I Won!

I few weeks a go I got an exciting email from Betsy at A Perfect Setting. I had won 4 Modern Butterfly place settings from her give-away from Mikasa. Hurray - who doesn't love more dishes!!!

Well, this Tuesday the doorbell rang and my dishes arrived!



I set up my gaming table in the Billards Room (yes, my house is like "Clue") with an ivory cloth and used my new green ruffled chargers from Crate and Barrel. While they are not the same green as in the Modern Butterfly, I thing they complement each other well.



I used ivory napkins with a dragonfly napkin ring, my Betsy Patterson sterling and crystal stemware. There wasn't much room for a centerpiece, so a few flowers in a small vase did the trick!





The set came with dinner plates, salad plates....



rim soups.....



and cup an saucers.



Don't you love how Mikasa Modern Butterfly looks on the red placemats?

And the cup and saucers looked so nice on my dining room sideboard that I had an impromptu tea party!





I want to thank Lifestyle Brands of which Mikasa is a part and Betsy at A Perfect Setting for hosting this give-away. I am so thrilled with my Modern Butterfly!

I will be linking to Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch, Tea Time Tuesday at Lady Katherine's, and Mikasa's The Great Dinner Party.

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!

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!

Happy Chinese New Year

Happy Chinese New Year!




Once again it's Tablescape Thursday sponsored by Susan at BETWEEN NAPS ON THE PORCH!



Thanks Susan for hosting Tablescape Thursday every week!

For my Chinese New Year table, I started with a red tablecloth and gold napkins. I used two blue candlesicks with red pillar candles in the center with 2 little Chinese dog figurines from the Target $ section and a red and gold Chinese food take-out box I found at our local party store. I put a red and gold fan on one side and scattered some gold glitter ornaments around.



For dinnerware, I used some blue melamine from Target. Solid blue on the bottom, topped with a white salad plate with a blue chrysanthemum design and a solid blue chrysanthemum bread and butter plate on top of that. I used chopsicks and an etched patterned glass.



Then I remembered I had these glasses. Can't decide which I like better so I took pictures of each.



With a gold charger



Here are more view of the table.


















Happy Year of the Tiger to all!

Tablescape Thursday - Valentine's Day Centerpiece

Once again it's Tablescape Thursday sponsored by Susan at BETWEEN NAPS ON THE PORCH!



Thanks Susan for hosting Tablescape Thursday every week!


Here is a post from last year about making my Valentine's Day Centerpiece. Hope you enjoy it. Next Tablescape Thursday, the whole table!!!!

Last year, when I took my Valentine's Day Centerpiece apart I took pictures as sort of a step by step. I thought I would share them on this blog.

First I gather the materials: a tray, my glass stacking cake plates, a round glass vase, a sherry or cordial glass, blown glass hearts in silver, red and pink (purchase from WalMart several years ago), ribbon, red and clear glass hearts.



First, I fill the glass vase about half way with loose hearts.


Then, I carefully slip the sherry glass into the vase, nestled among the hearts.


I add a few more hearts around the sherry glass.


I have tied ribbon through the hanging loop of 4 hearts and then tied a decorative bow over the knots.


I lay the ribbons on the smallest cake plate and then put the round vase on top.


I have 2 slightly longer ribbons connecting 4 more hearts that I lay over the medium cake plate.


Repeat with 2 even slightly longer ribbons and the largest cake plate.


Place the stacked cake plates on a tray and decorate the tray and the largest cake plate with red and clear glass hearts.


Carefully pour some water in the sherry glass if you are using fresh flowers. If using silk, obviously the water is not needed. I have used camellias from my yard, purchased tulips and silk roses.