Let's Party!

Whether a party is for four or twenty-four, I think that it's worth the time and effort that it takes to let my guests know that they are more valuable to me than the finest jewels.  Today, the party was to celebrate my dear friend Janet's birthday, and there were four of us who gathered around the table for lunch. 

Janet is an accomplished hostess in her own right, and I wanted to do something fun...something with punch and a tad on the contemporary side...lots of color and texture.

One of my fuschia matelasse tablecloths set the tone for the party.  I found them at Horchow Finale in Dallas.  They were $19.00 each, and I bought multiples, including one for my daughter-in-love.  A visit to Horchow Finale is always like participating in a marvelous treasure hunt.  I highly recommend the adventure!

I found these whimsical metal party hats and the delightful 'Happy Birthday' cake pedestal in the gift shop at my hair salon, for Pete's sake! (I go once a month to "get back to my natural blonde.")  They were marked for deep discount...yippeeeeee!!  Keep your eyes open; you never know where you'll find the next perfect accessory for your tablescapes!  For place cards, I made the scalloped discs on my Cricut Expression using a double-sided card stock.  The black and white metal flower pots and charger plates are Mackenzie-Childs "Courtly Check."  It is such an amazingly versatile pattern, and I enjoy the graphic punch that they add to a design.  The frosted chillers belong to my precious friend, Cindy.  She contributed a delicious chilled avocado - cucumber soup for our feast.  It was so delicious!  You can check out Cindy's creative genius at http://www.moreentertainingwomen.blogspot.com 

The assorted colors of the party hats were the guiding factor when I selected the sunflowers, Dutch iris, and pink roses for our centerpiece.

The bamboo handled flatware was a great find at Big Lots.  Janet, the birthday girl, and I each bought 24 placesettings.  We thought that they would be fun for large gatherings, and we agreed to 'co-op' them.  They were less than $1.00 per piece...great 'get.'  The tiny individual salt and peppers are Mackenzie-Childs.  I collect them one pair at a time; they're a bit expensive.  The conical blue wine goblet is by Dorothy Thorpe.  She was a California artist, and she was popular beginning in the 1930's and on into the 1950's.  If you are fan of the television series, "Mad Men," you might see her products used in episodes involving cocktails and entertaining.  These goblets belonged to our Nana. The Lalique Crystal tumblers with the palm fronds, so very Art Deco, also came from Nana.  Also from Nana's linen closet, so many years ago, the vintage monogrammed damask dinner napkins added a crisp, clean line to the design.  I wrapped each napkin with a lacy green ribbon, simply adhered into a ring using double-sided tape on the under side.  My birthday gift for Janet was also wrapped using the same ribbon.

In addition to the Mackenzie-Childs, "Courtly Check," I sandwiched a Royal Doulton, "Harlow" dinner plate under a smaller 10" white dinner plate.  Entertaining Tip:  I pick up these 10" dinner plates with a simple gold rim from antique stores and estate sales.  The ones that I have found thus far are made by "Johnson Brothers, Haviland (France), Limoges from Bassett, Austria, and RK - Austria.  They are available very inexpensively, and any design or size differences are negligible.  I usually find a stack of them, and I buy them all.  They come in handy for large groups in a buffet situation and when I want a plate with minimal decoration.  You'll notice that I started out my design with the Haviland "Ranson" cream soup and underplate.  That's the matching bone dish, top left, that I used as a bread plate.  When Cindy brought her lovely chillers, I switched out the soups.  Flexibility is often the key to a successful tablescape design.  You'll also notice that at this point, I was considering the matching Dorothy Thorpe tumblers to go with the conical wine goblet.  They eventually stepped aside to make way for the clear and textured Lalique.

My guests have arrived, and lunch is ready to put on the table.  Some day, I'd love to have you at my table, too!  Let's party!


Thank you, yet again, to Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for hosting her magical meme, "Tablescape Thursday.  I'll be linking my post to "Tablescape Thursday.  Click on the button below to hop on over and check out the myriad of marvelous tablescape designs, after 9:00 pm on Wednesdays.  You'll be glad that you made the trip...it's a wonderful adventure.