Is It Red or Rust? Tablescape

What started out as a simple tablescape turned into quite a project. This weekend, Pat's daughter was here from Redding (CA) for her father's birthday party. Pat scheduled a day out for herself, her daughter, and me to set tables. We had a great time, but found out that sometimes what seems like a cinch turns into a huge problem. This week's table was just that. Jennifer selected a colorful accent plate to work with - sounds easy. But it was quite an ordeal. The color seemed like red sometimes...and sometimes it seemed rust. Then it changed everytime she put a glass, a charger, a placemat or any other tablescape item with it.

Here's what Jennifer and Pat finally settled on:

Over view of the table

Close up of the place setting

Flatware is cobalt blue ceramic handled flatware by Noritake

Close up of the "is it red or is it rust?" accent plate from Pier 1. In addition to red/rust, it has gold/yellow, two or three shades of blue, and a host of different greens. It's a great plate to practice with. (My apologies to all English teachers who read that last sentence. And Mrs. Waters (my 7th grade English teacher) where ever you are, I still think of you every time I end a sentence with a preposition. Maybe I should have said, "It's a great plate with which to practice" ???) Sorry, I digress.....but she was a great teacher - even if it was over 50 years ago.

Jennifer used a Lemongrass FIESTA dinner plate

The charger is cobalt blue "Espana" by Tabletops Unlimited

The place setting seemed to magically come together with the addition of this round placemat from Pier 1. Pat put it on a rust colored rectangular placemat to add more color.

Jennifer settled on these modern styled glasses and put the napkin in the water glass (the easy way out to avoid having to come up with a napkin fold and ring.)

Pat found these dandy vases at a thrift store for practically nothing. We seem to use them all the time.

One last view

Here's another place setting and tablescape that we all worked on (if you read our other blog, "The Welcomed Guest," you know that we challenged ourselves this week to use a fantastic napkin that Pat made. Here's what we came up with for the "Table for One."

Over view of the table

Close up of the place setting

Purple crackle glassware is from Pier 1

The napkin has a silver overlay inside to add glitz. The silver napkin ring is one Pat found at an antique store near her hometown.

Inexpensive white dishware from Pier 1 resembles the more expensive "Racine" by Hutschenreuther

Purple metallic lacquer charger is from Michael's

Purple vase is from Pat's collection

Sterling silver coffee pot and accessories were found abandoned in the basement of an old Victorian and then rescued thanks to our brother. I polished for what seemed like hours.......

One last look

Here's a couple of other place settings that we "played" with:

I love our new glasses from Pier 1. Pat put them together with Heather colored FIESTA dinner and bread/butter plates with an Ivory FIESTA luncheon plate. Charger is a silvery brown color from Pier 1. Flatware is our favorite - "Image" by Spode from Tuesday Morning.

Pat came up with this place setting to showcase the new ecru lace placemats she bought a couple of weeks ago at Lentz Department store in Ferndale, CA. The glasses are our new Spiegelau clear goblets from Replacements. Dishware is "Buttercup" by Spode. Flatware is "Windsong" silverplate by Nobility.

We will be joining Cuisine Kathleen's "Let's Dish" this Wednesday night:  http://www.cuisinekathleen.com/