Dreams of Italy: A Lemon-Inspired Table Setting

Welcome to the 451st Tablescape Thursday!

Jeri, a reader of BNOTP, loves creating beautiful table settings for friends and family. When she shared one of her tablescapes with me recently, it transported me back to Italy where lemons are an important part of every day life. They show up everywhere in Italy from the beverages Italians drink to their dishware and linens.

This was one of my favorite shops in Isle of Capri. Wishing now I had bought a piece of this beautiful dishware to bring back home!

 

The Italians also use lemons to make their famous beverage, Limoncello. I sipped on a small glass in Positano and had to take a photo since this was my first glass ever of Limoncello. It’s very strong so a small glass will last you for quite a bit of sipping. lol

Sipping Limoncello in Positano, Italy

 

The Italians even use lemons in other beverages, including this custom concoction I was served as I sat admiring this beautiful view in Sorrento. I had no idea what I was drinking, but it was quite tasty!

Sipping a lemon drink in Sorrento, Italy

 

Jeri wrote, “I love spring and a nice glass of lemonade or lemon infused water.” That was Jeri’s inspiration behind this wonderful table!

 

My heart definitely skipped a little beat when I saw Jeri’s beautiful lemon-infused table setting.

 

Sooo pretty!

 

The lemon napkin rings look so real! How cute are those! You’ll find them available here: Lemon Napkin Rings.

 

Gorgeous dishware! I think I need some lemon dishware in my life! I don’t think these are still available, but you can view the collection, HERE.

 

The dinner plates are just as beautiful! Though no longer available, I did find some for sale, HERE.

 

This beautiful plate is still available and you’ll find it here: Carved Plates. I love the design of the outer edge, so pretty!

 

Jeri used pewter chargers in this table setting. I love their vintage look, they feel like they could have come straight from Colonial Williamsburg, don’t they!

 

Jeri used a pretty lemon/citrus runner down the center of this beautiful table. (Table runner is available here: Table Runner.) If you look closely, you’ll see little bees flying all around the citrus fruits on the runner. Love that!

 

Here’s a clever way to use tall candlesticks by placing votive-style candles atop the candlestick instead of a candle alone. Jeri used pretty silverplate votives which worked beautifully with the other silver pieces on this table setting.

 

Such a wonderful table!  Thanks so much to Jeri for sharing this delightful lemon-inspired tablescape for this week’s Tablescape Thursday!

 

 

Resources

Bunny with basket – Williams-Sonoma (no longer available)
Citrus Runner – Williams Sonoma
Lemon napkin rings – Pottery Barn (available online)
Tonna White Napkins – Williams Sonoma (no longer available)
Citrus Salad Plates – Williams Sonoma (no longer available online but check stores)
Citrus Dinner Plates – Williams Sonoma (no longer available online but check stores)
La Porcellana Bianca Firenze White Dinner Plates – Williams Sonoma (available online)
Manor Vintage Chargers – Williams Sonoma (no longer available but check stores)
Clara (green) margarita glasses – Williams Sonoma (available online)
Water goblets – Williams Sonoma (no longer available)
Flatware (Tierra) – Williams Sonoma (no longer available online but check stores)
Presidio Silver-plated pitchers with woven handle – Williams Sonoma (no longer available online but check stores)
Glass candle sticks – Williams Sonoma
Presidio Silver-plated votive candles – Williams-Sonoma (no longer available but check stores)
Gravy boat – family heirloom
Silver candle sticks – family heirloom

Looking forward to all the tables linked for this week’s Tablescape Thursday!

Tablescape Thursday

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Comments

  1. Jeri created a wonderful table. I love how she was inspired by lemons. I’m going to keep that theme idea in mind. Yellow is one of my most favorite colors. Love your Italy thoughts too. Thanks, Susan!

  2. I love using lemons for spring and summer tablescapes. Those plates are so pretty – I bought the platter not too long ago at the Williams Sonoma Outlet and am loving it so far. Ciao!

  3. My favorite fruit to use in “settings, etc.” Lovely!! franki (and to say Limoncello is a fav…had my first in Sorrento, too…Yup!)

  4. SHERYL MEKEMSON says

    Love the lemons! Such control in not purchasing the lemonware in Italy. The cheerful yellow looks great with my predominantly blue home.

    LOVE my porch sign! I’m grateful for your sharing and time. Thank you.

    • Sheryl, it was so hard because I saw a lot of it! I kinda wish I had now! I’m so glad you got your sign! That’s awesome! 🙂

  5. There is just something about lemons that instantly makes one smile. Jeri’s table is lovely, thank you Susan~

  6. Okay, you have my attention now. I need the salad plates. Great job!

  7. What a beautiful table setting – reminded me of the Amalfi coast.

    In honor of tablescape Thursday, I decided this rainy morning was the day to switch my winter dishes to my summer dishes. While I was at this chore, I thought – why not add up all the dinner plates I own. Shame on me! I could serve 84 people on dinner plates between all my different patterns including the service for 20 of my Christmas china. I never realized it was that many. I guess some women love shoes or handbags…I love dishware sets!!!

