The Picnic Table

What could possibly be better than a summer picnic?  If the sky is filled with clouds...then why not have your picnic inside!  I promise you this will be fun.

My indoor picnic starts with my linen and cotton patchwork runner.  I've just recently had the itch to try quilting and this runner allowed me to use lots of scraps and to experiment.

I must say, I was rather proud of myself!

These natural jute placemat seemed the perfect choice to pair with the linen.  Sitting atop the mats are my blue dotted dinner plates from West Elm.  How about some more dots?

These cheery red dotted napkins were also a great find from West Elm a few years back.  Oh...I've had these adorable blueberry ceramic napkin rings tucked in the back of a drawer for ages.

I found them at a little ceramic shop in Maine on a fabulous summer vacation  some time ago.  I'm so happy they finally made it out of the drawer!

Won't these bottles of Coke taste just fabulous in these colorful speckled glasses (Crate & Barrel, years ago)?

Just because...I made some little name tags to dress up the bottles.

There's no reason you can't bring nature indoors!  Trader Joe's once again had the most gorgeous flowers.  I chose the brightest bouquets I could find and plopped them into plain old canning jars.

So pretty!  Is there anything missing?  Well maybe just some pesky ants and annoying bees.  I think having a picnic inside was a great idea after all.  As always I will be visiting the following blog parties.  Please join me!

Centerpiece Wednesday (The Style Sisters)

Tabletop Thursday (Between Naps on the Porch)

Feathered Nest Friday (French Country Cottage)

Home Sweet Home Friday  (The Charm of Home)

Potpourri Friday (2805)

Seasonal Sundays (The Tablescaper)

Let's Dish (Cuisine Kathleen)

Open House Party (No Minimalist Here)

Black and Blue

As you recall, earlier in the summer,  I set my patio table with Anders' old threadbare quilt as my inspiration.  And because the mother of twins never plays favorites, Sofie's quilt was featured last week.     Both were fun and festive...but you know what?  My black and blue patio table is quite spectacular on its own!  This week, there are no cover-ups...just a simple table for some al fresco dining.  Several summers ago, I fell in love with this tile table from Crate & Barrel.

Paired with black wicker chairs and a blue umbrella, the patio becomes an outdoor "dining room" and a nice change of pace from dinners in the kitchen.  This table hardly needs a cloth with rich blue tiles like these.

I selected some simple black placemats, and topped them with my Hampton Green dinner plates.  As you can imagine, I snapped up these cute cobalt and black salad plates the minute I spotted them (Home Goods).

I added a playful  touch with these darling napkins...blue and black, but plenty of other colors too.

Twinkling tea lights in multicolored glass votives will help set the mood.  

A nice cool drink will be enjoyed by all from these cobalt and green footed goblets (an old Crate & Barrel find).  Speaking of that cool drink, excuse me while I grab a nice bottle of wine!  Thanks for dropping by my patio...

 Please join me this week at the following parties...

Centerpiece Wednesday (The Style Sisters)

Tabletop Thursday (Between Naps on the Porch)

Feathered Nest Friday (French Country Cottage)

Home Sweet Home Friday  (The Charm of Home)

Potpourri Friday (2805)

Seasonal Sundays (The Tablescaper)

Let's Dish (Cuisine Kathleen)

Open House Party (No Minimalist Here)

Patio Weather

Every year this happens.  One day it's summer.  The next, it's that "just not quite summer" weather.  The mornings are cooler, the air feels different, the crickets are a little bit louder.  So it's time to say goodbye to this dreadfully hot summer, but before the cooler weather is here to stay, let's welcome some glorious patio weather.  At the beginning of the summer, I set the table with Anders' big comfy quilt.  This week, it's Sofie's old quilt, equally worn and just as soft...so simple to drape on the table.

With just about every color imaginable found in this quilt, finding accessories was a piece of cake.  

These pretty little pink and yellow rose salad plates sit atop my Hampton Green (Crate & Barrel) dinner plates,

which sit atop my favorite white lacy  placemats which sit atop these natural hemp placemats.  Every layer make the setting just a bit more interesting.

I tied up some flatware in a simple pale blue napkins.  Raffia does work wonders!  What could be more perfect than my Romantika (vintage Crate) goblets and water glasses...

...with their charming pink and blue stems and feet.  As evening settles in, this chunky pillar candle set inside this...

...recycled green glass hurricane (Crate, years ago) will provide some mood lighting.  While I love fresh flowers on the table, sometimes it's fun to switch things up a bit.

