A Woodland Table To Cozy Up To On This Cold January Day

Welcome to the 798th Tablescape Thursday! The sun had been shining so beautifully into the breakfast room all day, but just as I finished setting this table, it began to move away. If you look closely, you can see the last little sunbeam on the napkins near the bottom of this photo. Have you noticed the daylight is staying with us a little bit longer with each passing day? That makes me so happy because … [Read more...]




Beautiful Spode Christmas Tree & Festive Tartan Plaid, A Perfect Match For Christmas!

Happy Friday! I can't believe it--Christmas is almost here! I have one last beautiful Christmas table setting to share with you!   Maureen set a colorful, festive table for her Christmas holiday dinner and I'm in love with all the tartan/plaid in this beautiful table!   Such a beautiful centerpiece! Maureen found the black metal basket in her centerpiece in Pier 1. The two … [Read more...]




All Aboard The Christmas Train! Merry Christmas!

Welcome to the 795th Tablescape Thursday! Merry Christmas! I have a wonderful table to share with you today--Elena has created a beautiful table for Christmas!   Do you recognize some of the scenes on the tablecloth? They are a hint to the wonderful dinnerware Elena chose for her table.   If you were a big fan of the Better Homes and Gardens Heritage Christmas dinnerware that … [Read more...]




A Cozy, Warm, Candlelit Table For Fall, Mixing The New With The Vintage

Welcome to the 789th Tablescape Thursday! My favorite table settings, especially during the fall and winter, are always by candlelight.   This time of year, when nightfall begins arriving so early, I crave anything that feels cozy, warm, and comforting. Candlelight definitely gives me that.   A few days ago I purchased these rattan chargers that are currently on sale. I … [Read more...]




14 Beautiful, Whimsical Flatware Designs & A Strategy For Acquiring Them All! ;)

Welcome to the 766th Tablescape Thursday! Have you ever done an online search for unique flatware? Every so often I do that just to see what fun, whimsical flatware has been created. I love a beautiful elegant table setting, but my favorite tables are the fun ones, those tables that make you smile or feel a bit like a kid again. Sometimes it's the flatware that can really bring a bit of magic or fun to a … [Read more...]




How I Store/Organize My Napkins + Some New Additions For Spring and Summer

Welcome to the 756th Tablescape Thursday! If you've been reading BNOTP for a while, you know that I store a lot of the goodies I use in table settings in these cabinets here in my garage. I've been doing this for quite a few years now and it has worked out really well. It's super convenient having so many things grouped in one place and so close to the three areas where I normally set tables in my … [Read more...]




These Plates Are Almost Too Beautiful For Dining!

Welcome to the 748th Tablescape Thursday! I was so in the mood this week for a winter-themed table setting. One of my favorite dinnerware patterns that I love to use during the winter months is Lenox, Winter Greetings. It works beautifully for the holidays but is wonderful to use right through winter. Back in the day, Lenox made some stunningly beautiful accent plates to go with this pattern. I once shared … [Read more...]




A Winter Holiday Birthday Celebration in Purple and Gold

Welcome to the 745th Tablescape Thursday! Happy New Year to you! Thanks for all your well-wishes on my previous post. I'm not quite 100% yet, but getting there! I have one last holiday table to share with you. Though this table definitely works for Christmas, I think it would be wonderful to enjoy anytime during the winter months. Warren has always wanted to set a purple table during the holiday season. … [Read more...]




An Elegant, “Dress-up” Dinner Party for 10

Welcome to the 701st Tablescape Thursday! I have a wonderful treat for you today! Recently, I received an email from Warren about a special dinner party he and his wife Kathie hosted in their home. Warren said, "After setting too many holiday tablescapes, I felt like I had lost my mojo and was suffering from "tablescaper's block." (I am in all of Susan's talent and skill to have created over 600 … [Read more...]




Love, Lust, Passion & Romance–This Cozy Valentine’s Day Table Has It All

Welcome to the 696th Tablescape Thursday! It's the yearly meeting of the Valentine's Day Book Club and this year it's all about love, lust, passion, and romance. ♥♥♥   When it's cold out, I crave candlelight and cozy plaids.   Hope you enjoy this cozy meeting of the Valentine's Day Book Club.   I kept all the titles facing forward for … [Read more...]




