Farm Animals on A Summer Tablescape

I have been thinking about this tablescape for a long time. It finally all came together this month. Sometimes it can take a long long time to gather everything together to illustrate a particular theme. I found the black and white buffalo check tablecloth on Amazon a few years ago. It is nice heavy cotton and it is really easy to iron with a steam iron.

I looked for a long time for farm themed salad plates that I liked before I found these farm animal salad plates. I found a few on Etsy and a few on Ebay. I found four different designs, a cow, a sheep, a chicken, and a pig. The back says, “Designed Exclusively for Cracker Barrel Old Country Store by Susan Winget”.

This simple white dinner plate was made by Ralph Lauren and it was called Club Porcelain. I used the same plate on my Ants Tablescape last week. You can see that tablescape here. I bought them at HomeGoods several years ago. I really like having a simple white dinner plate in my tablescaping collection. You can read my blog post about what to consider when you are buying dinner plates here.

I used these black chargers on my Ants Tablescape last week also. These black glass Starburst chargers are called Charge It and they were made by Jay. I bought them several years ago on Amazon. They are heavy glass and work well with many different color schemes. I use them frequently on Halloween tablescapes. You can see them on one of my Halloween Tablescapes here. To read about what you should be considering when you are buying chargers click here.

I used this black flatware set on my Ants Tablescape last week too, it just happened that way. The set is Ginkgo International LePrix. I have had this set for years and it came from Overstock.com. It is still for sale online. You can read my blog post about what to consider when you are buying flatware here.

I bought these wonderful farm animal napkins on Etsy from ME2Designs. Meg has made several different napkin sets for me over the years and I love her work. I tell her the theme that I am working on and she sends me photos of different fabrics and I choose what I want and she makes them for me. These napkins are absolutely perfect for this tablescape. I found the Holstein cow napkin rings on Ebay a couple months ago and they were perfect because I wanted to match the Holstein cow salad plate. I think they are so cute!

These hen and baby chick napkin rings were made by Fitz and Floyd between 2006 and 2015 and the pattern was called Ricamo. I just love all the different colors on this napkin ring. I found them on Ebay a couple months ago.

I found these Lipco sheep napkin rings on Ebay a couple months ago too.

I wanted pink pig napkin rings to matche the pink pig salad plates and I found these Kemp and Beatley pig napkin rings on Ebay too a couple months ago.

I looked for quite a while before I found these black farm animal place card holders. I found them on the bonanza online shop. They were very inexpensive but unfortunately the seller just tossed them all in a box and shipped them to me and when I got them they were in pieces. Hubby actually glued them all back together and spray-painted them black for me. I set them on a white metal napkin ring that I have had for a long time.

The goblet on the left with the black bowl and clear stem was made by Classic Touch and is called V-Shaped Water Glass, Black With Clear Stem. I bought them at Houzz online a couple years ago. The twisted black stem goblet on the right was made by Luminarc. Hubby found them at Goodwill several months ago.

I saw a metal windmill at Michael’s last year and I almost bought it but I didn’t like the color or the design. I was in Michael’s this spring and they had a couple of different ones including this one and it was on sale. It was a rusty brown color but I knew Hubby could spray-paint it for me so I bought it for this tablescape. I added a pig salt and pepper set to the base to break up the black a bit that probably came from Amazon a few years ago.

I added this cute little sheep salt and pepper set to the table too, probably from Amazon as well.

I found this cow butter dish on Ebay several years ago. I think I also have it in a round design. It is labeled Buttercup for Shafford by B.S.J. 1979. I have hung onto it for years just waiting to use it! I love the expression on her face.

This tablescape makes me smile.

To see 160+ other tablescapes that I have created please click here. You can see two other farm themed tablescapes that I have done, a John Deere theme tablescape here, and a Red Barn theme tablescape 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 (or here) for more tablescaping tips and tricks.

