Dining Delight

Tablescapes of Love

2012-02-14T14:36:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day! Hope you have plans to spend some time appreciating those you LOVE today. Here is a look back at some Valentine Tablescapes from the last few years. Sometimes, there was just Mr. Delight and I and other times, we had a whole gang over to celebrate the special day.

If you'd like to see more of this post, click HERE

Hope you have your table all set for romance tonight!

I'll be linking to these wonderful blog parties...

Tabletop Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life
Wow Us Wednesday at Savy Southern Style
Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch.
Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home
Seasonal Sundays at The Tablescaper

Valentine Decor 2012

2012-02-05T19:41:00.000-08:00

Again, I'm venturing away from "the table", to show you some of the Valentine decorations I've put out around our home.

On the stereo cabinet, I've placed pussy willow branches (from last year) with some dangling heart pendants and snowflakes. I like to combine a winter look with the Valentine theme.

Another example of embracing the seasons is displayed in this vignette of snowflake picks and Valentine pendants as a backdrop for the three crystal trees placed on a mirror with a snowflake tealight holder.

This is the full view of that table with lamp and a trio of votive holders and a red heart-shaped tealight holder.

Mr. and Mrs. Snowman show their appreciation of the winter season.

On the kitchen island, I've created a display of an apothecary jar filled with faux ice and Valentine wire garland (with "cling-on" V's sticker), a crystal tealight lamp and crystal votive holder placed on a lace placemat.

In another nook on the kitchen counters, you'll find faux red tulips with pearl picks, an apothecary jar filled with faux pearls and heart pick beside my handy stack of appetizer plates.

One of my Christmas plates serves double duty as I thought this red "dove" plate coordinated well with these glass containers filled with faux ice and red hearts.

In the bathroom, these pink beaded hearts go well with the raspberry coloured counters

(Just had to remove these decorations as BR is currently under renovation by Mr. Delight - yeah!).

A trio of cylinder vases with inserts are filled with coloured beads, pink hearts and little faux flower buds.

This metal stand holds towels, vintage looking water pitcher and some Valentine touches.

Thanks for stopping by. Please check out these other fantastic blog parties!

Tabletop Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life
Wow Us Wednesday at Savy Southern Style
Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home
Seasonal Sundays at The Tablescaper

Valentine Mantel 2012

2012-01-30T19:12:00.000-08:00

Occasionally, I like to move away from the "dining" aspect of "Dining Delight" and show you some other areas of my home that I have decorated. In this post, I'm showing you my Valentine Mantel-scape. While this is not a tablescape, you may be able to draw inspiration from these decorations to use in other ways.

Here is the full view but let me take you through the details...

Two white pillar candles are aglow on top of glass candleholders.

(Tip: use different sized pillar candles to fool the eye into thinking the holders vary in height)

White mini-lights are hidden behind a red feather boa and a LOVE sign is placed in front.

I "stuffed" white mini-lights into two of these red heart shaped vases (bought at an antique store) and topped them with a faux gold-trimmed rose and white ribbon.

(The cord for the lights comes out the back and connects to other lights on mantel)

A black vase is filled with faux gold leaves which coordinate with the ones over the mirror.

I got this great "feather coated" heart at a local florist/gift shop and hung it on the mirror.

Put them altogether and this is what you get!

Have you started decorating for Valentine's Day yet? In my next post, I'll show you some other V's day decor around my home. In the meantime, be sure to check out these other wonderful blogs for more inspiration.

Valentine Centerpieces

2012-01-21T09:11:00.000-08:00

Here are a few different Valentine themed centerpieces I did up for various tables last year but never got posted. Hope they provide a little inspiration for you while you decorate for the "LOVE" season!

A hurricane with a "lift" inside for a pillar candle (Partylite) is decorated with vinyl "cling-ons" and placed in a red berry wreath (from Christmas decor).

Same red berry wreath placed around a trio of cylinder vases with inserts. Inside the vases are faux pearls in the bottom with wire Valentine garland twisted inside. Red beads and a tealight fill the glass inserts.

A large glass vase is filled with cinnamon heart candies and a white pillar placed inside. A heart vinyl "cling-on" makes the vase go with the theme. Accompanying hurricanes are filled with faux snow and a votive holder/votive.

A trio of cylinder vases with inserts is given a romantic look with a feather boa wrapped aound the mirror base and a wintery look with faux snow and ice inside. Wire Valentine garland is twisted inside and red glass hearts are scattered around.

Thanks for visiting! Check out these wonderful blogs for more terrific ideas to create a LOVE nest for Valentine's Day.

Snowflakes & Ice

2012-01-14T17:08:00.000-08:00

As someone who enjoys winter, it is fun to explore the various tablescape options this season offers.

Here is the inspiration for this icy looking tablescape I recently created....
Glass Blocks
(which you can buy at most hardware stores)

By stacking two and adding some snowflake decorations to both sides with faux ice chunks on top, I acheived the icy/snowy look I was after.

These were placed on an ordinary dressing mirror used as a "runner" down the middle of the table.

Next, I added two other glass blocks on each side of the centerpiece and topped those with snowflake decorations and my icy glass trees.

Beside each of these glass blocks, I placed an acrylic reindeer (recently received for Christmas!)

Although I love the look of white on white for winter tablescapes, for this one, I went with a frosty teal tablecloth as a background and added a few other teal coloured bowls, ornaments and ribbons.

Here's another gift I received for Christmas from Mr. Delight - snowflake napkin rings. I love the sparkly icy look of them!

For placecard holders, I filled these beautiful teal dessert bowls (bday gift from my daughter) with faux snow and a snowflake.

