It is such a lovely morning out here on the deck.  It occurs to me that I should have a name for the deck other then Deck!  I talk so much about it that it should be a Veranda, the Chateau, the Pergola. That’s it the Pergola!  Hence forth it shall be know as The Pergola, well it does have one, but really it’s just a deck.  One that is in need of some love.  Let’s skip that part.

As I was wondering what to do with a day off and thinking about all the things I should be doing I decided instead to play.  The husband is off to a doctor’s appointment so I had some personal space and time.  I decided to set a table for 5 on “The Pergola”.  Not quite ready to let go of summer I started to think about a summer table that could ease into fall. I don’t know why I don’t do this more often.  There really isn’t to much that I love more than setting a beautiful table and, I have such wonderful things to do it.

My folks were lovers of fine dining either in a restaurant or at home.  Dining to them was about the total experience.  Not just the food or the table setting but also the surroundings.  The French Cafe’ being one of their many favorites.  My dad loved fine dining as much if not more than my mom.  She could set a table like know one else.  Kissed by magic.  Some tables simply took your breath away.  She would spend the week and sometimes two perfecting the table before any event.  Sometimes she would start, only to tear it apart over and over again, checking from every angle, sitting at each place setting to be sure that everyone had equal enjoyment at her table.  My dad was so proud of her and she could cook too!  Wow I still miss them terribly.

So back to my humble exercise.  I just love dining el fresco.  There is just something in the way the light dances off the crystal and the shadows play on the dishes.  For this table I started with a toile table square I had made years ago from left over fabric from my bedroom.  Never waste a piece of fabric.  It can always be repurposed.  It’s dark khaki ground and Navy outlines still speak to me after 20 years and I felt it would be perfect ground for Easing into Fall.  

Next, I plopped my Pottery Barn Lantern in the center.  I have never used this lantern as a lantern.  Odd, I should do that sometime.  Similar lanterns here.

I stuffed a few antique books, a small terracotta scruffy pot I recently picked up with a metal apple of my moms in it, and 2 hand carved wooden birds that were also my moms.  

Then I started building from there.  It”s all about the layers and the details.  First a used my Walmart square placemats I just picked up, to ground the place setting. I snagged the last 7 but you can pick up similar here.  Love the texture of these.  Then I used my Pottery Barn dishes I had picked up on clearance about 3 years ago. 

Added some blue and white striped napkins that I bought at Nell Hills in Kansas City years ago. I  recently embroidered them with my new sewing machine.  

Added hand wrought iron napkin rings, my Francis the First Sterling, 

This knife is antique.  I was able to get 4 in a scruffy antique shop in Maine.  They date to 1915-1920 and have an old blade.  The blade will rust because it isn’t stainless steel so you definitely don’t want to soak them in soapy water.  Ask me how I know this!  I just love them and whenever I set a table I always make sure that my place setting has one of these knives.  They are amazingly sharp too. 

Williamsburg Air Twist wine glasses I have had for years, you can find them here at Replacements and some vintage glasses I brought from my moms house.  Put an apple on each plate for a splash of color and called it good!  

Images from around the table.  This pomegranate is porcelain and so beautiful.  I picked it up at a design studio I worked at years ago.  It is a little piece of art that currently rests on my Welsh Cupboard in this darling Yellow Ware Bowl.

Then I moved onto the marble serving shelf.  I’ve been working on this faux flower arrangement for a couple of weeks.  I just keep adding to it as I find unusual flowers.  I put everything in an Antique Leather Fire Bucket and I think the arrangement is getting there.  I just love flowers in front of this huge antique mirror.

Ah the mirror, which has lost it’s bottom molding.  I guess I will be doing a tutorial on how we fixed this problem soon.  

As I was sweeping up “The Pergola” I was thinking about the leaves starting to turn and the gentle breeze but the simple truth is it’s NE in September.  As I write this we’re probably at 80 degrees right now and the leaves have said “Not Yet”.  I’m hanging on to summer.  September can be hot, hot, hot and the next day freezing cold. I have so many dead leaves on my deck because Wisteria Sheds!  

Ok it would be shedding a lot less if I hadn’t taken the pruning shears to it a couple of weeks ago.  Some of those branches I lopped off I was unable to get down.

Back to romance!  The falling leaves ended up on my table not because the breeze gently  laid them to rest but because I stuck them there!!!  It created a unifying factor amongst the objects without taking up any physical or visual space.

I lit the candles on the chandelier only to have the breeze blow them out almost immediately because I was going to do a whole “Who Says You Can’t Burn Candles in the Daytime”. The wind says that’s who!!!  Probably a good thing because I would have had wax all over everything.  

Of course you can’t leave out my little piece of Charleston.  My fountain is one of the best parts about this space.  The fact that it sounds divine helps too.  Well the candles have guttered which took no time at all.

And then there is the never ending leaf drop.

I hope you enjoyed my little exercise please let me know what you think in comments.  I had a wonderful time putting it together.  Now I just have to rustle up some people to eat at it.  It can only be 5 for sure.  Maybe we’ll have hot dogs and soda’s for dinner!

Thanks for stopping

Shelley