette square cloth as the base. It's a very light shade of beigey-taupe. Layered a blue linen next to coordinate with the placemats. The icing on the cake, is an antique damask with drawn-thread work. Looks like a parfait or layers of clouds, doesn't it?

Silver chargers, my wedding china, estate sale silver, silver goblets, crystal napkin rings, and my new to me favorite, the epergne. Click HERE to find out more about this wonder!

I layered two vase arms and inserted the vase into the uppermost center holder. Filled each vase with baby's breath (gypsophila), some creeping jenny, some wood snippings and blue thistles.

Cast:

Bottom tablecloth - Frette

Blue Cloth - linen from Stein Mart

Top Damask cloth - estate sale

Blue wavy placemats - Tuesday Morning

Silver trays and plateau - estate sales

China - Lenox Snowlily

Silver - Beloved; Wm Rogers-International Silver*; estate sales

Epergne - Cambridge; estate sale

Crystal napkin rings -

Napkins - Tuesday Morning

Crystal - French Countryside by Mikasa

Thanks so very much for dropping in. I'm honored and humbled by your visit.
Please come back Friday for a delicious guacamole with crab recipe!

I'm joining the hostess with the mostest, the lovely Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for her 

Tablescape Thursday party. Do drop in and see the other lovely tables set just for you.
I'm also linking to Seasonal Sunday at the Tablescapers.. see you there!

*The International Silver Company was organized under the laws of the State of New Jersey on 19 November 1898. Immediately upon organization, the company bought the total capital stock of the following companies: Barbour Silver Company (Hartford), *Holmes & Edwards Silver Company (Bridgeport), *Manhattan Silver Plate, (Lyons, New York), *Meriden Britannia Company (Meriden), *Norwich Cutlery (Norwich), *William Rogers Manufacturing Company (Hartford), Rogers Cutlery (Hartford), Rogers and Brothers (Waterbury), Rogers and Hamilton (Waterbury), Wilcox Silver Plate (Meriden), Watrous Manufacturing Company (Wallingford), Standard Silver Company, Ltd. (Toronto, Canada).  The Beloved pattern began production in 1940.

What in the world is an epergne?

Epergne - An epergne generally has a large central "bowl" or basket sitting on three to five feet. From this center "bowl" radiate branches supporting small baskets, dishes, or candleholders. There may be between two and seven branches. Epergnes were traditionally made from silver, however from around the start of the 20th century glass was also employed.

 From the Silver Lining (click the name to read more): "By the eighteenth century entertaining had developed into a grand art, and the English epergne can claim a strong link to seventeenth century France and the great changes in manners which began with the French Court.  This revolution greatly affected the silversmith’s output, and led to many of the articles common to the twenty-first century table.  For example, foods that had previously been eaten from a common bowl with either fingers or bread came to be eaten with spoons and forks from individual plates, and by the late 1600’s there existed different plates for different foods.  Further, individual chairs replaced benches at the table.  Before the close of the century silversmiths found themselves making large matching services for their aristocratic patrons.  A new emphasis on decorating the table led to the development of the centerpiece."

About a month ago, I decided to venture out in the heat and scope out a Sunday estate sale. Arriving early, I stood in line outside the house in 100+ temps. Many glass and crystal objets were advertised. You know that objets are much more expensive that simple everyday objects - right? I was very surprised when I walked in and saw three Cambridge glass epergnes awaiting a new home. 

I purchased this one that day. And then dreamt about another one. Why, because these wonders are all in pieces and I knew that two could mingle and I would have so many more opportunities to use them.

From National Cambridge Collectors: "The Cambridge Glass Co. used the term epergne to describe a combination consisting of any candlestick to which a detachable arm that held vases had been added. The arm consisted of a vase holding ring at either end and in the center either a candle pocket or a decorative knob, depending upon the arm model, and was produced in three sizes. The vases used with these arms lacked a foot and thus, could not stand by themselves. The vases were made in two styles, with and without a small knob at the bottom."

I did go back the next day to pick up epergne number 2. I should have bought #3 too. Hindsight!

This combination is the first epergne I purchased. Two vase arms, one base, one center vase, 4 drop vases and one center vase.

This is the second epergne. It has the base, a 3 arm insert, 3 bowls, one short center vase and one longer center vase. Did you notice the bases are the same? 

The previous photo had the larger center vase and this one shows the smaller center vase, which is identical to the vase used in the first combo that came home with me.

I think you can see the pieces more clearly here.

First base with one arm and two vases. Don'tcha just love the little tulip candle holder in the center?

And with the second base... I can divide up the arms and have two darling pieces on the table!

Or, be inserting the smaller vases, I could have two floral arrangements on a buffet table or dining table.

Or I could use a center bowl in each...

Or I have two depression glass candleholders..

The three arm insert also holds candles if you don't use the bowls.. could put one bowl in the center... 

Or flowers..

I think I'll be on the lookout for a few more pieces. I think this is one of the most versatile pieces I have. What do you think about it? Still dreaming of a gleaming one in silver, but I'm so happy with this, I don't care if it ever happens!!