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

Ants on a Summer Tablescape

I did this Ants tablescape three years ago but I wanted better photos of it and I made changes to the plate stack for this version. I am not sure where I found the red buffalo print tablecloth but it is one of my favorites, heavy cotton, and a great color, a true red. I have had it for a few years.

These salad plates are labeled Boston Warehouse Trading Corp, copyright 2008. I really love the ants crawling on them. I bought them at Pier 1 several years ago.

I added an extra plate to this plate stack so the colors would match as I wanted them to match. This small black appetizer ot tidbit plate is unmarked but I probably bought it at HomeGoods several years ago. It is similar to a small black Fiesta plate.

Fiesta Scarlet Salad Plate

This red salad plate is made by Fiesta and the color is Scarlet. It is part of our everyday dishes set. We bought them a few years ago at Macy’s when we remodeled the kitchen.

This simple white dinner plate was made by Ralph Lauren and it was called Club Porcelain. I bought them at HomeGoods several years ago. I really like having a simple white dinner plate in my tablescaping collection. You can read my blog post about what to consider when you are buying dinner plates here.

These black glass Starburst chargers are called Charge It and they were made by Jay. I bought them several years ago on Amazon. They are heavy glass and work well with many different color schemes. To read about what you should be considering when you are buying chargers click here.

Ginkgo International LePrix Black Flatware

This black flatware set is Ginkgo International LePrix. I have had this set for years and it came from Overstock.com. It is still for sale online. You can read my blog post about what to consider when you are buying flatware here.

I had someone on Etsy make the Ants napkins a few years ago. I really love that print! Can’t remember where I bought the black metal basket napkin rings. I have had them for several years.

I bought these ant place card holders at Pottery Barn several years ago. They were red but Hubby spray painted them black to match these plates and napkins. They are one of my favorite place card holders. I have similar place card holders that are black widow spiders.

Lenox Midnight Mood Black Goblet

I just love these red plastic cup goblets. I was telling my kids about them and they gave me a set as a gift a few years ago. They were made by Red Cup Living in 2013. I bought these black goblets on Ebay and they were one of the first sets that I bought several years ago. They are Lenox Midnight Mood black glass water goblets and they were made between 1974 and 1982. They are 7 1/4 inches tall. When I started buying goblets I didn’t pay attention to the height but now I like to buy goblets that are at least about 8 inches tall because my table is large and I think they show better. You can still find them on Ebay from time to time. You can read my blog post about what to consider when you are buying goblets (including the colors I use the most) for your tablescaping collection here.

I have had this red basket for several years. It usually sits on a baker’s rack that is on the wall next to the kitchen. I found the plastic ants on Etsy a few years ago after looking for the right size for a while. I bought some more a few weeks ago.

I love the parade of ants!

To see 160+ 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 (or here) 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 My Thrift Store Addiction, https://mythriftstoreaddiction.blogspot.com/ Please visit this blog, you will enjoy it.

See Shells on a Summer Tablescape

I used these blue shell plates on one of my early tablescapes eight years ago and then again two years ago but I have changed the other elements on the table for this Summer tablescape. This plate set is one of my favorites. The white polyester tablecloth probably came from Amazon or TableclothsFactory online a few years ago. I added my Waterford glass shell and a glass crab to the table for a bit of additional interest.

Bordallo Pinheiro Sea Shell Plates

I love the design of this blue shell salad plate. The raised design of all the shells and starfish really make these plates pop. I love the scallop shell surrounded by a rope in the center. Some of the salad plates in this pattern have a starfish in the center of the plate. They were made by Bordallo Pinheiro in Portugal and I bought them one at a time as I saw them on Ebay several years ago.

The dinner plate matches the salad plate except for the flat center of the plate. It took me a few years to get all the plates I needed in salad, dinner, and charger sizes. You can read my blog post about what to consider when you are buying dinner plates here.

The charger plate has an additional circle of shells around the rim of the plate. I set them on a blue place mat that probably came from Pier 1 several years ago. To read about what you should be considering when you are buying chargers click here.