Creative Ways To Use Soup Tureens in Your Table Settings

Welcome to the 695th Tablescape Thursday! With snow in the forecast this past weekend, it really put me in the mood for homemade soup. At least once or twice during the wintertime, I have to make my favorite vegetable soup.   This vegetable soup recipe is available here: Vegetable Soup.   Another great cold-weather soup that I occasionally make is a roasted butternut squash … [Read more...]




Craving Cozy for This Week’s Tablescape Thursday

Welcome to the 693rd Tablescape Thursday! On a cold, dreary winter day, my mind craves cozy. I dream of warm throws in rich, jewel tones, mixed with beautiful winter plaids. A cozy cabin in the woods or the mountains would be really nice, too. Inside we would find a hot, crackling fire burning away in the big, rock fireplace.   I wanted to set a table with a candlelight centerpiece for … [Read more...]




2 Beautiful Tables, A Snowy Christmas Mantel & A Lovely Hand-crafted Church

Welcome to the 690th Tablescape Thursday! Jackie shared her beautiful Thanksgiving table just after Thanksgiving. It was so pretty, I couldn't wait another whole year to share it with you!   Being a Thanksgiving table, Jackie went with a color scheme in beautiful autumn browns, reds, creams, and deep greens for this tablescape.   Of course, being Thanksgiving, there had to … [Read more...]




So About Those Pierced Chargers–Here’s The Skinny, Plus a Sale Update

I came across something recently that I thought those of you who enjoy following Tablescape Thursday, would enjoy seeing. It's a receipt from January 2008. Over the years as I've created table settings for Tablescape Thursday, the most often asked about item that I use in many of the tables I set are these cream, pierced chargers. (Table setting below can be viewed here: Limelight Hydrangeas in a Summer … [Read more...]




Winter Table: Blue Madrid Depression Glass, Earl Grey Tea Cake & London Fog Latte

Welcome to the 647th Tablescape Thursday, a blog party sharing beautiful table settings for all occasions! Recently Phyllis, a BNOTP reader, had her cousins over for a lovely dinner. I was so excited when she shared these beautiful photos from that event and knew I had to share them for an upcoming Tablescape Thursday.   Phyllis said, "It's very much winter here in Michigan with snowflakes … [Read more...]




Porch Dining: A Valentine’s Day Table on a Warm February Day + A Tree Update

Welcome to the 646th Tablescape Thursday, a blog party sharing beautiful table settings for all occasions! It was sunny and 70 degrees out on the porch yesterday! Since I stay inside hunkered down this time of year, I discovered it purely by accident when I walked outside to refill all the bird feeders. I was astonished and couldn't pass up the chance to set a table outside. It happens every year, the … [Read more...]




A Beautiful, Bird-Themed China Pattern for Wintertime: Lenox Winter Greetings

Welcome to the 643rd Tablescape Thursday, a blog party sharing beautiful table settings for all occasions! Recently I was chatting with a lovely BNOTP reader about our mutual love of a wonderful, bird-themed Lenox pattern called, Winter Greetings. I realized during our email exchange that it's been years since I used that pattern in a table for Tablescape Thursday. I don't know why I never think to bring … [Read more...]




Don’t Have the Perfect Tablecloth? Use a Cozy, Colorful Throw Instead

Welcome to the 632nd Tablescape Thursday, a blog party sharing beautiful table settings for all occasions! I know this has been a terribly stressful week for everyone, so how about something fun and relaxing today! I don't have my main computer back, yet--still waiting to hear if it can be saved, but I had an idea for today's post. A while back in the comments on a Tablescape Thursday post, someone … [Read more...]




Answering a Question, 2 Charger Additions & Dishes I’m Eyeing Right Now

Welcome to the 624th Tablescape Thursday! Recently I received a lovely email from Anne who had a few questions about the charger plates I so often use in table settings. Anne wrote: I enjoy your blogs very much because you have so many different subjects. I have bought things you have suggested, enjoyed your home and family. Thanks for sharing. Where do you find chargers? Are some of them plastic? I … [Read more...]




Incredible Auction Finds & Dining with Faenza Garofano Carnation

Welcome to the 609th Tablescape Thursday! I wish I lived near Jackie so she could teach me her ways. During this lockdown we've all been experiencing, Jackie scored some amazing deals on both furniture and dinnerware via some of the auction houses in her area. She had been hoping to update her dining room table and chairs. Jackies was able to acquire the beautiful table you'll see in today's table … [Read more...]




