Green and White Tablescape

Good Morning!  Today the sun is shining brightly and the temps are still fairly low yet!  I am feeling happy to still have an extra table to do outdoor settings after loosing my umbrella table, so I have decided to do a green and white table scape.  I have been very inspired by so many of you that I can't help but join in on all the fun.

 I know there is much to be proud about when being original and unique.  However, I hope most of you do not mind when someone borrows your ideas and uses them in their own way.  I am all about giving credit where it is due, but I am not sure I remember who had the first green and white setting that I saw, but I loved it!  I loved it so much it stuck with me!  I know this is probably not a new concept to most of you who regularly table scape, but it is to me.  I would have never thought of pulling a setting together in this way, using certain colors only.

 That concept has added a whole new dimension of table setting for me!  Really!  I have always thought of decorating a table with what you have but not so much in terms of themes and colors.  I mean I have always tried to purchase things for my table that coordinate but have not done alot of mixing and matching.  Now that I'm blogging and joining in on all the fun it's added so much more to my creative side and I just love it!  So thank you to whomever did the first green and white table setting and to all of you who have followed suit and posted your beautiful settings!  I hope you will enjoy mine as well.

I started with this older green and white tablecloth.  My sister in law gave me this years ago during one of her garage sales.  I loved the way this looked like lattice to me.  It is one of my favorites even though it is well into fading now.  Let's move in a little closer!

 Then I added my centerpiece items.

English Ivy and a small cloche on silver

In a beautiful lime green pot.

Yes, this needs polishing big time, but I liked the varnish look for this casual setting

A green candle sits in a crystal votive sitting in milk glass.

I  am loving this place setting, so pretty!

It began with my white everyday plates with embossed fruit from Gibson. 

Then added my white monogrammed linen napkins.

 I topped it off with my green and white plastic salad plates from the Better Homes and Gardens collection at Walmart and clear footed fruit bowls.

I added crystal goblets and my silver plated stainless flatware, Louisiana by Oneida.

 

For serving fruit for two I added this sweet crystal bowl given to me by my best friend.  It has florals and sweet little butterflies etched in the side.  I also used our monogrammed tea towel and the matching flatware serving pieces.

I hope you also noticed I chose the greenest location I could find to set up this table!

I hope you enjoyed my green and white table scape today, set amongst my beautiful green plants.

This was so much fun setting up! 

I am joining http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/ for Tablescape Thursday.

Be sure and check out more beautiful settings from the link above!

Have a great day!

Mary

Unusual Weather

Wow!  Have we had some crazy weather lately!  The last few days we have had records highs just topping triple digits at 100 degrees, with heat index's even higher!  Although we live in the south this is not expected yet so soon!  It has been hot and oppressive and dangerous!  I was going to show you how we spent the weekend trying to beat the heat.  However, I have to fill you in on the moment first.  Right now our temperature is at 78 degrees after getting 2.5 inches of rain from a thunder and hail storm.


  After a late afternoon of antiquing with my Mother today, I returned home at the end of a lightening storm.  My first clue something wasn't right was when I pulled up to find my big beautiful blue umbrella in the driveway!  I was in a panic when I saw that the pole was only half the size it was supposed to be!  Luckily it had only come off the second part of the pole and was looking pretty rumpled but not broken.   Unfortunately I cannot same the same for my table.  This is what I returned home too...

As you can see there's the second part of my umbrella, still in the stand.  I can only assume it became air born and lifted the table which stayed behind with a big CRASH!

My chairs were scattered about too!  Luckily this is the only damage we had!  I have been wanting a new table so I guess this means the hunt is on! 

Now back to my original post!  What do you do when it's miserably hot?  I spent part of the day sitting around the house as usual whining about how hot it is and how we do not have a pool.  That is, until the Mr. told me to pack it up we were going on the lake.  Fortunately there was a small enough breeze to make it less miserable then sitting in my back yard and the water was exceptionally comfortable when the breeze died down and we jumped in. 

This past weekend our club was hosting our annual Thistle Regatta.  These are smaller racing sailboats.  This particular fleet has a large following of dedicated sailors who travel these regattas from state to state.  This year was our smallest turnout of only 17 boats total.  They guessed it was due to the heat as most of those who travel to our club usually camp out for the weekend.  They had a great time and were able to get in all their races despite the heat.  Here's a few photos of their last race on Saturday from our perspective on our boat.

