The (Ugly) Truth About Acorns

You've probably seen them...the packages of half-faux acorns from Pottery Barn...the perfect little autumn decoration.  Fill a jar, scatter across the table.  But at $14, I thought they were a bit pricey,

especially when the real thing is lying on the ground for the taking (as long as you beat the squirrels to them).  So on one of my walks, I filled my pockets with the nicest acorns I could find.  I was quite enamored with my collection...until several days later when (gasp!)...I discovered white worms crawling out of my pretty little acorns!!  Talk about unwanted house guests.  Thank goodness they were not on my dinner table!  So as you can imagine, I look at these pest-free acorns from Pottery Barn in a totally new light. They are worth every penny!  Nonetheless, the acorns are the inspiration for today's autumn tablescape.  If you need desire fresh, inexpensive and seasonal table linens, march right over the Home Goods.

That's where I found this lovely rust and floral Ralph Lauren tablecloth.  Instead of a runner, I dressed up the middle of this table with this charming burlap striped ribbon from Hobby Lobby.

They really had an interesting collection of natural fiber ribbons of various width.  All you need is a little imagination.  And while I normally don't feel the need to match my napkins, I couldn't pass these up.  So they would not get lost on the cloth,

I turned them into a pretty little raffia-wrapped bundle and set them atop my plain white plates.  These plain white plates were in turn set atop my favorite navy blue plates

(The Blues by Arabia of Finland).  And because I love to layer, I added simple jute mats...

...they really help the blue plates to stand out.  I know I've been using them a lot lately, but tis the season, so here are my gorgeous

brown Lenox wine and water goblets.  Oh...I just remembered these chunky acorn candle pots.

I've had them for years, Crate & Barrel, I believe.  A Fall tabletop is so easy to accessorize.  The more the merrier.  I'm so glad these cute corn husk flowers from...

...(Serenade in Wheaton) get to come to the party again.  Of course, a bit of candlelight is in order, especially since it's dark at 4:30!  I chose these shiny mercury glass tea lights and nestled them here and there, and also these antique Chinese brass candle sticks.

These were always on display in my parent's home for as long as I can remember!  What a nice memory to bring them out again.  And last, but not least (they are the star of the story today)

I've scattered handfuls of darling little Pottery Barn acorns all over my plates.  You have most likely started your holiday preparations, but please spend a few relaxing minutes checking out the fabulous ideas at the following parties.

Centerpiece Wednesday (The Style Sisters)Tabletop Thursday (Between Naps on the Porch)Feathered Nest Friday (French Country Cottage)Home Sweet Home Friday  (The Charm of Home)Potpourri Friday (2805)Seasonal Sundays (The Tablescaper)Let's Dish (Cuisine Kathleen)Open House Party (No Minimalist Here)

Take another look, one year ago: Marigolds and Lemons

Chameleons - Part 1

Some time ago, my dear friend Beth gave me a gift certificate to Crate & Barrel for my birthday.  For months I pondered over what to buy...can I just have one of everything?  Finally I decided...I wanted these placemats.  Placemats, you say!  Don't you have enough?  Well, perhaps I do...but just look at these!  Can you blame me?  At that, I couldn't make up my mind...so bought both kinds!  For this tablescape, I have chosen to use these Casitas placemats as a table runner.

They are adorable...  covered in colorful embroidered spirals on a light brown linen background.  These Stria round mats really caught my eye.  So many colors...I think these mats can take on a whole new life depending on the accessories you place with them.

They are chameleons!  Today, I'm pairing them with autumn colors.  But in my mind, I'm conjuring up a whimsical holiday table.  I think they'll work great in the summer also.  So stayed tuned...you will be seeing these again!  One of the reasons I love Fall is having another chance to use my Constellation dinnerware by Joseph Abboud.

They haven't been out of the cabinet in quite some time.  Instead of the solid colored napkins featured with these placemats at the Crate, I opted to sew some of my own, and chose this very autumnal striped fabric.

