An Apple for the Teacher Tablescape

Posted on September 4, 2013 by Jennie

It’s that time again — school’s back in session and teachers are doing their jobs with skill and love. It’s time to say thank you to the teachers of the world, whether it’s a public school or home school teacher, a religious education teacher, or a sports or music teacher. Every teacher deserves an apple, so today I’m featuring my An Apple for the Teacher Tablescape.

Although I’ve always loved to set my table with pretty things and have fun collections of dishware and linens, until I started tablescaping for Got My Reservations I never really thought about what went into creating the perfect set-up. Why do some settings work and others don’t? I’ve learned that buying strong, versatile basic pieces will take you a long way. It’s like school; if the student understands the basics, he or she can build from there.

Coming up with a theme is the easiest part of building a tablescape — An Apple for the Teacher just built itself.

This tablescape started with a collection of beaded fruit that I’ve used many times throughout my house. It’s perfect for the transitional time in the fall between Halloween and Christmas because it has some sparkle, but it’s muted. I knew it was also perfect for this table. A friend gave me this red bowl from Crate and Barrel a few years ago, and I’ve used it for every “red” season since. It’s a basic, versatile piece.

I wanted to use these della Robbia-style napkins and grabbed the beaded napkin rings I picked out of the sale bin at World Market last spring. I had decided that I didn’t want to go full-out with the matching tablecloth, so when I saw this table runner at Marshall’s I knew I had a winner. It’s got texture and color while still being subtle. Another basic piece that I can use over and over again.

The people in the store probably thought I was a crazy lady as I stood in front of the clearance items and practically cackled over FINALLY finding the perfect footed cloche on sale. I have been looking for one of these for months since I was featured at Marty’s cloche-fest at A Stroll Thru Life — featured for using a real cloche, which is the French word for bell. The Marshall’s cloche was only two dollars off, but I declared victory. I put the perfect apple in the perfect cloche and now I have another piece to add variety in the heights of my centerpieces — a basic tenet of tablescaping.

Once the theme was in place, the rest of the ‘scape came together quickly. The fall colors in the napkins called for the gold chargers and my mother-in-law’s collection of Murano glass goblets. I pulled the Pfalzgraff Filigree off the shelf again, as the stoneware blends well with the sacking fabric of the runner.

Adding the red sparkly accent plates to my collection has also turned out to be a winning choice. I use them over and over again and the modern circle design adds another texture to the stack with the rectangular design on the chargers, the filigree design on the plates, and the gentle slopes of the lotus bowls. Of course, one can never go wrong with using Grandma’s silver, so out came the Gorham Chantilly. It just sings along with all of the other textures and designs on this table.

For the final accents, I added a cranberry glass decanter that picks up both the red and the gold, and silver candlesticks. Music Man was very distressed last week when he broke one of the red votives for the candlesticks, but I was able to replace it at half price at Hobby Lobby. Another score for me and another basic for the tablescaping closet restored.

Creating the perfect tablescape is not rocket science, but it can be an art.

After I photographed this table, I realized that I had forgotten a very important apple from my collection — the one I received as a parting gift when I retired from my school district. I put it under the cloche where it belongs and rephotographed with my trusty iPhone. A golden apple for this retired teacher…

I’ve been trying to work ahead on my tablescaping and photography as I will be having a knee replacement in late October and won’t be able to shop from my stash to set up the tables for a while. I’m having a hard time taking down this tablescape, though. It just glimmers in the afternoon sun and sends a very happy message to our empty nest.

I’m linking up this week at Let’s Dish with Cuisine Kathleen, Open House Party with No Minimalist Here, Inspire Me Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life, and Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch. Be sure to visit these creative bloggers for lovely photos and inspiration.

Got my bags, got my reservations,
Spent each dime I could afford.
Like a child in wild anticipation,
I long to hear that, “All aboard!”

Music and lyrics by Bud Green, Les Brown and Ben Homer (1944)

Outside Inside Transitional Tablescape

Posted on August 28, 2013 by Jennie

I had a July birthday this summer. Again. I threw myself a party. Again. Since my birthday is inevitable and I love throwing parties, I decided to create a set of linens that would work with my three outdoor tables and that I would love to use on my birthday and possibly other times throughout the year. The Outside Inside Tablescape idea was born.

