Month: January 2017

Theme:  Valentine’s Day

Occasion:  Brunch

Style:  Elegant, Formal

Color Scheme:  Red and white

Flowers:  Lilies

The star of this show is the china.  It has pattern and color to command attention and it does it beautifully.  It was a gift from my husband and I treasure it dearly but any white and red  pattern works just as well for this style table.

So as not to take away from it’s drama, I’ve decided to place a plain white linen tablecloth with matching napkins.  I purchase linen and cotton over acrylic fabrics although they are more expensive and more laborious to take care of, but the effect is so worth the effort!

Red glass chargers serve as that contrast I love for interest.  I’ve purchased these from Overstock.com but they also have a wide selection of acrylic choices which create the same effect and can be reused for holiday, engagement or anniversary settings.

The place card holders, napkin rings, butter spreaders, diamond confetti and votive candles are all from Oleg Cassini collections which I purchased from One Kings Lane but sometimes you come across some of his product in Homegoods!

I have an etiquette certification and had been advised during training not to use candles for daytime settings.  I say, if they add magic, why not?  I’ve also been instructed to use white or wax candles only.  Again, although I use white votive candles here, I love to use color ones when given the opportunity and break this rule time and again.  So much for the certification!

Lastly, the soup tureen serves as the floral container and the napkins are placed on a slant to mimic the petals of the white lilies.

There are countless brunch menu items we could choose but one I would include for sure is Ina Garten’s Blue Cheese Souffle:

A delicious dish made easy to prepare by Ina and as elegant as the setting iteself!

 

Today we celebrated my girlfriend’s birthday and her mom, her cousin and my mom joined us for a celebratory lunch.

My inspiration for the table decor and meal stemmed from a runner with matching napkins I had purchased in Juneau, Alaska with a Provencal style pattern.  I know it’s an unlikely souvenir choice if you’re visiting Alaska but when you’re passionate about something, as I am about table dressings, you never miss an opportunity!

Since the pattern is rather busy, I pulled the two main colors from it, electric blue and pumpkin to select my place mats, tableware and flowers.

I think the contrast of the pumpkin color woven mats with the blue denim tableware is stunning!  The burnt orange roses in the antique style urn add to the feel of Provence, as well as the fleur-de-lis flatware and blue rimmed tumblers.

In keeping with the theme, I served;

Warm Goat Cheese Phyllo Salad

Roasted Stripes Bass, and

Profiterols with Haagen-Dazs Vanilla Ice Cream

All compliments of Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa

It was a truly magical lunch with friends and family.  Happy birthday Martha!

Not only are floral arrangements and candles exclusive to dressing up a table setting.  There are other items that add interest and beauty.  It can be a grouping of watering cans, lanterns, teapots, figurines, etc.

For example, this Asian themed formal dinner setting was the perfect opportunity to display three ancient Chinese urns I purchased in Hong Kong.  Not only would they add glamour to the setting, but they would also become a conversation piece.

To compliment the earthy tones and rustic style of the urns, I added a greenish geometric table cloth which I had purchased from Crate & Barrel years ago.  The woven chargers add texture and the silverware, which I inherited from my Mom, matched the antiquity feel.

You don’t have to go to Hong Kong to look for wonderful collectibles.  It can be any grouping of interesting items that you are passionate about and low enough to not obstruct the view of the guests across from each other.  Larger items can be placed on the sideboard or buffet tables.

In my “Basics” blog, I pointed out how important versatility is when collecting table top material.  Whether it be table linens, tableware, glassware, etc. you’ll want to be able to use them over and over again to avoid unnecessary expense and storage.

In these pictures, I hosted a “Under the Tuscan Sun” themed luncheon for my daughter’s 40th birthday.

I had 24 guests but only 12 of the same for most items so I decided to mix things up and discovered that it was more interesting to the eye.

I placed every other table setting in the 2 different choices.  One had a glass charger, water goblet and flatware of a certain pattern.  The other had a wood charger, high ball glass (of the same design as the goblet) and flatware of a different pattern.