White placemat, silver charger, white dinner plate, and glass salad plate topped by the teal placecard holders complete the dishware ensemble for each place setting.

Stemware includes a clear white wine and a red wine glass.

And here's how it all looks together

The weather outside matched the icy depiction on the table.

Of course, our Christmas decorations are still up! Yep! Enjoying them to the fullest!

While the icy look is great in daylight, I think it gets even better after dark!

I added a string of battery-operated white LED lights along the centerpiece which created a lovely glow.

The lights added to the icy look down the center of the table and created a contrast between it and the place settings.

An "Icy Christmas" look with a frosty table and snowflakes hung from the chandelier.

Thanks for stopping by. Hope you aren't chilled to the bone from viewing this icy tablescape! Maybe clicking over to these other fabulous blog parties this week will warm you up!
Tabletop Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life
Wow Us Wednesday at Savy Southern Style
Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch.
Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home
Seasonal Sundays at The Tablescaper

There's TWELVE Days of Christmas!

2012-01-03T15:39:00.000-08:00

It seems I always have a similar post at this time of year and here I go again.
I feel sad when I read blogs right now! So many bloggers who LOVE to decorate for Christmas have ALREADY taken down their decorations!

The season of Christmas is TWELVE days long beginning on Christmas Day
and ending with Epiphany on January 6th.

You know the song "A Partridge in a Pear Tree/Twelve
Days of Christmas", well here's a look at TWELVE of my Christmas tablescapes from years gone by.

I will admit that I was once amongst those who always packed away Christmas early (always by January 2nd)

Mr. Delight was the one who made me realize I was doing it way too early and there was no need to rush the season.

I am so thankful he did!

There is so much to do before Christmas Day that one rarely gets the chance to truly relax and

enjoy the decorations.

The lights around the house help make the early part of January so much more bearable.

When I came home from work today, I put on some Christmas music and lit some candles.

It is the perfect time to relax and reflect on the meaning of Christmas.

Extending the season also allows for more time to entertain and not have the festivities crammed into so few days.

With the decor still readily available, you can do numerous tablescapes, even planning one for next year!

I'll make a confession here....we leave our decorations up well PAST January 6th!

I hope I've convinced you not to feel like those Christmas decorations must come down so soon. Relax and enjoy the fruits of your labours!

I'll be linking this post to these fabulous blogs:

Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch.
Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home
Seasonal Sundays at The Tablescaper

A Look Back at 2011

2011-12-31T10:03:00.000-08:00

With the New Year almost upon us, I like to look back on some of the different tablescapes I've created over the past year. Here is a month by month view of some 2011 designs.
Click on each picture to see the
corresponding post

JANUARY

FEBRUARY

MARCH

APRIL

MAY

JUNE

JULY

AUGUST

SEPTEMBER

OCTOBER

NOVEMBER

DECEMBER

Thank you for your many visits and kind comments throughout 2011. I wish you a very Happy New Year and hope you'll check back in whenever you have the time!

I'll be linking this post to these fabulous blogs:
Tabletop Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life
Wow Us Wednesday at Savy Southern Style
Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch.
Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home
Seasonal Sundays at The Tablescaper

Winter White and Christmas Silver

2011-12-03T10:46:00.000-08:00

A few weeks back, I traveled to visit my daughter and was thrilled that while I was there, she and her fiance decided to decorate for Christmas. Of course, that meant I was able to help her with an idea she had for her seasonal tablescape. Now, she isn't near into the table designing that her mom is but she did have the idea/basis for a centerpiece and some colours in mind. We went from there and this is what we came up with....

It started with the three white bowls she had bought at HomeSense at Thanksgiving and used like this then...

(Click HERE to see more of her Thanksgiving table)

...and this is how we filled them for a Christmas/Winter look (more on these later)

After a shopping trip to a few stores, we rounded up other items for the table...

Silver reindeer from Canadian Superstore

White Candle Christmas Trees from HomeSense

(cut the wicks off as they are too nice to burn!)

She already had the stemware.

Glittered Pine Cones from Michael's

(I'm sure you crafty people could make these!)

Pearl and Silver Ball Garland from HomeSense placed along the length of the table.

The silver "cone" trees are from Walmart. They light up but turn a garish blue, red and green when lit so we opted to have them "off".

Silver votive holders are from HomeSense.

Small glass snowflake placecard holders are from London Drugs.

Silver Chargers from London Drugs, Tablecloth and Runner from HomeSense and Napkins from Canadian Superstore. She already had the gorgeous snowflake napkin rings which were a previous gift from her "mother-in-law-to-be".

White Bowls from HomeSense were filled with silver balls, bits of faux greenery, glittered pine cones, and faux silver "twigs"(Michael's)cut into pieces.

Love how it all came together for a frosty Christmas look!

My daughter does not have the dish ~~obsession~~ collection that her mother has but her everyday square white plates and cutlery worked perfectly!

It was so much fun "playing" with my daughter while we shopped for and created this tablescape! Special thanks to her for humoring me - I know she really isn't into it - but am happy she and her fiance seemed pleased with the result!

I must say though, it all started with HER terrific idea to use these three of these white bowls from HomeSense...

...maybe "it" is in her genes somewhere!

Christmas for the Birds

2011-11-21T23:17:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving to all my American friends! My hats off to you as I don't know how you can do the preps for this significant holiday as well as Christmas in such a short time. Here in Canada, having celebrated our Thanksgiving in October, we have it easy compared to you! Hope you enjoy the fruits of your labours!

Here is a look at a Christmas tablescape I created that is literally "For The Birds".

Birdette welcomes you to the home she shares with her brother and sister.

They have decorated their place for the season.

What respectable birdcage would be without a tree and some presents at this time of year?

