Today's post goes all the way back to May. We were a month and a half into "safer at home" and honestly believed that life would be back to normal any day. We were missing friends and had been doing some "social distancing" in our yard and their's, but decided we were ready for something more, so I planned a birthday lunch for my best friend, Amanda!
Amanda and her daughter, Emily Anne, are regulars with Jewell and me at our favorite sushi restaurant in Montgomery. But as it hadn't reopened yet, I decided we'd do sushi at home! I've made it for a few years now, but I actually took an online sushi-making class during the early quarantine days that really took my game up a notch. I'll share more of that soon. Today's just as important, though. It's all about the tablescape!
I pulled everything together the night before they came, and it all came from my stash. Nothing new here! Just re-imagined. A little later I'll show you some of the same pieces in a completely different look.
I replaced my beloved white linen tablecloths back around Thanksgiving last year. They had been used and loved nearly to death. Several had developed holes from repeated stain treatments, and while you didn't necessarily see them when I added runners and placemats, it was time to put them out of their misery. These are just polyester, but since I'm always layering, it's fine. The fact that they're a hardy polyester means they'll probably last a lot longer.
Next I added this beauty. I first used this when I hosted my book club several years ago. Our theme was Mount Vernon and the Washingtons, and it was lovely. You can check that tablescape out here. I simply bought a length of fabric (this is about a yard and a half) and hemmed it.
This textured table runner has made an appearance on many of my Thanksgiving tables. I scored two of them at "Dirty Dillards" a few years ago. I love the contrast in colors and especially the texture they bring.
Here's my buddy, Possum Kitty. He knows when something's up and will follow me around. When I'm setting a table, he loves to hide under the table and grab my toes!
I found this little rock garden years ago at Dollar General. I thought it had a very Zen look to it. The Bamboo placemats came from Dollar Tree nearly 15 years ago. I used them for a Luau-themed Bunco dinner I hosted long before I was blogging. Again, texture always makes a tablescape more interesting. A lot of the things you see today were also used for a birthday dinner I had for my mother a few years ago. It's theme was "Orient Express", for more reasons than just the Asian style! You can check it out here.
These chargers actually have a distressed shabby-chic look and came from Hobby Lobby last fall. I believe they still have them. But I think they work here to bring out the white and lighten up the whole look.
I found these Chinese-retaurant style dishes on eBay years ago. I mix and match the bowls and plates, much like a restaurant might.
The black bowls are from Pier One, but I found them at my local thrift shop for .50 cents each. They're the perfect size and color for serving sushi, as you'll see in my next post.
These egg drop soup bowls are also perfect for salad. I like how the black bowls break up the blue and white. It makes each piece stand out.
My centerpiece spotlighted the pretty artificial palm leaves I got for $5 each at my favorite home decor store which happens to be just down the road in Eclectic. It's called Bless Your Heart. Come with plenty of time to walk around and just take it all in. Everything they carry is simply beautiful, and you'll always come away inspired. They have also made me rethink artificial flowers with their soft-touch line that looks just like the real thing.
Here's an aerial view.
I have six place settings of the vintage teak-handled flatware. I found it at the thrift store for maybe a $1 a place setting. It worked beautifully.
Brack eats just about everything with chopsticks, so I buy a couple hundred at a time from my local Asian market. The little pop of red added some color as well as aunthenticity to my table. See the little blue fish in the top right next to the glass? It's where you rest your chopsticks. So cute!
I pulled this heavy glass vase from my stash. It was a wedding gift. My flowers didn't need water since they're artificial, so I filled the vase with some little woven balls. These came from Dollar Tree. I've had them for years, but they usually have them in stock.
I think they have them in three sizes, and I love to drop them in a vase, or down a table just to add texture and interest.
It's had to see, but the glasses are a dark green. They are "Sweet Swirl" by Noritake and are the everyday pattern I chose when we married, although I don't use them now except for tablescapes.
I love to add lit candles to my tablescapes. They're so pretty and add so much ambiance.
These little guys are condiment bowls for soy and yum yum sauce. The little fish is my favorite! I found them years ago on eBay, as well.
I have an odd five in these black bowls, so I used the extra to float some fresh gardenias. I added a shallow bit of water and then picked and floated the gardenias (these are called daisy gardenias) at the last minute. Gardenias are probably my favorite garden flower. The scent is absolutely intoxicating!
I found the little soy sauce pot at my local Asian market. So much prettier than putting the green bottle on the table!
Here's one last look at the whole table. Amanda is a wonderful friend, and I wanted to do something special for her since her birthday fell during this Covid ordeal. It was wonderful to sit down across the table from our friends. I know we probably sat there - eating and talking - for several hours. It was wonderful!
I'll share the food with you soon!
I'm so glad you stopped by my neck of the woods!
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