Plaid, Pewter, and Pumpkins

Well, it was time to have the bachelor neighbor over again!  I photographed this table set for four, but took a placesetting away before he arrived.  

We finally have some terrific fall weather, so I was determined to eat early enough to sit outside and enjoy it.

I started with this subtle Ralph Lauren plaid throw that I used as a tablecloth.  It was so soft and lovely, and I'm sure I'll love cuddling up under it this winter. 

I used all three colors, the grey, taupe and cream for the setting.  I feel like I could have almost photographed it in black and white, or maybe sepia!

The faux slate chargers are some I've blogged about before.  I primed some totally average plastic chargers, then spray painted them with chalk paint.  Then covered them in chalk and wiped it off.  Voila!  Looks like slate.  The taupe plates are from Z Gallerie, and the cream are from Crate and Barrel.

Aren't they great?  They are embossed with acorns and oak leaves.  LOVE!!!

Then, just for giggles, since I wasn't using flowers, I added a french seed pot filled with excelsior, and topped with a mini Cinderella pumpkin.  Just that one little gesture made it a fall table.  Take the pumpkin away, and it could be any time, anywhere.

Here's the bird's eye view.

A simple cream linen napkin was used with a square pewter ring.

And I added individual pewter salt and pepper sets.

The glassware was chunky and simple.  We just brought our wine glasses to the table when we sat down. 

A great, chippy cement flower urn sat on the table instead of any flowers.  I did slide it back a bit when I removed the fourth placesetting, so we could easily see across the table.

Just chicken kabobs, corn pudding and a caprese salad.  Oh, and pumpkin pie! 

We're grateful for such a funny, crazy neighbor, and for the evening together in this (finally) fabulous weather.  I hope that if you were so unfortunate to be hit with the terrible floods from the weekend weather that you are drying out and didn't loose anything precious.  I've been praying for you.

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A Grey, Grey Day

It's grey here.  Grey, grey, grey, grey.  In fact, it snowed this morning.  Yes,....SNOW in GEORGIA in MARCH.  This is not right.  But, a very fun couple are coming for a casual dinner tonight, and they will brighten things up a lot.  So I was inspired to set a grey table and keep it simple.

A grey table has been on my mind since I received this beautiful gift in January.  We had a lovely man here as a houseguest during the Atlanta gift show.  In fact he turned out to be the perfect houseguest with impeccable manners and incredible charm.  Thank you, David.  Thank you, thank you.  You're invited back anytime.

Here's a close up of this fabulous urn.  It is a composite material, but looks like grey carved granite.  It is distributed by a wonderful showroom at Americas Mart called Art as Antiques.  You can see their stock line here.  I am so crazy about this.  Can you see the incredible detail?

I knew I would use it with this grey and cream striped linen by Windsor Smith Home.  This is just a remnant from a project I did a while ago.

Here's what I came up with.  It's a very uncomplicated table that perfectly suits the dinner I have planned. 

The whole table.  It didn't bother me that the fabric didn't entirely cover the table.  I just felt it made it look a bit more casual and modern.

The only shot of color are these hot pink roses in old French seed pots.   

They look much better from this angle.

The chargers are some I made last year.  They are just inexpensive gold plastic chargers from Old Time Pottery that I sprayed with a primer, then chalk board paint, then covered with the side of a stick of chalk.  Then you wipe most of the chalk off and it looks like zinc.  I wish I could credit the blog I saw this on, but I have forgotten who it was.  

 

Then I chose this scalloped cream plate from Z Gallerie.

Next, I used a cream, linen faggot edged napkin with this chicken wire napkin ring from Pottery Barn.

These little zinc (well, tin) stands make interesting placecards with chalk names. 

To keep things very simple and clean looking, I chose these Tiffany water goblets and Reidel stemless wine glasses.

I started out with silverplate, but changed to this cream handled flatware that made things more casual.

The water pitcher is from Pottery Barn.

