Bathing Beauties on a Summer Tablescape

I love the beachie colorful summer vibe of this tablescape. I found the red striped tablecloth on Amazon a few years ago.

This theme was not on my list of Summer tablescapes to do but as often happens, when I saw these small melamine appetizer plates at World Market online a a few years ago, I knew they could make a cute tablescape. There are four different designs in the set and I used three of them on this tablescape. The fourth one had turquoise stripes so I left it off because it wouldn’t have matched anything on the table.

I decided that I wanted to use a blue, red, and yellow color scheme for this tablescape. I used our everyday Fiesta salad plates, the color is scarlet.

The next plate down in the plate stack is a Fiesta dinner plate in the color Sunflower.

This bright blue metal charger came from Pier 1 several years ago.

This flatware is labeled, Made in Italy, Inox. It was made by Zaffiro and I think I bought it on sale online at Horchow several years ago. I have the set in a few other colors as well. I love the intense deep blue color.

I found the beach umbrella napkins on Etsy and the beach ball napkin rings as well. The napkin rings were custom made for me after I bought some other napkin rings and mentioned to the seller that I was looking for beach ball ones too.

I really wanted a beach ball place card holder. I finally found these small plastic beach balls at Oriental Trading online a few years ago and figured that I could use them. (You do have to blow them up.) They could be given as party favors as well. I used my colored place cards that I found on Amazon.

These cobalt blue and yellow goblets were made by Noritake and the pattern was called Perspective. They were made between 1970 and 1983 and I found them on Ebay several years ago. This pattern came in other colors, I have them in sage green also. Ebay often has this pattern for sale in various colors. It is difficult to find yellow goblets and I was glad to find these.

I had seen some female swimmer figures that I could use as a centerpiece several places online but they were really expensive. I went over to HomeGoods a few years ago and I was lucky enough to find this one. She is sitting on a blue drink dispenser stand from Pottery Barn that I bought a few years ago.

Time for the beach!

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!

A Berry Sweet Strawberry Summer Tablescape

This post is a repeat of a tablescape that I created and posted five years ago. I do that sometimes now because I have created over 300 tablescapes and I continue to have new followers that haven’t seen the older ones. I had been wanting to use these vintage Cemar strawberry plates on a tablescape for a long long time. The problem was their color, kind of a mauve dark pink. I had lots of strawberry items but they were all red. I had to wait until I could find some things to match them. The green tablecloth probably came from HomeGoods or Amazon, I have had it for several years.

I found these Cemar strawberry shaped plates on Ebay many many years ago, way before I started tablescaping. My daughter’s friends called her Strawberry when she was growing up because of her auburn hair and my mother loved strawberries so they became a favorite of mine to collect. I gathered them a few at a time as I found them online. Cemar was a California Pottery company in business from 1935 to 1955. It was founded by former Bauer Pottery employees Cliff J. Malone and Paul Cauldwell. The company was a part of a large growth in the sale of California pottery during World War II when imports from Asia were restricted or banned.

I was lucky enough to find both salad and dinner plates in this pattern. I found some bowls as well.

This charger was made by Mikasa, it was called Color Spectrum in Hunter Green. If you read my blog you have seen this charger in several different colors. These are really my favorite chargers, they are heavy and well made.

I think I might use this flatware set more than any other color I have. The set was called Madeline Green and I bought it at World Market several years ago. I really like the frosted design on the handles and this shade of green goes well with many color schemes. I use them throughout the year. You can read my blog post about what to consider when you are buying flatware here.

When I was inventorying my napkins I discovered these napkins. I had forgotten that I had them because I hadn’t taken a photo of one yet. As I was pulling this tablescape together I was trying to figure out what napkins to use (all my strawberry napkins have red strawberries) and I suddenly remembered these mauve napkins. I probably bought them at HomeGoods, I have had them for several years. I found the pink strawberry napkin rings on Ebay a couple months ago. They have no markings. I knew they would work with these plates but they were more than I wanted to pay because there were 16 of them. I offered less (sometimes that works) but the seller refused so I kept looking. I finally came back to them because I couldn’t find any strawberry napkin rings that weren’t red. I knew if I didn’t get these, I probably wouldn’t use these strawberry plates on a tablescape for some time if ever. To read about the What, When and How of napkin rings please click here.