I think they are rather charming scrunched into these shiny golden napkin rings.   How I love these...

... South Beach water and wine glasses, also by Joseph Abboud.  If you ever need some new votives, head on over to West Elm...their selection is quite vast.

This season I added another pattern to my collection.  At first I thought about just plopping a chunky candle into this gold tiled vase,

but in the end could not resist these orangey mums.  Trader Joe's does it again. For a final golden touch, I wove this cute gold and orange garland into my tablescape.

If you're like me, you probably have lots of ideas about the upcoming holidays.  I feel Chameleons - Part 2 coming on.  Or if you just need a little inspiration, please join me at the following blog parties.  I guarantee you will find ideas galore.

Centerpiece Wednesday (The Style Sisters)

Tabletop Thursday (Between Naps on the Porch)

Feathered Nest Friday (French Country Cottage)

Home Sweet Home Friday  (The Charm of Home)

Potpourri Friday (2805)

Seasonal Sundays (The Tablescaper)

Let's Dish (Cuisine Kathleen)

Open House Party (No Minimalist Here)

Please feel free to take another look...

One year ago:  Indian Summer

Everyday Dishes

I really find this rather hard to believe...but after all of the tables I have set, I have never shown you my everyday dishes!  Well I would say that it is about time!

I purchased a complete set around 15 years ago, and sad to say, the manufacturer, Lindt-Stymeist is no longer in operation.  The pattern is called Craft Works (Green Tea)...

...just really pretty, rich shiny green stoneware with tiny brown freckles all over.  Apparently I'm not the only one fond of these dishes, since every time one gets broken (sigh) my kids act as if they have lost a family member.

Here I have layered the plates with my dark brown woven chargers which sit atop deep wine colored grass mats.

I've tucked my flatware into eggplant napkins, all held together with bamboo napkin rings.  Today I have chosen a tablecloth that I distinctly remember from my childhood.

It has a name Luther Travis printed on one of the corners, and when I did a Google search, I gathered that  Luther Travis was a common linen producer from the 1950's, and it is quite easy to find this exact cloth, and other similar to it, for sale on many websites.

So...lots of you probably remember this cloth from your early days!  The grapes on the cloth inspired me to continue with a "wine and dine" theme.

This larger-than-life wine glass is a special treasure that I found at my dear Aunt Tess' house.  Perhaps too big for drinking, put perfect as a centerpiece filled with grapes.

I'm allowed to have two centerpieces, aren't I?  These old wine corks make a great filler for my vase of...

...psychedelic pink roses.   While I love to drink wine from these cute little etched purple tumblers (vintage Pottery Barn),

I find they also make ideal holders for some tea lights.  Besides, I'll be enjoying my wine tonight from these...

...oversized globe goblets (Crate & Barrel, at least 2o years old).  Now, I bet you are saying to yourself..."I don't think she really sets the table like this on an everyday basis."  Sadly, that is true.  With the hectic schedules of two teenagers, dinner more often than not is a feeding frenzy rather than a relaxing gourmet meal.  Sorry to say that the typical placesetting on any given day resembles not this...

but rather this...

Yup, and no wine in those plastic tumblers either.  I think I would prefer to leave you with something just a little nicer to look at...

...like this everyday dinner table of my dreams!  I am quite sure that the following blog parties will be full of fabulous autumn entertaining ideas, so please join me.

Centerpiece Wednesday (The Style Sisters)

Tabletop Thursday (Between Naps on the Porch)

Feathered Nest Friday (French Country Cottage)

Home Sweet Home Friday  (The Charm of Home)

Potpourri Friday (2805)

Seasonal Sundays (The Tablescaper)

Let's Dish (Cuisine Kathleen)

Open House Party (No Minimalist Here)

Fall in Love with Fair Trade

I had so much fun with Tabletop Stories first anniversary, but now it's time for some fresh new tablescapes. It has been quite a while since I featured merchandise from Ten Thousand Villages...and the store is just packed with wonderful items right now in preparation for the busy holiday season.  So let's begin with this lovely Paisley Botanical block-printed tablecloth from India.

