A Toile Tale

Saturday, October 10, 2015

"Borrowed" Fall Flowers

I was flattered to be asked to do the flowers for the serving table at a beautiful event at our church. We call this autumn United Methodist Women's event "Soup and Sisterhood". Pretty self-explanatory. A group of women gather for a dinner of a variety of soups and celebrate our friendship. As I was putting these flowers together in the house, I could NOT stop myself from thinking about how perfectly the colors went with a tablecloth I got at Homegoods last year.

Check out these incredible roses. They were open perfectly to arrange. Sometimes that doesn't exactly happen to me. (Just sayin'.) These joined a couple different kinds and colors of mums, snapdragons, and some gerbera daisies.

I HAD to take them outdoors for a quick pretend dinner. Nobody ate here, I just borrowed these flowers, set the table and brought it all back in. Usually, if I post a table, we've actually dined there.

You need to see these floral picks up close. Acorns! Hello! The only direction the committee gave me was that they were using copper in the centerpieces, so I went with this copper and brass pan.

So here's the table.

And here's the placesetting!

I started with this burnt orange colored charger that I bought this fall at Hobby Lobby. They had the best colors this year. The light colored wooden handled flatware showed up better on this table cloth than my dark wooden set.

Then I added these cream plates embossed with acorns and oak leaves. I use these so much in the fall.

A picot-edged gold linen napkins separates the plate and this sweet pumpkin dish. If this were a real dinner party, I would choose from a collection of fall soups to serve in it.

Whenever I have a busy tablecloth, I sometimes tend to use more coasters and chargers to separate the dishes from the pattern. This wooden slice serves as a good coaster here.

Here's the glassware I chose. Can't see them too well?

Better?

This was sitting on my kitchen counter, so I added it at the last minute.

And, of course, these acorn salt and peppers joined the party.

I really wanted to sit down and take a rest, but I didn't.

Even without the chair pads, it was inviting.

I'll do a post soon about those fall decorations you see in the background. And I'll show you how these flowers looked at the church event. It was beautiful.

Joining:

Tablescape Thursday

Between Naps on the Porch

Share Your Style (Wed.)

Show and Tell Friday

The Scoop (Mon.)

Inspire Me Tuesday

Be Inspired (Tues.)

Elizabeth And Company

Table It (Sun.)

Rustic and Refined

Home Sweet Home (Fri.)

The Charm of Home

Feathered Nest Friday

French Country Home

Wow Us Wednesday

Savvy Southern Style

Monday Funday

All Things Heart and Home

Make It Pretty Monday

The Dedicated House

Fridays Unfold

www.nancherrow.com

Moonlight and Mason Jars (Wed.)

Celebrate It Sunday

at Celebrate and Decorate

Wednesday, October 7, 2015

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.

Joining:

Tablescape Thursday

Between Naps on the Porch

Share Your Style

Show and Tell Friday

The Scoop

Inspire Me Tuesday

Be Inspired (Tues.)

Elizabeth And Company

Table It

Rustic and Refined

Home Sweet Home

The Charm of Home

Feathered Nest Friday

French Country Home

Wow Us Wednesday

Savvy Southern Style

Monday Funday

All Things Heart and Home

Make It Pretty Monday

The Dedicated House

Fridays Unfold

www.nancherrow.com

Moonlight and Mason Jars (Wed.)

Celebrate It Sunday

at Celebrate and Decorate

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.

Joining:

Tablescape Thursday

Between Naps on the Porch

Share Your Style

Show and Tell Friday

The Scoop

Inspire Me Tuesday

Be Inspired (Tues.)

Elizabeth And Company

Table It

Rustic and Refined

Home Sweet Home

The Charm of Home

Feathered Nest Friday

French Country Home

Wow Us Wednesday

Savvy Southern Style

Monday Funday

All Things Heart and Home

Make It Pretty Monday

The Dedicated House

Fridays Unfold

www.nancherrow.com

Moonlight and Mason Jars (Wed.)

Celebrate It Sunday

at Celebrate and Decorate

Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Finally! A Party on the Deck!

It was the most beautiful evening on Sunday! We had 14 dear friends over for a very casual pot luck dinner and it was finally cool enough to dine outdoors. It seems that the same people who will play 18 holes of golf in 95 degree weather find it too hot to eat a meal outside. Myself included. But Sunday the air was nearly cool and I actually took a stack of shawls and wraps outside just in case.

Since everything was simple and casual, I used these paper products now on sale at Target. Aren't they fabulous? My daughter in Ohio found them first, and that sent me on a search for them here in Atlanta. It wasn't so easy. First store had none, second store had only cups, then I finally found only what you see here. Fortunately, they were enough, and a plan was hatched.

Here, you see all three tables, with blue and white pots filled with sunflowers from the farmer's market, yellow napkins, and yellow or bamboo flatware.

You can see what a pretty night it was, and the lake was especially reflective and beautiful.

This is just a cardtable in the corner, but, because I kept it so simple, there was plenty of room for four.

The third table overlooked the pool and fireplace.

I placed several candles around the railing and we did end up lighting them, as we lingered over a beautiful fruit tart dessert.

I had some little blue and white votives as well.

Lots of different chairs, but that's what it took to all be together in one place.

I've had emails asking how our different outdoor areas link up, so here's the round deck that we were just on, with these steps leading from......

here, which is just beside.......

here, which is just across the pool from......

here, which is beside the fireplace.

Got it?

I served from the bar/cabana room just off of the pool.

Here are the dishes before anything is dished up, because, as you know, I loose my focus and forget about blogging as soon as the first guest arrives.

Behind the bar, I set out more Cheeky products (the "Happy Day" cups) and various pitchers for tea and water. Forget the fact that I still have the Press and Seal on the lemons!

I filled this English footbath with ice and wine bottles.

This wooden French crate holds the summer liqueurs.

We're ready for coffee, too!

This area of the same room has nothing to do with the evenings' offerings, but I just wanted to show off the monogrammed towels that my friend Amy (who can do anything) made for me. Aren't they awesome?

I like to extend the feeling of the evening into the powder rooms on the first floor. Here are some daisies that feel like the sunflowers.

And in the other powder room, I tried to do the same.

I almost forgot that I had these hand towels.

And my little French shepherdess got some black-eyed daisies in her brass baskets.

I had a sunflower wreath on the front door, but when I got the news that one of our couples had just become grandparents that morning, I changed it out to this little onesie and a welcome sign for the new little one, Cort.

This lucky baby was born to the beautiful couple I featured in a 3-part blog about their wedding exactly two years ago. You can see it here, here, and here. They are beautiful people inside and out, and I'm so happy to share their happiness.