Continue reading →

Family Reunion Gifts Bring a Sunflower Tablescape

Posted on August 21, 2013 by Jennie

GotMyReservations -- Sunflower Tablescape Intro

“The things you do for yourself are gone when you are gone, but the things you do for others remain as your legacy.”
― Kalu Ndukwe Kalu

Did I tell you about our family reunion this year? We’ve been having family reunion weekends annually for thirty-one years. Although not everyone comes every year, we have decided that if we don’t have the reunion annually, it could easily die a quick death and we don’t want that to happen. One of the gifts of having an annual reunion is seeing one’s younger relatives grow up and prosper — especially the children. This year, my cousin asked me to photograph her five grandchildren while at the reunion, and with some trepidation, I said I would. They were adorable and I got some fun pictures that expressed the children’s personalities, even though I’m an amateur photographer. As a thank you for my time, my cousin sent me a beautiful flower arrangement, and today’s sunflower tablescape was inspired by her thoughtful gift.

As I started to put together the elements of the tablescape that would complement the sunflowers, I didn’t really think I had enough yellow to make it work. Then I took a trip to the linen closet, where I found the coordinating placemats and napkins with yellow stripes and checks. It was still pretty pastel and the napkins carried a lot of pink, so I added a few pink-tipped carnations from the grocery store to the arrangement.

Then I began shopping for dishes in the cupboards. Of course, I had to start with my signature style — using grandma’s china and silver. This pattern, Stanwyck by Noritake, belonged to my next door neighbor and when she died, her kids gave me the entire set. The fragile blue and gold filigree pattern balances the bold orange and yellows of the Quimper salad plate.

While reading blogs this morning, I saw a post from Dawn at We Call It Junkin where she used her corn on the cob plates in her design. Brilliant, I said to myself, and since imitation is the highest form of flattery, I added my white stoneware corn dishes to the table with their yellow corn stickers. Who said I didn’t have any yellow stuff in my stash?

After that it was easy — just pull more French pottery from my collection courtesy of my beloved mother-in-law, including the Quimper candy dish filled with dark chocolate coated almonds, a pair of candlesticks, and a French butterfly. I added our wedding crystal, silver napkin rings, and my Gorham Trilogy flatware and got out the camera.

654903-Lavender-and-sunflower-setting-in-Provence-France_view

Image Credit

Voila! A sunny tablescape inspired by the sunflowers of southern France and enhanced by my collection of French faience. I’m pretty sure my mother-in-law would have loved the whole thing, and I miss her most at this time of the year because she’s not there to share the family reunion with us. Family is a true gift that cannot be underestimated or forgotten.

I’m linking up this week at Let’s Dish with Cuisine Kathleen for the Summer Fun Challenge, Open House Party with No Minimalist Here, and Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch. Be sure to visit these creative bloggers for lovely photos and inspiration.

Got my bags, got my reservations,
Spent each dime I could afford.
Like a child in wild anticipation,
I long to hear that, “All aboard!”

Music and lyrics by Bud Green, Les Brown and Ben Homer (1944)

Travel Diary: Provencal Linens at La Victoire

Posted on August 2, 2013 by Jennie

We all have our things that we want to buy when we travel. Some of you buy art, and some buy jewelry. My thing is linens.

I was determined to bring home at least one gorgeous Provencal tablecloth when we went to France in April. Normally, I settle for interesting tea towels and pot holders when we travel, but there was no chance I wasn’t going to bring home a special keepsake from our Provence trip.

GotMyReservations -- La Victoire in Aix-en-Provence Lined Tablecloth

I won’t keep you in suspense; this is the one I bought.

On our first full day in Aix-en-Provence, I spotted La Victoire on the Rue Vauvenargue. While the men hung out at the market on the square, I made a beeline for the shop with my female traveling companions.

It did not disappoint.

There were tablecloths…

…and bolts and bolts of charming fabrics.

There were tea towels and aprons…

… and bags of all sorts made from Provencal fabrics.

I didn’t have nearly enough room in my suitcase to bring home everything I wanted to buy, but I was really coveting the coated fabrics — so practical!

There was also a charming English-speaking storekeeper and her equally charming grandfather (I think). He did not speak English, but he allowed me to take his photo after I explained that I was going to feature their shop on my blog. 🙂

If you want authentic Provencal linens, I highly recommend La Victoire in Aix-en-Provence. You can order from them online but a personal visit is more fun. 🙂

La Victoire
34 Rue Vauvenargue
13100 AIX-EN-PROVENCE
Bouches-du-Rhône
Tel: April 42 23 14 36
Fax: 21 58 00 April 42

Got my bags, got my reservations,
Spent each dime I could afford.
Like a child in wild anticipation,
I long to hear that, “All aboard!”

Music and lyrics by Bud Green, Les Brown and Ben Homer (1944)

Wordless Wednesday: The Morning after the Wedding

Posted on July 31, 2013 by Jennie

We’ve all been here.

