One of my dearest friends moved to Pennsylvania last fall. She came home for a visit in March, so of course, a party was in order! Our group of twelve (six mamas and six daughters) loves getting together to eat, laugh, and have a great time. We were able to get ten of the twelve out to my home for a luncheon (two girls had class), but later in the week, all twelve of us were able to spend a fun (and delicious) evening together at another friend's home. My friend, Missy, (a born and bred Southerner) has experienced more snow in the past few months in Pennsylvania than most of her whole life in Alabama! I think we were all ready for Spring, so I pulled together a fresh and bright palette for this happy reunion!
I began setting my table the night before, even though I knew it wouldn't photograph well. I had some cooking to finish the next morning and didn't want to push myself too hard. Of course, Possum Kitty is always interested when I start setting a table!
You can see here that I took a larger square piece of striped fabric and folded it in half. I'm not too particular when I cut and hem these, as you can see by the uneven ends, but I knew that my table would be full and that you'd never notice it!
I used this fabric years ago as the backing for a quilt the ladies at church made for my cousin's child. I bought extra so I could also use it as part of the shower decorations. You can see the shower here. I also used it for my sister-in-law's sister-in-law's baby shower. Got that? You can see it here. They both followed the theme "Snakes, Snails, and Puppy Dog Tails". No need to reinvent the wheel every single time! But each shower looked totally different.
The grass green burlap was bought years ago for something. I honestly don't remember what. But it really brightens up the colors and causes them to all pop.
I continued to add my layers. I always start with the linens, then build up the plate stack, then drinkware, flatware, etc. I always end with the centerpiece.
And what a centerpiece it was! I was definitely thinking about fresh Spring veggies when I put this cheerful tablescape together.
As I've told you before, I shy away from cut flowers, but love to use live plants whenever possible. These are fresh herbs that I moved into my kitchen garden the next day.
We did the garden thing the first several years we lived in the country. It owned us. Every night and every weekend. Maybe we were too ambitious. Probably we were. I now support our local fruit and veggie stand (shout out to Mr. Evans in Eclectic!). I still put up peas and make jelly and jam every summer. I just buy the veggies and fruit when I have time to deal with them. Herbs, however, are another story. I love having them to cook with. It adds such freshness! I found an old baker's rack at a thrift store once, and it is perfect for my herbs! We've had tons of storms lately, so I have to keep moving my herbs under shelter. They do stay on the same wall, though. They get the morning and mid-day sun, then by the time the harsh afternoon sun is beating down, it's over on the other side of the house. And did I mention it's portable? I can move it easily toward the house in heavy rain or when the temps drop a little more than they should in the early spring.
I got these precious plates at my favorite thrift store about six years ago for .50 cents a piece. I have no idea what they are. I've looked, but haven't found them online. They don't have a mark on the back, so I kind of wonder if they weren't hand made and painted, maybe from a clay pottery mold. They're very 1970's. My mom made some of the cutest little fruit jelly pots back then, so maybe that's the answer!
This bean pot/soup tureen was purchased at the same time. I dropped the herbs into small white pots to tone down some of the color and allow the plant to pop! I thought about using the bean pot as a planter, but I love the lid! It's a cracker on top of the green circles. So cute. Too cute to take off!
These delicate stems were a gift from my SIL, Clancy. She got them at Cracker Barrel years ago. I have eleven, but would love twelve! I'm always on the lookout!
The cup and saucer are from Pier One Imports, but I bought them off eBay. I got them for Jewell's graduation tea last year.
I'm always picking up votive holders at Dollar Tree. This orange striped one helps to pull out the yellow and orange in the tablescarf while toning down the green just a touch.
The ceramic rabbits came from Big Lots twenty years ago and are some of my absolute favorite seasonal decorations! They're hauling their carrot crop to market. Are they not just the sweetest?
Here's a partial look at the other rabbit who is pulling a cart of veggies. Also you can see the green bamboo print votive. Again, those came from Dollar Tree.
Here's a full table shot...
And my favorite, an aerial shot!
I used a white tablecloth as a base, but I used my muslin napkins. I made them years ago for Thanksgiving, and I find that I go to them all the time! They add a natural look to every tablescape.
The little raffia and twine carrots came from Hobby Lobby a few years ago, but they usually have something similar. The tablescape smelled amazing! There was lavender, mint, basil, and rosemary!
One side says soup and one says beans. So cute!
I wanted to break up the white from the dinner plate and the white base of the veggie plates. These green plates are by Bordallo. They are so beautiful!
Here's a look at the stack. I used the brown "wood" chargers from Dollar Tree to add another natural element to the tablescape.
The girls' table in the kitchen was a little different. I used these pretty gray bunnies to anchor the tablescape.
Many of the components were the same, but you can see that there is a green and white print table scarf under the striped runner. I love mixing prints!
I used green salad plates by Rachel Ray on their table. I didn't have but eight of the veggie plates, so I used plain white dessert plates for them.
The bunnies felt at home among the greens!
Flatware is "Margate" by Pfaltzgraff.
All bunnies need a good supply of carrots!
Aerial shot of the girls' table in the kitchen.
We had a wonderful meal, but the company was what was best! It was so good to be with Missy again! We talked for hours and then moved to a local coffee shop for more fellowship! I loaded the dishwasher before we left so I wouldn't have as much to do when I got home that evening.
Our meal was amazing! All Spring-inspired. That will be featured later this week!
I'm so glad you stopped by my neck of the woods!
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***All pictures are original and are the property of Missy Hilyer Jones. Please do not use without giving proper credit to me and the blog post they were originally used in. Thanks!
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