A Chevron Gathering

What better way to kick off November than with a tablescape, hu? It occurred to me that I have not done an official tablescape since refinishing the new {old} dining chairs. I've finally gotten comfortable using fall colors with white since I've got a lot of white in the living room, so I'm not kicking myself for going with white, thank goodness.

I discovered chevron comes in a rusty tone, and I thought it would look great for fall. I think the graphic pattern really helps modernize this table....don't worry if you're not a chevron fan, I made this custom size table runner reversible (you'll see below).

I really enjoy mixing patterns and chevron certainly has it's challenges, but I love it with plaids, checks and floral patterns. I used different napkins/tea towels at each place setting to really keep it interesting (you'll probably notice the different ones...).

Vintage Mikasa 'Desert Breeze' salad plate atop my white dinnerware, straight out of the hutch. Charger plates from Walmart (I used these last week) and wooden napkin rings are from Kohl's.

Little acorn salt and pepper shakers from Family Dollar (last year). I love the glazed stoneware look and that they were only a dollar. :).


I was going to put together a tutorial to make this runner but really, I've already done that HERE.
I changed the width and length however. I made sure the runner just hit right above the chair seat, it makes it easier to sit down.


I decided to keep the centerpiece pretty simple....glass bottles and little silk wildflowers. I like the collected look of the bottles. I used a salvage piece of wood as a base and just lined them up and added some white pumpkins.Twigs from the yard help add height without adding visual weight. The bottles wrapped with wicker are from the Mary Carol home collection, I got them a few years ago at Nell Hill's.

After finding a vintage drapery panel while thrifting, I knew I found what I wanted to pair with the chevron. So this is on the other side of the chevron....

A little flip action:

I like the plaid with the floral too!

Along with salad plates, I found coffee mugs too, I love the matte chocolate color on the outside and crackle glaze inside.

So which side did I keep the runner on? Right now it's on the floral side, I liked it more than anticipated! I like both sides really and glad I made the runner reversible.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you're inspired!

Joining Susan

Need a design boost? For advice and guidance on style, contact me!

Harvest Green Tablescape

It is that time of year when I get inspired just by being outside. I love all the changing leaves and wonderful saturated colors, definitely a perk to living in Missouri. While we were taking pictures over the weekend, we were in an area with several hedge apple trees. I just love the color and texture of them....and decided to bring a bunch home.

The centerpiece I created is really simple. A large cylinder vase (I've used these a million times) filled with water, submerge the hedge apples and placed cut branches. Super simple, high impact.

I placed the vase in the galvanized tray I've had (I've used that tray here and here too) and layered in the rest of the hedge apples. It was so cute Logan kept calling them head apples. :)

Isn't the texture wonderful?

The table that Justin built for me last year has really weathered well, it is a lot lighter, which I am loving. You can't beat the look of weathered wood, you really can't. For the place settings, I started off with place mats I made from burlap (you might remember them from here). Leaf charger plates from Walmart last year (they have a similar version this year too ) and a plain white dinner plate

The glassware, simple, and nothing new ( I really do need to add glassware to my list).

For utensils, I decided to use some of the giant set that I won at auction, I think the gold adds a lot of elegance. The handles look great with the charger plates.

The salad plates are from Walmart, really inexpensive and look really great. I loved how the little bit of green ties back to the hedge apples.

The napkins I found at World Market and they have them in a ton of colors, this one is called celery. The napkin rings are thrifted but I didn't find them this way. They were originally a wooden look but I white washed them for a new look, this is actually the first time I've used them.

SO just out of curiosity, do you call them Hedge apples or Osage oranges?

Thank you for stopping by! I hope you are inspired!

Want to see more pictures? Click HERE

Joining Susan

Need a design boost? For advice and guidance on style, contact me!

Monaco Breeze Tablescape

So I have been on a small sewing kick lately, or I should say, I've been on a: I just bought another yard of fabric kick, so I think I'll make something....and since my sewing skills don't go much beyond a straight stitch, I've been making table runners. So for someone like me with a fetish for dishes and playing pretty with them, that's a good thing.

I found this fabric and just fell in love. I don't usually go for true/navy blues, I'm more of a turquoise gal, but combined with the brown and green, it is great. Later, it dawned on me that it reminded me of THIS duvet cover at West Elm, that's probably why I bought it.