    • Exactly! We all have out favorite things. At least pretty dishes are not bad for one’s health! And they make my heart sing…and a singing heart is always a good thing! 🙂

  8. Your post today brought back wonderful memories of my trip to Italy, I too enjoyed all the pretty pottery and brought some beautiful pieces home. Italy is one of my most favorite places to go. I love what you did with the lemon dishes, you are so talented ❤️

  9. Susan, I love Jeri’s table, especially since I’m getting ready to do one a week from Sunday. We went to Italy last fall with a church group my wonderful pastor put together. Everything in Sorrento was lemons, lemons! In memory of our trip, I’m going to have a lemon/sunflower oriented table for them. I often wish I could share some of my tables with you, but I just have individual pictures, so don’t know that I can. In putting my table together in my mind, I could almost smell the lemons! I have that runner and salad plates pictured in the tablescape above, which I think are so lovely and cheery. Hope you have a great Thursday!

  10. I have never been to Italy so did not know of the lemon love. I love lemonade!

    • Me neither, I was so surprised. The olives I expected but had no idea lemons were so important there, as well. It’s a gorgeous country!

  11. Just love this setting and love anything to do with lemons. We usually have a bottle of Limoncello on hand for after dinner drinks and of course for our Lemon Drop Martinis. Thanks for sharing such a beautiful table!

  12. Such a gorgeous lemon inspired table. I can almost smell fresh lemons! Beautiful dinnerware, and pass me a Limoncello please. 🙂

  13. Beautiful. I also brought home a lemon plate from Cinque Terre when were were there on our 25th anniversary! Beautiful fun tablesetting! Makes me want a glass of lemonade!

  14. Now that’s fresh! I loved that WS print, and bought a few things in that line last year. I love anything lemon, and it is a staple in fresh fruit purchases for my drinking water. Thanks for sharing, Susan. Beautiful table, Jeri!

  15. Lemons just make everything look so fresh! I love this table, it is all beautiful! Thanks so much for hosting, Susan and have a beautiful Mother’s day!!!

  16. Nancy Elizabeth says

    What a “Bella” Table! The lemon serve ware and linens add the romantic touch and Italy is Romantic. Your table and everything you design is always inspiring and creative.

  17. Jeri’s table is very pretty and elegant. Time for me to dig out my fruit theme linens and get busy. I’ve yet to try Limoncello but I’ve heard nothing but good things about it. Thanks for hosting and Happy Mother’s Day!

  18. Loved the post and yes, it did remind me of bello Sorrento! I was there last year and can’t wait to return (just like the song). I also love the lemon ceramics and next trip I plan to bring back several pieces even if I have to put them in my backpack!! My husband just made limoncello with a Sorrento-type of lemon and it’s delicious.

    • One of the families we met and had dinner with while in Italy make their own Limoncello, as well. It was really good. It seems like I always end up bringing back a platter or a bowl on a lot of the trips I’ve taken. Once I even brought back 6 wine glasses in my carry-on bag. lol

  19. JESSICA WILSON says

    I love having Limoncello (especially the Limoncello Creme) with strawberry Fanta in the summertime. It is such a refreshing drink in the evenings after working in the gardens. I brought back several bottles the last trip to Italy. mmmmmm think I need to stop and get some Fanta on my way home! 🙂

  20. Thanks susan for posting!! So far it’s my favorite tablescape I’ve done since I found you online! I learned so much from your posts about what matches and mixing textures and patterns. This has turned into my hobby. I love lemons. Lemonade, lemon cake, lemon cookies, lemon candy, limoncello! Plus it’s so bright on a gloomy day. Whatever happened to April Showers?

    And thanks everyone! I really enjoyed this one!

    • Jeri, thanks so much for letting me share your beautiful table! I love it! I think we got your rain today, we had some big ol storms come through but all is quiet now. Have a wonderful weekend!

  21. I have a bottle of Lemoncello in my freezer at all times!

  22. This is such a pretty table! Hubby and I have twice gone to Sorrento/Positano/Capri and we absolutely loved our visits there. Yes, lemons are everywhere there. The Italian-made lemon pottery is so beautiful, I can’t believe I haven’t bought a set of Irtalian lemon dishes yet LOL! We’re going back to Italy again in the fall, will have to hunt for Italian lemon plates then. Maryland China Company also sells the white open work salad, dinner and charger plates and they are less expensive than at Williams Sonoma. Susan, thank you so much for hosting Tablescape Thursdays, I always look forward to them.

