Alabaster and Acorns

We have some friends who are undergoing a massive remodel of their home, and they are in need of a homecooked meal.  We'll have them over tomorrow for a casual dinner.  I haven't decided on the menu yet, but I did decide on the important part....the table setting!

There will be just four of us, but I did decide to eat in the dining room, rather than the breakfast room.  I don't know if it's because all of my mums have frozen by now, and they are all sort of beige, but I seem to be turning to light neutrals for the last few tables.  Just this week, I set a similar toned table for some other friends.  See it here.

I really wanted to use these new oval alabaster plates.  Aren't they sweet?

I haven't used this fall cotton damask tablecloth yet this year, and it was a good complement to the plates.

And these napkins were a good match for the cloth.  I bought a tablecloth and 12 napkins at a resale shop last spring, and none of them had ever been used.  I love old linens, so they were in my hands the moment I saw them.

And, oh baby!!!!!  Look at these napkin rings. I know you want to swoon.  My very dear friend, Barb, gave me eight of these.  Barb is the person who, years ago, talked me into starting a blog.  She knows me so well, and I know any gift from her is  the perfect choice, and these gorgeous rings are maybe the best ever!!!

This white French flatware looks good on these twig place mats, and I like to use these wooden bowls in place of bread and butter plates.

I use this combination of glassware often.

This picture is a little fuzzy, but I wanted you to see this sweet squirrel placecard holder.

You've probably seen this brown water bottle that we brought home from France before.  I haven't decided on the wine yet, but there will be a wicker wine coaster, too.

Here's another accessory I use a lot. 

Since the place mats are twig, I added a couple of small twig votives.

Sugar anyone?

Butter?

These old wooden candlesticks sport twig candles.  I wish the candles were beefier, though.

I thought this faux bois candle holder would be a good choice for the centerpiece. 

I used a piece of oasis on the top and added these brown and cream flowers.  Do you see the little white pumpkin and white wheat?  Then I scattered a few acorns around.

Bird's eye view.

Man, those napkin rings sure are the star of the show, aren't they?  Those alabaster plates were fun to work with, too.  I only found four of them, so this was the perfect chance to use them.

No matter what menu I decide on, I know our guests will appreciate putting their feet under a table tomorrow night.  I've remodeled kitchens several times, so I can commiserate with them.  Any suggestions as to what to fix? 

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The Queen Mom's Bedroom

 

 

As I have promised (and promised), I'll continue my tour of our home.  This is a photo-heavy post so get a glass of wine and settle in.  We have an unusual bedroom layout, and this is the only second floor bedroom.  Because my mother prefers to stay in this room, Mr. Pressed Pants calls it the "Queen Mom's Room".  It is serene and comfortable.  The walls are the only ones that we didn't paint when we moved in.  I don't know the name of the color, but it is a warm, very light coffee-color.

The previous owners had their two little boys in this room.  They were only here for five months, poor things, so, as you can see, they didn't even have pictures hung.

Here's another shot of this room when they put it on the market.  Those green things at the windows are the underside of the canopies that were hung outside, not an interior curtain.  You can be sure that those are history!

 

The focal point of the room is, as usual in a bedroom, the bed.  It is a cherry four-poster queen-size that we've had for some time. 

 

In the center is this wonderful old world landscape.  It is actually painted on paper, not canvas, and it has a small rip in the upper left hand corner.  I'm ok with that, though.

 

On either side of the art, I placed two brown and white oriental subjected plates.

Here's the mark from them.

These linens look a little washed out here.  The sheets are a pale celadon green, but not as pale as they show here.  Then I had two European-sized shams covered in a linen envelope and trimmed with a copper-colored flat trim.  Then I placed two Peacock Alley quilted shams and a fern themed needlepoint pillow which doesn't show here.  I don't starch these linens when I iron them, but I do use a spray fabric sizing on them. Guests often comment on the sheets, so I guess they appreciate it! The matelassé coverlet is a simple diamond-patterned off white. 

 

Folded at the foot of the bed is this quilted throw that we brought home from France.  It is in a wonderful café au lait color.

Here's the tag.  We bought it at a street market in Isle Sur Le Sorgue.

 

On one side of the bed is this end table with a few handy things for guests.

Here's a better picture of the table.  It is an old piece with great patina and a very pretty little back apron, or gallery that you can't see here.

I love to find an interesting finial for a lamp.  This one just wouldn't be the same with the little round brass ball that it came with.  The shade is silk.

On a tole hand-painted tray, I always put some bottled water.

Here you can see the corner of a bleached bird's eye maple framed clock.  It apparently ticks too loudly, because I have found it hidden under the throw pillows when guests leave. Beside it is a chalk-ware candle stick.  I wish I had more of this.  I'm always on the lookout for it at Scott's.

I put some turquoise stones in this lid-less stone-ware tureen.

 

The other side has a cherry end-table with a black candlestick lamp.

I always leave a little reading material for our guests here.  I also have a cord-less phone, but I am thinking of taking it out, as everyone has a cell phone these days.  With this in mind, I could probably take the ticking alarm clock out of here too, and let the guests set the alarm on their phone.

This is the other end of the room.  You can see the sitting area here and the window.

 

If I were really good, I would photoshop the outlet from here, and lighten it, but this is real life at our house!

This is the embroidery on the natural linen Roman shades from France.  I'm very attached to these and I brought them from our last home.

Here's a close-up of the valance made of linen and twigs.  Yep!  These are just straight twigs with a bit of lichen on them that I found in our woods.  I glued them on then I embellished with a few pinecones that are also hot-glued onto the valance.  I can't count the number of photos that have been taken of this.

The chandelier is a carved and gilded five-armed wood piece.  Soooooo much better than a ceiling fan, don't you think? 

 

Sitting in the corner is a lovely chair that I found in an attic of a home we bought.  I have re-covered it quite a few times.  The needlepoint pillow was a gift from a lovely guest. I forgot to take a photo of the other chair on the other side of the table.  It is bamboo-carved and covered in the same fabric.  There is a coffee-colored cashmere throw on the arm.

If ANYONE has any of this fabric they would like to sell, please let me know.  I found it years ago at Calico Corner and it was made for Martha Stewart.  I have used it for several projects and had this table covered in my office in our last home. 

This is a close-up of the lamp base on this table.  It came from Boxwoods several years ago and I am crazy about it.  It's very appropriate for this house, as we are surrounded by deer.  Too many, in my opinion, but I do admit to being so charmed by the doe and her twin fawns this spring.

Here's another example of improving a lamp with the perfect finial!

You all know my love for faux bois and here's a really cool piece of it.  It's a metal watering can that I filled with some of our dried hydrangeas.

Over the table is a small collection of more brown and white transferware, topped by an old carved wooden remnant.

 

This needlepoint runner is from a rug dealer at Scott's.  I can't remember what his name is, but he's been at the same space for years and I could walk right to it any month.

I love the colors here.  A dark blue/green, celadon, salmon, and blue.

 

This is a terrible picture, but I'm too lazy to re-shoot this birch and twig covered footstool.

 

So, what do you think?  Would you like to make a reservation?

 

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