~A Table in Blue & White~

The dining room table, set in blue and white for the 1st Tablescape Thursday, hosted by Susan at Between Naps on the Porch.

Enoch Wedgewood Countryside was produced for a few years during the mid 1960's. The dishes I used for this table once belonged to J's mother. We believe she acquired many of the pieces at garage sales. We've added to the collection over the years, since we've owned the set. We considered selling the dishes in 2007, but in the end, packed them up and stored them in the basement.

We've heard, from various sources, these dishes were given away with grocery receipts. Do you have any information about Countryside? If so, I'd love to learn more about this pattern.

Our collection of Countryside includes several serving pieces, including, a coffee server, gravy boat and plate, a covered serving bowl and open serving bowl. I used sauce bowls instead of saucers for this table. There are dinner plates, bread and butter plates, salad plates, cups and saucers, and sauce bowls.

I used Oneida stainless flatware in the Louisiana pattern and several of our pieces of cobalt blue; some old and others new. The goblets are new, from Target.

The faux chocolate cake is from Evergreen Mfg., Osage Beach, MO. The fresh flowers are from Kroger, a great source for affordable fresh flowers.

I found this sugar scuttle at a thrift store, that benefits a local Sheltered Workshop. It's missing it's scoop; the price $4. I used a child sized teaspoon, in the Louisiana pattern, today. I'll be looking for a scoop for the scuttle. It's always fun to treasure hunt, especially with something in mind.

I purchased the white with navy stripe napkins at Pier One, after Christmas, for .79 each.

This tiny cobalt lidded condiment server once belonged to friends of ours.

I've added a button at the top of my sidebar, for Notable Quotes. The first quote is a comment, left by Joni at Cote de Texas, on the previous post.

We've decided to keep the table as is and here at home. We'll be shopping for a more cottage style table, for the condo.

From time to time, I'll randomly select comments to be featured as a "notable quote".

I've looked for ice skates to hang on our old metal sled, on the back porch, for over a year. Tuesday, I found these at Budget Boutique, a resale shop that benefits Earthwise Industries, a local Sheltered Workshop. Earthwise does recycling.

Grandchildren Xanti, Gabi and Drew and Granddog Jersey. Snow Angels!

~Setting the Thanksgiving Table~

We have a fairly busy week ahead of us, so I decided to compile my Tablescape Tuesday post, today.

My Tablescape Tuesday contribution, this week, is what I'll use for Thanksgiving dinner, at the lake. This is the first time I will pack up tableware, for our trip to the condo, since we moved in 5 years ago.

I decided to make the place setting simple. Glass plates from Wal-mart, $1.00 each, added to brown salad plates from my collection of dishes, white tablecloths and napkins, gold chargers and bronze leaf napkin rings. I'm also taking two birchbark candle holders, with berry wreaths and copper and brown ribbon, to decorate the tables. Dinner will be served on two small round tables. I'll use flatware and stemware, already at the condo.

The menu:

Turkey

Dressing (my mother's cornbread dressing recipe).

Mashed Potatoes

Gravy (at J's request)

Green Beans

Corn Casserole (at Gabi and Drew's mommy's request).

Cranberry Relish

Raw Veggie Platter

Relish Tray

Rolls

Pumpkin Dessert (the one I wrote about, awhile back), topped with real whipped cream.

Besides taking along dinnerware, I will also need various baking pans and dishes, from home, to prepare the Thanksgiving feast. Space is limited at our condo, therefore I don't have a full complement of cookware. I'll just load up a couple of rubbermaid storage containers. Easy Peasy!

Because we will be away from home, during Thanksgiving week and the weekend after, we've been working on Christmas at our house. Today, I finished the dining room decorating. Will write about it, soon.

I began decorating the hearth room, today, and took a few photos. I still need to do some work in the breakfast room. The big farmhouse table is piled high with this and that, to do with decorating in other rooms.

J will do the front door decorating, sometime this week. I'll finish a few other things around the house. When we return from the lake, week after next, we'll decorate the big tree, in the living room.

When we've finished all the rooms, I'll do a post, with more detailed photos.

