Tablescape Thursday – Eggplant and Pumpkins

Again this week the tablescape is at the breakfast table in kitchen. The color scheme has deep hues to go along with the cooler weather we have been having here.

The table cover is a plaid in green, yellow, and red. Red quilted round placemats are set with white dinner plates, green cabbage plates and white pumpkin bowls. Yellow napkins and Towle stainless flatware complete the place settings.

The centerpiece includes a large white pumpkin covered serving bowl, a green ceramic candle holder, and a Fitz and Floyd Eggplant covered dish, set amid brown hydrangeas.

This post is linked to Tablescape Thursday. Please Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for links to many more table settings.and to join in this weekly blog event. I am also linking to Leigh's "Thrifty Thursday" at Tales From Bloggeritaville. Please visit her for links to all the participants.

This tablesetting also depended largely on bargains that I found in discount stores, local thrift stores, etc.
The round tablecloth cost $3.00, while the napkins and the place mats were 25 cents each at a local thrift store.

Wedgwood "Edme" Dinner plates – local thrift store - $3.25 for 3 dinner plates, 2 bread and butter plates along with one cream soup bowl and saucer.
Pinheiro Bordallo Cabbage Leaf Dessert Plates – TJ Maxx and Marshalls $7.99 each; Individual salad bowls – from TJ Maxx
Fostoria brown "Virginia" Goblets – Six for $5.00 at flea market Lenox "Summer Terrace" candle holder made in Portugal – Ebay Best Offer.
Towle "English Shell" Stainless flatware – From Ebay and Replacements Ltd. At very reasonable prices.
White pumpkin soup tureen and bowls – T.J. Maxx $5.99 each for small bowls.

Thanks for stopping by. I enjoy reading your comments.

Japanese Iris by Helen C. Read

For some time now I have subscribed to artist Helen C. Read’s email newsletters about her current paintings. She lives in Illinois and does her work out of The Studio Upstairs. She does lovely paintings of natural objects – still life studies of fruit, flowers, and other botanicals, which I find very pleasing.

In early summer I received a message with a free painting offer:
“For the first 12 of my studio friends to send me an email request, I will send your small print of a spring flower as a gift. It will be ready to mat and frame and hang as a reminder of spring's long awaited arrival this year! Please respond right away in order to be one of the first 12!”
I rushed to enter and was happy to receive the matted print soon after. I looked at my frames and found one that fit exactly:


Her bio states that she is a parent, high school teacher, artist, and writer. In addition, “she is an active member of her church and several small groups.”

For more information, and to see her beautiful and truly fabulous paintings please visit or write:

Website: http://www.helencread.com/
Email: studio_upstairs@hotmail.com
Blog: http://helenreads.blogspot.com/
Etsy shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/HelenCRead

Helen Read
The Studio Upstairs
PO Box 251 - Wheaton, IL 60187

Visit Cindy at My Romantic Home for links to other Show and Tell participants.

A Second Fall Tablescape (Loaded With Bargains!)

This week’s tablescape is set at the breakfast table in the kitchen. It has deeper fall hues than my table last week, and so is more fall-like. The table is covered with a deep golden yellow cloth. The dinner plate is Royal China "Wellesley", as is the bread and butter plate and fruit saucer. The saucer is brown Wood and Sons "Wellesley" but the cup is Wedgwood "Patrician."

I couldn’t remember where I put the matching "Wellesley" cups, so had to pinch hit on this. The Wood and Sons "Wellesley" cup is in the same stylized floral pattern as the plates which were made by an American company, Royal China Company, in Sebring, Ohio. Wood & Sons produce their wares in Burslem, England.

Next came the sunflower bowls from TJ Maxx

The flatware is Towle "English Shell" stainless, except for the dinner forks which have bone handles.

Putting the fruit saucer in the sunflower bowl gives a nice symmetrical look to the setting:

Off-white napkins with brown checks are placed in ceramic peach napkin rings along with fall leaves, which are also scattered around the table.

A spray of fall flowers from Michael’s is set in a pineapple pitcher. An English ceramic cottage container holds herb tea bags.

Around the cottage are tiny pumpkins as well as acorns from my yard.

