Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Easter Finery

First things first...We are truly blessed to have the means to set a pretty table and invite our friends to join us for good food and fellowship. I am mindful that many are not so fortunate. My daughter has a passion for the work of the Food Bank. As a singer-songwriter, she has written and recorded a song that is the anthem for the world wide Crop Hunger Walk project. Her song, "Raise Your Voice" is featured in their video. I've included a link in the side margin of my blog. I hope that it will encourage you to support projects in your community that contribute to the effort to overcome hunger.

I always look forward to the blessed relationships that are to be shared at our table on the most important day of my year...Easter Sunday.  This year, we were a small group of eight.  After church services, Sweet Mister and I were blessed to celebrate this holiest of days with a luncheon for family and friends.  I must admit...I had a ball creating this tablescape.  When I'm entertaining a coed group, I generally try to avoid setting a table that is too feminine, but on Easter, all the normal rules are null and void.

  Pinks and greens were perfect for this day filled with dreams of bunnies and chicks, lovely decorated eggs, and baskets full of sweet treats...oh, and flowers...lots of beautiful spring flowers.


The Zina Vasi, "Spring Jacquard" tablecloth was an eBay find.  I did happen to check, and the seller has a few more available, if you just can't resist.  This particular cloth is 144" long, and it fits my table when fully extended, but today, I didn't use all the leaves because I only needed to seat eight.  Now I play pretty free and loose when it comes to using tablecloths.  I'm known to turn them under at one end if they are too long.  And I sometimes use two cloths if one is too short.  But this lovely presented a slightly different dilemma. Because of the pattern, it needed to fall just right at both ends.  Tip:  To make it work, I created an inverted pleat in the tablecloth right in the center of the table.  That's why I used the vintage pink linen and organdy place mats...to camouflage the pleat on top of the table. 


Here it is before I added the other design elements...

I decided that an inverted pleat would lie better and have a more subtle appearance.  Now you know my secret!  What kind of tricks do you have for making linens work when they really don't fit correctly?

Did you notice how the pleat barely shows?  

The vintage pink linen and organdy place mats were an estate sale find...$10.00 for 12 mats and 12 matching napkins.  Tip: They were pretty dingy looking when I bought them.  I washed them and then soaked them in Vintage Soak for 48 hours.  They looked brand new when dried and ironed. I buy it at a local shop, The Antique House (405-495-2221).  It works like magic on vintage natural fiber linens.

  I used the silver beaded charger to add a contrasting shine to the table.  Resting on the charger is Wedgwood's, "Countryware" dinner plate and a reticulated unnamed luncheon plate marked 'Italy.'  Both plates were bought on eBay.  

As a finishing touch, each place setting is crowned with a vintage Fenton, "Pink Coin Dot" bowl, which I used to hold our first course, a chilled Avocado and Cucumber Soup.  I'll bet that you've seen these old fashioned goodies in your grandmama's or great-aunt's house.  I really think that they were originally used as candy bowls, and I used to think that they were kind of dopey.  Then, one day I ran across a group of them, and experienced an attitude adjustment...soup bowls...dessert bowls...the possibilities were suddenly infinite!  Spoken like a bonafide dishaholic.  Today, they reminded me of sparkling glass Easter baskets.

   Our Reed & Barton, "Grande Renaissance" sterling flatware mixed well with a set of silver plate cream soup spoons that I found on  eBay.  The individual salt and peppers are MacKenzie-Childs.  I used to be one of those people who would go out and buy an entire collection of this or that.  I eventually realized that 90% of the fun is in the hunt, and I changed my ways.  I now relish acquiring one at a time.

Two more eBay finds, the water goblet is Waterford, "Simply Pink", and the wine is Bohemian AJKA, "Arabella".

The Bunny Bowl has been around for many years.  I don't even remember when I bought it.  I thought that it was a perfect centerpiece for our Easter celebration.  Once again, I've used flowers that I picked up at Sam's.  

To add a bit of bling, I flanked the bunny bowl with four small posies in rhinestone studded candleholders from Hobby Lobby.  The Val St. Lambert crystal candlesticks are interspersed down the length of the table.

A few candlelight shots taken Saturday evening.  No blue hour opportunities on a cloudy gray day.

