Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Tablescape Thursday - A Spring Rooster

It's time again for Tablescape Thursday! I can't wait to see what's in store over at "Between Naps on the Porch" when everyone invites us to their tables.


Today my spring rooster is the star of this bright table setting full of whimsy.


I left the white tablecloth on from last weeks bridal tablesetting and covered it with a sheer orange gingham overlay.


See how sheer it is? I found this at a little shop in Virginia Beach last fall and I'm hoping the next time I go back to get another color - love the versatility of this.


Welcome to the table - here's a place set just for you!


Here's a look at the star of the table. He's crowing because he loves his spring feathers! He's not ashamed of being different -- no sir-ree!


He's strutting his stuff in a bed of colorful flowers. ($4.99 at Martin's) I got the bowl at GW -- I've seen several this style around -- heavy crystal - octagonally shaped with a silver base. (it needs a bit of polishing)


I love pink and green and when I saw him in a thrift shop, I knew he was coming home with me! Who wouldn't fall in love with a pink and green rooster?


These are the hand painted goblets I found last year at GW.


The cup and saucer from the set of "Gollum" dishes -- perfect for our bright Spring breakfast table.


A peek at the layering of dishes and table linens. Bamboo flatware purchased a year ago at Marshall's.


Let's do a tabletop strip tease. First we have green cloth napkins from Target. The napkin rings are the same ones I used last week - purchased from "Style Sisters" -- last week the table brought out the soft pinks and this week the bright colors seem to bring up the bright pinks -- don't you love it when a color works both ways?


Next up we have our bright floral plates.


See the china "marking"? Caspari. Hey wait....don't they make........


Yes! Remove the clear glass dinner plate and you've got....


... a paper plate! I learned this trick from Laurie of "Bargain Hunting and Chatting with Laurie". How brilliant -- now we can have any style "china" we want! Love these colors.



These bright chargers were also purchased last fall in Virginia Beach at "The Ragged Robin" -- wonderful little beach shop.


My happy rooster is still crowing about his cheerful surroundings!


A closer look at the goblet detail.


An overview of the table.


Overview of the centerpiece.


Still swinging from the light fixture.


A little different angle.





My attempting to take some "artistic" photos.



As I walked away, I thought I really like the way these cloths look on the table. To see lots of great tablescapes of fun and inspiration, be sure to visit Susan at "Between Naps on the Porch". You'll find a place set just for you!

Mr. Mid-Atlantic and I are headed to Sanibel for some much needed rest and relaxation -- can't wait. Please forgive me if I don't get around to everyone's table this week to comment - between working and packing, I won't have much "visiting" time. I'll be sure to take pictures so you can "come along" with us to the beach on my next post.

See ya!

Monday, April 26, 2010

Tabletop Tuesday - laundry bunnies

It's Tabletop Tuesday -- always fun to see all the inspiration across blogworld and being invited in such welcoming homes. This week what I'm sharing -- isn't exactly a tabletop -- it's a shelf (hope that counts). This shelf in in my laundry room (well not even a room - maybe a laundry hall! I don't know who's bright idea this was -- but you have to go through this in order to get to the only downstairs powder room. I dream of someday adding on a true laundry room and turning this spot into a butler's pantry. When I had a bridal shower a couple of weeks ago, I wanted this path to look inviting so I cleared off the shelf that contains all the laundry and cleaning items.


The space is so tight I had to take three pictures in order to get everything. The green sign is one I put up several years ago at Christmas and decorated with candles, greenery and ribbons -- I've just left it up. Today I covered the shelf with green "grass" and tried to make a little garden setting. Pink bows and the pink rosebud vine were from our daughter's wedding almost 5 years ago. The topiary was one I made for a baby shower when she was expecting twin girls (see the two little eggs in the nest?).


The bird house was purchased years ago at Garden Ridge -- I've used in several places in my house. The bunnies were purchased at Kroger a couple of years ago.


Just trying to pretty up the path to the ladies room! Now if I could just get those bunnies to do the laundry.

To see lots of tabletop decor and inspirations, be sure to visit Marty at "A Stroll Thru Life" -- she's the sweetest of hostesses.

See ya!

Beach toes!

Mr. Mid-Atlantic and I are headed this weekend for someplace sunny, sandy and warm! I can't wait. (Even though we'll be going to the airport at 4:30 - that's AM!). Mr. Mid-Atlantic says he wants to enjoy every minute possible. Since my toes are being released from shoes for all the world to see -- I got my first pedicure of the season this weekend. All my sandals from last year looked pretty ratty, so after the toe beautification I stopped by Target to see what they had and found....


....the cutest sandals! Now here's a disclaimer -- I have ugly feet - so they don't do these sandals justice, but you get the idea. AND - I do have ankles, this is just the angle of the picture that makes them look like cankles.



Aren't they the cutest? In fact they sort of match my tablescape for this upcoming Thursday - imagine that! You never know where you'll get inspiration!

See ya!

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Tablescape Thursday - The romance of roses

Tablescape Thursday is here again! It's one of my favorite blogging days -- I love being invited into homes all across blogland to see such beautifully set tables.


Here we are approaching this table of romance. I had these tablecloths and centerpiece on the table from last Saturday's Bridal shower and decided to just build this week's tablescape around them. Wouldn't this be a pretty anniversary table or bridemaid's luncheon? Sorry, I must have weddings on the brain after the shower.



Come join the table, there's a place set just for you!


Let's peek into the centerpiece. We have a couple of love birds, a magnolia bloom, some ivy and a white candle -- can you feel the ambiance of romance?


A look at the total centerpiece topped with a soft tulle bow.


The tall footed glasses are really nothing elegant or special, but they're the kind of glass that just feels good in your hand -- do you notice that too? The champagne glasses were given to us for a wedding gift. I've never used them for champagne (I guess because my husband doesn't like champagne) - but today we'll use them to toast love - young love, old enduring love, first love, puppy love, second time around love -- it's all good.


A peek at the layering of dishes and cloths on our table. The silverware was a gift from my mother-in-law years ago. It came from her aunt's estate and I love the feel and look of this pattern.


I found these pretty little berry bowls early this year on a thrifting excursion, which led to....


...finding these bowls that same weekend.


The funny thing is - three of the bowls have a Homer Laughlin mark on the back with the "F54N8"


and one has the marking of Nautilus F54N8 -- I'm sure one of you can solve this mystery for me. Is it the same company?


And all of this sent me to eBay to purchase matching dinner plates and a platter. The glass gold rimmed chargers were an eBay purchase several years ago - I thought they complimented the champagne glasses.


This is the marking on the back of the plates.


This is the marking on the back of the berry bowls. I thought these patterns were both so charming. They all show a bit of wear (so do I). But, to me that only adds to the charm, imagining that they have been lovingly set on the table of a young bride many years ago.


I found the linen and lace napkins at an antique store last Summer and the napkin rings were purchased from "Style Sisters" -- another tablescaping blogger -- Love these rings and I think they add such a wonderful soft pink to the table.


An overview of our rose dish table.


An overview of the centerpiece.


One last look -- I hope you enjoyed your visit this week. This is when I would normally light candles and show an evening look -- but I don't believe that I could squeeze one more item on this table today. To see lots of table inspiration, be sure to visit our wonderful weekly hostess Susan at "Between Naps on the Porch" -- you'll find some beautifully set tables, some whimsical tables and a place at each one set just for you!

See ya!