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Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Summer Chillin’

Thank you all for your encouraging comments last week.  I think I’ll try this again!

Summer is defined as ‘a warm season’ in Webster’s dictionary.  I think he should have said ‘hot’.  Either way, the warm weather takes us outdoors after a long cold winter to enjoy beaches, pools,         picnics,  barbeques and backyard lawn games.  It’s when we spiff up our patios, porches and decks; break out our warm weather recipes of  the many different salads and cold soups we’ve been waiting to prepare, consume gallons of ice cold lemonade and refreshing iced mint tea and cut into big red juicy watermelons.  What is summer without watermelon?

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Watermelon is my favorite fruit.  I’m almost ashamed to confess that I could eat a whole one by myself in one sitting on a hot summer day.  I can, however, control that urge as I did this day by not buying a real one for this setting!

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The watermelon table topper is the inspiration for this weeks tablescape.  I quilted it over 10 years ago and have barely ever used it.  Never thought of using it to set a table.  Until now!

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Okay, so the other inspiration was the adorable watermelon napkin rings I found recently at a little store nearby called ‘Finder’s Keepers’.

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I used white chargers and red dinner plates purchased at Home Goods with a smaller white dinner plate, embossed with different fruits, which came from Horchow’s catalog over 20 years ago.

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Sunflowers…more evidence of summer!  I have to admit these are fake.  We can’t grow a whole lot around here with no fence and deer and bunnies searching out meals in our yard.  Not to mention I am extremely allergic to flowers and have had to ask my husband not to send me the beautiful bouquets that every woman loves to receive. Thank goodness for silk, so I can still enjoy them and for longer periods of time!

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I found the black candle sticks on ebay and pulled the candles from my autumn stash.  They seemed to fit the bill! 

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Luckily we have shade on our deck in the afternoon, but it still gets miserably hot.

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I meant to light the candles as the sun went down, but it started to rain before I could.  I had to scramble to get everything off the table and inside before it was too late.

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I found these smaller yellow napkins at Michael’s and thought they’d give the bigger black ones some contrast and at the same time pull the yellow out of the topper.

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Now I think I’ll go to the grocery store and buy HALF of a watermelon!

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Thanks for stopping in.  Hope you enjoyed your visit as much as I enjoyed having you!

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Be sure to stop in and see all the beautiful inspiring table settings at Tablescape Thursday!

tablescapethursday

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

My Very First Post and Tablescape Debut

Welcome 'Through My Red Door' to my very first post.  I am new to blogging, but have been viewing as many blogs as I can possibly visit for about two months as I've been trying to learn as much as I can.  I am not a decorator, nor a photographer, nor a writer, nor a web designer, not to mention very computer savvy.  My head is exploding with all I've shoved into it in those nearly two months and I still have sooo much to learn.  

Thank you to all of you for your experience and helpful pointers and suggestions and to my very computer knowledgeable children for all of their help. 

I really wanted to participate in Susan's 100th Tablescape Thursday  so here is my debut tablescape.  I'm having so much fun with this new hobby and never thought of doing this with my love of dishes until I stumbled on her blog.  So here it is! 

I took these pictures before I read Susan's suggestions about not using the flash!


















The lantern is one of a set of three I found in Williamsburg this past winter. This is the middle size.  I was amazed at the very reasonable price.  After all the snow we had this year, losing power for 2 days made me realize how much I love lanterns!

















My eye was attracted to all the colors in the dish pattern.  I found them at Pier 1 for half price.

















The use of different colored placemats and napkins just sort of happened as my eyes started dancing!

















I think this is where the absense of the flash would have made this salad plate show up brighter.

















The stemmed glasses are from Taste of Home.  Placemats, napkins and rings from Kohl's.
















The blue sponged bowl that the ivy plant is in and the salad plate being used as a saucer are from Henn Workshops.  You'll see a lot of Henn sprinkled throughout my future tablescapes!


















So, What do you think?  Do I have a future in tablescaping?
Thanks for visiting and your valued comments!


Now to link to Susan's party!  Kids!!??!!