Ferns in the Garden - 100th post!!!!!!!

Welcome to my 100th post!!!!

I could never have known, almost a year ago, how much I would love this wonderful use of the internet.  As a celebration of your interest and friendship, there is a giveaway at the end of the post.

First, though, I invite you back into my garden for a dinner among the ferns.

 

This round tablecloth was the inspiration.  Homegoods!!!!  Again!!!!  It came with eight napkins.  I'm not sure who could use eight napkins with a 90" tablecloth, but better too many than not enough.  I'll be set to replace those lipstick-ruined, grease-stained, or just plain lost-in-the-laundry napkins that we all have.

 

As soon as I saw this fern design on the border, I had a great idea. 

I decided I wanted to set the table along this fern bank that we have in the woods.  Then, the thought of dragging the table, chairs, dishes, flowers, ice, and so on into the woods made me come to my senses.

I did take a few shots of some of the elements among the ferns.

So, I left the ferns to the wildlife and set off to the garden.

I brought out this unfinished table that I keep in the potting shed.  If you want to see the shed, take a peek here.

Also, on the border was this design of ferns with white flowers.  Ding, ding, ding!  The flowers were now planned out of the ones that were growing right there in the garden.

And here's the result.

Just two place settings tonight.

Here's how I brought lots of different shades of green together. 

Starting with a wicker charger, I added these simple dinner plates.  You might not believe this, but these plates came from Goodwill.  I was so sure as I picked them up, that they were old French plates, but when I turned them over, they said "microwave and dishwasher safe"!  Hummmm.  Guess they're not old!  They also have "mse" in tiny letters on them.  What do you think?  Martha Stewart Enterprise????

Then I layered the apple green salad plates from Target and the white lion's head soup tureens, also from Target, I think.

Years ago, I bought these little plates at the floral wholesaler.  I use them for tapas, appetizers, or as I have here.

These green glasses for water are made by Imperial Glass, and the little wicker covered ones are for wine.

The flatware is from World Market.  I got it a couple of months ago, and they still carry it.  It is available by the piece.

This green urn is a good size for this small table.

I added these two small baskets for interest and texture.  One is wicker and one is carved ivory.  I bought them from a sweet little antique store on Cape Cod.

There's one more thing on the table.

Our anniversary is coming up in a few days.  I'm giving Mr. Pressed Pants some golf lessons and he has to schedule them, so I'm giving them to him tonight.  Don't tell.  I love pretty papers almost as much as dishes, so I love to wrap pretty gifts and make cards.

These French burlap pillows make these generic chairs more interesting and more comfortable.

This wooden tray holds a brown glass bottle I like to use for water, a couple of bark covered votives, and some bark gathered in the woods for a project I'm working on.

And what have we here?

An ice cold bottle of white wine in this faux bois cachpot.

I put the pasta salad in this lidded tureen from Portmerion.

The ferns on the lid are perfect for this table. 

It was a nice night, and we sat for a long time until we were either going to have to use bug spray or go in.  It was getting dark, the dishes needed to be loaded, and Design Star was soon on.  In we went!

And NOW....may we have a drum roll, please?

I'd love to invite you to enter to win this beautiful book by Joe Nye.

Wouldn't you know that I would find something with toile?

Joe is a Los Angeles interior decorator and party planner.  This beautiful book is rich in photographs and inspiration.  He covers exquisite invitations, lush flowers, and gorgeous table settings. He also offers shopping resources and host/hostess etiquette.

To enter, please become a follower, or tell me if you already are.  If you are not a blogger, be sure that I can reach you by email.  Anyone in the continental US is welcome to enter.  Then leave me a comment and let me know what you like best about this blog.  I promise to have an independent party fairly choose the winner. 

I'll be linking up with Tablescape Thursday with Susan's Between Naps on the Porch at:

http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/  



Organza and Azaleas

If you've seen anything about the PGA Masters' Tournament held this past weekend, you know that Georgia azaleas are at their peak right now.  That inspired my table for this week.  I've always loved pink flowers with this organza and pique embroidered tablecloth, so this turned out very springy and pretty.

Soft pink and bright shades of green showed up so well on this white cloth.

Isn't this pretty?  It is so sheer that I just put a white cloth underneath it.

This is the edge with white pique and embroidery.

Here's the other inspiration for the table.  It's a handmade box that my dear friend just gave me.  It is so special and I'll treasure it for a very long time. 

Here's the stack of dishes.  It is topped with a pink cabbage leaf plate from Portugal.....

on top of a green salad plate from Target.....

placed on a white wicker patterned plate also from Portugal.

The pink stem is antique cranberry glass and the cut glass is Waterford Lismore.

The napkins are bright green linen ones from Homegoods under pique and organza ones that are the reverse of the tablecloth, but with the same embroidery.

The lucite napkin rings are also a gift and are very unusual, in that they hold a small resevoir of water so that you can add a flower or two.

Here's the resevoir on the right.

An azalea blossem and a native azalea bloom just fit and made a nice statement.

These were also the blooms I used in the centerpiece.  I filled a glass cylinder with pastel M & M's and  topped it with a glass plate holding a block of oasis. 

Our back yard is filled with these flowers.  We have probably a hundred regular shrubs and five or six native azalea trees.  I don't know the name of these double pink ones, but they are my favorite. 

This green plastic handled flatware is from World Market and looks like some very expensive French imported flatware.

These hand molded votives always add such hit of color.  I have them many places in our house.

Then for richness, I added old wooden candlesticks with these apple green Root candles.

Here's the sweet box opened with a bit of grass inside.  I can't decide what the bunnies are made of.  Some sort of molded or felted fiber.

Here's the artist's signature on the bottom.  I haven't had time to research her, but I'm pretty sure that she's from Michigan, or at least that's where Barb bought it.

These little flowers on the back are leather!

"Une Grande Fete".....how appropriate!!!

It's always a grand fete when Barb comes to visit!

Thanks again!!!!!!

To see more inspired tablescapes, be sure to log on to:

http:/betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com

for Susan's Tablescape Thursday  blog party!