The "yard" around their home is landscaped beautifully with green shrubs and red berries.

They even have a view of a tall decorated tree in the distance.

Would you care to join Birdette and her siblings for a meal?

A Christmas place setting awaits and a friend of the family is ready to greet you.

Christmas dishes have been chosen in your honour...

and topped with various patterned red plates. Your choice of a snowflake one,

a gingerbread man/woman one,

a dove one or

a Christmas tree one

To sip your nectar, two glasses have been provided.

More birdie friends have flown in for the occasion.

So glad they could join in the fun!

I hope you can stay the night as it is dark now...

and getting late...

Before you turn in though, Birdette says "Merry Christmas to All....

Thanks for stopping by. Hope you have as much fun with your Christmas decorating as I did creating this tablescape "for the birds"!

I'll be linking this post to
Tabletop Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life
Wow Us Wednesday at Savy Southern Style
Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch.
Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home
Seasonal Sundays at The Tablescaper
Holiday Table Decor at The Lettered Cottage

A Repeat of An Easy Centerpiece Idea/Fall Dinner Party

2011-11-05T14:19:00.000-07:00

While browsing through some of my fall tablescape posts from 2010, I came across one that included a simple yet effective centerpiece for a last minute dinner party so thought I'd share it with you again in case you have a similar situation coming up. And it will also allow me to join in with Chari's Sunday Favorites at Happy to Design as well as Seasonal Sundays at The Tablescaper.

Original Post is from November 10, 2010
This past Sunday, we decided to host an impromptu dinner party for eight. We were able to round up three other couples on short notice and set to work cooking! Fortunately, I had already been "designing" a tablescape earlier in the week and it was pretty much ready to go!

This is how the idea for my tablescape started. I ran across two of these glass/metal votive candleholders on clearance ($4.00 each) at a local Fields Store. I thought they had possibilities.

Using items I already had, I rounded up some fall leaf garland and a swag as well as some very large faux acorns and a few glitter pumpkins.

I tucked and wove the garland and swag around the metal of the candle holders and laid the pumpkins and acorns in the 'bare" spaces. Added 10 Partylite votives and lit them up. Voila! - an easy, inexpensive but striking centerpiece for a fall table.

My other recent purchase was eight of these leaf shaped bowls from Walmart.

These bowls were set atop gold rimmed white salad plates and orange dinner plates layered on brown wicker-look chargers.

(all items I've had for a long time)

Placecard holders are new from a home party by Everyday Style.

The complete place setting with a mini faux pumpkin in leaf bowl.

The finished tablescape just before guests arrived.

We must have been organized to be able to have time to take pictures before the guests arrived! Usually, I'm scrambling to finish the food and get myself cleaned up!

I love these "giant" acorns I got at Pharmasave Drug Store last year.

We really enjoyed the evening, sharing food and lots of laughs with good friends by the glow of candlelight.

For some reason, it feels kind of "extravagant" to burn so many votives at once!

As per usual, I never got time to take any pictures of the food I served but here's the menu.

French Onion Soup served in Pumpkin Tureens(not shown)

Seafood Lasagne, Cesar Salad, Grilled Asparagus and Garlic Toast served on the orange plates

Pumpkin Bread Pudding (recipe from Stone Gable - delicious!) served in the leaf bowls

Thanks for stopping by.
Be sure to check out Sunday Favorites at Happy to Design and Seasonal Sundays at The Tablescaper.

The Witching Hour

2011-10-24T23:12:00.000-07:00

I am reposting last year's Halloween Tablescape. Hope you enjoy seeing it again.

The Witching Hour has begun.....

You can feel the terror building...

The Ravens are escaping...

The Dead are screaming....

...and howling

Can you hear them?

Spiders are crawling....

All is not well...

Do you have goosebumps yet?

Step by step, the foreboding intensifies....

The Owls' lonely hoot echoes throughout...

Their all-knowing eyes see right through you...

The candle flickers...

All are on guard...

Waiting....

and watching...

She can't be far away.....

For it is Her hour to shine....

AAAHHH! Run for your lives! The Witch has finally arrived and Her evil ways have already transformed the place!

Thanks for playing along!

I'll be linking this post to these fabulous blog parties:
Tabletop Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life
Wow Us Wednesday at Savy Southern Style
Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch
Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home
Seasonal Sunday at The Tablescaper

Table Details
Pumpkin Bowls from The Shopping Channel 3 years ago
White salad and dinner plates from Pier 1 this past summer
Black and White salad Plates from Saan Store 3 years ago
Black Stemware from HomeSense 3 years ago
Orange Placemats from Zellers 3 years ago
Centerpiece is created out of black bird cage atop candle ring (that goes around patio umbrella) set on wire basket surrounded by feather boa. Skulls, spiders, ravens, black roses and pumpkin swags from Pharmasave Drug Store
Owls from Fields store
Glitter Pumpkins from Walmart
Small clock from HomeSense last year
Placecard markers from Everyday Living home party
Black Pillar Candle Stands from local boutique

Time to Give Thanks

2011-10-12T22:22:00.000-07:00

We just got back from celebrating Thanksgiving (Canadian) at our daughter's place.

We had a wonderful weekend visiting with her and her fiance and all agreed it was indeed a

"time to give thanks".

I created this little vignette at our house just before we left town.

It reminds us that anytime is a good time to give thanks for all our blessings.

I wanted to share with you the lovely centerpiece(s) my daughter created for her Thanksgiving table.

She admits to not having inherited the "tablescaping bug" and does not usually take pleasure in setting a fancy table so I was pleasantly surprised when she came up with this centerpiece idea.

She found these white bowls (3 of them) in the "dish section" of HomeSense and added the real mini-pumpkins and faux leaves for a simple but effective centerpiece.