There's a glimpse of Sweet Mister lending a hand in the kitchen.  Everything seems to be in place.  Oh my gosh...I think that I'm actually organized today.  New concept.

My daughter's car just pulled into the circle drive.  She loves pink and green; I think that she's going to really like our table.  It's going to be a wonderful day to celebrate our Risen Lord!  I pray that you've had a peace-filled Easter surrounded by family and friends, too!







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."   Hop on over HERE 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.


You can check out KC's music at www.kcclifford.com, on iTunes, and on YouTube.  I hope that you'll take a few minutes and give her a listen.  You'll also enjoy reading back through her blog on this site.  The girl can really write!  Her latest CD is called "Orchid."  It is available on iTunes or through her website.  I hope that you'll give her music a chance.  I know that I have zero objectivity where she is concerned, but I think that you'll fall in love with her music and her!   

Entertaining Women
Entertaining Women

Hello, I'm Cherry Kay I was 40 before I realized that I am an artist. I love to paint, work in clay, rubber stamping, design tablescapes, entertain, and share ideas. I'm an interior designer wanna-be...no credentials, but lots of experience.

47 comments:

  1. I absolutely love this table.....what a clever girl you are......there is nothing I don't love, love, love. Now I know it is wrong to covert other people's stuff...but come on who wouldn't want to own that table cloth? With crease included lol.

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  2. Oh! Your Easter table is pink and green perfection. I love your stemware and like you, I'd probably wouldn't have given the Fenton bowls a second look before I started tablescaping. Love the idea of using them for cold soup. Also a great tip for making your longer tablecloth work on a smaller table.
    Everything on your table is beautiful and I'm going to start looking for table linens on ebay.
    Have a great Wednesday,
    Babs

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  3. What an Easter table! The idea of an inverted pleat on a table cloth is a fabulous one, I will use it. x

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  4. Oh my, I am not fond of pink, like many, but what a beautiful table. I knew there had to be another use for those frilly candy dishes..brilliant! Love the centerpiece, looks like the bunnies are doing the bunnyhop!
    Thank you for sharing another lovely table filled with eye candy.

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  5. Cherry Kay, what a lovely table! The ruffly pink bowls are such a wonderful touch, and your pink and green crystal really makes the table extra-special. Love the tablecloth, too!

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  6. Your tablescape is beautiful as always and I do love that tablecloth! Looks like you'll had a lovely time with family and friends with lots of memories.
    Have a wonderful week :)

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  7. I so love your table Cherry Kay. It's a perfect blend of color, sophistication and comfort. I love the Fenton bowls. The hunt has now begun. You always open my eyes to new ideas! Inverted pleats are simply the best, what a stunning tablecloth too. Your crystal is stunning! I am hoping your Easter was as perfect as you imagined it to be!

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  8. Wow, what a beautiful table. I love the Italy plates the most, but everything is just stunning. I hope your Easter was a good one!

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  9. Hi lovely lady. Your Tablescapes for Easter is Beautiful sweet lady with all the blend of colors ~~~ You know I love color. I hope you can come see my new Tablescape. I just put on today. Did you get to see my Easter Table ?
    I hope you and your family have a Great Week.
    xxoo
    Diane

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  10. Cherry Kay, you table is just as pretty as an Easter sunrise. I'm in love with your Fenton bowls, thank you so much for sharing your beautiful Easter table.

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  11. Love the pink & green! One of my favorite color combinations! Thanks for sharing this beautiful Easter table with us.

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  12. As always this lady knows what shes doing its alway a huge pleasure for me to visit your blog, absolutely beautiful table setting, The "Pink Coin Dot" bowl, which I a pink and a white one and my mom has a very old one from her grandma in Turkey during the Ottoman Empire time they were only used to serve Turkish delight next to Turkish Coffee to serve to guests (which I hope I will serve you one day Turkish Coffe and delight when you visit Istanbul, now-a-days its really hard to find orginals as you can only find them in antique auctions, but you can find glass-factory made in store sometimes if your lucky, but I love the ides of soupe serve.

    Thank you for sharing.

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  13. Gorgeous, love those pink bowls and salad plates. Love the tablecloth too. I need that size also, and it has to be 70 wide, so many are only 60.
    I use that trick too, and when layering 2 cloths gather and tie the ends with ribbon.

