Smashing Plates Tablescapes

Wednesday, October 12, 2016

Hail to the Chief - Election 2016

Election day is upon us. I don't know about you, but I look forward to the end of a presidential election. I was inspired to create this tablescape using the RNC/DNC fabric I found at Jo-Ann Fabrics . I knew it would make perfect charger plate covers for the conventions that were held in July. I had several old campaign buttons and bumper stickers packed away in my memorabilia container so I started designing the table in my head immediately. A few of the campaign buttons belonged to my late Grandmother Dorothy Smith. I think she would have loved this table as she was a proud member of the Republican Women in her home town. I enjoyed this theme and didn't want to take it down after the conventions, but I packed it away and will use again in 2020. I hope you will enjoy and go VOTE on November the 8th.

RNC/DNC election year tablescape July 2016

GOP place setting. My Grandmother Dorothy Smith was a proud lifelong Republican. I have a few of her campaign buttons that she collected over the years displayed on the table. The fabric is currently on sale at Jo-Ann Fabrics and Crafts.

Democratic party place setting. My Grandfather Curry was a proud North Carolina democrat so I created a place setting in his memory at the table. The Democrat button fabric is on sale at Jo-Ann Fabric and Crafts

Several accent pieces I collected for the table. My sister in law and I were shopping in a local antique store in my home town and found the White House plate. I found the eagle plate in the top right corner at a local consignment store in my home town in NC. The Mount Rushmore Salt & Pepper Shakers were purchased this Summer at Cracker Barrel.

The White House ornament was purchased many years to use on my Christmas tree.

Assorted items used on the table and server. The Pez dispensers were found at Cracker Barrel this Summer. The miniature Presidents are metal and were found on Ebay. I believe they are rather old, but not sure of the manufacture date.

RNC/DNC tablecscape.

Democratic place setting.

Republican place setting.

I found this little house at Goodwill a couple years ago. I pull it out to use at all Patriotic holidays. It lights up and is so pretty at night.

Don't forget to vote!!!

Catherine

This post is linked to the following parties:
Home and Garden Thursday - A Delightsome Life
421st Tablescape Thursday - Between Naps on the Porch
Thursdays Favorite Things Link Party - Katherines Corner
Foodie Friday & Everything Else- Rattlebridge Farm
Home Matters Link Party #108 - Life with Lorelai
Grace at Home #223 - Imparting Grace
Flaunt it Friday #327 - Chic on a Shoestring Decorating
"Anything Goes" Pink Saturday - How Sweet The Sound
Creative Collection Link Party - The Crafted Sparrow
Saturday Sparks Link Party #189 - Pieced Pastimes
Share Your Style Link Party #87 - 21 Rosemary Lane
Snickerdoodle Create Bake Make Link Party #153 - Blue Willow House
Dishing It & Digging It Link Party #118 - Life and Linda
Amaze Me Monday #185 -Dwellings- The Heart of Your Home
The Scoop #235 - Stone Gable
Inspire Me Monday #250 - Create with Joy
Make it Pretty Monday Week 196 - The Dedicated House
347th Inspire Me Tuesday - A Stroll Thru Life

Wednesday, October 5, 2016

Fall Hunting Dogs

I'm in the middle of a hurricane warning here in So. Florida. The eye of Matthew will be at my front door by 8 PM tonight. I decided to go ahead with my Fall Hunting Dogs post and as I have time I will add more details about the items on the table. I expect our power will be gone as soon as the tropical force winds start hitting early in the morning. Our last major hit was 11 years ago when Wilma paid us a visit. We were without power for over three weeks. I'm across the street from the water and near the ocean & intracoastal waterway. I'm not a fan of water so I'm gathering up my four legged child Cooper to ride out the storm tomorrow afternoon/evening at a friends house about 1/2 mile away and not on any type of canal. Palm Beach is just 30 minutes North of me and they may have a direct hit by Matthew.

I enjoyed putting this table together. I love waterfowl and I've had these two decoys for many years. The larger one is a Duck Unlimited edition from the late 80's. I found the hunting dog plates awhile back while junkin' for plates and fell in love with each one. They are by Homer Laughlin.

10-07-16 Hurricane Matthew update: South Florida was spared the wrath of the hurricane this time. After experiencing Wilma 11 years we were prepared to the worse. We never lost power this time, not even a flicker. My thoughts and prayers are with everyone all the way up to North Carolina as they had lots of wind and water damage. NOAA is saying Matthew is going to do a 180 and head back to the Bahamas then come in to So. FL again as a tropical storm. I sure hope he changes his mind.

Fall Hunting Dogs table

Hurricane Matthew is creeping up on me. I'm in the red (almost purple) area here in So. FL.

My Ducks Unlimted hand carved wood duck.

The top plates are part of the Homer Laughlin collection. The navy blue rimmed salad is from Whole Home Colormate colletion. The dinner plates are Lacey from Pier One. I purchased the plate rings from Wisteria a couple years ago. I use them often.

