Thank you to everyone who has told me you’ll be making Valentines for the girls at Hope Unlimited for Children. (Some of you have already started!) Others of you plan to gather friends and make it an “event.” Bless you!
Don’t know about the Valentine Project? Check it out HERE.
One of you wrote with a request: Would you kindly let your fellow bloggers know that the coming ‘heart day’ is ST. Valentine’s Day; not just Valentine’s Day … no one would say Happy Patrick’s Day when it is well known as ST. PATRICK’S DAY.
She is absolutely correct that Valentine was a saint like Patrick … and absolutely correct that most of us (myself included) tend to shorten the name of “heart day” to Valentines Day. But, guess what? It’s actually possible for BOTH to be correct. (I can’t believe I’m actually doing this.) This is where the English lesson comes in. If, when we speak of “heart day” we are referring to the person Valentine, then St. Valentine’s Day it is. However, because St. Valentine is connected with those wonderful cards we all know and love called Valentines, it’s also correct (IF referring to the cards rather than the person) to say Valentines Day. (Notice that in one case there’s an apostrophe in the word Valentines … and in the other there’s not.) I suppose if St. Patrick had become associated with shamrock-shaped cards, we’d be sending Patricks instead of heart-shaped Valentines.
Nevertheless … I personally tend to split my focus between the person and the cards as evidenced by last year’s tablescape:
A Nod to St. Valentine
A Nod to St. Valentine
And today, I’m dancing with St. Valentine. I was inspired by the “feel” and colors of this antique Bavarian handpainted bowl.
I pulled similar colors from these Karolina of Poland china plates.
Anyone familiar with this maker?
Then I found a little softness in the palest pink linen tablecloth overlayed with embroidered tulle … and a few (sadly faux not fresh) rose petals scattered about.
I then shopped the house for a softly-colored centerpiece and found the perfect vase … still holding peacock feathers from where I plopped them after my Breakfast At Tiffany’s tablescape (last August). I surprised myself and left the peacock feathers … and I love them because I always think of feathers as elegant and romantic … and after all, I was aiming for a softly romantic tablescape.
And now we aren’t just dancing … we’re shadow dancing! I just love the way the peacock feathers cast their wispy, ethereal shadows over the table.
It only seemed appropriate to add two love birds …
And an antique necklace of soft pink beads …
Shadow dancing …
The more layers … the more shadows.
I’m afraid Cupid is a little busy at this time of year, but he was kind enough to introduce me to some of his musician friends. Now we have music for our dancing …
Can you believe he gave me instructions to meet them at a thrift store? I was more than happy to do that, and they’ve played lovely music in my home ever since.
Since I only wanted to use the single plates (rather than layering and covering them up), I decided to layer the chargers. That little trick provides more texture … and more shadows!
Another little trick I used this week is using very straight-sided elements to balance the curvy/scalloped ones. These simple goblets …
… allow the sweetly scalloped edges to get all the attention.
What do you think?
Shall we dance?
I’ll be joining Karin and Madeline at The Style Sisters for Centerpiece Wednesday (Welcome back, ladies!), Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday, and Beverly at How Sweet the Sound for Pink Saturday. I hope you will, too!
I’ve also been busy working on my Sally List.
How’s your Sally List coming?
* * * * *
The Tablescape Backstory …
Linens: auction
Vase: auction (available; contact me if interested)
Peacock feathers, rose petals, and candle bling: Hobby Lobby
Silver chargers: Big Lots
Glass chargers: auction
Karolina plates: eBay (available; contact me if interested)
Love birds: gift (late ’70s)
Antique necklace: belonged to my maternal great-grandmother
Angel band napkin rings: thrift store (available; contact me if interested)
Stainless: Oneida “Michaelangelo”
Bavaria serving bowl: auction (available; contact me if interested)
Silverplate trivets (under candles): auction
China saucers (under candles): part of cup/saucer set – auction (available; contact me if interested)
Glassware: auction (unused/more available; contact me if interested)
Oh dancing so describes it ….how beautiful…I just love it. I love the napkin ring holders..those are great.
I can’ see your side bar at all with this new lay out…I could easily move it over and see it…but I can read your whole post without doing that.
Yes St Valentine’s Day…I try to read the where it started to my kids each year…thanks for the reminder.
Working on my list…thanks for the reminder, now if life will just stay calm for me to do that…LOL
Shadow dancing! I love it! I would never have thought to layer the chargers,and I really love the look. I will be copycatting you. I’m sure of it. The whole table is lovely, but my favorite element of all is the set of napkin rings. Those are wonderful. I can almost hear the music, and they do look as if they are dancing on the napkins.
I didn’t know that it offended folks not to say St. Valentine’s Day. I wouldn’t have thought of it. Thanks for the word lesson.
As for your question, I have to tell you that I’m spending the night with my mom tonight and on her computer. The first thing that I noticed upon opening your blog is that it was too wide for her screen. It does NOT look like that on mine. She uses IE, and I use Chrome. I wonder if that’s a difference.
