Welcome to the 862nd Tablescape Thursday! We had such a storm last night! The sirens were going off as my son was texting me, warning me there were tornado warnings out and saying I should head to the basement. Living in the south my whole life, I’ve been through plenty of tornado warnings and watches over the years, so I’m pretty good at knowing when it’s basement time, but that was so sweet of him to warn me. In Georgia, our tornadoes are often accompanied by a lot of hail. By the time you hear the hail, you’ve almost waited too long. That normally means it’s very, very close! As I sat on the basement stairs, waiting for the storm to pass so I could go back to bed, I brought up the front porch ring cameras on my phone. I could see the flag whipping around in the wind.
Once the storm appeared to be over, I looked again and my flag was gone! I could see it lying on the ground in front of the porch. As I left the basement, I could still hear a siren going off, but the storm appeared to be over. The sirens were probably going off the entire time the storm was raging, but the thunder and wind were so loud, I couldn’t hear them at all until the storm had passed. I left the basement and went outside to retrieve the flag. It’s currently in my kitchen, but will get hung back up today. Shows you how strong the storm was that it pulled the flag, along with its heavy pole, right out of the holder! It had been very well secured, so I was amazed that the wind did that. Maybe the vibration of the wind over the past few months had loosened it in the holder. I hope you didn’t see any significant damage from the storms last night!
Correction: Wow, I just noticed that it didn’t just pull the flag pole out of the holder, it actually broke the flag mount in half! What a crazy, bad storm!
Recently, I heard from Elena, who shared photos of a beautiful, cozy table setting that felt like the perfect way to say goodbye to winter and cold weather as we eagerly head into spring and summer.
About her table, Elena said, “Hand-painted dishes sparked the theme for this one. I have had these dishes put away for years.”
“They are by Shofu china and are marked made in occupied Japan. I researched that and found the occupied Japan mark was used from 1945 to 1952. I remember these being used when I was very young, and I think my mother put them in the dishwasher, which is why very few dinner plates survived. She gave them to me a very long time ago, but I never used them. I did display the swan platters in my kitchen for a time; I really liked those!”
“The green and gold dinner dishes are also marked, Occupied Japan, and are by Andrea Sadek. The rattan chargers are from Amazon. I think they would have looked better stained a bit darker, but I am using them for a project, and I thought it might make gluing items to them, difficult.”
“While I was in Michaels, my husband kept getting excited whenever he found something that might work with this tablescape, the twig napkin rings were his find! They are actually mini wreaths.”
“The items on the table are all things I have had for years. The tablecloth is a piece of fabric from a bed set I used years ago. At that time, you could buy the fabric that the comforter was made from to sew drapes, but I never got around to it.”
I love that Elena gathered together some of the lovely pieces she’s collected over the years to use in her centerpiece. We have potential “centerpieces” all over our homes, so check those closets, cabinets, and bookshelves!
Pretty steins!
Awww, a little foreshadowing of spring to come. Elena shared that the family of robins is also by Andrea Sadek.
Elena said, “The owls I used in the center of the table are not marked, but I think they are from the 1970s.”
“The chalets are Swiss-made music boxes.”
“The duck is an old Creme De Menthe decanter, probably from the 1940s or 50s. The last photo is the one surviving dinner plate and an oil painting my mother did.
Thanks so much to Elena for sharing this table setting filled with so many wonderful collectibles and beautiful inherited treasures.
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.
Driving home the other night in a hail storm ( fortunately all noise & no dents), we saw a herd of elk at the side of the hill. They were huddled together, patiently waiting for the storm to end. Spring offers the most awesome displays of nature’s beauty and power.
Wow – that storm was something! The first siren I heard after I moved to MN was terrifying! My kids were out playing, and I ran out into the neighborhood to try to find them and figure out what was going on. A neighbor came out and told me to get the heck inside and that the kids would go down into their friends’ basement – that’s the way it was done! I’m so glad to be back in the PNW where we don’t have sirens!
Elena’s table is so fun! I love the tablecloth material – I have a tablecloth that looks very much like it. LOVE the centerpiece pieces and her husband’s great napkin holder wreath find! Thanks for hosting, and to both of you for sharing!
