Showing posts with label silver napkin rings. Show all posts
Showing posts with label silver napkin rings. Show all posts

Monday, November 28, 2016

Thanksgiving Dinner 2016


Thanksgiving Dinner 2016

I trust each of you enjoyed a bountiful Thanksgiving.


As one can see from the serving buffet,

"the chef" prepared an amazing meal for our 

2016 Thanksgiving Dinner.

As is tradition in our home, 

we pardoned the turkey again this year.


Beef Tenderloin was the main dish,  

accompanied with many delicious sides.

~ Smoked Quail ~ Schnitzel Beans ~ Carrots w/ Fennel ~ 

~ Grilled Sweet Potatoes ~ Wild Rice w/ Brussel Sprouts ~

~ Fresh Baked Dinner Rolls ~

For Dessert ~ Apple and Pumpkin Pies


There were seven 

of us around the table.


A Cinderella pumpkin atop 

a grapevine and bittersweet wreath

served as the centerpiece.



Bethany Lowe placecards offered a

perfect excuse to use the silver placecard holders I

found at the Paris flea market several years ago.

Each a different woodland animal, 

these pieces of the past remind me of the autumn season.



I layered the 

table with neutral linens.


Vintage English bread boards were used

as chargers for each place setting.



Antique silver napkin rings collected from French markets held

  beautiful embroidered npkins from Williams Sonoma.



Once again I chose to use the beautiful dinner plates 

that were a gift from the sweet, generous 

Cherry Kay @ Entertaining Women.

Previous tables set with this gorgeous china

can be found here and here.

Crystal ~ Denby

Flatware ~ Christophe

Steak Knives ~ Laguiole


"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into 

enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, 

confusion into clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a 

home, a stranger into a friend."             ~~ Melody Beattie



I'm grateful for each of you,

my readers.


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Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Southern Lady Autumn Inspiration





I'm a fan!
Southern Lady
Another stellar publication of Hoffman Media.
This beautiful magazine celebrates those who live in the south.
It inspires and delights and brings southern
hospitality into the lives of each reader.

Case in point!
Enchanted Evening
Southern Lady ~ October 2014 
"As the sunset paints the sky the brilliant 
shades of fall leaves, gather friends for an elegant outdoor 
meal served in dazzling surroundings."
Enchanted Evening, Southern Lady , October 2014

Enchanted Evening, Southern Lady , October 2014

And dazzle it does!
Just look at the details on this table!
In addition to the magical alfresco setting,
 everything on the table delights and enchants my senses.

Enchanted Evening, Southern Lady , October 2014

Especially this salad plate!
Do you recognize it?
It's one of my favorite patterns
~ Bird and Butterfly, by Mottahedeh ~

Lucky me!
I have a dozen dinner plates in this gorgeous pattern.
All were a gift from the sweetest, 
most generous blogging friend,
Cherry Kay @ Entertaining Women.
A heartfelt "Thank You, Cherry Kay!"
I adore these plates!

Sacred Bird and Butterfly by Mottahedeh
This design is true to the original 
antique Chinese export china used in the 
Nathaniel Russell House in Charleston, SC.

The design is in 
iron red with 22k gold rim.

Click here to read
about the details of this autumn table
that I created for a 50th birthday celebration.
While not as elaborate and awe inspiring as
the incredible table featured in Southern Lady,
my table features layers of textures and natural
elements to compliment the elegance of the china.
I hope you will take a look.


Our Thanksgiving celebration last year also
featured my treasured Sacred Bird and Butterfly plates.


With twelve guests for dinner, 
I decided to keep things simple
with two tables of six out in the sun room. 

I used natural linen table toppers over
longer brown linen cloths for the textiles.


Napkins were heirloom white linen with hand
stitched monograms by my husband's grandmother.
Each presented with a sterling antique French napkin ring.


The little bundles of hypericum berries and greens
were copied from an idea seen in Southern Living.


Simple arrangements of sunflowers and mums
in natural bark containers offered a touch of color.

Battery operated faux bark
candles gave a warm glow to the setting.


Woven chargers, enameled and silver flatware, 
and rosewood steak knives offered
additional textural elements.
As you can see, I like texture!