Rusts and deep tans and shades of grey, all on a cream background, give me so many colors to work with.

Of course, there are napkins to match.  I love to use my glossy grey dinner plates whenever I get a chance.

I've layered them with my own dark brown chargers sitting atop natural jute placemats....

...neutral but very warm.  I have added these cute little black patterned salad/appetizer plates.

My rustic Southbeach glassware gives the table a nice casual feel.

There are hundreds of decorative accessories at Ten Thousand Villages, including these Pillar onyx votive holders from Pakistan.

Available in several heights, each candle holder is unique...with colors ranging from beige to rust to deep brown.  I chose to use this Guapinal wooden bowl as a vase by simply inserting a small drinking glass inside.

Made in Nicaragua from Brazilian Cherry, each bowl has its own unique natural border.  When not being used as a vase, this little bowl could hold your keys, or nuts, or M&Ms...yes I think it would make a perfect M&M dish!  And what's a party without party favors.

My guests will be going home with these darling river stones, carved and polished by artisans in Haiti into smooth hearts.  If you are ever in my neck of the woods, I encourage you to visit the Ten Thousand Villages store in Glen Ellyn.  Of course, all of the merchandise that I featured, along with so much more, is always available at tenthousandvillages.com.  I have lots of parties to visit this week.  I hope you'll join me!

Centerpiece Wednesday (The Style Sisters)

Tabletop Thursday (Between Naps on the Porch)

Feathered Nest Friday (French Country Cottage)

Home Sweet Home Friday  (The Charm of Home)

Potpourri Friday (2805)

Seasonal Sundays (The Tablescaper)

Let's Dish (Cuisine Kathleen)

Open House Party (No Minimalist Here)

A Beige Beauty

A Beige Beauty?  Beige?  Not exactly my favorite color...so beige and beautiful are not words I would necessarily put together, but are nonetheless the inspiration for this week's tablescape.  So, you ask you ask yourself, "If you don't like beige, then why did you buy this tablecloth?"  Well, the answer is quite simple. It was on sale.  Really on sale.  I found it at William Sonoma years ago, still hanging out on the sale table while everything else had found a home.  Can't say I really liked it...but surely I could use this cloth, right? Next question..."Why have you chosen to feature this cloth you don't really care for?" Again, quite simple.

We would be a party of eight for dinner...therefore I needed the leaf in my table...and I don't have many long cloths...and I'm always up for a challenge.  So there you have it.  This tablescape started, of course with the cloth.

Without a lot of colors to work with, I still needed to add interest.

Certainly, my dark brown woven chargers would work well with my...

....favorite plain white plates.  And yes, some brown linen napkins add some richness.

Just then I remembered a hidden treasure tucked away and just perfect for this table.

I found these truly gorgeous Lenox brown water and wine goblets at a second hand store!  I remember that day well...I felt like I had won the lottery.  Things were now looking up for this table.  As much as fresh flowers are a nice gesture, so is that special little table decoration that is the perfect find...

...like these adorable corn husk flowers that I found at Serenade, a lovely home decor and gift shop right here in Wheaton.  They were definitely the final touch this table needed.  I simply tucked them around my very versatile candle centerpiece,

(Crate...a few years back).  What do I think of my beige table now?  Well, I am rather pleased.  Instead of bland, I do feel my table felt warm and inviting.

Please join me each and every week at the following parties.  And please, please remember to visit me next week for a very special posting...the one year anniversary of Tabletop Stories!

Centerpiece Wednesday (The Style Sisters)

Tabletop Thursday (Between Naps on the Porch)

Feathered Nest Friday (French Country Cottage)

Home Sweet Home Friday  (The Charm of Home)

Potpourri Friday (2805)

Seasonal Sundays (The Tablescaper)

Let's Dish (Cuisine Kathleen)

Open House Party (No Minimalist Here)