Sunflowers on a Gloomy Day

Our favorite bachelor, who lives next door, is coming for dinner tonight.  I planned to eat outside with this table design, but it is a rainy, gloomy day, so we'll be in the breakfast room.  He's not one to appreciate anything fussy, but I did use these dishes that have been languishing in the cupboard for a while.

This sunflower tablecloth is often in use.  I bought it at Homegoods several months ago.  I love the top of it, but the manufacturers cut corners on the border.  Instead of printing it on the bottom of the round, they cut border fabric and sewed it on as straight edges.  I don't love that.  The napkins are from Target, and the flatware is still available at World Market.

A rattan charger was a good choice with this print, and the plate is "The Circle of Kindness" from Pfaltzgraff.   I recently found this pretty salad plate at Homegoods that worked great with it.  It is from Oneida.  

These tortoiseshell glasses are old, old, old.  Well, not old enough to be vintage, but I've had them a long time. 

I was going to go to the floral wholesaler for sunflowers, but on my way, I stopped at Kroger and found these mums.  They reflected the flowers on the salad plate well enough, don't you think?

These are Imperial glass and we got them for a wedding gift a million years ago.

Here's the way it stacked up.

You can see the rain on the deck and it lasted ALL DAY.

It turned out to be a cheery table.

Did I tell you it was a gloomy day?  Sheesh!

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Happy Flag Day!!!!

Join me in saluting our precious flag and, as always, the men and women who have defended it through these many years.

Red, Cream, and Blue

 

I just love a red/white/blue table this time of year.  Not only do we celebrate Memorial Day, Flag Day, and the Fourth of July right in a row, but the blue hydrangeas are just begging to be featured on a dinner table.

This table is colorful but super simple.....no placecards, napkin rings, or even salad forks.  It's just right for a simple, rustic supper with friends.  I'm suggesting it for Flag Day, June 14th.  

Here's the placesetting.  The tablecloth and napkins are from a lovely little shop in Woodstock that has unfortunately closed.  The background is not white, but a really pretty cream.  I had heavy Belgian linen pillows with these same stripes, but I left them outside on the garden chairs and not only did they get moldy, they faded terribly in just a few days.  That was a huge disappointment.  They went in the trash.

The charger is bleached wood and came from World Market this spring.  The red plate is from Ballard's, the cream one is from Target, and the blue bowl has no marking and is so old that I have no idea where I got it.

This flatware is the same story...real old...can't remember.  Probably K-Mart or something.

And these glasses are also too old to remember.  

The centerpiece is one of three that I had left from a reception at church.

Just hydrangeas and hosta leaves in this cream footed pot.  I had about 14 of these from our older daughter's wedding.  I'm sure glad that I bought them and gave them to the florist, as I have used them over and over and over.

Frenchie, the canvas and metal cow holds salt and pepper and it makes me so happy to use her.  You can read about our love story here.

Are you feeling patriotic?  I should add sparklers!

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The Greenbrier Look

It's no secret......I love the Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia.  It is a truly timeless hotel that has such iconic decor that it has spawned it's own style.  "Greenbrier Style" says it all.  Originally decorated by Dorothy Draper, it is resort style at it's best. It's Chinioserie, it's Chippendale, it's tropical, and it's BEAUTIFUL.

So you can imagine my excitement when I saw this fabric on sale for less than five dollars a yard.  Yep.  Less than five dollars. (Thank you Amy Barfield for this awesome source of deeply discounted designer fabric!)  This is really from the Williamsburg collection, but it says "Greenbrier" to me!

Don't you agree?  This green is a shade that is on trend right now.  Emerald green?  Maybe, but it's Greenbrier green to me. And I knew the pink would give me another fresh, preppy color to use on this table.

And here's the detail that put the table design squarely into the style I was looking for.  I painted the grey metal palm tree candle holders that Target has for sale right now with white glossy spray paint.  Bingo!  It goes old-school tropical and is perfect for what I wanted.

Then, I remembered that I had a pair of these white Chippendale style chachepots.  I used one of them for this arrangement of pink roses and alstromeria.  

So here's the way the table came together.  I set it up early in the day on the round white deck.

I spray painted an inexpensive plastic charger from Old Time Pottery with green paint from Home Depot, and used one of my favorite white wicker patterned plates from Portugal.  The salad size plate is green Depression glass, and I topped it with a white lions-head tureen.

This green handled flatware is from World Market.

I was so excited to find these hobnail goblets at Homegoods.  I bought the only four that they had and paired them with Reidel stemless wineglasses.

