Spiders on the Halloween Tablescape!

October 22, 2019 by Beth Wilson in Tablescapes

I make good use of some of my black and white dishes especially at Halloween time. If you read my blog on a regular basis, you can see how I sometimes repeat elements from tablescape to tablescape. I bought the white tablecloth on Amazon.

I found the spider salad plates at Pottery Barn several years ago. I finally found the right centerpiece elements to add to the table.

These are a smaller size plate and they can be used as a salad plate or an appetizer plate. I like that versatility. There are four different designs.

I am not a fan of spiders by any means, I would not like to meet these spiders anywhere!

This white salad plate was made by Bordallo Pinheiro in Portugal. I bought them on Ebay a few years ago but I can’t remember the pattern name, it might be Wave. I am still looking for more of these in this size and the dinner plate size. It is a good neutral design that I can use to accent many plate stacks.

I love the raised design on this dinner plate. I love patterns that cover the entire plate and this one almost does. I bought them at Pier 1 several years ago. The scalloped edge works really well in a plate stack. I can’t remember the name of the pattern.

The black glass Starburst charger is called Charge It and was made by Jay. I bought them several years ago on Amazon. They are heavy glass and work well with many different color schemes. This design is a good starter charger plate if you are thinking about starting a tablescaping hobby. The place mats came from Pier 1 online.

The black flatware is Ginkgo International LePrix. I have had this set for years but it is still for sale. Not sure where I bought it.

The spider web napkin rings were made by Midnight Market. I bought them several years ago and I can’t remember where I bought them. I bought the black and white napkins online several years ago but I can’t remember where, it might have been Crate and Barrel. They were made by Waverly. I am surprised at how often I use them, they seem to go well with lots of different table designs. I found the black spider web napkins on Etsy several years ago. I had been looking and looking for the right color and design and finally bought these even though they are cocktail napkin size. I just tucked them into the top of the other napkin.

I bought these black goblets on the right 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. The clear fluted goblet with the black stem on the left is called Octime and and the manufacturer was Luminarc Arcoroc. They were made in the 1980’s. I bought them on Ebay also. I like the taller goblets, they add a stronger element to the table setting.

I have had these spider web place card holders for a few years, I bought them at Williams Sonoma.

I bought the spider web overlay several years ago, can’t remember where but you can find them online everywhere this time of year. The three black metal spiders came from Olive and Cocoa online several years ago. As soon as I saw them, I knew my Spiders tablescape was done.

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

For lots of other Tablescaping DIY tips and tricks click here: https://www.whispersoftheheart.com/tablescapehowto

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

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

Nana's Dressing Table

October 19, 2019 by Beth Wilson in Genealogy

My Nana, my mother’s mother, died when I was nine. I have no memories of her that I can remember and we lived 300 miles away when she died. My mother inherited some of her belongings, and I received them from my mother, and I cherish them. Nana was born in 1881 and she was married in 1909, an older bride for that time period. Her husband, my Grandfather, was 18 years older than she was and a widower with five children, the oldest only five years younger than my Nana. It was not an easy situation at times but the family was well off until the Depression hit. I gathered a few things to share that might have been on Nana’s dressing table from time to time.

This sterling vanity dresser set with a mirror and shoe horn were probably part of a larger set. The mirror is engraved with my Nana’s initials J. P. L. (Joanna Pruitt Leonard) and it is marked sterling. The mirror is marked with F & B in a flag, the trademark of Foster and Bailey, a company that became Theodore Foster & Bros. Co. in 1898. I suspect the set was made between 1910 and 1920. Although it is the same design, the sterling shoe horn has a different trademark, one from the Webster Company.

I have another sterling dresser set from my mother’s half-sister. She never married so the set is engraved with her maiden name initials, E. M. L. (Edith Marian Leonard). The set also included a frame for a comb that is not in the photo. I have not been able to identify the trademark on these pieces.

This is one of my Nana’s calling cards or visiting cards and her calling card case.

Calling cards were a simple means for servants to introduce someone's arrival, although complex rules developed around their use. After the invention of the telephone, the use of personal calling cards declined and they ultimately disappeared.

This beaded evening bag belonged to my Nana or her mother. I couldn’t find any markings on it at all although the interior bag part is very worn and in pieces. It may have been made between 1900 and 1920.

My mother told me that my Nana had a friend bring this cameo back to her from Italy. The chain is not original to the piece. The gold on the cameo is marked 14k. I have always loved this piece. It is especially dear to me because I have a photo of my Nana wearing it. I have only worn it a few times since I inherited it because it is so fragile.

I wish I knew more about this green glass jar that belonged to Nana. My mother always had face powder in it while I was growing up. It has no markings of any kind. I keep it in one of my china cabinets because I don’t want it anywhere where it could be damaged.

