Fooling Around With A Fall Tablescape

Nothing spectacular or new here.  I did feel like just setting my dining room table in a simple, but Fall-like manner. 

I love these amber colored drinking glasses that I found at Kohl's last year, on clearance.  They only had the two, but I snapped them up.  Most of the time it is either just me or me and hubby for dinner anyway.

I also found these little amber colored fruit or dessert dishes at Goodwill last year.  I believe the set of 4 was $2.99.  {Ah yes, the picture positioning that reminds me why I love Blogger so much}.

I found these salad dishes and the dinner plates at Pier 1 last year, also on clearance.  I think I only bought two place settings of these as well.  I also found the napkins and leaf napkin rings at Pier 1, regular price.

This little leaf serving bowl I spoke about in my last tablescape; this came from a gift basket that I won.  Just the right size for a side dish.

A couple of more shots of my soup tureen.  I haven't used this yet, but am looking forward to putting my chili or some soup in it.   I was so thrilled the day I found this at Goodwill, as I had been looking and looking, and the day I wasn't looking, there it was!

It's in perfect condition and I even wonder if it was ever used.  Its ceramic ladle was with it and also intact.  Was it an unappreciated wedding gift? Was it stuck in its box in someone's basement and they did a clear out?  Whichever, I am thrilled to be the new owner of it.

Table runner also from Pier 1 last year, regular price, as I was lacking in linens to join in on these tablescapes.  

I'd like to get some more single pieces to mix and match.  I think it makes for a variety of looks on your table without really having to own too many dishes.  I'll have to see what's on clearance in the coming weeks!

Linking up to:

Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps On The Porch

My fresh flower giveaway from Sunflowerguy.com ends Friday!  Make sure you enter so you have a chance to win fresh flowers in time for Thanksgiving!

The Evolution of a Vignette

Tabletop vignettes are not always my favorite thing to put together.  I actually have to be "in the mood" to do this at home otherwise I am just never satisfied with how it looks.  Even when I am in the mood, I find that I am constantly standing back and looking, then tweaking until finally, I say to myself, "just leave it alone now".

I put together the vignette on this table I have in my dining room {it is really a sofa table, but I needed something in here and it works} kind of spur of the moment, although I knew I needed to do something with it for weeks now.  It actually came about by accident. 

I had moved the pot of faux paperwhites {or daffodils, depending on the season and how you want to see them} onto the surface portion of my dining room hutch.  I had also placed a new cloche that I had gotten there as well, after tying a wired ribbon bow around the handle.  This was really just a putting-it-there-until-I-decide-what-to-do-with-it placing, but I liked it and thought it would work well within a tabletop vignette. 

While the cloche that I had originally gotten the idea to do this vignette was too big for this table, this cloche and wood cheese board {that I painted with Oil Rubbed Bronze spray paint} was a better size for this table.  You may recall that I found this cloche and the base at Goodwill recently.

The scale wasn't working for me this way.  I had the height of the lamps on either side, then the gradual decline in size with the paperwhites.  The cloche was not matching up to that so I had to find something to raise it up.  I found this pedestal that I had glued together and painted black in a closet.  I wasn't very keen on this pedestal that I had made {round wood disc and candlestick from Michaels, painted and hot glued together}, because the candlestick portion that comprises the stand is a bit thin and wobbly for my liking.  However, it seemed to work here and felt stable, so I was comfortable using it.

Much better! The needed height was achieved.  I wasn't "feeling" a ribbon tied around this cloche, but felt it needed something.  I had gotten a few tags {I believe this one came from Debra at Common Ground when I got my special necklace} and put it on the cloche.  Although it is filled with wine corks and not a fern, I like it.  



Here you can see a full view with the pedestal giving the proper height to the cloche now.  I also re-introduced one of my PB copies ~ the framed corks that I had in here originally.  Still ~ something missing . . .



I added the second one in as well.

Yes, I like that much better!  Don't you think so?



 I think I will leave this one alone now!  At least until I start decorating for Christmas!

Some night shots, if you can bear with me.  I'm trying to practice since Daylight Savings Time and the only natural light I will have is on weekends now.

Okay, thank you for being patient with me!  No flash and just these lamps for light AND they are not blurry.  That is good for me!

Linking up with:

Tabletop Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life
Vignette Friday at Color Outside The Lines

Don't forget to enter my giveaway for fresh flowers from Sunflowerguy.com going on now through Friday, November 19th! 

