A Little Italian Countryside

Another week, another great time to post some great things!

This week, I'm participating in 3 of our great memes:
Tabletop Tuesday with Marty over at A Stroll Thru Life
Thrifty Thursday with Leigh over at Tales from Bloggeritaville and
Tablescape Thursday with Susan over at Between Naps on the Porch

Ok, let's get started. In all honesty, our house is still full of boxes now that we've dumped our paid storage and trying to make space for all of our stuff is not a problem anymore, just an organization puzzle. LOL

In all that frustrating and confusing situation, I needed to prioritize. So naturally, I got all my dishes out of their boxes first and did a tablescape! :-)

THEME:

"Thinking Italian"

INSPIRATION:

"Tuscan Retreat" Dinnerware by BHG

This one, I got on clearance last year at our local Walmart. It was normally $34.99, but I got it for $17.00 even! It was a set for 4 place settings; I'm hoping to find another set on clearance soon.

It's by BHG, called "Tuscan Retreat". It was a staple display since 2009 and I've loved it since. But with all the move hoopla, it never came out of its box until after our big move here to our house.
I wanted to capture the landscape of an Italian countryside, crisp, green, romantic and clean. So I decided not to add too much frill to my table and just highlight the dinnerware.
The glasses are my everyday set that I also found at Walmart back in 2008. At Walmart, the box is called Starfire, but in other packaging, sold in other stores, they are called Central Park or Fifth Avenue King. I feel so special for having such a widely distributed set. :-D
This napkin was a Kroger CC (Christmas Clearance) find and as you can see, I got it for 75% off. Very thrifty, indeed!
I love aerial shots, don't you? I opted for just one big hurricane to round out the paper mache red vase and my ceramic rooster. Oh, that's RED btw, my guardian rooster. He's been with me since 2008. Isn't he handsome? I know many of you found his multiple cousins in various Hobby Lobby stores and he's grateful you gave them homes.

I love how simple and clean this table turned out. The greenery is from our bushes in the backyard. Does anyone know what it's called?
I also like upclose and personal shots like this where I put the camera on the table and aim at undersides of the dinnerware.
Here's another set of angles...
Another aerial shot. Just before this tablescape, we had our church missionaries over for dinner and this is the set we used. It totally gave me the idea for this since we ate pasta with sausage and broccoli, melon slices and garlic bread.
My utensils are my Oneida "Katrina" set I started collecting back in 1995, just before I was married. It was offered thru Sears credit customers, but I wasn't able to complete it. Someday...
Here's a better detail shot.
More angles of the table...

I hope you all enjoyed this little interpretation of an Italian Countryside tablescape. I certainly did and can't wait to start on my hubby's Orange Birthday table. I just need to find some. LOL

TABLESCAPING IDEA: (Brain is on orange mode) Ever heard of the Blue Plate Special? You know the kind where you celebrate a person by using all blue for their portion of the meal? Well, how about personalizing the whole table with their favorite color? It can be as simple as just the linens or the glasses or a whole table to puff up the heart of the honoree.

See you all soon!!! Thank you for stopping by!

More White Over Here!

Hosted by "A Picture is Worth 1,000 Words"

Hosted by "The Gypsy's Corner"

Hosted by "Cuisine Kathleen"
Good afternoon all! Sorry I'm late, but I couldn't pass up this great event hosted by our dear Kathleen honoring the white gems in our cupboards, hutch, buffet, and in my case, a bookcase. LOL

And since this is a tablescaping blog, I did a tablescape! (Clever idea, ha? Ha?) LOL

I just pulled out all the creamy white dinnerware and white goodies I have and combined them in this serene almost formal cottage table for four. I was imagining dining with another great couple who loves the purity of true love and home cooked meals...

Did you notice how many candles I used, definitely more than three! And that cake stand, from Freecycle, so totally 2nd Time Around.

Though I thoroughly enjoyed creating this table design, I still secretly wish to play with these set of pearly whites someday...
NIKKO "Blanc Fleur"


Thanks for hosting, Kathleen, Diane and Tam!

Thanks for peeking!

I think this Counts...

Hosted by "A Picture is Worth 1,000 Words"
This is where we were yesterday and my teen saw all the volume of Agatha Christie's titles she's never read. If you've never heard of Half Price Books, they sell each book for 1/2 price off regular retailer price since most copies are bought cheap and or donated to them.
(From The Other Paper dot com)
This is similar to what she saw, a whole shelf of paper backs... She was salivating! LOL
(From Tiny Pic dot com)
Thanks, Diane for hosting and to all, a great big thanks for peeking in! ;-) Have a great Tuesday!

