Faux Bois in the Garden

Come for a walk with me to our cutting garden.  I have set the table here for Mr. Pressed Pants and me to have dinner.  The weather has cooled a bit and we are wanting to spend every moment outside.

The clematis and jasmine are a bit overgrown, but we can just get the gate open to go down the path to the sitting (or in tonight's case, dining) area.

I've set a table for two with faux bois and lime green.  It's not really a fall tablescape, but more of a woodland one. 

We are enjoying the more moderate weather, but I'm still fixing a light dinner.....gazpacho and chicken salad with fruit and croissants.

I started with a melamine plate with a faux bois design.  I like how it looks like a cross section of a tree.  These came from Target, I think.

Next, came a brown pottery bowl from Tuesday Morning.

Then I chose the wooden-handled flatware that I've posted before.  I use this a lot, especially this time of the year.  The tablecloth is  cream burlap from Ballard's, and the brown linen napkins are from Tenille and Company in Atlanta.  I stuck a fern frond in them to give them a little more color and interest.

These little leaf plates are from a floral wholesaler, and I used them here as bread and butter plates.

The water "glasses" are more faux bois melamine, and the green wine stems are some I've shown before.  I reported that the store I bought them from has closed, but I recently found out that Swoosie's has re-opened some of their stores.

The coasters are real wood.  They are from my favorite....Boxwoods in Atlanta.

I just love these wooden candlesticks with the metal

trim around the edge.  They are from an antique dealer at Scott's Antique Show, which takes place every month here in Atlanta.  Over 2,000 dealers show up every month and it is a "must-see" if you are here.  I use this woven wine coaster a lot and it is holding our new favorite pinot grigio by Voga.  It's easy to find at the wine shop because of it's unusual shape.

Here's another very simple and natural centerpiece.

It's just ferns with a few seed heads from the black

eyed daisies in the garden.  I added a few small remaining green hydrangeas.  This cute French wicker covered bottle is from a store that has closed, Christine's Creations in Woodstock.  I am really sorry to see it go, because it was a good place for charming little accessories.  She's still available for design work, but the little village of Woodstock misses her retail store and her cheerful welcome.

These green glass salt and pepper shakers are so old, they are from our wedding gifts.  I think they are from Imperial Glass.

Here's the whole table.  Do you see the potting shed in the background?

Here's a better look.

Here's a side view.  I'll do a post about it and show the inside another time.

This is set up on a platform we built to hold chairs and tables.  We spend many evenings out here with a glass of wine.

Here you can see another example of faux bois.  This planter is definitely ready to be replanted for fall.  You can see the fire pit in the background.

I'm linking up with the blog party Tablescape Thursday that Susan at Between Naps on the Porch hosts.  Be sure to go there to see lots of fabulous offerings.

Outside Fall Decorating

Welcome!  I think I've mentioned before that our entertaining starts at the gates.  This is what you'd see from the road if you're coming to see us. 

These mums will have a lot more color when they open a bit more.  I try to buy them at this stage, as they need to last until Thanksgiving.

There's a fork in the driveway about half way to the house.  One side goes to the back and the garage, and the other goes to the front door where it makes a circle.  This little area needs some cornstalks to make it look better.  Good thing I didn't clean out my car yet!  See that poor bit of vine in the grass?  Our pumpkin from last year didn't get removed until it had deposited it's seeds there, so we had a volunteer pumpkin growing.  It was about 8" in diameter at one time, but it disappeared.  Did the deer pick it?

Here's the pathway to the garden. 

This gate has it's own wreath, too.

Here's the front door after a rain.  I'm thinking I need some leaves between the pumpkins.  What do you think? 

I like how the bottom two pumpkins pull out the  colors of the stone. 

That's probably more obvious on this side.

 

This wreath has been up for a while.  I had a sunflower dinner party and I've just left it there.  Sunflowers are fall enough for me, but I think I'll change out the ribbon.

This is the wreath on the back door into the garage.  It is new this fall and came from Old Time Pottery.  Here's one for Susan's New Year blooper post.....do you see the Daddy Long Legs to the left of the wreath???  I missed him until I loaded this photo!