I did purchase 24 beautiful napkins in a buttery yellow color from Pottery Barn and 24 raffia sunflower napkin rings from Overstock to pull things together but 12 white napkins would have worked out just fine and so would have 12 different napkin rings of similar style.

Although the sunflowers in the Tuscan style urns stole the show, I also placed smaller bunches of yellow and white alstroemerias and succulents in different mercury glass containers and the overall result was stunning.

The point is, as long as there is something common to the theme, texture, color, etc. you can, and perhaps should, mix it up!

 

To know which utensils to use is determined by the course or courses that will be served.  As a general rule, butter spreaders and dessert utensils are displayed for more formal settings.

Knife:  is placed on the immediate right side of the plate with the blade facing the plate.

Teaspoon:  is placed on the right side of the knife.

Soup Spoon:  is placed on the right side of the teaspoon.

Fork:  Is placed on the immediate left side of the place.

Salad Fork:  is placed on the left side of the fork.

Butter Spreader:  is placed diagonally on the butter plate placed on the upper left corner of the setting.

Dessert Fork:  is centered directly above the dinner plate with the prongs facing right.

Dessert Spoon:  is placed above and parallel to the dessert fork with the bowl facing left.

 

 

Theme:  Valentine’s Day

Style:  Rustic, Country, Informal

Color Scheme:  Red, white and gray

Flowers:  Red Roses

Your table coverings (cloth, placemats, runners) should be your canvas.  Since I am using a white dinnerware set, I want to use a color table covering for contrast which creates interest and drama.  I own this holiday tablecloth with matching napkins which I purchased from Macy’s, holiday sale.

I happen to own these beautiful tin chargers, which I use over and over, but you can purchase 12 or 10 inch round white dollies to serve as chargers, and they are a fraction of the cost.

Next, place your white dinner plate and immediately on top of that, your matching (or at least red) napkin, in a rose fold.  How gorgeous is that!  The tutorial for this fold (if I can do it, so can you) is “rose from the napkin folding guide” dashpinchsmidgen.blogspot.com

Next, place a salad or soup plate (whether you’ll use it or not) just to hold the napkin in place.

Now place your flatware and glassware appropriately and the fun begins…

What says romance more than red roses and taper candles?  The containers in which you place them should match something on your table and you can never go wrong with a clear fish bowl.  It has a small rim which helps hold up your roses in the event you are doing the arrangement yourself…I would!  You can purchase inexpensive roses at your local department store or even wholesalers like Costco which offers two dozen (Rainforest Alliance Certified) for only $16.99.

I would place one centerpiece for up to four place settings and two for up to double, three for triple the amount of guests and so on.

To anchor the centerpiece or pieces, add taper candles (white or red) on either side and you can include small votive candles to add more sparkle.

For the menu, I would serve Ina Garten’s Grilled Tuna Salad:

Voila!  You now have a beautiful, inexpensive table setting and delicious easy to prepare meal that your guests will appreciate and remember for years to come!

Happy Valentine’s Day!

 

 

 

 

Dinnerware:

If you don’t have plain white or cream color dinnerware, I strongly urge you to purchase an 8 piece set.  You will re-use a neutral set over any pattern one, guaranteed.  Versatility is important, not only to keep costs down, but to avoid storage challenges.  Shops like Target and Walmart offer Corelle 16-piece (service for 4) dinnerware sets for as little as $26.72, and they’re beautiful!

Glassware:

If you own mismatched, chipped and/or dull glassware, get rid of it.  Purchase clear, all purpose glasses for starters, especially to serve as water goblets.  Again, stores like Walmart, Target, etc. offer an assortment of everyday glassware such as Libbey brand.

Silverware (or Flatware):

Silverware utensils are made of or lined in silver and flatware are made of stainless steel.  Either way, there is no need to hold onto mismatched, scratched and/or dull utensils.  I’ve purchased Ralph Lauren sets at a fraction of the cost at Homegoods (my happy place).  Macy’s is another great store to keep in mind for special savings and offers on all of these items.