By placing three of them down the center of the table on the new cream coloured runner and dark brown tablecloth (both also from HomeSense) and adding some candles, she created a terrific tablescape!

She had the copper coloured chargers and square white plates but I bought her the dark brown salad plates I found during a stop at a Safeway grocery store to get our Thanksgiving meal supplies.

(I should have got her some coordinating napkins too!)

For the actual Thanksgiving dinner, we decided to add some of the dried corn bunches she had, one to each bowl and some others just placed on the runner.

Crystal candlesticks with white tapers were added to the center of the table to create a bit more drama.

Although it is pretty simple by some of us true tablescapers' standards, I think she did a terrific job in picking out the elements to purchase and combining them in a very pleasing manner. She has plans to replace the pumpkins/leaves in each bowl with other seasonal decor (eg. pine cones, ball ornaments and greenery for Christmas).

I hope that by showing these pics, my daughter's centerpiece idea can provide inspiration for those who want to add a bit extra to their table but don't know where to start.

For more inspiration be sure to check out these terrific blog parties.

Wow Us Wednesday at Savy Southern Style
Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch.
Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home
Seasonal Sunday at The Tablescaper
and a new Autumn Arrives Party at Savvy Seasons

Kitchen Fall Decor 2011

2011-10-05T00:28:00.000-07:00

As promised in my last post, here's a look at the Fall Decor I've put out around my kitchen.

Some faux florals I put inside a pumpkin tureen.

F-A-L-L Letter Blocks on wall shelf

Fall Display on Kitchen Island

A closer look at Mr. Scarecrow

Leaves and a pumpkin fill an apothecary jar.

Rooster and a leaf plate create a vignette on the counter in the corner.

Some branches and leaves in a wooden box add colour to the corner by the stairs.

A "Be Thankful" pumpkin reminds of the reason for the season...and the turkey on top of the plates!

More florals and branches fill another corner of the kitchen.

Let's take a look at what's up on that shelf.....

"R" HOME letters, some pumpkin tureens, a rooster and a candle holder create a "homey" feel over our giant clock.

I hope you've enjoyed this tour of the fall decorations in my kitchen. Please be sure to check out these other blogs where there is lots of fall decor inspiration.

I'll be linking this post to
Tabletop Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life
Wow Us Wednesday at Savy Southern Style
Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home

Living Room Fall Decor 2011

2011-09-26T23:48:00.000-07:00

With the onset of Fall, my desire to decorate goes beyond the dining room table so I thought I'd share with you some of the seasonal changes I've made to our living room.

First, I'll show you the layout of the room and then we'll focus in on the details.

This is the view towards front entry. We've updated a few things in the LR recently with new furniture, pic on wall, lamps, etc.

Still waiting on the fireplace update....but we do enjoy sitting in these fireside wingback chairs.

View towards kitchen

Fall Mantelscape for 2011

Faux grasses were placed in a short black wooden vase to give height.

On one end table, faux fruit was placed inside a wooden chest that holds drink coasters.

On the other end table, some seasonal touches are added with a bright faux bouquet and a white pumpkin.

A fall centerpiece for the coffee table is created from three cylinder vases placed on a mirror.

Faux leaves and votive candles were placed on gold glass beads in the inserts on top.

Glittered pumpkins are placed on orange "ice" chunks inside the bottom of the cylinder vases.

Some tall grasses in a black vase, a square orange pillar and a leaf bowl adorn this tabletop.

Leaves and pumpkins are placed on the shelves of the etagere.

I hope you enjoyed this little tour of my living room.

I find the colours of fall very appealing and have enjoyed adding them to my already "fall-toned" decor throughout the house.

Thanks for visiting. I hope you'll check back again later on to see some other displays I've created in the kitchen.

I'll be linking this post to these fabulous blog parties:

Tabletop Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life
Wow Us Wednesday at Savy Southern Style
Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home
Seasonal Sunday at The Tablescaper
Tutorials & Tips at Home Stories A2Z
As well as this fun fall party at The Lettered Cottage

My Fall Faves

2011-09-13T22:20:00.000-07:00

I haven't had time to get to my fall decorating though I've wanted to so many times.....hopefully, this weekend, I can haul up those overflowing bins and revel in the joys of putting out my leaves and pumpkins.

In the meantime, I hope you'll enjoy this random collection of fall tablescapes I've done over
the past few years.

Caution...you will see these pumpkin tureens over and over and over...

Please click on the Title below each picture if you want to see the post I've done on that tablescape.

Fall Dinner Party For Eight

Resorting to A Repeat

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Preparations

Woodland Transition

Autumn Splendor/Fall Decor 2009

Schoolbooks,Apples & Sunflowers

Thanksgiving 2009

Fall Harley Davidson Tablescape

No Post on this one

Pre-Blog - No Post

Chestnuts, Acorns & Popcorn

Canadian Thanksgiving

School Books, Apples & Sunflowers

2011-09-07T16:49:00.000-07:00

This week marks the return to school for many students so I thought I'd repost a tablescape I created a couple years back for the occasion.

This tablescape is just for fun as I don't have any kids at home going back to classes though my son is away at university for his 4th year of an English major/History minor.

I went with an apple and sunflower theme.

Those two items just seem to say "September and Back to School" all on their own.

Notice the sunflowers on the layered square tablecloth....

I added some "school supplies" in a square glass vase...

Mr. Rooster says "Rise and Shine! Time for School!"

Two apple scented pillar candles were placed on one side of the centerpiece

The centerpiece was created using a dark green metal pedestal bowl filled with faux apples, sunflower and leaves.

