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Gotta love a table set with soap dishes, transferware, curtains & gift tags!

Only a few hours left to sign up for my GIVEAWAY from Sweet Cheeks bakery.  

Last weekend Shawn was making another our family's favorite meals (have you all noticed we have a LOT of favorite meals around here?) Well, I don't know why but I had it in my mind (this is pitiful) that what he was preparing would look better on a certain set of green Spode transferware plates I got in a couple of months  ago than our everyday brown transferware plates we use. I drove 8 miles out to our shop to get them, brought them home, washed them and well-ahh!
Grilled Chipotle Steak with Mango Salsa 
Delectable, delicioso, food frenzy, give me a fork...these thoughts cross my mind when I think of this meal he makes for us.  Why am I writing this post before dinner...on a night we're having Kraft macaroni and cheese? hmmm


You will have to come back tomorrow for the how to prepare this dish and recipe...you don't want to miss it because I talked Shawn into doing the post.  Forget about the hostess with the mostess...I'm giving you all the hoster with the moster!  You'll love his wit and charm and you'll love his cooking...I am confident.
Back to my story...I got the dishes home and then started playing around with some items Eileen at Simply Abundant sent me.  I mentioned this great online store just yesterday in my tea table post HERE and I'll say it again...the term abundant is by no means an understatement.  This shop carries somewhere in the neighborhood of 3500  items...table linens, napkins, lace, decorative items, LeCrueset, and the list goes on and on.  
I love playing dishes and wound up using these adorable little nest shaped soap dishes  as salsa bowls.  Yes, they really are soap dishes and there is a whole line of coordinating items for the bath...BUT... they are perfectly suited for food as they are clearly marked microwave and dishwasher safe on the back...and this line, called Serenity, has some other serving pieces to match.  It's such a pretty line of items in soft greens, subtle browns and Robins egg blue.    Maybe I should call it Soap Dish Salsa.  Maybe not.  Definitely not.
You have to admit, this looks good...and pretty.

As I mentioned, this tablescape began with playing around. I laid a single sagey-light olive jacquard window panel across the table leaving some of the wood showing on each side.  I then scrunched up a window sheer of blue with soft, whispy stripes of taupe, tan and beige across the panel.  I love scrunching up fabrics...scarves, curtains, dresses...you name it.  If you follow my blog you know I'm a layering type of gal when it comes to dressing a table. 

For my centerpiece I put a pretty blue and green chintz cake plate atop a clear glass compote and then added a soft green ivy intertwined around it and spreading out across either side of the table.  On top of the cake plate I displayed this Songbird pillar candle holder.  It's got a clear cracked glass jar which fits inside, and comes with the shabby, iron holder.  I added some white silk roses to one side and mesh wired songbird tea light holders below.  Both of these came from Simply Abundant.



At either side of the centerpiece I placed two good sized, ivy topiaries in chippy white planters with white roses around the base.

The napkin rings are from Simply Abundants Songbird line and match the pillar holder perfectly.
If you like these bird themed items check out the Songbird line because there is a really adorable matching lamp and an irrestible wine caddy.   


 

My green transferware Spode plates are available HERE.  They are vintage with a Copeland Spode mark and have such a pretty, Jacobean floral toile.  I really was tempted to keep these...I say that a lot too...but I mean it when I say it.  Wait, I did keep one...just for display.  These are lovely and would be beautiful with so many other colors.

This next thing I did is one of my favorite favorites!  I got these ever so precious, Frenchy gift tags at Craft Zany, an Etsy shop that sells hand made paper goods at unbelievable prices and quality.  These little gift tags have three dimensional, itsy bitsy teensy tiny bird nests filled with eggs.  I chose to use them here as wine glass charms.  You can write a name on them or personalize any way you want.  Aren't they the cutest thing ever?  I'm getting tons of them to use as price tags in my shop on some of the furnishings.  Jenn makes and sells the little egg filled bird nests by the dozen (without the tags) so you can use them in lots of other craft projects.





I can't forget to show you all this...this is the bird nest dip bowl and spreader in the Serenity series at Simply Abundant.  I almost forgot to show it to you...I used it as a butter dish for the bread....the bread I meant to serve and, oopsie daisy,  forgot all about.  Oh well, it was some pretty butter and the rest of the meal was wonderful.




Hope you all enjoyed this and get some good ideas.  Think outside the box when it comes to decorating and  setting your tables...I've got soap dishes, curtains and gift tags on this table.  Happy table~scaping!

For more tablescaping ideas see my other posts and these lovely ladies with whom I link up to.  Join in the fun!
Marty at A Stroll Through Life
Vintage Alphabet Party at Etsy Cottage Style
Hodge Podge Friday at It's a Hodge Podge Life
Colorado Lady for Vintage Thingies Thursday
and to Smiling Sally for Blue Monday





Those who dream by day are cognizant of many things that escape those who dream only at night.
~Edgar Allen Poe~



Comments

  1. lovely table, and of course, Love all of those great dishes!! Love the color, green. Have a great VTT!