 I apologize for the photos but I have a real problem taking these photos when our boat is bobbing up and down in the water.  Additionally when the sun is shining I cannot see what my lens is focused on so it's a gamble at best.

These are the Thistles going down wind with their colorful spinnakers out!

I love seeing these colorful sails!

The pontoon in the middle is holding our race committee members.

I am very pleased to see I actually was able to get any shots at all.  I literally could not see what I was shooting!

This is towards the end of the race as they were dropping sails and some were being towed back in.  The Thistles do not have motors to cruise back in when they are finished and usually sail in if weather permits.

They are pretty boats and fun to watch but a bit too small and tight for me!  I like my leg room!

After they left we jumped in the lake, cooled off, turned on our motor and headed back home.

I am joining http://www.asoutherndaydreamer.blogspot.com/ for Outdoor Wednesday!  Please be sure and visit the link above for more Outdoor fun!

I love hearing from you, be sure and let me know if you stopped by.

Happy Outdoor Wednesday Everyone!

Stay cool!

Mary

Were "I" to Serve Tea..

 

I confess I am not much of a tea-anista!  I know, I just made that nonsense up, but I hope you get the point. Much like a fashionista has a passion for great style, I think it takes quite a bit of flair to host a tea party!  I really do love seeing all these fabulous tea sets and tea parties you ladies pull out.  I am so in awe of your delicious goodies and sets that it has inspired me to pull out a very special set to share with you today.  I am not even 100% sure this is even a tea set as it looks more like an espresso set to me!  LOL!  However, were I to host a tea party, it might like look this...

Please forgive me for not bringing out the goodies too, but I thought we would focus on this goody of a tea set only.  Again, I use the term tea set lightly, as I'm not really sure.  This set belonged to my mother.  She gave it to me many years ago after she sold the house I grew up in.  It was a gift from my father to her from his travels to Germany.  He was a jet pilot in the Air National Guard and had may trips abroad.

  My parents divorced when I was just a young girl and I was raised by my mother.  When she moved after I got married she cleaned house.  This set held no real sentimental attachment for her, but for me it did.  You see, I remember seeing this in our china cabinet growing up.  I used to want to play with it all the time because it looked much like a child's tea set to my young eyes.  I was never allowed to play with it.  I have kept this set packed away.  I have never used it or even played with it until now! 

It is white china with silver trim.  I have always admired the simplicity of this set.  Here is a picture of the bottom of one of the saucers to show you the markings.

Keep in mind these next close up shots are making these pieces seem larger then they really are.

It has six of these very small cute cup and saucers.

A small creamer...

A sweet small and chipped sugar bowl..(maybe I did get ahold of this set once)

And a lovely tall and slim tea pot!

I would set it up to be served off of this small silver plated tray by Oneida.

Then I would certainly need teaspoons and a linen for spills.

So I would bring out this lovely tea towel inherited from my husbands family, with our monogram.

And our beautiful monogrammed silver teaspoons, also inherited from my husbands family.

Luckily he only had one brother, (and two sisters) but the boys got to split all the monogrammed items.

I can't read the name of the silver on the back, but it's a beautiful pattern!  Our monogram is on the back of the teaspoons.

And of course, I would bring in some freshly cut hydrangeas!

I wanted you to see a close up of the two tones on this one in particular.  I love when that happens on hydrangeas and you get that effect.

Well, that's what I might do, were I to host a tea party!

However, the reality is I'm not really much of a tea party kind of gal, I do enjoy tea though.  Usually it's good old fashioned sweet tea for me.   However, in the winter, I keep an assortment on hand.  This is the reality of my tea parties, they are solo, and served in this....

My choices look like this...

And that's they way I really am!

I sure have enjoyed sharing this set with you and had fun imagining what I might do!  Thank you so much for letting me share in your worlds today, it was wonderful!

I hope you enjoyed it too!  Leave me a note if you drop by, I'd love to hear what you think of my set.

I am joining the following parties today!  Be sure and visit these fun parties for more!

http://ladykatherineteaparlor.blogspot.com/ for Tea Time Tuesday

http://astrollthrulife.blogspot.com/ for Tabletop Tuesday