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.

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

Traveling the Central California Coast

We recently took a short trip up the California Coast. It was perfect timing because Spring Breaks were over and the summer crowds haven’t started yet. This is a photo of Highway 1 near Cayucos, California. California State Route 1 is a major north–south California highway that runs along most of the Pacific coastline of California. At 656 miles, it is the longest state route in California, and the second longest in the United States after Montana Highway 200. We like to sometimes take Highway 1 up the coast from Los Angeles as far north as Cambria for a few days. At Oxnard, Highway 1 joins the 101 Freeway and shares the same route for a while. To save time we stay on 101 when Highway 1 splits off later for a while. Once you leave Malibu and get through Oxnard, Ventura, and Santa Barbara the traffic gets easier. You can travel further north on Highway 1 but the route north of San Simeon to Monterey becomes very narrow in parts with lots of curves, and there is a steep cliff on the edge of the road falling down to the ocean. I won’t travel that part anymore, there are just too many idiots on the road, but it is a beautiful trip. The road is often closed because of land slides after heavy rains too, the road just collapses and falls down the cliff into the ocean.

As you drive along the coast north of Santa Barbara on Highway 1 you can see houses and camping areas along the beach and sometimes, the usual California palm trees. As you look across the water, when the air is clear, you can see the Channel Islands. This is Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa or San Miquel Island off in the distance.

This time of year, depending on how much rain there has been, the California coastal hills are often full of California wildflowers and they are truly beautiful.

Drought in California is a common occurrence that can last for multiple years. The regional climate is characterized by a dry season (approximately May to September) and a wet season (approximately October to April). These green hillsides in the spring are brown for most of the rest of the year in this area. Since we have had several recent storms pass through the region the hills are really green right now but that will change and they will become brown again.

On our way north we sometimes stop a few miles off Highway 101 at Solvang, to get our favorite elephant ears at a local bakery ( and maybe some fudge too at another shop). Solvang has a rich Danish heritage. Founded by Danish immigrants in 1911, Solvang has authentic architecture and traditional windmills. It is a bit of a tourist trap now but it is worth a visit if you are in the area.

Highway 101 turns inland and when you pass through the Santa Maria Valley you can see evidence of California’s agricultural life with tenting protecting various crops.

While it was a bit cold, the weather cooperated, and we had lots of sun during our journey.

On our trips north we often stay at a hotel on the sand in Pismo Beach but this time we decided to go inland just up the highway to San Luis Obispo and stay at the Apple Farm Inn where we have stayed before several times. Unfortunately I can’t recommend it to anyone now. It apparently has changed ownership and the service and accommodations were not up to par. We won’t be staying there again, lots of other options in town. San Luis Obispo is a college town, and there are interesting shops and restaurants in the downtown area.

They do have a water wheel at Apple Farm Inn on the property though and that is always fun to see.

Every day we drove over to Pismo Beach and Morro Bay and then took Highway 1 up the coast to Cayucos, Harmony, and Cambria. I love driving along the coast and watching the waves crash on the rocks. Cayucos has a few antique shops and I always find something of interest there that comes home with me.

There are many places along Highway 1 where you can park and walk along the beach.

Hubby walking on the sand.

As we drove north on Highway 1 from Cayucos to Cambria we passed through Harmony just off the road and stopped. It is a cute tiny town with just a few buildings on a one block main street. Founded in 1869 around a burgeoning local dairy industry, Harmony served as the home of the Harmony Valley Creamery Association (closed in 1955) and de facto capital of Central Coast dairy production for nearly half a century, while also serving as a picturesque stop for the rich and famous on their way to visit William Randolph Hearst up the highway at Hearst Castle. 

Harmony has a Pottery Shop and also Harmony Glassworks. The Glassworks has gorgeous (and expensive) glass for sale but they have inexpensive items as well.

A few glass pumpkins have come home with me from here over the years.

We stopped along the ocean near San Simeon and immediately were surrounded by three squirrels looking for food. Apparently they are trained to appear when a car stops because people feed them. They looked well fed and they were not afraid of us at all. They really didn’t want to leave us alone!

I didn’t take any photos in Cambria (I was spending too much time shopping!) but I borrowed this photo from the Cambria web site. We had lunch here one day and enjoyed it so much we went back the next day for lunch too. They had the best Tuna Melt I have ever had with unusual ingredients. They are known for their delicious pies. We missed the gift shops behind the restaurant so we will have to go back again sometime. Cambria has many cute and unique shops and restaurants and I always find things to bring home with me from there.

We returned south again near Hearst Castle. My father was a security guard there after he retired in the 1970’s and we got a behind the scenes tour of it all then so we haven’t taken another tour of the Castle since then. Hearst Castle is an historic estate on a hill in San Simeon, California. Conceived by William Randolph Hearst, the publishing tycoon, and his architect Julia Morgan, the castle was built between 1919 and 1947 and many movie stars visited the castle. Their guest list included many of the Hollywood stars of the period; Charlie Chaplin, Cary Grant, the Marx Brothers, Greta Garbo, Buster Keaton, Mary Pickford, Jean Harlow and Clark Gable all visited, some on multiple occasions. A stunning showplace for Hearst's art and antiques collection, the castle is home to centuries old sculptures, paintings, tapestries and an ancient Roman sarcophagus dating back to about 320 A.D..

If you spend any time along the ocean you will see sea gulls and other animals and birds.

When we stayed on the sand in Pismo Beach in 2022 we saw two sea otters, one with a baby sea otter on her stomach. We were there at the perfect time for baby sea otters. A trip up the coast can be a bit off the beaten path but it is well worth it.

