Purple Hearts for Valentine's Day

Hello, readers! Today's post is delivering inspiration for celebrating love with a tablescape - whether it's for Valentine's, Galentine's, or any other meal with loving overtones.

I've set a very simple table with a mix of masculine / feminine touches. The tablecloth is a classic paisley print, in shades of winter grays, and is my base for a start / slant toward a masculine appeal. I tend to gravitate toward less popular color schemes or themes for Valentine's tablescaping. The idea of purple hearts is a departure from the typical Valentine red or pink hearts, but they sparked memories of my father, a purple heart recipient in WWII, and my mother, who loved the color purple. For a related post, see "Love Letters From the Greatest Generation", here. Mr. P.'s birthday is in late January, so I certainly had him in mind with this styling also.

I have caught myself building a collection of purple elements over the past few years. I purchased the crackled stemware a few years ago, then added the purple placemats last year. This year, I added the mulberry heart bowls, elderberry glass decanter, and eggplant napkins. Don't you just love all the names for purple, masterminded for marketing appeal?

I am within driving distance to both Homer Laughlin China Company and Blenko manufacturers, based in West Virginia since 1903 and 1921, respectively. I called the HLC Fiesta factory outlet nearest me to see if they had the mulberry heart bowls, possibly in less expensive manufactured 'seconds' (no), but I found firsts, sale-priced, on the factory's website. Mulberry was HLC's 2018 color for new Fiestaware production.

The elderberry decanter was picked from among a lot of 'seconds' at the Blenko Visitor's Center in Milton, WV, and was their 2019 color for new productions. This decanter is the iconic #384 (the fourth design introduced in 1938), is still manufactured, and remains highly popular. It's so affordable to shop at the factory and be able to choose your own. I couldn't find any flaws with the one I picked.

The rest of the table elements were all pulled from my inventory: chargers, dinnerware, flatware, place cards, and centerpiece. My go to style is in a mix of not only masculine / feminine, but also a mix of new and vintage pieces.

My centerpiece is crystal candlesticks, flanking a crystal bowl filled with a trio of silver bocce balls, ivory buttons, an icy flower pick arching over, and little lights strung throughout. The intention was a simple, wintry look. Napkins were styled in the simplest of folds, a rose (for a links to Youtube video how-tos, click here or, alternatively, here).

For even more 'love'ly inspiration, have a look-see at all the stylists and links to their ideas, conveniently listed beneath the graphic below. I'd like to thank Chloe Crabtree of the blog, Celebrate and Decorate, for her lead in gathering all the stylists for today's tablescaping ideas.

Celebrate and Decorate
Home and Gardening with Liz
Debbee's Buzz
Panoply (you are here!)
Bluesky at Home
Red Cottage Chronicles
Living with Thanksgiving
Home is Where the Boat Is
Everyday Living
Corner of Plaid and Paisley
My Family Thyme
Intelligent Domestications
White Arrows Home
Life and Linda
My Thrift Store Addiction
Calypso in the Country
PMQ for Two
Katherine's Corner
Create with Cynthia
Sweet Sensations
Our Crafty Mom
The Painted Apron
The Little Yellow Corner Store

I hope you've found a thing or two that inspires you today. I've included my source list just below for your convenience and retail interest (no affiliations, I am a non-revenue producing blog!).

Purple Hearts for Valentine's Day Source List

Tablecloth - Tabitha Webb - HomeGoods
Chargers, Placemats, Napkins, Stemware - Pier 1
Sterling Flatware - Prelude - Auction
Cream Dinnerware - Pfaltzgraff  Filigree - eBay
Mulberry Heart Bowls - Fiestaware - Homer Laughlin China Company Fiesta Factory Direct
Elderberry Glass Decanter - Blenko - Blenko Factory/Gift Shop
Crystal Bowl Centerpiece - Tiffany (gift)
Crystal candlesticks, silver bocce balls, ivory buttons, place cards - vintage finds

I will leave you with the following history on this holiday: The origin of Valentine's Day, according to Britannica Encyclopedia, ranges anywhere from an ancient Roman, "coming of spring" festival (Lupercalia), to a Roman Catholic bishop's martyrdom for defiantly marrying couples as a means of sparing the men from war, to a modern day celebration of romance. Just so you know, the idea of Valentine's Day was largely commercialized starting in the late 1700's. It's not that I don't like the idea of celebrating Valentine's Day (Mr. P. proposed to me on a Valentine's Day!), but I am sensitive to those who don't like the holiday. For all those struggling with Valentine's Day as a holiday for whatever reason, this one's for you:

Thank you for your readership today. I'd love to hear your thoughts on Valentine's Day. Feel free to leave your comments. I try to respond to each and every one.

Rita C. at Panoply

(A special thanks to Linda of Life and Linda's Love Your Creativity Link Party #31, to Julie of My Wee Abode's Tuesday Turn About #35, to Bev at the Eclectic Red Barn's Thursday's Favorite Things, and to Kathy of A Delightsome Life's Home and Garden Thursday #35 for featuring this post!)

Sharing: Pieced Pastimes, Best of the Month, Happiness is Homemade, Love Your Creativity, BNOTP, All About Home Common Ground, All About Home Follow the Yellow Brick Home, A Stroll Thru Life, My Wee Abode, Thistle Key Lane, Bluesky at Home, The Dedicated House, Zucchini Sisters, French Ethereal SYS, Delightsome Life H&G, Katherine's Corner TFT, Grace at Home, My Thrift Store Addiction