A Polka Dot Setting

A cheerful, polka-dot table is in order for the day!  I am behind, and I almost didn't post this, as I really didn't have much time to work out all the details, but I love these cute little polka-dot dishes.  And the best part is I got them at a Goodwill store!  I've had them for quite a while, and it's been hard to find exactly the right things to go with them.  So I decided to just go for it, use what I could find at home, and hope for the best!  Here goes!!

This bright, cheery tablecloth is actually a duvet cover that my daughter used in her college apartment.  The runner is cut from leftover fabric that we used to cover a chair.

The neat thing about these dishes is that they are all different colors.

I used different color napkins just for fun.

Polka dots on the glasses and stems...

on the ribbon...

and even in the bowl.

The centerpiece vase is sitting on top of a milk glass bowl and is filled with white hydrangeas from the yard.  Smaller milk glass vases are on each side, with one white flower.

A round candle floats in a brandy stem and is tied with polka dot ribbon.

Time to say goodnight!  After all this tablescaping, we are a bit tired.  Thanks for stopping by, I appreciate your kind comments!!

Polka dot glasses--Dillard's Department Store

Centerpiece vase--consignment

Milk glass bowls and vases--vintage, inherited

Polka-dot plates--Rosanna, purchased at Goodwill

Wine goblets--Waterford Marquis

A Modern, Vintage Setting

The lazy, hazy days of summer are here.  My energy level has plummeted, and I just want to stay inside and do absolutely, positively nothing.   That being said, I did manage to set a table outside for dinner before the triple digits hit.  My inspiration this week came from a magazine everyone's probably seen.  In it, they displayed a beautiful table in an outdoor setting with a wonderful color of green.  Black accents gave the table drama.  This is my version of that table.  This is the non-professional, use what you have kind of  table, and considering my current energy level, I have to say that I'm happy just to have something to post!!  The idea was to make it modern, with a vintage flair.  Ok, here goes!!

Using one of my round tables outdoors, I used a white cloth, some netting and a black vase for the centerpiece.

The flowers consisted of hydrangeas from my yard and a bouquet I bought from Kroger for added color.

Plates and matching bowls were purchased at TJ Maxx.  The black salad plates are Pier 1, but I got them at the thrift store!

I took this pic upside down to show you the monogram on the flatware.  It's a C, I believe, and the silverplate is Alvin.  I was told it was made around 1925.  I intend to give it to my daughter, as her name begins with the letter C.

The napkin rings are also vintage, they are pewter.  After a good cleaning, I saw an engraving of  'Baker'.  I'm assuming this was a monogram?  Or manufacturer?  I have no idea, I just thought they were pretty cool.  I have some others with different designs, several different floral designs and a few with a design of a night scene--stars and moon.  Candleholders are vintage and I believe are the candlewick pattern.  I purchased them at a thrift store.

I used double napkins, a celadon green and black linen.

Black stems are Martha Stewart, I think, and were purchased at Macy's.

The salt cellars are vintage, and the place card plates are the kind you can write on and then wipe off.  The names on the plates are the names of my mother and her three sisters--Elizabeth (my mom),  Adeline (she was called Joyce), Gloria, and Corinne (she was called Lucy or Sissy).

Here are a few more shots...

And with candlelight...

Thanks so much for visiting with me, hope you enjoyed yourself.  Stay cool, and please know that I so appreciate your kind comments!!

A Silver Sea Setting

According to the news, most of the country is experiencing a heat wave.  Now, I'm not complaining about the heat, I prefer summer to winter any day.  But it can get downright uncomfortable out there, so today we are inside with cool silvers and blues. 

The mirrored chargers remind me of the glassy waters of the ocean.  The runner is a Pottery Barn purchase.  The cool blue color work well with the napkins I purchased a while back at the beach.

The plates were purchased at the beach Home Goods store, and have a faint tint of blue. 

The shell placecard holders were purchased at the local antique mall.

The centerpiece is a silver coral candleholder, with silver pillars tied with ribbon and pearls.  Silver shells are scattered on the "sea" runner.

The silver bottles are another Home Goods purchase, and have different shell toppers.

I used my silver goblets, which were my mom's and a crystal iced beverage with a silver rim.  You can also see the silver goblets used here.

Another silver shell candleholder with a silver pillar, silver shell napkin rings...

and lots of silver shells along with silver mercury glass votives.

Another view

As night approaches,

and the sun goes down,

a quiet calm settles on the ocean~

Nocturnal beauty, with only a faint breeze to stir the waters,

the moon, quietly rising in an inky black sky

highlights the crest of each tranquil wave.

As we sit down, we give thanks for the beauty and serenity of nature

and all the treasures of the sea.

Thanks for visiting with me, hope you'll come back soon!!  I appreciate your kind comments.