A Toile Tale: bamboo flatware

Thursday, June 8, 2017

Lemons, Ladies, and Lunch!

One of my very favorite groups to entertain is my Bridge Buddies! We are six women who have been together for years and years and play bridge once a week. Usually, we meet at 2:30 and play, but several times a year, we have lunch and then play. This week, I invited them to come for lunch.

These ladies seem to appreciate every little detail, and I love giving them lots to look at!

My inspiration started with this cheerful tablecloth from Homegoods.

After an epic fail (I wish I had photos to show you the sad attempt), I came up with this centerpiece.

Lemons and daisies! Sure felt like summer!

In place of a wreath, I simply tied a small bouquet with gingham ribbon onto the door.

The tag read "Please Come In". My landscaper happened to come to the door before the girls arrived and asked me if I was expecting company, or was I just lonely!!!!!!!!!!!

These placecard holders were from Pottery Barn a year or so ago. I cut the layered name card out with my Silhouette cutter, and then hand lettered each name.

On top of my every day white dinner plate, I placed a bright yellow napkin and topped it with a menu card. They were a simple rectangle, even though they photographed sort of misshapen. I always add a quote to the menu card and this one says "Girlfriends help us think our best thoughts, do our noblest deeds, and be our finest selves." (Anon.) Love this!

I used a rattan charger and this bamboo handled flatware from Horshow.

Initially, I planned to use these bright yellow glasses, but I found I only had four.

Didn't they look cuter? The other glass is a plain Tiffany wine glass.

And here's what we put in them! The cutest bottle of pinot grigio! These daisies on the bottle just sent me into orbit. And it was really good!!!!

This is really a candle holder from Italy. I would have used it on the table, but I only have one, so I filled the little hole with water and placed just a few daisies in it and used it on the sideboard.

In one powder room, I added daisies and a hand towel with a lemon tree.

I forgot I had this till I was looking for a towel.

The other powder room got a small daisy arrangement, too.

In the bar, I used some lemon napkins and some small yellow appetizer sized napkins. The fern covered dish held buffalo chicken roll-ups that were a hit.

This tray held the coffee fixings.

I made lemon-thyme salt for favors. It is so good on chicken or veggies.

And the other favor was raffle tickets for produce from my grandson's farm. He's TEN! And he has his own farm. Last year he harvested 300 lbs of potatoes alone. This boy can work! These raffle tickets afforded him the cash to buy his seeds, etc. this spring. I'm going to do a post about him later in the season.

After a leisurely lunch and lots of laughter, we got down to business. We never take our games too seriously, though. This is party bridge. Boy, was I ever surprised to find these cards with lemons in my stash! I don't remember buying them. It was like a miracle.

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21 Rosemary Lane

Thursday, October 1, 2015

Chinoiserie Between the Raindrops

We've had an entire week of rain, so I was doubtful that we'd be able to have our lunch outside today, but a break in the weather allowed a quick lunch with some old friends. I have been dying to use these Caspari placemats and so, since the day was still grey, I brought out the bright with this table.

I initially wanted to use these with pale colors but here's an example where circumstances changed my mind.

I used the table out by the pool, because it was the closest to the door and the easiest to bring stuff inside if the rain returned. Fortunately, the weather held and we even had a nano-second of sunshine.

These chargers/placemats are a heavy cardboard with a water resistant coating, and they are made by Caspari. I found them at the local Ace Hardware store!!! Can you see that I have used an octagonal clear glass plate so that the placemat shows through? Then I chose bamboo flatware.

These bright green stems picked up the green in the design. Here's where I was going to go with pale turquoise, but thought better of it.

These napkins are from the Palm line of linens and the Chinese knot napkin rings are from Boxwoods. The tablecloth is a simple white caterer's linen.

I stuck these hydrangeas and some begonias into this little metal building. I know it's an English conservatory, not a Chinese pagoda, but I felt it had a similar feeling and it worked pretty well.

How about these salt and pepper foo dogs?????

They gave a wonderful pop of red.

I almost spray painted the metal conservatory red to echo this pagoda, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it.

These turquoise tumblers were plain, but I added a pagoda. I cut them out of adhesive vellum on my Silhouette Cameo. I can remove the pagodas in a heartbeat, but I could also keep them on, even through the dishwasher. I also used these Caspari paper napkins for drinks. Also from Ace Hardware! You never know where you'll find something that will inspire you.

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