Here are some pictures and tricks from one of our latest dinner parties! Front and center were these plates and other pieces of Apple Blossom China by Sango. But not to be lost among the tablescape, you can also see my pink polka dot envelopes I’ve shared about on social media (see sidebar video), my placemats with ribbon trim, and my string-wrapped napkin holders.
The story of the china
I love this new (to me) china! These were a gift from one of my dinner guests whose mother is downsizing as she gets ready to move. I’m super honored to receive these family heirlooms – dishes handed down from one of her grandmothers. They were so carefully packed and stored, and now I am blessed with this beautiful china in excellent condition. With service for twelve, it is my largest matching set including three sizes of plates, two of bowls, teacups and saucers as well as several serving pieces.
My tablescape design: the place settings
The china was obviously my starting point as I designed this month’s tablescape. I opened drawers and cabinets to find linens to match. My first good find was a set of mauve napkins that set off the deeper color in the apple blossom. My simple white napkin rings, I wrapped and tied with some white and pink twine. I had originally planned to tuck a coneflower through each napkin ring, but coneflowers were too bold a flower to play with the delicate apple blossoms. Instead I found some artificial blooms to use.
In some of my pictures you’ll notice the square white plate I used as a charger. Although I liked the look, I didn’t think the china fit well over the square. The square plates made things a little wobbly so in the end, I decided not to use them. I ended up changing them out for some round chargers.
I don’t always use a tablecloth, but I liked how this deep, darker green also played off the plate’s flowers. To further accentuate the dinnerware, I turned to my basic flax-colored placemats. Using straight pins, I added a ribbon edge to the bottom of each. The ribbons are laid across the bottom edge and then tucked around the side and pinned on the back side of the placemat.
The little polka dot envelope holds our discussion starter cards that I created for the evening. I wanted to create a envelope with a matching paper and as I was planning where to fold and cut, I suddenly had a marvelous revelation! You can watch the short video in the sidebar to see what I learned.
My tablescape design: the centerpiece
Did I ever mention how I own a quantity of fake eucalyptus? Leftover from my daughter’s wedding. But super handy to tuck around the house, into baskets or here on the table. I was fortunate to have a pair of eucalyptus colored tapers as well to display from crystal candlesticks. In the center of the spread I set a fat pillar candle on a small white stand.
This salt and pepper shaker are from my own wedding set of white Pfaltzgraff. I love to use them whenever I have any white in my dinner plates! I found more pale white and pink flowers to tuck into the eucalyptus bed along with remaining apple blossom stems leftover from the ones I had slipped into the napkin ring.
The Menu
And I always like to share my menu with you! This month it was Chicken Zucchini Bake with Bacon, Roasted Beets with Goat Cheese, and Creamy Dilled Cucumber Salad. I’ve made the chicken before. It is so tasty and easy to prepare! The roasted beets were good, but I ruined a white casserole dish which split while I was cooking them! There are other cooking methods listed. I would suggest something other than ceramic/glass for baking. And I will definitely be making the Creamy Dilled Cucumber Salad again! I altered the recipe slightly by cutting the vinegar in half. It was delicious! My guests supplied the yummy sourdough and the delicious pumpkin pie. It’s never too early for pumpkin pie, right?
I hope you found some useful tips from this month’s tablescape. What ideas will you end up using for your own table? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments! And don’t forget to share this post with your family and friends.
