A Matisse inspired table setting

I was playing around with table settings and my new tablecloth and was reminded of the Fauvist style work by Matisse.

The Metropolitan Museum of art defines Fauvism as "Fauvism was the first of the avant-garde movements that flourished in France in the early years of the twentieth century. The Fauve painters were the first to break with Impressionism as well as with older, traditional methods of perception. Their spontaneous, often subjective response to nature was expressed in bold, undisguised brushstrokes and high-keyed, vibrant colors directly from the tube"

This table setting is my nod to Matisse. I am loving the cheerful colors and I just don't care that its not autunmal or Puritanical but then neither am I.

 

Who is inspiring your Thanksgiving table?

Festivities, etc.

Panic has subsided and things are getting done. My father's early arrival has become quite the joke, even his wife thought they were leaving a day later.

We are having two surprise guests, surprises to my Dad and Stepmom, but that means tables cannot be entirely set. Ack!

Here is a quick roundup of my DIYs. So easy!

I got these nutcracker place card holders at Target last year after Xmas. They say 2011 on the base. Is that a ridiculous way to try to get folks to buy a new set each year?

Krylon gold leaf pen to the rescue!

I seriously just crossed it out with a fat swipe of the gold leaf pen.

  

With that done, I folded napkins that were crisply ironed. As you can see, I have not yet ironed the table cloth. It is one of those things that makes me nuts and I will probably wake up at 5 am , like I have been, worrying about having the time to do it.

Since the plates are a "Willow" pattern, I wanted to echo the Chinoiserie theme just a bit. I had tons of this Greek key ribbon and decided to make these napkin rings.

I made sure the wrong side was out and measured my length, the stapled twice. 

Turn it right side out, seam in and...

slide it over the napkin.

These napkins were monogrammed by hand by my great-grandmother, Jeanne Camille D'escazos.  She grew up in a convent in Paris and was taught by the nuns to sew and sew well.

It is a "B" and "D" for Banigan and D'escazos (her father was Mexican). It is beautiful work.  I wish these sorts of monograms were more widely available today.

This is all I have of my Xmas table, late on Sunday night. Perhaps I'll give y'all the full Monty on Christmas day but no promises. 

Here is my big reveal that has been in the works.

"Rave" by Kerry Steele

This is my latest painting, "Rave" I intend to keep it but one person expressed an interest in having it so who knows. I just wanted a huge painting in that room. It adjoins my dining room so many of us will be staring at it during Christmas dinner.

Random question-Does "Its a wonderful life" make you cry or at least tear up?

 The older I get the harder I cry each time.

Shortcuts for sanity

This week my Mother in-law and her girlfriend came to visit for a day before departing for a beach getaway. Last night, they returned for another night before heading back to Pennsylvania.

Our steady stream of visitors has made us pros at feeding our guests in a manner that impresses them every time and keeps us from going insane.

The menus are decadent but super easy. Monday was filet mignon with bearnaise butter and pasta with shallot, thyme and truffle butter and a baby green salad. All of the gourmet butters were purchased at Wegman's grocery. If you do not have a Wegman's grocery near you, move.

Since there were 8 for dinner the grown-ups and the wee one ate in the formal dining room and we left the teens to the kitchen table. I chose my grandmother's Metlox California Ivy plates because they are a bit festive but also dishwasher safe. This pattern and others like it are widely available on eBay.

I used antique linen napkins, napkin rings, and silver.

The napkings were not pressed and starched so the collection of mismatched antique napkins rings solved that problem and lent a more casual feeling to the table.

Thursday night's menu was salmon stuffed with creamy lobster and roasted red pepper dip (another Wegman's purchase) so I used my fish knives which are also mismatched.

The table is slightly unfussy but a step above the everyday and the menu is secretly idiot proof but our guests always think we have gone out of our way to do something fancy. Win-win.

50 shades of green

Queen's green or Princess green china

Nothing titillating here. I have been wondering why I have so much green china and just bought more. I don't like green all that much unless it is in plant form.

Several years ago I bought this Varages French Country set of plates at a yard sale. I was majorly into French country style at the time but it has a lot of green.

I haven't seen this since I packed it up 2 1/2 years ago for my kids when they move out

The reason is that I inherited all this china.

I love the Princess green formal china ( first photo) that my great-grandmother received for her 1920 wedding mostly because it is simple and because I already have it.

Metlox California Ivy

My grandmother used this more casual California Ivy pattern for both holidays and less formal family dinners. It has grown on me. Sorry, I love a silly pun.

I have her dinner and salad plates along with a few serving pieces. 

I recently saw some at my local Salvation Army store and though it was overpriced until I got home and checked out what was on eBay and realized that it is a mid-century collectible.

