In a previous post, A Book-Inspired Buffet, Baby!, hosted for my niece's baby shower, I mentioned I set the table with a spring theme. The shower was midday, and the setting was casual. It was an opportunity for me to use some of my many dishes and textiles, both items being weaknesses I admit having when it comes to resisting collecting.
This setting features the table in the sunroom - bright and cheery, even on cloudy days, as the ceiling is all windows. I mixed things up, starting with West Virginia Fiesta, the square dinner plates in Sunflower, as my charger base. I then layered my Fire King Jadeite Restaurantware dinner plates and Noritake 'Reverie' salad plates. The Fiestaware was a recent purchase at one of our seconds outlets nearby, the Jadeite was a lucky and reasonable find in an antique mall in Kentucky, and the Noritake (1974, complete dinner service for 16) was an auction score several years ago.
Although the dishware is casual, I don't hesitate to use my sterling flatware. This pattern is the classic "Prelude", by International Silver (1939). It was an auction purchase many years ago with complete place setting service for eight. The forks rest on very casual, white duck cloth napkins, trimmed with a yellow stripe. I have collected many of these sets, in many different stripes, and mix and match them based on my color theme. The glassware is classic, West Virginia Blenko, hand-blown, dimpled crackle glass (1970's). These glasses were handed down to me from my mother-in-law.
More vintage items rounded out the table setting. Although the silverplate salt & peppers are a bit pitted from age, I couldn't resist rescuing them when found on an antiquing jaunt. I had a pair once before and, regrettably, sold them, so when I saw these, I snatched them up.
The bowl holding the fresh daisies is the larger of a matte, yellow-washed, ruffled rose bowl pair, an auction buy. The bowl rests on a vintage crocheted doily, layered on a hand-embroidered table topper, centered on a vintage damask round tablecloth.
Another of my many collections are napkins rings. I have more than three dozen, but I've never been picky about what I buy, other than the price being right and something about it has to catch my eye. Since this table was set casually, these rings served only as decor, but still with purpose. I pulled out all my rings which had names monogrammed on them since I knew we were planning to play a game of trying to drum up names for the mother-to-be's baby. I think all but the top-most rings pictured are sterling. The one on the far right, though not monogrammed, has a child's motif. Most of these were collected from various estate sales.
When at auction, I have several friends and family who know I am drawn to the dishes, and always tease me about bidding on them and soliciting an invitation for a meal. It's fun to actually be able to put these dishes and textiles together with purpose. Too often I get caught up in the throes of preparing the food and end up short-changing the presentation, but I do love a nice presentation.
Parties I share with:
No comments:
Post a Comment