Happy 250th Birthday, America!

 Hello, and welcome to Panoply! Today, I am excited to share my latest tablescape with you, a tribute to the USA's birthday! Happy 250th Birthday, America!❤️🤍💙

Summer Tablescape: Stars, Stripes, Checks and Plaids Forever!

 Welcome to Panoply! I've been looking forward to setting another tablescape, and this time it's a great Americana-themed one: Stars, Stripes, Checks and Plaids Forever!

Summer Meadow Bistro Tablescape

Hello, and welcome to Panoply! Today I'm sharing a summer alfresco tablescape - the Panoply bistro is open!

July Garden Update and Just Bee-cause Tablescape

Happy July, friends! Today I want to share an update of my garden since my last post with May progress. But first, I also have a sweet little tablescape to share, just bee-cause I've been inspired. My post is heavy with photos, much like the summer air with humidity, so enjoy your air conditioning and the photo journal which follows.

Up, Up and Away With Summer Dining

Hey there! Summer is just one week away and today I'm sharing a summer tablescape with you that I've set in our dining room: Up, Up and Away with Summer Dining! It's just part of a summer tablescape blog hop I'm hosting for readers. See further in my post for direct links for lots more inspiration on tap, with a great list of stylists also sharing their summer tablescapes today.

Summer Garden Party Tablescape

Hello, readers. Today I'm inviting you to step into a virtual garden party tablescape - being held inside where it's nice and cool - to celebrate spring segueing into summer. 

A Few Good Friends in Group Chat Tablescape

I had some fun playing with dishes recently, putting together A Few Good Friends in Group Chat tablescape. It starts with a set of Vicki Sawyer appetizer plates I bought last November and have been storing since. It's a summertime table, the theme perfectly timed as we enjoy reuniting with friends and family on the downside of the COVID pandemic.

Summer Seaside Scenes Tablescape

Welcome to Panoply! Summertime entertaining is intended to be relaxed and easygoing. With thoughts of vacations or even staycations, whichever the case may be, one thing's certain - just getting together again is one of the surest signs of a return to normalcy! I've set a summer table just for the occasion, and hope you'll catch a wave of inspiration among the details.

Llama Mia, Here We Goat Again

Llama mia.

Here we Goat again. Spike in COVID numbers everywhere. 

How are Ewe doin'?  

Assk me again, I'll tell you the same. 

Fine. I'm fine. Limbo. It's getting old, isn't it? 

My fun these days consists of going to my household storage closet, or my off-site storage unit (yay, a trip out somewhere!) and digging out fun things to play with. Like this tablescape. 

Ewe and me, we goat together - only applies to me & Mr. P. these days. 

Are you ready for the funny farm yet?

Stay safe. Be well.

Rita C. at Panoply

A special thanks to Linda of Life and Linda Love Your Creativity Party #55, Rebecca of Zucchini Sisters Celebrate Your Story #241, and Cecilia of My Thrift Store Addiction Vintage Charm #243  for featuring this post! I would also like to thank Cecilia from My Thrift Store Addiction Vintage Charm #244 and Kathleen from Our Hopeful Home Vintage Charms #244 for selecting this post as their July Feature of the Month! 

Sharing: Pieced Pastimes, Best of the Month, Love Your Creativity, BNOTP, A Stroll Thru Life, My Wee Abode, Thistle Key Lane, The Dedicated HouseZucchini Sisters, French Ethereal SYS, Katherine's Corner TFTGrace at Home, 

Diving into Summer Tablescape, with a Side of Patriotism

Welcome to my blog, Panoply! Today we are diving into summer, with a side of patriotism, in a tablescape that symbolizes each. Summer in America, with the traditional peak holiday being Independence Day (July 4th), is a time when we typically celebrate both our freedom and leisure activities. While this year may mean more staycations, we remain steadfast in our values of freedom and leisure time.

This table was initially conceived with the salad plates purchased last summer. Shopping sales after Christmas as well pre-COVID fleshed out my ideas for the table earlier this year.

