Eggplant and Sunflowers

Eggplant and sunflowers?  Maybe a combination you haven't thought about before.  As the summer draws to a close, this table ties together the rich colors of the end-of-season flowers (sunflowers) and introduces the deeper tones (eggplant) of the impending autumn.  Just watch how nicely it all works.  I'm embarrassed to say that occasionally I forget some little hidden gem that I have squirreled away.  This time, my buried treasure were these fabulous...

...eggplant table linens.  Oh, I remember purchasing them many, many years ago from Pottery Barn...so long ago you might even call them Vintage PB.    The navy blue border is decorated with playful artichokes (one of my favorite vegetables)...

while the centers feature big, bright purple eggplants (a vegetable that I more recently have come to love)...against a deep golden background.

The napkins...match..and look so perfect against my green plates.

When I chose these placemats, I know I was thinking about my favorite Arabia Blue dinner plates.  These plates are very large,

so today I have chosen to use them as chargers, topping them with these Le Creuset fennel ceramic plates, a fabulous find from Sur la Table, and at their sidewalk sale no less!  These recycled green glass goblets and water glasses once again make an appearance at my table.

So versatile, they are a tablesetters go-to glassware.  Welcoming guests to my dinner table are these lovely pineapple candlestick holders.

I have had them for decades and they are always displayed somewhere in my home. 

Often times, flowers are the "wild card" of my tablescapes.  You just never know what is going to be fresh and beautiful at the market.

I think you will agree that these sunflowers were a perfect choice....nature's color palette at its finest!  End of Summer?...Beginning of Autumn? Call it what you will, these vibrant colors work together in any season.

I can't wait to see what my fellow dish lovers are up to this week, so please stop by 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)

Black and Blue

As you recall, earlier in the summer,  I set my patio table with Anders' old threadbare quilt as my inspiration.  And because the mother of twins never plays favorites, Sofie's quilt was featured last week.     Both were fun and festive...but you know what?  My black and blue patio table is quite spectacular on its own!  This week, there are no cover-ups...just a simple table for some al fresco dining.  Several summers ago, I fell in love with this tile table from Crate & Barrel.

Paired with black wicker chairs and a blue umbrella, the patio becomes an outdoor "dining room" and a nice change of pace from dinners in the kitchen.  This table hardly needs a cloth with rich blue tiles like these.

I selected some simple black placemats, and topped them with my Hampton Green dinner plates.  As you can imagine, I snapped up these cute cobalt and black salad plates the minute I spotted them (Home Goods).

I added a playful  touch with these darling napkins...blue and black, but plenty of other colors too.

Twinkling tea lights in multicolored glass votives will help set the mood.  

A nice cool drink will be enjoyed by all from these cobalt and green footed goblets (an old Crate & Barrel find).  Speaking of that cool drink, excuse me while I grab a nice bottle of wine!  Thanks for dropping by my patio...

 Please join me this week 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)

Patio Weather

Every year this happens.  One day it's summer.  The next, it's that "just not quite summer" weather.  The mornings are cooler, the air feels different, the crickets are a little bit louder.  So it's time to say goodbye to this dreadfully hot summer, but before the cooler weather is here to stay, let's welcome some glorious patio weather.  At the beginning of the summer, I set the table with Anders' big comfy quilt.  This week, it's Sofie's old quilt, equally worn and just as soft...so simple to drape on the table.

With just about every color imaginable found in this quilt, finding accessories was a piece of cake.  

These pretty little pink and yellow rose salad plates sit atop my Hampton Green (Crate & Barrel) dinner plates,

which sit atop my favorite white lacy  placemats which sit atop these natural hemp placemats.  Every layer make the setting just a bit more interesting.

I tied up some flatware in a simple pale blue napkins.  Raffia does work wonders!  What could be more perfect than my Romantika (vintage Crate) goblets and water glasses...

...with their charming pink and blue stems and feet.  As evening settles in, this chunky pillar candle set inside this...

...recycled green glass hurricane (Crate, years ago) will provide some mood lighting.  While I love fresh flowers on the table, sometimes it's fun to switch things up a bit.

This darling garland of multicolored paper flowers (Ten Thousand Villages) adds a playful touch.  