This space beside the outdoor fireplace is a good serving surface, but I usually have a little vignette here.  The statue stays all year around and the fern has been here all summer.  It won't be looking good too much longer.  The iron candle holder is an old European piece that my dear friend almost bought out from under me! 

This little corner of the stonework just begs for it's own decor! 

Just outside the breakfast room window is this little vignette.  Why not enjoy the view even more with some seasonal fluffing?

I'm linking up with The Tablescaper's Seasonal Sunday blog party.  Go see lots of inspiring posts celebrating fall.  Log on to the link below.

http://thetablescaper.blogspot.com/

Squirrels on the Table

Happy to Design has such a fun blog party......."Sunday Favorites"!  Her premise is that weekends are too busy to blog much, so she invites bloggers to post something that they have already done.  It's sooo nice to get a little more milage from some of your favorites.  Isn't that a great idea?  Thanks, Chari!!!

Here's one I posted early last fall, just after I began blogging. 

This shiny little guy inspired a tablescape with a woodland feeling.  I wanted to make it feel like he was still in the forest.

This is where he usually hangs out....in the bar between two  wonderful acorn and oak leaf candlesticks.  They were gifts from a houseguest with great taste!  What's with that one candle?

I just love these tiny acorns.  Actually, I love any acorns and we seem to have them all over the house.  I once joked that they were the estate logo and someone took me seriously.

Here he is as a centerpiece for our first fall tablescape of the year.  I took a morning stroll around our property, looking for some material to make the centerpiece.  Now he's nestled in with sticks, ferns, mums, leaves, and lots of moss. I brought him home from Boxwoods in Atlanta a couple of weeks ago, resisting him the first time I saw him, but going back to get him the same day.

The aged terra cotta saucer is from Boxwoods, too.  It's very heavy.  I've had it for quite a while, usually using it as a base for a large glass cloche.  It's so much more interesting than the usual straight edged saucer.

You can see the three elements with maple leaves here...the napkin, the stemware, and the small plate. The cream colored dinner plates are from Target, and so are the dark brown salad plates.  I've had them a while, but they are still for sale there.  The leaf dishes came from Boxwoods a couple of years ago.

The flatware is light-colored ribbed wood from Martha Stewart's line at Kmart.  I started out with dark wood handled flatware, but it didn't show up on the twig placemats.

These cute little candlestick holders are from Homegoods.  I love the subtle colors in them.  I can use them with lots of taupe and cream as well as the soft sage green candles I have here.  You can see the texture of the linen runner in this photo.  It's from Pottery Barn.

Tenille and Company carries these glasses.  They had them "buy one, get one free" last year and I stocked up.  See the acorns/pinecones on them?  Which do you think?  I'm going with acorns, of course.

These darling squirrel placecard holders are from Pottery Barn.  They come in a great little burlap bag with the blank cards.  They look like carved wood, but they are a heavy metal of some sort.  They even have a tiny felt circle on the bottom so they won't scratch your table.

I love embroidered linens.  This napkin has wonderful scalloped edges and a maple leaf.  I've had them for ages.  I have a runner that goes with them, but I never use them together....too matchy, matchy.

These napkin rings are my standby grapvine ones.  I use them more than any other sets I have.  Some of them are even coming apart.  You can see the flatware better in this photo.

Sugar anyone?  Just another woodland friend gracing the table today.  This faux black forest carved wood is delightful, isn't he?

More faux bois.

These are really twig votives, but I used them as vases, since I wanted a little more color on the table.

They match the twig placemats.

We're drinking wine made by our friend, Tuck Beckstoffer.  Try a bottle!  I always use a wine coaster, especially with red wine.  Another crooked candle!!!

Here's an overhead view.  This is not the easiest shot to get, ya know!

This has such a casual, fun feel.  Nothing fancy, and nothing "in your face" fall.  Not a pumpkin in sight.

Even the Staffordshire spill vases on the sideboard got a bit of autumn.

Fall colors work well in this room.

They don't hold much, but from time to time, I do fill them with some small florals.

This silk arrangement in faux horns has the perfect fall colors.  It goes from place to place all over our house.

I'm linking up with Tablescapes Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch.  Log on to her site at betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com and see how easy it is to view all sorts of tabletop design.