Having something that belonged to an ancestor is so special. It brings them closer to have something and touch something that they touched too.

A Happy Halloween Tablescape

October 16, 2019 by Beth Wilson in Tablescapes

A few years ago I saw a tablescape on Pinterest with a buffalo print tablecloth that I really wanted to adapt and then I found this tablecloth on Amazon that I knew would be perfect. Because the tablecloth is busy, the rest of the table elements are more simple.

I found the jack o’ lantern salad plates at Pottery Barn several years ago. I had been looking for a simple jack o’ lantern plate for a couple of years and was so happy to find this one. The orange place mats came from Pier 1 several years ago.

The black dinner plate was made by Waechtersbach and is called Fun Factory. A black dinner plate was one of the first plates I bought when I started tablescaping and I use it often. It probably came from HomeGoods several years ago.

This orange glass charger was made by Bormioli Rocco and I think the pattern was called Inca. It is good quality and a heavy glass. I have bought it in a few other colors as well over the years. I found them on Amazon several years ago.

This black flatware is Ginkgo International LePrix. I have had it for years but it is still for sale. Not sure where I bought it.

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. I think I bought the orange goblets at Ross or T.J. Maxx. They were some of the first goblets I bought several years ago.

I found the metal jack-o’-lantern napkin rings at Overstock.com and the napkins came from Target several years ago.

I love these little pumpkin place card holders. I have had them for a while. They came from Crate and Barrel several years ago.

Can’t remember where I found the tea light candles and salt and pepper sets but you can find similar sets online.

I have had the centerpiece jack o’ lantern for many many years. No idea where he came from. He is sitting on a stand that I bought online at Grandin Road.

I love the black and white and orange color combination. I added a few Halloween elements to the fireplace too.

Can’t remember where I bought the black witches stands and small jack o’ lantern candles. Everything else came from Grandin Road online.

I love smiling jack o’ lanterns!

I love Halloween tablescapes! Here are a couple others that I have done.

Skulls on a Halloween Tablescape https://www.whispersoftheheart.com/blog/2021/10/2/skulls-on-a-halloween-tablescape

Spiders on the Table, https://www.whispersoftheheart.com/blog/2019/10/22/spiders-on-the-table

A Witchy Book of Spells, https://www.whispersoftheheart.com/blog/2019/10/23/a-witchy-book-of-spells-table

For lots of other Tablescaping DIY tips and tricks click here: https://www.whispersoftheheart.com/tablescapehowto

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

This blog post was featured at Miz Helen’s Country Cottage, https://www.mizhelenscountrycottage.com/ , Funky Junk Interiors, https://www.funkyjunkinteriors.net/ and The Cottage Market, https://thecottagemarket.com/ Please visit these blogs, you will enjoy them!

A Happy Meowloween Tablescape for Halloween

October 09, 2019 by Beth Wilson in Tablescapes

Cats on the table! I did this tablescape several years ago for Halloween and decided to set it again. You can see some duplication from the Halloween Skull Tablescape that I did. I used some of the same elements. The tablecloth came from Amazon and I bought the place mats at Pier 1 before our store closed.

I am a cat lover so I was thinking about a cat themed table for a while. I found this set of Halloween themed appetizer plates a few years ago on Ebay and a cat was included in the set so that plate determined the color scheme.

These appetizer plates were made by 222 Fifth and the pattern is called Wiccan Lace. The set came with a cat, a witch, a skull, and a haunted house. You can still find them for sale online. I love all the small details you can see in the design when you look at it closely.

The salad plate comes from the same maker, 222 Fifth, and is also part of the Wiccan Lace set. Love the all over detailed design!

The black dinner plate was made by Waechtersbach and is called Fun Factory. A black dinner plate was one of the first plates I bought when I started tablescaping and I use it often.

The black glass Starburst charger is called Charge It and was made by Jay. I bought them several years ago on Amazon. They are heavy glass and work well with many different color schemes.

The black flatware is Ginkgo International LePrix. I have had it for years but it is still for sale. Not sure where I bought it.

I had someone on Etsy make the black cat napkins and I found the metal black cat napkin rings there as well.

I really liked the cat napkin rings so when I needed witch napkin rings I had that seller make me a set of them as well that I used on my Best Witches tablescape.

The black cat place card holders are magnetic and I found them on Etsy too.

I found the three black cats in the centerpiece at HomeGoods on different trips there. I love this shiny one, it was the perfect size for the table.

Can’t remember where I found the small pumpkins.

I found the magnetic cat salt and pepper set on Amazon.

I found the large black and white pumpkins online at Grandin Road. The Beware sign in the background came from Grandin Road also.

The only problem with this centerpiece design, it all takes up a lot of storage space!

I’m done with black and white, next week’s table will have more color!

To see 260+ other tablescapes that I have created including 16 other Halloween 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 for more tablescaping tips and tricks.

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