Wednesday, March 31, 2010

A Bright, Colorful Easter

Easter doesn't have to be pastel. I found this mint-with-tag tablecloth in Vermont last weekend, and it's perfect for an Easter table that mixes bright, bold colors with Spring's softer hues.





The cloth is by Royal Art and the pattern is called Eton. I associate that name with an exclusive British boys' school, but I guess Royal Art felt it worked for these florals, too.



This tablescape features post-86 Fiesta dinnerware in white, shamrock, rose and scarlet paired with vintage Harlequin dinnerware in yellow. Last week's table was all about rabbits. This week the chicks have landed on my tabletop, and Harlequin yellow is a perfect match for their fluffy feathers!



The forsythia in the centerpiece is from our yard. The rest of the blossoms are from the farmstand. The smell of the hyacinths is wonderful!





Vintage Bakelite flatware, modern Libbey stripe glassware and napkins from Pier One complete this table.







Can you guess what these eggs are made of?

The colors also work well in candlelight.





I've been enjoying this tablecloth so much that I decided to give it a second 'scape using vintage Riviera dinnerware and a vintage lucite basket.



The basket is from Maine. I love how it looks with these contemporary napkin rings that I brought home from Bloomingdale's the last time I was in Manhattan.







I guess this is truly a town and country combination!

The flatware is Oneida Deauville silverplate.





The Art Deco design is very popular with collectors of Homer Laughlin's Fiesta, Harlequin and Riviera.





The basket is perfect for the holiday.









Thanks for stopping by for another Easter Tabletop Time. I'd love to know which table you prefer -the Fiesta and Harlequin with the floral arrangement or the Riviera with the lucite accents.

Please do visit all the lovely tables celebrating Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps On the Porch.

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Here Comes Peter Cottontail...

...biking across my tabletop.

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And he's got a basket full of goodies.

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I think he's right at home in this field of sweet peas.

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He's found post86 Fiesta dinnerware in heather, rose and periwinkle topped by a glass Crate & Barrel bunny at each place. The bunnies are filled with jelly beans! And they look great with Pier One Mexican glass in green.

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My great-grandparents' Gorham Buttercup sterling from 1907 rests on contemporary napkins and continues the floral theme for each diner.

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Thanks for visiting my tabletop, Mr. Rabbit!

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Happy Easter!

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In honor of Peter's visit, I'm joining Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps On The Porch for the first time. Do take a look at all the beautiful tables gathered there.

Sunday, March 21, 2010

Spring Chickens

My tabletop could also be called Spring on the Farm this week thanks to this wonderful Carrie Wilson cloth from the 1950's.













This barn yard is home to a lamb, a turkey, a lobster and a pig. I added Westmoreland milk glass chick egg cups, vintage Harlequin yellow saucers, blue Riviera lunch plates and HLCCA retro red stripe plates to the menagerie. Fiesta flatware in scarlet, Pier One napkin rings with red hemmed edges, yellow stripe Libby glassware and a vintage egg basket complete the table. Welcome Spring!

Saturday, March 13, 2010

Wearing 'o the Green

The greens have landed on my tabletop just in times for St. Patrick's Day.



The lemongrass and shamrock square Fiesta dinnerware plates from last week meet up with gray vintage Harlequin luncheon plates on this gryphon-themed vintage tablecloth.







Only Waterford crystal will do for this tribute to Ireland. These Elberon stems and the Lenox Eternal gold flatware are from our wedding registry in 2002.





Vintage hammered-aluminum pieces from the bargain bin hold green taper candles and a little pot of shamrocks for a silvery centerpiece.

I think we're ready for any leprechauns who may stop by for dinner!

P.S. While I was posting here, my table did have a visitor.



I think Fizz approves of the setting. And he'd really like to eat the centerpiece!

Saturday, March 6, 2010

Red Stripes and Cherries

For Valentine's, my tabletop enjoyed Retro Red Stripe Fiesta dinnerware from the Homer Laughlin China Collector's Association with a cloth that featured stylized cherries and turquoise bows. In celebration of the release of the next pieces in the Retro Red Stripe line, let's revisit stripes and cherries with a cloth from the Weil & Durrse Company, also known as Wilendur.

This cherry print was designed by John Madsen in 1947 according to Michelle Hayes in her book Elegant Table Linens from Weil & Durrse Including Wilendur.



I layered it with a smaller Wilendur cherry cloth from the 1950's. Notice how this generation of the print adds more blossoms.



Wilendur is known for its naturalistic representations of fruit and flowers. Could it be that the designer felt the original pattern did not include enough detail?

The first release of the HLCCA Retro Red Stripe consisted of dinner plates, teacups & saucers and mugs. The disk pitcher and juice tumblers debuted this week.







The striped pieces are joined by square Fiesta dinnerware in lemongrass and shamrock, scarlet Fiesta flatware, modern red-hemmed napkins from Pier One, resin napkin rings from Crate & Barrel and striped Libbey glassware from Target.