I found a recipe for Jumbo Breakfast Cookies which are supposed to be a good way to get kids who won't eat breakfast to have a "healthy" breakie-on-the-go as they have Cheerios, rolled oats, whole wheat flour, raisins, etc in them.

(Recipe at end of post)

They are actually really delicious, nice and crispy and go good with a cold glass of milk.

I hope this tablescape reminds all mothers of school-aged children to slow down a bit and enjoy the "back to school" routine. All too fast, your kiddies will have flown and the nest will be empty!

I'll be linking this post to these fabulous blog parties:

Wow Us Wednesday at Savy Southern Style
Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch.
Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home
Seasonal Sunday at The Tablescaper

Jumbo Breakfast Cookies

1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 egg
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup old-fashioned or quick-cooking oats
1 cup raisins
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
4 cups Cheerios cereal
optional: 1 cup chocolate chips

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. In large bowl, stir together sugar, butter, peanut butter, water, vanilla and egg. Stir in remaining ingredients except cereal. Gently stir in cereal. On ungreased large cookie sheet, drop dough by rounded 1/2 cupfuls (rounded 1/3 cupfuls for 15 cookies) 4 inches apart. Flatten dough to about 1 inch thick. (Bake these crispy cookies as soon as the dough is mixed. Letting the dough stand awhile or refrigerating the dough will make the cookies softer.)
3. Bake 13-15 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand until cool before removing from cookie sheet. (Important to do this as they can easily break into pieces while warm.) Store loosely covered.

Rustic Bridal Shower Tablescape

2011-08-29T23:15:00.000-07:00

In keeping with the wedding themed posts I've done lately, I thought I'd share with you this brown and white bridal shower/dinner tablescape I created.

I started by putting some faux hydrangeas on a bed of tulle inside three of these rustic hurricanes.

Two white "lovebirds" on crystal candleholders flank the middle hydrangea centerpiece.

Let's take a closer look at the items interspersed amongst the centerpieces...

Did you see the lace heart with wedding rings?

How about a kissing couple?

The little bride and groom?

Five honoured guests have been invited to dine with the bride.

The Bride-To-Be gets a special place setting.

Pier 1 "Maria" plates are set atop silver chargers.

Some "vintage" wedding bells and grapevine balls make perfect placecard holders.

The flatware is by Josef Strauss.

The napkin fold is a "sailboat" design turned sideways. (Instructions are found here at BNOTP)

Ribbed stemware awaits both wine and water.

The woven placemats were turned lengthwise for a unique look.

How about hosting the bridal shower/dinner in the evening and adding lots of candlelight?

The guest of honour sits at the head of the table.

An intimate bridal shower/dinner might have a calming effect on the bride.

The stresses of wedding planning can be forgotten

and all can relax and enjoy each other's company.

Hope I've given you a bit of inspiration if you have any upcoming bridal events to host.

I'll be linking this post to
Tabletop Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life
Wow Us Wednesday at Savy Southern Style
Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch.
Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home

And They Chose....

2011-08-23T17:06:00.000-07:00

In my last three posts, I've shown you various combinations of apple green/black/white which are the colours my daughter and her finance have chosen for their wedding colours.

Today, I'll let you know which combination of the three they chose.

My daughter preferred having the apple green be the dominant colour whereas her fiance thought the apple green should be an accent colour to the black.

Neither of them were that keen on having white as the dominant colour though the idea of having branches as part of a tall centerpiece on the tables appealed to them.

As a compromise, they have decided to alternate the reception tables with some having the apple-green tablecloths and black accents and others having black tablecloths with apple-green accents. I think this will look very striking in the venue they have chosen.

It was fun setting up these mini-reception table samples in my living room and they were thankful for the visual on how the different combo's would look.

Here's a peek at a couple other colour combinations I tried out as well.

I divided my dining room table in half for two different looks.

One side had a purple and apple-green combination.

And the other side, had an orange/brown/green combination.

I hope you'll check back for my next post where I will reveal more of this bridal shower tablescape shown below.

If you missed my previous posts on the Sample Wedding Tables here's some links

Table #1 Table #2 Table #3

I'll be linking this post to
Tabletop Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life
Wow Us Wednesday at Savy Southern Style
Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch.
Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home

Wedding Colours - Table #3

2011-08-17T23:35:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the delay in posting this third in a series of Sample Wedding Tables but I've been away on vacation. For those of you just tuning in, I have been trying to help my daughter and her fiance decide on their wedding colours.

Apple-green was a definite but they didn't know what to pair with it so I created three examples of what could be done.

Previously, I've posted about the black/green combo HERE and the green/black combo HERE. Now, we will look at Table #3, the white/green tablescape.

White is usually thought of as a more traditional wedding colour and so I started with this damask tablecloth.

Romantic heart-shaped plates are placed atop black and white ones with apple-green napkins beneath.

Branches decorated with hanging tealights and crystals are accented with greenery and white roses.

Glass candleholders flank one side of the table.

This crystal Partylite tealight lamp adds some sparkle beside the green apple on a silver vase.

A miniature black vase holds greenery and a white rose.

A "celebration" centerpiece is created with a floating candle on faux ice in a Partylite bowl atop a mirror.

If you look closely, you can see a rather large engagement ring to the right. Its actually a napkin ring but represents the reason for the celebration perfectly.

The little "celebrate" sign was originally given to me attached to a bottle of wine.

What are your thoughts about this combination of the white with the apple-green?

Do you think they should go with it?

Pop by for my next post and I'll let you know what they have decided on and I'll have a few pics of colour combos they didn't choose.
If you'd like to review their choices, here is Table #1 and Table #2.