The goblets are Fostoria "Virginia" in brown.

Here is the full place setting:

The table is set for two this fall day:

I swapped out the blue painting from the wall for this fall landscape from the living room:

The hues in the painting harmonizes with the colors of the tablescape:

Please visit Susan Susan at Between Naps on the Porchfor links to many more table settings.


I am also linking this post to Leigh's “Thrifty Thursday” at Tales From Bloggeritaville. Please visit her for links to more participants.

This tablesetting depended largely on wonderful bargains which I found in discount stores, local thrift stores, and an area flea market.

TJ Maxx & Marshalls provided:
The pineapple pitcher ($9.99), sunflower bowls ($2.99 each), ceramic napkin rings ($1.99 each)

At the flea market I found six of the “Virginia” goblets for $5. Total The four I had before were bought new for $39.99. So that purchase brought my holdings up to 10. I also spotted two of the “Wellesley” dinner plates for just $2.00, bringing my total to eight.

The English ceramic cottage container fell and broke so the dealer offered it to me at $1.00. A bit of glue restored the piece which had broken off the back.

The landscape picture was a few dollars at a local junk shop.

Thrift store finds on the table
The tablecloth for about $1.25; napkins 25 cents each, and bone handled forks, $3.00.

An after season sale at CVS Pharmacy yielded the fabric leaves I’ve strewn across the table.

Teacup and Tabletop Tuesday

Tea Cup Tuesday, co-hosted by Martha at Martha’s Favorites and Terri at Artful Affirmations.

As she does each week, in her current post Martha shared several very beautiful teacups. In describing them Martha usually lets us know the name of the handle design of the cup. One of this week’s selections is a Haviland Limoges pattern called "Autumn Leaf." As Martha noted, it has a ring handle, and is the only one in her collection. Martha asked if any else had a ring handle cup. So I took a look at my blue and white teacup collection and spotted a pale blue Limoges. I think this qualifies, Martha – what do you think?

It is solid blue inside with stylized white and blue flowers on the outside and on the saucer:

I made a little setting using the teacup and saucer with one of my tea books, Afternoon Teas: Recipes, History, Menus "A Between Friends Cookbook" by Pam McKee, Lin Webber and Ann Krum,

I also added a light blue rock crystal candle stick and candle. The candlestick was a gift from one of my sisters many years ago. The tablecloth is one of my favorite white embroidered in blue.

I am linking also to Table Top Tuesday hosted by Marty at A Stroll Thru Life .

Early Fall Family Table

We've come to another Tablescape Thursday, hosted by our talented Susan at Between Naps on the Porch. Each week she gathers a host of wonderful tablesettings for our continuing delight.


This is the first table I’ve done in months due to my illness from a small stoke on April 2, 2010. I am certainly glad to participate in Tablescape Thursday again.

I call this an early fall table because I need to break into fall gently. While I find it a beautiful time of year I am also uneasy with all the debris on my front steps, driveway, lawn,….every where. All those fallen leaves makes for lots of raking and for a rather messy appearance. So for this table setting I thought to avoid spreading leaves over this table as I’ve done on fall tables in the past. I also left off my acorn items, but will include them on another fall table. (Actually, I still have to take out all my fall decorations!)

A soft yellow cloth forms the background.

Plates, bowls, cups and saucers – Royal Worcester “Evesham” fruit pattern
Chargers – gold and silver lacquer

Goblets – RW “Evesham” & amber depression glass Indiana “Tiara”
Flatware – Mikasa “Estasi” – stainless edged in gold


The center piece began with three tall faux floral sprays, to which I added some dried hydrangeas from my garden.



Decorative accessories include an orange ceramic pitcher, Fitz and Floyd covered pumpkin on tray, Fitz and Floyd radish salt and pepper shakers, Italian ceramic squash and melon, gourd salt and peppers, and other fruit shapes. A covered amber glass candy dish from a consignment shop anchors another corner.

This view of the place setting shows the matching “Evesham” linen napkin under the forks:

The table hints of fall but not in a very exhuberant way. I trust you find it pleasing, nonetheless. I will do another fall table soon.




This post is also linked to Centerpiece Wednesday at Style Sisters.