What The Sea Looks Like

For Tablescape Thursday, with Susan of Between Naps On the Porch, I am using shades of aqua.

You can click on each photo to enlarge it.



When I purchased the salad plates I thought they matched the dinner plates, but they are lighter and the border is washed with a sepia color, but they do look great together. I chose a pale creamy yellow tablecloth instead of white and of course, I couldn't find anything in aqua for napkins...I could have sworn I had some!






The little birds are wool, wood and birch bark wings...their face looks more like a mouse than a bird to me! The pitcher matches none of the dishes but is in the same family of blues so I had to have it.


A little pressed glass compote with a sauce ladle.


A domed cake plate with aqua orbs is being used as the main centerpiece.




I like the looks of mismatched silverplate so I have used it, once again.


Soup bowl.

Salad plate

Dinner plate



The credits...
Creamy yellow tablecloth-ARC Thrift
White napkins-have had them for years
All silverplate-multiple thrift stores
Dinner plate-Home Essentials and Beyond 'Madison Collection'/HomeGoods a couple years ago
Salad plate-no marking on the bottom/TJMaxx a few years ago
Soup bowls-Pfaltzgraff/Goodwill back in the fall
Glassware-Goodwill and ARC Thrift Stores
Blue pitcher-TJMaxx for $1.00
Pressed glass compote
Salt/pepper shakers-gift from my little sister
Butter dish-Mikasa/Saver's
Cake plate-have had for years, probably from Wal-Mart
Blue orbs-Hobby Lobby
Birds-World Market
Candle holders-all thrift store finds

Thank you very much for taking the time to stop, peek and leave a comment. Hope you enjoyed yourself...make sure you check out BNOTP so you can see all the other fabulous tables this week.

White and Black...

I couldn't make up my mind what to do for Tablescape Thursday with Susan of Between Naps On The Porch, so I closed my eyes and grabbed a plate...it was white with a black rim. So...black and white it is, this week. Worked out very nicely as I have a couple dozen white roses the grocery store was practically giving away Monday, plus a single pink one from my daughter! It isn't fun trying to keep a certain kitty away from them, though...a squirt bottle seems to work just fine...I don't know what it is, any fresh flowers and the kitty goes nuts, almost like it is catnip!

To enlarge the pictures, just click on them.


There is a bit of color in the soup bowl and salad plate, both have my beloved roosters!
















I was surprised last week when Linda of A La Carte e-mailed me that I had won an unannounced giveaway for being the the only one commenting on the beautiful little white porcelain bird...which she promptly sent me...it is so much nicer looking than the picture is showing. Thanks again, Linda!

White linen tablecloth-have had it for years
Black/white place mat-have had for years
White linen napkins-from my late mother-in-law
White/black charger-Goodwill
Black plate-Goodwill
Black rimmed white plate-Goodwill
Rooster salad plate-TJMaxx a few years ago
Black rooster soup bowl-TJMaxx-a few years ago
Flatware-Oneida (Afterglow) and (soup spoons 'Always')
Stemware-Goodwill
Salt/pepper in silver caddy-gift from my little sister
Candlesticks-Goodwill

Thank you for taking the time to visit, if you want to see more tablescapes go to Susan's so you can see what everyone else has done with their tables this week.

Red, White and A Valentine Table

I will be joining our gracious hostess, Susan, of Between Naps On The Porch, for Tablescape Thursday. Please be sure to stop by her porch to see how the others are decorating their tables.

You can click on any of the pictures to enlarge them.

It is just a few days until Valentine's Day. What are you and your sweetie going to do to celebrate?



The only thing I bought specifically for this table was the heart shaped dessert plates. Unfortunately, there were only two left by the time I got to TJMaxx.



The other two pink flowered dessert plates were from Goodwill. The back of the plate has "Mignon" ZS&C Bavaria.



