Tablescape Thursday - "The First Blush of Love"

Hello and Welcome to Tablescape Thursday. This lovely blog party is hosted each week by Susan at (Between Naps on the Porch) so be sure to pay her a visit for a complete list of tablescapers. Today's table is called "The First Blush of Love" and it has been created to pay tribute to those first tender stirrings of one's heart when true love is suddenly realized. I'd like to dedicate this table to my friend, Kathleen Ellis who has inspired me this week with her lovely and romantic posts highlighting Valentine's Day vignettes. For more romantic living ideas please visit her here.

For us women, romance is all about feeling pampered. Beautiful surroundings evoke feelings of pleasure, love and fantasy. I believe that special occasions should be celebrated with nuances that stimulate all the senses - sight, sound, smell and taste. Sitting down to an elegant dinner is twice as nice when the presentation has been thoughtfully considered.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This table has been set for a special Valentine's dinner for two. Each element was added to heighten the romantic mood of the occasion.

The focal point of the centerpiece is this adorable garden cherub bust. This was on the clearance table at my local HomeGoods store. I am sure he is thinking about love.

I started with an ivory lace cloth, then layered on a quilted ivory placemat. I wanted to keep the color scheme to pink and ivory. My pinks range from a soft pastel pink to a deep saturated fuchsia. The dinner plate is ivory and the salad bowl is ivory with a pink band around the edge and gold trim. I found the salad bowls on clearance for $1 each! What a steal.

To add a little more romance, I used two ornate picture frames in antique silver and printed initials on pink card stock, then I cut them to fit the center of my frames. You could also use photos of your loved one or pictures of you and your significant other as a couple. I sat each frame next to a placesetting. For a large dinner party, use smaller frames, placing initials or names in each one to assign places at the table.

Of course you can't have a Sweetheart table without any hearts. This hot pink velvet heart box is the perfect place to tuck away a little Valentine's gift for later. ;-)

On the back of each chair, I attached a mini heart-shaped wreath.

A small votive candle holder shaped like a heart held a rose scented votive and was placed inside the shallow salad bowl.

Two small pots of pink Peonies (my Grandmother's favorite blooms) flank either side of the cherub centerpiece. Ivory napkins held by sterling silver rings cradle a silk rose in bright fuchsia.

Perhaps you will be spending Valentine's Day by yourself this year. You can still have a romantic dinner. Go ahead and treat yourself. Pull out that good china and crystal, make yourself a scrumptious 7-course dinner, light some candles, turn on some soft music and enjoy being alive! This antique wood and rattan tray has been set with the single diner in mind. A couple of birds perch on the corner of the tray to remind you that Spring is just around the corner and everything will be bursting forth with new life! That's cause to celebrate!

Meet Miss Daisy. This adorable plush bunny was a gift from my youngest son. She is just the perfect guest at my Sweetheart table - not overly talkative but pretty to look at. LOL!

The crocheted lace you see in this photo was handmade by my Mother-in-law, Ann who lives in FL. Through the years she has made me lovely doilies, placemats and tablerunners. These are cherished items - keepsakes that hopefully, one day but not anytime too soon, my own daughter-in-laws will cherish.

Well, I hope you have enjoyed "The First Blush of Love". I want to thank each one of you who left such lovely and encouraging comments on my tablescape last week. Your kind words let me know that you receive joy from looking at my table and that makes me very happy. I want to leave you with this thought:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms." 1 Peter 4:10

~~~~~~~

So whatever gift that you have I pray that you will offer it freely to bless the lives of those around you and to beautify the garden in which you've been planted.
Happy Valentine's Day!
~Alisa