    Thanks for sharing this beautiful Easter table!

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  14. What a beautiful and elegant table setting! I love the glass bowls on top of the dishes...gorgeous! Your pictures are magazine worthy and the dining room is so lovely.

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  15. What a beautiful table. You have inspired me to do many things with this post. Love the inverted pleat idea if I ever need it. Usually mine are too short. Loved the Italian pink/white reticulated plates and fabulous stemware. You have inspired me to look for Fenton glass bowls now. I will also look for that linen soak product. This table is a special treat for your family.
    Summer for Swede

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  16. Glorious! Your table is so elegant and rich. What a great tip to make a long tablecoth fit a table.
    The combination of wonderful
    dishes and PRETTY PINK BOWLS~ sigh~ is so gorgeous!
    Yvonne

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  17. Wow! This is just stunning! I looked back through some of your other tablescapes and they are all just beautiful. Thank you for your nice comment on mine. Kristen

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  18. Gorgeous color combinations. Gotta love that bunny ring! I can't seem to find those great pieces on ebay like you can, I think your Italy plate is sooo beautiful. Glad you're back from Disneyland, missed seeing your lovely designs! Bravo!!

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  19. What a gorgeous table! Love your pinks and greens (my personal favorite combination). Thanks for a great tip with the tablecloth!

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  20. You wowed me for sure. I do love pink and green and would love to set a table with these colors..oh no! I don't have much pink! LOL. I love that Countryside dish pattern. I KNOW the ladies enjoyed sitting at this table and quite possibly the men did too! Beautiful!
    Donna

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  21. P.S. Also meant to mention how much I LOVE your tablecloth!
    Donna

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  22. Pretty table. I love the Fenton bowls and your idea with the tablecloth was great!

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  23. Oh My Goodness, what a gorgeous table. I too love the beautiful bowls, and really everything. You are a true tablescaper for sure. Thanks for sharing. Karie

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  24. Oh how pretty! Those Fenton bowls are beautiful. I have some covered candy dishes that I have used for soup, etc., and that idea came from a similar source. I was at an auction, wondering why this home owner had so many of the same covered candy dishes. I don't know if she had used them for food or not, but when the idea hit me, I bid on all of them and got them very reasonably, because nobody else wanted that many of the same candy dish. Those reitculated luncheon plates are just stunning, and love the tablecloth. The stemware is gorgeous. I think I'm going to have to do more Ebay shopping! laurie

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  25. I forgot to ask you about your beautiful chandelier. Did it come with the tall "candle" lights, or is there a way to adapt a chandelier that has the short lights? I love that. laurie

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  26. Oh Cherry, you've really outdone yourself this time. What a magnificent table. The cloth is stunning. Love the idea of the inverted pleat. As always your stemware is simply magnificent. I've never seen cranberry glass bowls used in this manner. It's genious. I'd love the recipe for that soup!

    Hope to see you at Seasonal Sundays.

    - The Tablescaper

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  27. I love the evening pics - the colors just pop. What an elegant table! It is just filled with so many remarkably beautiful pieces.

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  28. What a beautiful and festive table! Love the colors and the pink Fenton bowls just send it over the top:@)

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  29. Your table looks fabulous. The pink and green along with the spring flowers are just PERFECT for an inviting Easter celebration.

    He is risen indeed!!

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  30. I like your use of color. How you used the Fenton bowls is original. Thanks for the reminder of our blessings of food and fellowship.

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  31. I am glad you had a wonderful Easter Sunday. We did too. We had 16 (six of them grandchildren) and I usually do more buffet style, but my DIL had commented on my tablescapes and so I did two, one in the kitchen and one in the dining room.

    I absolutely love everything on this table. Those reticulated plates are unbelievable! What a joy to have found those and in great condition and the ruffled bowls are just magical. I was so taken with everything that I almost missed your gorgeous florals. What a lovely table to celebrate Easter at.

    I love that you showed how you dealt with your table cloth. It is so beautiful and perfect for the setting. That is a great idea to pleat it.
    Have a wonderful day.