I have these small, square, cream dishes from Sur La Table that I was going to use as individual salt and pepper holders, but I decided that just one for the whole table was a cleaner look.

Rolls are going to go on this sweet little pedestal that I found in Cleveland at The Flower Factory.  Sadly, that has gone out of business.  It was a great source for inexpensive hobby products and giftware.

Ahhh.  Clean and simple and not at all fussy.  Just like our guests tonight.  (Well, I guess they ARE clean, but I wouldn't exactly call them simple!!!!!)

I'm pretty happy with this.  The only thing new is that wonderful gift from David.  Everything else is stuff I already had, but I have never put them together like this.

We'll have our coffee in the living room, so I set this up on a galvanized tray with a pewter cream and sugar set that I've had since we were first married.

We haven't entertained much since Christmas, so I'm thrilled to have this evening to look forward to.  Welcome, friends!!!!

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Cashiers Showhouse

A few weeks ago, my best friend and I met in Cashiers, N. C. for the 14th annual decorator's showhouse.  This year, it was a log cabin which was built in l967.  It is made of two log cabins, one from the l790's and one from the 1830's.  They were purchased, dismantled, moved and reconstructed here in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

It sits on 42 acres and as you enter the gate, you cross the Eastern Continental Divide.  The house was remodeled by 17 interior designers and 4 landscape architects for the show.

Look at the logs and chinking and stonework.

This entry patio was done by James Farmer.  The folding chair is only there for viewers to sit to put on shoe covers.  I had to stop photographing here, because they did not allow pictures inside. 

BUT, when I got to the porches, I started snapping again.  This is the lounging porch done by Francie Hargrove who owns a wonderful shop in town.  I so want to pull a chair up to this table and sit for hours.  Imagine the beautiful memories that you could make in the cool mountain air with the crickets chirping, the wine flowing, and your  friends surrounding you.  It is so beautiful and just my favorite rustic style in the world. 

Here's a centerpiece that everyone can see over!  Just an old wooden dough bowl filled with moss.  Perfect!

I fell in love with this pewter wine coaster.  It is a spaniel flushing a duck from the reeds.  I was determined to buy one of these when we went to Francie's shop until I saw the price.  Sticker shock! 

Look at these glass bird votives.  So cute.  Don't you love the wood table?

These free form dishes are topped with pewter acorn napkin rings.  Love. Love. Love.

And look at the beautiful monogram on the linens.

These unusual hurricanes are terrific for this table.

Across the porch is this a-ma-zing bar.  Seriously cute.  Brown and cream checked curtains surround this entire porch.

I didn't get the whole outdoor fireplace, but this is the mantle with this incredible black forest antler plaque.  Oh, my gosh.....this piece is soooo special.  I don't know if I could bear to let it hang outside.  See the curtains?

And look at the twig trellis that surrounds the porch.

On the back porch, I fell in love with these iron turkeys.  I looked for these in town, but never found them.

I would live out here.  How about this great planter? 

Have you ever seen a cuter swing?  Check it out.  Burlap and nailheads.  Hung by ropes.  Darling!

Could it be more creative?

The other end of the porch held this stunning vignette.

You can't fake the beauty of this railing.

All of the flower boxes on the railings were filled with these cheerful Black Eyed Susans.

And here's the view to the crystal clear lake.  The showhouse cafe has table and chairs here and they were having problems getting people to leave and give the seats to the next people.  Nobody wanted to leave this view.  This was really a great showhouse.  Mary McDonald and Nathan Turner from Bravo TV's "Million Dollar Decorators" both spoke, as well as James Farmer and Charles Faudree, who did the entryway.  Rumor has it that Charles is moving there. 

I loved the day I spent with my dear friend whom I haven't seen all summer.  She has the most exquisite taste and just built a mountain house herself.  She has promised that I can do a post soon on it. The perfect day with just the right person.  Worth the drive!!!