Tablescape Thursday - Sweet Southern Magnolia

Welcome to another TABLESCAPE THURSDAY! A big thanks to Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for hosting this lovely party each week. Be sure to visit for more tablescape inspiration. This week my table is SWEET SOUTHERN MAGNOLIA inspired by my front yard magnolia tree which is in full bloom! The air around the front of the house smells so sweet and delicious. I just had to bring that indoors. Playing off of the creamy white blossoms, I am using a soft white and creamy yellow color scheme. Let's take a closer look:I started with the centerpiece - Mr. Panache clipped several magnolia blooms and leaves from our tree. I used two matching Milk Glass vases from my Grandmother's collection to hold the blooms then I tucked stems of leaves around the base. I completed the look with crystal and golden candleholders in a baroque pattern and elegan ivory soy candles from my Celebrating HOME decor line.
Since I sat the breakfast table, I have few table cloths that will fit this square (seats 8) table, so I bunched up a smaller round cloth and layered a hand crocheted table runner on top. The table runner was a gift from my dear Mother-in-Law who makes me the most wonderful items! For a soft accent color I chose creamy yellow in the linen placemats. The china is Bernadotte Ivory edged in gold by Formalities, Irish cut crystal rimmed in 24k gold, flatware is gold plate.

To add a little more panache to the centerpiece I used three gold orbs and tucked them among the magnolia leaves. I adore white, cream, off-white and soft yellow as a summer-time color palette. It seems so refreshing yet warm and inviting.

I use Soy Candles from Celebrating HOME exclusively. These ivory candles are scented like Creme Brulee! Yummy! The perfect, soft scent for the dinning room or kitchen. For more varieties and colors click here.

Isn't this bloom perfect? So white and perfectly formed. There's just something so elegant about the creamy blossoms of a Southern Magnolia with its shiny, green leaves that this Southern Girl can't resist! I hope you've enjoyed the tour. Don't forget to visit Susan and all the gals featuring lovely tables this week. Until I see you again,

Happy Decorating!

~Alisa

Tablescape Thursday - "Fresh from the Bunny Trail"

Happy EASTER and happy Tablescape Thursday! I am confident that today's tablescape party is going to be chocked full of GREAT Easter and spring tables. I can't wait to visit each one! Make sure you visit Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for the full list of this week's participants. My table this week is "Fresh from the Bunny Trail". Let's take a look. A color palate of spring's best shades - leaf green, pink, pale yellow and creamy white - come together to form a soft spring-like table featuring bunnies, eggs, roses and ivy leaves.

This table is all about Mix 'n Match. Pulling out every dish boasting these colors, I set about layering pieces to mimic the colorful abundance of an English flower garden. A woven rattan charger gives a nod to the tight weave of child's Easter Basket and adds a natural texture to roughen up this sweet table a bit.

White damask table cloth paired with green polkadot napkins are just right with the various pink china patterns. A pink dish towel is folded and tucked around the charger before placing the dinner plate.

This setting features three different patterns. The dinner plate and the soup bowl are both by Nikko. The dinner plate is from the Blossom Time collection and the pattern is Summer Glade. The soup bowl is from the Precious pattern and was designed by Dana.

These adorable salad plates are from Portugal and are made by Bordallo Pinneiro. Can you see the little bunnies and carrots? Perfect for my EASTER table.

Here is a close up shot of the dinner plate. I only have four of them and was not able to find other pieces of the set. I am still looking however. I would love to have 6 more! These would be perfect to use at Mother's Day or a get together with your closest girl friends or a chic garden party.

To add a freshness to the table I sprinkled ivy leaves along the centerpiece and placed EASTER eggs colored in soft shades of yellow and cream among the leaves. A single ivy leaf was placed inside each soup bowl.

At the two ends, I featured a different place setting. Here the dinner plate and salad plate are from the Precious pattern by Nikko. I used a soup bowl from my Better Homes and Gardens IVORY pattern. Bread plates from the IVORY pattern was used at each placesetting.

The key to mixing china patterns is to closely edit your color scheme and combine patterns that don't compete with each other. Keeping your table linens uniform is a great way to add ease to the over all table and pull the look together.