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  32. Absolutely adore your detailed "Itay" luncheon plates!! And also your beautiful "Simply Pink" wine glasses you got through ebay. Beautiful photos - showing how the space and your table changes and dances in different light! Well done!

    :D Lynda

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  33. The green and pink is perfect and I do love that tablecloth! Great tip on dealing with the tablecloth issue. I usually just get frustrated and start looking for something else to use, but I'll definitely keep this in mind. Your glasses are so pretty, too; love the color and the shapes.

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  34. Your table is truly fit for the special occasion you are celebrating! Our risen Savior is so Glorious and you have prepared a feast for the eyes to assist your family in their celebration! Every detail is perfection......adore the cranberry Fenton sparkly baskets......they look heavenly. I learn from you each time I vist....and that, my friend, is priceless!

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  35. Your Fenton bowls are beautiful! Great ideas...Thank you.
    Blessings,

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  36. What a beautiful table! Look at our your Fenton bowls! Heavenly! I know everyone who saw this felt so special!
    be a sweetie,
    Shelia ;)

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  37. What a beautiful table! Love your glass Easter baskets, they ARE so versatile. As usual I am blown away by your cabinets of glassware~ what a stunning collection! Love your inverted pleat tip/trick!

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  38. Gorgeous...love the pink ruffly bowls. We just had lunch at the Baccarat Cristal room in Paris...and your dining room looks like it.

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  39. Hi Cherry Kay,
    Loved your pink and green table as well. What a clever idea to use those unique pink candy dishes
    as soup bowls. they would make great salad bowls too.
    What a lovely tablecloth, very pretty, and your lil bunny bowl and all your florals are so pretty,
    nothing like fresh flowers to make a table look wonderful.
    Blessings, Nellie

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  40. You are very talented to put together such a gorgeous table. I am a new follower of your blog. I hope you will visit our blog soon!

    Lori

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  41. What a lovely Easter table! My eye went right to the vintage linen and organdy mats. The idea of an inverted pleat on a table cloth is something to tuck away. Everything is just so beautiful!!

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  42. "GREAT TIME A DAY",this is absolutely the most gorgeous Easter tablesetting!
    WOW,so awesome!
    Thanks for visiting LazyonLoblolly,and your sweet comment about my home-grown flowers and "charming" attempt at tablescaping,hope to learn from bloggers like you and love to get these creative ideas,thanks for sharing.
    ~Jo
    LazyonLoblolly

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  43. I would never have noticed the crease. What a brilliant idea!

    I love the design of the salad plates and they look fabulous on top of those dinner plates. The pink candy/salad/soup bowls look precious. What a nice way to repurpose these lovely bowls.

    Tammy

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  44. Your table is so beautiful, Cherry Kay. I love the colors, so adorable and really very springy. The flowers are gorgeous!...Christine

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  45. I could have sworn I commented on this fabulous Easter setting, but I don't see mine. I came back for a second & third look. It is pure Springtime joy! I love the pink & green together & the vintage linens you found are magnificent.
    Great idea to pleat the fabric like that then disguise it so ingeniously.

    The pink bowls are the crowning touch! So pretty!
    You do have a wonderful way with dishes! Thank you for sharing all your pretties with us.

    fondly,
    Rett

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  46. Hello, hello, hello!!! I can't believe just how late I am getting around to all the beautiful tables! I have been so busy pre-packing for our move to Savannah (that's packing before the packers/movers get here....kind of like cleaning before the cleaning lady comes!) that everything else has had to take a back seat. I absolutely adore the pink and green!!! It is so springy and so befitting an Easter table! I think men just learn to love it on Easter! :-) Those reticulated luncheon plates are FABULOUS! I love them!!!!!!!!! Everything just works together so perfectly! Great trick on the inverted pleating, too. That makes so much sense! All the gorgeous flowers make the table that much prettier. Bravo! Have a great week!!!

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  47. Oh, Cherry Kay, I had a similar experience as you did with your Fenton bowls...only mine was with a group of lidded Lefton apple sugar bowls!

    They came with little leaf-shaped plates and I fill mine with an apple slush or apple crumble. They are perfect because they have a sweet little slot for the spoon when I want to set them out on the buffet.

    And they opened my eyes to the delight of serving ANYTHING that's individually-sized with a lid! It's...magical!

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