Getting Back My Blogging Mojo and Spring in My Step

I spent the morning wandering around Pier One, Pottery Barn, and Crate and Barrel. I figured that if anything could perk up my dormant writing mojo, it would be Easter bunnies and pastel dishes.

Click into photo for source.

Click into photo for source.

Maybe I have some sort of seasonal affective disorder. Or maybe I’m just sick of Chicago’s whiplash weather. One minute it is 60 degrees and my tulips are coming up and the next minute there’s seven inches of heavy snow to be shoveled. Welcome to winters in the Midwest, I hear you saying. Get over it. Continue reading

Wedding China Tablescape

When Cuisine Kathleen posed her wedding china challenge, I thought that I didn’t have much to contribute. We have wedding pink Depression glass, but I gave away all my first wedding china years ago.

While Noritake Savannah’s floral pattern is timeless, I needed to move on from the choices I made at age twenty. My best friend from college also selected this pattern when she married, and since she hosted Thanksgivings for the masses, she now had 24 matching place settings. It was a win-win for both of us.

Since then, I’ve inherited three full sets of someone else’s china, which you have seen here many times. I own my mother-in-law’s Noritake Aberdeen, my mother’s Four Crown Claridge, and my neighbor’s Noritake Stanwyk. Yes — the Claridge looks a lot like the Savannah, because my mom loved the pattern and chose a similar one.

GotMyReservations Wedding China Collage

So that brings us to 2014 and the newest bride in our family. My niece is getting married in just three weeks and has asked me to help with her tablescaping. I am honored to be included, and was excited that she has chosen to have mixed-pattern vintage china for her tables. Her tableware will come from the caterer, but my tribute to her comes from my own vaults. Once again, a family story drives this week’s tablescape. I LOVE my family stories and hope that you do, too! Continue reading

Kentucky Derby Tribute Tablescape

I am royalty — twice removed.

You were thinking kings and queens, right? Well, there are all kinds of royalty, and I know a prince, which makes me twice removed from the king. To be exact, one of my best friends is the son of a jockey who had an extraordinary career in horse racing — Ted was truly racing royalty. Ironically for today’s tablescape,Ted did not win the Kentucky Derby, but went on to win both the Preakness and the Belmont races in 1949. It’s just that whenever I think of racing, I think of Ted Atkinson. This Saturday, May 3, the 140th Kentucky Derby will be run at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. The race will be televised on NBC, with coverage starting at 4:00 pm ET.

GotMyReservations Kentucky Derby Tribute Button Continue reading

Springtime in Vienna Tablescape

It was pretty wet and chilly, that March spring break in Austria eleven years ago — my first trip to Europe. That doesn’t keep me from thinking about Vienna and Salzburg when I think spring. The pansies were profusely blooming and there were flowers and trees making their homage to spring everywhere, despite the weather. Nature is like that.

GotMyReservations Mirabell Gardens

Mirabell Palace and Gardens in Salzburg was one of the shooting locations for the Sound of Music.

Those pansies kept coming back to tantalize me when I started planning this week’s tablescape. I knew I wanted to incorporate the beautiful faux pansies I had seen at Joann’s, since it has still been too cold to have plants outside. I remembered the intricate embroidered cloths that I bought in Austria and voila! I had my inspiration for the week. Continue reading

Easter Tablescape — Bunnies, Fruit, and Flowers

This Easter represents a milestone for our family. My daughter is hosting Easter dinner.

I’ll be helping her to create a beautiful table for her party, but since we have vastly different styles, I just HAD to set my own table with our traditional Easter decorations — my collection of Easter bunnies and fruit plates.

GotMyReservations Easter Tablescape Intro Continue reading

Birds in a Nest Tablescape

Spring seems to finally have sprung, and with it has come green shoots of plants, strong winds, and birds. Lots and lots of birds.

It’s time for a tablescape with a birdy theme, and I’ve been collecting just the accessories to create it!
GotMyReservations Birds in a Nest Intro

Continue reading

Spring Garden Party Tablescape

Is it spring yet?

The fact that my yard is finally rid of all of its little snowpiles makes me desperately hope that spring is on its way. Just last week I took this photo of the last remaining snow in my yard.

IMG_6062I was so bummed out by the weather that I never got around to setting the table last week when I took this photo of my centerpiece. Those beautiful tulips have gone to meet their maker.Thank goodness, between the final melting of the snow and my camera class yesterday, I was newly energized to create a spring tablescape!

GotMyReservations Spring Garden Party Tablescape Intro Continue reading

Looking for the Light

I’ve been taking a photography class in a local adult education program, and the most important thing I’ve learned is that I need to look for the light.

Look for the light…

I was setting up a tablescape and suddenly realized that the shadows from the late afternoon sun made a very interesting photo to share with my class. I thought I’d share it with you, too.

GotMyReservations Tulip Centerpiece

Happy Spring!

 

A Conversation about Tablescaping for Dummies

This post contains affiliate links; see my PR disclosure policy for details.

Today I’m thrilled to share a conversation about tablescaping with my niece, Jessie Weaver. Music Man and I just spent a wonderful long weekend in Chattanooga visiting family, as well as doing some touring in Atlanta. I enjoyed helping Jessie prepare for a party, and afterwards, Jessie wrote this guest post about her experiences, entitling it “Tablescaping for Dummies.”  I beg to differ. The blessing of creating a tablescape is that there are no wrong ways — or dumb ways — to do it. There is just YOUR way. And that’s what happened last weekend.

Jessie: When you are a self-confessed imbecile when it comes to home design, it’s a little intimidating to have your aunt, who blogs about tablescapes, come visit while you’re preparing to throw a dinner party. Really, though, it was a great blessing. The Expert went through my cabinets and drawers, helping me throw together a fantastic tablescape using only what I had. Continue reading

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