Welcome to the 838th Tablescape Thursday! I can’t believe this day has come! I actually have a table on which I can set a table setting right here in the Dollhouse! Yaaaay! About time, right? Let-me-tell-ya, it was a process and a half getting it here since Rooms to Go, from whom the table was purchased, doesn’t deliver to the state of Ohio. After searching high and low for several months, this table from their French Market line, was the only table that I liked and thought would look at home in this cottage-style dining room, a room that is fully open to the kitchen.
In addition to fitting with the cottage vibe of this home, it has a finish that feels very family/kid-friendly. I love a beautiful, high-polished, flame mahogany table with satinwood banded inlay, but I just couldn’t envision that type of table in a room where you can literally see the microwave and refrigerator while you’re dining. Another plus for this table is that it has a leaf that will let this table seat 8 comfortably. That could come in handy for parties or holiday dining in the future.
Having never taken photos of a table in this room, I experimented a bit taking photos with the window shades up, with them down, with the chandelier on, with it off—all kinds of ways. So you may notice the light changing a lot throughout these photos. One of the things I’d like to do with this dining set sometime in the future is to have the chair seats and backs reupholstered—maybe in a pretty buffalo-plaid fabric. No plans for that right away since I feel like I need to wait until I have living room furniture here so that I’ll know what other fabrics/colors I’ll be using in the adjacent rooms. For now, I’m just happy to have a dining table.
Since Rooms to Go doesn’t deliver to Ohio, I had this set delivered to my home in Georgia, then rented a 10-ft U-haul to bring the table and chairs up to the Dollhouse. I’ve never driven a U-haul for 8+ hours on the interstate. When my son was in undergraduate school at UGA, I briefly rented a truck to help him move from an apartment to a home he was renting with several friends, but that only involved driving a few blocks. When this dining set was delivered, I had the delivery guys open the box so I could see the top. I didn’t want to get all the way to Ohio with it, open the box, and discover a giant scratch or some kind of terrible damage. Thankfully, everything looked fine. I’ll create a post sharing more about the U-haul experience sometime soon.
I had this table setting mostly together when my grandsons stopped by one afternoon. They come by several times a week, and the look on their faces when they came through the front door was a riot! At that point, I still needed to add candles and a centerpiece. My oldest grandson (age 10) said, “Let’s use the witch’s hat!”
He was holding this really large black and white hat that you’ve seen me use in other tables in the past. I loved the witch’s hat idea for the centerpiece but suggested we go with the one I had hanging on the front door since it has touches of orange which would work nicely with the napkins. He loved that idea!
I was so surprised at how into this table he was. I should have known, though since he is always all about the details. Love that!
I had to bring out my favorite Halloween decor: the ravens! Or, are they crows? I’m never sure, but we’ll call them ravens for this table setting.
Since I had to plan this table in my head while I was back home in Georgia, I went with my favorite Halloween dinnerware, a fairly recent purchase from just a few years back.
I brought up a lot of Halloween dinnerware because I have a feeling that I’ll be spending most, if not all, future Halloweens here in Ohio. That white stuff on the candelabra is melted wax from candles I’ve used in the past. I left it since I kinda like how it looks. I wish these candles were the drippy kind, love that for Halloween tables! The orange and black buffalo plaid napkins are from here: Buffalo Plaid Napkins. They appear to be out of the orange, but they do still have them in black and white, another color I’ve purchased and looks great in Halloween tablescapes.
The boys loved the beaded spider napkin rings, and of course, they had to poke at them to make sure they weren’t real. Hahaha. Can not remember where I found those now, been too many years for me to remember.
The raven dinnerware was a find on eBay and it’s by CIROA. It’s porcelain and the pattern is, Wicked. There’s a set available on eBay now, here: Wicked Raven Porcelain Dinnerware.
The flatware is Gourmet Settings Treble Clef. I’ve had it for many, many years. Amazingly, it still appears to be available here: Treble Clef 20-piece Set.
The arched, scaredy-cat stemware is from Overstock many years ago.
I love this silly design so much! The crows were from Hobby Lobby quite a few years back. I bought a bunch of them the first year they had them in stock, then liked them so much, I purchased more when they brought them back the following year. I’m not sure if they still stock these now, but they are my favorite Halloween decoration.
