Breakfast on a Tray

I have a few pieces of some unmarked china 

with a sweet dogwood pattern on it.  

I thought it would set a lovely breakfast tray

A pretty pink place mat picks up the pink in the dogwood pattern

I used a medium size candlewick plate to anchor the small plate

Topped with a berry bowl.  White handled flatware keeps the setting light and bright.

I love these white napkins with the pink edging and design and the flower napkin rings.

A pretty pink wine glass for orange juice 

and of course a great cup of coffee!

I am downsizing some of my dishes and now that I have set a tray with these, they will now be going to the thrift shop.  

I'm joining 

Table It Link Party

Tweak It Tuesday

Wishing you JOY,

Linda

Happy Easter!

I hope you all had a wonderful Easter! 

I had the family over for dinner and it was so nice to all be together for the holiday.

I normally use pastels for Easter, but this year I was drawn to these vintage dishes.  Poppy Trail Strawberry by Metlox.

Tiger's place setting included a cat placemat and a bunny napkin ring.  

The adults had just a plan placemat but we did have gingham napkins with bird napkin rings. 

A simple center piece with a couple of bunnies on a strawberry platter.  

A traditional dinner of baked ham, mac'n'cheese, steamed asparagus, baby peas, rolls and a nice berry pie for dessert.  It was good even if I did cook most of it myself!

After dinner Tiger hunted some Easter eggs in my front yard.

The sun was bright and Tiger was moving so fast I didn't get any good photos.  Oh well, he had fun!

I hope all of you had a wonderful Easter.  We are still on baby watch so if I'm a bit absent from the blog that is why.  I'm taking dinner to Sara twice a week and helping with Tiger all I can so she can rest.  Baby girl will be here soon and I'll have photos galore of her! 

To leave you with a little Easter collection that came about by accident.  

These bunny pieces are made by Avon and I kept finding pieces at the thrift shop until, a collection! 

Tuesday is Tiger's 4th Birthday, where did the year go!  

Wishing you JOY,

Linda

Christmas Tablescape Challenge 2014

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Thanks!!!

I have been looking several days for a tablescape I could copy for a challenge over at Cuisine Kathleen.  My only criteria was that I had to do this without spending any additional $$~

The one I choose was from Andrea over at 
Opulent Cottage

I love the colors, plaid and that great sleigh...could I do this?  Well yes I can!

I recently found a sleigh at a thrift shop and knew this was the table I was going to 'copy'!

Of course I changed it up some...it's my interpretation 
but I am really happy with how it turned out!

I had some plaid place mats found at the thrift shop this year but no green chargers.  
I changed it up to use white chargers and red plates.

My sleigh is a little different but gives the feel of the original.  I did use a small burlap bag underneath because I didn't want the metal runners to scratch my table.

I used a green napkin instead of a green plate and added some greenery to give the feel of the birds nest she had on each plate

I had two different picks I used since I didn't have four of the same kind.  Making do and not feeling like I have to be perfect is what this challenge is all about to me.

I used some Winterberry patterned water glasses

and I like how it kept the table looking a little bit lighter.

Votives' with gold tea lights add some glow

My sleigh has a Cardinal on it so using more red appealed to me.  I filled it with greenery and a couple of bottle brush trees like the original

Andrea used a more casual flatware, but I loved the look of this old set of Reed & Barton sterling in the lovely Tara pattern

My table is in a dark part of the house, so I took a couple of flash photos

Instead of green tree bowls I used red and added a few tiny ornaments to pick up all the colors!

I'm pretty happy with my copy cat interpretation!

Andrea's original

My interpretation!

Join me and many other tablescapers at 
Cuisine Katheleen for our 
Christmas Tablescape Challenge

Wishing you JOY,

Linda

Thanksgiving 2014

The table is set for tomorrow's dinner!

I rummaged through my dish closet picking several different options but kept coming back to my favorite fall dishes...so here it is

Thanksgiving Table 2014

There will be three of us for dinner

Most of the dinner will be self serve from the kitchen with just a few items on the table

I started with a place mat in a neutral tone then used a wood charger to anchor the plate stack

I used the dinner plate and lunch plate from my vintage dishes Poppy Metlox Woodland Gold.

The small bowl is unmarked but the colors work perfectly with the plates!

The flatware is some I've had for a long time and found at a thrift shop.  The napkins were in my stash and I added these new napkin rings found at the thrift shop 4/$1

I really like the detail on them!

Vintage glasses complete the place setting

Keeping the table simple I added some flowers from the grocery store (marked down of course) in the matching pitcher

I recently found this great Pyrex divided dish for $10 and knew it would be perfect for this table

My first piece of Pyrex in this pattern which is called Town and Country

I am looking forward to tomorrow's dinner! 

Wishing all of you a wonderful Thanksgiving! 

Linda

A Purple Challenge!

When Kathleen challenged us to use purple for a Fall Tablescape (no orange!!),  I knew I was in trouble.  Purple is not a color I use much at all.

I do have two lunch plates a friend gave me that I love so I went from there.

I used green as my other color and started searching for the items in my stash 

to pull together this table.

When I found these purple place mats I bought at the Dollar Tree last summer, I was so happy.  The green plates are some of my basics that I use all the time

Then I added these pretty purple lunch plates

I have matching soup bowls but went with green to add the last layer

The green glass adds another texture to the plate stack.

I added a vintage green stem and the purple glass (also from the Dollar Tree bought for this tablescape) to add both colors to the place setting

Green handled flatware from my closet but the napkins are 'new'.  I didn't have anything in my linens that worked so off to the thrift I went.  I found these purple napkins 4/.99 except they were 1/2 price...yes only .49!  The wire and green bead napkin rings are also from my tablescaping supplies.

I'm happy with how this turned out! 

Now for a centerpiece...not as easy!

I bought the purple vase for .10 and already had the purple votive holders.  A green plant for some color and texture.

The green glass owl is a new addition to my Fall decor.  

My goal in these tablescaping challenges is to spend as little as possible and use what I have.  So I spent less then $5 on new items just for this table.

In addition to 

Kathleen Cuisine's Let's Dish

I'm also joining

Share Your Cup Thursday

Wishing You Joy,

Linda