Welcome to the 869th Tablescape Thursday! Every day in Ohio is Groundhog Day right now. Remember that movie? Every day is the same: dark, dreary, and rainy. So what do you do? We are just going to have to make our own sunshine inside!
This table setting was inspired by the beautiful pink peonies I recently discovered growing alongside a stepping-stone path that meanders down the side of the Dollhouse. They amazingly survived the Great Weed Apocalypse of the last few years and the ensuing severe weeding that followed, and by weeding, I mean the selling realtor’s landscaper cutting everything down to the ground.
Peonies must be pretty hardy to survive all that! The only vase I have with me here in Ohio is this Belleek Pottery Shamrock vase that I purchased from the Belleek Pottery gift shop in Co. Fermanagh, Ireland, shortly after touring the factory. Try to think of the shamrocks as a bit of added greenery. Ha!
I love this pretty, soft-pink color!
I’m amazed the peonies have survived the ongoing rain onslaught of the past few weeks.
The pretty blue vases at either end of the table belonged to my late mother-in-law. They were always on display on the mantle in the home she and my father-in-law lived in for over 50 years. They are hallmarked: Amoges, Hand-painted.
The majority of the dinnerware I have here at the Dollhouse is autumn, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas themed. When I had to clear out the china cabinet in the Georgia house, back when all the floors on the lower level had to be refinished due to a small hose leak behind the refrigerator, I brought up everything that was in that cabinet with me on my next trip back to the Dollhouse. That china cabinet held this Noritake Colburn china, and Lenox stemware, so both of those made the trip up.
The china was from Macy’s, back in the day. The chargers were an online find in 2008 from Horchow.
Colburn is such a pretty, delicate, elegant pattern!
This was the Lenox stemware I chose to go with Colburn all those years ago. The pattern is, Fair Lady.
I thought about using this napkin fold for today’s table. If you love the look of this pretty fold, you’ll find a detailed tutorial for making it here: Triple Pocket Napkin Fold. The napkins are a recent purchase here: Pink Napkins.
I just noticed the fork/salad fork are missing in the photo below. I forgot to place it back after trying it in the napkin fold above. Ha! I hope you are seeing massive amounts of sunshine today! If you are, I’m jealous! Send some my way, please! 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 Susan, yesterday was spectacular in the south, as is today. I hope you get some sunshine soon. I am enjoying it when I can, because it seems we’ve also had some of April’s rains this May.
I love the pink peonies. Just so delicate and beautiful. They look great with your new napkins. I remember that napkin fold, but have never used it. I must do so, soon. And wow, I know you packed very carefully to get that beautiful China safely to Ohio.
Hopefully, the sun will be shining in your area soon. In the meantime, you’ve got the sunshine from your grandsons to warm you. I hope they’re out of school soon. They’ll be happy to keep you company, I’m sure. 😀
Today was a lot better, although it was 45 degrees out when I woke up. I think the high today was 60. The pool here opened, and the kids were freezing, trying to swim. Everyone here keeps saying it’s never like this so late in May, but then that’s what they told me about ALLLL the snow we got this winter. lol
P.S. I just re-read that napkin tutorial. Your comments about ironing were hilarious. 😛
Ha! 🙂
Oh this is lovely Susan! Your peonies are as beautiful as they are tough, and your china reminds me so much of a set I inherited from my dear cousins. In fact, I linked a post today that uses it! Thanks so much for hosting this party – I always get such great ideas from you, and everyone else who links up. Hope you have a wonderful holiday weekend, and that you get some sun soon!
Thanks so much, Barbara! Yes, today we finally saw some sun…hope that keeps up! It was so strange seeing the sun after nothing but rain for so long. I had forgotten how bright and wonderful it can be!
Oh. I DO LOVE A PINK SETTING!!! Those peonies just make a dreary day…tolerable We’ve had almost 7″ of rain in May…and, that, for us…is a lot! It’s a race to get those peonies cut b/4 the next round of downpours! Run, Susan, Run!! franki
They do, thank goodness we have flowers in all this rain! They are helping get through the dreariness!
I know what you mean, Franki! I bought supports for mine and it wouldn’t stop raining long enough to install them around the plants. I finally got it done! It’s so strange how peonies have these scrawny little stems that are completely unprepared to hold up those big ole peony blossoms!
What pattern is the pretty silverware, please?
I always forget the name of it. It’s a vintage silverplate that I purchased many years ago, I think on eBay. I’ll look back at some of my previous posts where I used it and get the name for you. I love it because you can tell it was well used and has the most beautiful patina.