So glad you enjoyed it Barbara!!! I had fun running through the house looking for items to use! I also took some things out of storage that have been put away for years.
Love the dishes with nature scenes. Mixing in the steins is perfect outdoor blend. So nice to display collectibles for conversation and enjoyment. If open to suggestion, trade the red paisley for a checkered white/green to add more of a spring feel. Even a cream or tan cloth with texture would lighten the mood. Did folks enjoy a meal at this table?
We’re definitely on the same wavelength Teresa! The first tablecloth I tried was a vintage cream colored damask and just didn’t do a thing for the table! My husband looked at it and asked if I had a brown cloth, which made think of the fabric since I already had it. I DID think of a Buffalo plaid but the only one I have is yellow and white and just would not work. I was trying to use items I already had, the only things I purchased was the greenery, pinecones and twig wreaths. Unfortunately we do not do a weekly Sunday dinner but I am trying to use the dining room for more than holidays!!!! Thank you for the suggestions!!!
Hi Elena, nice of you to respond. You are blessed with those treasures from your mother. Her painting and plate are lovely. Going around the house gathering goodies I call “shopping the home”. So many treasures stored out of the way and then taken out to shine. When my renovation is complete, I’m having a potluck with the request to bring a serving dish that hasn’t been used in over 10 years. The pearls of the past. Best wishes table scaping!
Elena, regarding your Sunday dinner comment, during Covid we started doing candle-lit Sunday dinners in the dining room. We have music too. Doesn’t have to be fancy. Might use the “good” dishes or everyday ones. Might be a fancy dinner, or an everyday style one. It was so fun that we do that it twice weekly. Why not?!
ABSOLUTELY! I ended up with 6 or 7 sets of vintage/antique dishes, ALL need to be handwashed so I usually only use them for holidays. I did buy a set of Mikasa Italian Scenery so I would have a set I could just put in the dish washer. I just need to make the effort!
Welcome to the midwest!:) When you hear the sirens, take them seriously. We’ve also learned to take in anything the wind can get a hold of, flags, lighter outdoor furniture, grill covers, etc. It seems like the wicked weather is getting worse with climate change 🙁 If you don’t already have one, you might want to get an emergency kit ready to keep in your basement. (flashlights, radio, copies of any super important papers & maybe some shelf stable snacks & water, just in case). Stay safe and enjoy the beautiful parts of spring!
Georgia is known for tornadoes, we usually have way more than even Ohio does, so I’m always prepared back home. The sirens don’t scare me since I grew up hearing those my whole life in Georgia, I welcome them since they help you realize a tornado has been spotted. Still can’t believe it broke my flag holder in half like that, though! I’m surprised I still have shingles on my roof!
I should add, I did have a flashlight in the drawer by my bed and I took it down to the basement with me which was very convenient. And I have the Red Cross plug in lights in various rooms around the house so if I lose power, there’s still light in a lot of the rooms. I love those things! The power only flickered off for a few seconds, I’m amazed we didn’t lose power since the utilities here are not underground like they are in my neighborhood in Georgia.
FABULOUS storm last night. I don’t sleep well and was up and watched it all night. I love a good storm. Our sirens didn’t go off, tho. Hubs slept right through it. Must be nice to be a good sleeper. Awful about your flag pole- yikes – glad the damage wasn’t worse! Your front door cam is fun. My daughter has one of those and does the same thing safely from her basement. : – ) I am glad Elna shares her tablescapes through you for us. I love those Japanese plates. They’re beautiful.
Thank You Michele, I am SO glad you enjoy them. I really have SO much fun putting them together!!
The important thing is you are safe and didn’t have more damage. We don’t have sirens. In 1998, two family friends were killed in a tornado. It looked like bombs were dropped miles away from the other.
Elena, your treasures bring me so much joy, especially the painting and plates. You don’t see much from Occupied Japan. Trade agreements change everything. China from Japan has been replace by Chinese items. You don’t see a lot of French glass anymore, just copies from another country. Over 50 years ago, my sister’s neighbor moved. Since my brother in law helped them, they said he could have what was left in the attic. Oh my ! There were large wooden barrels of china from around the world. Tea sets, hot chocolate sets. I was too young at time time to ask for any of it.