I'll be linking this post to

Wow Us Wednesday at Savy Southern Style
Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch.
Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home

Wedding Colours - Table #2

2011-08-02T22:06:00.000-07:00

In my last post, I announced our daughter and her fiance's engagement and told you how I was asked to help with the choosing of their wedding colours.

With apple-green as the go-to colour, I created three small tablescapes in our living room to give them ideas on using different colour combos.
I showed you Table #1 HERE so now let's look
at Table #2, the far table pictured below.

This "sample" tablescape uses an apple-green tablecloth as the basis and it is topped with a black runner.

White Pier 1 "Maria" plates are topped with an apple which could serve as a place card holder.

White and green hydrangea centerpiece

A trio of crystal candleholders by Partylite add some sparkle to this table.

A trio of chunky pillar candleholders and pewter candlesticks bring more of the black colour with a touch of silver.

At the back of the table, the tall floral arrangement includes faux grasses in the same colour scheme.

Below, you can see the apple-green napkins, silver flatware, a couple of "lovebirds" and a mirror to anchor the center candle trio.

I added one of my faux greenery 'puff balls' to the table for an added punch of colour.

Can you picture this sample tablescape as a basis for creating the total colour scheme for the tables at a wedding reception?

My daughter is very appreciative of being able to see how different colour combos look in real life. In my next post, I'll show you Table # 3, the one with the white tablecloth in the foreground of the picture below.
Hope you'll come back and check it out too!
Click HERE to see Table #1 if you missed it.

I'll be linking this post to
Tabletop Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life
Wow Us Wednesday at Savy Southern Style
Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch.
Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home

Wedding Colours

2011-07-26T22:21:00.000-07:00

We have an occasion to CELEBRATE! Our daughter and her boyfriend recently became engaged and we are thrilled!

Naturally, when they asked me to help them come up with wedding colours, I jumped at the chance! My daughter says she loves green but has a hard time visualizing how tables would look in a certain colour scheme. (I know...is she really MY daughter?) Thus, I came up with the idea to set up three small tables in our living room so she could see some examples.

As you see above, I went with different combo's of apple-green mixed with black and white and a dash of silver. For this post, I'll focus on showing you the middle table with the black tablecloth.

It was fun to round up various items I already had that might reflect a bit of a wedding theme and try them out.

The lowly green apple is given a much more sophisticated look when placed in glass on faux ice.

Acrylic napkin rings added to crystal candle holders give a bit of bling to the table.

A centerpiece of "fire and ice"placed on a mirror adds some sparkle.

This "joined" stemware was an anniversary present from Mr. Delight years ago. I thought it was perfect for this sample wedding reception table.

Apple-green coloured pillars are placed on these elegant crystal candle holders. ( birthday gift from my daughter)

I used my white with black print dishes, apple-green napkins and black chargers.

Faux flowers and grasses in the coordinating colours look sharp against the black vase.

Can you imagine a wedding reception with a colour-combo like this?

My daughter says the "visual" has helped immensely.

In my next post, I'll show you a closer look at the far table with the green tablecloth.

Hmmm, since I have a romantic table like this already set up, Mr. Delight and I should try it out!

Wonder what I can get him to cook for me?

I'll be linking this post to
Tabletop Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life
Wow Us Wednesday at Savy Southern Style
Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch.
Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home

Its Canada Day on July 1st

2011-06-29T16:26:00.000-07:00

I seem to be running short on time these days so am resorting to last year's version of my Canada Day tablescape. Hope you enjoy seeing it again!

In honour of Canada Day on July 1st, I've created a patriotic tablescape in our little cabana.
Rather than state the obvious as I usually do when narrating, I'll leave it all to the words of our national anthem to take you through the pictures.
(I'll post a few details at the end)

O Canada!

Our home and native land,

True patriot love in all thy sons command

With glowing hearts, we see thee rise

The True North strong and free

From far and wide,

O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

God keep our land glorious and free

O Canada! We stand on guard for thee.

Happy Canada Day!

Although we Canadians tend to be a little bit "laid back" in our patriotism I, for one am very thankful to be a Canadian and am happy to celebrate the fact that I live in this magnificent country!

Thanks for looking!

Of course, I will be joining Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch. Thanks to Susan for hosting this fun time each week! Be sure to head over and check out all the other patriotic tablescapes!

The details...
Centerpiece - glass vase (from long ago) with flags wrapped in red napkin
"Canada" vases - created with the use of vinyl cling-ons from the Dollar Store, faux red/white roses inside with tall glass votive holder
Hurricane shades over Partylite pillar candle holders (from long ago)
White plates - "Maria" by Pier 1
Red plates - ? no name set of four (from long ago)
Stemware - created with the use of vinyl cling-on from Dollar Store
Napkins & Centerpiece tablecloth - Bandanas from Dollar Store
Gold-en flatware (from long ago)

Happy Birthday Mr. Delight!

2011-06-08T17:08:00.000-07:00

Mr. Delight had a birthday last month and to celebrate, rather than going out to a noisy restaurant, I made him his favourite meal and set up a romantic table for two by our fireplace.

I wanted to use this new light teal tablecloth our daughter gave me for my birthday and so used that as my starting point. It is too long for a round table but I tied it with a ribbon on each side. Fortunately, we have two wingback chairs the same colour so I could coordinate things.

I used two pewter candlesticks that hubby gave me years ago and added acrylic "crystal" napkin rings to give them some sparkle.

The hydrangeas are a faux arrangement I created.

I kept things fairly simple with my Pier 1 "Maria" plates and floral bowls also from Pier 1.

A bottle of wine is chilled and the fire lit...

Seafood lasagna, asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower along with a tossed salad and garlic toast are served.

Mr. Delight is delighted whenever I make Seafood Lasagna!

