Table for Two

Gerald and I found ourselves alone (as in - without our kids!) last Friday night. This is a rare occurrence for us. Jewell had play practice and Brack had a play date and dinner with a friend. It gave us about two and a half hours alone. We talked about going out to dinner, but since we're trying to eat healthier, I decided I would cook. I thought it would be fun to pull out some of my fancier stuff...after all, he's my honey! Here's what it looked like...

Since it was just the two of us, the dining room would have swallowed us whole, and the kitchen table was still really too large to seem intimate. So...

I pulled out this beautiful antique table that I got when my dear friend (and roommate) Elizabeth Wright Smith passed away a few years ago. Above, it's set at coffee table height.

I normally have it in the kids' playroom. Seriously! Brack uses it to build Legos. It's an antique, but I know Elizabeth would approve. She was practical, not fussy. And every time I see the bright red color, it reminds me of her. In the pic above, I have raised it to table height.

Here it is with it's sides raised to make it a square dining table. Isn't that cool? 

I don't have a square white tablecloth, so I used a rectangular one. I put the short sides where we would be sitting so we wouldn't get our legs tangled in it!

  

Next I layered these pretty yellow and white runners. I first used these runners for a bookclub luncheon a couple of years ago. The tablescape was based on a book I got at Mt. Vernon about how the Washingtons entertained. I found the fabric on the clearance table at Hancock Fabrics. I bought what was left (about two yards) and cut it in half lengthwise and hemmed it to make two runners. I think I paid about $5 for the fabric.

I love chargers. I always look for them on sale at Walmart after Christmas. Usually I get them for about $1 each. I have gold, silver, "wood", red, wicker, and these which are an emerald green. This square one is quite bold and different from the traditional round ones. 

I have a thing for china. You know that by now. It doesn't have to be expensive, just pretty! I especially love china from the 1950's and '60's. It just has a glamorous air to it. This pattern is called "Canton" by Noritake. It was produced from 1950-64. That's bamboo on the plate, and it has an elegant matte gold trim.

Once I had the base setting done, I began pulling things out to compliment the dishes. I recently washed my crystal glasses, so they were ready to go. They stay on display in my china cabinet, but they still get dusty behind closed doors. I spiffed them up back in late October when I swapped my wedding china out to display my Christmas china.

Then I added dimension by layering the pieces we would be using for dinner.

Cloth napkins and bright gold-plated flatware finished out the individual place settings.

Isn't that beautiful? And it's still somewhat masculine with the bold yellow and green accents.

I love the cup and saucer. It's sleek and elegant. My one complaint with this shape cup (mainly from the 1950-60's) is that they're wide and shallow and don't keep coffee hot very long. But who cares. They look good!

The flatware is new (to me) and was a Christmas present to myself. It's called "Golden American Chippendale" by FB Rogers. The gold is so fancy, but the pattern is simple. It balances out and doesn't look too over the top. My Christmas china has a gold rim, so it will look great with it, too.

Here's a closeup look at the china. I only have four place settings of this. I honestly think I paid about $50 at the most for it on ebay. I just checked on replacements and it would run about $440 with them. I love ebay. If you're willing to take a chance, you can snag some great deals.

My crystal pattern is "Park Lane" by Mikasa. This was one of the patterns we got when we married.

Once the table was set, there wasn't a lot of room left, but I pulled out a couple of brass candlesticks and this glass hurricane with a wide gold band. We dined by candlelight!

One last look from above...

And here's what Gerald saw when he got home from work. He was excited to see that I had done this all for him. Usually when we entertain, he has a list as long as his arm of things I need him to do. This was my way of saying thanks for all he does. OK - so he'd probably appreciate a new gun or tree stand more, but hey, this'll have to do!

The meal was as wonderful as the tablesetting. Check back in to see what we had!

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

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