Fresh Flowers Review & Giveaway!

**This Giveaway has ended.**
I love fresh flowers.  I grow flowers in my garden and will, on occasion, pick up a bouquet just for the heck of it in the Winter months.  So, I was thrilled when I was given the opportunity to order a bouquet from sunflowerguy.com!  I placed my order on a Thursday and received the flower delivery on Friday via Fedex. 

The box even tells you what to do ~ 



Here is the bouquet I picked out, an autumn bouquet in this quaint French container.

It comes with food for your bouquet.  Make sure you follow the directions so that your bouquet will last at least a week.

Just in time for Thanksgiving, Sunflowerguy.com is offering one lucky winner any bouquet under $50.00! Wouldn't that be great? Fresh flowers on your holiday table for Thanksgiving and you don't even have to leave your house to get them! Even if you don't win, Sunflowerguy.com is offering all of my readers a coupon savings of $5.00 off any bouquet using the code: turkey5.

 

To enter this giveaway: {mandatory}

Visit the Sunflowerguy.com website and come back tell me what bouquet catches your eye {it doesn't have to be the one you wind up ordering}.

You do not have to have a blog to enter this giveaway, but you do have to leave me an email address to contact you at, otherwise a new winner will be selected.

While you're over there, enter their sweepstakes for a chance to win a year's worth of flower deliveries!

 

For additional entries: {optional}

Blog or put a link on your sidebar about this giveaway and come back and let me know in a separate comment;

Tweet about this giveaway and come back and let me know in a separate comment. 

 This giveway will end on Friday, November 19, 2010, at midnight, EST, and the winner will be announced on Saturday, November 20th.

 I've really been enjoying my bouquet! They arrived the next day, were in good shape and, after water and food, basically went from the box to the chest in my foyer. Can't get any easier than that when it comes to fresh flowers!

**This Giveaway has ended.**

 

Goodwill Lamp Updated

Among other things that got spray painted this past weekend was the larger of the two lamps pictured here, that I had picked up from Goodwill for my daughter.  If you recall the post where I first shared this lamp, it was this lovely shade of green.  It also had a crack in the base, which I filled with wood fill.  It did not have a shade.

Unfortunately, with the changing of the clocks that doesn't leave me enough daylight to take "after" pictures, unless I want to wait for the weekend; and I don't.  After the wood fill dried, I sanded the lamp and then spray painted with Rustoleum Black, satin finish. 

On a trip to Target this week, I found a lamp that was similar in height and used it to model some lampshades.  This lovely was the winner.  At $19.99 for the shade and $4.99 for the lamp, it still makes for a great bargain! 

What a great table lamp and I really love the shape.  I hope my daughter enjoys it!

Linking up with:

Frugalicious Friday at Finding Fabulous
Weekend Wrap Up at Tatertots and Jello
Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps On The Porch
Restorations - Something Old Something New at It's So Very Cheri

Accessorizing A Bookcase

I recently did a post here, where I talked about a custom bookcase my client had done and how we recently accessorized it.  When I am working on a bookcase, I like to have a good amount of accessories to add to the shelves so that it is not all books on any one shelf.  There is always {at least} one accessory mingled in with the books on each shelf.

Country Living

Sometimes it might help if you view each shelf as a tabletop and work on one shelf at a time.  I usually do a little bit at a time; adding a few books then an accessory or two, then step back and look at it. 

Ballard Design

I also like to leave some room for any additional books or accessories you may bring in as time goes on.   Besides books, some things I like to add are greenery {real or faux, but not a bad looking faux}, a decorative box, pictures of family and favorite images, jars, spheres, statues and so many other options. 

My client

I also like to vary my heights and widths as each shelf may differ in height.  This allows for some interest in the lines of the bookcase as you look from top to bottom and side to side.

My client

When bringing a bookcase into a room, you should take into consideration the size of the room to the size of the piece; how many books you have; will it work for you now and in the future.  You don't have to be an avid book reader to have a bookcase either.

Unknown source

Accessorizing a bookcase doesn't have to be a daunting task, nor does it have to be a boring view with shelf after shelf of just books.  Sometimes a bookcase may be the focal point in a room so you'll want to make it visually appealing.

Bookcases are something you can add to over time, so not every area of the shelves have to be filled in right away.  I hope some of these tips and pictures have given you some inspiration {or courage, as the case may be} to tackle your own bookcases!