And for dessert...a frozen chocolate cream pie (made by my Mom) for the birthday boy!

He loves ice cream and this is like super-delish ice cream!

We had a lovely time in our own private "restaurant" and I'm so glad he chose to celebrate his birthday at home.

We find ourselves doing this more and more as you can never get quite the same ambiance in a restaurant with many other people nearby (and lack-luster tablescapes!) as you can create in your own home.

Do you agree?

Pop on over to Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday and check out others who love to entertain at home!

Three Tiered Tray

2011-06-06T22:29:00.000-07:00

For Marty's Tabletop Tuesday this week, I thought I'd share a new three tiered tray I got recently at a local kitchen store (Chantilly Kitchen & Bath). It has turned out to be perfect for buffets or times when I want to take up less tabletop/counter space.

When it was my week to make the "coffee snacks" at work recently, I put it to the test and filled up all the trays with goodies for the staff to enjoy on their break.

(The trays are actually acrylic and the metal stand comes apart for easy storage)

On the top tray, I placed veggies and dip.

On the middle tray, I made bruschetta on baguettes.

The bottom tray held Mars Bar Squares.

I also made a pitcher of ice tea and brought special glasses/wicker tray from home for it.

With the addition of some pink carnations in yellow pots placed on bright pink placemats on a green tablecloth, the scene was set for a very special "coffee break" in the staff room.

All the staff were most appreciative of the extra efforts I put into our break time although it sure was hard to get back to work afterward!

(and no, not everyone brings this much when its their turn

to make coffee! We'd need to schedule a work-out time as well if they did!)

Please join us over at A Stroll Thru Life - Tabletop Tuesdays for more tabletop ideas/creations.

Indoor Summer Get-Together

2011-05-18T16:54:00.000-07:00

I recently came across the pics from this little get-together I had for my aunt, mom and grandmother last summer and realized I never posted them. Probably because it wasn't my best efforts in tablescaping (short notice!) but now, I'm thinking maybe there is some sort of inspiration you could glean from it.

By now, you know these glass hurricanes with the inserts are my "GO-TO" centerpiece especially when pressed for time.

I placed some pebbles in the bottom with one of my grass orbs. In the top insert, I poured in some sand and added a votive in a glass votive cup. A simple but effective summertime centerpiece in minutes!

I added two round glass vases with more grass balls and pebbles on each side. A couple of froggies complete the summer-time theme!

The weather, though sunny wasn't really warm enough for sitting outside so I had set this up in the dining room. I'm not a big fan of melamine/plastic dishware but these have such a pretty pattern so I've used them lots.

What's a get-together without a few goodies? Fortunately, I had these squares in my freezer and was able to thaw and plate them before the guests arrived. (Chocolate Brownies, Coconut Cake and Granola Bars)

And voila, a summer indoor gathering ensued!

I like centerpieces that run the length of the table!

To me, the green grass and the sunny yellow colour give this table a summery feel even if it is indoors.

It was an enjoyable afternoon and I was so glad I invited my relatives over for this last minute get-together!

Thanks for stopping by! I'll be linking this post to Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch. You'll want to head over there too!

Sunday Favorites - A Reprise of My First TT

2011-05-14T22:35:00.000-07:00

I have been unable to get organized enough to create, capture and post a new tablescape lately so am going to join in with Chari's Sunday Favorites at Happy to Design with this repeat of my very first Tablescape Thursday a couple years ago.

____________________________________________________________________

Recently, I was asked to help decorate for a bridal shower in a beach theme and when I brought the items home again, I decided to use some of them in a Beach Tablescape.

I borrowed this large shell from my mom who found it in a Thrift Store recently. I placed it in a large shallow glass bowl with some sand, faux grass and shells.

On the other side of the large shell, I placed a pillar candle in a hurricane shade and wrapped the bottom with netting that was actually a "bag" that was on the starfish I bought.

I used a bamboo runner I had down the center of the table. It coordinated perfectly as the blue string running through it was the same colour as the tablecloth.

On each side of the centerpiece, I placed a black lantern which are usually outside on our deck.

I put two of my glass cylinder vases with inserts beside the black lantern and filled the inserts with blue beads and a floating candle. In the bottom part, I layered sand and shells. A trio of starfish/urchin candle holders by Partylite flanked the vases on one side.

Each place setting consisted of a bamboo placemat, silver charger, coral-coloured dinner plate, blue flower-shaped salad plate and a clear shell-shaped appetizer plate. A placecard attached to shell, individual salt & peppers, candle holder, stemware and scattered shells adorn each place setting.

A closer look at the blue salad plate.

Originally, I had folded the napkins in a "fan" manner to simulate a shell look and tucked the fork inside. I wasn't happy with it though and went back to putting the napkins under the shell plates.

These two shells (next pic too) that I got at HomeSense were put on tables in the corners flanking my china cabinet.

Now the table is set, I just have to convince my husband to cook us up some crab and prawns,which he always makes to perfection, call up some friends and a dinner party will ensue!

Thanks for looking! Head over to Happy to Design and see some more ole time favorites!

Hubby Cooks, I Play

2011-04-27T15:41:00.000-07:00

Last week, Mr. Delight decided he wanted to invite my parents over for one of his fabulous impromptu dinners. I love it when he does this as he does ALL of the cooking and all I have to do is come up with a tablescape on short notice. Here's a look at how he "worked" and I "played".

I wanted to use my Gibson Grandiflora dishes which are a "spring-like" pink and green. Seafood is on the menu so we needed the butter warmers and shell-shaped plates for shells.

I needed a simple and small centerpiece as our round table is not very large. Floating candles in a glass bowl with floating butterfly "confetti" surrounded by some faux greenery and florals seemed appropriate.

