In Honor of Earth Day

Hey Ladies!  I made it!  I made it! I made it!  Yay!  Not only did I make it on time to Kathleen's Earth Day Tablescape challenge, but I literally "made" a few things too specifically for this challenge.  Woo hoo...hoo!  

Sorry about all that, but I just love when a plan comes together!  When I first heard of the tablescape challenge being Earth day my mind started racing.  I was thinking of all the possibilities that one could do but I could not get away from a few elements that I already owned that I wanted to use.  I just needed a new way to present them.  So for me...it was game on!  I love a challenge that spurs creativity! 

This post is going to be very photo heavy so I will try to keep the chit chat to a minimum.  Haha! Yall know how hard that is for me!  When I first thought of what I was going to use I wanted to do this scape outside on the patio by the pool.  Unfortunately, the rains came last night and today and there are threats of thunderstorms so I decided to play it safe and keep it inside.  Keeping it inside may have been a blessing in disguise though, as it challenged me yet again to change up a few things.  Regardless, I am loving this tablescape and I really hope you will enjoy it too!

It's so simple, but loaded with things that really do represent Earth day.

This is one of the first ELEMENTS I thought of that I wanted to use.

I had intended to use these three server dishes outside on the umbrella table so that they would surround the pole.  This four piece set which includes another serving piece that goes in the middle is a very old CERAMIC set that I purchased at a RESALE store last year.

I thought it would be adorable to use with ROCKS and added the tea lights for ambiance.  Since I had not intended to use the middle piece of this set, I now needed to come up with a centerpiece.

Insert my latest GARDEN purchase.  It just so happens, I had made a trip before Easter to a local GREENHOUSE to buy some plants.  There sat my CHERRY TOMATOES still waiting to be planted.  I plan to grown them in a pot on the deck but have yet to get a new big pot for them.

I love cherry tomatoes, don't you?

So, I decided to stick the whole carton down into one of my old pots, add a little moss and waalahh, instant centerpiece...and they smell so good too!

This is an old Terracotta pot that I've had for quite some time.  As you can see, I painted it myself.  It was one of a set of two that I made.

I love how over the years the paint has started to chip away and think it gives it even more character now.

The next ELEMENT I knew I would use would be these dishes.  

I'm sure you remember because I've recently used them but decided to show you the back so you could see they are made of TERRA COTTA.  Did you know the latin words for terra cotta are BAKED EARTH?

 Another ELEMENT I knew I wanted to use was my salad plates that are made out of RECYCLED plastic.  Pretty cool huh?

Then, I knew I had to use my BAMBOO flatware.  Atleast, I'm thinking it's real bamboo.  Haha!

My pretty blue iridescent glasses made it to the table for a few good reasons.  One, that are a glorious blue that represents water and are made of glass..glass being made from SAND.

But one of the other reasons I love is that I bought them from a yardsale, and that represents RECYCLING and RESTORING right?

Speaking or Recycling, how do you like the napkins I made?  How's that related to RECYCLING you ask?  Well, every time you use a cloth napkin that you wash instead of paper you throw away, you are RECYCLING!  I'll show you how I made these in just a minute. 

I made my place markers out of pop sickle sticks to represent garden markers that anyone could make.  I have this huge box of popsickle sticks that I bought when the kids were little and it was fun to find another use for them.  All I did was angle two sticks vertically, add a little hot glue and then place the three sticks horizontally across.  So simple!

Can you imagine my surprise when I found this fabric?  I know!!!  When I was thinking of all the ELEMENTS I would use for my EARTH day tablescape I was drawing a blank on the napkins.  After looking around for something that I liked I decided I would just have to sew up some of my own.  I had been thinking of something green maybe with a grass print or something.  Never, did I expect to find this!

I purchased one yard.

Cut them into 18 squares.

Then steam ironed the edges over once and....

...then twice to get a finished edge, rotating the folds clockwise each time.

Then I sewed a straight stitch along the inside edge pivoting around each corner.  It was very simple and something you can do too.  You could probably even do this technique with some of that no sew stuff too that you use with an iron.  Easy peasy!

Making your own napkins allows you the freedom to find napkins that are just perfect for any special occasion, even one like celebrating EARTH DAY.

I hope you enjoyed my table.  I sure had fun putting this one together.    Sorry so wordy, but I'm sure you knew I just had to give you all the details.  Didn't I tell you I love a challenge?

Thank you also for visiting me today!  

If you have the time, be sure and visit the following linky parties.

For more tablescaping decor be sure and click here at

Let's Dish

and 

Tablescape Thursday.

Have a great day!

