Little Bit Country

Living in the country is appealing when you imagine the beautiful land, the abundant crops of vegetables and flowers, the docile animals, and the simple, peaceful setting that only a rural life can bring.  But wait, I've never lived in the country.  My green thumb has always been blue, and I break out in hives at the thought of living without neighbors.  Even though I was raised in a small town, it's always been in a neighborhood, and within minutes of a grocery store.  That being said, I still like the idea of it, and I admire all the great people who live and work in the great outdoors.  The closest my family came to country was listening to country music.

My father loved country music, and because he was not in tune with my generation, I was totally turned off by his choices. Now, I find myself listening to the updated tunes of country rock, and singing along with great gusto.  My favorite country singer is Carrie Underwood, and I have been singing the catchy tune called "Cowboy Casanova" in the shower quite often in the past week.  The great thing about country songs is that they all have some great moral or story to tell, and this one is all about being careful about smooth talking guys in clubs.  As I've often told my daughter, watch what they do, don't listen to what they say!

Anyway, red bandana plates were the inspiration this week. 

I decided to use a rustic picnic table, (sorta country?) and topped a white tablecloth with a red bandana.

I came across these boot beer mugs in Goodwill and thought they went well with the country/western theme.

The red bandana plates and matching glasses were purchased at Tuesday Morning many years ago.  I knew I had saved them for some reason!

After I remove the bandana napkin and bowl, you can get a better view of the bandana plate.

I love these white plates by Ralph Lauren, which I found on sale at TJ Maxx this past week.

The red and white bowls are from the Martha Stewart collection at Macy's.  I used solid red plates, and then white platters for chargers, which I also found on sale this past week at TJ Maxx. 

For the centerpiece, I used a leather-look vase, purchased at Greenfront Furniture, a fun boot--which I found at Home Goods, and a Fitz and Floyd western scene, complete with wagon wheel, hat, boots, lantern, and rope (also purchased at TJ Maxx).

Napkin rings and flatware came from Bed, Bath, and Beyond.

Last look~

For those who read last week's blog, just a quick update:  my son's team lost their first football game, but when all was said and done, he played hard and he played well.  My daughter's college football team beat VA Tech--which was a huge upset!  Go JMU!

Thanks for visiting, please leave a comment, as I strive for a Perfect Setting!!