Vintage postcards on the place settings satisfy the vintage and antiques dealer in me, and add the 'just right' amount of patriotism to an otherwise mostly blue & white table.

Something different for each place setting.

Of course, summertime is a time for diving into pools, lakes, rivers and oceans. 

Inspiration hit me like a wave when an artisan friend of mine shared one of her fused glass creations (below) on Facebook in February. This serving platter traveled from Arizona to West Virginia to take center stage on my table. 

My friend was originally inspired by these two pictured below. They are salad servers she purchased as mementos from a European vacation. I was lucky enough to find a set willing to swim across the ocean from France, just in time to meet their match on the table!

They make me smile. In fact, the retail shop from where they are sourced - Pylones - has as its tagline, "Createur de Sourires" (creator of smiles). 

Here comes the sun!

We are all set for diving into summer, with a side of patriotism. Let the fun begin!

I want to thank Chloe Crabtree from the blog Celebrate and Decorate and Andrea from Design Morsels for co-hosting this Patriotic summer table blog hop. The list of tablescapers participating in this roundup, along with their blog links, is here for your convenience. Be sure to check out all the other stylists in the list for more summer and patriotic table inspiration.

Celebrate and Decorate

Design Morsels

Simple Nature Decor

White Arrows Home

Calypso in the Country

Panoply (you are here!)

Decorate and More with Tip

The Little Yellow Corner Store

Corner of Plaid and Paisley

Home Is Where the Boat Is

My Thrift Store Addiction

Everyday Living

Our Crafty Mom

Life and Linda

Living with Thanksgiving

The Painted Apron

Bleu Belle Interiors

Zucchini Sisters

Create With Cynthia

My Family Thyme

Follow the Yellow Brick Home

For your convenience, below is a list of the elements used on my table, and the sources (no affiliations or sponsorship for me, just information for you).

Diving into Summer Tablescape Source List

Tablecloth - (Kate Spade Charlotte Street) - HomeGoods

Napkins (Santorini), Pedestal (Royal Check) - MacKenzie Childs

Woven Jute Placemats - Kohl's

Galvanized Chargers - Hobby Lobby

Blue & White Ticking Plates (Laura Ashley Blueprint Collections) - HomeGoods

Blue & White Salad Plates - Big Lots

Water Stemware (French Bee La Rochere) - Sur la Table

Stemless Glassware (Blue Bubble) - Pier 1

Ivory Flatware (Sophia) - Horchow

Pewter Napkin Rings, Postcards - Vintage

Whirligig Swimmer - Eddie Bauer Home

Glass Platter with Swimmers - Artisan-made - Mary Nunn
Salad Servers (Quelle Salade 50th Swimmers) - Pylones (Colombes, France)

Here Comes the Sun brimmed hat - gift

While we've delayed any and all plans for a vacation this year, I'm curious as to how are you celebrating your leisure time this year? Most folks I know are postponing trips in hopes that fall will prove a better time for travel, while getting home projects completed, and creating magazine-worthy gardens and landscapes. Are you living your life pretty much as normal, or are you a bit guarded in your comings and goings? Leave a comment, I'd love to hear from you.

Thank you for your visit today. Whether you're a longtime reader or new visitor, I appreciate your stopping by. Tablescaping is one of my favorite hobbies I share on my blog. You can check out my drop-down menu at the top of this post (desktop) to see other topics within my blog, or scroll through my archive or subject labels on the sidebar. If you're on a handheld device, just scroll to the bottom and click on 'view web version' to see the menu (at the top). Whether you subscribe for post updates (signup is just above my profile picture on the sidebar) or just occasionally visit, I hope you'll return again soon. Stay safe, and be well.

Rita C. at Panoply

Sharing: Pieced Pastimes, Best of the Month, Love Your Creativity, Finding Silver Pennies, 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, Karin's Kottage Centerpiece Wednesday

Tete-a-tete Summer Tablescape on the Balcony

Welcome to Panoply! While many of us are looking forward to the transition of seasons by August, we are still very much in the throes of Summer in the Northern Hemisphere. Today I'm inviting you out on our balcony, where we can share a little tete-a-tete meal. 