Decluttering the Back Porch

It's been awhile now since I've cleaned off the back porch.  I just remembered I haven't yet shown you that yet.  I have another project outside on the deck I've been working on but am still tweaking it.  So, I thought I'd show you my simplified back porch living first instead.

You've already seen the bakers rack all decorated for spring.  It still pretty much looks the same.

Here's a longer shot of the side wall on the screened porch. 

Not much going on over here other then a shelf to hold a few of my gardening favorites.

On the opposite side I've moved my table to a corner and added my old wicker chairs.

You've seen my old iron table that I painted last year.  I am still loving the blue!  I just need the Mr. to move my hanging candle chandelier over to this corner now above the table.

I had more furniture on this porch which has now moved outside by the pool.  As for the wicker chairs they both got a new job paint turquoise blue this year.  I really want to find some indoor outdoor fabric that I like to make a slip cover for my ottoman but have had little time to focus on that yet.  But let me just go on the record for saying...you cannot beat having an ottoman on the porch!

My new indoor outdoor chair cushions came from SteinMart.  These were the ones I wanted when they came in but waited and they got sold out.  I called the other store across town and went and got them from them.  That's how much I loved the pattern on them.  Adorable and fun!

I love to enjoy the porch in the summer and these colors make me very happy!

Well, this is how it looks for now.  Pretty streamlined and clean.

I'm so ready for a little back porch living.  How about you?

Thanks so much for stopping by today.

I am joining BNOTP

for

Metamorphosis Monday

Have a beautiful Monday Yall!

Easter Dining

Easter was a sweet affair at our house this year.  It was a beautiful sunny afternoon and I enjoyed seeing my brothers and spending a little time with their families and my sweet mother.  I cooked like nobody's business and hopefully sent them away full and satisfied.

It was such a busy morning, but I managed to set a fun and whimsical Easter tablescape for us as well.  

 I pulled out a large piece of yellow buffalo checked moire fabric that I've used for the tablecloth several times before. I wanted to keep things casual and add lots of color too.

Here's my table all set for eight shown before I pulled in the extra chairs from the kitchen.  We all fit but I am thinking I really should consider getting a longer table.  My dining room would accommodate one just fine with a slight furniture rearrangement.  For my settings, I opted to use a mixture of glasses and plates.

Four place settings had the Butlers Pantry "Gourmet" dinner plates mixed with Accoutrements Cornelia Cream salad plates.   All of the china used is from Lenox.  

Each of those settings also had a checked floral napkins and a polka dotted egg napkin ring of which there were four different colors and my new purple stemware from Novica.

The polka dotted egg napkin rings I purchased at work from Stein Mart.

The other four settings had Butlers Pantry dinner plates and salad plates and green goblets from one of Walmart's Better Homes and Garden collections.

They all had a little ceramic ducky napkin rings paired with yellow floral napkins.

I used my wedding stainless, Louisiana by Onieda for all eight settings.  This photo here shows you how close the two settings were in the middle.   Pretty tight huh?  It's a good thing our family doesn't mind rubbing elbows together.  LOL!

My new stemware made it to the Easter table this year but I still want to do a special purple setting using them soon but not just yet.

I kept a few elements for the center of the table that I used in my last setting but added a few new things as well.

Since I knew I would busy cooking the rest of the meal I took the easy way out on the dessert and bought a coconut cake from Sams.  It was delicious and sooo moist!  I also bought the mini croissant rolls from Sams too.  They are my all time favorites to enjoy during the holidays.

I just couldn't wait to use my wire eggs for a centerpiece.  I wanted to add our dyed eggs to them and had intended to have everything ready before our guests arrived.  Unfortunately working everyday the week prior to Easter and cooking all morning on Easter left me strapped for time to dye the eggs.

Thankfully I was able to talk my son and one of my nephews into helping out with dying the eggs.

They were so sweet!  They really wanted to dye the eggs with two different tones on each side.  I did not have any of those wire egg holders so they patiently held each egg in the cup to get the different colors.  Thankfully we only dyed a few but I couldn't help but chuckle when I looked across the table at dinner to see my sons fingertips were dyed too.   

They did such an awesome job and were able to place them on our table to complete our centerpiece.  But the real reason to get the eggs dyed was to have them ready for our family's annual "egg wars" where we tap them against each other on the ends to see who has the winning egg.  This blue and green one shown here was the winning egg and my son was the proud winner.

With the eggs all done, the food cooked and table set we all sat down, enjoyed each others company and stuffed our bellies full!

I hope you had a fantastic Easter with family and friends too!

I am linking this post to the following parties;

Let's Dish

and

Tablescape Thursday.

Thanks for hosting such fun parties each week ladies!

And thank YOU for dropping by too!

Have a wonderful day!!!