Saturday, April 19, 2014

5 Great Spring Table Settings

I have loved to set the table with
pretty dishes since I was a child.

I know that I have learned this from my
mother, who always made the
dinner table something special.
She was a woman of culture, she grew
up in Germany, and her mother was from
a Royal line.  I think that at her home 
there always was coffee set out 
in beautiful china, with silverware,
and awesome food.

Over the years this art really has been lost.
We go out to eat, or we bring home 
take out food, and who would think of setting
 out the china for such a meal.

Well, probably my mother. 
But for the rest of us, we just don't think in 
those terms.

I have over the years collected dishes,
not china, I have some, but mostly
different sets of dishes.
I love to mix and match them,
and set the table with nice dishes.
I love the ambiance of it, 
Dana teases me, that the food doesn't taste
any different, maybe so, but I feel better,
so the food somehow does taste better.

For spring,
I am sharing 6 different place settings,
to help you, and remind me of how to set
a fun table, even if it is just for 2.

Setting #1
The Spring Flowers Setting


I love to share the colors of one plate with another,
and then layer my plates on top of all these fun colors.
Here we are setting the table with pastels,
but with a bright place mat.
The floral dishes I just brought home,
they were my mothers, she passed away
just a year ago.

I used a white on white dinner plate,
pink on white salad bowl,
and the spring flowers dishes.
Pink goblets, and just my nicer
flat ware, the ones I purchased after
the kids left home.
(no more digging in the dirt outside to lose the matches)


My sister wanted the same set of dishes,
but it was my turn to choose, so I shared the set with her.
She got the dinner plates, demi tea cups, and a serving platter,
I took the salad plates and the covered casserole dish.

I thought how fun,
we can both have spring dishes
and a part of mom in our homes this spring and all the
springs to come.

I was with my mom when she purchased these dishes.
At the same time, we were newly wed, I bought
strawberry dishes, and I eventually gave them to her
when she wallpapered her kitchen with strawberries.
My dad still to this day uses them
as his everyday dishes.


I is just so fun to put a table out on the porch,
cover the table with white lace linens,
and then add layers of table cloths until you achieve the 
look you are wanting.
I have a stash of table cloths,
that I pull out all year long.
They are used over and over again,
with covering the kitchen table to setting these
fun breakfast or lunch settings for
Dana and I.



The spring bulb arrangement is one of my fav's.
I pull it out every spring.  
Just love the open look of it, 
and close it looks to my flower beds in the spring.

Setting #2
The Cabbage Setting


These cabbage bowls are some of my favorite dishes in my 
collection.  They just make me think of Easter,
and how hungry all those bunnies are without
these to eat on.  I love the bright table cloth,
in such bright spring colors.


I used the white on white dinner plate again.
Then a green salad plate,
and then my favorite cabbage bowls.
One has broken, so I am down to only 3,
I would love to have another one to make my set of 4 again.
I will keep looking.


The cabbage soup tureen I found in a
fabulous store in Portugal.  I could have bought
the whole store, but alas, I came home with
this soup tureen.  Again, I so love this look,
and it has been used often.
I again used goblets, but these I purchased a few
years ago at World Market.  I love the
bubbles in the yellow glass.
 I do love this color of yellow.

Daffodils add just a touch of yellow to the
table, and are soooo spring.


I just want to sit out here and enjoy the morning.
Who said we had to go to work, or do anything important
for that matter.
It just feels so good to eat at such a 
beautiful table.


Place setting #3
The Pink Rose Setting


I have been hunting for these dishes for years,
and each time I find another piece,
I purchase it.

It has been many years since I have seen
any of these at all.
I am in love with the combination of the pink rose
and the teal wide border with a touch of gold
around the edge.


This is a magnificent antique set.
At one time, I had a bowl with a pink wide edge too.
I had it mounted on the wall, and one day, one of 
the kids hit the wall quite hard, 
and down went my bowl.
Alas it is gone, but I still see it in my memories.
I have 2 of the teal bowls, 2 tea cups, but only one 
saucer, and 8 dinner plates, 8 desert plates.


I also have this cute sugar bowl with its lid.


All together, it makes a beautiful place setting.
Especially for a lunch with my friends, or
dinner with Dana.  
I also have 2 serving platters that match the set.

This is one of my treasures!

Place setting #4
The Robin's Nest 


I love to take the table out back and set it for
Dana and I for lunch.

Today I have set the table for a book club
brunch.  Books are added to the table
as decoration, and a green topiary.


My sparrow with her nest sits in the middle
of one of the plates.
I added yellow bubble glasses with matching goblets,
 and a blue desert bowl to the table. 
And for those who
need a coffee or hot chocolate,
the green mug with matching saucer.


I am not exactly sure if I have set the tables
with the true form of etiquette.  
I am just an every day woman who loves to
set the table pretty!
I have paired these desert plates again with the 
white on white dinner plates.


A close up of the sparrow plate.


A close up of the egg plate,
each plate in this set of salad plates has its own
individual look.

Place setting #5
The China


I can honestly say I have never taken this set out to
use yet!  These are Mary Carol 
dishes, except the silver edged salad plate.
I have a set of 12
and really I need to have a dinner party!


This just feels like Mother's Day to me!
Beautiful Peonies in a white on white pitcher.
Gold and silver dishes.
And a Lavender Goblet.


The little dish at the side would be perfect
for shrimp cocktail!
I so love the table cloth.
It has the most wonderful ribbon
embroidery ever on it.
I just want to spend time here with my mother,
or my daughters!


It is the kind of table we wish for in our dreams,
when everything comes together 
romantically.  Our husbands have spoiled us,
and now we can feel like queens.


The candles burning in the evening,
with the sun going down, and we
are right there with the 
most special person in 
our lives.

Mother's Day,
or any special day with our 
best friends.

I promise next time my pictures
will be better, 
I am still learning how to 
do great things with my 
camera!

Hope you have enjoyed this post!

Have a wonderful day!

Robin

1 comment:

June said...

These table settings are so pretty Robin! My mom was like yours...the table must be set and I loved that about her. I just wished it would have rubbed off on me though. I am not good about putting out the effort for a pretty table every meal. I do it once in awhile, but after reading this...I am feeling very inspired.
I hope you and Dana are well and enjoying your spring.
Hugs from here...