Happy Valentine's Day 2026

Valentine's Day is rapidly approaching which means it's time to start thinking of hearts, flowers, and candy. Our great-niece Maya came up with this week's table. She favors using a combination of patterns, styles, and colors instead of a traditional table of one pattern and one color.

While everyone has a love/hate relationship with candy hearts, the box makes a great replacement for a place card.

Where it came from:

Beaded Heart Place Mats - from Target years ago

Pink Ceramic Reticulated Plate with hearts - from eBay (pattern unknown)

Red Salad Plate - "Fun Factory" by Waechtersbach from Tuesday Morning years ago

Pink Accent Plate - "Pearl Pink" from JCPenney eleven or twelve years ago (it is actually a Bread and Butter plate in that pattern)

Red Pedestal Holder - Cupcake plate by American Atelier from TJMaxx eight or nine years ago

Flatware - "Hampton Signature" from Tuesday Morning years ago

Glassware - "Esprit" by Princess House

Beaded Heart Napkin Rings - from Pier 1 five or six years ago

Chiffon Napkin Overlays - a gift from Pat

Red Napkins - from Linentablecloth.com

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

Narumi Rosebud Tablescape

The other day, and after two hours at the gym, 79 year old Pat decided to stop at her favorite thrift store and do a little shopping on her way home. (The thought of even walking by a gym makes me nauseous..) She "scored" on a set of Narumi "Rosebud" dinnerware. She got an almost complete set of 12 place settings in perfect condition for next to nothing including soup bowls, vegetable bowls and several serving pieces. Not that we needed any more dishes, but they were too good a bargain to pass up.

Where it came from:

Lace Place Mats - from Lentz's Department Store  (a really neat local store now out of business) years ago

Charger Plate - Sage "Color Spectrum" by Mikasa from Replacements,Ltd. and eBay

Dinnerware - "Rosebud" by Narumi from Tabitha's Closet (a local church supported thrift store)

Satin Finish Flatware - "Kyoto Gold" by Holister from Wayfair ten years ago

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

Damask Napkins - from our collection

Napkin Overlay - a gift from Pat years ago

Napkin Rings - from Pier 1 eight or nine years ago

Hob Nail Fan Vase - by Fenton Glass from Pat's collection

Candle Holders - by Abingdon Potteries from eBay

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

Winter Day Tablescape

To all the Climate Change naysayer, I say look outside. So far this month (it is twelve days in), we have had record rainfall, floods, severe beach hazard warnings (called sneaker waves - large, life threatening waves that sweep people into the ocean without any warning), and now, snow.  Quite the weather ride! And January is historically our "quiet" weather month.

But Pat took advantage of the weather and set the table in typical Winter style.  She used Pier 1's "Snow Forest" (not quite what we are known for - our native Redwoods and Douglas firs but trees anyway on the plate) and set a snowy, wintery table.

Where it came from:

White Place Mats - from Tuesday Morning years ago

Charger - "Faience Gray" by Chritofle from eBay

Flatware - "Oblique" by Brandani from TJMaxx three years ago

Large Water Glass - from the Dollar Tree

Wine Glass - "Entertain" (House brand) from Bed, Bath, and Beyond years ago

Gray Napkins - Handmade by Pat to match the charger

Black Candle Holders, Candles, Votive Holders, and Snowy Greenery - from Pier 1 over the years

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

January Formal Tablescape

Inspiration for this week's table came from the soft baby-blue satin napkins that our Great-niece found while shopping for Christmas gifts this year. She immediately thought that we could use them on a table and even came up with the place setting to go with them.

Where it came from:

Charger Plates - "Colonial Blue" Color Spectrum by Mikasa from eBay years ago

Dinnerware - "White Alabaster Niveus" from Pier 1 more than fourteen years ago

Bread and Butter Plates - Thrifted by Pat from Tailwaggers (a thrift store dedicated to animal rescue and rehoming)

Satin Napkins - a gift from our Bother's Granddaughter

Crystal Napkin Rings - from our Mother's collection

Flatware - "Musee" by Reed & Barton from Horchow years ago

Glassware - "Lady Diamond" by Cristal d'Arques-Durand from Ross at least fifteen years ago

Glass Candle Holders - from TJMaxx five or six years ago

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