I think we need classes on history of china and glass appreciation. Thanks to Pinterest and blogs, I am sure a lot has been saved.
Thanks Susan and Elena.
You are SO right Myrna!! As a society we are going to need classes on etiquette and manners sooner or later!!! It seems that no one cares about antiques or quality made goods anymore, it’s a shame really. My Mom always set a beautiful table and I do the same. I hope one day my children have fond memories as I do! Glad you enjoyed the tablescape and all the treasures there in!!
The dishes are lovely! My daughter lived in Japan for years, and right near the Noritake factory! The art is so whimsical. The Occupied Japan stamp is a story in a story of your mom’s dishes.
Thanks so much for sharing!
Wow Julie, that’s amazing! My Grandmother’s “good” set of china was Noritake 175 also called Christmas Ball. One of my cousins received that set. The Andrea Sadek green and gold dishes I used on this set are unknown on Replacements and eBay so I have often thought the Noritake would mix in well. It seems to be a common pattern. Glad you enjoyed the tablescape!!
Elena, those plates are beautiful and so unique. What a treasure! I got a kick out of you saying that your husband got excited about finding things for the table, lol. So cute. And those little Swiss chalets in particular really caught my eye. So special. Thanks for sharing another of your many and varied tables with us.
Susan, glad you’re well. We had a doozy on Wednesday night. The cell phone was going off all through the night with one alert after another. And we had hail! I didn’t know hail was a sign of a tornado though, so I’m glad you mentioned that.
Thanks for sharing Elena’s lovely table with us. Stay safe! According to Ryan Hall Y’alls channel, these storms will last for several days.
Thank you so much Pam! The large and medium chalets are actually music boxes, I think they are from the 50’s or 60’s. My husband also thought a black forest cuckoo clock would look great but as most are designed to hang on a wall we could not figure out how to use one!
Lol. How sweet that he wants to contribute though. And after seeing so many of your tables and your many table accoutrements, I can’t help but wonder if you have a warehouse in your back yard where you keep everything! I absolutely love how Susan has all her goodies stored. From the cabinets in the garage to the special storage cubby with deep shelves in the basement, it’s a dish and table lovers dream.
When we were renovating the basement area, my husband lined one wall with inexpensive white kitchen cabinets for my “craft” stuff. Lower cabinets with a counter to work on and shallow upper cabinets. I had started getting interested in tablescapes but most of my dishes,glasses, etc. were stored in the garage in boxes and were hard to get to. He was going to construct a wall down the center of the space for more kitchen cabinets but I had seen Susan’s storage cabinets and it hit me…….we don’t need a wall just those tall white storage cabinets, so that’s where most of my things are! I should share photos of it one day, right now it’s a mess!
Susan, we had the storms you had the following morning, around 6am the sirens blaring. It was weird though, because we didn’t get warnings on our phones. It is STILL raining, over 30 hrs later, and my rain gauge says 4″+ so far. Fortunately, no wind damage, but it’s all around us, as is localized flooding.
Well, I’m happy we’ve broken dormancy insofar as spring (and my tablescape) is concerned, but gee whiz, can’t we just ease into things?!
Here’s hoping for a decent weekend.
Wow, that is a lot of rain in such a short period! I hope you don’t see any flooding near you. I really hate the weather here, they are predicting “Frozen Mix” and temps down to 26 and 29 next week. 🙁 Georgia is so much warmer with temps in 70s and 80s.
☺️ I, too, use “left over fabric” for tablecoverings…a little fold, snip, tuck, etc.
We have recently ” spent some time” on our lower level steps, too. After, hine alone, I “kinda got stuck” in the crawl space under the steps…I’n not doing “that” again!!! Spring fun…franki
Several years ago I got rid of a lot of fabric I thought I would never use……….UGH! I wish I still had all of it………SO many times I do a table and remember some fabric that would make a great tablecloth, runner, or napkins!!!!!
Oh Franki!!