CHRISTMAS IN AUGUST ---

Our home is to be on a local charity house tour the first weekend in December.  I know that in November I will be busy with deep cleaning and decorating for Christmas.  So, I'm trying to think ahead now and accomplish some other details.

I've been thinking about how I might want to set the dining room table for the tour.  I know that I don't want to cover the table with a cloth as the top of our table is interesting and has a local history.  Bob made the table about ten years ago from a gym floor he salvaged from an old prison-guard building.

  The table is narrow and long to fit the space -- really just a hallway from the bedrooms to the kitchen.  We love the table as it fits our immediate family of seven perfectly even accommodating the left-handers.  But for the tour, I thought I would just set the table for four, so more of the wood shows.  My solution was to make two red plaid table runners and place them cross-wise on the table.

I pulled out some dishes to get a feel for the look, and will think about a centerpiece later when I get the Christmas stuff out in November.  It will probably involve vintage ornaments and candles.

 

 Found these forgotten lovely monogrammed napkins, a gift from a friend several years ago!

 I made the runners reversible from the red and black plaid -- thought the red and white plaid would be nice to have for the patriotic holidays.

 Found George and a flag -----

 and some red, white, and blue dishes!

Just sewing and playing with dishes this week!!

I'm joining the following:
Confessions of a Plate Addict for The Scoop Tuesday
Coastal Charm for Show and Share Tuesday
A Stroll Thru Life for Inspire Me Tuesday
Savvy Southern Style for WOW Us Wednesday
Ivy and Elephants for What's It Wednesday
Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday
Have a Daily Cup for Share Your Cup Thursday
The Charm of Home for Home Sweet Home Friday

SUMMERTIME BREAKFAST!

Thanks to Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for once again hosting Tablescape Thursday. To check out my favorite Thursday party, be sure to go by Susan's blog to find a list of today's Tablescape Thursday's participants.

Finally, my garden flowers are starting to blossom, and I have materials for a centerpiece for a summertime breakfast setting.

Nothing fancy - just a plaid tablecloth and my everyday Blue Willow dishes.

My mother always had her Royal Copley roosters sitting around in her kitchen to remind herself that she didn't ever want the real thing in her yard! She did not have fond memories of taking care of live chickens when she was young.

For several Christmases and birthdays in the 1960s, my mother gave me the Fostoria red dishes and glassware. The white bread plate is from my set of Mikasa Italian Countryside dishes.

Thanks for stopping by,

Sally

TABLESCAPE THURSDAY

Our Queen of Tablescapes, Susan, at Between Naps on the Porch
is once again hosting Tablescape Thursday. Please check out her blog for a whole bunch of wonderful tablescapes.

This week I am using my versatile white Mikasa Italian Countryside dinner plates combined with four different salad plates painted with berries. The green octagon plates and green glassware from the depression era are used to add some color.

I love to combine my old rustic boxes with the more elegant dishes.

Each salad plate is different; some were inherited and some were purchased along the way. When antique shopping, I always look for hand-painted 5"-6" plates with fruit or flowers, as each one is so individual and useful. China painting was a popular activity for women in the early 1900s.

Thanks for stopping by,
Sally

TABLESCAPE THURSDAY

It's not Tablescape Tuesday anymore, but here we are at Tablescape Thursday!! Check out Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for a wonderful selection of tablescape participants.

I'm finally in the Valentine's Day mood and have pulled out some of my antique valentines to dress the table.

The dishes are among my favorites for this season. The white plate is Mikasa Italian Countryside - a recent consignment store find of service for six for a total of $28. All of the red glassware and plates are from my Fostoria Argus pattern collection. Valentine's Day would not be complete without some red transferware. These salad plates are in the Romance pattern from Alfred Meakin & Co. The monogrammed napkins with an "S" can stand for Sally, or Salmagundi, or our last name, or just for "Sweet"!!

From Hobby Lobby's after-Christmas sale, I picked up these red and Mercury glass votives for 80 cents each. They are just as great for V Day as they will be for Christmas!

The Valentines are some of the ones I discovered in my Great Grandmother's belongings. They are wonderful die-cuts with movable parts. We also have quite a few antique Valentine postcards from the late 19th century.

And you have to have chocolate hearts to finish off a celebratory meal!!

Thanks for stopping by,
Sally