EASY TABLE SCAPE

     I put together this easy tablescape last week.  It's perfect for right now --since summer is winding down and it's still a bit early for fall décor. 

I started with a lovely linen cloth that is actually upholstery fabric I got from Hobby Lobby.  Then I used two eucalyptus garlands I got a few years ago at Target-Hearth and Hand.  I pulled out almost all of my brass candle sticks.  I have a lot!  They were popular wedding gifts when we got married. I used white tapers in the candle sticks.  Last, I set the table with vintage silverplate-Adoration.  Ironstone dishes and faux wood chargers also from Hobby Lobby.  The napkins came from Belk.  

Indoor Garden

I do some gardening and I especially enjoy my planted containers (we have red clay, so planting in containers really works for me).  It's starting to heat up here in Alabama and with that comes humidity (aka bad hair life) and mosquitoes. 

Today, I'm bringing the outdoors--

 into the dining room.

I've gathered a number of items to use

 on my table that says vintage spring garden. 

I used this idea when I hosted my garden club meeting this month. We have refreshments before the meeting and I think my ladies enjoyed my garden tablescape.  Since we were celebrating Mother's Day at our home this year, I kept the table decorated and added place settings for the meal.  

If you want to see my Mother's Day Heritage Table from last year, click HERE.

I got this rabbit at a garden center several years ago.  It was planted with ivy and did very well.  Over the years, I've replanted it, but this year I decided to just add fresh moss (you can find sheets of moss in the floral department of Hobby Lobby).  The bunny is sporting a fresh large bow--I already had the ribbon on hand.

I found little birds' nests at Hobby Lobby, too.  I used them at Easter and kept this one out for this table.  Now, here's the crazy part.....I got the bird eggs at an estate sale.  The lady apparently was a crafter and I found real bird eggs among her craft items. 

I've recently enjoyed attending estate sales and found two brass hose nozzels among the "dirty stuff" in the shed.....the moss rocks came from Dollar Tree.  
The white planter came from the estate sale, too.

Love the cool old scissors....I guess they were for the garden....can anyone help me with this???   Estate find, too.

Replacement rain gage glass cylinders, a seed packet

 for color and two vintage floral frogs. 

 A glass floral frog, another nozzel and some vintage clippers.

Another pair of clippers--these belonged to my Dad.  

You could easily use seed packets at each plate for a place marker.

I added a few plants from my back porch for color.

You could put cut flowers in a small vase instead 

of little plants if you had those instead.

I guess it was a natural direction for me to go....I love gardening and I love vintage items....a vintage indoor garden tablescape is the result when these two passions met.

I think you can use this idea for several other occassions-a spring birthday or maybe a bridal shower or baby shower.

Plates: Italian Countryside

Burlap charges:  Hobby Lobby

Napkins:  Belk

Silverplate flatware:  I need to research the pattern

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No Guilt Soup Tureen Love

I love all the beautiful French ironstone pieces I see when I visit blogs.....I have secretly wanted a soup tureen, but here in central Alabama, well, we are just out of the French soup tureen loop. 

I would look at them long and often on ebay and etsy, but didn't feel like I would make a purchase from those sites.  I guess I wanted to hear the choir singing in the background when I saw it for the first time--in person.   You know what I mean--the thrill of discovery! Another reason I have hesitated to make a purchase is the cost.  I love the older pieces but they tend to be a bit hard on the budget (but they are antique and from another country).  I told myself I couldn't justify the purchase because I'm too practical and I don't live in a French country home...

if I did, I might be more inclined to look into a purchase.  

      So, when I saw this tureen a few weeks ago, I decided to bring it home.

I found this piece in a local thrift store in mint condition and

 of course, at a fraction of the cost of a French antique. 

 It's rather freeing.... I don't feel like I have to display this tureen 

for months on end because I spent so much money on it. 

 It's a vintage item with identifying maker marks on the bottom

 that show it was made by California Pottery.   

I love that it has the under plate for the tureen to rest on and I love that the design compliments my white Italian Countryside china.

I love the piece, the price and I can still purchase a French antique tureen when I see one AND of course

if the choir is singing!  

