The Little Easter Table

The Little Easter Table

This cute little table, was so sweet, but sadly it was so hot and sunny, that the sun washed out all the colours in the photo. Now I'm not complaining, no sir'rey! I love the sun and at this time of year I am just over the moon that we are still getting so much heat.

However, it did mean that my colour scheme is not shown off to it's best advantage. Never mind..onwards and upwards.

This whole table was inspired by the little table top cloth that I found hiding in the depths of the linen basket at the local salvation army shop. It came with four napkins. I must admit, I hadn't realised that it had little easter eggs on it untill I had decided that I wanted to use it because of the sweet little bunnies. I loved the contrasting colours of red and pale blue. I knew it was a colour scheme I could work with.

Isn't he just adorable?

I used my small set of floral crockery with the gold trim. It is a set for four people and I thought it would work a rather well here. I decided to use the Amber glassware too. I knew it would go with the gold base of the table cloth and the Venician glass footed compote dish would be a wonderful foyle for the chicks and eggs sitting snugly on their nest.

Don't forget absolutely everything (excluding the cutlery) is from thrift stores!

I wanted to add some more of the colours in the cloth to the table so I decided to buy some red easter eggs and customise them with some matching ribbon. To be honest it is hard to see how well they went due to all that glorious sunlight stripping all colour from the table.

Look at all those shadows...whoo hoo!!

I placed the eggs in some Amber glass sundae dishes which I was lucky to get a few years ago (nine no less). They sat there very snugly.

Again I know it is hard to see, but the ribbon that flows from the Easter bunny is a gorgeous shade of pale blue So I used napkins of that colour and placed them as you can see.

I wanted this table to be uncluttered and simple. Not something I am generally very good at. However, in real life it looked lovely. I am very pleased! 

It shows how something that one would often walk past in a thirift-shop can have its day and look very stylish. Anyone who has read any of my earlier posts will know that I have grown very fond of Amber glass. I love the way it sparkles in the right light and is so rich.

(I will let you into a funny secret! While laying this table it involved me going in and out the dinning room a lot. It was so bright out there that everytime I came back in for anything I had to wait untill my "sun blindness" had subsided. ha ha. It took me twice as long as usual to lay a table with only half of the components of my usual table that are stuffed with bits and pieces.)    

I will be linking with Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch

The Thrifty Groove: Ironed Linens

The Thrifty Groove: Ironed Linens

This is the simplest idea ever. I have so many linens and am going to store them this way from now on!! Thanks Diann.

Stunning in it's simplicity!

Woo Hoo...Check this out.

I am going to give this a go in the next few days. I have loads of my ugly napkin rings to decorate and I'm going to see what delightful fabrics I can find to bring them back to life!

Thanks Laurie

Fourteen Dinner sets is enough for anyone.........or is it???

I know, I know......fourteen dinner services should be enough for anyone, but, I am slightly mad and have recently been exposed to many more mad women like me who love to collect all sorts of china and wonderful bric a brac to create the most exquisite tablescapes. So that being said, I am feeling fairly smug about myself and realised that I am not alone and that us "CHINA LUNATICS" should stick together.

It is on that note that I decided to share with you a little insight into my brain....Yes alright, I know that may be dangerous for you.....and that you may never be the same again......but, please indulge me. During the last two hunting forays into the world of thrift shops, I was lucky enough to come across several ornamental thingamibobs. I want to share them with you so that you can see how the mind of the obsessed tablescaper works.

I will admit to usually buying stuff which is the right colour, for an idea that I am working on, long before the table actually gets completed, but on this particular occasion I just fell in love with some items and so decided to buy them. As it has turned out, it has led me to put ideas together in my head and I believe I am nearly ready for an assembly of another lovely tablescape.

So here they are...not particularly displayed in a wonderful way, but I think it just goes to show how the mind of a tablescaper works from bare item to finished table.

Although I finished my bright sunny fruity table, I saw these and fell in love with them. I had to have them and they were all of about NZ$4 each. (that's about 2 pounds or roughly the same US dollars. When I got home I immediately put them on the table and you can see them here and how they looked.

I have been very keen to put a blue and white table together for a while now and so constantly keep my eyes open for anything that might be of interest. Imagine my excitement when I saw these china napkin rings. Not only brand new, but two packets of six..... A right result!!!

 Again another packet of six napkin rings, with just a hint of sparkle (something I always love). This picture doesn't really show them off to their full advantage.  

For those of you who have read any of my earlier posts will know that I love to buy faux flowers and any sort of candle. It's not that I am of the "mean" variety, but simply that it is so expensive here in NZ and I object to paying quite a lot of money for something that others take for grated and can buy cheaply in their normal retail outlets. So if I see these items in the thrift stores them I buy them. 

These are little shell candles. I am working on putting together a sea themed table now! 

 I just thought these were such pretty and feminine little votives. What do you think?

 OK!!! Now these were just a pure indulgence. I absolutely adore them. I don't have any candles to fit them as of yet, but, I am working on it. Aren't they lovely?

 I loved this anyway, but decided it would be a great addition to my glass dinner set. It doesn't match but I have never worried about that! OH "Depression Glass" I love it! 

Hmm, well yes!!! It seemed like a good idea at the time. I thought it would just add another element to any green table. But now I'm not so sure.......but hey....it only cost 50 cents. 

 Ok, now these little boxes come up quite often. I must admit I do tend to buy them whenever I see them as 1) I love the boxes and 2) I usually intend to alter the napkin rings in some way. So far I have just accumulated heaps of napkin rings and bits and pieces to chop and change them. I will however, use the boxes in some way..... (note to self, maybe I could paint them in a fab colour).