I kept the centerpiece really simple because the fabric is super busy.
I found these candle holders at Big Lots (you might have read that yesterday) and took too many pictures of them used them. White pillar candles and moss not only for interest, but I love that green.

Some milk glass vases with hydrangeas complete the simple centerpiece, I love how the ribbing on the candles are repeated in the ribbing of the vases. Cool.

I used a couple different styles of charger plates, isn't that the fun of setting a table? Mixing it up? I found two dark expresso colored wooden chargers at the Goodwill and combined then with some inexpensive plastic ones that I spray painted green. Ivy Leaf Green? Yep. Krylon? Yep.
Here's the expresso ones, the green are pictured further down.

I love these plates, I found them at Dollar Tree last year. They've got a neat starburst slash ribbing effect and a little age around the edge. They look very Summer-tiki to me, I'm not sure why. I pulled in the ottoman to seat six, I won't have to worry about that anymore since my chair score this past weekend!

Did I show you the candle holders yet? :)

The napkins are from World Market. They have a fantastic array of colors and come in a set of six. This color is called Lagoon Blue, so pretty.




The glassware I've had for some time, from Nell Hill's.

I used a starfish at each placesetting for even more summer details.

Some evening photos.

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you're inspired!



Joining Susan

*Edited*
In case any of you guys want to know where I bought the fabric......it's from fabric.com. Name and item number: UJ-231, Magnolia Home Fashions. Color: Monaco Breeze

America The Beautiful Tablescape

It all started with red buffalo check fabric. It wasn't that I wanted to sew anymore (I've been on some kind of sewing kick lately), I was really hoping to find a nice red check tablecloth, never did. So I started looking at fabric...most checks that I found were rink-a-dink, one inch or smaller, I wasn't going to give up, I wanted big buffalo check! Finally, I found what I was looking for...big three inch check in "lipstick red". It took no time at all to hem the edges and I had a tablecloth for the fourth, well, for the summer season really.
I like having hurricanes as part of the centerpiece, this time I put my cylinder vases on milk glass pedestal bowls. I snipped boxwood from the front yard and filled in around the base. The little flags put a patriotic spin on a simple look. You'll rarely see me use anything but white candles, white goes with everything, even in wax. :)

My sidekick, popped up just at the right moment:


Do you remember the coke crate flag that I made last year? It was inspired by a fresh version that one of the Pottery Barn designers did. My interpretation is smaller and using silks, you can see how to make it by clicking here.

I love how it looks and is certainly low enought to talk over.

I don't have any napkins or napkin rings that are specifically for the fourth, so I mixed and matched what I did have. Red herringbone napkins are usually for Christmas, they work well enough!

I also used a muted watermelon red too, it's got a great summer floral motif and I love the faded look (it looks well with the faded coke crate). The blue dessert plates and white dinner plates are the only thing consistant with each place setting, but I like the mix. The red napkin rings are another holiday item I bought during Christmas, it doesn't hurt to think ahead, although I wish I had bought more, they are nice and heavy and have a flat bottom so they sit real pretty, oh well.

A full shot of one of the hurricanes, the boxwood is such a great green.

My outdoor table sits 8-10, that is if I had any chairs. I have yet to find any second hand chairs that I like (I been on the hunt since this time last year), so my plan is to have Justin build me two benches intead, we've got the wood so hopefully this weekend I can sweet talk him into building me some. I don't know though, it is his birthday and Father's day weekend. I wonder if I can turn this project around and make him think it's for him, I'll have to work on that.

The cobalt blue goblets are super cheap and from Wal-mart, and the utensils are from Target, don't you just love how retro they seem?

I used my flag banner in the backdrop, if you'd like to create one for yourself, click here.

Oh, and I forgot to tell you that I used a full size coverlet under the tablecloth, I was so excited about the buffalo check, I forgot to mention it! I've used it often, and it fits perfect on the table.

Thank you for stopping by! I hope I have inspired you for an outdoor party for the fourth!


Hope you are having a great Summer, I am getting better and better everyday! I had a doctors appointment yesterday and everything is looking good.

Trying to keep up with this guy helps!

Do you like my edits? I love playing around on Picnik!

Would you like to view more photos and details of this tablescape? Take a look at my photostream by clicking here.

I am working on a patriotic project that I hope to have finished up by the weekend, I hope you'll check back.

Joining Susan