It says Oneida Community on the back, and in the comments on an older post, several readers said that it reminds them of an older 1970 Oneida pattern called Beethoven or Brahms. Another reader mentioned Modern Baroque. Check out the comments on this post: https://betweennapsontheporch.net/dining-with-beautiful-blue-willow-on-a-cloudy-day/
Awww, I love the nostalgia of this table, Susan. Was that your wedding china and crystal? It’s so delicate and feminine. Love the Horxhow chargers too. Your peonies are gorgeous! I bet those are Sarah Berhardt variety. That double ruffled, light pink bloom is the clue. So pretty!
We had cold, windy, amd yes, rainy skies today. I’m trying to grow grass, but I’m growing a lot of mushrooms with all the moisture lately! Saving on watering, that’s for sure. I can’t imagine pools opening this weekend. Swimmers will need wetsuits for insulation! We’re dropping into the 40s the next couple nights!
It was, and the crystal, too. My tastes have changed so I probably wouldn’t choose it today, but I still think it’s pretty. I remember when I chose it, or I should say, “we” chose it—I remember thinking that it was demure enough that I would never tire of it, and that has been the case.
We should start calling this, Mushroom weather! lol
My son called a few minutes ago to say that the kids wanted to go to the pool even though it’s only 60 degrees out. So they took them and they are freezing! Ha! He came back home (while my DIL stayed at the pool) to get the boys some warmer clothing. I don’t think they were in the pool for very long before they were ready to get out. lol
Hope you have an awesome weekend and see some beautiful sunshine!
It has been a very gloomy winter here in Acworth too, and,it has been raining day after day here too. Yesterday and today were picture perfect but a little breezy. Enjoy your family, they grow up so fast.
I hope you are seeing warmer temps today, Pam! I was wondering if you guys were warmer and sunnier.
Thanks! I know, it’s so true! I’ll be watching the boys in a couple of days when their parents go out to celebrate their anniversary.
Beautiful table Susan and what a wonderful tribute to those tenacious peonies! The Colburn china is so pretty and the Lennox stemware is gorgeous. I must check out that napkin fold. Sorry about all the rain and I hope you get some sunshine soon. Happy Memorial weekend!
Thanks so much, Kim! It’s like a trick Mother Nature pulled, giving them skinny little stems and BIG blossoms! Fortunately, we finally saw some sun today, though it’s still very chilly. Hope you are seeing lots of sunshine!
XXX
Beautiful table setting Susan. Peonies are just gorgeous, mine were gorgeous….but they are on the ground now from heavy rain. Yep, nothing but rain, doom and gloom here in PA too, along with raw cooler weather as I’m sure you are experiencing in OH as well. I’m sick of it just like you are. LOL I think Mother Nature has her months mixed up and she thinks May is April! Here to hopefully sunshine and warmer temps soon…not hot just warmer! Hugs, Brenda
Thanks so much, Brenda! Ugh, that rain really beats them down, and their stems are so skinny for such big, beautiful blossoms!
Yes! What is up with these cold temps? I awoke to 45 degrees this morning!
lol Mother Nature needs to get it together and give us some warmer temps! It looks more promising this next week here. I hope you see warmer temps this weekend, Brenda!
Love those peonies! How do you rid the cuttings of the ants? And I mean all of those pesky ants!
Funny that you ask because I was warned by the lovely owner who lived here for many years that ants love the peonies and to watch out for those when bringing them in the house. Not sure, why unless it’s the constant rain, but the ones I cut and brought in two days in a row didn’t have any ants on them. If I ever see any on the flowers I cut, I’ll guess I’ll just rinse them off outdoors before I bring them in. Thankfully, I didn’t have to worry about that this time, though.
Beautiful tablescape for Thursday. I love the old dishes too. That salad fork is interesting. with the cutouts. Can you tell us about them?
The salad forks are part of the set, but they look so different from the other pieces. I found that flaware on eBay and it has the most beautiful patina. You can tell that someone used it on a daily basis, and I love the patina that it developed.
On the back of the flatware it says Oneida Community. I noticed in an older post where I used this flatware before, several BNOTP readers said that it reminds them of an older 1970 Oneida pattern called Beethoven. Another reader mentioned that it reminded her of Modern Baroque. You can see those comments on this older post: https://betweennapsontheporch.net/dining-with-beautiful-blue-willow-on-a-cloudy-day/
Susan – This is a beautiful spring table! I love it. Especially those blue vases. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks so much, Ranger!
XXX
I love your MIL’s vases. So pretty with the peony flowers. You made a beautiful setting with what you had available. Sunny in no. California today, but cool at night.