It's always a bit difficult to watch another Summer come to a close...but thank goodness for "patio weather" to ease us into Fall.  Please stop by all of the following parties this week...there's so much to see!

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 Riot of Color

Well, my four part Placemat Fun series was indeed fun, but I for one, am ready to move on to something new.  As the brutal hot and dry summer goes on and on, there is not much color in my garden...but the same is not true for today's tablescape.  To start things off, let's play a little game.

Take a good look at my table runner and ask yourself, "Where have I seen this before?"  Did you figure it out?  Lately, I have been intrigued by the reusable tote bags sold at places like Home Goods, TJ Maxx and so many others.  Hmmm...let's buy a few of these, cut them up and make something new...like a table runner!  I think it's rather cute.  And if you have been following my blog, you have probably figured out that this little project has a flip side (so please stay tuned)!

With the runner as my inspiration, I had plenty of colors to work with.  Oh, what color placemat shall I choose.  In the end, I selected these eggplant colored grass mats from Crate & Barrel.

I recent fun find from World Market are these cheery yellow chargers with a cutout detail as a special touch.

My plain white plates are a great backdrop for these fun multicolored zig zag plates from the Crate.

I dressed up these eggplant napkins with colorful beaded napkin rings (Kohls, last summer).

I found these darling little woven grass drinking glass cozies at one of my favorite local antique markets. And their blue and green and yellow and pink stripes add even more color to my table.

Speaking of color, this ceramic pitcher covered in fruit, has them all!

I may not have many flowers in my garden...but luckily...Whole Foods had gorgeous ones!  Pale pink, vibrant purple, yellow, and bright white...all fresh and beautiful.

So, if your lawn is dry and brown and your flowers droopy, just set a bright and color packed table and enjoy summer...inside!  As always I will be visiting...

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)

See you there.

Placemat Fun: The Finale

I hope you haven't grown too tired of my Placemat Fun experiment, because alas we have come to the final installment.  Just one version left to conquer...the camouflage placemats.  Remember, originally I presented these mats fashioned into a runner.  Today...they're mats.

So many colors to work with!  I started this tablescape with this chartreuse runner...

(actually a darling scarf from Target trimmed with the tiniest pompoms).

My orange paisley salad plates sit atop plain white plates...

...which sit atop simple silver chargers....

...all atop the wavy colorful placemats.  I wrapped these deep red-orange linen napkins from Sur La Table around my plates.  They are just the perfect color.

This mid century smoky gray bowl became a vase today for some vibrant alstroemeria.  I'm so glad I uncovered it from my stash recently.

I like the way the greenish hue of these recycled wine goblets picks up the sea foam color in the placemat.

I've used these little tumblers before as wine glasses, but today they are votives.  I simply tucked some tea lights into a few coffee beans.  Looks cute - smells great!  Well I have mixed and matched until I can mix and match no more.

Do you have a favorite tablescape?  I'd love to hear your thoughts.  As always I will be visiting my fellow dish aficionados at:

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)

Hope to see you there.

Even More Placemat Fun

Welcome back to the next installment of Placemat Fun.  Remember my bold flowered runner from a few weeks back.  As you recall, I made this runner out of three reversible placemats.  This week, the placemats will shine on their own...as placamats!  I began layering away.

This tablescape begins with a Chilwich "salt and pepper" runner...such a versatile pieces that is easy to dress UP or dress down.

I opted for white plates, just to let the vibrant flowered mats be the star of the show, but I switched things up and chose square plates this time.

These vivid tomato red napkins from Sur La Table certainly stand out against the white background.

I've dressed them up further with some bold black and silver square napkin rings.

Once again, I've broken the rules and lined up my Aero flatware just a bit differently.

There is nothing timid about this table, including these hefty bowl shaped wine goblets.  Remember those orange napkin rings from the first table table setting?

Today, they have a new job as votive holders!  I was lucky to find these chartreuse green Fuji mums.

They are just the ideal color!  Three Placemat Fun tablescapes down...one to go.

Do you have a favorite?  I'd love to know.  Next week, I wrap this project up.  Crossing my fingers for some cooler weather...dying to set a few more outdoor tables before the summer is over.  This week I will be participating in:

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)

Hope to see you there.