A Beautiful Candlelit Table Setting for a Special Birthday Celebration

Welcome to the 602nd Tablescape Thursday! A few months back around Christmastime, Warren shared some wonderful photos of a beautiful table setting he created for a special birthday celebration. Warren said, "Since Kathie (Warren's wife) comes from a large family, we are always celebrating birthdays." Warren put this beautiful table together to celebrate the 60th birthday of Kathie's sister-in-law. … [Read more...]




A Woodland-Themed Valentine’s Day Table—Not Your Usual Valentine’s Day Table

Welcome to the 595th Tablescape Thursday! With Valentine's Day tomorrow, I thought it would be appropriate to place this week's tablescape here in my very red dining room. lol   This table is not your usual Valentine's Day table.   But there are definitely some red hearts here and there.   The idea for this table popped into my head a few weeks ago when I came … [Read more...]




A Snowy, Winter Themed Tablescape in Tartan

Welcome to the 592nd Tablescape Thursday! A few days ago I mentioned in a post that I had purchased several tartan tablecloths while they were on sale. One of the tablecloths I purchased was a 70-inch round tablecloth to use on my breakfast table. In that same post, I pondered how this previously shared Christmas table setting would have looked atop a tartan tablecloth. (See this previous table in this … [Read more...]




Bonnie’s Beautiful New Year’s Eve Celebration

Welcome to the 591st Tablescape Thursday! I'm posting Tablescape Thursday a bit early this week since I'll be spending all day Wednesday on the road. Gonna be a long day tomorrow. Thank goodness for Audible! I was so excited when I came across this beautiful table my friend, Bonnie, shared on her Instagram feed. I've shared several of Bonnie's tables in the past and they are always a … [Read more...]




A Special Christmas Tea Party with a Scumptious Tea Party Menu

Welcome to the 570th Metamorphosis Monday! Happy New Year (almost) to you! I had planned to share a lamp switcheroo today but things have been so busy with the holidays, the kids out of school and weekend activities, I never got a chance to take photos in their room. I will do that soon and share how the new lamp looks with their holiday bedding.   The new lamp turned out to be not that … [Read more...]




3 Christmas Tables & A Snowy Christmas Cottage

Welcome to the 587th Tablescape Thursday! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you! Since Christmas is just a week away, for this week's Tablescape Thursday I'm sharing three of my fave Christmas tables from the past. This would be a fun table to re-create for my grandsons one day. If you have a collection of small lit houses, consider using them as your centerpiece for your holiday table. (Click the … [Read more...]




Thanksgiving Table Setting Idea, Featuring Spode Woodland & Pheasant, Magnolia, Nandina Centerpiece

Welcome to the 582nd Tablescape Thursday! This is the table I'll be setting up for Thanksgiving this year. My grandsons, ages 3 and 5 will be here for Thanksgiving but won't be here for Christmas, so I want to do something fun for them.   They've never really watched the movie, Christmas Vacation, since they aren't quite old enough. They could probably watch it if we skipped past some of … [Read more...]




A Football-Themed Table for Your Super Bowl Party

Welcome to the 539th Tablescape Thursday! Loved your comments so much on yesterday's post about possibly adding three storage cabinets to my upstairs hallway. You had me laughing and nodding my head so many times. I definitely recognized myself! I also loved your ideas for what I could store in them until (and if) my handbag collection ever grows. For now, I'm trying to resist buying the cabinets for … [Read more...]




Serving Ideas for Your Super Bowl Party

I'm often asked where I get ideas for the tables I create for Tablescape Thursday. The actual answer isn't very helpful because it changes every week. The true answer is: everywhere. Sometimes it's dishware I already have and that I'm itching to use, or it could be an upcoming holiday. Inspiration can really come from anywhere. Today I was shopping in Publix and saw these. They reminded me that the Super … [Read more...]




The Book Club Meeting: A Cozy, Candlelight Setting

Welcome to the 537th Tablescape Thursday! I was in the mood for a candlelight setting this week, something cozy to chase away the rain and the cold days of January.   This post was delayed this morning due to a technical issue my host company is working on. So if BNOTP is running a bit slower than normal, they are working on it. I had this table all set and was ready to start taking … [Read more...]