 Well now aren't these just darling?? I have used them already and you can see them in my last post!

http://thriftytablechic.blogspot.com/2011/03/tablescape-thursdayteddybears-picnic.html

Now I must admit that I may have made a mistake buying these. The pattern is printed and therefore won't wash very well...Ah well....Cest la vie!! (OOH!! I came over all French).

OMG!! Now I love this basket! It is gorgeous and I can't wait to use it! Don't know where yet. But it will have so many uses I'm sure!!! Keep your eyes out for it!!

Again, another sweet little thing. I have used it already and it can be seen in the link above. but it will have many uses I'm sure. 

These were not Op-shop purchases, but I did buy them in an outlet shop, so still technically within the criteria that I have set myself for this blog!

I have been looking for some nice glass candlesticks for ages. They have come up, but tend to be so expensive. I must admit that these were texpensive too at $20 (ridiculous price for glass,) but I liked them. It didn't stop me coming out the shop whinging and moaning to myself about it!! I'm still looking for some more, but I'm not paying that price again. I'll keep looking. I also want some white ones, but think I may need to make my own.

These little ornaments will adorn any blue table and add just a little sparkle.......my favourite!! I can't wait to use these.

Well now how's this for planning ahead? I live by the old saying "see it, love it, buy it" and I would really love to make my Christmas table silver and gold this year. Yes I know it's nearly a year away, but, it's op-shopping remember? Nothing comes up when you go looking or it. You have to buy it as and when you see it. These little beauties cost me just about NZ$1 each. I think they will do the trick very well. I might even add a little glitter to them as well....we'll see!

The photo does not do these little beauties justice! They are extremely life like. I wish I could get more! 

Now I know these look like an odd purchase, and you may be right! But I saw two gorgeous round table cloths in this very colour. It was one of those occasions where I didn't buy them but it kept nagging at me. I then went on to find these items and thought they would go so well with the table cloths so I bought the items, but as luck would have it, I went back for the table cloths and they were gone. Dam and blast!!! What's wrong with me??? "SEE IT, LOVE IT, BUY IT!!!!! My own mantra and I ignored it.

So there you go! A brief journey into the inner workings of the mind of a mad tablescaper. There will be so many more tables to come, so don't go away or come back very soon.

I will be linking to.

   

<center><a href="http://www.betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/%22%3E%3Cimg border="0" src="http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii164/Magnolias_Moonlight/TT-2.jpg%22/%3E%3C/a%3E%3C/center>

a wonderful tablescape to be proud of.

Some people are just so great at this tablescaping. What a lovely colour scheme.

http://entertainingwomen.blogspot.com/2011/03/al-fresco-blue.html#links

Please go and look at this blog. It is very inspirational! Thanks Cherry Kay for sharing your gorgeous table.

Tablescape Thursday...Teddybears Picnic

At this weeks Tablescape Thursday hosted by Susan at http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com " was inspired by the gorgeous little teddies that I bought in the Anglican church, op-shop in Milford this week. I just loved the fact that they were just sitting there, all alone, in a little group of three, at the back of the shop. I immediately realised that they would make a gorgeous centre piece for this weeks table. It was my starting point. They cost me all of  80 NZcents each. I know that they would also make a wonderful baby shower table, but to be honest here in New Zealand (or the UK come to think of it) we don't really do baby showers much! However if we do, then I am all set.

So tell me these aren't cute!!

Once I was home again and feeling really guilty that I had not been able to go past a thrift shop, I emptied my bag and pondered ( I do ponder a lot, well, when I shut my mouth long enough to engage my brain). So anyway, after pondering for some time, I came up with the idea of using my "Homer Laughlin Fiesta, Cinnebar" dinner set. (Phew!! That takes some saying in one breath). I co-ordinated with Crown Lynn "Modern living" salad plate, Along with my pink napkins, which I knew would be the perfect colour. The perfect tablecloth, would be the long purpleyee/burgundyeyish one or alternatively you could call it aubergine/eggplant, depending where you come from.

See how I have drapped the napkins over the side?

Next came the centrepiece and a few other elements to add interest!

Last week I found these adorable, but very fragile place mats. To be honest I am afraid to use them really. They are new, but oh so delicate. I really don't know how they will cope with washing. The embroidery on them is so lovely, with the gold running through them. The colours are perfect! These were placed over the square napkins, which I used as part of the place setting, You can see how I positioned them below. I needed to make each place seem bigger as the plates did rather obscure the embroidery. Also notice how I changed the bows for the evening. I couldn't decide which looked best and the family and guests decided that in the day the top one looked best, but at night, the little glass dishes came into their own.

I placed these funny little papier mache egg thingies on each dish....I don't know why! It just seemed like a good idea!

  

I don't know anyone who can manage to well with out glasses, so here is my choice for this table.

So onwards and upwards, next came the sideboard decoration. I was going to use some pink plant pots that I have, but thought that these looked better. I added some rafia to introduce the colour to that area. It had always been my intention to use the rafia to customise the napkin rings, but it is quite stiff and not very unforgiving when working with it. So the napkins remained plain and the rafia is now adorning glass and silver large votives.  

I added this lovely bon bon dish with a couple of tea lights and my trusty grapes, (also placed in the centre piece)

Did you notice how the dish is vine leaves too?

So there it is the teddy bears Picnic!

Now allow me to show you the wonder of candle lighting as this table comes alight at night!

 Go On....admit it, they are sweet!

So thank you so much for dropping by Thriftytablechic. Please remember all items on my tables and settings have come from Op-shops or Thrift Stores.
http://thriftytablechic.blogspot.com/2009/11/ramblings-of-op-shop-addict.html#comments