Bishop, California

This is not part of the California coast but I am including this photo to illustrate the different areas of this large and diverse state. I grew up in this small California town surrounded by mountains in the central east part of the state. It’s about as far as you can get from Los Angeles and Southern California, about 300 miles, and it’s 360 miles from San Francisco. An interesting fact, this town is about 70 miles north of Mt. Whitney, the highest point in the continental United States and it’s about 180 miles away going southeast from Badwater in Death Valley, the lowest point in North America. This is a wonderful part of California to visit as well but that’s a story for another blog post someday.

I always find it interesting to hear what people who have never been to California think about California, the preconceived notions as it were. Some tend to think of California as Los Angeles or Hollywood or San Francisco only, with crazy people as well, and I have to laugh. I am a second generation Californian, my parents were both born in California, my children are fourth generation Californians and two of my grandchildren are fifth generation. My husband’s grandmother was born in California also as was his father. There is much more to this state than people realize. I could never imagine living anywhere else.

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/ and Life and Linda, https://www.lifeandlinda.com/ Please visit these blogs, you will enjoy them!

Greatest Spring Tablescape Ever Toad

I did a Frog Spring tablescape two years ago but it was green and white. You can see that tablescape here. But I wanted to use all my frogs again and do something different so I searched Spoonflower online for a frog tablecloth and when this one popped up I knew I had found exactly what I needed. And before someone points out the difference between frogs and toads, yes, I know the difference, (after looking it up…always the librarian), and these are all probably toads and not frogs but for the sake of this table setting I am using the word frogs.

This tablecloth is such a happy one and the colors are perfect for Spring. It could easily be used on a Tropical themed tablescape as well.

I really wanted a frog shaped salad plate for this table setting but as sometimes is the case I could find five that I liked but not the sixth one so I went with these salad plates that I had already. I bought these Bordallo Pinheiro frog salad plates on Ebay a couple of years ago. I love the raised design of little frogs on lily pads on the lip of the plate and there are also small butterflies among the flowers.

The true pink color of this dinner plate shows more accurately in the previous photo. My phone camera sometimes washes colors out a bit. I found these pink stoneware dinner plates at Pier 1 online last year. Other than this pink flatware set I haven’t had much pink in my tablescaping collection for years so I have been trying to increase items in that color for a while now. You can read my blog post about what to consider when you are buying dinner plates here.

This is a Mikasa Color Spectrum Charger in the color Alpine White. I have this charger in several different colors and I bought them all on Ebay as I saw them over a few years. The Internet says that this pattern was only made between 1992 and 1993. I am not sure that is true but in any case they are no longer being manufactured. I have been trying to get six of this color and pattern for years with no success until this last month when suddenly I found six at different places online after occasional google searches. You need to have patience when you are looking for things for tablescaping, that’s for sure!

This pink frosted flatware set was made by Bugatti for Vietri and the pattern was called Aladdin Brilliant. I bought the set at Macys several years ago. I have several sets of frosted flatware. These are 18/10 stainless, and I really like the frosted design. You can read my blog post about what to consider when you are buying flatware here.

I felt sure that I had a pink napkin set that I could use on this tablescape but none of the pink napkins that I have were the right shade of pink to match the tablecloth so I found these pink cotton napkins on Amazon a few days ago. They are nice casual napkins and they survived the washer and dryer and ironed well so I may buy some other colors. I found the metal frog napkin rings a few years ago at Hobby Lobby and Hubby painted them green for me. To read about the What, Where and How of napkin rings please click here.

I found these frog tea light candles on Amazon a few years ago. I love that little face! I have them sitting on my Oleg Cassini clear glass place card holders. I bought them at HomeGoods several years ago when I first started tablescaping. They are heavy and solid and I really like the simple design. I often use them as a stand for place card items. I see them for sale on Ebay from time to time. You can read my blog post for ideas about how to store napkin rings and place card holders here. Just looked back at this and realized that I forgot to add the place cards!

The green acrylic goblet on the left came from our Pier 1 store before it closed a few years ago. I bought the pink glass goblet on the right at World Market four years ago. True pink goblets are hard to find, they often are called pink when they are actually a coral color. When I saw these I grabbed them and then they quickly sold out so others were looking for them too! 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 this frog figure at a Grocery Outlet store while we were on vacation two summers ago and it was really inexpensive. When I am out and about I am constantly looking for centerpiece ideas. Hubby was dragging his feet about buying it but when I told him I had been looking at frog cookie jars for three times the price he quickly changed his mind! I love the expression on this frog’s face, his eyes, and his feet. He is sitting on a small white plastic stand that probably came from HomeGoods several years ago.

I have so many candle holders and candles so I decided that this year I would try to use them more often. Then I saw this Venezia Smoke Green glass candle holder at Crate and Barrel online and the shape reminded me of a lily pad so I bought two to add to this tablescape on each side of the centerpiece. It comes in three different sizes but I bought the shortest ones. They have this candle holder in Deep Blue and Clear as well. They can also be used for flowers. They are really delicate glass and I love them.

We have had tiny frogs in our garden the past few years although I have only heard them once this Spring so far. I think it has been too cold for them. They are about the size of two thumbnails. I love hearing them croak although it doesn’t sound like a croak, it’s a loud weird scratchy sound. I hope they come back and stay a while!

To see over 270 different tablescapes that I have created please click here. If you are on Facebook, join my 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

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

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