Tablescape Thursday "By the Sea, By the Sea"

It's Tablescape Thursday sponsored by Susan at BETWEEN NAPS ON THE PORCH!



Last week I shared with you my current "Under the Sea" Tablescape. These pictures are of my "By the Sea, By the Sea" table last year. Not as elaborate as this year.





As you can see, I didn't use a tablecloth, only placemats. I used blue melamine plates and the capiz shell plates from Target. I used very simple stemware and my Colonial Shell flatware with the same Target seersucker napkins.

Stacked cake plates with shells and a small vase of daisies complete the centerpiece.



A simpler, more casual table with a similar theme as last week.

Be sure to visit BETWEEN NAPS ON THE PORCH for lots of other tables! :D Jewel

Metamorphosis Monday: Re-enactor Clothing

Metamorphosis Monday is sponsored by Susan at BETWEEN NAPS ON THE PORCH . Make sure to visit her blog and see all the wonderful transformations!



My before and after this week is something that has taken me a good bit of time this summer: Jean cloth mule-eared trousers and a hand stitched cotton shirt for my re-enactor husband.

I took period accurate cloth like this:



and turned it into

this



and this



The jean cloth is a combination cotton and wool and was so scratchy and hot to sew during the summer! I kept thinking what could be worse than sewing this and then I realized that the only thing worse would be wearing it for a weekend outside with no showers. But this is what DH likes to do in his spare time!!!!

Here is a close-up of the button fly. As I was hand stitching the buttonholes, I thought longingly of my 2 sewing machines with automatic buttonholers. The buttons are made of bone.



Here is a close-up of the back of the trousers and the buckle closing.



Here is the shirt. It is made without any pattern. All the pieces are rectangles and it has a gusset under the arm/sleeve. The buttons are made of glass.



So that's what I have been up to lately. Now stop by Susan's blog BETWEEN NAPS ON THE PORCH to see all the other transformations. :D Jewel

Under the Sea Tablescape

It's Tablescape Thursday sponsored by Susan at BETWEEN NAPS ON THE PORCH!



Here is a table using the dinner plates from my new Big Lots Gibson Dishes - I call it Under the Sea.



As you can see, I am using my Tiffany Blue Tulle again. It is amazing how many tables I have used it for: Sweet 16 Breakfast at Tiffany's, Tea Time at Monet's Garden, Winter Wonderland and now Under the Sea!

The dinner plates and the napkin rings are Gibson Claremont. The salad plates are made of capiz and were from Target a few years ago. The seersucker napkins and mercury glass votive holders are also from Target.



The flatware is another Target purchase. I had seen it in the store but admit that I didn't appreciate it until I saw it used in a tablescape in my latest Southern Lady magazine. I love how the faceted handles sparkle! The stemware is Fostoria Heritage and the salad bowls are by Cambridge Glass Company "Near Cut."


Here are some pictures of the centerpiece:





I took a footed compote (Target World Bazaar several years ago) and put a blue vase (Michaels) on it. I filled the blue vase with clear acrylic shards/jewels and put silver and pearl stems in it. All of this is from my Winter Wonderland table, but I thought in this setting it seemed watery and bubbly. I surrounded everything with seashells and a few blue glass beads and some silver ornaments.

I added my Target fish salt and pepper shakers



and a pewter shell butter dish (found in my house when we moved in) and some shell butter spreaders ( Target and Big Lots).


So there you have my Under the Sea Tablescape!







Be sure to visit Susan at BETWEEN NAPS ON THE PORCH!

Prize Winning Picture Metamorphosis

Metamorphosis Monday is sponsored by Susan at BETWEEN NAPS ON THE PORCH . Make sure to visit her blog and see all the wonderful transformations!



For my Metamorphosis, I am sharing a prize I won on Carolina Mama's Fabulous Blog. Carolina Mama keeps a roll call of Carolina Girls in blogland. Anyway, she was hosting a giveaway of a 16 by 20 stretched canvas print through Uprinting.com.

The good folks at Uprinting.com took this picture of my house from a 2004 snowfall


and turned it into this print on canvas


It really looks way better than I can photograph. Trust me, it's wonderful!!!! I can't wait to get it framed and hung up!!!!

Thank you Carolina Mama and Thank you Uprinting.com and Thank you Susan at Between Naps on the Porch!

PS I am WAY behind on commenting on everyone's posts. I am sorry and promise I will catch up!!!! :D Jewel

Bloomingdale's Table Top Tool

Bloomingdale's Table Top Tool

Shared via AddThis


Thanks Gollum!!! I have had so much fun with this!!!! :D Jewel

Fourth of July Food Friday

Thank you Gollum for hosting Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum!


For this Foodie Friday, it is Fourth of July Desserts. These are pictures from last year, but I will make the same desserts this weekend - It's a tradition.

Blueberry cobbler is our traditional dessert on the Fourth. When I first started making it, I was torn between the pastry type of cobbler and the crumble type of cobbler. I usually did a bit of this and that and never wrote the recipe down. Last year on Recipezaar, I found a recipe for a pastry/crumble hybrid blueberry cobbler and thought I would try it. It used orange juice and lemon zest, which I had never used before in my cobbler and I have to admit we liked the addition. The recipe calls for dumplings instead of pastry strips like I had always used, so I felt free to still use pastry strips - in fact I used already made pie crust dough. Thank you Pillsbury Dough Boy! Click for the recipe: Blueberry Cobbler

Here are some pictures - Not pictured but always a hit - Vanilla Ice Cream on top!!!





I also made Red Velvet Cupcakes which were a hit (and of course I had to decorate them a bit!) Click here for the Recipe Red Velvet Cupcakes



I hope you all have a Happy Fourth of July! :D Jewel

Tablescape Thursday - One If By Land!

It's Tablescape Thursday sponsored by Susan at BETWEEN NAPS ON THE PORCH!



I really do know that Paul Revere's ride didn't happen in July or in 1776 for that matter, but I thought this lantern would make a nice centerpiece for my 4th of July Tablescape. So I am calling this Tablescape "One If By Land."



I found this little lantern last year at the Target One Spot. I thought it looked like DH's re-enacting lanterns, but he said it was too small, flimsy, etc. So I saved it for just such a tablescaping occasion!



DH loved the idea for this table and even added the little Revolutionary War Soldier ornament that he was given at some point! I think he added the perfect touch!

Here is the table without the dishes. I got these placemats and napkins from our local DAR chapter after letting them use our home for their meeting and letting DH give their program.









This is my dining room mantle with the nutcrackers.

Next is my parlor.




And some patriotic decorations on the parlor pump organ.







Now head over the Susan's for more great tablescapes!

Happy Fourth of July! :D Jewel