With Thanksgiving knocking on our door I thought I would share some previous table scapes in the hopes of inspiring you to create your own. We won’t be celebrating Thanksgiving day this year but, we will be celebrating my grandsons 10th birthday on Sunday. So, I will be doing a different type of table. I will share that next week.

If you’ve been with me for a while you know I love setting a table. For me that is always more fun than preparing the food! You will also know that I rarely use flowers in my centerpiece. I might sprinkle some faux greens or stems into the mix. But rarely do I go out and buy flowers.

A simple thrown together table with flowers from the garden. Not one of my best efforts, but the company was good and the conversation delightful.

My table inspiration usually consist of a new antique, a bit of fabric, a weird thing I may have picked up on a walk. Really what it comes down to, is trial and error. I pull out what I think I want to work with and then I start filling in.

A much better effort on the deck, again with a found birds nest complete with eggs, large antique pewter French altar candlesticks, and a piece of wonderfully worn ironstone. I don’t collect ironstone but I loved the brown cast, and the shape of this small milk pitcher. Faux flowers give it a spark of color and a bit of ribbon ties it all together.

I have a fantasy about being able to decorate a Thanksgiving table outside. Living in NE that is never going to be in the cards. The husband always has the deck buttoned up for winter by mid November. Everything is usually dead or asleep by Thanksgiving.

A simple brass PB lantern becomes the centerpiece with a few books, a small flower pot and a metal apple inside. Pottery Barn dishes picked up on clearance a few years ago and a few leaves from the yard complete the look. Love the dish towel and bottle of tea on the serving shelf! Oops!!!

This table was so much fun to do. For my Quester’s group State Days I gathered my antique traveling desk, writing accoutrement, a bottle complete with tax stamp and some domino’s, books and spy glass. No, no dishes on this one but there could be. This was the test run on the deck.

Using my Villeroy Boch Audun dishes with the Courtly Check Chargers always makes me smile. This would be a good one for Thanksgiving. Again a basically thrown together table with my collection of ironstone with advertising. The French tea towel underneath acts as the anchor.

I have loved using these dishes over the years.

Using some loose faux multi branch stems for a runner and fairy lights this table was full of magic. Incorporating PB plaid, Courtly Check, William Sonoma, and napkins I embroidered this was one of my favorites, full of new finds from our southern road trip and old favorites.

Chairs gathered from around the house although not a perfect look makes for comfort and good conversation.

And this is a perfect example of looking at all your surroundings before you snap the photo. This very artistic image has an open pantry door! Besides that, I used some antique transferware serving pieces as the centerpiece here.

This table I set in September for Florida’s birthday. An almost complete family dinner!

Loved this table I did for Christmas morning. A favorite hand crafted Santa by an artist in MN is center stage, layered on a PB table runner, Spode Christmas Tree dishes.

Owls and nordic trees round out the table.

Yes I have repeaters, lots and lots of repeaters. Those favorite things that almost always seem to end up in my table scapes just because the table doesn’t feel complete without them. But, for the most part, nothing is off limits for consideration.

My favorite type of table to set is a round table. I would much rather eat at a round table and I love all that vacant space in the middle, just screaming for me to fill it.

My current table in the kitchen is a very narrow rectangle. At 29″ doing much in the center is quite the challenge. I have learned that placemats don’t work, nor do bread and butter plates. This table is a perfect fit for my kitchen, and the advantage of pulling it out to seat 10 is a plus. Of course that means moving it into the living room because the kitchen can’t accommodate the stretch. I have also found that a pedestal can work well in the center because it leaves more surface space on the table itself and elevates the centerpiece.

This was Easter but changing out a few things could instantly change it to any Holiday event.

As you can tell I have a slight dish addiction. Not as bad as some. It has been so much fun to have such a selection to play with. I’ve always said accessories are just toys for grown ups and I am not afraid of pattern. Who says dishes need to be white! Think outside the box, and pull out that stuff that has been buried in your cupboard and enjoy it.

Have a wonderful Saturday prepping for the big Holiday.

Thanks for stopping

Shelley