Dining in a Country Lodge, An Autumn Inspired Table Setting

Welcome to the 529th Tablescape Thursday! It's very cold here in Georgia right now, so I'm dreaming I'm in a beautiful lodge. There's a roaring, crackling fire blazing away in the massive stone fireplace. I'm curled up under a cozy, warm throw, reading The Secret Garden for the thousandth time while sipping the yummiest hot chocolate. What's that? It's time for dinner?   A dark … [Read more...]




French Cottage Becomes a Greek Taverna

Welcome to the 520th Tablescape Thursday! We're off to France for this week's Tablescape Thursday to visit my friend, Norma. Norma resides in an adorable cottage in the French countryside alongside the Argenton River. Recently, she had friends staying with her for a few days, and one evening she prepared a scrumptious Greek feast. Norma wrote: Hi Susan I thought that you might like to see these … [Read more...]




Celebrating 10 Years & 500 Tablescape Thursdays!

Welcome to the 500th Tablescape Thursday! Wow! It blows me away to type that number: 500! How did that happen? :) Tablescape Thursday, initially called Tablescape Tuesday, got its start on August 24th, 2008. This was the first table setting I ever posted for our tablescape party. I had just added on the porch the previous fall/winter and was so excited to set a table with the beach-themed dinnerware I … [Read more...]




Going to Miss the Cozy Tartan Plaids of Winter

Welcome to the 492nd Tablescape Thursday! A few week's back I posted a winter woodland table for Tablescape Thursday.   Shortly after posting that table, Elinda shared photos of a recent woodland table she had put together. Though spring has arrived early here in Georgia (everything is blooming up a storm now!) I had to share this delightful cozy woodland table. Recognize the deer in … [Read more...]




A Cozy, Woodland, Candlelight Dinner for Cold, Winter Nights

Welcome to the 487th Tablescape Thursday! During the winter months, I love surrounding myself with plaid as much as possible, be it a plaid throw at night when I'm reading, a plaid scarf to keep me warm when I run errands or colorful, plaid plates for cozy dining.   This winter table has a woodland-deer theme. I kept the centerpiece simple, using two cute deer I've had for several years … [Read more...]




They’re Back, and They’ve Brought 12 New Friends!

Welcome to the  477th Tablescape Thursday! This past week has been a super busy one, and a tad stressful. It was filled with major updates being made to the blog/site, which thankfully went well, Christmas tree shopping and dentist/doctors appointments. Remind me to never schedule both of those in the same week! Too crazy! Life definitely got in the way of me putting together a new tablescape for this … [Read more...]




Noritake Xavier Gold: Perfect for an Autumn or Holiday Table

Welcome to the 474th Tablescape Thursday! Too cold to create a table setting on the porch this week...   ...or, on the new seating area on the deck.   Since we're inside in the dining room for this week's Tablescape Thursday, it's the perfect time to share a candlelit table with a cozy, autumn feel.   This table wanted to become everything. It wanted to be a … [Read more...]




Found: The Perfect Bark-Edged, Wood Chargers for Woodsy Holiday Tables

I love using chargers in a table setting. They add so much to a table, another lovely layer that beautifully highlights the other plates in the place setting.   Over the past 10 years I've gradually added to my charger collection whenever I've found them on sale or greatly discounted. I've also enjoyed making them when a design I wanted wasn't available anymore, or was more than I wanted to … [Read more...]




Dinner in a Country Lodge

Welcome to the 469th Tablescape Thursday! It's still warm here in Georgia, but some David Carter Brown plates I purchased recently have put me in the mood for a bit of fall fun.   I almost placed this table setting in the dining room since it has more of an autumn feel with its red walls.   But in the end I decided to stay on the porch since it was so nice out with temps in … [Read more...]




17 Charger Plate Ideas for Your Next Dinner Party

Welcome to the 454th Tablescape Thursday! Whenever I set a table for friends or family, I often use a charger plate underneath the dinner plate. I love the way they enhance a setting, adding another pretty layer and providing a base for each place setting. They are also practical as they help catch drips that would otherwise fall on the table or tablecloth. Back in early 2008, before I ever began … [Read more...]




6 Table Settings to Inspire & Add Warmth To Your Winter Dining

Welcome to the 434th Tablescape Thursday! This past week I've been focused on getting a lot of things done that I've been putting off, like fixing broken network extenders, solving phone storage issues, repairing gates, repairing a collapsed shelf in my master bedroom closet, organizing, clearing out the office closet and attempting to solve an electrical problem. Electricity scares me, which is … [Read more...]