I've had these mallard napkin rings for over 30 years. The napkins were found while thrifting and were made in India. I loved the colors and knew they would go with lots of tablescapes.

The centerpiece.

I hope to see you next week with another table if I have power.

Catherine
This post is linked to the following link parties:
Home and Garden Thursday - A Delightsome Life
Tablescape Thursday - Between Naps on the Porch
Anything Goes Pink Saturday - How Sweet the Sound
Dishing It & Digging It Link Park - Life and Linda

Wednesday, September 28, 2016

Three Harvest Tables

It finally feels like Fall in South Florida. The temps were in the low 70's last evening which was a nice change. I'm sure the 90 degree temps will return very quickly, but I'm going to enjoy it for now. This weeks table is decorated in the Fall leaf theme with a few pumpkins mixed in. I have too many harvest/Fall themed dishes to choose from so I tried out three designs before I settled with the leaf top plate with a mini pumpkin. I posted all three designs so let me know which one is your favorite.

Harvest table using Boston Warehouse into Autumn leaf dishes found at Tuesday Morning several years ago. This table is my favorite of the three designs.

Overhead view of the leaf dish table.

Up close view of each leaf plate along with the Sur La Table pumpkin embossed salad plates I found on clearance for .50 cents each early this year.

I used my Grandmother Smith's dough bowl to hold a pretty small mum I found at Trader Joe's. I filled it with my white tail deer sheds I picked up on a ranch in Montana many years ago. I never dreamed I would be using them as decor on dining tables. Their normal display is atop my curio cabinet nestled in green ivy.

The pumpkin plate table top. I purchased the pumpkin plates at Walmart several years ago. They were part of the Better Home and Gardens collection.

Overhead view of the pumpkin plate table.

The golden antler napkin rings are currently available at Pier One . The napkins were from Pier One years ago.

This was the first table set up. It's a pretty table using the wood coasters with a mini pumpkin on top, but I needed more excitement so I decided to use the leaf plates. I coated the mini pumpkins with Mod Podge so hopefully they will last for a few weeks.

Overhead view of the mini pumpkin table.

The stack! Seeing that I used the plaid fabric charger plate covers on top of the leaf print tablecloth I needed to separate the two patterns. I used a harvest orange straw placemat on top of the tablecloth then the fabric charger plate. The avocado green dinner plates are from Dollar Tree. The cream salad plates are from Sur La Table last season. I was hoping to find a pattern name on the back, but it was not listed. I placed a wooden coaster on top of the plate as a base for the mini pumpkin. In the end I used the Boston Warehouse leaf plates on the final tablescape with the mini pumpkin on top.

I used ceramic glass pumpkin bowl with lid on the server along with other Fall items. The gold mercury glass lit candle holder pedestals with mirror inserts are from Valerie Parr Hill. They are currently available at QVC. The ivory candles are Luminara Flameless with remotes from QVC. These are the six inch candles and a bit pricy, but well worth it in the long run. They look so real and I love the fact they are remote controlled or you can set the timer. I have one in my glass curio that I turn on at night to light up the beautiful glassware.

I hope you enjoy the three tables and let me know which table is your favorite.

Catherine

This post is linked to the following parties:
Celebrate Your Story #45 - Celebrate & Decorate with Chloe Crabtree
419th Tablescape Thursday - Between Naps on the Porch
Bright Light and Thursday Favorite Things - Katherines Corner
Home and Garden Thursday - A Delightsome Life
Home Sweet Home #291 - The Charm of Home
Grace at Home #221 - Imparting Grace
Dishing It & Digging It Link Party #116 - Life and Linda

Wednesday, September 21, 2016

It's Fall Y'all

It's hard to believe today is the first day of Fall! Living in South Florida we only have a change of season around January when it finally cools down enough to turn off the air and open the windows for a fresh lower humidity breeze. In North Carolina we enjoyed all four seasons. This time of year the night air is crisp and the Carolina sky is a brilliant blue during the day. The leaves are beginning to change at the higher elevations in the mountains and the foothills foliage will follow soon. When I as a child we always took a Sunday drive to the Blue Ridge Parkway to view the beautiful leaves during their peak. My Mother would make homemade fried chicken will all the normal picnic trimmings and we would have a fun family day together.

Seeing that it's still very hot here in South Florida I'm not ready to drag out all of the pumpkins yet. I decorated the first day of Fall table in the colors of this beautiful table cloth I found at Walmart a few weeks ago. I'm sitting here this week with the AC cranked down still wearing my Lilly Pulitzer Summer prints and yes white. (Don't tell my Southern friends. That's a no no after Labor Day). It may not feel like Fall outdoors, but it's beginning to look that way in the dining area.

First Day of Fall tablescape

First Day of Fall places setting. I found the turquoise plates at Goodwill. The top plate was purchased at Bealls. The turquoise goblets are from Dollar Tree. The tablecloth was purchased at Walmart recently and should be in stock now.