Hubby's Christmas Home

Hubby popped in to Marshall's again and came home with some dinnerware and mercury glass trees.

The dinnerware is Christmas Home by Royal Stafford.  I like its old-fashioned look.

I paired it with vintage Libbey/Rock Sharpe Halifax etched stemware.

I was thrilled to get some mercury glass trees for Marshall's prices rather than Pottery Barn prices.

The holly is from the garden.  The berries are bountiful this year.

Some candlelight to bring out the sparkle....

Well, what do you think about Hubby's shopping abilities?

I'll be joining Cuisine Kathleen  for Let's dish on Wednesday, and
Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday

Scotties and Plaid For a Holiday Luncheon

It all started with finding a set of two new Fitz & Floyd Black and Red Plaid chargers listed in the wrong place on eBay, with a very bad photo that made them look orange.  I was the only bidder and got them for the starting price of $10.99.  Such a deal!

But luck is always fleeting.  I haven't been able to find more of them, anywhere on the planet.

I did find four Studio Nova Buffalo Plaid salad plates and four Anchor Hocking glasses that go nicely with them.   At the same time, I learned there is a baby girl due to born into the family on Christmas Day.  At that point, the Scotties became a part of theme, thinking of a future luncheon for the Birthday Girl.

 

Two Scotty vases from Marshall's.  Of course, no other Marshall's  has two more. It's that "luck" thing again!

So maybe with some creative photography I can hide the fact I don't have everything needed for a table for four...

.... or the fact that Hubby had some cake before I was done taking photos.   Chocolate Almond with an Amaretto glaze.  It smells so good - who could blame him?

Notice the plaid candles.  Nope, not gonna light 'em! 

Ah! Finally! One good shot that hides all the flaws.  My work is done!

I'm off to join Cuisine Kathleen  for Let's Dish, and
Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday

Poinsettias

My inspiration for this tablescape is this  tablecloth with poinsettia appliques, embroidery and cutwork. 

It was on sale at Kohl's last year.

I wanted to keep it simple, so I used an ivy topiary for a centerpiece.

The tablecloth goes nicely with the poinsettia accent plates I bought with my Mikasa Italian Countryside.

The red ruffled plate separating the two Mikasa plates is Valero by Ambiance.  Glassware is Waterford Lismore and Mikasa French Countryside.  Sterling is Wallace Grande Baroque.

I haven't purchased any poinsettias yet, but here is a picture of one growing in the garden, just beginning to turn red.

I'll be joining Cuisine Kathleen for Let's Dish
and Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday

Autumn Harvest

Well, life got in the way and I haven't posted for a while.  Is it really Fall already?  Almost Thanksgiving?  Time is just flying by.  I'd better do a Fall tablescape before it's time to set the table for Christmas!

 I'll just pile all my Fall-colored dishes on the table all at once to make up for my lack of posting.
 

Today I learned orange is hard to photograph when there's little natural light available. I have lots of pictures that are either too dark or too bright.

I think the pumpkin plates are the only thing "new" to my blog.   They are by Cypress Home and I bought them last fall from Winterthur.

I found the matching bowl with spreader on Amazon.  The leaf bowls and the pumpkin salt/pepper shakers are from Pier 1, last fall. 

Assuming everyone will be busy next Wednesday and Thursday, I'll go ahead and wish you a Happy Thanksgiving from A Cottage in the Clouds.

Hopefully, I'll be joining Cuisine Kathleen for Let's Dish and
 Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday.


Leaf plates and chargers - Andrea by Sadek
Orange dinner plates - Dollar Tree
Pumpkin plates - Cypress Home from Winterthur
Square chargers - Cost Plus World Market
Citrine wine glasses - Artland, from Amazon.com
Amber goblets - Marshall's
Napkins - Kohls
Flatware - San Remo by Hampton Signature

Destination: Hawaii

Aloha!  I'm taking the Destination Challenge at Cuisine Kathleen this week.
Welcome to my island.  We're having a luau tonight.

My inspiration was this Hawaiian shirt plate from Pfaltzgraff.  The napkin is folded to imitate the look of a pa`u.  I was happy for another chance to use my palm leaf chargers.

I didn't want to spend a lot of money on tropical flowers and fruits, so I used what I had on hand to pick up the colors in the shirt while having an overall red and yellow feel... the colors of Hawaiian royalty.  Instead of pineapples and papayas, I used the baby avocados and peaches that dropped from the trees today.