The brilliance of the leftover flowers competes with the pick-me-up of a strong cup of coffee on the morning after that special wedding.

Sometimes I even embarrass myself.

I keep telling my family and friends to get over their embarrassment when I photograph everything in sight — especially at restaurants. But I knew I loved that coffee cup the minute I saw it; I grabbed it away from the person carrying it so that I could photograph it. You can see that the drip from her mouth is still on the cup. I was ruthless.

Fortunately, I appear to be in good company.

This post from Pioneer Woman about her fascination with Fire King Jadeite restores my faith in humanity. This is not the first time that Ree and I have thought alike. I’m just sayin.’

I’m linked up to Wordless Wednesday parties at Create With Joy and 5 Minutes for Mom. Be sure to stop by and leave a comment or two for the creative bloggers showcasing their work today!

Alycia Nichols, You Made My Day

Posted on July 17, 2013 by Jennie

I said it. I said “Uncle.”

I have spent my day in a funk after visiting my orthopedist and coming to a decision about my arthritic knee. He told me that I have to say “uncle” before he’ll consider doing knee replacement.

I’ve been suffering from what I call marching band knees for many years — my knees are shot from too many years of abuse and too many years of being overweight. I had arthroscopic knee surgery in 2002 and my doctor told me I’d be begging him for a knee replacement in five years. Well, it’s been eleven years, and I have been determined not to wimp out. Everyone said that it would become clear — that I would know when it was time for a knee replacement.

Sometimes life’s lemons are sweetened with sugar.

I still don’t know about the knee replacement, but I do know that I was in a bad place today. And then along came this wonderful post from my friend, Alycia Nichols of Tablescapes at Table Twenty- One.

Click into the photo to see Alycia’s amazing tablescape!

In February, when we were putting the final touches on our April 2013 trip to France, I posted about these cute placements I saw online. Then I dragged my traveling companions all over Paris trying to find these pink and green ones because my blogging buddy Alycia liked them. For those of you who don’t know Alycia, she is the kindest commenter out there in the blogging universe, and I wanted to thank her for her generosity with her time for other bloggers.

Click into the photo to see the full post.

What she created with a silly quartet of plastic placements is truly amazing and I am thankful once again for her thoughtfulness. Sometimes people outside of the blogging community don’t understand the sense of community and friendship that develops in the blog world among people who may never meet each other in person, and my friendship with Alycia is one of those connections that surpasses reason.

So, if a knee replacement will get me back to Paris, and London, and Rome, and Venice, and Florence, and Berlin, and Prague, and Istanbul, I’d better buck up and do it. My travel bucket list goes on and on… and Alycia and I need more stuff for our tablescaping stashes!

Please visit Alycia’s beautiful tribute to Paris. You won’t be disappointed.

Wordless Wednesday: Climbing Honeysuckle

Posted on July 3, 2013 by Jennie

If you build it, they will come.

I built this trellis specifically to hold the New Dawn Rose and the climbing honeysuckle that were already in my hedgerow when we moved in. They are happy campers this year with the weather we’ve been having here in Chicagoland! I have more blossoms on both plants than I’ve ever had.

The individual petals on the honeysuckle are just gorgeous and oh, that pink…

I’m linking up to parties at 5 Minutes for Mom, Create With Joy, and A Room With a View for Two. Please stop by to visit these inspiring bloggers and check out some of the links on their party today!

Cloth or Paper? That Is the Question…

Posted on July 2, 2013 by Jennie

You thought I was talking about diapers, right? Surprise, surprise! We’re going to talk about napkins today.

These napkins from Pottery Barn are perfect for Fourth of July and can also be used all year round.

I started using cloth napkins almost exclusively when my children were small. They were past the smash-the-food-in-your-mouth stage, but not much.

This is not either of my kids, but I couldn’t resist the combination of this child’s face and the devilish editing done to the photo.

My school lunch box was often a topic of conversation at the teacher lunch table as I pulled out my cloth napkin and stainless steel silverware from home. It just made my 15 minute lunch “hour” feel a little more luxurious and also protected my clothing from spills. Our staff spent a lot of money (that could have been used more effectively on FOOD) to supply our staff lunchroom with paper napkins and plastic silverware that were just thrown away, adding more to the chronic waste disposal problem. When I was done with my lunch, I washed my silverware and containers, put everything back in my lunchbox, and I was ready to pack a new lunch for the next day — it was a win-win. If my kids were still at home, I’d do my best to send them with cloth napkins to school as well.

Click into the link for a tutorial on how to make your own napkins for your children’s lunch boxes.

So, when a friend recently put out the question on Facebook whether or not people used cloth napkins, I was the first to chime in. I told my napkin stories and read the comments of others, but I didn’t actually tell her how many napkins I have.