Because I had so many, I fudged a bit and I used these napkin rings as place card holders too. They are freestanding so they worked. I knew I would never find anything that matched otherwise! To read about the What, When and Why of place card holders, please click here.

The sage green acrylic goblet on the left came from our Pier 1 store before it closed. Dollar stores often have this goblet in different colors. I looked for tall pink goblets for a couple of years and suddenly World Market had these pink glass goblets a couple of years ago. They sold out quickly so others must have been looking for them too. I like the height of both these goblets. 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.

I found a vintage cream and sugar set several years ago to match the plates but not a teapot. Just as well, I have no room for one!

I also found a couple of vintage salt and pepper sets that matched.

Cookie jars are one of my go-to centerpieces and I was lucky to find this Cemar strawberry cookie jar that matched the plates several years ago. I have it sitting on a white drink dispenser stand from Pottery Barn. I added a small green doily for more definition.

I didn’t put the matching cup and saucer on the table because they are always to be placed on the table after the meal but I wanted to show one. I found them on Ebay several years ago too.

Time for some strawberries!

To see over 300+ different tablescapes that I have created please click here. If you are on Facebook, join my Table Settings and Tablescape Ideas Facebook group (4,000+ members) for lots of tablescaping inspiration! Just click on the Facebook Search box at the top of the page and type in Table Settings and Tablescape Ideas or click here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2553689988183392

If you live in Southern California join our Facebook tablescaping group Southern California Tablescapers BTS Group. (200+ members) https://www.facebook.com/groups/440356398581157 We had a gathering for tablescapers last year in the Los Angeles area and we are planning another one this fall. You won’t want to miss it!

Don’t miss the Tablescape How-To tab at the top of my blog for DIY tips and tricks. That link is here: https://www.whispersoftheheart.com/tablescapehowto

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

Tablescaping DIY, Part 5, Storage-Napkin Rings and Place Card Holders

Writing Tablescaping DIY posts a bit out of order, skipped to Storage for this one, will get back to writing about the different parts of the tablescape later. Since I started tablescaping and posting tablescaping photos online many people have asked me how and where I store everything. My system evolved as my collection increased in size. This is a photo of a corner of my study. While it isn’t a particularly pretty area, it works very well for me and I am the only one who comes in here most of the time. I spend a lot of my time in here on the computer doing genealogical research and planning tablescapes. Online you will see gorgeous photos of shelves with perfectly staged minimalist decor, that’s not me. I like to be surrounded by all my bits and pieces. This room was my daughter’s bedroom until she grew up and moved out, it isn’t very large. We added custom built in floor to ceiling book shelves mostly for all my genealogy books but many of them were out of date so I weeded the collection to create space for my napkin rings and place card holders. I use clear shoe box sized plastic containers and I label the end. I like them because I can see what is inside. We bought them on Amazon and at The Container Store. If I were a perfectionist I would create and print out labels to use but I just wanted to get them organized quickly so I could find things. Before they were scattered all over the house and I wasted a lot of time looking for things.

We had the custom book shelves turn the corner and had them put a large desk area in the corner for me so I could spread out all my paperwork when I am doing genealogy research. It created a large space underneath and to the right you can see more containers of napkin rings and place card holders. To the left are boxes of table scatter and other miscellaneous table decorations. To the left of the boxes are my containers of flatware. I will talk about them in another post. I feel lucky that I have this space that is out of the way but easily accessible.

The containers are arranged by holiday, theme, or color. These are my Christmas napkin rings and place card holders. Keep in mind I have been tablescaping for 10 years, lots of stuff!

Above Christmas you can see some nautical and ocean themed containers and some containers arranged by color or metal.

