Mardi Gras Table 2012

Here in the Mid-Atlantic state of Virginia Mardi Gras is ....well.....pretty non-existant.



In fact, I didn't even know what it was until I was an adult. But I won't let a little detail like that keep me from a tabletop party! Welcome to my Mardi Gras 2012 table....



....full of beads, masks and feathers.....



....and a blending of purple, green and gold.



I also added in some black and white. The black iron treble clef flatware seems to carry on the look of fun and whimsey.



Shiny beads add some glitter to go along with.....



....some glitzy sequined masks.



Throw in a Fleur de'lis.....



.....and I think we've got ourselves a P-A-R-T-Y!



So pull up a chair....



.....and grab a mask....


....I do believe that purple is your color!



Let's take a look at the dishes.... starting with a white bowl......



.....we have a black and white napkin.....



......along with a black and white salad plate....


.....over a black dinner plate.....



.....over a gold trimmed glass charger.



You can hardly tell....



.....that these glasses are amethyst.



Just a few....



.....closer looks.....



.....at our festive table.....


....as the sun begins....



....to fall lower in the afternoon sky....



......casting long shadows on the table.....until.....



.....it's time to light the tealights.....




....and let the good times roll! Gumbo anyone?


See ya!

I'm joining in on the tabletop fun at "Between Naps on the Porch" this week.

February Tabletop Inspiration

Just the other day I found an old Lang Calendar that I had kept because I loved the pictures. Last January I did a tablescape from the picture from the month of January and then I put the calendar aside. When I was glancing at the pictures again, I found this picture for February and thought I would let it inspire my table for this week. One problem.....I don't have a red polka dotted watering can......



....however, I DO have a pink one!




Welcome to my version of the watering can table setting.



I always set a special place for you each week.



My centerpiece filled with an unruly bouqet of wild daisies.



These dishes were found at Marshall's a couple of years ago. Perfect for a pink Valentine's setting......because.....



.....they're all about love in any language!




....hearts and flowers....



....for a pretty Valentine's brunch.



My next layer is a white dinner plate.....



....over a white wooden charger.




.....dreamy creamy faux ivory flatware and my lacy tablecloth layered over a soft pink one.



These sweet pink buds of this napkin ring hold some pink plaid napkins (reversible to pink flowers).




Soft pink goblets finish off this table.....




....so what inspires you when you're setting your table?

This week I'm joining Marty at "A Stroll Thru Life" for tabletop Tuesday and Susan at "Between Naps on the Porch" for Tablescape Thursday.

See ya!

Tablescape Thursday - Red Birds in the Snow

I decided to repost this cheerful Winter's table....we haven't had any snow around here.....what a difference a year makes! Anyway....the winter is still young and we have lot's of snow opportunities still to come. I do love cardinals in winter....don't you?



It's time to play with our dishes again! I love Tablescape Thursday and who knew how many of us there were -- until Susan invited us all to come out of the dish closet and play along. So here we are -- back for another week of dish delights -- and I'm amazed week after week at what everyone displays -- those decorating books and magazines have nothing on many of you tabletop designers!

Here in Virginia, we have snow once again -- and so I've set my kitchen table with a look at "Red Birds in the Snow". Our state bird is the Cardinal....so it just seems fitting. I love red in the kitchen. My grandmother's kitchen was red long before red was popular. I mean back in the 60s! She painted her ceiling red and had red countertops. Her kitchen was always open for morning coffee and conversation with her neighborhood friends - so I always think of her when I see red tablescapes.



Here's a place set just for you!



Usually my two napkin rule is paper for the mouth and cloth for the lap, but today I didn't have any paper napkins that matched ....so I put out two cloth ones. Actually the bigger ones are dish towels from Target ... they were 1/2 price after Christmas and since they matched the tablecloth (also Target 1/2 price), I'm using them today for extra large napkins. The red napkins are ones I got when my dad downsized a few years ago.


Here's a look at a little different style dish cloth. Perfect for our snowy weather!


Here are our red birds on the centerpiece. Actually all those candles were the same color when I purchased them back in the Fall. Don't know why they're changing colors.


They take on a different hue when they're glowing.


Some of you may remember when I got this iron candleholder a few months back from the thriftstore -- it had started out black and had been painted white -- after going back and forth.....I finally decided to return it to black.


Let's do the tabletop strip tease. The napkin rings were purchased from an antique store a few months ago.


Red salad plates came from Marshall's after Christmas sale 2008.


You know about the dish cloth .... the flatware is from Target closeout last Summer.


These white dishes are really more cream colored -- They're orig. from JCPenney's -- but I got them from GoodWill about three years ago -- I had been wanting some white plates for a long time and I was able to get 10 plates, 8 bowls and 8 coffee mugs all matching for less than $20.


A view of all the layers.


I loved finding these red goblets at a Pre-Christmas open house at one of my favorite antique stores. I was able to get 6 for a good price. I've been on a kick with colored glasses lately -- I found these first, then four green ones at GoodWill, then four that were hand painted with flowers on them at GW(I haven't shown you those yet), then I found 6 blue water goblets at GW, then I picked up 6 blue wine stems from Dollar Tree and today I purchased 8 pink Fostoria goblets from e-Bay! Ok...I think I'm over the glasses now. Anybody thirsty? Really, REALLY thirsty?



Did you see this tablecloth at Target around Christmas --- the one close to me had lots of them left after Christmas and I was pleased to find them on sale -- I guess they didn't look Christmasy enough -- but perfect for Winter, I thought!



The only problem was...they only had the larger sized cloths......shhhhhh, don't tell anybody else, but I'm going to let you in on a little secret....


Do you see how I folded the end underneath to make the cloth the right size for my table?


Unless you really look closely it's not terribly obvious.....and you know how the camera makes every wrinkle and bump glaringly apparent. All the things you didn't mean to catch on camera for everyone to see.....



....like the furry leg poking out from under the table.....



.... of my camera shy assistant.


Late afternoon shadows on my table. Soon the sun will set and it will be time.....


....to light the candles.



Cardinals in the pines.



Warming themselves in the glow.



I'm so glad that you visited me today and I hope you'll get the chance to make all the rounds to see what everyone's set on their tables over at "Between Naps On The Porch". You'll find a place set just for you.


See ya!