A Totally Tomatoes Summer Tablescape

July 27, 2026 by Beth Wilson in Tablescapes

Did I really need a large red tomato tureen? No. (You know how this goes…) Did I really want a large red tomato tureen? Yes! To rationalize this purchase that I made six years ago I have used this tureen on three different tomato themed tablescapes that I have posted over the past six years and I am still really glad that I bought it! My mother loved tomatoes and I have many memories of lunches of tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches that she made us while we were growing up. Tomatoes make me think of her. The tureen is sitting on a vintage small tablecloth with images of tomato salads and their ingredients. This vintage tablecloth was manufactured by Thomas Prints and the pattern has been called Salad Bowl. Because vintage tablecloths are usually small I placed this tablecloth over a larger black and white buffalo check tablecloth.

These tomato shaped salad plates are marked Jacques Pepin for Sur La Table, Handcrafted in Italy. I bought them several years ago at our Sur La Table store that has been closed now for a few years. I love the bright red color.

This dinner plate was made by Fiesta and the color is called Shamrock. I bought them at Macys several years ago. This color is now discontinued but you can find them online on the secondary market. You can read about what you need to think about when you are buying dinner plates here.

This black glass Starburst charger is called Charge It and they were made by Jay. I bought them several years ago on Amazon. They are heavy glass and a simple design and they work well with many different color schemes.

This black flatware set is called Ginkgo International LePrix. The pattern was first created in the late 1970’s in a small village in southern France. I have had this set for years but it is still for sale. Not sure where I bought it. I use it several times a year on tablescapes. The simple design using black handles with distinct silver rivets is perfect with the casual design of this tablescape. I now have this flatware set in navy blue, moss green, mimosa yellow, milano red, and persimmon orange and I use them all often. You can read my blog post about what to consider when you are buying flatware here.

The bright red napkins probably came from our Pier 1 store before it closed several years ago. These ceramic Ganz CBK tomato napkin rings came from Fitzula’s Gift Shop online a few years ago.

I wanted to use a small red tomato as a place card holder on this tablescape and I found these tomatoes on Etsy. They are plastic and they were made using digital 3D printing. I set them on a small square metal place card holder that I have that looks black but is actually a bronze color.

The green goblet on the left came from Macy’s a few years ago. They are called Qualia Glass Meridian. I like the height and the beautiful green color. I can’t remember where I bought these Cristalleria Fratelli Fumo red glass goblets. I like using these red and green goblets together because of their similar shape and complementary colors. 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 set this large red tomato tureen centerpiece on a small black stand that I had to give it a bit more height. It really makes a statement on this tablescape. I would remove it from the stand before serving because it is a bit top heavy.

Time to buy some more tomatoes!

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 (4,200+ 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 to have another one in November in Riverside.

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!

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

An Udderly Charming Summer Tablescape

July 13, 2026 by Beth Wilson in Tablescapes

The subtitle of this tablescape should be called, “Hubby brought home a cow cookie jar from an estate sale and even though I have done a cow tablescape before and I already have a cow cookie jar, I had to use it before it goes to the thrift store”. I’m not sure where I found the black and white cotton gingham tablecloth, maybe it came from Amazon. I have had it for several years. You can see the other cow themed tablescape that I did a few years ago as well as 300+ other themed tablescapes of mine on my blog here: https://www.whispersoftheheart.com/tablescapes.

I wanted to find a salad plate that had Holstein cows on it to match the centerpiece and I finally found this one. The plate is marked Tienshan Stoneware and it was made in China. The pattern was called Buttercup and it has been discontinued. I bought the plates at Replacements online. The faces make me laugh and I love the yellow bell and the pink flowers that one of the cows is eating.

This matte baby blue coupe dinner plate is marked Madam Marble, durable porcelain. I can’t remember where I bought them. I chose it because I wanted to match the blue that was on the salad plate. It is not an exact match but it works.

This black plastic acrylic charger came from tableclothsFACTORY online a few years ago. I was happy with the relatively inexpensive price for six chargers. A basic black charger is always a good purchase when you are starting a tablescaping collection. To read about what you should be considering when you are buying chargers, please click here.

I wanted another set of black flatware that was all black and different from my Ginkgo International LePrix black flatware set to use on a Halloween tablescape a few years ago and I found this set on sale at Macy’s online. It was made by Lenox and the pattern is called Portola. I love the simple design and shiny black color. I suspect this set will get a lot of use. You can read my blog post about what to consider when you are buying flatware here.

