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

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)

A Bright Sunshiny Day!

Spring truly has sprung, and I for one welcome the warmth and sun.   So put your flip-flops on, dig out your cutest springtime tabletop gear and set a table to match the beautiful day.  The starting point for this setting...

were these colorful wicker mats that I stumbled upon at Pier 1, on sale no less.  Red and yellow...the wheels starting turning.  I remembered the lovely butterfly print napkins I picked up at Crate & Barrel a few years ago.

I do love them with a brown linen tablecloth.  I think my Aero flatware looks fun, tucked inside the napkins and held in place with these coppery wire napkins, picked up at Pier 1 a few years back. I tried several dinner plates,

but settled upon the Hampton Green (Crate & Barrel, currently at the outlet!)  Again, after a few missteps, I selected these gorgeous pink and orange glass salad plates (vintage Crate & Barrel).  The white centers of the dinner plates and the transparency of the salad plates make for a perfect pairing.

I knew that Lela would be an ideal wineglass choice for this table.  And finally, what better flowers for this early appearance of Spring than tulips.

I was just thrilled to find these red and yellow beauties at Costco!  Even better than the price..they lasted a full week!

I simply plopped them into a bunch of square glass bud vases and lined them up down the center of the table.  No experience necessary...tulips just do their own thing.

Nestle in a few tea lights, and this table is set to go!  Next up...a few Easter tables.  Please stay in touch.

Indian Summer

Autumn...it just might be the perfect season...warm days, cool nights and lots and lots of color. Makes me want to set an equally lovely table for Fall.

I fell in love with these gorgeous dishes years ago at Bloomingdale's.  The pattern is Constellation by Joseph Abboud.  Full of texture, with earthy brown rims...

and shiny golden centers, these plates always make a grand entrance in October. They are just colorful enough to mix and match with all sorts of linens and accessories.

I particularly like layering them with these woven placemats, all set atop a rich brown linen tablecloth.  

The rustic glassware is called South Beach, also by Joseph Abboud.  

My very versatile candle centerpiece this time holds shiny gold tea lights.   

This table runner is actually a fabulous silk scarf from J. Jill!  Yes, tabletop decor is sold everywhere.  I love how the embroidered flowers pull out the colors of my patterned napkins from Crate & Barrel.

For a final touch, I've woven a garland of tiny orange and gold berries through it all.  Enjoy.  Don't forget to follow me and my fellow tablescapers each Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch.