Mother’s Magnolias Spring Tablescape

My mother was very sentimental about magnolias so I knew that eventually I would create a tablescape around them. And she loved roses too so I added them as well. I posted this tablescape a few years ago but I decided to post it again in memory of my mother.

I’ve had this pink tablecloth for several years, I bought it on Ebay I think. I bought the white tureen centerpiece at HomeGoods several years ago. I am always on the lookout for interesting objects that I can use as centerpieces but I have run out of room to store them unfortunately. The pink roses came from Amazon and the magnolia garland from Ebay as well. Someone had used the garland for a wedding and it was just what I was looking for.

I found lots of magnolia salad plates over the years but none that I really liked until I saw these. I watched them at Pier 1 when our store was open for a while until they finally went on sale, these are ironstone. I wish Pier 1’s online store had the kind of merchandise that the physical store had before they all closed.

This photo doesn’t show the correct color of this pink dinner plate. The photo with the small magnolia plate does show the correct color. I saw these plates on another blog and immediately checked HomeGoods (the source) for them with no luck. I had been looking for a basic pink dinner plate for a long time. I have most of the basic colors in dinner plates but I was missing pink. I finally found them at another HomeGoods a month later a few years ago. They were made in Portugal by Matceramica.

This charger was made by Mikasa and it is Color Spectrum in the color sage. I love these chargers, I have them in several colors. They are heavy and a basic design that can be used on any table setting. I bought them a few at a time on Ebay.

This photo shows the colors of the tablecloth and the dinner plate accurately . The small melamine magnolia plate was made by Cameron Designs in Atlanta, Georgia. We bought them in a gift shop on a trip to Savannah, Georgia a few years ago.

This sterling flatware was my mother’s, it was the pattern she registered for when she was married in 1938. I decided to use it on this table because I wanted something a bit more dressy. The flatware was made by Towle and the pattern was called Chased Diana. It was made between 1928 and 1996 but it is still available on the secondary market.

I bought these small pink rose place card holders a few years ago on Ebay. I love searching for vintage place card holders on Ebay, I have found some great ones over the years. These were called Georgian and according to the label, they are fine bone china. The mark on the bottom stands for Marks & Rosenfeld, a US giftware distributor in the 1950's and 1960's that commissioned their own range of ceramics and gift ware.

The pink magnolia napkins are by Kate Spade, I found them a few years ago on Ebay. The magnolia napkin rings are Countess fine bone china and they were made in England. I found them on Ebay too. When I am looking for special themed place card holders and napkin rings I check Amazon first and then Ebay. Then I do a google search for whatever I am looking for because I often find things that way that I wouldn’t find any other way.

The colors in this photo are more accurate than in some of the other photos.

These short sage green glass goblets were made by Noritake and the pattern is called Sweet Swirl in light green. They were made between 1985 and 2005, I bought them on Ebay a few at a time as I saw them. I looked for tall pink goblets for a couple of years and suddenly World Market had them a few years ago. They sold out quickly so others must have been looking for them too.

One of the reasons my mother was so sentimental about magnolias is this house on Magnolia Avenue in San Bernardino. My grandfather had it built in 1915 and my mother was born in the house the next year. It is still there and it was recently completely remodeled and then sold.

The other reason my mother loved magnolias is this house on Magnolia Avenue in Orange. We lived in this house when my twin brother and I were born in the early 50’s, joining my three older brothers.

This is Mom holding us on the front porch. After my mother moved into a retirement community she had a small magnolia tree planted outside her windows so she could see it every day. (Someone reading the blog tells me that Mom’s dress has a magnolia pattern!)

My mother would have loved seeing this table.

To see 220+ other tablescapes that I have created please click here. If you are on Facebook, join my Tablescape Ideas group! Just click on the Facebook Search box at the top of the page and type in Tablescape Ideas. Don’t miss my Tablescaping How-To section at the top of this blog post for more tablescaping tips and tricks.

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Spring has Sprung, the Tablescape is Set!

It’s time for another tablescape to celebrate Spring. I can’t remember where the tablecloth came from but it was probably HomeGoods several years ago. I like the trellis and flower design and there are even a few bunnies on this tablecloth.

These Bordallo Pinheiro geranium leaf plates were some of the first plates that I started collecting when I started tablescaping. I bought them a few at a time on Ebay several years ago. You can still find them for sale there. I like that the leaf design covers this entire salad plate.

This dinner plate is a great anchor for any Spring themed salad plate. The rim leaf design really sets off any smaller plate.

This is a large heavy charger and another great plate to anchor the plates on top of it. The three matching plates together makes an eye catching plate stack.

I wanted to show this cute design along the side of the tablecloth so I finally remembered to take a photo before I added the dishes! I am still looking for napkins to match the pink roses on this tablecloth.

I used my Madeline Green frosted green flatware on this table setting, I bought it at World Market several years ago. I really like the frosted design on the handles. After red, I think green is the most used color flatware on my tablescapes.

I bought the white plastic napkin rings on Etsy several years ago. The pink gingham and solid pink napkins came from Amazon a few years ago. I don’t have a lot of pink items for tablescaping so I am trying to add more of that color now.

I have had these bird cage tea light candle and place card holders for a few years. I can’t remember where I bought them online but I think it was a wedding supply store. They were cream and Hubby spray painted them white for me.

The green goblet on the right was made by Noritake and it is called Sweet Swirl in light green. These were made between 1985 and 2005, I bought them on Ebay a few at a time several years ago. The blue and green goblet on the left came from Horchow online several years ago. They are called Bormioli Rocco Group Bahia goblets.

This wire wicker type cake stand is one of my favorite centerpieces. We found it in an antique mall up the California coast in Cayucos several years ago. I can’t remember what color it was originally but Hubby spray painted it white for me. It usually sits on a table on the back patio with various flowers inside and he touches it up for me every Spring. I put some flowers inside but I didn’t want to detract from the design so they are small. I really love this thing!

I bought this small creamer at Juliska online a few years ago. I was attracted to the raised design on the sides.

Hubby brought this small hand painted bird house home to me from an Estate Sale. The colors match this tablecloth perfectly!

I found a set of these small open salt cellars at an Estate Sale last year. I suddenly realized that they would be a good match for this table too with their blue and pink flowers. I love the tiny birds! There is a mark on the bottom but it is faint and I haven’t been able to identify it.

Hope this table sends a bit of Spring cheer your way!

To see 220+ other tablescapes that I have created please click here. If you are on Facebook, join my Tablescape Ideas group! Just click on the Facebook Search box at the top of the page and type in Tablescape Ideas. Don’t miss my Tablescaping How-To section at the top of this blog post for more tablescaping tips and tricks.

I put a new tablescape on my blog every week so please check back!

This blog post was featured at Miz Helen’s Country Cottage, https://www.mizhelenscountrycottage.com/ Please check out this blog for many great recipes!

Time for an Easter Tablescape

I decided to repost this Easter tablescape that I did three years ago because it is a favorite of mine. I think I bought the tablecloth on Amazon and the purple place mats came from Juliska online several years ago. I bought the purple eggs on Etsy a few years ago. I really like the dark purple place mats against the green tablecloth.

I love these bunny and flowers plates. They were made by Fitz and Floyd and the pattern was called Halcyon. The pattern was produced from 2003 to 2004 and it has been discontinued although pieces are still available on the secondary market. I bought the plates a few at a time over the years on Ebay. I love the bunny’s big brown eyes and the plaid bow as well as the relief details on the flowers.

This lemon leaf charger was made by Bordallo Pinheiro but they have been discontinued. I bought them a few at a time on Ebay. This is a heavy charger. I have many plates that were produced in Portugal by Bordallo and the heavy relief details are always eye catching. To read about what you should be considering when you are buying chargers, please click here.

This flatware was called Madeline Green and I bought it at World Market several years ago. I really like the frosted design on the handles. You can read my blog post about what to consider when you are buying flatware here.

This white bunnies napkin ring came from Pottery Barn a few years ago. Not sure where I bought the purple napkins, I have had them for a long time. The green napkins came from World Market online. To read about the What, Where and How of napkin rings please click here.

This white place card holder can be written on as well with a special pen. Can’t remember where I bought them but it was probably Williams Sonoma or Crate and Barrel. To read about the What, Where and When of place card holders, please click here.

I think that the purple goblets came from Pier 1 several years ago. I was so sad when they closed our local store, I was a good customer for many years. The green goblet was made by Noritake and is called Sweet Swirl in light green. These were made between 1985 and 2005. I bought them on Ebay a few at a time. You can read my blog post about what to consider when you are buying goblets for your tablescaping collection including the colors that I use most often here.

The centerpiece bunny cookie jar was also part of the Fitz and Floyd Halcyon dish series and it matches the plates. I put it on a white plastic stand to add a bit more height. I can’t remember where I bought it.

I bought the green glass candlesticks on Ebay a few years ago. I needed some green ones and I was really pleased when these arrived. They are well made and a great color. I am not sure how old they are or who made them, they aren’t marked.

Don’t look too close! The candles are crooked but they were the perfect color and stores were closed when I did this tablescape.

Love those bunny plates!

To see 200 other tablescapes that I have created please click here. If you are on Facebook, join my Tablescape Ideas group! Just click on the Facebook Search box at the top of the page and type in Tablescape Ideas. Don’t miss my Tablescaping How-To section at the top of this blog post for more tablescaping tips and tricks.

I put a new tablescape on my blog every week so please check back!

A Vintage Spring Flowers Tablescape

Everything on this tablescape is vintage except for the flatware, the place card holders, and one goblet set. Well, the faux flowers aren’t either but you get the picture. The light green tablecloth and napkins are a vintage damask set I found on Ebay several years ago. It’s not easy to find a vintage damask tablecloth with matching napkins and I was fortunate to find this set. The tablecloth is just barely long enough. When I iron and use damask table linens it always makes me think of my mother who loved white damask tablecloths. I actually enjoy ironing good vintage damask because with a steam iron it is so easy to get the wrinkles out. And yes, I will remove the centerpiece so people can see each other while they eat and chat.

These plates were made by Schumann-Bavaria. The factory was founded in Arzberg, Bavaria, Germany in 1881 and went out of business in 1994. This pattern is called Empress, Dresden Flowers. The plates have different markings on the back and some say Germany US Zone, they were made in the 1940’s. The first time I saw this pattern I loved it, and I bought a few plates at a time over the years on Ebay. I love all the different colored flowers and the raised design on the rim with the gold accents.

There are different flower designs on the center of these plates as you can see on the previous salad plate and this dinner plate.

This 11” charger plate is difficult to find. As you can see, the center design is different on this one than the previous two plates. The flowers around the rim are so colorful here and I love the green leaf accents.

I think this china pattern dictates a more formal table setting so I used folded napkins without napkin rings. The gold flatware matches the gold rim on the plates. This gold plated flatware was a gift from Hubby for Christmas one year. I had bought a cheap set of gold flatware several years ago. It was poor quality and the gold started flaking off. You get what you pay for! We found this set on major sale at Macys. It is made by Wallace and the pattern is called Mikasa Duchess Gold. It is brighter than this photo shows and it is heavy. I love the design on the handle.

I was looking for a gold place card holder and found these inexpensive ones on Amazon. They are made by Gray Bunny.

I tried different colored goblets on this table but they were all a bit overpowering so I ended up with clear glass. My wedding crystal, a Waterford Lismore goblet is on the right. On the left is another Waterford goblet but a less expensive pattern, it is Marquis by Waterford Brady. I bought them at HomeGoods. Just as plates have increased in size over the decades I think some goblets have as well.

I wanted to add a bit more interest to the table so I raided my china cabinets. This rose bowl is one of my most cherished possessions. It was my mother’s, I think it was a wedding gift to her in 1938. I can remember it sitting on a shelf while I was growing up. I love the hand-painted flowers. The bottom says, “Made in Czechoslovakia”. It has some of the same colors that the plates have. I keep it tucked away in a china cabinet for safe keeping.

Hubby found this Fenton Thumbprint ruffled glass bowl at an estate sale and brought it home for me. It had a sticker with a name and 1940 on the bottom. When I looked for the name on Ancestry I found a woman who died in Wisconsin in 1953. How it got to Southern California, I don’t know!

Just for fun I added a cut glass cream and sugar set.

And a salt and pepper set too, I love the cut glass patterns on the bases of these.

This large white pottery vase is one of a pair of vases that I inherited from my mother. She received the pair of vases as a wedding present in 1938.

As I finished writing this post, the sun was setting and shining on the table from the front windows that face west. I love how that looks, the light and shadow.

In my book, vintage never grows old!

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I put a new tablescape on my blog every week, please check back!