Fall Fluffing, Treasure Hunting and a Cloche Party

Hi everybody! Marty's having another cloche party and I sure wanted to join the fun. I hope that nobody minds if I show a little "Fall Fluffing" as well. The winds of fall have blown through my house and brought a few changes.....




...My summer swan lake turned into.....



... a fall pumpkin patch! A couple of you asked me to show my sideboard that was peeking out behind one of my last tablescapes -- so here's a full picture. I found this several years ago at an antique store.




A couple of closer shots. Pumpkins, indian corn, fall leaves, dried hydrangeas, a few peacock feathers and some acorns make up my fall arrangement.



I found this monogrammed silver plated coffee pot when I was "treasure hunting" a couple of weeks ago. Not my initials....but I don't care about that -- I loved it anyway.



Here she is all shined up and in her glory.



.....moving to the other side of the pumpkin patch.....




....it's not a cloche, but my sugar scuttle that was holding summer shells, now contains autumn acorns.


The white damask table runner has been changed to a fall colored tapestry and my coffee server stands ready to keep some refreshments warmed on a crisp fall evening. Maybe some hot cider?



My half round table filled with summer shells and a tureen ready to serve some summer chowder.....



....has moved it's location and also contains pumpkins and a leaf embossed candle in a hurricane globe. (Marty says they count even if it's not a cloche!)




I forgot to show my summer washstand -- think shells -- but it's now dressed for fall.



Yes, we're "back to school" now and writing on my "black board".



Ok - finally! ...an honest to goodness cloche! I've caught a little squirrel.




My apothecary jar contains some fall sunflowers and acorns ....all tied up with a fall bow on top.



A tiny plate of acorns.



I was looking on eBay for an antique postcard of a school and found a very special one!



This school was C.H.Friend in South Boston, VA. When it was a high school -- my mother graduated there --- my father taught there --- and later on when it became an elementary school --- my grandmother was the cafeteria manager. What a fun treasure to find!




Not a cloche, but a tiny glass basket of fallness.




Even the powder room has changed from sandcastles and shells.....



....to scarecrows and acorns!




Found these cute towels at Kohls.




Mr. Scarecrow in the pumpkin patch.



Who doesn't love a friendly little scarecrow man (especially one that obviously can't scare the crows away!)



My front door has changed from a bucket of white flowers to....





An autumn greeting to warmly welcome you.

Wishing everyone a happy, fun-filled Fall and many blessings upon your home and all who enter there.


Be sure to visit Marty at "A Stroll Thru Life" to see what everyone has captured under glass.
See ya!

Tablescape Thursday - Toile Table

It's time for Tablescape Thursday again! This is the day we get to visit lots of our blogging friends to see what they've set on their table this week. Thanks to our wonderful hostess, Susan of "Between Naps on the Porch". This past weekend my husband's college roommate and his wife stopped by for lunch on their way from Williamsburg to Washington D.C. They've just moved back into the area and it was great to visit and catch up again. I was looking for a simple tablesetting...nothing too fancy but still welcoming. So I decided to use my black and white toile. The black and white combination seems to be "The little black dress" of tablescapes.


Welcome to our toile luncheon table.


Of course, there's a place set just for you!


With the black and white placemats, I decided to use my black iron treble clef flatware. Very heavy and substantial feeling flatware. And not too fancy.


Black and white checked cloth napkins with white ceramic napkin rings.



A pop of color comes from the paper napkins in the glasses.


An overview of the table.



Pressed glass stems used for shrimp cocktails.


The black and white toile salad plates came from Marshall's about a year ago are layered over the white Gollum dishes from Big Lots last summer.



I was able to use the same flowers from last weeks tropical table. I pulled out the blue and orange flowers and arranged the pink, purple, green and yellow ones into smaller containers, mixed with tealights and set on a cake stand.



A tabletop view.




One last look at our toile table. It seems that toile is either something you love or hate. I've loved it long before I even knew what it was called. My grandmother had a toile bedspread in her guest bedroom when I was a young child and I was enchanted by the "old fashioned" people. It wasn't until years later that I realized that fabric was toile.

Be sure to visit Susan this week at "Between Naps on the Porch" where you'll find many, many tabletop inspirations.

See ya!

Fresh Cut Friday - Tropical Flowers

I'm joining Liz at "Rose Vignettes" for her debut of "Fresh Cut Friday". She's getting everyone to show an arrangement of flowers for the first Friday of each month. They can be from your own garden, the florist or grocery store --- who doesn't enjoy a fresh bouquet every now and then?



I found these fun flowers at our local grocery store this week when I was looking for a centerpiece for a tropical tablescape.




These cheerful flowers really make me smile! Be nice to yourself and get some flowers for no special reason -- just because you're so special!

See ya!

End of Summer 2010 Tablescape

It's time to set the table once again for Tablescape Thursday -- thanks to Susan of "Between Naps On The Porch", there's lots of "dishing" here in blogland. Since we're coming up on Labor Day weekend, the "last" week-end of Summer, many of you are probably planning a special tablescape. Most years we might be planning something outdoors, but here in the Mid-Atlantic, it has not been a good summer for cook-outs, bar-b-ques or picnics. It's just been too darn hot! We've broken all the records for hot weather this year -- so in keeping with the Summer of 2010, I've set a tropical tablescape.



Welcome to my tropical tablescape.



As always, there's a place set just for you!




My green cloth napkins came from Target a few months ago and the parrot napkin rings came from a favorite local antique store that's going to close up the end of this month. I'm going to miss that place!




I found these green placemats a couple of years ago in Atlanta.



Paper napkins for my "two napkin rule" are placed in everyday stemware. A friend of mine told me that a little tea room that she goes to also places paper napkins at each place with the instructions that lipstick should be blotted with paper so as not to stain their cloth napkins. Maybe this is something that is catching on -- it always has made a lot on sense to me.



My flamingo friends look quite at home here on my tropical Mid-Atlantic tablescape.




The centerpiece also contains this vintage pair of flamingos I found earlier this summer.



Yesterday, I went to the local grocery store (Martin's) to see if I could find some bright tropical colored flowers for this my table this week. I spotted this bunch right away!



I set the bowl of flowers and flamingos on a framed sheet of bright scrapbooking paper.




An overview of the centerpiece.



Overview of the table.




Loving these bright happy colors.



Even the vintage flamingos look more cheerful among these fun colors .... don't you think?




I do have to tell you that as I was arranging these flowers, the blue ones had so much food coloring, that they turned my fingers blue!




This bamboo flatware has been a favorite of mine for the past couple of years. It seems to especially compliment the more casual tablescapes.



And I think this may be my all time favorite tip I've picked up from Tablescaping. I know that I've shown you before, but it's always fun to layer......




....a clear glass dinner plate over.....




....a fun patterned paper one! I found these plates and napkins at Target earlier in the summer. I especially like looking out for Caspari designs too.




Can't seem to get enough of these flowers.



Just gazing across the tabletop.....




....from morning.....




....until evening!

Hoping that everyone has a wonderful and safe Labor Day weekend! Despite the heat, the Summer of 2010 has been a very happy one for us. But I have to admit, I'm looking forward to a bit cooler weather and I'm really a Fall kind of gal. I know that we'll have some wonderful Indian Summer days ahead to savor...but I'm ready for pumpkins and fall leaves....how about you?

Be sure to visit Susan at "Between Naps on the Porch" to find lots of fun tablescapes this week.

See ya!