Here's the placesetting.

The napkins are also from Homegoods and I thought they looked just right without any special folding or napkin ring.  

It was even prettier by evening than it was earlier in the day. 

I can't say that 28 presidents have had dinner with us, but it does make me feel like we're dining a la Dorothy Draper.

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Diamond Jubilee

google image
Dear Queen Elizabeth!  She really knows how to remain regal, doesn't she?  The world will be celebrating her Diamond Jubilee this week and I found that I could take a small part in the party!

A few weeks ago, I had lunch for a small group of friends who call themselves the Distinguished Divas.  We met volunteering for several arts organizations and have become fast friends.  Since we have each been honored at one time or another by Atlanta Ballet, we chose this silly name to "brand" ourselves.

It wasn't until I was sorting through some photos of this luncheon that it dawned on me that it was a "Queenly" post and because I chose a glitzy, diamond(like) theme that I could pretend that I was posting for the Diamond Jubilee!  As you see here, even the centerpiece was arranged in a crown like container.

The white caterer's linen tablecloth was the basis and then I ran this rhinestone ribbon down the middle.

The flowers were going to be all white hydrangeas, but I didn't have quite enough, so I added these soft pink alstromeria.  Did I spell that right?

Then, to bring the pink into the table again, I used these scalloped linen napkins and pretended that these tiny dolly tiaras were napkin rings.  I just took the little comb out.

My mis-matched silverplate and mother-of-pearl handled knives fit the bill for flatware.  The dishes are Lenox with a very simple platinum band.  I usually go for much more color, but I was letting the flowers along the terrace be the color.

Waterford's Lismore pattered crystal stemware seemed just right.  (It's Irish and Queen Elizabeth reigns over Ireland, doesn't she?)

This is how each place setting ended up.

And here's the whole table.

The rest of the girls brought salad, entree, and sides, but I was in charge of the dessert.  To keep the Diva theme going, I put red velvet cupcakes in these little ceramic crowns that I got at Michael's last year.  I think they are meant to be candle holders.

 I made the plate a little more interesting with a couple of lamb's ear leaves and a pink bloom.  (I'm not going to try to spell that flower again!)

Aren't they cute?

Even Queen Elizabeth would love these homemade cupcake picks I came up with.  These crowns are actually made of white felt and have some clear glass glitter on them.  I stuck them in a toothpick and thought they ended the meal with a royal flourish. 

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Celebrating Indy 500

I'm reposting an earlier table, because, while we are planning an Indy 500 party on Sunday, it is predicted to rain, so I'm pretty sure I won't get any outdoor photos.  My plan is pretty close to what I used here, so
let's take a look at "Indy in Atlanta"!



It's official!!!




It's Indy 500 weekend!!!

After living in Indy for four years, I accumulated a lot of 500 decorations, so I'll be using them this weekend for dinner with our neighbors.

 

All of the dishes, except the coffee mugs are from my regular "stash", but there are a few race themed details I've added to make it fun.

Starting with banners on the deck railing......

and adding some checkered flags......

I set the table on the round white deck.

I'll add a few simple flowers in tubes to this simple centerpiece.  It's just a spray of race flags and a plastic child's helmet.

A white charger, black banded plate and red bowl really show up on the checked tablecloth.  So does the red handled flatware.

A simple black linen napkin is simply topped with a badge that I kept from some corporate entertaining we attended.  That was such a surprise when we moved there.  The entire month of May is spent going to parties and corporate events at the track.  And for everything......you wear black and white.  It's not just for race day, folks!  It's Carburation Day, Pit Crew Competitions, Black and White Ball, and the parade just to name a few.  

The mugs were favors from something, I'm sure, and the stemware is etched and painted with black diamonds.

This is just a simple place card and I put a small toy race car beside it.

Our guests are simple eaters, so the menu is going to be easy and uncomplicated.

 

Here's where we'll be lingering after the race.

 Festive, but not at all fancy.

This will greet them as they come up the driveway.

I have about a dozen small flags......

so I lined the walkway to the front door.

And on the door itself, I simply threaded two flags with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway logo through the iron ring.

Welcome, race fans!!!!!

Who will be drinking milk in Victory Lane???

Here's the menu I have planned:

"Pit Crew" peanuts (hot boiled)

"Newgarden" nacho dip

"Gas Tank" gazpacho

"Franchetti" flank steak

"Rahal" rice salad

"Andretti" asparagus

"Penske" pita bread

"Left Turn" Torte

"Carborator" Coffee

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21 Rosemary Lane