Bittersweet for Fall, 11.6.13

"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. During this beautiful season when we celebrate harvest and Thanksgiving, 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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Today was the Kappa Alpha Theta Flaming Festival, always a delightful time to reconnect with friends whom you don't see regularly the rest of the year.  Yesterday was spent setting up tables for the enjoyment of those attending.  The festival was a marvelous time, as always, and tonight I am worn slick.  I'll share pics of the wonderful tablescapes over the next few weeks.

This evening I'm sharing a table that I created for out of town guests who were here last weekend.  We didn't end up using the table because Sweet Mister decided that he wanted to take us all out to dinner.

Games table in the living room...flip-top tabletop to create a 60" round table for six....you know the drill.

The door bell rang the morning that I was brainstorming ideas for the table...

...and these lovely blossoms were sitting on the front porch, a thank you gift from friends whom we entertained with an evening out the previous week.  I set them in the Coalport Bittersweet centerpiece bowl, and I was off to the races.

I paired the bowl and flowers with a quartet of cobalt depression glass candlesticks and a grouping of faux pumpkins.  Centerpiece...done.

 The orange Bormioli  glass charger seemed an obvious choice for my Autumn table highlighting clear, high colors.

 Returning to lessons from the color chart, I chose the Coalport Spearpoint dinner plate for the strong pop of cobalt on the rim of the plate.   

 The leading lady of the stack was the Colcough Bittersweet luncheon plate.  Tidbit:  Did you notice that although the centerpiece bowl matches the luncheon plate perfectly, they were made by two different manufacturers?  This is not uncommon, especially it seems, with the English potters.  It is interesting to note that a variety of companies produced versions of the same pattern.  One good example is the Indian Tree pattern.  Check it out...I think that just about every company made their own Indian Tree design at one time or another.  Additionally, sometimes when one company would go out of business, another pottery company would step in to purchase certain molds and transferware patterns, and the design would continue, with minor differences.

 Picking up on the soft browns in the luncheon plate, I added the Horchow brown handled flatware and one of Nana's madeira and lace napkins with Cuisine Kathleen's gift, the Waverly beaded napkin ring.

 Continuing with more accent colors from the Bittersweet pieces, I paired the Vietri green optic goblet with the AJKA Arabella cobalt wine goblet.  The silver and cobalt salt cellars were our dear Nana's.

I really liked the way that this design worked with the living room colorscape...

I look forward to using this grouping again...another time.  Maybe I'll lay my table with it once more when you happen to pass my way.  I'd really like that!

This week I'm joining the following parties...with thanks to the hostesses!

Let's Dish with Cuisine Kathleen
Tablescape Thursday with Susan @ Between Naps on the Porch