TABLESCAPING IDEA: ("Brain wants a book) You love books, why not incorporate them into your centerpiece? Use them as platforms with the titles facing each person you'll be inviting to create interest and a peek into your genre. To preserve them, either use a secured candleholder or faux floral arrangement.

Thirsty Much?

Hosted by Tam and Diane
Hello to all of you! C'mon and sit down... We've got plenty of pitchers we can fill with all kinds of liquid goodies to keep our mouths hydrated for all day get together! I'm sure Tam, our "Three or More host, will not mind. Go on, get comfy and drink up. Then Diane, our host for "2nd Time Around" and I will tell you about a wonderful piece I found at Goodwill. What? You want glasses, no no no... I did say we have plenty of pit-chers, so choose one and enjoy! No need to be lady like here, we're all friends, plus no husbands allowed on this post! LOL



***The first and middle are Italian ceramic pitchers from Marshall's in AZ, that I've used for Thanksgiving. My dh got them for me as birthday presents. I saw them and immediately fell in love! Can't you just taste the cold apple cider in those or even our traditional Pineapple Orange juice drink at Thanksgiving. I can't wait!

***The 2nd one, a green one, holding the flowers, is the one I found at Ross here. I can just imagine all the fresh milk it can hold for a great breakfast on the first day of summer vacation... or first day of school!

***The Gabbay line by Gibson pitcher is from Tuesday Morning. Normally $20, got it for $7.99! This one is for my middle child's upcoming birthday party this month.

***You know about my Blossom Asian pitcher from Ross. It held lemonade and other drink before that. The sky's the limit. What would you mix in it?

***You remember my Sangria Pitcher by Libbey, right, it's from the set I got at Kohl's, just a few days before Cinco de Mayo. My virgin Sangrias, Berry Citrus and Melon Coconut were both big hits!

***And that one on middle bottom is my vegetable pitcher from Ross back in San Jose, California; I got it for $3.00. It's actually better for ice cold water! The embossed design hides condensation well!

***That last one, that is from our early marriage while living in Downtown, San Jose. I don't remember where I picked it up. This is our everyday, and is older than two of my children! That should tell you careful I am with my treasures...

Glad you got to enjoy our "get together"; next time, BYOG, ok? (Psst... That means "Bring your own Glass".) ;-)

Here's a Goodwill find I want to share... As I'll definitely be using this for my Christmas table. Did you know that though I've done many Christmas tablescapes, I seldom have a picture of them? This year, I'm taking tons and will be doing trial runs so you can have an idea of how we "dress up" for Christmas. :-D

Isn't it beautiful? When I saw it, I thought, "Wow! I can use this at the dessert table or for appetizers!" I don't know if you can see it, but the price was right at $1.99! The cheapest one I found on Ebay was $17 I think.

I absolutely adore this mistletoe on the side at the top of the Christmas tree...
Imagine my luck when I turned it over and it's a Spode! My second Spode, aptly called, "Christmas Tree". Yeah!

A great big thanks to both our hosts, Tam and Diane for another great set of Tuesday memes. Don't forget to stop by and let them know how cool you think they are. And glad to see you all here again! And to any new visitors, welcome, welcome!!!

TABLESCAPING IDEA: ("Brain is lovin' her pitchers) Don't have the perfect vase to hold a great bouquet? Use a pitcher! It's an old concept. If it's a pitcher you use for drinking, make sure to not let the flowers sit in it for more than your tablescape night for obvious sanitation reasons.

Gift, Cookies and a Quiche?

Hosted by Tam and Diane
On Saturday, I made some cookies, one I discovered accidentally but turned out great,

... after trying out a friend's recipe that turned cakey rather than a regular sugar cookie. Still yummy!

Then, I needed a small pizza pan, had none so I used my $3 Goodwill quiche dish for fun! The fam called this "Easy Crab Bready Quiche"; reason to veto it, I had none. ;-)

Then a few weeks back, a great blogger I follow and she follows me, gifted her loyal subjects each a great treat! What kind, for your nails and feet!

A whole bag to carry your grooming kit, my excitement could not be contained a bit! (Hooray!)

