Turkey Table!

This week's table is a bit of a presto-chango from last weeks November Blue Table. I kept the tablecloth, napkins, flatware, pewter goblets and added turkeys!



Of course I will be linking to Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday so be sure and check out all the great tables.

Thanksgiving wouldn't be complete without a table featuring Woodland by Spode with Turkeys.

Here is a close-up of the place setting:


I added a red wine hock glass at each place which shows better in the full table pictures.



And I changed out the pumpkin centerpiece to a big turkey.


This picture shows the mantle in the background



and my small buffet




Hope you all have a Great Thanksgiving!

My Cake Runneth Over

 For my Bridge Club dessert I decided to serve Rum Cake and fruit. I made my cake in a new toy, er, necessary cake pan that I just got. I decided to serve the cake and the fruit on the same platter and here it is:





My rum cake is the tried and true Bicardi Cake recipe:

1 box yellow Pudding in the mix cake mix (I can never find the non-pudding kind anymore)
3 eggs
1/2 c. water
1/3 c. oil
1/2 c. rum (I use light - the recipe calls for dark, so use what you like)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Prepare pan with butter and flour, Wilton's Cake Release or Baker's Joy spray
Mix ingredients until combined. Then beat on medium 2 minutes.
Pour into prepared pan and bake 50 mins to 1 hour until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Cool 15 mins in pan.

Prepare glaze:

1/4 c. butter
1/4 c. water
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. rum

Bring to boil and let boil for 5 mins.

Pour most of glaze over warm cake still in pan and let it absorb. Then turn cake out and pour the rest on the top of the cake.

Here is my new pan:



And here is a closer look at the cake:





I am linking to Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum. Be sure and check out all the wonderful ideas on her site!

November Blue Tablescape

I loved this table from last year and wanted to share it with you again! As usual I will be linking to Susan at Between Naps on the Porch. Thanks to her for hosting this blog party every week!

"November shadows, shade November change
  November spells sweet memory, the season blue remains"
The Avett Brothers "November Blue"


I was interested in doing a Thanksgiving table without using the usual Thanksgiving colors and china. I thought blue would make a pretty table especially with orange as a complementary color. I felt very original until one of my favorite Avett Brothers songs "November Blue" started playing. I think I was subliminally influenced by their music! So I decided to name the tablescape after their song.
 Here's the table:







I started with a warm white tablecloth and used copper colored chargers. I then used Spode Blue Italian Dinner and side plates. On top of the dinner plates I used pumpkin salad plates from Walmart (last year's clearance).




I used my Colonial Shell stainless and Pewter goblets finished off with orange napkins with a copper colored leaf napkin ring.








For my centerpiece I used a blue and white china compote topped with a ceramic orange pumpkin.








I added some orange berries and smaller pumpkins too and pumpkin place card holders in both orange and white.





So here is my November Blue tablescape!








Watching on the mantle are two pairs of Pilgrims.











And over to the side is my antique wicker tea cart with a cornucopia tea set and pumpkin mugs.





I hope you enjoyed my November Blue table and that it inspires you to try different colors for the holidays!

Step into My Parlor

Step into my parlor for a Pumpkin Tea Party!



I will be joining Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday. Be sure and see all the wonderful ideas on that site!

In the bay window of my parlor I have a tea table and it is decorated for the season!



My pumpkin teaset is from Cracker Barrell many years ago.



And the mugs and plates were from Dollar General last year.



Rounding out the decor are some glass pumpkins which catch the light from the bay window!



Across the room is my mantle, which I call the "Pumpkin Patch" this time of year!







And on the tea table in front of the sofa you could be served either tea or hot chocolate.



The turkey tea pot was from Cracker Barrel and the chocolate set was a gift from my aunt. It was passed down to her from her family.

We could play some Pumpkin Carols on the old organ for a musical tea party!



I hope you have enjoyed my parlor and make sure to visit Susan at Between Naps on the Porch!

Pheasantly Surprised!

Another Fall Tablescape for Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch!


You may remember that I had the Spode Woodland Turkey plates, but I had to get the Pheasant ones also! And  at my TJ Maxx this weekend I found this wonderful beaded runner. So a new tablescape was born!



I should have put one of my pheasants as the centerpiece instead of the turkey - oh well, maybe next time!

I found these chargers at WalMart earlier this season. Here is what they look like without a plate:



With the plate:



The whole place setting



Here is a closeup of some cornucopia salt and pepper shakers I got from Cracker Barrel last year.



Hope you all visit Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for lots of wonderful tables!

Happy Fall Y'all!

Happy Fall! I am linking to Susan's Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch! Be sure to check out all the great tablescapes!

Things are busy here, but Fall is my favorite season, so I have been decorating like crazy!

Above is my mantle in the Parlor and here are some views of my Billiards Room.




And here is one of the Fall Looks for my Dining Room table!









Hope you enjoy this wonderful season!

New Harmonies Table Decorations

I have had no time to blog or visit blogs this summer - I have missed SO much!!! I have been decorating tables and here is one that was very special. Our Arts Council is having an exhibit from the Smithsonian Museum's Museums on Mainstreet Program called New Harmonies which celebrates American Root Music - jazz, bluegrass, gospel, blues, etc. We had a Grand Opening for the exhibit and I did the table decorations.



I am linking this to Tablescape Thursday sponsored by Susan BETWEEN NAPS ON THE PORCH.

Also Linking to Centerpiece Wednesday at The Style Sisters.



For the centerpiece I used a fiddle and a mandolin. I was lucky enough to have my daughter's violin/fiddle and one of her friend's loaned us the mandolin. Getting them to lean just the way I wanted was a bit of a challenge. I finally used 2 glass cake plates with lips which could hold up the instruments, a vase to hold up the mandolin's neck and a ham holder to more securely hold the fiddle. All of these got covered with black fabric which blended with the black table cloths.



Around the tables I used pennants made of old sheet music glued to ribbon and then attached to the edge of the table.





The wall above the table looked really blank, so at the last minute a friend loaned me a grapevine wreath she had made and I stuck some miniature musical instruments (Christmas ornaments I had to dig out) and a mini watering can and some fans made of old sheet music. I made a bow out of Ivory & Black striped and black swirled ribbon to go with the old sheet music and VOILA - the wall was no longer blank!



For the flowers, I wanted to use sunflowers, preferably free sunflowers, but by last weekend all the sunflowers around here were past their prime. So I got several bouquets of grocery store flowers which had a few sunflowers in them and used those plus flowers and greenery from my yard and my friends.

I put magnolia leaves behind the musical instruments  and the the flowers in galvanized tin containers from the Target dollarish section (bought these a few years ago.) The flowers I used were: Sunflowers, Mums, Black-eyed Susans, Zinnias, Berries, Goldenrod, Asters, Acuba and Cotton Blossoms. Yes, I went out to a cotton field on the day of the event to cut cotton blossoms! I thought they added to the American Root theme!

For refreshments, the committee used napkins and plastic cups in yellow, orange and green to complement the flowers. I think they really stand out nicely against the black tablecloths.



The event was a BIG success with lots of visitors. The Exhibit is amazing as was the live music and food! Happy Tablescape to all of you!