Falling for Ivy Tea Party

 

Fall is definitely my favorite time of year, but it's also the busiest. Without fail! We are in a season of change now that Jewell is in college, and Brack is busy with school and work. We're slowly finding our way to a new normal, and while it's hard to adjust to change, I'm trying to find ways to both hold on to traditions and begin new ones!

Jewell and I look forward to the annual Christmas tea hosted by my dear friend, Alinda. I think we have had at least three, maybe more! We took a trip with Alinda and her two precious daughters to Biltmore this past December. She has been over a dozen times and was the perfect tour guide. When we got back, I hosted a Biltmore-inspired brunch (which I have yet to blog about!). I still had ideas from our trip, so last weekend, I hosted a fall tea brunch with menu items reflecting the wonderful food we had while we were there. More about that in another post. But before I leave the subject of Alinda, be sure to follow her on her blog, The Work of Her Hands. She is such a delightful blogger. You will love her posts about everything from homeschooling to cooking and entertaining!

When looking for a theme for this fall tea, I decided I wanted to showcase a new (to me) set of dishes I acquired this year. I've always wanted a set of ivy dishes, but never found anything I loved enough or could afford. I regularly scroll through Facebook Marketplace at night, and I caught a glimpse of these lovely pottery-type dishes back during the late spring. I purchased the set, and in the process, made the most wonderful new friend! Jeanette and her husband were in the process of moving. She's a collector, like me, and we immediately hit it off! I went to pick up these pretty ivy dishes and ended up staying an hour to talk. Each time I run by her home, she always shows me something pretty and often has a little gift for me! 

This place setting just makes me happy! The dinnerware set had dinner plates, salad plates, bowls, and bread plates. Here's my rule of thumb for a pretty and interesting plate stack. Don't ever use all of one pattern. No matter how pretty it is, it will look flat and boring. The wood-look chargers (Dollar Tree) and the gold salad plates ("Toscana Gold" by Pier One) break up the simple white lines. 

I had seven for brunch, but I only have six of the yellow plates, so I pulled out a green one for the seventh. I doubt you would have even noticed it if I hadn't mentioned it!

This centerpiece has been part of a larger arrangement on a wooden tray on my dining room table this fall. I simply lifted it off and used it to anchor my tablescape. 

Greens, gold, yellows, and rusts make up the color scheme for this fall table.

I love a good scatter! These plush pumpkins and mini pinecones came from Hobby Lobby this year.

I bought several bags of silk leaves at Dollar Tree several years ago and strung them together with little seed beads between each leaf. I use them all over the house in my fall decorating. They give just a pop of color!

I try to make sure that floral arrangements are low enough to see over. I bought one $10 floral bunch at my local Walmart and then added asparagus fern, camellia leaves, and tea olive leaves from my yard to bulk it up.

My camellia is already blooming and will show off until January! I was very careful not to cut off any blooms. I try to use shoots that have bolted and need trimming anyway. 

The yellow daisies and white stock just pop against the glossy green!

Asparagus fern is perfect to add a little trail. Mine is several years old and lasts through the winter as long as it has a little protection from the wind and cold.

My burlap table runner is a favorite! I bought a three-yard piece one year, cut it in half lengthwise, and then finished the edges to keep it from raveling. I spot clean as needed. It wouldn't survive a washing.

As I said above, this was one bunch of flowers that I divided. I tried to evenly split the components. Even thought the arrangements aren't identical, they're even in color and balance.

I took Jeanette a gift of Avon's Topaz perfume a couple of weeks ago. We've re-launced a lot of our classic scents and Topaz has always been a favorite of hers. She had a gift for me! The cute little butter dish was a perfect addition to my new collection, and it gives a hint of when the pattern was designed. You can tell by the dome and fin handles that this is a mid-century pattern. She also graciously gave me a collection of green glass pieces a few months ago. I used the one above to serve my homemade apple butter.

The gravy boat also gives a nod to mid-century roots. It's a small gravy boat, so I used it as a creamer. Honey from my daddy's bees was a perfect touch for our apple-cheddar scones and tea!

So here are the details on everything. The pattern is called "California Ivy" by Metlox. It was made from 1946-1986.

Since we had seven for brunch, I put the leaf in my table. I was sure to add enough to my tablescape to anchor the length of the table. No skimpy tablesettings here!

The dark green tumblers are "Sweet Swirl" by Noritake. These are what I registered for as my every day pattern. The napkins were made several years ago for Thanksgiving. I bought about six yards of a super soft muslin. I use them probably more than any others I have! The flatware is "Abigail" by Hampton Silversmiths. It has a simple gold accent that works beautifully with my rich fall colors. I purchased the set over twenty years ago at Target. I hand wash them to make sure the gold stays in pristine condition! 

The amber votives came from Dollar Tree a couple of years ago. I think I used them first in one of Jewell's birthday party tablescapes. I LOVE LOVE LOVE them! They absolutely GLOW when they're lit. The gold angular ceramic vases were purchased half off at Hobby Lobby for Jewell's Sweet Sixteen party.

I found this lovely fall tablecloth at a thrift store a few years ago. I think it was $6. I love the look! The greens and yellows stand out nicely against it. 

Here's an aerial view. I suggest you photograph your tablesettings and look at them. I've changed things before after seeing it "on film". It helps you notice things like empty spaces that need filling. I hope you enjoyed this look at my tablsescape! The food was just as good! Check back later this week for details and recipes.

I'm so glad you stopped by my neck of the woods!

Please take a moment to sign up on my homepage to receive new posts by email.

I wouldn't want you to miss one crazy thing...