Flirting with Fall & a Giveaway, 9.14

"First things first...We are truly blessed to have the means to set a pretty table and invite our friends to join us for good food and fellowship. I am mindful that many are not so fortunate. My daughter has a passion for the work of the Food Bank. As a singer-songwriter, she has written and recorded a song that is the anthem for the world wide Crop Hunger Walk project. Her song, "Raise Your Voice" is featured in their video. I've included a link in the side margin of my blog. I hope that it will encourage you to support projects in your community that contribute to the effort to overcome hunger.

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A few of my dear friends called today, so I invited them to drop by for an easy lunch from the fridge...chicken salad, tuna salad, egg salad, fresh strawberries, and cookies. Time for a 20 minute tablescape. I know it's Fall, but I'm only ready to flirt with Fall...not embrace it.

By the time Thanksgiving rolls around, I'm generally completely over pumpkins, gourds, and all the rest, so this tablecloth seemed to meet me right where I needed to be today. I wonder if this 90" round cloth might meet you in the right place, too? I've been editing my linen closets, and this beautiful cloth has lingered too long without being put to work. Therefore, I've decided that it's time for it to find a new home. Will it be yours? Make sure that you are a follower and leave a comment. If you'd like to go explore my archives and leave comments from older posts, you'll increase your chances to win in a random drawing. I'll draw the winner's name to be announced in my tablescape post next week.

I think that this is actually a great four seasons cloth.

Come a little closer...

Let's examine the elements of my tablescape design...

Once again, I've built off the gardener's philosophy....a good mix of greens will yield a pleasing gardenscape...

...no matchy matchy here!

Shall we dissect the stack?

An old standby, the Bordallo Pinheiro Cabbage Leaf charger plate provided my first shot of green...

...a nice blend of the florals in the cloth...I chose the Luneville Louis XV dinner plate to hold our lunch. Tip: Luneville Louis XV can usually be found for incredibly reasonable prices on eBay. I bought mine a few at a time, and it didn't take too long to collect them. They are regularly available.

...Successfully drawing the eye to the colors in the cloth, the Bordallo Pinheiro leaf salad plate was eventually used for our dessert. The Argent Sophia gold were found through Tuesday Morning and Horchow. Horchow still sells them online.

Thank you Italy and France...a continental stack.

The leaf green hemstitched napkin is caught in a ring of beaded fall leaves and berries. It's really a candle ring, but today it has a new job description!

Stemware for today was the Vietri Optic green goblet and the Bohemian orange wine goblet. Tip: If you're in the market for a new crystal goblet, the Vietri is reasonably priced and probably available in a gift store near you. It comes in a great assortment of colors. Check it out!