Tete-a-tete comes from the French tête-à-tête, which literally translates as head to head. In our new loft location, our tete-a-tete refers to a private meal set for two. 

I want to thank Chloe Crabtree from the blog Celebrate and Decorate for hosting and organizing several bloggers each day this week, bringing you late summer tablescaping ideas, all in one convenient place. You'll find the list of other stylists and their blog links at the end of this post.

We can enjoy dining alfresco on our balcony for casual meals during the warm weather seasons. Our dwelling is oriented with primarily southeastern views, where sunrises fill our space with abundant light once above the distant hillside and cityscape. The high position of the summer sun and its directional movement through afternoon and evening allow for sitting on our balcony without direct sunlight glare for most of Spring through Summer. I shot both morning and evening photographs for this tablescape to demonstrate the flexible use of the light and space. 

Sunrise over the cityscape

Early morning hours show a city waking up, and a common river sighting is barges going up and down river, transporting coal. In the photo below, the barge is going up river to receive a load.

Summer sunsets, though not in direct view from our balcony, generate some spectacularly reflective shadowplay on the buildings and light in the eastward sky as the sun sets in the west, dropping out of view over the river. It's a show in itself to watch the sun, clouds and weather patterns, both east and west.

Evening shadowplay

Evening light from the west, lighting the eastern clouds

Overhead outdoor fans and southerly breezes from the river keep the air circulating on the balcony. Food fare this time of year for Mr. P. and me is quite simple and easy. The balcony accommodates a small table with service for two quite nicely.

Of course, there is always a plan for dessert in our home after each meal! 

Evening views on the river will likely include recreational boaters enjoying the water.

Or, the skyline in the distance....

From a professional lens (below, by West Virginia photographer, Jesse Thornton), this is a closer view of the skyline from our balcony. We recently purchased this photograph and framed it for our loft. It is known around town as the 'church and state' view, popular among both amateur and professional photographers.

The photo  of my tablescape below was taken from inside our loft, looking through the plate glass windows. The reflection was minimal so I took advantage of seeing the view from a center angle.

We're still feeling the sense of vacationing in our loft, or maybe it's just that summer living seems easier, in general. One thing's for sure, we are enjoying downsized living. 

Summer Balcony Tete-a-tete Tablescape Source List

Dinner plates - Dollar Tree

Enamel salad / dessert plates - Pottery Barn

Solid Blue, Yellow Napkins - Waverly 

Lemon / bee towels - Williams Sonoma

Napkin Rings, Tablecloth (Ralph Lauren) - HomeGoods

Bee glassware (La Rochere) - Sur La Table

Flatware - Oneida

Daisies and Greenery - Grocery

Clear pyramid vase - Blenko 

Be sure and stop by each day for updated links below, taking you directly to each blogger's table setting with a late summer theme. Check out Jenna's post at the The Painted Apron next.

Monday

Debbee's Buzz | Red Cottage Chronicles | a casa di bianca | The Little Yellow Corner Store | Virginia Sweet Pea

Tuesday

White Arrows Home | Living with Thanksgiving | Life and Linda | Everyday Living | Corner of Plaid and Paisley

Wednesday

Home is Where the Boat Is | Celebrate and Decorate | Panoply (you are here!) | The Painted Apron

Thursday

Intelligent Domestications | Sweet Sensations | Our Crafty Mom | Bluesky at Home 

Friday

My Thrift Store Addiction | My Family Thyme | Katherine's Corner | Zucchini Sisters | Follow the Yellow Brick Home

Please let me know you were here by leaving a comment. I appreciate each one of you, and getting to know new visitors is an added bonus to continual blogging. Hopefully, you'll return again. Thanks so much for your visit and readership today.

(A special thanks to Cecilia of My Thrift Store Addiction's Vintage Charm Party #196 for featuring this post!)

