Tablescape Thursday - Mother's Day

It's time again for playing with our dishes with our favorite dish diva Susan of "Between Naps On The Porch". This week, I'm sure that many of us will be showing Mother's Day tablescapes.

One of my fondest memories from my childhood was getting all dressed up and going to the "Mother/Daughter" tea or luncheon each year at church with my mother and two sisters. The tablescape today is based on my memories of those events. Sometimes the larger departments stores would also have a Mother/Daughter event with a luncheon and fashion show. I don't remember going to any of those. I believe that these sorts of things sort of went out of fashion in the late 60's or 70's. I guess perhaps they were considered "sexist" or maybe it was because so many families were so spread out by then. But I do remember dearly loving these as a young girl.

I remember that the flowers on each table were almost always a simple arrangement from someone's garden rather than any formal florist arrangement.

The food for these was generally a "dainty" menu. So I've set each place with a small set sometimes known as a "snack set", a "luncheon set", or a "tennis set" of dishes. With that I have two cloth napkins, one floral dinner sized covered by a white battenburg lace luncheon sized napkin. (This isn't part of my recollection, but I just thought it was pretty that way). Often the menu of these occasions consisted of small sandwiches made of white bread with the crusts cut off and cut into 1/4 triangles. They were usually chicken salad, egg salad or pimento cheese. Maybe cucumber too. Then there would be a dainty portion of potato salad or perhaps a congealed salad. And added to this would be 1/2 of a deviled egg. The girls would drink pink lemonade and the mothers would have either hot tea or iced tea. Then for dessert it would perhaps be an assortment of cookies and a sheet cake. For my "updated" pretend luncheon I'm saying that we're having strawberry spinach salad with poppyseed dressing and a petite roll with herbal tea. My mother was a lifelong tea drinker. For dessert, I'm thinking raspberry sorbet with a little sprig of mint as a pretty garnish. Can you "see it"?

I've removed the napkins to show you the pressed glass dishes and cups. They have a grape design on them. I also have a set that has a sort of vine & leaf design. I would mold some little butters in the shape of bees for the little butter pats. I've also set out the "good" silver - I figured that you're getting tired of my same old shell flatwear.

Here's another view of the table. I recall always having white cloth tablecloths at these functions. I was really happy to find this one at Target this weekend. Sometimes it's hard to find square tablecloths that are long enough to have a nice drape - so many of them just barely hang over the top of my table (and it's not a large one). This one also had a nice lace trim but I don't think I got a very good picture of that - maybe next time.


On the other side of my basket of flowers I have a pair of white gloves, a string of pearls and a contemplative angel.

Another close up of my crystal basket of flowers. These are the last of my azalea blooms. The verigated green leaf branches came from my neighbors yard and the white flowers came from the woods in front of my dad's house. I don't know what either of these are -- if you do, please tell me. The white ones smell so sweet!

An overview of the table with tea light glow.

When I was a little girl we would have all worn our white gloves and Mother would have worn her pearls and a small hat to an event such as this.

Another look at a placesetting by tealight glow - sort of like my dreamy hazy memory since these events were always held in the afternoons.

A final "goodnight" from my Mother/Daughter tablescape remembering my mother along with my two sisters who live out of town. Perhaps I will duplicate this table with my daughter and her girls when they get just a little older. That would be a fun memory maker.

Be sure to visit Susan and see all the other tablescapes this week - you can find "Between Naps On The Porch" on my sidebar. Click on it and you will magically be transferred to her blog and you'll get to visit lots of wonderful tablescapers across blogland. You'll find a place set just for you! Enjoy!

See ya!