When I’m back home, I have two crows, I think a husband and wife, who visit me daily. One of them, I think probably the male, will fly down and sit on my deck rail and caw until he sees me appear in the kitchen window. He’s asking me to bring out peanuts. lol I started putting those out in a plant saucer a few months back after reading that crows really like them. When I bring out the plant saucer filled with shelled peanuts, he selects a peanut, then washes it in the birdbath that’s attached to the deck rail. I’m not sure if he does that to soften them or why he does that. He has me trained well! When I was back down in Georgia to load up the Uhaul, some crows flew over me in the driveway, cawing the whole while. They landed in a tree in my backyard that’s just at the end of the driveway. I have a feeling they were the same ones who like to visit for the peanuts. They are so smart and I miss seeing them when I’m here.
A few candlelight photos…
Sometime before Halloween, my son, daughter-in-law, and grandsons will be joining me for dinner at this table. I’ll need to change out the wine glasses to something more practical for the boys.
Hope you enjoyed this first-ever table setting here in the Dollhouse. It was so much fun to put together! Looking forward to the beautiful table settings linked for this week’s Tablescape Thursday!
If you are participating in Tablescape Thursday, please be sure to add your permalink below, and not your general blog address. To get your permalink, click on your post name, then copy and paste the address showing in the address bar, into the “url” box when you link up. You’ll need to include a link in your post back to the party to link up and participate. That’s so visitors to your blog will be able to find the party and the other Tablescape Thursday participants. Requiring a link back also prevents businesses and scammers from linking up to sell their products. Please, don’t add your post name/blog name ALL IN CAPS…it tends to create big spaces between the rows of links. Please do not link up table settings that were just recently shared in the last few weeks for Tablescape Thursday.
Oh yippppeeeeee!!!!!! That looks AWESOME, Susan!!!!!! Well done picking that new set. It is perfect in the DH. And that Halloween table – I bet those boys were enthralled to be sure!
As for recovering down the road. I wouldn’t. Seriously you have busyness visually on your tablescapes, and busyness with the wall of china displayed……having another busy pattern introduced isn’t the best idea – let the table set be a nice neutral backdrop for all your stuff instead. Now if you don’t care for the fabric or color – change that – but don’t go with a pattern. Stick to a solid neutral. That’s my uncalled for design opinion.
Looks fabulous. Welcome to Tablescape Thursday, sweet Dollhouse! ♥
Thanks, Michele! Well, I really dislike gray upholstery, not a fan of gray in my home. It’s just too cold and depressing. It’s fine for right now, but I really do want to get rid of the gray. If I go with a buffalo plaid, it won’t be super colorful. I could do a tan/white plaid or something very neutral. Also, the china display won’t always feel quite so busy once I have glass-paned cabinet doors made for the shelves. I would like to tie whatever fabric I use on the chairs into future windows curtains/draperies. Next time I order shutters, I plan to shutter the living room and the dining room, then add draperies along the sides to soften the look. I need color and pattern in my home, not a fan of using a solid colors in my rooms.
You picked the perfect table and chairs, Susan, and I love your Halloween tablescape!
Thanks so much, Jane!
XXX
I love it! The table scape is perfect, it even has my favorite tapers…Purple! Congratulations on your new Dollhouse, it is beautiful and you’ve worked so hard to make it that way.
Thanks so much, Debbie! ♥
To think about having a second house to decorate really makes me swoon. After all, I have enough stuff to do so quite easily. This is beautiful, Susan! I love the dining set, the hutch, and the table setting is phenomenal. The witch hat as a centerpiece is just perfect. The purple candles, and those wonderful candlesticks really blow my skirt up. I also love the stemware with the black cat. This is fun.
Thanks so much, Pattie! Fun was definitely the look/goal I was going for. 🙂
XXX
The first table scape, and it’s wonderful, now you are officially ensconced in the cottage! Well, when the living room furniture is in you will be. When the family comes for a spooky dinner, do use the scaredy-cat glasses for the boys! With some rich, red cranberry juice cocktail, it will look very Halloween!
Thanks so much, Barb! That would be fun and they would feel so grown up drinking from wine glasses.
Congratulations!
Makes the whole adventure real- well that and the sun porch set up
Enjoy
lol True!
Susan,
Love the table and adore that Halloween tablescape!!!