I have inventoried all of these napkin rings and place card holders. Each one has a photo and a record of how many I have. I have the information stored in folders on my computer. The folders are arranged by holiday, theme, or color. I can easily look at the photos and think about the tablescape that I want to create. I am still working on inventorying other tablescape items. People often ask me how many I have of things and I always say I don’t know. Once I have inventoried them I do know but I don’t say!

Hope this gives you a few ideas about tablescaping storage!

To see over 260 different tablescapes that I have created please click here. If you are on Facebook, join my new Tablescape and Table Settings Ideas Facebook group for lots of tablescaping inspiration! Just click on the Facebook Search box at the top of the page and type in Tablescape and Table Settings Ideas or click here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2553689988183392

If you live in Southern California join our Facebook tablescaping group Southern California Tablescapers BTS Group. https://www.facebook.com/groups/440356398581157 We are planning a gathering for tablescapers in January in the Los Angeles area..

Don’t miss the Tablescape How-To tab at the top of my blog for DIY tips and tricks.

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

See Shells on a Summer Tablescape

I did a tablescape two years ago using these shell plates but I wasn’t blogging then and the photos weren’t that good so I decided to pull it together again but this time with a few changes. The polyester navy blue tablecloth probably came from Amazon or a site online that sells tablecloths, there are a few of them. I have had it for a while. I love this sea shells theme because I can use my shells flatware, one of my favorite sets.

The white salad plate shaped like a scallop shell was made by Bordallo. I bought them a few at a time on Ebay a few years ago. I see them for sale there from time to time. I love finding different shaped salad plates, they add special interest to a themed tablescape.

Here is the matching dinner plate. I bought them on Ebay also. I have a larger charger size too but I have only found four so far so I couldn’t use them on this tablescape.

I am using two chargers on this tablescape, one sits just inside the other one. This blue one was made by Mikasa and the pattern was Color Spectrum in Royal Blue. If you read my blog you have read about my Color Spectrum chargers before many times. I have them in several colors and I love them. The size, shape, and colors are perfect for my tablescapes. I bought them all a few at a time on Ebay over several years.

This is another well used charger in my dish collection. I have used it nine times on tablescapes in the last two years. It was called Antique Beaded and it came from Williams Sonoma several years ago. It was one of the first chargers I bought when I started tablescaping. I love the beaded edge and it adds something different to the plate stack.

I bought this green place mat at Pier 1 many years ago. I have this place mat in many different colors that I bought at Pier 1 or World Market over the years. I know one is not supposed to put a place mat on top of a tablecloth but I am not one to follow all the formal rules for table setting when I want to create something different. I wanted to add another color to this tablescape in addition to blue and white and green adds a bit of bright color.

This is one of my favorite stainless flatware sets. When I first saw it some years ago I knew I had to have it and I bought it on Amazon a few place settings at a time until I had twelve. I love the shell design on the end of the handles, there is a different shell for each of the five pieces. The flatware was made by Reed and Barton and the pattern is called Williamsburg Gloucester Shell. It is 18/10 stainless and heavy, a really good quality set. Once you hold stainless that is 18/10 nothing else will come close in quality.

Someone on Etsy made the napkins and runner for me several years ago. The scallop shell design on the napkins matches the shape of the plates. I found the white shell napkin rings on Ebay last Spring. There were four different shell designs in each set. They were marked Knobler Taiwan.

These bone china white scallop shell placecard holders came from Ebay earlier this year.

The acrylic cobalt blue goblet on the left came from Pier 1 several years ago. The green glass goblets on the right came from Pier 1 as well several years ago. I use them several times a year. I like how tall they are and the simple spiral design.

This large white clam shell is sometimes my go-to centerpiece for my ocean themed tablescapes. I found it at HomeGoods several years ago. It usually sits on a shelf in the family room. If you read my blog you have seen it on a few tablescapes already. I put a small towel in the bottom for filler and then covered it with blue and green flat glass marbles that I bought on Amazon. I added a few white shells too.

I love walking along the ocean looking for shells and sea glass. We have rented a house on the beach up the coast for several days in September. I can’t wait!

To see 100+ 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!