Saying Good-Bye To Winter Rustic Tablescape

With Spring just days away and all of us being just sick to death with this winter we have been dealing with, I set a table specifically to say Buh-Bye to Old Man Winter!

I had purchased these plates off of Craiglist last year. 

I love how they look like they are cross-stitched. And the deer in the center of the salad plate is...well..dear! I know I could have used them during the Christmas season, and they would have been perfect, but I saw them more as winter dishes.

They came as a set of four dinner and four salad plates. 

I could have played off of the blue but I decided to use the light touches of green in the plates for some of the accessories, like the napkins and the green ball jars.

I had picked up the wooden coasters at World Market over the holidays.

The birch wrapped candles were an after Christmas clearance find.

And that sweet moose tooshy you see above?  

My mother-in-law, Linda, saw it at Lowes and bought it for me for my birthday.

The cute yellow butterfly on his antler surely means Spring IS coming!

Speaking of birthday gifts and antlers, my dear friend Christine that blogs over at Rustic And Refined knew I had fallen in love with her use of antlers and sent me a beautiful basket filled with burlap, purple mesh and 4 antlers of my very own! 

I scrunched up the burlap into a runner for the center of the table and also used some to wrap around a candle in the lantern for the centerpiece.

I then lovingly placed the antlers here and there around the lantern.

Thank you so much Christine!  Look at me!  I'm all Rustic and Refined now too!

Now that I have set the table to say good-bye to winter, I can't wait to set the next tablescape, Hello Spring!!

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AND

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Winter Warmth Table

We woke up to snow yesterday!  
Not really that unusual when you consider we live in Colorado but, 
last week the temps were near the 70s!
So, today is cold and, I decided to set a table to convey some warmth.

I started with a wool red and black checked stadium blanket as the tablecloth.

Next came a burlap placemat.

I purchased the dishes some time ago online from Boscovs. 
They were clearanced at some ridiculous low price for the 8 piece set.  
The pinecone motif became my theme for the table.

My friend Cuisine Kathleen has the same set of flatware from World Market.
Mine were a stocking stuffer from Santa. 

As were the embroidered napkins.

The goblets are one of my very favorite thrift store finds! 
I got 6 of them for $3.00. They are etched with pinecones and pine needles.

For the centerpiece, I used another thrift store find. 
A worn wooden basket with handpainted pinecones and greens.
I loaded it with some pinecones from Mr. B's parents yard,
as well as a few red pinecones I had in my craft stash and added a tall candle for height.

So pretty with the goblets don't you think? Rustic and elegant on the same table.

On each side of the wooden basket are birch votive holders.
These are very special to me.
My oldest son made these, and many more, 
for the tables at his and his beautiful bride's wedding reception. 
They very sweetly sent me some to use on my tables.

More pinecones were used to hold name cards. 
I left them blank so that I can add your name should you decide to join us for dinner.

Supper will be warm and hearty beef stew, rustic homemade bread, salad and bread pudding topped with cream for dessert.
And let's not forget,

I always share my tables with 

Kathleen at Let's Dish at Cuisine Kathleen 

Susan at Between Naps On The Porch Tablescape Thursday

and

Marty at A Stroll Thru Life Table Top Tuesday

Click here to see where else I may be partying this week.

AND
Don't forget to come by on Tuesday's

for my link party.

Winter Gray

The holidays are over.  All of the festive decorations have been put away for another year. The house is clean and organized, sort of. I am already counting the days until I can be out working in my gardens.  Only one thing is in my way. Winter!  Old.Man.Winter. Even though Denver claims over 360 days of sunshine we can still expect bitter cold temperatures and gray days for the next few months. We won't see our front lawn until late March or April.

It was knowing this that led me to set this table. 

I had purchased this set of china on the last day of an estate sale. It was marked $85.00 but, as everything was half off,  I wound up only paying $42.50.!  It is a service for 12 and also includes various serving bowls. Of course, I didn't set the table for 12!  The most I have ever seated at our table is six.  Today it is set for four.

I started with a black charger then a dinner plate and a bowl from the set. The flatware is a gift from Mr. B.  I also used the coffee cup and saucer and salad plate from the set.  The stemware is my go-to Godinger Shannon crystal. The napkins were purchased online from Boscovs.  Their clearance section is awesome!! The napkins rings were a stocking stuffer from Santa.

The crocheted runner is a gift from Mr. B's mother.  She picked it out for me when Grandma passed away last summer.  It always sat on Grandma's magazine stand.  I cherish it greatly! It truly is a precious gift.

The candles are a bit of me being crafty.  I have seen sweater candles all over blogland and decided to try my hand at it.  I had a sweater that I really liked the look of but it was one of those that shed like crazy!  

I simple cut the sleeves off and hot glued them over vases from Dollar Tree.  The gray worked perfectly with the wispy flowers on the plates.

The wooden basket was a thrift store find from last spring.  I believe I paid a dollar for it.  I filled it with some pine cones and moss, again from Dollar Tree.  The pop of red is unexpected and lends just a touch of color to the table.

 The covered butter dishes are from Ross.

 I thought my Candlewick cream and sugar looked nice with this table.

 You can tell how drab it is outside.  Gray skies. Gray table.

And now, the Candy shot

I've had people ask how this particular shot is achieved.  I will now reveal my secret weapon:

 

Six foot tall Mr. B stands on a chair and leans above the table and takes the candy shot for me. No ladder, no zip lines.  Just a tall Mr. B on a chair! Now you know :)

For now, I will enjoy this table as it is a reminder to me that gray skies make me slow down a bit.  Snuggle up on the couch with Max and Mr. B. Rest up for the upcoming Spring season when all things bright emerge and lighten our spirits.