Happy Fall Tablescape

Last week was an early autumn tablescape that I re-posted from 2010 -- and since the calendar for this week has the official start of autumn, today I'm posting my first fall table of 2011. This was a fun table to put together because I'm just unboxing some of my fall decor -- I'm still unpacking, but all of this is from storage, nothing new.



Welcome to the first table of fall. This is the season that feels like "one foot in summer and one foot in fall". The mornings can be crisp and feel like fall, but the flowers are still blooming and the trees are still full of their summer green leaves. And the days can still warm up enough to be delightful convertible weather.



As always, I've set a place just for you!



Some of you know my "two napkin" rule......paper for the mouth.....



....cloth for the lap. (This saves me from lots of cloth napkin disasters.....lip stick.....red sauces....butter - you know the stains that are impossible to get out!)



Overview of the table top......



.....and the centerpiece. I thought I would include some pumpkins among the last hydrangea blossoms with a few bunches of grapes thrown in as well. This all reminds me of this transition time of year.







A layering of dishes and Target flatwear on antique Irish linen placemats.




I found these little apple plates last year at Cracker Barrel -- I think they had been marked down to the 75% off shelf.




They make perfect coasters....





So I "picked" the last four apples they had. One golden, two granny smith green and one red.



Shall we do the tabletop "strip tease"?




This small dish came from Tuesday Morning about 3 years ago -- they ended up costing 99 cents each.



They have a pretty golden scalloped edge.




These green plates are heavy glass....they were another find on the sale shelf at Cracker Barrel a couple of years ago at the end of summer.




Can you see the embossed olives branches in the glass?



These come from a set of J.C. Penny dishes I found at Goodwill about five years ago. We use them everyday.




The light green glass chargers were on sale at one of my favorite little boutiques in Virginia Beach. We usually go there every fall, but it looks like we won't be making that trip this year.




I found this pretty shabby chic basket at a vintage and thrift store early in the summer.




Loved how well these paper napkins coordinated with.....


these cloth ones I've had for a couple of years. I believe these came from Tuesday Morning.






The only purchase I made this week was for these napkins from the grocery store....$1.99! That makes for a very thrifty tablescape.

Be sure to visit all the wonderful tables set this week brought to you by Susan at "Between Naps on the Porch".
Happy Fall Y'all!

See ya!

The End of Summer - tablescape

It's time to set the table once again for Tablescape Thursday. I've set an end of Summer table this week. Do you count Labor Day as the end of Summer or the calendar date of September 22nd? Either way, it will soon be Fall.



Welcome to my "last trip to the beach" tablescape. Actually September has often been one of our favorite months for taking a weekend beach escape. Many years we've had splendid beach weather and when our children were older, we would go for the 1st weekend after Labor Day. After I retire, we will have to start that tradition back up again.


I've set a place for you --- so tell me, did you have a visit to the ocean this summer? I seem to linger over the last days of Summer...sort of like lingering at the table after a wonderful meal with friends.



For this table, my flower ring has become a shell ring.



Rather than a setting of tropical colors....I've set the soft colors of sand and shells at sunset.



Most of the shells have come from our Spring Florida trips -- days when we get our first taste of coming lazy summer afternoons.



My big shell wasn't a treasure found on the beach....it was found at an antique store here in Richmond.



These vintage flamingos are a part of my summer decor....soon to be packed up for another year.



Layers of silver, white and lace.






My china pattern is Stanford Court. I love the shell pattern.



While I do have the matching salad plates, sometimes I mix in something else. These glass plates were from my husband's grandmother.



The etching shows up a bit better against the table.



You can see the white on white design of the tissue linen placemats through the gold rimmed glass chargers.



From afternoon....



....to evening......




....the last days of Summer are a magical time spent at the beach.

Hope you will be able to linger through these last summer days and enjoy a few moments in your favorite spots.

Be sure to visit "Between Naps on the Porch" to see many tables prepared for you. There are always such creative inspirations to be discovered there.

See ya!