Finally … a tablescape I’ve been dying to do!
Back in July (where DID the past two months go?), I had the fabulously good fortune of winning a one-year-of-blogging giveaway at the beautiful tablescape blog Entertaining Women. The blog host, Cherry Kay, generously gave away a set of 12 (yes, twelve) antique Theodore Haviland pink floral luncheon plates from her vast collection. They’re my newest friends in the china pantry!
When blogging about her giveaway, she used some of the plates in a “girly” Spring tablescape. After you finish reading this post (shameless, I know), you should click on her blog link above and check it out. It’s gorgeous!
Oh, all right. Here’s a peek …
Notice how the luncheon plates have little pink and purple flowers? I decided to challenge myself to do a Fall tablescape with this very softly-colored, feminine china.
My first thought was to pull out the purple in the plate by using ornamental cabbage, grapes, eggplant, leaves, or mums.
But, surprise, surprise … It was late at night when I was playing with these dishes, and when I noticed the little butterscotch gold flowers in the pattern, all of my daytime plans were quickly forgotten.
I decided to start with a woven-look gold charger and add a Lenox Stanford dinner plate. Both give some nice texture for Fall. (Check out THIS post for other decorating elements I like to use during the Fall season.)
Then, I grabbed some Osage oranges (the green ball), hydrangea, berries, and wheat-looking things from a “fresh before I left for Brazil” arrangement that a sweet friend shared with me. A few flowers from the garden were gathered, and everything added to a favorite woven-look centerpiece bowl. (Are you noticing the “woven-look” thing I’ve got going?)
Of course, since this is a Fall tablescape, and cooler temperatures are finally on their way, I decided that a Lenox Hanover bouillon soup and saucer was perfect for the occasion.
Vintage damask napkins … with beaded gold napkin rings (more texture) and green goblets — both from Dollar Tree.
The gold flatware was purchased a few years ago on eBay.
This salt and pepper set was given to Renaissance Man’s grandparents on their 50th wedding anniversary making them true “antiques.”
Finally, I couldn’t resist adding floating candles to amethyst with gold brandy snifters … and a pair of geese. (Please don’t ruin it and tell me they’re swans. They may be … I don’t know for sure … but I love the sight of geese in the Fall, and these just had the right “feel” for what I was trying to achieve. So, at least for this tablescape, they’re geese.)
All of my chosen pieces were set atop a heavy butterscotch gold tablecloth. Then an eggplant-colored tablecloth was folded and placed like a table runner down the center.
I’ll just let you look now …
It’s easier than you might think to use a pastel floral in a Fall tablescape. You just have to deepen all of the colors …
Here’s a good close-up of those gorgeous butterscotch gold flowers …
Thank you again, Cherry Kay, for my new friends! I’m going to share them with everyone at Tablescape Thursday.
Some of you already noticed that July was my lucky month in Blogland. Besides the fantastic dishes in this tablescape, I got another package in the mail …
It was from Linda at the wonderful blog A Toile Tale. She had a giveaway to celebrate her 100th Post … and I was the winner. The gorgeous package? It contained a copy of Joe Nye’s book, Flair. Linda, I have thoroughly enjoyed it! Thanks again. Now if only I’d thought to design a beautiful invitation and place cards to use with today’s tablescape. Mr. Nye would have been so proud…
Do you have any new friends at your table? Leave a comment and tell us about them!
Thanks for stopping by! I hope you have a great rest of the week and a wonderful weekend.
Wow, sooo pretty!!!
This is such a pretty setting. I love all the different patterns you used…that centerpiece is beautiful!!!
Susan —
Thanks for the shout out and photo of the book. I’m so glad you enjoyed it. I think I have it memorized. I loved what you did this week. It was such a good lesson on using pastels all year around. The bounty of fall is so great that we have such a selection to choose from when we look for inspiration.
Linda @ A Toile Tale
Now I’m inspired! A few months ago I was lucky enough to stumble into 8 gorgeous Limoges plates at an antique shop, but I’ve been thinking that I would need to wait until spring to use them…until now! I’ve done my “traditional” fall table now, so it’s time to step things up a bit! Thanks for sharing your beautiful table and for the inspiration. (I blogged about finding eggplant color napkins…now you’ve got me on the hunt for a tablecloth or runner too!) 🙂
Wow ..what a wonderful table setting… I love it!!! have a great day, hugs ciao Flavia
Pretty, pretty, pretty! I love your delicate folowered plates.
~ ~Ahrisha~ ~
Exquisite, exquisite, exquisite…there is nothing not to like about this table!
Such a gorgeous and neat change of pace Fall tablescape. I think that you’ll inspire many of us to pull out our florals that we had tucked away until Spring. I’m thrilled that you like the Limoge plates and that they’ve found such a good new home. I hope that they bless your table for many years. Cherry Kay
Oh, Susan! This is just gorgeous! Love this so much, and I’m so happy you won that drawing. Isn’t she the sweetest one? You really did these dishes justice with this tablescape. Great job!
XO,
Sheila 🙂
Susan, You’ve inspired me to drag out my aunt’s china and re-think it. It’s a pastel pattern, too and I’ve actually never used it. Your table is gorgeous, but I must admit the thing that’s calling me is your centerpiece with the Osage oranges. They remind me of my childhood and visiting my grandparents farm in TN. I never see them fresh here in GA, so guess they don’t grow this far south.
Anyway, beautiful tablescape and I’m off to see what placemats, etc. I can use with my china.
Thanks again for the inspiration and have a great weekend.
So royal, Susan. I love how it turned out. The gold on the eggplant is gorgeous.
Congratulations on your win. That book, Flair, sounds wonderful too. Who could resist a title like that?
Enjoy your weekend, friend.
Much love,
Marcia
Of COURSE those are GEESE!!! They’ve just spente thousands of dollars having a fabulous neck job done in Beverly Hills! 🙂 I think I may do likewise so that I can look so graceful and at peace with myself! 🙂 You are too funny, Susan! This to me is what tablescaping is all about: reaching deep down and doing the unexpected. While the pinks and purples are beautiful and will make fabulous future tablescapes, you chose to take the road less traveled and concentrate on the tertiary color. It worked out beautifully! By adding the eggplant runner, you rounded third and slid into home! (Why am I using a baseball metaphor?) The boullion soup & saucer are magnificent! Out of all the hundreds of thousands (or so it seems sometimes!) that I have, I don’t own a single boullion cup! I will have to put that on my Christmas wish list. I’m glad you love Joe Nye’s book as much as I do!!! He totally captured my heart with his style! I think what got me to really like him was when I saw how he was on the floor of the store mapping out a place setting. I do that same thing!!!! Sometimes I’ll just move the crap they have on an existing table in the store to do my own thing! I know that’s wrong, but if it didn’t look good to begin with, I don’t really feel so bad! 🙂 Enjoy the rest of your weekend, sweet one!
Just have to tell you how much I enjoyed your pastel Autumn tablescape!! I use pastel colors in my house and often get frustrated when trying to decorate true to myself when Autumn and Halloween, and Thanksgiving come around. You have shown me how you can still use the pastel colors, like in your china, during these seasonal holidays and have a lovely table. I loved all of your ideas!! The flowers really tied in the season, and the use of the eggplant colored table runner did, too. Of course, I knew those were GEESE the moment I saw them, and they carry out the theme so well!! All in all, an elegnant and festive-looking table that I have added to MY FAVORITES to refer back to when that time comes again…
Thank you for sharing your lovely table and your ideas with us….I am now a new follower!!
Have a good week….Francy (Yasmin)