Garden Tea Party

Tablescape ThursdayWith summer's end nearing I decided it was time for a garden party...most of my flowers are still blooming nicely and the temperatures are perfect- It's time!

(I also just realized that today is my 2 year anniversary with blogging! I've come a long way since then!)

Please join me

I set up my table on our patio...

A feminine summery table was my goal...

  Let's look at the details....

The tablecloth is by Vera (not Vera Wang)

I fell in love with the colors and the artistically designed flowers ....doesn't this just say summer!

 The flowers are a combination of my Limelight hydrangeas, some very large dahlias and sunflowers that my daughter brought home from the farmers market...

The candlesticks I chose are are cut glass

with a pair of candles I bought at Yellowstone

National Park in 1979...Yep 1979...I didn't really

need candles but I like the flair it gives a table!

We went out there on a delayed honeymoon and I couldn't afford much but I was intrigued with these dried flowers encased on the wax candles and have kept them ever since... I slipped a napkin ring holder around the base to jazz them up...

I used my green stemware to add to the profusion of color I wanted to on this table.

  My goose statues made an appearance too!   

The salad bowls helped punch up the color

a bit more  and I dressed up the napkins with two napkin rings like a pair of bracelets!

 I folded the napkins to showcase the pearl like beads...

I layered some my favorite pink German dessert glass plates on top of the floral china pattern.  I used my gold flatware to pick up on the gold edge of the china

Plain white dinner plates with a softly scalloped edge were my first layer...

These Spode salad plates help carry the summery look with their bouquets of flowers

 I softened their look with these pink glass dessert plates I've had for a long time.  

I waited for the late afternoon sun to 

cast it's glow....

It's 4 o'clock and the bell has rung...let's begin!

I glad you could join me for my garden tea party 

and I hope we can do it again!

Things I used:

Spode Meadowbrook China

German etched glass dessert plates (from a catalog purchase in the late 90's)

Salad bowls are by Maxcera , Group Floral

The plain white dishes say Palm Restaurant on the back, Home Goods purchase

Green Swirl Goblets glasses were called Roma, purchased from One Kings Lane

Gold flatware by Wallace called Euro Beads, purchased from Neiman Marcus

White napkins from Pier One Imports

Tablecloth from Macy's

I'm joining Cuisine Kathleen for- Let's Dish

*****

Between Naps on the Porch for

Tablescape Thursday

*****

Have a Cup of Mrs. Olson

Share Your Cup Thursday 

Felize Navidad and Poinsettias

Felize Navidad
which means

Happy Christmas
or as we say 
Merry Christmas!

Since the Poinsettia was the focal point of my tablescape I got to wondering how the Poinsettia became attached to the Christmas holiday.  This is what I learned-

"The holiday's connection to the poinsettia originated with a Mexican legend. With nothing to give to the Christ Child, a youngster picked a bouquet of weeds as an offering. As the gift was presented, the weeds transformed into brilliant red blooms. Since then, the plant is known in Mexico as Flores de Noche Buena (Flowers of the Holy Night), or just nochebuena for short. The poinsettia's red "flowers" aren't actual flowers. They're bracts (modified leaves), and the little yellow centers are the flowers."

I'm featuring my poinsettias both in a 

live plant and in my dishes.

While I was preparing this table my radio was playing 

"I'll Be Home For Christmas"

which I thought was

 quite poignant since I will be

 doing just that

(heading to my Mom's) 

and I was feeling sentimental about wishing my kids were going to be home for Christmas.

I've added music to the blog with the song today so you can 
listen and share my feelings as I was preparing this table. 

(just click the large button to pause if you don't want to listen or mute your own sound)

This Santa boots are for candles but they ended up being salt and pepper shaker holders!  After I stared at them a while I realized the shape of the S & P Shakers

remind me of an old fashioned Christmas bulb!

 These poinsettia plates had to be a

part of this table setting. 

I wrapped the napkin and fork with a piece of wired ribbon- a little flair but easy to remove too!

I loved the sparkles on these napkins and had to have them!

 I love sparkly things and red! (Can you tell?)

Chirp wanted to be included too! 

I added a few ornaments to the basket to jazz it up a bit!

 We do have some snow out there, 

not much, but enough to make it feel like Christmas.

I loved those red spiral glasses the minute 

I saw them- I got the wine glasses too!

Thank-you for joining me. 

I hope your tables will be full of food 
and lots of love to go around- Cheers!

Wishing you all a very

Merry Christmas!

Sentimentally yours,

Liz

Featured items on the table:

Poinsettia dishes by Maxcera called  Honey Poinsettia (Home Goods)

Striped dishes from Pier 1 Imports

Red striped glasses from Younkers (Bon Ton )

Red coffee cups are from Dillards by Noble Excellence, called Candy Apple Red

Flatware from Neiman Marcus or Horchow called Sophia

Napkins from Pier 1 Imports

White Boots from Pier 1 Imports

Glitter candle holders from a gift shop

Red and white votive candles from Pier 1 Imports- Called Peppermint Creme