I search on eBay every so often just to see what is out there.

 Last week, I got these pieces for $40.. a steal!

I have a few of the platters but was thrilled to get the pitcher and that darling little divided dish in the center. I actually use the pieces that I have but never seem to have enough serving pieces.

Now I do even if it is green.

In my next life I think I want this...

Mottahedeh Tobacco Leaf

it makes me weak kneed. It might even work with the Princess Green china.
 I wouldn't kick this out of the dining room either.

Motttahedeh Red Dragon

Do you like your china? What pattern is it?

On the menu...

This year I decided not to mix different china patterns, well not exactly. The china is both Queen's green and Princess green china that my great-grandmother got as wedding gifts in 1920.

The silver place setting is Gorham's Fairfax pattern and also a gift to my great grandparents for their wedding.

I did mix metals. I have brass candlesticks and centerpiece, gold rimmed plates, silverware, and pewter Jefferson cups. I think that incorporates most metals that are available for the table.

I left out crystal this year because I am using a tablecloth and will have a very excited two and a half year-old at the table.

The pewter Jefferson cups are fine for little ones and I doubt wine will be a big part of our dinner.

The first course will be a ginger spiced apple granita in martini glasses. Each person has a different tiny spoon to use for this course.

 I also chose a casual fold for the napkins.

The only incomplete place setting is for the little one. She gets a toy soldier spoon, a fork, and an antique spoon with her very antique sounding name engraved on the handle.

Next will will be eating a salad composee with shallot balsamic viniagrette. I am looking forward to this course. I will be using baby lettuces, tiny olives nicoise, hearts of palm. beets, and feta cheese. Yum.

After that we move on to a roast of beef tenderloin, sweet potatoes caramel, and wild rice.

Cheesecake is for dessert.

After dinner I will "do the dishes" while everyone else goes out to look for Santa. They always miss Santa and arrive home to find their presents under the tree and stockings brimming with goodies.

What are your unique Christmas traditions?

Waste not, want not

My dining table

As you can see, I am not quite finished with my Christmas table yet.

I can tell you that I was fretting a little about a centerpiece.

The footed brass compote has found a permanent home on the table and I wanted to keep it there but its size meant that it would require a lot of flowers to fill.

It is just my husband and three kids here this year and while it sounds kinda stingy, I just didn't want to spend $50 on flowers for the table.

Into the compote went an upside down cereal bowl to elevate the pineapple and a bag each of small lemons and key limes.
I added a few sprigs from the shrubs out front and, Voila!

Less than $10 and none will be wasted. 

I will juice and freeze the lemons and key limes in amounts of one tablespoon in ice trays and of course we will eat the pineapple.

The holiday kid's table

Next year I may be the Christmas host once again.
Yay.

There will have to be a separate children and teen's table because it looks like there will be at least 11.

I am already mulling over the options for table decor.

I think green napkins with dinosaurs HERE will be kid pleasers and work with seasonal colors.

I don't think melamine plates are necessary as my kids tend not to toss their dinners across the room but the variety of adorable and inexpensive options is huge.

These cuties are available HERE

I think this vintage tablecloth is adorable and would be great but not with the dino napkins. It is one or the other. I would probably use a plain white cloth with the special napkins if only for it's bleach-ability.

These candy centerpieces would be a delight although perhaps a distraction from "real" food.

 I think a stack of "presents" would work too.
Since the little kids will be ages 3 through 10,  I'll need to figure out a fun little activity for the teenagers to help with and kill a little time.

I have all year to pull together my ideas!

Christmas table setting

via Pinterest

Having missed out on setting a Thanksgiving table, I am pondering my Christmas table with excitement.

I think this year I will use different china than usual. Here are my choices.

Last year I used my grandmother's California Ivy. It has the right green for a Christmas-ey feel but it is also rather casual.

I was originally thinking of combining it with my great grandmother's Queen's Green and Princess Green, two very similar sets with the Ivy.

I think I want a richer palette.

I have four of these Wedgewood Cow plates...

interestingly in my lazy effort at photos for the post I grabbed this image from Replacements.com and noted the selling price of $209 per plate. Yikes!

I would like to get clear glass plates to actually put food on and use the cow plates as a charger of sorts.

This is another antique set I have but only salad and bread plates, perfect for the top layer.

I will use my formal silver and white linen napkins. 

I can't decide whether to use my Jefferson cups for water as usual or group them with flowers for a centerpiece.

As for the tablecloth, I am considering buying a plain white cloth and using my wooden stamp to stamp the design in blue. I think repeating the colors from the china with a different ethnic vibe could work nicely.

What do you think?

You'll have to wait 'til Christmas to see what I actually do and it could change by then. I am not exactly the most decisive person on Earth.