Thanks so much for hosting this wonderful party!! I really appreciate the time and effort that goes into it along with visiting all the links!! I hope you are having a great week!!
Hugs,
Deb
Debbie-Dabble Blog
Thanks, Debbie! Have a great week!
Looks fab! The hat is the piece de resistance. Good call C. The cutlery gives it a whimsical feel in contrast to the spooky spiders. Can’t wait to see more photos as this room comes together. Makes me want some candy just looking at it all.
Thanks, Teresa! That flatware always feels so whimsical to me with its curly handles.
Oh I LOVE this! So festive and elegant! Your grandson has good table instincts – I love the hat. And the colors are just right, especially those purple candles! Congrats on getting the table up there for the first Dollhouse tablescape! Thanks for that lovely Halloween inspiration, and for hosting, too!
HOW FUN and CREATIVE..!!! Thank you..!
Great Tablescape debut in the Dollhouse! Hat is the perfect touch and fun to hear how the kids are into it. How sweet that they stop by several times a week. Just wait until December…several times a day more likely
Hi Cowgirl! I inadvertently replied to your account. You must have wondered, what the heck! My apologies. Mia
No worries, Mia….Happy Day…!
Love this Susan.
I’m following from Georgia to Ohio.
Table scape Thursday will be even more fun with help from the grands.
I love that the grandsons stopped by and that they do regularly! So fun that they also want to help and participate. Really fun table. I like the crows/ravens/black birds and your story about the live crows!!! Re the upholstery on the chairs I don’t think the current material is very cottage and your idea of plaid with the white wood would look really happy. I’ve also seen where some have wallpapered the back of hutches/bookcases and that might tie the plaid in or whatever pattern you choose. Shutters would look so good with the table too. It’s fun watching everything evolve. Will you be cooking up a spooky menu when the family comes for dinner?
Susan, I LOVE your new table and inaugural tablescape in the cottage! Congratulations on getting it there and putting it all together. I just love this house.
It’s so funny…my 3 yo granddaughter loves costuming, but she’s paid no attention whatsoever to my Halloween tablescape! She’s been too busy walking past it to get to her room I’ve designated as her playroom!
What fun! Your very first tablescape at the Dollhouse!!! I love all the little spooky touches, especially the flatware!! The dining room table was worth all the trouble getting it there! It’s perfect!! Every day is a new adventure!!!
So happy for you! The table and all look wonderful. You have so much energy to do all of this in a new house. As I have said before, I need your energy! Lol
love it leave all the lights on so the neighborhood can see what a good job you did. Love the checkered idea. Please can you tell me where you got the black and white hat witches hat. I wonder if you will get a lot of kids in your new neighborhood happy Halloween and congratulations on a beautiful home
Thanks so much, Tamara! Gosh, I don’t remember now, it was so long ago. If I had to guess, it probably came from HomeGoods or Marshalls. I used to find most of my holiday goodies in those two stores.
thanks for answering susan have a great day!
Susan,
Love the new dining table. , and the table you have set…your first in your “second” home and a first with your grandsons. Maybe this should become a new holiday tradition;-)
Regarding changing the upholstery on the chairs to a small buffalo check- you might try placing some lumbar pillows on the end chairs in this fabric.
Looking forward to many more tables from Ohio!
Yay….you got a table scape set up at the Dollhouse! Looks great. Plaid fabric is a great choice for chairs. I’m like you I love color and pattern. And must have drapes too for me. No grass has been growing under your feet. You have accomplished a lot in a short time.
Congrats on the 1st of many new tablescapes! And what a cute start. Love that the grands are into the process and enjoying being a part of it all. Happy October!
Great Tablescape debut in the Dollhouse! Hat is the perfect touch and fun to hear how the kids are into it. How sweet that they stop by several times a week. Just wait until December…several times a day more likely
A PERFECT grandson’s Halloween table! SO VERY CUTE! Makes me want to be a kid again! The table looks perfect in the room and I can totally see a buffalo print on the chairs which would bring out their “cottagey cuteness”. So look forward to each post you do sharing your journey between homes! Happy Halloween.
Hi Susan, you have outdone yourself once again even though you have been so busy with the new house and going back and forth between your two homes! And such detail everything down to the purple candles! I love everything about it. And I have to give you so much credit for renting the U-Haul truck and driving it long distance by yourself!