Sunset on the Tabletop

May is done. June is here. Tabletop time is all about summer simplicity at this time of year!















Hall China makes the best figural dinnerware pieces. Here the lobster meets the shell plates. Fiesta dinnerware lunch plates in evergreen, a cobalt mini pitcher, vintage Bakelite flatware, Oneida Deauville seafood forks and tablespoon, vintage tablecloth and napkins and a lighthouse centerpiece set the table for the first al fresco dining of the season.

Thanks for joining us!

Birds of Paradise

Ready for a retro tropical tabletop?

Some little birdies followed me home from Brimfield. I seem to be making a habit of fine-feathered encounters in the fields. Last year, I met a Metlox birdie resting on a lovely console bowl. This year, it's Bakelite napkin rings. They have taken up residence on this vintage tablecloth printed with hibiscus and other tropical flowers.





The placesetting combines post86 Fiesta square plates in scarlet with vintage gray Harlequin and Riviera deep plates in yellow and green.









I really like how the bird beaks are different colors...some solid, some marbled. The napking are vintage cocktail linens.



Then there's this adorable baby bird.



He's making the rounds, taking it all in for the day that he'll grow up to be a big napkin ring! ;)



Removing the plates reveals the hibiscus flowers, a personal favorite of mine.



A Fiesta Retro Red Stripe pitcher and tumblers and Villeroy and Boch Boston tumblers hold the beverages.



Other Rivera items on the table include a casserole in green, a yellow platter, an ivory fruit bowl and a yellow serving bowl. Oneida Deauville flatware , Fiesta post 86 salt and pepper shakers and an Anchor Hocking Manhattan butter dish complete the table.





Vintage tropical cloths like these always make me thing of travellers to Hawaii in the 40's and 50's. I wonder if these cloths were put to use to celebrate statehood a few years later.

For this week, these little birds in their tropical paradise tabletop will keep me smiling with memories of my own trips to Belize and Mexico.

Thanks for stopping by!

A Table Born in Brimfield

Thanks for all of your good wishes for our Brimfield trip! We found so many treasures that we ended up buying a wheeled cart to hold all of our pottery, Bakelite, jewels and tablecloths. One day we were in layers and gloves, watching our breath linger in the air as we negotiated for deals. The next we sported wide brimmed hats and passed around the sunscreen. Our group expanded each day as new companions joined in the dishing fun. I'll let each lady tell her own Brimfield story and reveal her big finds, but here's a little photo sample to get ball rolling.

Day One



Day Two



Day Three



Yes, Fizz, we did bring home 30 new tablecloths!



Rebecca and I were feeling sad yesterday after we returned from taking Elaine to the airport, so we consoled ourselves with a tablescape born in Brimfield.





Some of you have been following my collection for a while. Can you guess which pieces are new?





Yes, the Bakelite-handled teaspoons are debuting this week.





As are the yellow Harlequin candle holders! Yipee!



And then there's the Wilendur tablecloth. I think this is actually a home sewn creation from yard goods for curtains. It's a tropical variation of the corn and pottery decorated cloth called "Mexican" by the company. See the palm trees and fruit?









This cloth is the perfect backdrop for many of my dish favorites: Fiesta lemongrass and shamrock square plates, HLCCA retro red stripe plates, yellow Harlequin cream soups, egg cups and a 2 pt jug, a yellow Riviera butter dish, Sleeping Mexican salt and pepper shakers, castanets from Madrid, vintage cocktail napkins and Bakelite flatware and finally, Libbey striped glassware.

This table is a tangible evidence of our adventures in the field, but the real find of the week was of course new friendships made and old ones deepened. Thank you, friends, for making this a wonderful, wonderful week!

For those who have not been to the fair, I hope you get to make your trip to Brimfield and I hope those who have been will be back soon!

P.S. I'm sharing this post for Tablescape Thursday on Between Naps On The Porch. Perhaps someone will be inspired to make the trip to Central Massachusetts!

Camp Brimfield

Tabletop Time is front and center this week, but the focus is on tablescapes yet-to-be-born rather than the completed setting. It's Brimfield week, and my table is hosting Camp Brimfield. The friends are here, and tomorrow, we'll be hitting the fields.







Wish us luck in our quest for tabletop goodies!

A Toast to Vacation Time

May is here, and I'm celebrating the arrival of vacation season with a vintage Florida tablescape.



I love the graphics on souvenir cloths, and this cloth highlights the attractions of "pre-Disney" Florida. Don't you just love the little elephant by the circus tent?





And these ladies look so elegant taking the waters from the spring system.





Finally, no tribute to Florida would be complete without flamingos (even if they are blue)...



I'm more of a North Florida person, having family in Tallahassee and having lived in South Georgia for several years, but these cute graphics could lure me further south from the Panhandle!

Sometimes it's hard to think about setting the table when it's wearing a souvenir tablecloth, lest some of the designs become lost under the dinnerware. My desire to test out yet another new addition to the Fiesta dinnerware line overcame that concern.

Here's the new Fiesta buffet plate in peacock:



For now, this plate is exclusive to Kohl's. It's a very flat shape and pairs nicely with the small pizza tray. I can see using these pieces for serving a cake.



For now, let's get on with the full table setting!









This service for four features Fiesta dinnerware square plates in scarlet and shamrock, buffet plates in peacock and fruit bowls in black. The Oneida Cityscape flatware rests on red-hemmed Pier One napkins. The Caprice martini glasses and bee hive cocktail shaker were part of our wedding registry at Crate & Barrel in 2002. A single Fiesta pyramid candleholder in peacock supports a polka-dot taper. Scarlet salt and pepper shakers balance the single candle.



Here's to your vacation this summer, where ever you may roam!

Ready to be transported to more beautiful table tops? C'mon over to Between Naps On the Porch for Tablescape Thursday!