Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Caramel Apple Tablescape

Happy Fall! 

 One of my favorite memories as a child was picking apples and making homemade apple cider.  One of our friends had a cider press and we would spend the whole day making gallon after gallon of apple cider. I can still remember the smell and all of the bees that would buzz around us as we pressed all the sweetness out of those apples.

This week Cuisine Kathleen challenged us with an Apple Table Theme.  I chose to do the sweetest gooiest apples I know - Caramel Apples!
It all started when I found these caramel, black and beige plaid napkins on sale in the Bargain Barn at the Amish Country Peddler.   I just couldn't pass them up for $1.50 each.  
The next stop I made that day was into the bulk food store - and sitting right there in front of me was a huge display of caramel apples. That was when it dawned on me, I will use caramel apples for the apple challenge!

Not really sure of just what else I was going to use for this table while I was at this store, and as wishy washy as I am sometimes - I couldn't decide if I should stick to all caramel or get some candy red apples too.


As you can see - I never really made up my mind in the store and came home with both.  So I decided to make the red for the ladies and the caramel for the men.  But the caramel color pallet kind of won out in the grand scheme!

I used one of my white pumpkins from my Denim Fall Table along with some birch candles, a burlap placemat and some faux fall foliage.
To go along with the burlap placemat- I made some burlap flags to jazz up the sticks on the apples. 
I also used the same paper backed burlap and black stripe washi tape to make the napkin rings. 
To bring just a touch more of the black into the table I used some slate to make some placecards.
Does anyone have any idea how long you can keep a caramel apple before it goes bad?
 I am going to have to throw out the one candy apples  I have to be honest and tell you that one of my little flags came loose while taking the pictures and fell down into the red goo, and now there are burlap fibers all stuck to it!  Not too appetizing!

Thanks for stopping by!

Sources:
Cream quilted placemats - TJ Maxx quite a while ago
Willow Chargers - Pottery Barn - last year with my sister Carol (the red apple pic)
White and Brown Sonoma Plates - Butter Churn Kitchenwares a number of years ago
Beige Plates and Plaid Napkins - Amish Country Peddler
Amber Glasses and Birch Candles- World Market- both last fall
Black flatware - Marshalls - a while ago

I will be linking up at the following parties:
Let's Dish @ Cuisine
Tablescape Thursday @ Between Naps on the Porch
Feathered Nest Friday @French Country Cottage
It's Fall Y'all @Posed Perfection
Share Your Creativity @ It's Overflowing

Thursday, September 19, 2013

A Perfectly Lovely Day at Country Living Fair

I truly want to say that last Saturday was close to a Perfect Day!  I'm not sure I can call it perfect with all the turmoil going on in the world, but in my little corner of the world it was a wonderful day!!

I spent the day with my sister and my daughter at the Country Living Fair in Columbus Ohio.
The weather was just gorgeous.  As I started out early in the morning to drive down to my daughters it was only 46 degrees!!  But it warmed up and turned out to be the most gorgeous day!
Perfect for browsing antiques,
French Country,
Halloween,
Even Christmas - ( you might see some of this in my Christmas decorating this year!  Seeing as how I made a purchase here!)
One of my favorite booths was from a quilt shop in Cortland Ohio
called Olive Grace Studios
I found out about this fair from seeing it on several blogs earlier in the year.  I thought it looked like fun - but then thought - I bet there isn't one like this anywhere near me!  Well I was wrong!
I looked up Country Living Fair on the Internet and found out there was one 2 hrs from where I live in Columbus Ohio. We marked it down on our calendars for September and were all able to make it.
 We were very pleased with the Fair and all it offered. 
Plus good company and good fun,
makes for a Perfectly Lovely Day!

I am linking up to:
Oh the Places I've Been @The Tablescaper

Friday, September 13, 2013

Denim Blue and White Fall Tablescape

Feels like Fall today!!  Cooler temperatures, Friday Night Football and Mums are blooming!
Fall is my favorite time of the year.  It happens to be the best thing about living in Ohio, we have the most beautiful autumn season.  

