What's Brown, and White, and Red All Over?

"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. 
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What's brown, and white, and red all over?  Why my tablescape for Cuisine Kathleen's "Apple Challenge"!  The Garden Friends are coming tomorrow morning for Bible Study and our first birthday luncheon of the new semester.  I'm thrilled to have them gather around my table once again to share food, fun, and priceless fellowship.

The dining table is festooned to welcome Fall and 10 guests.  Kathleen's challenge saved me a sum of money because I didn't buy flowers.  The apples were already in the refrigerator.  Sweet Mister likes to eat apples; I'll need to replace a few.

A Williams-Sonoma deep red tablecloth with a brown and white toile motif set the color tone for today's design.

Whitewashed wood finials are making an encore performance in my centerpiece.  This time I'm saying that they are pine cones.....yes, definitely pine cones.  Two pair of the Barley Twist candlesticks contributed another touch of brown...

 I acquired the antique oriental bronze bowl at an estate sale.  Today it displays....what else?...apples.  The fall leaves meandering down the table are just two garlands from Michael's.  I've used them for a number of years.

I had fun with these little goodies.  A friend once gave me a Barbuzzo Candle Carver.  Have you ever seen one?  They can be found on Amazon.com, if you want to take a look.  They are very inexpensive.  Tip:  With the Candle Carver, you can make a candleholder out of a wonderful variety of items.  A tea candle fits perfectly in the opening that the tool creates.  It's pretty easy to make, and I thought that an apple candle was just the perfect touch for you, Kathleen.  Today they are sitting on Copeland Tower Pink individual ashtrays that belonged to my mother-in-love.  Do you remember the days when our parents had guests who sat and smoked at the table after dinner?  These little guys would have been a part of each place setting...so foreign to most of us now, I think.

 The Maryland China Company Minuet charger created a nice frame...

 ...to make the Spode Delamere Brown dinner plate stand out against the toile tablecloth.  You might be familiar with the Woodland Spode pattern.  The Delamere is the same plate, minus the animals in the center.

  Coalport's Athlone Brown salad plate will be removed and returned later for dessert.

 The brown handled flatware was a great bargain from one of the Horchow Click Tock Sales, available to their customers who allow Horchow to send them emails.

This Pottery Barn Flax Hemstitched Linen napkin is one of my favorites.  Today it is caught with the Coalport Countryware napkin ring.

  A pair of crystal goblets lend yet another touch of the browns...

The Vietri Smoke Optical goblet was a nice companion for the rather contemporary brown stem, that I found on eBay.  I don't know the maker of the brown goblet.

Everyone is bringing a dish to share for our luncheon, so my work is done...

I'll be up and around early tomorrow morning to make a treat for the Garden Friends to enjoy while we share our Bible study, so I'm off to bed as soon as I hit 'publish.'  I can hardly wait to see my treasured friends, and I can hardly wait to see what you all do with all those apples! 

This week I'll be joining:

Inspire Me Tuesday with Marty @ A Stroll Through Life
Centerpiece Wednesdays with The Style Sisters 
Let's Dish with Cuisine Kathleen
Tablescape Thursday with Susan @ Between Naps on the Porch
Seasonal Sundays with The Tablescaper
Autumn Tablescape Link Party with Centsational Girl