Sunday, January 31, 2010

Cold Day, Warm Table

A Startex cloth with pears and blossoms is the perfect choice for a six degree morning.





We're thankful for the sun's bright rays.





Yellow Harlequin plates add a pop of the most perfect yellow glaze to P86 Fiesta dinnerware in lemongrass and cinnabar. Mexican glass, Bakelite flatware, modern napkins and Sur La Table placecard holders complete the table.

This textile also works with a totally vintage setting.





The Fiesta promotional casserole has inherited this metal holder following the demise of the Harlequin yellow Betty Bowl. The Oneida Deaville ladle is ready to serve up some hearty soup for this cold day.



I always enjoy the creamsicle effect of vintage red and ivory.



Riviera dinnerware and Anchor Hocking Rainbow Depression Glass complete the "time machine" table.

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Some Cloths Linger Long

We're still enjoying this fruit and floral cloth. The color and design bring out the best in many of the dish lines I collect.

While I'm usually devoted to Homer Laughlin pieces, this Stangl Square Modern holds a place of honor in my cabinet.



Yellow Harlequin plates and egg cups bring just the right pop of color to the blue dishes and Bakelite flatware. Pier One red-trimmed napkins frame the utensils.



Look how the jonquils have grown!




This Harlequin blue and ivory combination works well, too. The plates, teacups and teapot are Riviera. The berry bowls are blue striped Century. Cityscape flatware completes the setting.







This large bowl sits on a versatile plate: it can be an underliner or a cover. This plate actually matches the berry bowls. Plates do exist with the decoration that matches the bowl, but I enjoy this mix and match combination.



My final table on this cloth offers a festival of color by uniting post-86 scarlet with blue and yellow Harlequin. I really like mixing modern and vintage colors. In my early collecting days, I focused on yellow Harlequin, P86 chartreuse and vintage cobalt Fiesta. I still love that color combination, and today I'm discovering how much I enjoy the yellow with scarlet.

The only thing missing from this table is the Harlequin yellow Betty Bowl that used to reside in the metal holder. Sadly it broke last month when my camera cord became caught in the loops of the holder...my first tablescaping accident!



This table also contains Oneida Deauville flatware, Anchor Hocking "Rainbow" Depression glass and vintage cocktail napkins.





Earlier today I chose a new cloth for the week. Let's see what combinations this linen inspires!

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Sunday Dinner

My tabletop has not been neglected since the start of the year, but my camera has been taking a rest. Today I made a traditional Southern Sunday dinner to celebrate my good friend's completion of her MBA, and these stripes and fruits turned out to be quite photoworthy.



The morning sun is very bright in our dining room in the winter when the leaves are off the trees. The streaming beams make for some interesting effects.







I found this tablecloth at an antique shop this summer. A friend sent the napkins to celebrate the new year. What a great match!

I think fruit-themed cloths are my favorite for every day use. After lunch I put some coordinating plates on the rack. We'll enjoy this cloth all week.






According to The Vintage Table this cloth is by Lido.

Saturday, January 2, 2010

Farewell Christmas Dishes and Linens!

It's time to say goodbye to the Christmas dishes and linens until next year. This combination of Poinsettia Fiesta dinnerware and a California Handprints tablecloth won the popularity poll of my holiday 'scapes on the Collectible Medium Green forum for Homer Laughlin collectors. I offer it here as a farewell tribute to holiday tablescapes.









Vintage cocktail napkins, Oneida Deauville flatware and Villeroy & Boch Boston glassware share the table. See you in 11 months, beloved dishes and cloths!

Friday, January 1, 2010

It's Time for a New Year!

The sun shines brightly on my tabletop today.







These colors may be a little autumnal, but I really wanted to use the Oven Serve mini French casseroles for our Beacon Hill baked scallops.



And this cloth has clocks on it...seems appropriate for today!

Our food was delicious, and Sparkle is one dissapointed kitty!