These black cotton napkins came from Crate and Barrel a few years ago. They are a really nice study cotton fabric in a true black color. So often black is actually a dark charcoal or dark gray but these are the perfect black color. Although Hubby mumbles about tablescape storage, he is often a partner in crime. He likes to go to estate sales and garage sales and he found these Holstein cow napkin rings at an estate sale a few years ago and brought them home. He knows I have a weakness for napkin rings.

I found this hand-carved linden wood Holstein cow on Etsy. I often search there for interesting items to use as place card holders.

I like to use these black and clear goblets together because they complement each other. The goblet on the left with the black bowl and clear stem was made by Classic Touch and it is called V-Shaped Water Glass, Black With Clear Stem. I bought them at Houzz online several years ago. The clear fluted goblet with the black stem on the right is called Octime and the manufacturer was Luminarc Arcoroc. They were made in the 1980’s. I bought them on Ebay. 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.

This ceramic cow comes in three parts, each with its own lid. It had a few very tiny color nicks that I filled in with marking pen. Hubby found it at an estate sale and he loved the yellow chicks so he brought it home. It is a vintage Coco Dowley Holstein Cow 3 Piece Cookie Jar or Condiment Set made by Certified International in the 1990’s. As you can see it is large!

This ceramic Holstein cow butter dish was made by Boston Warehouse Trading Corp. I can’t remember where I bought it.

This is a vintage Boston Warehouse “Udderly Cows” salt and pepper set. It was part of a line of country farmhouse kitchenware released by the Boston Warehouse Trading Corp during the 1990’s and 2000’s. We found the set inside the Cow Cookie Jar Centerpiece. I suspect it is part of the same set of dishes as the butter dish shown above.

Holstein cows originated in the Netherlands approximately 2,000 years ago. The Internet says that California has the most number of Holstein cows but I am not sure that is true. Holstein cattle are the most prominent of the seven major dairy breeds in the United States. Cows of Holstein descent make up over 90% of the cows on U.S. dairy farms. Interesting!

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!

This blog post was featured at Modern on Monticello, https://modernonmonticello.com/ Please visit this blog, you will enjoy it!

A Sailabration Summer Tablescape

July 06, 2026 by Beth Wilson in Tablescapes

I have been thinking about a Sailboat themed tablescape for a few years but I couldn’t find what I wanted to use on it until now. We had a small Hobie Cat catamaran for a few years but we didn’t use it as much as we should have so we finally sold it. I bought this polyester nautical themed tablecloth on Amazon a few years ago to use on a lighthouse themed tablescape and I knew it would be perfect for this theme as well. You can see that tablescape and 300+ other themed tablescapes that I have created on my blog here: https://www.whispersoftheheart.com/tablescapes . I am trying to make more of an effort to reuse what I already have on my tablescapes. I often forget what I have and so I am continuing to inventory and take photos of things and put them in folders on my computer so I will have a record of it all and not spend money on things I already have.

These melamine Sailboat salad plates were originally sold by Pier 1 but I bought them on Ebay. When I saw them I knew immediately that they would go well with this tablecloth because they were a similar style with the same colors.

I am using my Fiesta Scarlet dinner plates on this table. I like to use the red, white, and blue color combination on my tablescapes and if you look at my blog, you will see me using those colors together on many of my tablescapes. I have this dinner plate in many different colors now because it is the perfect size to use with my chargers and my salad plates. I often buy Fiesta dishes at Everything Kitchens online because they have sales from time to time or I go to the Fiesta site online.

I bought these chargers on Ebay, a few at a time when I could find them. They are Color Spectrum by Mikasa and the color is called Royal Blue. I love these chargers, I bought them in several different colors. They are a simple design, the perfect size, and the quality is good.

This red flatware set is called Ginkgo LePrix in Milano Red. I have had this set for several years but you can still buy it online. I also bought this pattern in a few other colors as well. I can’t remember where I found this red set but if you google it, sources will pop up. You can read my blog post about what to consider when you are buying flatware here.

I think I bought these red napkins on Amazon, I love the bright red color. I found these wood sailboat napkin rings on Ebay. They were a bit dinged up but I touched them up a bit with color markers. To read about the What, When and How of napkin rings please click here.

I was looking for something that I could use as place card holders on this table and I found these IMIKEYA mini sailboats on Amazon. They came in a set with four different designs. I am amazed at the detail on them. They were just what I needed for this tablescape. To read about the What, When and Why of place card holders, please click here.

I found this nautical sailboat on sale at Grandin Road online. I set it on a drink dispenser stand from Pottery Barn that I bought years ago. Over the years I have bought several things from this company for my tablescapes.

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

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!

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

A Berry Sweet Strawberry Summer Tablescape

June 02, 2026 by Beth Wilson in Tablescapes

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!

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!