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Vintage Garden Graduation Party

   Well, the time finally arrived for a party that I had been anticipating for months.  It was a graduation party for my seven Girl Scouts who are graduating from high school next week.  Since most girls leave the Scout program before graduation, I wanted to host a special party to mark their accomplishment.  Family and friends came to share the evening with the girls.

The party was in a Sunday School classroom at our church and I chose a vintage garden for the theme.  I guess about two months ago, I compiled a list of items that I had on hand that I thought I might use for the decorations.

Here are the results.  It was a busy day, and believe it or not, I set the tables up and once the tablecloths were on, I placed the items/decorations on the table.  There was no moving things around or stepping back with a questioning eye.  I placed them and was satisfied with the way the table looked (which was a blessing since I was super busy). 

What do you think?

 

 I made a banner that read, "THE WORLD IS YOURS"  and  pinned it to the table.  The letters were die cut from scrapbook paper.  The flag part was a pre-made cardboard shape with the pre-punched holes.  It was already covered with a canvas fabric.  I got the shapes in the dollar bins at Michael's (they were actually 2.00 a package).

I made the number tags with numerals I also got at Michael's.  I mounted them on card stock and hung them on a piece of twine and tied it to my vintage olive bucket.

I like the texture of this wooden finial with the

 burlap table runner and the moss rock.

I used some vintage suitcases that belonged

to my aunt and then added the star made

 from a wooden folding carpenter ruler.

I added my subway art sign.  Great advice

for young graduates entering the world.

I added mason jars with candles (clear and the new blue ones), plants from my porch and my vintage globe. 

My little chippy bird had a note for the girls --FLY.

I took my grape vine wreath and added the burlap

ribbon and the wings.  I told my girls that it

was time for them to leave the nest.

 

I used a vintage wash stand and enamel pans for the drinks.

Once the food was on the table, I was able

to take just a couple of quick pictures.

I love to use the two cream-colored planters

 for crackers when I entertain.

Menu:  chicken salad sandwiches, ham biscuits, nuts, brownies, pecan cheese spread with strawberry jam and crackers, pecan sandies and mini cheese cakes with  whipped cream along with blueberries and raspberries.  All the food was homemade using some of my favorite recipes.

My gift to each girl was a personalized scrapbook that I made using pictures that I had taken over the years at Scout meetings, camping and our year-end trips (Disney, Discovery Cove, Sea World, white water rafting, and The Grand Hotel).

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Antique Farm House--Where are You?

     You might have seen the tiny little post that I did last week on the Antique Farm House and their emails.  You can read the post here: Antique Farm House and the Prize-Winning Bull Picture.  Well, it's happened again.  And again.  I already have the items that they are selling on their web site!   It's like they've been in my home.  I wonder if they are still here and where they are hiding? So, I got yesterday's email on the The Bakery.  One of the items that was featured was a butter churn.

  Mine

     Well, I've got that already.  Here's the butter churn that came from my grandparent's home in Nebraska. 

Theirs

     I keep the churn in my laundry room on top of my freezer.  It has a little piece of tape on it the top with my grandmother's last name written on it in my aunt's handwriting.  

    Before I could post about the butter churn, I recieved today's email and the items featured included Farm House Basics.  There were various items and included in their offerings were vintage-style game boards....  GOT IT!

       Here's my vintage Chinese Checkers game board.  I remember playing Chinese Checkers on this board when I was a little girl.  We play Chinese Checkers on this board now with our daughter. 

    Here are the marbles we use for our game.  Most of them are the marbles I played with on the board when I was a little girl.

     I decided to show off the board along with my new vintage grain sack that I mentioned in this post. 

     I know it is coincidence that I have the same things that are being offered on this site, but, I'm beginning to wonder what else they will happen to sell that I already have....or, on the other hand, could they secretly be aware of the things I have in my home?  And if this is the case, then do they also know about the basket of laundry that needs to be folded....hummm....
     Whatever the case my be, if they decide to offer an enamel Cream City lunch pail (with the paper label still on it), I have that.  I also have several old sewing baskets, a shoe last, and if they decide to start selling Farm House furniture, I'm ready.  I have the three-door ice box and a pie safe with the original tin doors in the garage. 

                                 Now, I better go fold some laundry!

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