But because you are my peeps in the real-world, bare-my-soul platform that is my blog, I’m going to go public.

I don’t know how many napkins I have. I have lots.

I have eight of these.

GotMyReservations -- Celebrating Storks and Babies

I have eight of these.

GotMyReservations - 4th of July Glass and Napkin

I have eight of these, too.

I have 32 of the green napkins — eight of each pattern — and you’ll see those next week. I have yet to put these away in my stash because I’m using them for a party. I have big plans for those Waverly green and brown ones as well.

Unlike some of you, I haven’t built on an extra room in my house to store my stash, but this is only part of my collection.

This post started this morning when I was ironing these napkins. I have twenty of them and a matching tablecloth, all from Tuesday Morning.

Beautiful French-style cloth napkins with a border print from Tuesday Morning.

There’s a certain calm to ironing linens which I enjoy, and it brought back memories of working side-by-side with my mother. She taught me how to sprinkle (remember sprinklers?) the napkins prior to ironing and stack them up so that they share the moisture. They were much easier to iron after sprinkling, but today I just spray them with my spray bottle from Walgreens. Not quite as romantic as these mid-century laundry tools.

Anyone remember this stuff?

My new napkins had a lot of sizing in them, so I washed and ironed the whole set together. They will get softer and softer and require less ironing the more that I use them.

I was shopping for a shower gift this afternoon for a new bride. She chose beautiful napkins and placements that are 100% polyester. I put them in my shopping cart at Bed Bath and Beyond, but after trundling them around for a while, I went back and put them away. I cannot in good conscience buy polyester napkins for a naive young girl; it’s a waste of my money and she will not be happy with them. The goal of using cloth napkins is to — ahem! — actually use them. 🙂

Does this whole post mean that I never use paper napkins? Of course not. There’s a time and a place for everything, and ribs drenched in barbecue sauce require paper. I’m not a martyr to being green. I just love the feel of a cloth napkin on my skin. I know you can make a case for the green-ness of paper napkins; they are biodegradable and don’t use water to launder them and don’t put laundry chemicals into our aquifer. But they are not the same as the collected loveliness of a set of cloth napkins, especially one that has passed down to you from a relative. There’s another whole post to be written about collecting family linens…

I’m linking up with The Scoop at Confessions of a Plate Addict today. Be sure to stop by and get the scoop from these talented bloggers!

Revisit to a popular Fourth of July Tablescape

Posted on June 27, 2013 by Jennie

I have to blame it on the lightning.

Tuesday night, we experienced a strong thunderstorm that brought lightning and over four inches of rain in a short time. We were already awake from the storm, and suddenly we both saw and heard a massive bolt of light hit VERY close to our house. Our electricity immediately went off and that started my day at 4:45 AM.

I had no intention of creating a patriotic tablescape this week; in fact, I didn’t even think I had enough in my stash to make one. Then I remembered the box of decorations I had put away in the garage. I had too much time on my hands this morning while I waited “patiently” for ComEd to get the power back on, so I started designing this tablescape in my head.

When I got home from my errands (really an avoidance measure to stay in the air-conditioned car instead of my hot house), I started with a crazy foil starburst decoration that I must have bought for a 4th of July party along the way. I pulled out my ironstone pitcher and it made a nice firecracker effect; I was hooked.

I checked for flowers — what would go with the firecracker? More roses, of course. I knew that my climbing rose was on its last legs after the storm, so I cut a big bunch from the bush. I had to fight with a bumblebee who was determined to get the last bit of nourishment from my roses. 🙂

And what to put on the table? My red tablecloth was not bright red enough for the placemats I made years ago, so I grabbed the blue and white quilt that usually hangs on my upper hallway bannister. Perfect! We actually eat at the table after I create the tablescapes each week, so I wanted to give the quilt more protection than the little placemats provided. One of the elements of the placemats’ patchwork effect is a blue and white striped ticking, so I got out my everyday dishtowels which also had a similar stripe. Voila! — as the French say; I had a layered linen base for my dishes.

After that it was easy. I pulled out the navy napkins, rolled them up and put them in the Pfaltzgraff Filigree cups that match my plates. I layered blue glass plates and tumblers, followed by the stoneware with a blue rim. Finally, I added my super-special shrimp cocktail glasses and filled them with delicious cherries. My table was just screaming July by this point!

Remember that I had no electricity during all of this? I pulled the curtains wide open and took the photos with my trusty Canon Rebel T3i using the afternoon sun streaming in through the window. For someone who had no plans to do a patriotic tablescape, I think this turned out darned good.