The "theme" for the hearth room sort of took on a life of it's own. We brought the cabinet from the back porch, for beside the fireplace. I borrowed Lori's (All About Home) empty frame, with wreath, idea, for above the mantel. The tree with bunnies and birds nestled beneath, has a sort of woodland look. So we just went with that idea and things seem to be coming together.

Hope you've enjoyed the sneak peek.

Here is another little peek at what is happening in the blue dining room.

I'll be back, with another post, later this week. In the meantime, we are decorating decorating decorating! A friend of ours once told me, I wouldn't be going to all the trouble of decorating for Christmas, by the time I reached the age of 60. Well, we're both past that age and even though we've slowed down a tad and downsized, ever so slightly, we are still delighted to decorate for Christmas.

Tablescape Tuesday

Be sure to visit Between Naps on the Porch, Tuesday, for lovely table settings throughout blogland.

~Christmas Tables At All About Home~

I've written about All About Home in past posts. Last Friday afternoon and Saturday morning, I was delighted to put together several tablescapes, with the assistance of shop owners, Lori and Greg. Saturday afternoon, the tables were used to demonstrate versatility in table settings, using what you have. I was the "speaker".

I'm not very adept at speaking in front of groups. After a very short talk, I took questions from the group, gathered in the former home of Oddfellows Cafe. I want to thank Lori, Greg and Lauren for lending their, much needed, support.

I've included several photos of the tables.

A snowman theme, set on a small table, with ice cream chairs, is shown in the first photos. I used black and white check napkins, tied with a glittery spiral, to resemble a bow tie. Evergreen wreaths, with a snowflake in the center, are attached to each chair back with black and white checked ribbon. A snowman's top hat is filled with greenery, for the centerpiece.

The table with white feather tree centerpiece, is set with brightly colored dishes. "Candy" accents and tea towel place mats, complete the whimsical luncheon table. The dishes and accessories for this table and the snowman table are found at All About Home.

The round table is set with dishes embellished with holly. There are four place settings, using the holly dishes. Each place setting is different, yet tied together, by the holly pattern. The dinnerware, used on this table, is from Lori and Greg's private collection. The accessories can be found in the shop.

Susan, of Between Naps on the Porch is, once again, hosting Tablescape Tuesday. Click HERE, Tuesday morning, for lovely tablesettings from creative bloggers.

Last Thursday evening, a mantel decorating demonstration was held at All About Home. I've added a few photos of the beautiful mantels.

This is the sunrise that greeted us, from our deck at the lake, this morning.

Saturday evening, we drove to the lake, where our daughter and son in law spent the day painting, at the condo. Our bathroom was painted, using Sherwin Williams Interesting Aqua, leftover from our dining room project. When the little makeover is complete, sometime after the first of the year, I'll post about it here.

Sunday, we shopped at Osage Beach Outlets and had lunch at City Grill. I managed to make a serious dent in my Christmas list. The sales were phenomenal. The mall was filled with bustling crowds. The temperatures were cool, adding to the spirit of holiday shopping. We were amazed at the number of people out and about at the lake. My friend, JoAnn, who shopped Tanger Outlets, at Branson Missouri, Saturday and Sunday, told me there were crowds of shoppers there, as well!

Later this week, I'll post about our visit to Evergreen Mfg, this morning, before leaving Osage Beach. I took a few photos of the beautiful Christmas trees, using my little pocket sized Samsung camera. A very convenient little camera!

~GRATITUDE~

My thanks to all who have stopped by and left comments, lately. I am just overwhelmed with your generosity and, as always, I appreciate you, so much. I hope to have time, this week, for visiting in blogland. I've missed you!

~New Table Anticipation~

In anticipation of the arrival of the new dining room table, I'm playing with place settings. I purchased the Spode Black Labrador Retriever salad plates, two or three years ago, in honor of Molly.
I've mixed the Spode plate with a Mikasa French Countryside dinner plate, a green plate from Target and a gold charger. The small pumpkin tureen sits on a ceramic leaf.