I saw this flip flop candle holder on Linda's trayscape last week at A La Carte and thought it was so cute I searched the web for one.   The tablecloth is from Kohls.

I snipped some lily stems,  removed most of the leaves and placed them in spools to make little palm trees.

Of course, the festivities begin when the sun goes down.  Blow the conch shell and bring on the fire dancers!

I'll be joining Let's Dish at Cuisine Kathleen ,  
Centerpiece Wednesday at The Style Sisters and  
Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch

Crystal Blue Persuasion

Hubby won some dishes in a raffle.

A set of four aqua glass oyster-shaped appetizer plates

...with a matching shell-shaped bowl.  The color is showing better on the bowl. The plates are reflecting the flash.

Since I just recently did a blue seashell table, I tried to make this one different by blinging it out with some sparkle.

Aqua glass chargers and beaded placemats from Pier 1.  Wallace Grande Baroque silver.

Waterford Lismore crystal paired with aqua hand-blown glass from Marshalls.

I couldn't find turquoise salad plates locally and there was no time to order anything, so I used my scallop shell plates from Kohls with Mikasa Italian Countryside dinner plates.

I'll be joining Let's Dish at Cuisine Kathleen , Centerpiece Wednesday at The Style Sisters and Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch

Independence Day Table

It's time to plan a Fourth of July cookout!

Actually the planning started last August when I bought these Ralph Lauren Hampton's Flag salad plates.  The ceramic votives on clearance at Sur La Table were the perfect match.  I wish I'd bought a couple more.

The napkins on the dinner table and the plaid ones pretending to be a tablecloth on the bistro table are both part of the Oh My Stars Americana Collection by DII, from Amazon.com.

The Stars & Stripes tapestry-weave runner was a freebie!   One time when Hubby was out of town, the hotel where he was staying had a raffle for a gift basket where you just had to drop your business card in the pot to enter.  Hubby won.  It was a really big, sturdy oval basket with a handle, stuffed with goodies. Besides the runner, there was a Stars & Stripes barbeque apron and mitt,  barbeque utensils, a gift box of various barbeque sauces and marinades, an electric ice cream maker,  red insulated drink mugs, and a rattan picnic basket with table service for four.  There may have been more stuff, but that's all I remember.  Lol, he had to bring it home on the plane.  This was years ago.  Nowadays Homeland Security would have had a fit, and he'd also have to pay a carry-on fee.

I think that's it for the "new" stuff.   The plates are Mikasa Italian Countryside, the red and blue chargers are Fiestaware. Stemware is Mikasa French Countryside and Dollar Tree.

Flatware is Reed & Barton Crescendo II, the mercury glass hurricanes are Andrea By Sadek and the red vase is from Michaels.

Time for fireworks.

I'll be joining Cuisine Kathleen  for Let's Dish, and
Between Naps on the Porch  for Tablescape Thursday

At the Beach

This week I'm taking Kathleen's challenge to set a table with "At the beach" as the theme.

I was happy for the chance to use the Sonoma Life & Style Seaside dinnerware and glassware I got on clearance last summer at Kohl's.

They had a variety of square and round dinnerware pieces to choose from, as well as the sculpted shell pieces.

The aqua glass vase filler, shells and resin starfish came from Big Lots.  I glued some of the shells onto wooden craft napkin rings.   One of these days I'll find some affordable aqua flatware, but today we'll use the San Remo by Hampton Signature.   The napkins are DII and the chargers are by Jay Imports, both from Amazon.

I had these candle holders in my cart at Amazon for months, but they were a little pricey for as seldom as I'd use them.   Then one day they notified me that "an item in your cart has been reduced."  They were about two-thirds off, so I snatched them up.  They're Baroque, but when I look at them I see seashells and waves and kelp swaying underwater.   I just checked, and they've gone back up in price. 

The glasses are full of underwater bubbles.  I like how the aqua shells and starfish are formed separately and pressed into the molten glass.

I borrowed the "treasure chest" basket from the sun room.  I have no idea where it came from, but I'd guess it probably held flowers from the florist.  I usually keep a potted plant in it.

The "blue hour" reflected in the pool...

Dinnertime!  I hope you enjoyed your day at the beach.

I'll be joining Cuisine Kathleen for Let's Dish, and Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday.