Dreaming of a Warm Summer Day Tablescape

Sweltering. Scorching. Sultry. Not words we commonly use to describe our weather here on the west coast of Northern California. More like foggy, damp, gusty, overcast, wet....but we can dream. Pat's daughter was visiting from "over the hill" (three hours inland) leaving over 100 degree weather to spend time with her parents and joined her Mother in setting the table for this week's blog. She wanted something colorful and vibrant to brighten up the dark and dreary day she picked to visit.

Inspiration for the color theme was the bold, striped place mats - definitely not subtle

Flatware is "Primary" by Noritake

There is quite a family history around these napkin rings - Pat found them on the very, very sale rack at Pier 1 (truth be told they couldn't get rid of them.) Pat talked me into buying them "to use someday" since they were so cheap (and might I add ugly???) So they sat on the shelf at my house for years and years until someone was brave or desperate enough to use them.

Fiesta(ware) colors include "Daffodil", "White", "Cobalt", and "Lemongrass"

The glasses are "Emma" Hobnail from Pier 1

What could add more color than crayons? The candle holders are assorted colors hot glued to empty cat food cans

Where it came from:

Colorful Striped Place Mats - from Pier 1 ten or eleven years ago

Dinnerware - Assorted colors of Fiesta(ware) by Homer Laughlin from Macy's, Kohl's and Replacements,Ltd.

Flatware - "Primary" by Noritake from Replacements,Ltd. and eBay

Hobnail Glassware - "Emma" by Pier 1 years ago

Hot Pink Napkins - Handmade by Pat

Napkin Rings - from Pier 1 eight or nine years ago

This week, we will be joining "Tablescape Thursday" at Between Naps on the Porch:  http://betweennapsontheporch.net/ 

Not quite tablescaping stuff:

It did get to 60 degrees at noon today but didn't make it to the forecasted "heatwave" of 63 degrees. Did we see sun?? NO..... Partial sun?? NO.  Just thought you might be interested.

Sampler Tablescape 2025

You've heard me talk about my extreme dish-addicted cousin lots of time. He was friends with a woman who gave many dinner parties - but the parties were very unusual. She would never set a formal (and I might add always gorgeous) table with only one dinnerware pattern. She owned dozens of sets of exquisite dishes that she loved and said she just couldn't make up her mind which one to use. So, she always set the table with different patterns but tied them together using the same charger, flatware, stemware and napkin. Unique and gorgeous.

We have also set "sampler" tablescape before and I have loved them. This week we decided to set another.

The unifying theme for this week's table is gold - gold leaf chargers, gold flatware, gold napkin, and gold beaded napkin rings all with lots of gold accents on the dinnerware

The flatware is "Kyoto Frost" by Holister

The stemware is "Fedora" by Spiegelau

Turquoise Blue "Athene" by Paragon

"Real Old Willow" by Royal Doulton

"Versailles" by Lenox

"Harrogate" by Spode

"Madeleine" by Hutschenreuther

"Evening Majesty" by Noritake

"Florida" by Lenox

"Carlyle" by Royal Doulton

Where it came from:

Gold-leaf glass Chargers - found at the Discovery Shop (the Cancer Society's thrift store) years ago

Dinnerware - various places but mostly Replacements,Ltd., eBay, and estate sales

Gold Flatware - "Kyoto Frost" by Holister from Wayfair nine years ago

Stemware - "Fedora" by Spiegelau from Replacements,Ltd.

Gold Beaded Napkin Rings - from Pier 1 years ago

Gold Napkin - from eBay this year 

Chiffon Napkin Overlay - a gift from Pat 

Armani Figurine - from our Mother's collection

This week, we will be joining "Tablescape Thursday" at Between Naps on the Porch:  http://betweennapsontheporch.net/ 

Casual "San Marino" Family Tablescape

This week's tablescape features Pier 1's "San Marino" ironstone dinnerware produced from 2013 to 2016. We've used it several times before but this time Maya wanted to pair it with our Spode yellow "Vermicelli" charger plates to give the place setting a colorful updated look.

Flatware is gold "Sophia" by Argent - the handles are a perfect match to the charger

The charger is Spode yellow "Vermicelli"

Always a favorite and often used work horse in our glassware collection, the stemware is from the Dollar Tree

Pat made a simple centerpiece of real and faux grapes in a large "San Marino" serving bowl

Where it came from:

Navy Blue Ribbed Place Mats - from Bed, Bath and Beyond years ago

Dinnerware - "San Marino" from Pier 1 ten years ago

Bread and Butter Plate - Vintage "Yellow" Fiesta(ware) [1987-2002] from Replacements,Ltd.

Flatware - Gold "Sophia" by Argent from Tuesday Morning nine or ten years ago

Glassware - from the Dollar Tree (usually always available)

Napkins - from Linentablecloth.com (blue) and Pier 1 (yellow)

Wooden Napkin Rings - from Tailwaggers (a local thrift shop that supports no-kill animal rescue)

Candle Holders - Cobalt "Tripod" Fiesta(ware) Candleholder by Homer Laughlin [1986-2021]

This week, we will be joining "Tablescape Thursday" at Between Naps on the Porch:  http://betweennapsontheporch.net/ 

Schumann Wild Rose Tablescape

Needless to say, this week's table makes me very happy! "Wild Rose" by Schumann is my very favorite pattern (not just because I chose it many, many years ago as my "good china" wedding pattern) but because I still love the gorgeous colors and style of this highly decorated (dare I say "busy," gaudy, ostentatious, splashy, some-would-say-garish, screaming???) dinnerware. I still think it is beautiful and makes any table impressive.

Not a charger - this is actually a chop plate

The glassware is "Rosaline" by Cristal d'Arques-Durand

Every place setting has an individual vase holding a rose

The centerpiece arrangement is in the very rare soup tureen. As many people know if they have followed this blog, I looked for over 40 years for this piece. I knew it was rare - for years, I even had a  picture of it hung on my wall (to dream of "what could be"). I let my family know that if I ever found it, say good-bye to any inheritance. We are living off beans for the rest of our lives. I just had to have it. Then on September 23, 2012, the Good Lord looked down on me and took pity. eBay offered it. I was the only bidder. And it was cheap. The family could eat. We could pay the bills. And the girls are going to inherit some beautiful dishes (even though when they were young they fought over who was going to "get stuck with the ugly pink and green dishes")

Where it came from:

Sage Green Place Mats - from Tuesday Morning years ago

Dinnerware - "Wild Rose" by Schumann originally from Walsh's (a fabulous local store that featured wedding gifts, china and glassware for brides sadly now out of business), and now from eBay, Replacements,Ltd., and any antique store that I can find it.

Flatware - Pattern unknown from eBay

Glassware - "Rosaline" by Cristal d'Arques-Durand from Replacements,Ltd. and eBay

Gold Striped Napkins - from eBay

Gold Overlay Napkins - Handmade by Pat

Old Rose Napkin Rings - from Pier 1 years ago

Dusty Rose Tapers - from the Ferndale Emporium (a local gift and kitchen boutique)

This week, we will be joining "Tablescape Thursday" at Between Naps on the Porch:  http://betweennapsontheporch.net/