Two Beautiful Table Settings & A Brilliant Storage Idea for Napkin Rings

Welcome to the 417th Tablescape Thursday! A while back I shared some bins I had purchased as a possible solution for storing my napkin rings. I ended up returning the bins, they were just too large and took up way too much space for napkin ring storage. Candace who reads BNOTP sent me a photo sharing how she stores her napkin rings and I think it is such a clever idea! She uses a slacks or pants … [Read more...]




A Woodland Table Celebrating the Beauty of the Northwoods Forest

Welcome to the 416th Tablescape Thursday! We're still having beautiful weather in the 80's each day, but the table I set for this week has more of an autumn feel.   Have you been wondering what's happened to the seat cushions I normally have on the chairs around the table? I still have them, I've just been removing them for photos each week if the colors in the cushions detract from the … [Read more...]




Taper Tipper: Easiest Way To Trim Down the Base of a Candle

Welcome to the 393rd Metamorphosis Monday! Recently I shared this summer table setting for Tablescape Thursday. Thanks so much for all the lovely comments you left on that post--appreciated those so much!   The centerpiece for that table was all about candles, lots and lots of candles. (Tablescape can be viewed here: Romantic Candlelight Dinner on the Porch)   In that post I … [Read more...]




Where Did You Get That Flatware?

Welcome to the 409th Tablescape Thursday! I've been out of town visiting with family for the last five days and just got back late yesterday evening. Since I wasn't home to create a tablescape, I thought it might be fun to put together a post all about flatware. Flatware is to a table setting what jewelry or shoes are to an outfit. The right flatware can be the perfect finishing touch to a beautiful … [Read more...]




A Snowy Winter Table Setting

Welcome to the 382nd Tablescape Thursday! We're celebrating winter with a snowy winter tablescape for Tablescape Thursday.   It was a cold but sunshine-filled day yesterday when I created this table setting in my breakfast room.   For the centerpiece, I used the little tree I had previously used for our Hot Cocoa Bar on the porch. (See more of the Hot Cocoa Bar in this post: … [Read more...]




DIY Hot Cocoa Sign for a Hot Chocolate Bar: A Tutorial

A couple of days ago I shared a Hot Cocoa bar I created out on my screened porch. The bar area included a sign I made that was inspired by a sign I had seen floating around blogland a few years back. After not having any success locating a similar sign, I decided it was time to head downstairs to my basement workshop and make my own. (Inspiration sign and detail views of the Hot Cocoa Bar can be seen in … [Read more...]




Create a Hot Cocoa Bar for Winter Entertaining

Happy Holidays to you, dear Friends! We're out on the porch today and I know it's a little chilly. Don't worry though, I have just the thing to warm us up. Step right over here and belly up to the bar--the Hot Cocoa Bar, that is. :)   I've been envisioning a Hot Cocoa Bar for years out here on the porch, but I could never quite gather together all the bits and pieces I needed to create it, … [Read more...]




In The Library With The Candlestick

Welcome to the 337th Tablescape Thursday! I began putting this table together a couple of weeks ago but couldn't quite get it ready in time for last week's Tablescape Thursday. It was freezing at the time and I was craving warm and cozy. What a difference a week makes! Yesterday as I worked to finish the table, the birds were chirping so loudly outside you would have thought spring had arrived. I … [Read more...]




A Hearty Breakfast Out On The Farm

Welcome to the 335th Tablescape Thursday! It's been a long time since Jean-Claude made an appearance in a table setting.   The last time he appeared, he was a waiter in a little French cafe. ;)   The cold, cold weather we've been having has me dreaming of big hearty breakfasts with fresh eggs, homemade biscuits, grits, pancakes and bacon. Shhh, don't say the "bacon" word too … [Read more...]




A New Year’s Winter Table Setting

Welcome to the 331st Tablescape Thursday! Recently, my friend Bonnie created a beautiful winter tablescape for a New Year's Eve dinner.   This table setting included a Santa centerpiece dressed all in white, so this table would also work great as a Christmas tablescape, too.   Take away the Santa and this table setting would work great any time during the winter … [Read more...]




A Winter Tablescape With Snowman Spice Cake Centerpiece

Welcome to the 330th Tablescape Thursday! My tablescape today is a winter themed table setting with a very special centerpiece. It's so special that it's practically invisible. What? You don't see it? It's right there--on the pedestal in the center of the table. ;) I knew by the time the centerpiece I planned to use was ready, it would already be getting dark out. Since table settings look so much … [Read more...]