Of course, I also noticed that MY blog banner looks odd on hers. It looks like it is cut off on the right side. Now, I’m wondering if it looks like that for others.
I can’t get over how much I adore those peacock feathers with the Victorian plates…and the silver figural napkin rings…oh my, OH MY! A delightful, nostalgically beautiful design. Thanks for inviting us for a peak. Cherry Kay
The soft pinks make this table so pretty and romantic. That bowl is gorgeous. A perfect inspiration. Valentines Day makes hardly a blip for some people. (Usually me, but now that I’m a blogger every event is more special.) But you make an excellent point about it that should satisfy anyone. Well done.
Just beautiful! My girls want to make Valentines for the Hope Unlimited Children so we’ll be doing that sometime this week! We live near a farm that has bunches of peacocks so I really love the feathers and their shadows! Great job, Susan!
What a fantastic tablescape! I love love love that Bavarian bowl. It was a brilliant piece to theme your table around. Just gorgeous. 🙂
Remember that song, “Shadow Dancing” by Andy Gibb back in the 1980s? That song was going through my head as I was reading this! I don’t think the lovely maidens on your plate would have thought much of Mr. Gibb’s music back then, but they seem to be lost in the dance just the same! Very pretty design! Very slick to put the peacock feathers in…VERY slick!!! The unexpected is what always catches my eye! FABULOUS napkin rings! Yes, I do have to scroll back & forth. I thought it was just my computer screen! Have a great weekend, and do a litle shadow dancing yourself! 🙂
Your tablescape is beautiful! I love all the pink! Love the Bavarian bowl, feathers, napkin rings and your theme! You set an awesome table!
I can see your post fine. I do have a 17 inch screen on my laptop.
Blessings My Friend,
Beautiful, beautiful table! The napkin rings are cute.
Susan .. I only have one question what time is lunch?? Your setting is brilliant! How wonderful and perfect for such a lovely setting are those napkin rings!! xo HHL
P.S. posted about Valentine Project ~ and will do another close to Valentine’s day… xo
We must be doing something right, Susan. 🙂
As far as the screen, your previous width was a lot more comfortable but although I do have to scroll a lot, I’m here for Susan, a friend I’ve come to appreciate and love, so it does not bother me. Typical screen size is 900’s or so. I set my blogger widths to 1000 with the sidebar at 250 for no scrolling.
I see you’ve joine Brent’s linky follow. Yay!!! Just found out last night.
LOVE your setting here today. Beautiful as usual.
Much love,
St. Marcia
Love what you are doing over here…beautiful!
I just followed you on the new Linky…Please follow back so we can stay connected. Thanks, Lori
Your bowl is beautiful. And thanks for the reminder about the Valentines. I sent mine out today. Happy Pink Saturday. ~Marti
Thank you, Marti!
What a lovely setting. Your plate is beautiful, and I love the vase. Thx for the inspiration. By the By you blog is coming through to me with no problems.
HPS
LL
What a positively beautiful table you’ve set! The hand painted china is exquisite and your little angel napkin rings are a fabulous find! Thank you for sharing this with us! -I’m not having trouble reading your blog. I do have a 22-inch monitor. I’ve often wondered if that’s the problem with mine…after three years, I still don’t get as many subscribers as I know other blogs do 🙂 Maybe I should be asking the same question 🙂 Happy Pink Saturday! Hugs, Terri
This is so beautiful!! I am inspired!
Happy Pink Saturday!
This tablescape is divine! Happy Belated Ground Hog’s Day.
Joyce M
How sweet and Lovely! Have a beautiful pink Saturday, enjoy!
Pink Cupcakes
That bowl is fabulous!! What wonderful sentiments! Happy Pink Saturday!! ~Lorraine ♥♥♥
That bowl is for sale, Lorraine. You (or anyone else) can let me know if you’re interested.
What a beautiful table setting, I love all of the vintage roses and the detail of your tableware, thank you so much for sharing, Maureen.
What a gorgeous tablescape ~ love all the layers with the beads and that tulle over the tablecloth ~ very ethereal. And the Bavarian bowl – stunningly beautiful. Thanks so much for sharing all your lovly pinks. Happy Pink Saturday to you, Dru
Your table setting has such a romantic feel to it. It’s simply beautiful…but I’m drooling with envy over that Bavarian bowl! I love this type of artwork and your bowl is gorgeous.
Well, Valentine’s Day has come and gone, but I am just now finding your post, and I so loved everything about it, I just had to add “my two cents worth” to the Comments!!
First…the bowl is simply gorgeous (I noticed you said it was available..is it still???)_
With the bowl starting the theme, the other china plates go lovely with it, as does everything else. I love your musician angel napkin rings and that tall vase is gloriously beautiful…and yes, the peacock feathers are just the right touch……
Thank you for sharing your lovely things, I enjoyed looking them over…
Have a nice Holy Week and a Happy Easter…..Yasmin