St. Patrick's Tablescape 2012

We've always loved St. Patrick's Day. Our daughter's birthday is the 14th and she always asks for Irish fare for her birthday dinner. Can't go wrong with corned beef brisket and cabbage and potatos. So, come on and join us for some food and blarney!

You can be sure I've set a place for you.

I found these salad plates a few years ago right after Christmas on sale at Marshall's --- As soon as I saw them I thought "perfect for St. Patrick's" --- don't you love the little Irish cottages?

Silk cabbage leaves make the perfect placemat for an Irish supper.

Green goblets for tea and we'll have some Irish coffee with our dessert.

Using the same chargers, flatware, napkins and green goblets from last week's table makes this a simple tablescape to put together. You can really change the theme and look of a table by just changing the top dish and the centerpiece!

A hammered aluminum tray hold my little Irish village......

....a couple of cottages.....

.....and a village church.

And I do believe that we've discovered a happy leprechaun underneath this mushroom!

Overview of the table.

Overview of the centerpiece.

We must have a shammrock or two!

And it looks like we've been rewarded with a wee bit of gold.

My only purchase for this table was a couple of bags of chocolate gold coins and a bag of dried split peas for my Irish "greenery". Hope your St. Patrick's day is full of fun, blessings and a wee bit of blarney too! See ya!

Daffodil Delight table

Welcome to my Daffodil Table. I love when the daffodils arrive to herald the beginning of Spring....don't you?

Won't you enjoy me for a spring luncheon?

I love this vintage lace tablecloth that drips off the table.

I found this fun china on ebay a couple of years ago.

When I looked this pattern up, I found that it was introduced right around the time I got married - 1975.

I was able to score 6 of these green glass plates from Cracker Barrel a couple of years ago ...they were on the 75% discount shelf!

Target carried this faux ivory flatwear a few years ago too -- they were 99 cents each. I was really sorry to see these discontinued.

These flowers in the lace of the tablecloth remind me of early spring flowers blooming in the snow...we had some pretty falling snow here just yesterday....and by tomorrow it will be almost 70 degrees around here. That's sort of a typical Virginia Spring.....you never know what you'll get around here!

I found four of these green goblets at our local GoodWill a couple of years ago right around Christmas......then about 9 months later I found four more! How random is that?

The napkins came from Kohl's a few years ago and the end of the summer -- on the 80% off sale. I like the blending of the soft yellow and green....perfect for a daffodil table.

Three pots of daffodils were my only purchase for this table. These came from the grocery store....wouldn't they make a nice keepsake for some luncheon guests. I wonder if I can plant the bulbs again.

Overview of my table top garden.

I love how well this china pattern mimics the little potted daffodils.

A close up of spring in bloom.

Little glass votive holders -- holding tea lights tucked among the flowers.

So let's light the candles......

And enjoy the beginnings of Spring! Hope that signs of spring are blooming outside your window....or adding color to your tables. See ya!

Westminster Dog Show table

February has certainly offered us many opportunities for Tablescaping. We start off with Groundhog Day, We have Valentine's Day, President's Day, two Presidents birthdays, Mardi Gras,the start of Lent and The Oscars. I believe I've seen tables set for each one of these. Today, I'm backing up to February 13 & 14 to set my table.....not for Valentine's but....



....my table for the dogs of Westminster. Back for our 20th anniversary, Mr. Mid-Atlantic planned a very special trip for us and we went to NYC to the Westminster Dog Show!



So pull up a seat and let's watch the show. I try to watch this every year....how about you?



It's always exciting to try to pick out which dog is going to be awarded the honor of "Best in Show". There are always crowd pleasers that get lots of cheers. There are dogs who have cuts and coats that are rarely kept that way except for "show". (Poodles, Yorkies, Cockers....) Certain breeds are always my sentimental favorites.



The dogs who've been a part of my life have all left their paw prints on my heart when they crossed to rainbow bridge.



I cut out some paw prints from clip art and used them under clear glass for my salad plates.



Kept my same black flatware from last week.



These black and white checked napkins were as close as I could get to a houndstooth look.....squint your eyes and pretend.



And the award.....


....of "Best In Show"....



.....goes to.....


....this handsome fella striking his best pose. Actually the 2012 winner was a Pekingese. The dogs don't actually compete against each other...but to the standard of their breed. The winner is the dog that in all ways is the best representing their breed. Catigories include Hound Group -- all hounds. Both Mr. Mid-Atlantic and I had hounds growing up. He had Beagles and I had Dachsunds. At the time we attended the show we had two Bassets. Out of this group the wirehaired Dachshund won.(love the look of the wirehairs...cute beards) From the Herding Group there are Shepherds, Collies, Corgis - with the German Shepherd winning. From the Non-Sporting group we find: Eskimos, Bichon Frises, Boston Terrier, Bull dogs, Poodles, Chows with the Dalmation winning. Terriers include Cairn (think Toto from The Wizard of Oz), Fox, Airedale, Scotties, Schnauzers, Westies, Wheatons -- winner - Kerry Blue Terrier. From the Sporting group we would see: Pointers, Retrievers, Setters and Spaniels -- winner - Irish Setter. Working Group includes: Boxers, German Pinschers, Great Danes, Rottweilers, St. Bernards, Huskys - winner - Doberman Pinscher. From the Toy Group: Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Chihuaha, Maltese, Pekingese, Pomeranian, Pug, Shih Tzu, Yorkshire Terriers -- winner - Pekingnese.


So, let's have a look at our condenders.


A Boston Bull dog....



....obviously a hound ....



...a dachshund -- we had the red smooth coated standards, but I find myself attracted to the wire haired doxies now....I wonder how much they shed.



....this one has the soulful look of a basset hound. When we were at the show, we went to the breed competition for the bassets. They came out before competition in these wild turbans so that their ears wouldn't drag the floor and get dirty. Hysterical. LOVE this breed, wonderful temperments, sweet and loyal. But they do shed and slobber. And unfortunately this breed is prone to cancer that took both of ours. (Scarlet and Rhett)



A sweet and playful Shih Tzu. This is our daughter's breed. Sweetness covered in fur.


A watchful Airedale.



Not too sure of this little brown breed. Looks like maybe a spaniel puppy to me. What do you see?



Overview of the table.


The winner's circle.


One last look....



....at all the contestants....



....as they circle the ring.....



.....to see....



....who gets to take home the honor of being the best of the best.



Here at our house, these two are....



....top dogs of our hearts. Both are dogs from local rescue groups, mixed breeds. Nothing like the love of a dog and those brown eyes that just melt me.

So, would I go to the Westminster show again? You bet! In a New York minute! How about you? Have you ever been? Is it on your list of things you want to do?

See ya!