I found the blue salad plate and cup, shown here, at a Pier One end of season sale, a couple of weeks ago. Again, I've used the versatile French Countryside, with the blue plate, a clear vintage plate and J's mother's 1940's sherbet glass. The small pitcher is from Kitchen Collection, at the Osage Beach Outlets. It sits on a tiny Mary Carol (Garrity) plate, in cream with a black edge. The blue, cream, brown and green checked napkin ties the green placemat in with the blue of the plate.

I'm shopping around for more of these small bird gift plates. Other than the Pheasant, I have a plate with a pair of Quail. I've been looking on E-bay and found a few. I just need to jump in and bid! The square plate is Mary Carol. The leopard print plate is from a Walmart clearance rack about 5 years ago. The napkin and placemat are from a Lenox Outlet clearance sale, last December. That's a real egg under the small cloche, from All About Home.

I found four of these square plates at the same Pier One sale, where I found the other blue plates. I bought these to use on the back porch or patio. The cup is from the same set as the above plate.

This photo and the following two are from my archives. The above is the Spring 2008 back porch table.

Two years ago, when our home was opened for a Garden Club tour, during December, I set all the tables in the house and the back porch table. I brought the birdhouses from the condo, to line the center of the breakfast room farmhouse table. The snowman is Jim Shore. The plates are Lenox Wintergreetings, I've collected for a number of years.

This table is in J's "room", the lodge. Postcards from family and friends as well as from our trips are seen under the glass. The photo is from 2006, during the tour.

I have dishes stored in the pantry, china cabinet, Mother's cabinet, the shelves in the dining room and two other cabinets. I downsized my collection a few years ago, but started adding pieces again, almost immediately. We prefer casual dining and only add pieces that are easily mixed with our casual dinnerware. It's fun to mix it up when setting a table. I try to think of unusual bits and pieces to add to the placesettings and tablescapes.

The new dining room table should arrive within the next week or two.

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J's appointment went very well. PSA is now at 0! He'll continue regular cancer checkups during the next 5 years.

There are two new awards on my sidebar, from Lisa and Sue. Thank you so much!

I've added a new gadget to the sidebar. If you would like to follow my blog, please add your name to the list.

~Set With Style, a Book Review~

Caroline Clifton-Mogg has compiled a beautiful new book, Set With Style. The volume, illustrated with over 300 photos, also includes a history of dining etiquette, table setting styles, and practical table setting tips.

I've enjoyed looking through Set With Style. I'll return to it, often, for inspiration.

I looked through our former pantry, now china closet, this morning and pulled out plates, glasses, flatware and linens. I arranged several different place settings, to photograph, for today's post.

The leopard plate, is from Wal-mart, several years ago. The body of the plate is white with the print around the edge. The next plate is Mikasa, followed by a Mary Carol bread and butter plate, topped with a sherbet dish, that once belonged to J's mother. It is one of several she received as a wedding gift, over 60 years ago. The flatware is Oneida. I found the place mat and napkin at a Lenox Outlet in Tennessee.

In this setting, I used a brown woven place mat and brown napkin, from Target. Over the leopard plate, I used a square Mikasa French Countryside plate. The Peacock plate is from Nell Hill's. In the upper right corner, a French Countryside cup and saucer.

A Mikasa French Countryside dinner plate, topped by a Nell Hill's Peacock plate. The soup tureen and saucer are also from Nell Hill's. The place mat is the same striped place mat shown with the first place setting. It's reversed here. The napkin is from Target.

For this setting, I used a large green dinner plate, from Target. The second plate is used at Christmas, but would be fine for other times of year. The edge is a tartan plaid, the center motif is a spray of pine. The red plate is from Marshall's. Twig place mat, from Pier One Imports. The flatware is from Horchow or Ballards.

The close up shows the Cardinal napkin ring, one of four, that belonged to J's mother. She loved the beautiful red birds.

If you enjoy mixing different pieces for your table settings, I believe you will enjoy Set With Style.

Thank you for visiting my new photo blog, Snapshots from the Back Porch. I'm excited about having this blog, dedicated to my little hobby.

J continues to improve each day. He'll see the surgeon Thursday. Thanks, so much, for keeping him in your thoughts and prayers!