This darling garland of multicolored paper flowers (Ten Thousand Villages) adds a playful touch.  

It's always a bit difficult to watch another Summer come to a close...but thank goodness for "patio weather" to ease us into Fall.  Please stop by all of the following parties this week...there's so much to see!

Centerpiece Wednesday (The Style Sisters)

Tabletop Thursday (Between Naps on the Porch)

Feathered Nest Friday (French Country Cottage)

Home Sweet Home Friday  (The Charm of Home)

Potpourri Friday (2805)

Seasonal Sundays (The Tablescaper)

Let's Dish (Cuisine Kathleen)

Open House Party (No Minimalist Here)

WWJD

On August 15th, Julia Child would have celebrated her 100th birthday.  Like countless others, I have fond memories of watching the French Chef cook, bake, and most importantly, teach us to love food, friends and entertaining.  And so, fittingly, I have invited some friends over this weekend to celebrate Julia Child.  I did a bit of internet research, hoping to find Julia's wisdom on setting a perfect lovely table, but unfortunately came up empty-handed.  What Would Julia Do?  I have to believe that she would set a tasteful, simple an comfortable table.  After all, it's all about the meal, right?

So here is my birthday table, set for Julia.  I love mixing the old with the new.  On a long ago trip to Scandinavia, my dear Aunt Tess discovered these gold damask linens.

She bought not just one, but four of these tablecloths...

...along with scores of napkins to match!! I wonder what she was planning to do with them all?  They are lovely.  "Everything in moderation" was always Julia's motto, and as much as I love a "fully loaded" tablescape, today I am reigning myself in,

using just my simple silver chargers...

...topped with my favorite plain white plates.  I've chosen these Calistoga wine and water goblets,

as we will most definitely be enjoying a few fabulous bottles at the party.

For mood, some twinkling tea lights.

Finally, a gorgeous bouquet of creamy white flowers, nestled into a golden vase.  And that's it...simple...

...just the way I think Julia would like it.  Happy Birthday, Dear Julia...and Bon Appetit!   This week I will be visiting...

Centerpiece Wednesday (The Style Sisters)

Tabletop Thursday (Between Naps on the Porch)

Feathered Nest Friday (French Country Cottage)

Home Sweet Home Friday  (The Charm of Home)

Potpourri Friday (2805)

Seasonal Sundays (The Tablescaper)

Let's Dish (Cuisine Kathleen)

Open House Party (No Minimalist Here)

Please stop by.

A Riot of Color

Well, my four part Placemat Fun series was indeed fun, but I for one, am ready to move on to something new.  As the brutal hot and dry summer goes on and on, there is not much color in my garden...but the same is not true for today's tablescape.  To start things off, let's play a little game.

Take a good look at my table runner and ask yourself, "Where have I seen this before?"  Did you figure it out?  Lately, I have been intrigued by the reusable tote bags sold at places like Home Goods, TJ Maxx and so many others.  Hmmm...let's buy a few of these, cut them up and make something new...like a table runner!  I think it's rather cute.  And if you have been following my blog, you have probably figured out that this little project has a flip side (so please stay tuned)!

With the runner as my inspiration, I had plenty of colors to work with.  Oh, what color placemat shall I choose.  In the end, I selected these eggplant colored grass mats from Crate & Barrel.

I recent fun find from World Market are these cheery yellow chargers with a cutout detail as a special touch.

My plain white plates are a great backdrop for these fun multicolored zig zag plates from the Crate.

I dressed up these eggplant napkins with colorful beaded napkin rings (Kohls, last summer).

I found these darling little woven grass drinking glass cozies at one of my favorite local antique markets. And their blue and green and yellow and pink stripes add even more color to my table.

Speaking of color, this ceramic pitcher covered in fruit, has them all!

I may not have many flowers in my garden...but luckily...Whole Foods had gorgeous ones!  Pale pink, vibrant purple, yellow, and bright white...all fresh and beautiful.

So, if your lawn is dry and brown and your flowers droopy, just set a bright and color packed table and enjoy summer...inside!  As always I will be visiting...

Centerpiece Wednesday (The Style Sisters)

Tabletop Thursday (Between Naps on the Porch)

Feathered Nest Friday (French Country Cottage)

Home Sweet Home Friday  (The Charm of Home)

Potpourri Friday (2805)

Seasonal Sundays (The Tablescaper)

Let's Dish (Cuisine Kathleen)

Open House Party (No Minimalist Here)

See you there.