Her name is Lynn of the blog town, "Kitchen Life", a great stop for all things yummy! A great lady after my own tablescaping heart, though her passion comes out in her delicious cooking we can put in our tummy!

Thank you Lynn! Please come visit her if you want great recipes as her blog is mainly for all things she's been cooking up so recipes and tips abound! Let's just say, I'm hooked- I visit often...

To our lovely hosts, Tam and Diane, a world of thanks for hosting. To all who stopped by, my heart is puffy from giddiness...

TABLESCAPING IDEA: ("Brain" loves to throw caution to the wind!) Celebrate any day with a great table. Use only what you have and don't worry about rules. Make it pretty and fun. Even if you don't have a fancy menu, eating on a great table makes it that much more delicious!

What Happened to the Party?

Hosted by "Grits & Glamour"

Well... I tried, I really did but our stormy weather said otherwise, so my own patio just didn't get to beyond sopping wet! :-(

So again, I'm left hoping for a patio that looks as good as this one... Sorry, Barb! I tried, I really tried... (sob... sob)

(Chipphi-pi dot org)

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Yesterday, I went to Goodwill. Yep, Good Ol' Goodwill... I said to dh, "We need a cart." He said, "Why, are you sure you're gonna find anything?" (Imagine his face asking, "what now?" at the same time) ;-) Well, I'm glad I found an empty cart nearby since I found plenty so I know I qualify for the above two memes! Silly dh... LOL

Didn't I mention I'm already getting ready for Fall?

Don't worry, I'm also getting ready for Summer...

These saucers kept grabbing my attention and boy, did I ignore them several times as hubby doesn't believe in saucers. I didn't see them as saucers, I saw them as dessert plates for our Thanksgiving dessert table. Imagine my surprise when I turned them over and I saw this...

They are Homer Laughlins!
At GoAntiques dot com, the J-83 was described as pre-60's.
They have one set of teacup and saucer for $12, but I paid $3.52 for 8 saucers, I mean dessert plates!
According to McCulloh Antiques Dating Info:
"From 1930 to 1960, a letter indicated the month. A two digit number indicated the year and the letter and number indicated the plant. These numbers are in addition to the name Homer Laughlin and the shape in some instances."

Here's another interesting find.
As you know, I love anything embossed and anything to do with Fall,
so when I found this pattern,
it was love at first sight!
I was in total shock when I discovered that the maker was....

Gibson!

I AM NOT A FAN OF GIBSON. PERIOD.

This is the only pattern I've liked.
I couldn't pass up 99 cents each,
the 6 plates were just winking at me left and right!
So I brought them home and I still love them.
I am now more excited about Thanksgiving!

And then there are these wine goblets with a thin gold rim.
The texture is inside of the glass!
I didn't think much of the quality since they were among regular drinking glasses.
Again, imagine my surprise when I checked the quality of the glass
through its sound vibration and they turned out to be crystal!
I got all 4 of them for $3.96!


Goodwill knew I was coming!

Thank you to our lovely hosts, Tam and Diane for ensuring our fun every week. Make sure to visit everyone who joined in so we can see more goodies!

TABLESCAPING IDEA: ("Brain is not picky at all) After your GW trip, wash them all and use them! Just use some votives to make your table pop and enjoy your more than three thrifty treasures a second time around!

1, 2, 3... Oh, It's Tuesday!

Hosted by "The Gypsys Corner"

I borrowed all these pictures online so you can see all the fruits we bought during testing week. Of course, any one of these are present in our home at any given day, but testing week is special so we "power up" our children inside and out! ;-)

Last night, we celebrated my teen daughter's NHS induction and also it is our younger daughter's testing week, so I grabbed the freshest fruits and veggies to feed them to get them ready for any tests! ;-) I think I don't need any explanation on the following. What do you think? ;-)

From Dreams Time dot com



From Babble dot com

From Wise Geek dot com

From Cooking Goddess dot com

Thanks for hosting Tam! I love this meme!

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TABLESCAPING IDEA: ("Brain" watches too much Food Network... Thank goodness for that! LOL) For a unique centerpiece, either create a fruit art or "style" your cut or whole fruits. Wash them first! As the guests start to dine, talk about why you chose those fruits (it goes with the menu and dinnerware of course!) then invite them to take some home or have them in lieu of sugary dessert. You'll be a hit for feeding them something pretty and healthy! Make the overall menu healthy with lime ginger grilled salmon or tuna or shrimp and or have ceviche and grilled chicken with steamed veggies!