Outdoor Dining

I am so excited to be joining Tablescape Thursday today @ http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/.
But first, I have a confession to make..I have been holding out on you!   I've been waiting for just the right time to break out my outdoor table setting!  I wanted to wait until everything greened up a bit and began to bloom.  So today after cleaning up outside and putting it all together it was finally time!

I have purchased several outdoor dish's that I have wanted to show you for some time.  I say several because I bought a set of four dinner plates and four salad plates that coordinated.  Then later I found 4 more salad plates that I loved in another pattern and could use with the dinner plates as well.  So today you will see the original dinner plates paired  with the new pattern of salad plates.  I think you will see why I fell in love with the newest ones  immediately. 

We will be dining outdoors this evening!

 Moving in a little closer now, I have to brag on my centerpiece.  Aren't they beautiful?   This is what I was waiting for..my beautiful Hydrangeas.  They make such a lovely setting!

I used my two smaller crystal hurricane candle holders for the flower vases.

Just gorgeous this time of year!  I love these flowers so much!  Don't you?

I love the black iron cutwork "look" of these votive candle holders from the Dollar Tree.

My newest yard sale bargain stemware was an unexpected surprise addition. I just had to work them in with this setting and I think they compliment the Hydrangeas beautifully!

The black and white check napkins were another beach outlet purchase. The monogrammed flatware actually was a great find a Tuesday Morning. And now for the plates...

The plastic dinner plates are from Walmart.  They are part of the Better Homes and Gardens summer decor. I just fell in love with them when they came out.  I purchased four of these and four of the salad plates.  My salad plates are the same pattern but lime green and white only.  Cute, cute, cute!

But as cute as these are, I don't think come close to the second set of salad plates I purchased.  I fell in love with these birds the minute I saw them at Tuesday Morning.   The plates are melamine and a bit more durable and absolutely fantastic!  The first plate was in the shade, but the rest show how beautiful they are.

I brought out these pillows I have upstairs on an old wicker set.  I love plaid and made these myself some years ago.  I was thrilled when I remembered they would match this setting so well.

I hope you enjoyed this beautiful outdoor table scape as much as I do!  I sure had fun putting this one together today.  Now, I just need to go get that dinner started and I'm ready!

Leave me a comment if you please, I sure love hearing from you!

An Evening Stroll Outdoors

 

An evening stroll around the yard shows many things in bloom!  I also wanted to sneak in a few of my favorite outdoor corners.  I am linking up with the following parties today;

http://asoutherndaydreamer.blogspot.com/ for Outdoor Wednesday and to...
http://fadedcharmcottage.blogspot.com/ for White Wednesday (for the first time!)


  Hope you enjoy the tour...

Along the stairs to the back deck the gardenias are in full bloom!

Is there any sweeter smell?

I love this little corner by the deck with Ivy and Herbs and few  other florals.

My Oak leaf Hydrangea is always a sight to behold!

Another corner of the deck holds one of my ferns (Kimberly Queen) so pretty with the Oak leaf backdrop.

Along the side of our house offering more privacy to the screen porch the Loquat tree is towering!

And blooming heavily this year, ripe with fruit! Can you eat these things?  I dunno know!

Continuing along the side of the house, the Hydrangea's are finally blooming!

And so blue this year too!

This is probably the closest to true color I could capture.

But I did manage to capture someone else...This is "Patch" she is one of our twins!

Moving towards the front of the house now, the Rosemary bush that is ever expanding!

And the other twin, our sweet " Misty ".

Then joined by her sister in a rare moment...

Of sisterly love!

Ending our walk in the very front of the house, you must see my newly planted gardenias!

They are just beginning to bloom..

And are ripe with buds...Yay!!!

I can hardly wait to sit on the steps or on the front porch and soak in the smell of summer!

Thanks for stopping by, I really appreciate it!

Happy Outdoor Wednesday!

A Little Lamp Pizazz!

On Saturday I showed you this lamp that I got at another terrific yard sale.  The lamp and shade were a steal for $3.00 total.  It is a very heavy iron lamp and quite pretty as it was.  However, I wanted to spruce it up a bit.  And spruce it up a bit I did!  Now instead of a gold lamp I have a bronze lamp.

I'm not 100% sold on this yet, but it's growing on me. I may redo this with a black glaze but we'll see. I was trying to use what I had on hand.   I simply added a little dark chocolate acrylic paint to my Burnt Sienna glaze by Valspar.

And this is my lamps new home.  I had already moved the lamp I had in here to another location.  I did bring in a different one but that one has now gone back somewhere else too.  I love trying some of my lamps out in different locations, changing things up a bit.

It is sitting on top of my dining room sideboard hutch. This piece of furniture was another consignment store purchase a few years ago.  It was the same color wood as is on the top but I painted it black to give it a more current look but left the top as is since it was unmarred and very pretty!

It has one long drawer along the top with a section that has built in dividers.  The front has 3 paneled doors on the bottom but only the two on the ends open and there are two shelves inside all the way across.  I love storing some of my extra serve ware in this.  It was also a bargain price too!

Let's get back to the new lamp, here it is again..

Looks pretty good all lit up doesn't it!

If your a follower I bet you recognize some of these items from other displays.  The floral tin plate I featured on my foyer table has now moved to the dining room.  It was competing too much with the plates on the wall in there.  I have a whole new vignette in my foyer now too, I'll get to that in a minute.

The lemons and the hurricane vase and glass candy were all featured in my Cinco de Mayo table, only a little differently!  I just love the colors so I had to bring them in here!

For spring I brought out this little Fitz and Floyd vase and added faux gardenias and berries.  I purchased this many years back at TJ Maxx, it didn't come with the chip on the bottom that was my doings.

And as promised here is the new foyer vignette.  I kept the electric candle but added this ivy urn for a little greenery to play off the green trim on the plates around the mirror.

Then I added this glass trivet I had on the wall in the kitchen, and my newest piece recently purchased from Tuesday Morning.  Don't you just love these sweet little birds on this beautiful candy dish that looks like a basket.  I certainly do!

Quite a bit of shifting around going on in my house lately, how about yours?

I'm linking up with the following parties today, be sure and visit them for more wonderful blogs!

                               http://www.betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/ for Met Monday

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

http://linda-coastalcharm.blogspot.com/ for Nifty Thrifty Tuesday

http://www.domestically-speaking.com/ for Power of Paint Party Wednesday