Month: July 2017

My second South African inspiration for a table setting comes from my souvenir purchases in Cape Town.

These adorable handmade dolls are fertility dolls, (my husband is so desperate to become a grandfather, he wants me to place one of each in our daughters’ rooms!)  They are adorned with beads and shells.

I keep the shells and the wood in mind as my common denominators for selecting some of the other items.  Once again, my bare distressed table top is the best base for this setting.  Next, I select a woven place mat and then another rimmed with shells on top.   These I had purchased in Nassau on a Bahamas cruise and use them often on beach themed settings.

Now aside from the dolls, I purchased the wooden candlesticks, which have elephant motifs, and the adorable salt canisters with bone inlays.  How cute are they?

I select black napkins to pick up on the black beads on one of the dolls and I choose shell napkin rings for obvious reasons.

My simple glassware is a little more on the modern side as is the Ralph Lauren flatware with the shell design.

And there you have it.  A Cape Town inspired table setting ready for an American breakfast!

My husband and I just got back from a trip to Botswana, South Africa, on safari.   It was, without a doubt, the best trip we have ever taken and the beauty of the land and its inhabitants are my inspiration for today’s table scape.

I purchased the handmade natural weave runner in a local shop in Franschhoek, South Africa.  It reflects the perfect color combination of an African sunset.  I then select my brick color mats, which I seem to be using a great deal of lately, but they’re a good match.

For added drama, instead of one napkin, I use a black and pumpkin napkin combination bound by the beautiful crystal napkin rings I purchased in Cape Town.  They are in the shape of safari animals.  I selected two elephant, two rhinoceros, two giraffe and two hippopotamus ones.  I’m delighted with my purchase, they’re so cute!

To add to the crystal on the napkin rings, I use crystal chargers and rustic glassware.

The centerpiece is a pottery vase made by my next door neighbor, Claudia, and given to us as a house warming present.  I fill it with dried branches to mimic the dryness of the African bush.

Finally I flank the vase with two rustic pillar candles and use my rustic flatware.

I’m always on the look out for interesting table setting souvenirs on my travels because they are reminders of our adventures and also serve as great conversation pieces.

 

Thanks to South Florida’s extreme weather conditions in the summer, I am going to host a garden party luncheon for my parents, indoors.  My kitchen window by the table area is large enough to give one the impression that you are outside, when in reality you are enjoying the cool air of our conditioning system.

My inspiration is going to be the left over floral arrangement of white flowers, to which I added green hydrangeas, to pick up on the matching napkin rings from Pier 1 Imports.

The Johnson Brothers china has a combined pattern of fruits and flowers which I’ll use to select the one additional color, tints and shades of the orange hue.  I showcase this color in the woven place mats and matching napkins.

The silverware is of an antiqued pattern and adds to the rustic, yet elegant feel of the setting.

I place coffee cups directly to the right of the water goblets as I feel they’ll appreciate an earlier lunch and expect more of a brunch.

In reality, the star of the setting is the china.  With its busy and colorful palette, I don’t have to overwork the table and leave good enough alone.

Now I’m off the prepare a Cream of Leak and Potato Soup, Chicken Cutlets in a Mushroom Sauce and Peach Cobbler.  Bon Appetit!