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  2. Nancy, there isn't anything here I DON'T love, but I love, love, love those soap dishes!! What a fabulous idea! Now you've got my wheel spinning (this could be dangerous)! Come visit us- we're doing our very first Giveaway and we're SO excited.
    xoxo Pattie

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  3. Nancy, What a beautiful table and the food looks delicious. Love the new plates and all the little birds scattered around. Thanks for the info on the adorable bird nest tags. I am headed over there now.
    Hugs,
    Sherry

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  4. You had me at the birds nest tags! I think they are just the best! What a great idea. Thanks for stopping by and commenting on my blog, enjoyed having you. Have a wonderful week!

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  5. This is absolutely fabulous! I love the lush, luxurious look you have achieved with the fabric. Love all of it, just beautiful!!

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  6. Nancy~Breathtaking as always! I just love the salad plate that you used and that plate full of food looks delicious!!
    Fondly,
    Ann
    @
    The Tattered Tassel

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  7. Lovely lovely bird=themed table. I love the candleholders and the napkin rings in particular.

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  8. What a gorgeous table setting. Love the little bluebird dish, and the tea light birdies!

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  9. Another breathtaking table setting! The little birds are just too cute :o)

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  10. Hi Nancy,
    Its a lovely table as always. I love how you get always the perfect match of table runners and transferware. The center pieces are gorgeous and so are all the cute birds.
    Very nice.
    Greetings, Johanna

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  11. Hi Nancy, my first comment didnt work. So again: I love how you combine always the perfect matching tablecloth/napkins to your transferware. It looks so nice. I love also the birds on the table in any shape. Very nice table as always.
    Greetings, Johanna

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  12. The food makes me hungry now ^_^. Great pieces of dishes, love looking at them. Happy weekend!

    VTT~Old Book

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  13. I love the way the Grilled Chipotle Steak with Mango Salsa looks on your plate. I can see why you wanted to use green dishes instead of brown.

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  14. Nancy, your table is so elegant. I love the centerpiece you created and the two topiaries on either side. The design and color of you transferware is gorgeous!

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  15. Such lovely layering! You really know how to put things together to create a pleasing whole! Those soap dishes are wonderful -- and you've given us new ideas about where to look for tableware! That Spode green transferware is just stunning!

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  16. I wish you could decorate my tablescape, yours is so beautiful.
    Kelly Bookend Diaries

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  17. Exquisite! Layers upon layers of lovely color and elegant treasures. This was just a joy to see!

    Love,
    Sue

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  18. How lovely. I especially like the candle holders and the napkin rings.

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  19. This is so beautiful and creative Nancy, and I understand why you drove 8 miles to pick up the lovely green Spode. It is absolutely perfect for the setting; and the presentation of your delicious meal looks heavenly served on it! You, my friend, are the queen of thinking outside the box and you inspire me greatly with every single post and tablescape you design! And what an amazing hubby you have also! ♥

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  20. Everything on your table is so lovely. I am green over your collection of transferware. I have collected quite a lot, but I always go for the super cheap pieces. I just can't afford the really nice stuff.

    Anyway, thanks for your compliments on my blog and sheet music table. I think using copies of your grandmother's sheet music on a piece would be a wonderful idea. There's a song my grandmother always use to sing to me and I've been thinking about copying the sheet music for that song and making using it on a piece.

    Thanks for adding my blog to your side bar. I just grabbed your button. :)

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  21. Nancy, love your table and I love the green plates too. It must be hard to sell your dishware! Joni

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  22. Everything is so lovely! I adore anything with birdies, make my heart go pitter pat!

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  23. Nancy, those dishes are beautiful...green is my favorite color, but to put it with blue just makes my heart beat a little faster. I think it is great to re-purpose the soap dishes and use them for salsa.
    I so enjoy seeing your fabulous collection of transferware...thank you so much for sharing.

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  24. Such a lovely table. Happy VTT..

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  25. Nancy, Your tablescapes are truly amazing!!! I put them right up there with our hostess Susan, Julio, and Bill! Consider that a very big compliment! And go visit those folks if you haven't had the chance. Julio is at http://beauxmondesdesigns.blogspot.com and Bill at http://affordableaccoutrements.blogspot.com.
    :-) Beth

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  26. Just beautiful Nancy!

    Love,
    Susan and Bentley
    xxoo

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  27. So original and unique - your style is so interesting (in a good way). I would love to be a fly on the wall when you are doing your layering!

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  28. Beautiful table! and you were so right...the steak and mango chutney look wonderful on the green transfer ware!

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  29. Hi Nancy! Love the blue and green!
    Very pretty!

    ~Liz

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  30. Everything is so lovely, but I have to say that it is the simple bird's nest tags that I really love. So sweet.

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  31. again, I am awed with your table setting! beautifully done! awesome..

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  32. I can see why you had to jump in the car and go get those plates! They really make that table grand, and I love the bird theme that you used too. It all looks so calming and tranquil, not overwhelming in any way, like some tablesettings can be. Just lovely!
    Happy VTT!
    Carol

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  33. Nancy,
    Goodness! What a truly amazing table!! It took my breath away!
    Debbie

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  34. You sure have beautiful items in your tablescapes! I love the layering effect and design work. It is a pretty and softly glowing table. Joan

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  35. A beautiful assemblage of interesting objects makes this table setting delightful!

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  36. That food looks yummy. Your tables are always SO gorgeous. Thanks for sharing this on Favorite THings Friday this week!

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  37. Welcome to the Vintage Alphabet Party! But, I'm Green with envy over those vintage Green Glasses and Green transferware.

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