Thanksgiving Dinner 2013
~ Not The Traditional Fare ~

 Prime Rib Roast
Brussel Sprouts and Carrots
Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Mashed Potatoes
Dressing
Cornbread Muffins

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~

 Your can order your own copy of
Southern Lady, October 2014 here.
Believe me you will not be disappointed!
It is filled with gorgeous photography, scrumptious
recipes, and boundless inspiration.

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Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Autumn Splendor


The splendor of a perfect autumn day
delights my senses and makes this time
of year my favorite season.

Leaves in hues of gold and russet brown drifting down,
pumpkin stands, a nip in the air, bowls of hearty steaming soups ~
all provide a sense of joy and merriment after the long, 
hot days of a Texas summer.

Juliska's Harvest Traditions Series in Pumpkin
When I happened upon 
a table set with these
 charming plates, it was love at first sight.

~ Swirling Autumn Leaves ~
~ English Country Vistas ~
~Autumnal Touches ~
Each plate a different enchanting scene
in perfect shades of pumpkin.

I knew immediately that I wanted
to add these to our autumn tables.

~ Dinner for Six ~
Juliska's Country Estate Autumn Harvest 
Debut At
Hyacinths for the Soul

Antique Green Hydrangeas
 Punctuated With Perky Orange Tulips

~Woven Rattan ~
~Bordallo Cabbage Leaf ~
~Nantucket Basket ~
~ Country Estate Autumn Harvest ~
 All stacked up for a cozy autumn feel!

Add in a touch of 
whimsey for each place setting.

Set of Vintage Place Card Holders ~ France

Sterling French Napkin Rings
~ All Souvenirs From the Brocantes of France ~

French Crystal Stems

Christofle Talisman

The Juliska dessert service is sold in sets of four.
I followed The Tablescaper's rule
and bought three sets to make an even dozen.

That gave me six for salads and
six for a dessert buffet.
Of course I had to have the Harvest Hostess Tray too!

We served Apple Pie A La Mode
Apple Pie Recipe Here

Tutorials, Tips, and Tidbits @ Stone Gable
My tip for serving ice cream on a dessert buffet :
Place a pretty napkin in a glass container,
slip a carton of ice cream into the napkin,
and you instantly have a pretty ice cream server.

Menu for the Evening
Salad of Arugula, Radicchio, and Frisee 
on a bed of Belgian Endive
Preserved Lemon Risotto 
with Grilled Pernod Shrimp
Brussel Sprouts
Asparagus Spears
Dinner Rolls
Apple Pie A La Mode
~~~~~~~
About Juliska Country Estate
"Juliska's Country Estate scenic dinnerware is a true collection of art.  Each piece is first hand painted by friend and artist Deborah Sears and then meticulously translated into decals to preserve the unique look of hand painting.  The various scenes weave a charming narrative of country life through its brushstrokes and beckon the viewer to join in its story." ~ Juliska.com 

If you are as enchanted by this charming dinnerware as I am,
take a few minutes to watch the video as Capucine shares the
history of the inspiration for Juliska's Country Estate.

Video Here


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Wednesday, July 17, 2013

One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish





Dr Seuss' Poem kept rattling 
around in my head as I set this table.

A fellow Quimper collector 
was joining us for lunch this week.

It seemed appropriate to 
use some of our Quimper dishes.

I chose these fish plates that were made 
by HenRiot Quimper in mid 20th century.

With their bright floral motif 
and the blue sponged details, 
they were a perfect choice for a July luncheon.

Each plate is finely detailed.
~ Faces ~ Fins ~

~ Fish Tails ~

I used napkins with a French provencal 
pattern in blue to soften the stack of ceramics.

The same napkins in 
red were used atop the stack.

Silver napkin rings of fancy fish 
swam their way around each serviette.

Vintage Mother of Pearl flatware 
seemed to be the perfect compliment.

This beautiful red Italian
 compote was a recent thrifty find.

With its gently scalloped edges and filled with a 
feathery fern, it fit right into the theme of this table.

As did my recent silver find 
from the City Wide Garage Sale.

Tutorials, Tips, and Tidbits @ Stone Gable
The red dinner plates were also thrifty finds.  Two round and two square, so this table setting is a mix of both.  It's just the two of us most meals, so I don't shy away from picking up pairs of plates when I find pieces I can mix with other pieces.  This tablescape is definitely an example of a "collected tabletop". 


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