Warming Up The New Year With A Woodland Table Setting

Welcome to the 329th Tablescape Thursday! Have you ever gotten a surprise call from a friend who was in town and suddenly realized you were going to have company for dinner? When that happened to Laura, instead of panicking like I may have :) she seized the opportunity to put together a warm and inviting Woodland themed table setting. Laura is definitely quick on her feet because the table she created is … [Read more...]




A Winter Table Setting & A $250 Giveaway From Noritake

Welcome to the 323rd Tablescape Thursday! It's too cold for tablescaping out on the porch this week so we're in the dining room for this week's Tablescape Thursday. Since I have an abundance of red tartan tablecloths right now :) (see Tuesday's post for an explanation) I decided to put one to use.   This table is all about winter with a snowflake centerpiece, frosty white Cher Blanc … [Read more...]




Tartan Dishware: Mix & Match Patterns To Create 17 Unique Tartan Place Settings

Welcome to the 321st Tablescape Thursday! It's 5 AM as I write this. My server had a glitch tonight and I couldn't load any photos. Thankfully my host company figured out what was wrong and fixed it but it really delayed things and I never got to go to sleep. So this post will be short on words as I head off to bed soon for a few hours sleep. With all things tartan on the brain this week, I though it … [Read more...]




They Only Look Like Ornaments…

Welcome to the 301st Metamorphosis Monday! Pssst...come over here a second, I want to show you something. We're in the Christmas section of Wal-mart...what do you see? Looks like ornaments, right?   I'm seeing something else. Those antlers, the ones in a circle shape there on the top row...   To me, those look like great napkin rings...   ...for a Christmas … [Read more...]




The Best-Dressed Table At The County Fair

Welcome to the 315th Tablescape Thursday! It's that time of year. The days are getting shorter, the leaves are beginning to change color and there's a cool crispness to the evening air. That can only mean one thing; the smell of cotton candy and funnel cakes will soon fill the air.  Source The Country Fair is in town! Each year Dawnette bravely takes up a most unique challenge--she enters a … [Read more...]




A Formal Dinner Party in New Orleans, Kemper & Leila Williams Style

Welcome to the 301st Tablescape Thursday! When I was in New Orleans the early part of May, one of the homes I toured with my friend, Linda, was the home of Kemper and Leila Williams. Their home, located in the French Quarter at 712 Toulouse Street is actually behind another home, the Merieult House at 533 Royal Street. The Merieult House (shown below) serves as the entrance to several buildings, … [Read more...]




A Winter Table Setting, Tablecloth by Mother Nature

Welcome to the 281st Tablescape Thursday! So, you know how I opened Tuesday's blog post with these words: "It’s snowing a teensy bit in Georgia today, nothing too serious although I do see the cars crawling very slowly on the road back behind my home." I'd like to retract that statement, please! If you've been following the news, you know the weather got crazy really fast around here. I rarely watch … [Read more...]




New Year’s Dinner Party Tablescape with a Winter Theme

Welcome to the 278th Tablescape Thursday! On New Year's day this year, I had a little dinner party here in my home. Originally it appeared as if 8 would be attending but that number happily grew to 10. Since my dining room table will only seat 8, and that's always a bit of a tight fit, I decided to set two tables, 6 in the dining room and 4 in the breakfast room. Last week I shared a few pics of the … [Read more...]




New Year’s Day Table Setting with Lenox Winter Greetings

Welcome to the 277th Tablescape Thursday! So how was your first day of 2014? I hope it was awesome! Yesterday I had 10 friends over for a New Year's Day dinner. I barely remembered to snap a few pics of the tables before everyone arrived. Since there were 10 of us, I ended up setting the dining room table for 6 and the breakfast table for 4. The centerpieces for each table were similar, but … [Read more...]




Christmas Table Setting: Sparkle with a Touch of Whimsy

Welcome to the 273rd Tablescape Thursday!   Today we're tablescaping in the dining room. This room can be a bit of a challenge for taking pictures since it's on the north side of the house where there's very little natural light and it has deep, red walls painted Benjamin Moore, Raspberry Truffle. Someone mentioned once in a comment that all the paint colors I've used in my home have food … [Read more...]




