A Sterling Plan...

Well...I am not posting a table this week, but this does relate to tablescapes.  I have decided to fulfill one of my heart's desires...with a sterling plan!!!   As I've mentioned before, I don't have lovely handed-down sterling or china or crystal and didn't receive those things for wedding gifts.  Most things I have were collected by me over the years. 

I love seeing all of the beautiful tables that all you talented tablescapers have put together and one of the things that always catches my eye is the sterling flatware. 

Sooooooooooooooooo...I've decided to pick a pattern and start collecting.  This is my "sterling plan".  I have looked at sterling sets of many place settings on ebay, knowing I could not afford them. 

My taste runs to very traditional symmetrical patterns, such as Towle's "King Richard" or "Old Master" or Gorham "Chantilly".   Then I saw a small set of Oneida "Damask Rose".  It is so pretty and delicate so I bid on it and won at a GREAT price!!!  It consists of 4 four piece place settings.  I have lots of dishes with roses and thought it would go well with them.  I also found a sugar shell at a great price on ebay-I won that one as well!!

So here's my "sterling plan"...I will check ebay and poke around locally to see the best chances to add to my sterling pattern.  I'm hoping I will find some pieces here because the original Oneida factory is about twenty miles from where I live and am hoping that there will be pieces from years ago for sale around here!!  Oneida has closed and everything is being made in China, I think...and I don't think that they even do any sterling anymore.  They used to have a factory store that sold all sorts of things from the factory and I remember seeing seconds of this pattern there.  But those days are gone :-(

Isn't it beautiful????

So that's my "sterling" plan and I'm sticking to it!!!  (My Brit isn't so excited...he says we have plenty of silver.  But it's not STERLING, I whine)

Stay tuned...it will show up soon.

Thank you for listening to my ramble!!!

Kitties, cars, and a table past...

Well...I've had a busy time over the weekend and on my few days off.  My youngest sister was here for four days and so things were hectic!  She wanted to buy a car here (rather than in NYC) so we were car shopping, purchasing, and registering.  In  between, there was time with our sisters who live here; for dinners, breakfasts, and general togetherness.  Bottom line, it was BUSY!! 

Then today Peter and I made a trip to the vet office with our youngest kitties (referred to as the babies, though they are actually four years old now!).  It was just a check up and shots.  I love our vet because they see cats only and our cats have never even seen a dog, let alone be in the same space with one...so although they were not happy to be there, at least the other patients were all their own species!!  We were advised to change their diet to wet food with no grains, no carbs.  This will be interesting!! 

But please continue...because there IS a tablescape on this post.

Cyril in his favorite place

Don guarding one of my ebay purchases...Be careful Don...it's china!

Now for the tablescape...since things were so busy, I don't have a new tablescape.  This is one from a previous dinner for my older sister and a friend (who is like a sister).  Dinner was butternut squash soup, pot roast and chicken breast (I don't eat red meat), salad, mashed potatoes, green beans with olive oil and fresh parmesan cheese.  We had sour cream cake for dessert.

Since it was just four of us, we left the leaf out of the table 

Bird's eye view

 I made place cards from the pattern of some of the serving dishes.  I took a picture from QVC's website and used it for background for the place card.   

 

The square bowl is "Old World (in cranberry) by Temptations from QVC.  I also used other pieces for service.  I love this set...it's great in so many ways!

 

 The glass trivet under the flowers is part of that set as well

  

This is the final view of the whole table.  Hope you enjoyed it.

Now...here's the dish on the dishes:

•  The plates are the "Gollum" dishes bought years ago at Linens & Things
• The square ramekins for the soup are Temptations "Old World" in cranberry
• White damask napkins from ebay
• Oneida Vanessa/Francesca silverplate from ebay except the cream soup spoon-different pattern but also from ebay
• Glass trivet under the flower-also the "Old World" pattern
• The crystal glasses are from ebay
• Dark red placemats were a gift

The Postman and Victoria

(not the latest issue)

No...it's not gossip about Queen Victoria and her local postman  It's the day that my postman brings my Victoria magazine and it's one of my favorite days of all!!!  Everything stops when the mail comes and I sit in my favorite chair and read it cover to cover.  September/October is one of my favorite issues because I love fall and it is also the British issue (and I am an over-the-top anglophile!).

So I will read and re-read it until the November/December issue comes (which is my favorite issue always!!)

Hope everyone is enjoying their latest issue!!!!

Tess

Practicing for luncheon...Number 3

Fall is just around the corner and I love those autumn colors...so the Number 3 tablescape looks forward to that wonderful season, with a more casual feel!  We are sticking to the same menu, though dessert might have some of the flavors of fall-maybe apples and cinnamon.

 

Gold, red, and white...and more a more casual setting-no table cloth either

  

The white plate for the onion mushroon tart, square plate for salad, and clear footed dish for shrimp cocktail...oops...I forgot to put out the cocktail forks  :-(

 

 

Another square plate on the upper left with a casual cup.  We'll have dessert and coffee...

  

A last look...hope you enjoyed it!

 

The dish on the dishes... 

• The white plates are Royal Albert "Old English Garden".  This is a discontinued pattern but I found these on ebay
• The square floral plate I found at T.J.Maxx for less than $2 each
• The  flatware is my Reed & Barton "Rathmore"
• Gold damask napkins are from Linens and Things several years ago
• The white cups also from Linens and Things
• Red placemats from Big  Lots (and I wish I had bought several more!!!)
• Clear footed dishes from Walmart MANY years ago
• The clear pitcher holding grocery store flowers has been with us so long, I can't remember its origins
• The round placemat is from T.J. Maxx last year...there were only two...I wish there had been more!!
• The beautiful Waterford Marquis crystal glasses are from Joanne (the best officemate ever!!!)
• Napkin rings from Oneida

 

I still don't have a date for this luncheon and am not sure I am done testing tablescapes either...Thank you for stopping by...

 

Tess

Practicing for luncheon...Number 2

So...last week I did my first "test" table for an upcoming luncheon.  It was blue and white (a new color scheme for me).

Now I'm back in my comfort zone, using red!!  The menu has been set and will be shrimp cocktail, fresh salad with rolls, onion mushroom tart, and homemade cookies for dessert.  There will also be cold beverages and coffee, of course.

 

Here is the long view

 

 

Come a little closer...

 

 

Here is the place setting...palest pink glass dishes on a small white plate for shrimp cocktail.  Next, the rose floral salad plate and main course plate.  There is a bread plate for warm rolls.

 

 

Another view....

 

 

I love carnations and I had white ones for this red vase...perfect for the red toile tablecloth

 

 

This is the first outing for this toile tablecloth

 

 

Coffee later with cookies for dessert...better get out more dessert plates!!

 

 

Last look at this "test table"

 

Now the "dish" on the dishes... 

 

• Red rose pattern dishes from "Iron Accents"
• The small white Wedgwood plates and cup and saucers from ebay
• Pink glass dishes from ebay
• Ivory damask napkins and napkin rings from ebay
• Silverplate (Oneida Vanessa/Francesca) from ebay
• Red and white cotton toile tablecloth on deep sale from Dillards on line-$15 reduced from $50!!
• Red placemats from Big Lots...$1 each!
• Red vase actually found in a closet at work...no one wanted it so it came home with me
• The cut glass pitcher was my grandmother's
• Iced beverage etched glasses...guess where!!! EBAY!!
• The sparkly place card holders were a giftI guess that's all the info that I have. 

 

I'm already thinking of my test #3 for next week!

 

 Thank you for visiting and I hope see you at your blog table!