    • Elena, I think you need to make one more trip and fix that problem! lol I really, really wanted some dishes I saw inside a shop during our visit to Isle of Capri. They truly had some gorgeous patterns there. Thanks for the tip about that company, I hadn’t heard of them before.

  23. Beautiful tablescape. Love all the lemons – so bright and cheery.

    Have a wonderful Mothers Day Susan.

    Mary

  24. Terri Gonzalez says

    Just today, I purchased the dinner plates and tablecloth from PB Outlet! Who knew you were going to feature it on your page! Wow!

  25. What a pretty table! This reminds me of some lemon plates I have and should dig out! We hosted an exchange student from Naples, Italy. She loved lemons. I kept a constant stock of romaine lettuce, olive oil and lemons for her. She made a salad of just the lettuce with oil and lemon squirted over top every day after school.

  26. Beautiful I love the runner the bees are so cute Thank you for sharing with us.

  27. Beautiful tablescape. That table setting just says summer. Who doesn’t love lemons. One of my favorite summer drinks is Prosseco and Limoncello. I have replaced my summer sangria with this sparkler.

    Limoncello Sparkler

    1/2 oz. fresh lime juice (about 1/2 of a lime)
    1 oz. Limoncello, chilled
    4 oz. sparkling wine, such as Champagne, Prosecco, or sparkling Moscato, chilled (the Moscato is a little spicy, I like it mixed with the Prosecco better)

    Place lime juice and Limoncello in a champagne flute. Top off with sparkling wine. Stir gently to combine. 
    Garnish with lemon or lime slice or with lemon or lime zest.

    Saluti!

    Also one of my favorite places for chargers is the Maryland China Company.
    They have a style similar to Jeri’s.

    http://www.marylandchina.com/catalogsearch/result/index/?p=2&q=charger

  28. Bobbi Duncan says

    Lovely, fresh, and so perfect for the warmer months! Thanks for sharing Jeri’s beautiful table setting, Susan.

  29. Oh my Goodness!!! That photo of Sipping Lemon Drink in Sorrento is GORGEOUS!!!! Your table is beautiful. I love the mix of plates!

  30. Cynthia Raines says

    Very pretty table Jerri. I love all things lemon too. My niece makes WONDERFUL lemon bars – which I had one right now! haha. The pottery dishes with lemons on them from Italy are beautiful! Can’t believe you didn’t buy any Susan – that may call for another trip. 🙂

  31. Susan,we have an old family recipe for Limoncello. The secret is to use organic lemons which makes a huge difference in flavor and color. So we always have some on hand!

    • Interesting! If it make a difference in the flavor for the Limoncello, I bet it would for lemonade and other drinks, too. Good to know!

  32. Antoinette says

    Hi Susan, as usual, a lovely table setting! When I visited the Amalfi Coast with my husband, we ended up buying in Ravello several dishes and bowls of different sizes and shapes with different fruit designs on them (including some with lemons) and we actually had the store ship them to our house, because we bought so many! I’m happy to say that they arrived in two boxes all in one piece! And I use them every day, as dinner plates or bowls, or some I use for serving (the ones that are quite large), and some I display them on my kitchen walls. Every time I see them, they remind me of my fabulous trip to the Amalfi Coast!

  33. Have you ever tasted Meloncello? I think it is better than limoncello. I brought some home from Italy last year and then made my own–6 bottles–which my husband and I drank, all of them over several months!
    Next time you go to Italy, try a sample at one of those “cello” shops. I think you will like it!!

  34. so my two cousins and i went to Italy about 12 years ago. the best time of my life, since I am Italian and my father’s family lived close to where we stayed. (Casserta). we also visited Capri. glorious. I could only afford wine bottle stoppers with ceramic lemons on top, which I still have. besides wine, lemons are on top with Italians. and…we do love our lemons here in NJ, too. my father used lemons with salt for everything that ailed us. thanks for the memories. I could live in Italy, easily. especially on the Amalfi Coast.oh and PS….while at Capri. I spotted someone, ran after him with my flipflops on, and snapped a photo of Keanu Reeves walking down the cobblestone street!!!

    • Angela, that’s so wonderful that you were able to go there! Travel is getting harder and harder, now. Italy is such a beautiful place! I want to go back and see it during the spring or summer. I was there in the fall and all the fields were brown since they were either plowed under or dormant.

      Wow! That means the celebs still go there! When I was there, I went shopping in Carthusia and they have photos hanging on the wall of all the stars who used to go there back in the day when it was much less touristy. I wasn’t sure if any celebs still went there, so it’s good to know that they still do. I wonder if he was there vacationing or if he was filming a movie.

      You can see the photos of some of the celebs that used to go there in this previous post: https://betweennapsontheporch.net/my-favorite-perfumes-a-growing-collection/

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