Image Credit: KSF

The power came back on just as I was finishing up the photo editing on my laptop and I was a happy girl. We’ve got a lot to celebrate in the upcoming week. The United States has its faults, but I’m proud to be an American today.

I’m resharing this patriotic tablescape from last year for Christine’s Table It party at Rustic and Refined. Hopefully I’ll have another new ‘scape later on this week — stay tuned!

Slow Cooker Lasagna

Posted on May 2, 2013 by Jennie

The first time I saw this recipe, I was intrigued. It didn’t seem possible to make lasagna in a slow-cooker. It couldn’t be that easy. Well, it is. But I needed to Jennie-ize the recipe to get it to work for the Empty Nest. And then we had friends over to help us eat it so there wouldn’t be much left over. A win-win on all counts.

Slow Cooker Lasagna

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 6 hours

Total Time: 6 hours, 30 minutes

Yield: 6-8 Servings

Slow Cooker Lasagna

I originally found this recipe at The Charm of Home and revised it by adding eggs and more veggies.

Ingredients

1-28 ounce jar spaghetti sauce
9 whole wheat lasagna noodles -- uncooked.
1 pound of cooked and crumbled lean ground beef -- optional (for a veggie version, try soy crumbles)
1-15 ounce low-fat cottage cheese
2 eggs
2 tsp Italian herbs of your choosing -- basil, oregano, bay leaf -- or be creative
2 cups fresh baby spinach and baby kale leaves
1 cup fresh mushrooms, sauteed and drained (optional)
3 cups mozzarella cheese (shredded)

Instructions

In cooking and assembling the ingredients, you are making five layers -- sauce, noodles, meat (optional), soft cheese mixture, veggies, and mozzarella.

On the bottom of the slow cooker, put a thin layer of sauce to start building the lasagna. I buy jarred organic spaghetti sauce with onions, garlic, and peppers already in it. Create your own if you want to make your own sauce.

Layer three uncooked lasagna noodles on top of the sauce. My rectangular slow cooker fits three almost exactly, and you have to break them in half in my round cooker.

Add a layer of meat if you are using it.

Add a layer of the cottage cheese/egg/herbs mixture. Mix the eggs and herbs in with the cottage cheese to help hold together the custard.

Add a layer of leafy veggies and a layer of mushrooms.

Add a layer of mozzarella cheese.

Continue layering -- how many layers you have depends on the size of your slow cooker. Mine only takes two layers. Sauce, noodles, meat, cottage cheese, veggies, mozzarella cheese. I finish with one more layer of mozzarella on top of the final noodle layer.

Cover and cook on high setting for one hour; reduce heat and cook on low setting for five hours. I put the cover sideways for the last couple of hours to reduce condensation. Turn off the heat and take the container out of the slow cooker to let it sit for about half an hour before serving.

Serves 6-8

https://gotmyreservations.com/2013/05/02/slow-cooker-lasagna/

You may have noticed that there’s a little cross-pollination going on among my blogs. At The Seasoned Dish, I focus on tablescapes and how I set my table for meals. I much prefer the Zip-List format for recipes, so I’m doing some of my cooking posts here — at least for a while. Here’s the rest of the meal I served for friends last week, and here’s the link to the tablescape post at The Seasoned Dish if you’d like to see the dishes.

We started with champagne.

I made a simple salad with baby kale and baby spinach, and dressed it with a ginger balsamic vinaigrette.

There’s that yummy lasagna again!

Fruit and sweets for dessert — a light balance to the heavy lasagna.

The best friends are those that come bearing chocolate.

Feel free to repost — but be sure to give me appropriate credit as well as the original poster of this recipe. It’s all about being polite and ethical, friends.

Got My Reservations

Exploring the world — one reservation at a time.

Category Archives: Home Decor

An Apple for the Teacher Tablescape

Coming up with a theme is the easiest part of building a tablescape — An Apple for the Teacher just built itself.

Creating the perfect tablescape is not rocket science, but it can be an art.

Outside Inside Transitional Tablescape

Family Reunion Gifts Bring a Sunflower Tablescape

Travel Diary: Provencal Linens at La Victoire

Wordless Wednesday: The Morning after the Wedding

Alycia Nichols, You Made My Day

Wordless Wednesday: Climbing Honeysuckle

Cloth or Paper? That Is the Question…

Revisit to a popular Fourth of July Tablescape

Slow Cooker Lasagna

Exploring the world — one reservation at a time.

Coming up with a theme is the easiest part of building a tablescape — An Apple for the Teacher just built itself.

Creating the perfect tablescape is not rocket science, but it can be an art.

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