Reed & Barton Williamsburg Gloucester Shell Flatware

This seashell flatware set is special and one of my favorites. I love the shell designs on the end of the handles, there is a different shell for each of the four pieces. The flatware was made by Reed & 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. The shine on 18/10 flatware is amazing. I bought it a few place settings at a time over several months online at Amazon several years ago but it is still for sale online on other sites. You can read my blog post about what to consider when you are buying flatware here.

Someone on Etsy made the blue shells napkins for me several years ago. I found the white shell napkin rings on Ebay a few years ago. 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 last year.

I love it when I buy two different tablescaping items at different times in different places and they end up matching each other. The plastic blue goblet on the left came from Pier 1 several years ago. I really like the height and shape of it and I have it in several different colors. Dollar stores sometimes have this style of plastic goblet for sale during the summer season in bright colors. Hubby found the glass blue goblet with a clear stem on the right at an estate sale a couple months ago, I wish they had had more for sale, I love this goblet. It is a perfect blue color and I predict I will be using it often. You can read my blog post about what to consider when you are buying goblets (including the colors I use the most) for your tablescaping collection here.

I found this large shell bowl at HomeGoods several years ago. I have used it on six different ocean themed tablescapes over the years including this one. I filled it with flat blue glass marbles and a few white sea shells and I set it on a blue placemat. Every time I go to HomeGoods I wander around looking for ideas for centerpieces.

This tablescape reminds me of how much I love looking for sea shells and sea glass along the ocean.

To see 160+ other tablescapes that I have created including 11 other Ocean themed tablescapes 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 (or here) for more tablescaping tips and tricks.

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

A Row Boat Family Tradition on a Tablescape

This is a special tablescape. It honors a family tradition that is over 60 years old and that involves a mountain lake, a row boat, a magnet, and a rower with keen eyesight. Some of you readers may well have participated in our family tradition over the years decades ago because two sets of eyes are always better than one and it helps to have someone rowing and someone securing. It is a tradition that I still truly enjoy and hope to do again soon.

This family tradition started when I was about seven on this lake in the Eastern Sierra in California. This is a photo of me at about that age although our row boat is not in the photo. (It is a very old slide and the quality isn’t very good.) I learned to row a boat at that age. My father tied a long rope to one of those bushes and to the row boat and I would row the boat out to the end of the rope and then pull myself back in with the rope and repeat the process over and over. Soon after that I joined the family tradition. I actually got very good at rowing after a while, better than some of my brothers because I did it more often. That still applies to this day!

Our family did not fish for fish, we fished for lures. In those days lures were usually made of a magnetic metal. Fishermen would fish along the edge of the lake and lose their lures when they caught them on logs under the water. Luckily this lake and others nearby were shallow around the edge of the lake and the lures could be reached with a magnet on a long strong piece of heavy string. It was tricky because you had to position the boat over the lure so that you could see it well enough to touch it with the magnet. Sometimes the lure was stuck and you had to hit it with the magnet a few times to free it. The magnet we used was small, heavy, and very strong and we still use it. After a few years we sometimes took a long pole with us in the boat in case we had to dislodge the lure from the wood if it was really stuck. The row boat needed to be small and easy to move around. If the boat drifted away from above the lure’s location you had to maneuver it back into position. When I was alone I often had a oar in the water as well as the magnet on the string to help stabilize the boat and keep it from drifting.

The best time to fish for lures was early on a sunny morning when there was no wind and the lake was like glass. The lure would be reflected and shine in the sunlight and they could easily be spotted under the water even from a distance. I hold the record for the most lures found on one day (on two lakes), 101 lures. I also hold the record for the most found on one day on one lake, 50. (I think those days were at the very beginning of fishing season or at the very end when lots of lures had been lost.) We had a journal that we kept when we were at the cabin and all lure gathering numbers were carefully documented often with a witness counting. My family had a small mountain cabin within walking distance of two lakes and we had a small wooden row boat on each lake for fishing for lures. We were lucky because you need shallow water to fish for lures and both these lakes had shallow water that went out a distance before the lake got deep.

