Color My World, Valentine

Hello, readers, and welcome to my blog, Panoply. I'm happy you're here today for my first post of 2024. Today I'm sharing a tablescape I've set for Valentine's Day, but it's one that works for both my honey's birthday and our anniversary, events which are just before and after Valentine's Day, respectively. Appropriately titled, "Color My World, Valentine", this tablescape works for all three occasions, and gives extra mileage to the elements in service.

The first in a series of tablescape blog hops for 2024, this tablescape is all about acknowledging sentiments felt toward those we love and hold dear. My tablescape today is just one of sixteen stylists, all sharing Valentine's Day table designs for you. Be sure to enjoy all the links available later in this post for more ideas!

Mr. P. is my valentine and partner in life, and since we've been together, he truly has colored my world. I wanted my table to be a visual reflection of that. I found these cute heart bowls on sale after Christmas 2022 and purchased four as my springboard of inspiration. They were shown as trinket dishes, but in my mind they are multi purposeful (read: table dishes!). It's certainly not the most unconventional item I've used in a tablescape.

At the time, I wasn't sure if I'd be setting a table for two or four, but I loved the colorful, floral garden design of the bowl. I have plenty of dishes, so I thought with all the colors, it would be no problem putting together a plate stack which I loved. 

Well, as you can see, I put several stacks together before deciding on which one to use. The collage below demonstrates all those I went through before deciding and, just like Goldilocks, my personal reasons for why I didn't choose the ones I didn't.

This is basically how I work my table designs. It's all about choosing the component elements - plate stack, textiles, drinkware, glassware, and centerpieces - and tweaking the look until happy with how it's put together. Napkin rings, place cards, and token gifts are often used as well.

The blue in the heart bowl was tricky for me. Even though I went with multi-layered, colorful patterns, this combination below is what it took to give me the ultimate look and satisfaction (and the title!) for the tablescape design.

The salad and dinner plates are from WalMart - so inexpensive! They go right along with my current daydreams of spring flower planning and planting in the midst of winter storms Heather and Indigo, which each left us with accumulated snow and arctic temps. The floral arrangement was one of three I fashioned from one single bouquet from Sam's Club. The other two were placed elsewhere throughout the house. (Side note: flowers bought and arranged in January are a great way to beat the winter blues!)

The napkins (Amazon) are a playful Mexican design, and went well with both the blues and pinks. The little trinket heart dish is Herend - a great find at a recent estate sale. 

With the glassware and flatware in solid colors, they kept the table from becoming too wildly patterned. While the tablecloth (HomeGoods) has a nice watercolor design on the skirt, the surface area has only subtle hearts scattered throughout. The only drawback of the cloth is that it is polyester - great for wash/wear, but very difficult in the short run to get wrinkles out from original packaging.

This little table shows a faint web design beneath the cloth, and that's because it is a metal bistro table. While I paired it indoors with Parsons chairs here, I've also used one just like in another color in my outdoor garden area during summer months. It was a perfect scale for small spaces, so I bought two different colors at the time. I keep the indoor table up permanently.

I always include my source list for my tablescapes (no affiliations), and you'll find that below. Remember - the only rules are those you make for yourself in creating a table!

Source List for Color My World, Valentine Tablescape

Heart Dishes - Sundance

Salad, Dinner Plates - Pioneer Woman for WalMart

Blue Water Goblets - Wayfair

Articulated Herend Heart, Vintage Pink Iridescent Stem Glassware, Blue Glazed Vase - Estate Finds

Flatware - Horchow

Tablecloth - HomeGoods

Napkins - Amazon

As you can see, tablescaping certainly has unlimited options, whether you're a beginner or a pro. I hope this gives you some inspiration to unleash your own creativity to have some fun with dishes and other elements in untraditional ways.

For a whole lot more inspiration, direct links are provided below, which will take you to each of  all the stylists participating in today's blog hop. Enjoy them all at your leisure!

Panoply - Color My World, Valentine

Hyacinths for the Soul - Cozy Moments of the Heart - Valentine Tablescape

The Cat's Whiskerz - Hearts, Snowflakes and some Sparkle for a Valentine's Day Table

Red Cottage Chronicles - Family Fun Valentine's Tablescape

Everyday Living - Valentine's Day - A Celebration of Love

Life and Linda - Love You Beary Much

The Painted Apron - Rosy Valentine

My Thrift Store Addiction - Must Have Flowers! Vintage French Valentine's Day Tablescape

Me and My Captain - Elementary, My Dear Watson

Home is Where the Boat Is - The Birds and Bees

Karins Kottage - Flirty and Fun Valentine Table

Pandora's Box - A Valentine Breakfast

Mantel and Table - A Vibrant Blue Tablescape for Beautiful Valentine Romance

The Bookish Dilettante - Valentine's Day Tablescape: Hearts and Lace

Thrifting Wonderland - Be Mine...Valentine

Dinner at Eight - A Valentine's Table with Flowers, Ribbons and Hearts

I hope you'll let me know you stopped by my blog today by leaving a comment. If you show up as anonymous, please let me know who you are! And tell me - what's the most unconventional item you've ever used for a table or food buffet design, and how did you use it?

Thank you for your readership. Stay cozy!

Rita C. at Panoply

A special thanks to Cecilia of My Thrift Store Addiction Vintage Charm # 424 and Barbara of French Ethereal Share Your Style #416 for featuring this post!

Parties I Share With: Pieced Pastimes, Love Your Creativity, BNOTP, My Wee Abode, My Family Thyme, My Thrift Store Addiction, Our Hopeful Home, French Ethereal SYS,  Eclectic Red Barn TFT, Southern Sunflowers Home Matters, Karin's Kottage, County Road 407 Farmhouse Friday