I finally have enough pieces of Frontenac to set a bare minimum table! I have 6 dinner forks, teaspoons and 5 dinner knives. I am on the lookout for another dinner knife, salad forks and soup spoons, then will concentrate on all the other fancy, non-essential pieces.


















Stand on the chair to get the whole table shot!


Thank you for taking the time to stop by and comment. Have a great week!

Another Silver Sunday...

I have been so busy that I almost forgot to get any pictures for Silver Sunday with our gracious hostess, Beth of Gypsy Fish Journal. I did manage a couple...

You can click on the pictures to enlarge them.

Monday's haul from Saver's...I have identified all the different patterns, too! I also got this silverplated dish at the same time. This is before polishing...


After polishing.




Thanks for stopping by today.

Anyone Else Sick Of Snow?

Woke up to another snowfall this morning...those huge, wet kind of flakes. It snowed for a couple hours, then stopped. We got a few inches but most of it melted with the mist that followed the snow. BUT it is snowing, again!

I figured seeing it was so nasty out I would bake cookies and send them down to the nice guy that plows the driveway...need to keep him happy in this kind of weather, right?

I have tried several different recipes for cookies and found the Doubletree Chocolate Chip Cookie, with a few changes are the best for us. We do not like chewy when it comes to chocolate chip or oatmeal cookies...they have to be CRUNCHY!

From this to...


You get these cute little balls of cookie dough...


Give the cookie dough balls a little heat and you end up with this...


Out of about 8 dozen this is what I kept for our enjoyment...


Doubletree Hotel Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 1/2 cups butter -- softened
1 1/2 cups. granulated sugar
3/4 C. firmly packed brown sugar
4 eggs
2 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. lemon juice
3 C. all-purpose flour
3/4 C. oatmeal -- uncooked
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. Salt
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
3 C. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 C. chopped walnuts (I use pecans)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Place the butter in a large bowl and cream lightly with an electric mixer. Add the sugars and beat on medium speed for about 2 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Add the vanilla and lemon juice and mix well. In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, oatmeal, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.

Add to the creamed butter mixture and stir well to blend. Add chocolate chips and walnuts and stir to combine.

I use a small scoop, it holds a tablespoon. Drop the batter onto the cookie sheet, leaving 2 inches between each cookie.

Bake for 15 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges. Remove immediately and cool on wire racks.

Yield: 7-8 dozen cookies

My Thrift Store Tablescape...

It is once again time to join Susan, of Between Naps On The Porch, for the weekly Tablescape Thursday. Thanks for hosting, Susan. Please be sure to drop by Susan's porch to see how everyone else has set their table for tonight.

You can click on any of the pictures to enlarge them.



I found the bright yellow tablecloth and napkins at Saver's the other day so that was the beginning of tonight's table. I didn't realize that I had so little, in the way of plain blue dishes. That will have to be remedied! I would have preferred a brighter more cobalt blue, but since there was none in the house I went with what I had.
I am sure there are some pieces in this tablescape that seem very familiar; chances are you will see them in a future post, too!


All of the dishes are either solid yellow or blue. The tablecloth is actually much, much brighter than it is showing up in the pictures.





To add a little whimsy, all different patterned silverplate was used at each setting.




Amber water and wine glasses.




Yellow linen tablecloth-Saver's
Yellow/blue napkins-Saver's
Blue dinner/salad plates-(Gibson)Saver's
Yellow square plates-(Susie Coelho Style)TJMaxx
Yellow soup bowls-(Manger made in Italy)Goodwill
Amber water goblet-TJMaxx
Amber wine glass-Goodwill
Silverplate-Saver's at various times
Yellow platter under soup tureen-(Home Essentials and Beyond)TJMaxx
Yellow soup tureen-Windsor Cottage Antiques (Ottawa, KS)
Cobalt salt/pepper shakers-Saver's
Amber and brass candlesticks-ARC Thrift Store
Clear pitcher w/cobalt handle-Yard sale

Thanks for taking the time to stop, look and comment!