This is a slide photo of me as a teenager fishing for lures. (We used that net as a pole too.)

We ended up with over 1,000 lures and we displayed them by type on cork board in the cabin as the collection grew. We gave some away from time to time to make more room. (Someone gave us a jigsaw puzzle with lures on it and you can see it in this photo too.)

Six years ago on one of my special birthdays my brothers bought me another small white boat. This photo is of me using it for the first time and yes, I did have the magnet, and I did get two lures! The boat is stored at our mountain cabin and the tradition continues! Now back to the tablescape.

As soon as I saw the row boat on this salad plate at Bed, Bath & Beyond online earlier this year I flashed back to fishing for lures and I knew I had to do a tablescape to honor our family tradition using row boats to fish for lures. This plate is called Blue Speckle Sleep In Accent Salad Plate and it is labeled Everyday White Porcelain by Fitz and Floyd.

There are two different plate designs in this series, this is the other one. It is called Blue Speckle Lake Explore Accent Salad Plate and it is labeled Everyday White Porcelain by Fitz and Floyd. This image really reminds me of one of the lakes near our current mountain cabin.

I bought these blue plates online a few years ago at Ballard Designs, I think they are called Southern Living. They are about 11 1/2” in diameter, a good size to be either a dinner plate or a charger. I love plates that will work for either! You can read my blog post about what to consider when you are buying dinner plates here.

I didn’t like the shade of any of my red chargers on this tablescape so Hubby went to the Dollar Store and bought six chargers and spray-painted them the perfect red color for me. We have done this before and it is an inexpensive way to create a charger that is the perfect color for your tablescape. To read about what you should be considering when you are buying chargers click here.

I seem to be in a rut with this red flatware set. I have used it on my last three tablescapes and now this one too. It is often in use during July (as well as other months too). The set is called Milano Red Ginkgo International LePrix. I have had this set for years but it is still for sale. I am not sure where I bought it. I use it often when I need a more informal red flatware set for a tablescape. You can see it on a Grinch Tablescape that I did for Christmas here. You can read my blog post about what to consider when you are buying flatware here.

The red, white, and blue plaid napkins came from either Pier 1 or HomeGoods several years ago. The fabric is kind of a seersucker material. Hubby was a great help with this tablescape including these napkin rings. We found the small boats and then the small oars on Etsy and he painted them and then glued them together for me. I had some napkin rings that I didn’t like so he took them apart and glued that white ring to these row boats. They turned out really cute I think. This navy blue polyester tablecloth probably came from TableclothsFactory online a few years ago.

These tiny row boats came from Party Swizzle online. When I saw them, I knew I could use them as place card holders on this tablescape.

I used this red glass goblet on my last three tablescapes too and now this one as well. I can’t remember where I found it last year. If I were starting a tablescaping collection, a red goblet would be one of my first purchases. I use them often. The blue acrylic goblet on the right came from Pier 1 several years ago. I really like the height and shape of it and I have it in several different colors. Dollar stores sell them sometimes in different colors in acrylic and in glass. You can read my blog post about what to consider when you are buying goblets for your tablescaping collection here.

I bought this small row boat on Amazon a few months ago but it looked very different then. It was a distressed white color and was partly draped with a net and sea shells. Hubby removed all that for me and painted it. He actually made the oars out of pieces of wood and then painted them as well. I added some small white rocks to the table for the boat to sit on.

I added some red glass salt and pepper sets to the table as well.

Here’s wishing I was out on a lake fishing for lures right now, with the perfect conditions though, no wind and plenty of sun!

To see 260+ 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 (or here) for more tablescaping tips and tricks.

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

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 2025.

This blog post was featured at Miz Helen’s Country Cottage, https://www.mizhelenscountrycottage.com/ Lots of great recipes there, check it out!