Where there's a will...... tablescape

As some of you know,each month I've been looking at an old Lang calendar for tablescape inspirations.  When I got to September I thought I was going to have to pass.  I looked and looked for  a small toy bicycle.....but couldn't find one anywhere.  I was just about to just give up when......

...I got an ideal looking at the basket of flowers....ah ha!

 .....instead of a bike holding a basket of flowers.....how about a basket of flowers.....

                                               ....topped with a bike?

....so I found some clip art, and I thought the ribbon reminded me of bicycle bar streamers.

                                         tabletop overview

                                  bike in a basket

        let's go for a bike ride.....care to join me....the September weather is perfect!

                      since there were navy stripes around the picture..
                        ......I got out my navy striped napkins.

                  how do you like my bicycle china?  It's really stickers under clear glass.

                                                Navy goblets.....

                      .......and a basket full of black eyed Susans and daisys.


            You just never know where your tablescaping challenges might come from!
             I've enjoyed this monthly project.....wait until you see October!

             See ya!

I'm joining "Let's Dish" with Cuisine Kathleenhttp://www.cuisinekathleen.com/

End of Summer Blues Tablescape

As much as I love Fall and think of it as my favorite season.....I must admit that the end of Summer gives me a bit of "the blues".  So what's a "tablescaper" to do but set the table....

 ....with Summer time blues!

 Blue and white make the perfect summer combination...and I love the blue hydrangea mixed with white.

Blue and white toile seems to capture the pastoral beauty of an English countryside.

 With roosters and chickens and rabbits....

....young lovers enjoying a few stolen moments of leisure on a Summer afternoon.

Flowers in a white soup tureen.  I found this tureen at Goodwill or thrifting a couple of years ago.  It didn't have an underplate, but this antique platter seems to fit the bill.

Love how well the dollar tree blue stems blend right in.

 Light blue damask napkins with silver plated napkin rings.

Let's have a breakdown of the dishes....

First I have a clear glass plate layered over.....

 ....the blue toile plates.  Why? you might ask.....Well, I was so excited when I found these salad plates early in the summer at a thrift store that I didn't notice the back until I got home......

 Darn!  I thought I wouldn't be able to use these pretty little dishes on my table until I realized that the clear glass plates on top would make them perfectly usable! Voila!

 My white Gibson plates are so versatile. 

Love these antique tissue linen placemats.  I thought the Target faux ivory flatware mixes in to this elegant table quite well.

I was thinking that the china showed an English countryside.....but on the rim there seems to be a windmill.  Makes me think of Holland.

I'm not sure, but this looks like a church to me.

Baskets of flowers and birds.  Perfect for a summer day....don't you think?

A "birds-eye" view of the table....

 .....and the centerpiece.

Speaking of birds....remember when we all found these a few years ago at Target and the adventures they all had?

Love the pastels and white against this old oak table.

 A closer look at the grape pattern of the soup tureen.  The lid was also in perfect condition I just didn't use it with the flowers.  Even though I've used my tureen for decorating... I've never used one to actually serve soup.  Does the soup stay warm?  Or is this just a pretty way to transfer the soup to the table?

Late afternoon casts beautiful shadows over the table.

Here in the Mid-Atlantic, September seems to be the month with one foot in Summer and one foot in Fall.  So I will enjoy these last lingering days of warmth before the leaves turn color and the air turns crisp......bringing a new season to treasure.


See ya!

I'm joining Tablescape Thursday at http://betweennapsontheporch.net/.  You'll be glad you stopped by for a visit if you check it out!