Rita C. at Panoply

Sharing: Pieced Pastimes, Best of the Weekend, Happiness is Homemade, Love Your Creativity, BNOTP, All Things Home, Inspire Me, Make it Pretty, Celebrate Your Story,SYS, Delightsome Life H&G, TFT, Grace at Home, Vintage Charm

A Patriotic Tablescape: Celebrating Freedom, Always!

Hello! Welcome to my blog, Panoply. Today's subject is a tablescape celebrating a patriotic theme. It's my first tablescape in our new home. If you missed the tour, you can see it here. I am joining a cadre of stylists whose links are at the bottom of this post, each of us sharing our individual ideas on the same subject. You still have time to plan and use these ideas for the 4th of July! These ideas may very well also be used for other patriotic days we love and celebrate here in the US: Memorial Day, Armistice Day, Flag Day, Veterans' Day.

Thank you to our host, Chloe Crabtree of the blog, Celebrate and Decorate, for organizing this group in order to bring you new and creative ideas all week long, for your own patriotic holiday celebration. If you're coming from Kari's blog, Me and My Captain, you've surely been both inspired and entertained with her style and quick-wit.

My inspiration for this summer celebration came from a set of salad plates discovered on sale while recently on vacation. Casual and carefree melamine, I knew they'd be a fun choice to layer on my everyday service. 
I have never been one to go all out with a stars and stripes theme. Versatility and simplicity were key factors in my decisions for elements used in this tablescape, and the plates can certainly be used throughout summer. Small things like the miniature flags and the stars used (a set of cling-ons) are inexpensive items picked up and added to the table and glassware. Easy on, easy off and not permanent, just fun.

The napkins are blue and red bandanas, twisted and placed in the base of a silver napkin ring to resemble a small firework at each place setting on the table. Paper straws with a red foil fit the summer theme just as easily as they may a Christmas theme.

Red handled flatware is also a versatile choice for this holiday, as well as for Christmas or a traditional Valentine's table. The tablecloth is actually a vintage matelasse bedspread, and the "placemats" are vintage French dish towels.

My home state - West Virginia - celebrates its birthday on June 20th, so I later added a state slate cheese board to the table, marking our capital city with one of the cling-ons. West Virginia is the 35th state to join the Union, proclaimed during the Civil War on June 20, 1863. It was on that date which we officially seceded from the Confederate state of Virginia to become a separate state and joined the Union. West Virginia was a key Civil War border state. Our state's slogan is "Montani Semper Liberi" - "Mountaineers are Always Free"!

Freedom, Always Tablescape Source List

Dinner Plates - Pfaltzgraff Filigree

Salad Plates - Williams Sonoma Newport

Flatware - Bed, Bath & Beyond

Glassware - Blenko decanter and Libbey drink glasses

Straws - Michael's

Miniature flags, Star cling-ons - Big Lots

Bandana Napkins - Dollar Tree

Napkin Rings - Pier 1

Tablecloth - vintage (twin matelasse bedspread)

"Placemats" - vintage French dish towels

Slate by state - mine was a gift, but current web search shows available at Bed, Bath & Beyond

If celebrating patriotism with your guests at a gathering is your pleasure, you'll surely want to visit the list of bloggers below for more ideas. Thank you for joining me today, and I hope you'll share a comment to let me know you stopped by. Come back and visit again!

Monday

Corner of Plaid and Paisley | Red Cottage Chronicles | a casa di bianca | Bluesky at Home 

Tuesday

Everyday Living | Life and Linda |  Home is Where the Boat Is | Living with Thanksgiving

Wednesday

White Arrows Home | The Painted Apron | Me and My Captain | Panoply (you are here!)

Thursday

My Family Thyme  | Celebrate and Decorate | Darviny | Intelligent Domestications

Friday

Follow the Yellow Brick Home | Katherine's Corner | My Thrift Store Addiction |  Zucchini Sisters | Our Crafty Mom 

Rita C. at Panoply

Sharing: Pieced Pastimes, Best of the Weekend, DIDI, BNOTP, Inspire Me, Make it Pretty, Celebrate Your Story,SYS, Delightsome Life H&G, TFT, Grace at Home, Vintage Charm