Green is so versatile!

These are a few older photos I had taken some time ago. I love my extensive collection of green cabbage plates because they are so versatile. I have used them in many different table settings. I thought you all might want to see another example of how I have used them, (other examples are in the archives.)You can usually find these plates for a good price at TJ Max, Marshalls, and Home Goods. The green color goes with all colors, because, after all green is one of the colors of nature. In this example pink, green and white is the color theme that I worked out for a Spring dinner.
If anyone else uses these green plates please drop me a line, I would love to see how you have used them.

I love TJ Max

I find some of the best buys there. This weekend (after severe cabin fever, not to mention the lack of buying dishes lately) I thought I would trek out to TJ Max to see what I could find to appease my dish-a-holic needs. Now, being a dish-a-holic on a budget, I try to keep an open mind for what could work in a table setting, using things that were not neccessarily ment for "tableware". As I was roaming thru I noticed on the clearance aisle a stack of boxes containing a dish ment to hold 3 pillar candles and flat marbles (see photo above).

I had seen these before when they were offering them at full price and did not give them a second thought, but, when I see something on clearance I really try to think of what I could come up with. This candle pillar display had been marked down to $8.00 each. Now, I thought, how could I use this in a different way? Volia! I could use the wrought iron base as a charger plate.

This set does come with the clear glass plate you see on the front of the box along with the candles and marbles (save them for something else), you could even use the glass plate to dine off of.

And for all you Shabby Chic enthusists you could just simply spray paint the wrought iron white and it would fit right in with that popular look.

Considering that I have seen wrought iron chargers for $30.00 and up, I figured that I got a pretty good deal, now these might have gone down even more, but I needed a certain amount of these to do a table, so I figured I'd go ahead and buy them for the 8 dollar price. So for me it was a good deal.

I hope this encourages some of you to look at objects with an open mind with thoughts of how you can substitute items ment for one task to do many.

Blue and White Hens and such

Hi all, I am finally able to post, I am still having computer issues, but hopefully this photo and message will work.

This is just a simple display I did on my dining room table. These items will be going in my kitchen once I am finished with my small reno. I will be going with all open shelves in the upper cabinet area (all the upper cabinets are gone which were almost useless), so until I can afford a total redo this will enable me to show and use my collections of dishes. Pretty and practical I hope.

P.S. those of you who have personally emailed me, I am not ignoring you, unfortunately I am still not able to access my email. :(

Bunny Time

Some of you have asked for ideas/tips designing table settings, one of the most versitile style of dishes to have is simply white (or cream). White can be mixed with any color and look good. And of course white on white is always stunning (or cream on cream, or even mixing white with cream).

In the photo below this one is the Bridal Tea Party. To change out the look, I just removed the "bridal ladies", slid the candles over in front of each diner, and added the white bunnies to the centerpiece with a few bunched silk flowers. Just a simple change, but gives a whole new feel to the tablesetting. So if any of you have white dishes, pull them out and play around with them, look for some interesting items that can be part of your centerpiece.

Something else that looks great with the white dishes is if you have some floral dishes. Use the white dish as the dinner plate and use the floral plates as the salad dish and bread dish, pull in the colors from the floral plate for your napkins and centerpiece idea. OR you can go vis-veras, and use the floral plate as the dinner plate and the white dishes as the accents.

I hope this helps, if you have more specific questins, I will try to help there too.

Engagement Tea Party

Sorry, it has been so long since I have posted, my personal laptop has been crashed for about a week and a half! Just got it back from the Geek Squad, and it still is not right so I have to return it to them AGAIN....arghhhhh. I will try answering some of the lovely comments you all have left too, and thank you for participating in my Poll at the bottom of the page, that helps me alot. Once my lap top comes back I will start to implement your suggestions.

So I am posting on my work break to put up these tea party photos that I had participated on another Board. You will notice the napkins are missing, but it was late and I had just run out of steam. I hope you like them. I like doing "Engagement" type of things, good practice for me if/when my DD marries...one of these days.... LOL