I am kicking off this Fall season not with traditional fall colors but with a Denim and White Fall Table. It includes white pumpkins - so that officially makes it fall!  
I owe much Thanks to Alma from The Tablescaper for much of this table!!  I purchased three of the items on this table with the HomeGoods/Marshalls Gift Card that I won a couple months back for the "Where do you keep it" Post.
These denim plates, bowls and mugs were just the perfect addition to my dish collection.  I am a denim girl at heart.  I can't wait to get home from work and throw on my jeans.  Weekends were made for jeans and fall was made for jean jackets!
I wish I could say that these beautiful hydrangeas are from my garden but they aren't.  I have the biggest most healthy looking hydrangea bush every year, but f it has not yielded more that three flowers  total in the last five years!  I think I need to add something to my soil. 
 Even though these only cost me $4.00, it would be nice to just go out and pick my own.  
Also new for this table are the blue denim candles.  These are Root Candles, made locally in Medina Ohio.  
They aren't cheap - but I just loved the color of these, and since I had purchased the denim plates with the gift card that I won from the Tablescaper, I decided to splurge a little with the candles.

Here is hoping that this fall is a beautiful one -full of sunny days, crisp evenings and beautiful autumn color!
Thanks for stopping by!


Sources:
Denim Table Cloth - Marshalls - last year
White Wood Chargers, White Salad Plate and Blue Placemats- Pier One Imports
Blue Dinner Plates - HomeGoods - last year
Square Denim Plates, Bowls and Mugs - Marshalls
Blue and White Floral Plates - HomeGoods

I will be linking up to the following parties:
Seasonal Sundays @ The Tablescaper
It's Party Time @ Three Mango Seeds
Inspire Me @A Stroll Thru Life
Tutorials & Tips @ Home Stories A to Z
Let's Dish @Cuisine Kathleen
Tablescape Thursday @ Between Naps on the Porch
Feathered Nest Friday @French Country Cottage
Blue and White Bash @The Pink Pagoda

Sunday, September 1, 2013

Summer's End Tablescape

So here we are, at the end of Summer already!  We are having a wonderful sunny Labor Day weekend.  
This allowed me to do a fun  End of the Summer table outside on our new deck.  


The deck is not completely finished - it has kind of been an all summer project.  I may be doing a deck post in the next couple weeks with before and afters.  So as my wonderful husband was working on the step railings - I was setting a watermelon table!
I joined the ranks of many of my fellow dish enthusiasts when I picked up these watermelon plates at Michaels on clearance! I knew I had the green polka dot plates to pair them with.
And when I found the green gingham table cloth and napkins on clearance for 40% off , it all started coming together.
If there were rules on tablescaping - I would have been out of line using two different napkins at the same table.  But that is what is so fun about doing tables - there are no rules!

Since there are no rules - you are allowed to shove your flatware, straw and second napkin into a mason jar for your glass, put a place card on it and get away with it!
You can also load up a lantern with a burlap bow and some summer foliage, and not worry about it burning up - because I am never going to actually light the lantern!!
 Pretty soon all of the green in the background will be changing colors and fall will be here.
but for one last weekend - we are going to celebrate summer!

Sources:
Tablecloth and Napkins - Carlisle Gifts, Walnut Creek Ohio
Placemats - Bed Bath and Beyond -last year
White Chargers - Old Time Pottery - last year
Green Polka Dot Plates - Elder Beerman - last year
Flatware - Home Goods-last year
White Plates & Red Check Napkins- Pier 1 Imports - still available
Watermelon Plates - Michael's

I will be linking up to the following parties:
Seasonal Sundays @ The Tablescaper
Busy Monday @ A Pinch of Joy
Let's Dish @ Cuisine Kathleen
Tablescape Thursday @ Between Naps on the Porch