Geranium Mania

I have been waiting to set this table for some time now...

...I just needed a few things to fall into place.  You see, I found this gorgeous fabric, Pink Geraniums from the Variegated Garden Collection by Martha Negley, some time ago.

In fact, this was my first set of hand made napkins.  The napkins were ready...but the rest of the tablescape still needed to be figured out.  Always on the lookout for all things "tabletop" I stumbled upon these...

...kiwi green square grass mats, neatly trimmed in magenta, at World Market.  What could possibly be more perfect?  Hmmm...

...square plates sure would look cute set upon these placemats.  Well, that was no problem.  The Crate & Barrel Outlet near me regularly stocks these basic plates.  I simply folded my napkins into square pockets to hold the flatware...

...and I layered, square upon square upon square!  I knew that my Lyla green wine glasses, also from the Crate,

would add even more color to the table.  I must admit, I borrowed this cute drinking glass idea...

...straight from Pinterest.  Luckily, one of my potted geraniums had just bloomed, so I popped a few flowers into a simple little white vase.

Don't you just love that the brightest colors imaginable come not from a nailpolish bottle or a lipstick tube...

...but from Mother Nature?  I'm so glad I patiently waited until I found just the right items to compliment my geranium napkins.

Stay tuned for another garden inspired tabletop next time!

The Happy Girl

One of my favorite places to find treasures is a local vintage shop in Glen Ellyn, Illinois called the Bountiful Barn.  The barn is actually a repurposed garage, and therefore closes each Winter.  Well...opening day for the season was a few weekends ago, and I couldn't wait to see what goodies the ladies had collected.  I was immediately drawn to these collins glasses...

...their sides painted with charming pastel florals, four different designs in all. I do love love mid-century barware...SOLD!

I was a happy girl.  But how would I incorporate them into a tablescape?  I typically am drawn to bolder colors.  A challenge was in store.

First, I pulled out this vintage pale pink and white vintage gingham tablecloth.  That will work nicely.   What could be better than these darling pastel checked dinner and salad plates from Home Goods.

I love being to mix and match the colors.

I simply layered them on top of these lacy white paper Lula placemats from Crate & Barrel. 

A simple pale yellow linen napkin will do just fine.

I haven't used these chunky champagne flutes (Crate & Barrel, circa 1990) in awhile...

...and I do like how the shapes of the two glasses mirror each other.  Tiny daffodils are tucked into little white ceramic vases.

But what will I use for a centerpiece?  Certainly I must something pastel-y.  And then I remembered HER!!

She's been tucked away for years...maybe just waiting for this occasion.  Made by Bjorn Wiinblad for Rosenthal in the 1970's (I do believe), this little girl is sweet in every way...

...from her funny turned up nose to her silly smile.  My Aunt Tess must truly have loved this artist, because her collection contained quite a few of his pieces.

I tucked some cheery pink berries into her pointy hat.  What a happy girl she is.

My pastel tablescape is complete.   I think I'll invite some girlfriends over.  We'll have watercress salad...and finger sandwiches...and petit fours...and pink lemonade...and proseco and we will be happy girls!

Pink-A-Boo

Although we have had a relatively mild winter, I nonetheless am ready for Spring to arrive...as you can see from this week's tablescape.  The inspiration for this tablesetting began with the fabric that I used to make these napkins.

I just had to have it.  The pattern is Garden Party by Jane Dixon for Andover Fabrics.  A companion fabric in the collection will be featured in an upcoming posting.  I really do love grey...love it with yellow, love it with red and especially love it with pink!

So when I saw these light grey palm grass mats at Crate & Barrel, I knew I had to have them and would use them often.  I really wanted this table to focus on the napkins, so I kept everything else simple.  I began with a vintage pink and white checked linen tablecloth.

Next, I layered my plain white plates on  silver chargers on the grey placemats.  I wanted to be able to really see the pattern on the fabric, so I fanned out the napkins as much as possible...

securing the center with these cute square mother-of-pearl napkin rings from Ten Thousand Villages.

For glassware, I chose my perennial favorite Romantika goblets (vintage Crate) and paired them with these...

lovely mint green champagne flutes (vintage Horchow). Of course every table needs a little candlelight,

this time provided by chunky square glass votives.  I suspected that Trader Joe's would have some gorgeous flowers, and much to my delight, I found this mixture...

that matched my table just perfectly.  I tucked the flowers down low into a really charming little white porcelain vase (Rosenthal) that had belonged to my Aunt Tess.  Hope you've enjoyed this repast from Winter.

I must have a touch of Spring Fever, though...because I just thought a saw some dragonflies fly by. So...stay tuned.

It's All About Crystal!

A few months back, my niece asked me if I'd help her throw a bridal shower for her friend,  Crystal.  Well...I just jumped all over that!  I love planning showers!  I love parties with a theme.  So I thought about the bride, a very caring and thoughtful young lady...someone who rarely thinks of herself first.  I had my theme.  She deserved a day that was all about her...All About Crystal!

I knew that I had plenty of  cut glass items to use as serving pieces , and a friend offered up her extensive collection.  This will be a breeze.  My color inspiration came from the bridesmaid's dresses (pink) and also the paper that I chose for the invitations.  I draped my tables in simple white linen clothes topped with some sparkly organza fabric for a bit of glamour.

I chose to use my favorite white dishes, accenting them with magenta napkins.  My shiny Romantika (Crate & Barrel, early 90's) water goblets and wine glasses added a touch of color.

For the centerpiece, a used these shiny gold and magenta branches (from the holiday collection this past season at Target) tucked into a simple white vase.

I wrapped the gorgeous paper from the invitations (Paper Source) around small clear glass votives.  Cute, and so simple.

Oh the fun I had sourcing the party favors for the guests.  I explored the many antique stores in my area... 

...and found a unique little piece of crystal for each lady to take home.

One was lovelier than the next.

Wishing Crystal a lifetime of happiness.  She deserves it.

Champagne and Curling Ribbon

The holidays...so much to get done...not always enough time for fun.  The answer? Multitask!  One of my favorite events that I have been hosting is an annual Gift Wrapping Party. Here's how. Invite a few girlfriends over.

Ask them to bring their presents, some fabulous paper and ribbon, tags, etc.

Open a bottle of champagne and get creative.  Don't forget to break for lunch.  Oh, and remember, you're really really busy...so this time it's perfectly fine to pick up something fabulous at your favorite grocery store.  May I suggest chicken salad on croissants, a simple salad and a fruit tart!

I think my friends are going to love this table setting.

I could not resist this vintage inspired fabric and made myself a set of napkins

I've had this pink-on-pink checked tablecloth for years, and I think it looks just perfect. All that this pretty table needs is the good old plain white plates.

And for my holiday girlfriend lunch, I brought out my loveliest glassware...

...Romantika water goblets from Crate & Barrel (circa early 90's) and mint green champagne flutes purchased long ago from the Horchow catalog.

See..wasn't that fun?  And everyone goes home with wrapped gifts and a little holiday cheer (thank you, champagne!!)  Make sure to stop by Between Naps on the Porch to see what my fellow dish friends have come up with for the season.