Dining Fireside

Welcome to the 269th Tablescape Thursday! After reading all your wonderful suggestions yesterday for surviving winter in style, I found myself dreaming of reading good books under warm throws with a hot fire burning nearby. So, for this week's Tablescape Thursday, we're traveling back in time to visit three settings previously shared fireside. (Click on titles for additional pics.) Wishing you lots of … [Read more...]




Dinner In A Cabin On The Russian River

Welcome to the 225th Tablescape Thursday! This week you are in for a special treat.  Julio who blogs at Beaux Mondes Designs created a beautiful tables setting in his wonderful cabin in Russian River, California.  I'm absolutely mad about plaid so when I saw this setting, I couldn't wait to share it for Tablescape Thursday. Julio's dining room is amazing, even without a wonderful table setting.  What … [Read more...]




A Christmas Dinner Party

Welcome to the 224th Tablescape Thursday! Three or four weeks ago I posted this tablescape below for a Tablescape Thursday.  Sunday I had a little dinner party and at first I set the table with my Lenox, Winter Greetings pattern.  At the last minute, I decided the table was feeling a bit more formal than I wanted for this gathering.  I wanted our party to feel more cozy and casual.  So I decided to … [Read more...]




How Many Place Settings Should I Buy?

I receive a good many emails each week from the wonderful readers of BNOTP and one question I get over and over again is: How do you decide how many place settings to buy of a particular china? Here's just three of the e-mails I've received on this topic: 1. "Whenever I see a dish sets (usually come in set for 4/box). I am not sure if I should just buy the 4 (in 1 box) or buy 2 boxes. Is hard to find set … [Read more...]




Monogramming Sterling Flatware, Great Idea or Huge Mistake

Welcome to the 80th Metamorphosis Monday! I love monogrammed silver. I suppose I could attribute it to having been "raised" here in the south where  monogramming has long been a standing tradition. Actually, I've never known anyone who had monogrammed silver, or if they did I don't remember seeing it. But for me, it's a reminder that family is important, family traditions are important and … [Read more...]




Winter Table with Swarovski Snowflake & Star Centerpiece

Welcome to the 74th Tablescape Thursday!  I was in the mood to celebrate this season of winter with a winter table setting and one of my favorite Robert Frost poems. Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening By Robert Frost   Whose woods these are I think I know.   His house is in the village though; He will not see me stopping here To watch his woods fill up with … [Read more...]




Snowman Follies

Welcome to the 73rd Tablescape Thursday! It's been unusually cold here in Georgia this winter...we even had a bit of snow.   Snow in Georgia calls for a tablescape with a wintery feel.   Spied these snowman plates at HomeGoods a few months back and couldn't resist. When I had family here for Christmas, we used them for dessert; today they are salad plates in our … [Read more...]




Cozy Fireside Tea

Welcome to the 72nd Tablescape Thursday! Hey, come on in here out of the cold. I'm so excited that you've stopped by! I have a special evening planned for us.   Let's sit over here by the fire. I've made us a nice pot of hot tea. And some yummy snowball cookies. Would you like a chocolate-dipped peppermint stick? I sampled a couple before you got here...you know, just to make sure they … [Read more...]




Fireside Dining in the Library with Spode Woodland

Welcome to the 27th Tablescape Thursday! When I came across this room in a magazine, the thing that really caught my eye stopping me dead in my tracks, was the gorgeous tablecloth. It was just so over-the-top and impractical, which of course, was exactly why I loved it! I started pricing lace tablecloths online and quickly realized I would not be buying one any time soon--some were over $1,000! A … [Read more...]




Celebrating the Winter Blues

A little birdie told me you had the winter blues... So I was thinking...since Old Man Winter is here to stay for while, instead of fighting those winter blues, why don't we just embrace them. Come on over here; I have the perfect spot for you...a comfy blue chair... And a nice, hot cup of tea, served from a Blue Willow teapot... How about a fluffy, soft pillow... With a … [Read more...]




Winter Table Setting with Swarovski Crystal Ornament Centerpiece

Welcome to the 12th Tablescape Tuesday! Let's celebrate the approach of the holiday season with a tablescape that has the feel of a snowy evening. I've dimmed the lights and lit the candles...so glad you've stopped by this chilly winter night. The centerpiece for our winter-scape is a silver "tree" covered in 17 Swarovski crystal ornaments. I've been collecting them since 1991, when Swarovski … [Read more...]