Using both a clear and green glass goblet at each place is another way to add a cohesive look to your mix 'n match placesettings.

I LOVE, Love, love these little eggs! They are formed of metal medium-gauge wire and covered with soft green organza. A satin green polkadot ribbon ties it together and picks up the polkadot theme from the napkins. These little eggs are perfect for hiding away a little EASTER sweet treat.

I filled them with Reese's chocolate peanut butter cups! Yum! The kids want to eat the content of their eggs first! These would be perfect to hold place cards tucked among pastel EASTER grass.

I used a five-arm candle holder to display 3x4" pink pillars. Two faux rose swags are used at the base to form the floral arrangement and bunny statues flank each end.

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Easter Eggs, Chocolates, Bunnies and Flowers. Spring is finally here! Happy EASTER everyone! I hope you have a wonderful holiday weekend. If you haven't heard, Susan at Between Naps on the Porch is hosting a very special blog party on April 15th. Make sure you check out the details and if you have a pair of those infamous white birdies from Target then you won't want to miss the fun! Until then,

Happy Decorating!

~Alisa

Welcome to My First Tablescape Tuesday!

Hello! Today is Tablescape Tuesday and this is my premier posting! Thanks to Susan over at Between Naps on the Porch for hosting this fun tablescape party! Since New Year's Eve is tomorrow, I thought I would do a tablescape to prepare for the festivities.

I decided on a color pallet of Ivory, Gold, and Warm Chocolate.
Let's take a look.


I love to layer my table. Nothing warms up a table like layers of table linens.
I started with an Ivory silk blend tablecloth from Ralph Lauren Home.
I was fortunate enough to find this at a HomeGoods store.
I did not have brown placemats on hand so I turned a silk brown napkin on the
diagonal and laid out my placesetting on top.
I used a matte gold charger in the Italian Countryside motif, then placed a solid Ivory plate on top. The dishes are part of a line from Better Homes and Gardens.
I doubled my napkins by layering a fine Shabby Chic ivory cotton with a scalloped edge inside a gold satin with a jacquard weave.

Here is a wider angle. I tucked the top corner of my "placemat" under but you could allow it to overlap your tablerunner if desired.
The tablerunner is a gold chenille with heavy fringe.
I used the runner as the boundary for my tablescape accessories.

Since it is New Year's Eve, I wanted to keep the theme along the lines of time.
I gathered clocks from various rooms of the house and clustered them down the
center of the table.
I collect Old World Santas and have three that are dressed in Ivory and Gold.
The perfect model for "Father Time" so they were added to the mix.

Here is a full shot of the table featuring "Father Time" and 7 clocks.
Today I will set each clock to a different time zone - New York, Dallas, LA, London, Paris, Tokyo, and of course Charlotte!


I also used a couple of gold metal stands trimmed in crystal teardrops and beads.
This helped to elevate some of the clocks to balance with the largest "Father Time" figure.

I love Mercury Glass! I started collecting it about a year and a half ago.
I featured some of my collection of candleholders in this tablescape.
As seen in this photo I used single Crystal Goblets and to play off the crystal and add sparkle,
I used some clear acrylic beads and scattered them along the table top.

The last accessory I used was large gold orbs. A rather whimsical nod to the
"Big Ball" in Times Square. I just randomly placed them around the base of the tablescape.

Here's one more look down the table.

I guess all that is missing is Baby New Year

but I just couldn't find a baby in the house!

Below is a close up shot of one of the Old World Santas

a.k.a. "Father Time".

Notice the pretty gift he carries on his shoulder.

That gift can represent our NEW YEAR.

You see another year IS a gift from GOD.

None of us are promised tomorrow

but by grace we live and breath and have our being.

I've been thinking alot about 2009 and how I will spend it.

What direction will my life go? How will I use my gifts and abilities

to honor the One who gives all life? I know that my steps are ordered so I move

confidently into the New Year with hope, peace and joy.

I pray that as you celebrate by ringing out the old year

and ringing in the new that you will take a moment

to give thanks for the gift of another year.

May PEACE, HEALTH, and GOD'S FAVOR

rest upon each of you I pray!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Tomorrow I will be posting the menu

for our NEW YEAR'S EVE buffet.

Stop back by for some yummy ideas!