Since there were only four of us, we placed the table in front of the fireplace for a cozy setting.

Each side of the table looks a bit different in that we have mismatched wingback chairs but they are so comfy for intimate dining that I didn't care.

Another view. You will note that I use gold vinyl placemats (cut in half) under the butter warmers to prevent drips on the tablecloth!

Since I know who likes white wine and who likes red, I used only the appropriate glasses on this small table.

And here's the "work" Mr. Delight created....

Crab, Shish kabobs with beef and veggies, baked potato and asparagus. He also made a tossed salad to start and yogurt and strawberry parfait for dessert but I forgot to get a picture of those. SUPER DELICIOUS!

We all had a wonderful evening! It is so nice to have a hubby who cooks and allows you to feel like a guest in your own home!

Do you ever get to do the tablescape while someone else cooks?

I'll be linking this up to Tablescape Thursdays at Between Naps on The Porch.

Going Green for Easter

2011-04-19T23:19:00.000-07:00

I struggle with decorating for Easter. I know part of it is because I don't much care for pastel colours and they don't go with the decor in my home. After seeing some great inspiration on various blogs, I decided to go in a different direction and created a more "natural" looking Easter Tablescape for 2011.

Thus, I was thrilled when I happened upon these little guys at a local grocery store. I fell in love with their bronze colour and "natural" beauty!

Then I created a centerpiece that adds a bit of the TRUE meaning of Easter by using a cross placed on faux greenery under a cloche.

Keeping with my more natural theme, I used alternating brown and green napkins folded in the "Artichoke Fold" (directions found here on BNOTP) and placed faux eggs and some bits of greenery inside. I like the little "nest" this type of fold creates.

These were placed on alternating sage green and pale yellow dishes and brown "woven look" chargers. I used a sage green tablecloth and cream coloured runner.

Beside each place setting, an egg cup was used as a tealight holder and individual salt & peppers are at the ready.

My amber stemware went well with the colour scheme.

Flanking the centerpiece are my crystal pillar candle holders and vases filled with pebbles, faux greenery and tulips.

And here is how it all came together...

Random shots now of the tablescape both in daylight and by candlelight... feel free to scroll fast if you get bored but I wanted to post all my faves!

Thanks for stopping by! Sorry to have kept you so long....be sure to head over to Between Naps on The Porch for Tablescape Thursday on Wednesday evening/Thursday and see all the other Easter inspiration there!

Easter Decor Inspiration

2011-04-12T00:09:00.000-07:00

I am so sorry I have been negligent in posting lately!!

Hopefully, I can appease you with a bit of Easter Decor Inspiration from past posts and soon I'll have time to take a few pics of the decorations I have put out now.

A Bunny Centerpiece for Easter Tablescape

Coffee Table Candle/Bunny Vignette

Mr. & Mrs Bunny inside glass vase

Bunny Dish with Greenery

Pink Bunny Centerpiece for Easter Table

Three Glass Hurricanes filled with Tulips, Eggs and Bunnies

Pussywillows gathered for me by Mr. Delight

White Pitcher Bunny Coffee Table Display

"Before the Rooster Crows, You Will Deny Me Three Times" Matthew 25:34

Cross and Candle inside Hurricane with Easter Lily floral ring

I'll be linking this post up to A Stroll Thru Life for Tabletop Tuesday. Be sure to check out Marty's party there!

Coffee Table Display

2011-03-29T00:08:00.000-07:00

Hello there! Hope you are having a good start to your week. Just a quick post today as I've got a million other things I SHOULD be doing but I can't let a Tabletop Tuesday go by without joining in with Marty!
A combination of candles, grass balls and a birdie make up the current display on my coffee table.

When placed on a tray, the grouping seems more cohesive. I got the "grass balls" at a local gift store. There were various sizes.

Two white pillar candles are placed inside a glass vase/hurricane and a faux grass "ball" is added.

I got this white birdie at a thrift store a few years back. I love how really WHITE in colour he is.

I'm going to link this display up to Marty's Tabletop Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life. I hope you'll head over there too! Marty hosts a terrific party!

An Everyday Mantelscape

2011-03-21T20:58:00.000-07:00

Here is how I currently have my mantel decorated. When I took down my Valentine's mantelscape, it seemed a bit too early to bring out the Easter decor so I went with this look for the month of March.

I have white mini-lights along the mantel and behind the mirror that I leave up year round. I've covered them with a sheer fabric that allows the light to shine through but hides the cord.

This black round vase is a recent purchase for $5 at TB!S (The Bargain Shop). I added some greenery to it.

I like how the black of the vase coordinated with these black candleholders I already had.

Here's a trick that fools the eye...if you have candleholders that are the same height but want them to look different sizes, use pillar candles of different sizes.

These three glass votive holders are out of a

set of 5 I got a few years back from Partylite.

Faux gold leaves adorn the top of the mirror as well as below.

Mr. Delight has promised a "mantel/fireplace makeover" but I know I have to wait for ski season to end and if you look out the window in the pic below, you'll see we still have a LOT OF SNOW so it might be awhile!

I'm joining in with Marty for Tabletop Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life. Be sure to check out her fantastic blog!

Tabletop Tuesday

2011-03-14T22:26:00.000-07:00

I'm joining Marty at A Stroll Thru Life for her Tabletop Tuesday meme. Here's a look at a spring vignette I created for the table near our front entryway.

This wall is also next to the kitchen....please excuse the cord running along the floor! It is from the overhead lamp I used for additional lighting.

I really like this pale sage coloured plate I received as a gift from my sister-in-law a few years back.

I put some faux greenery and tulips inside this pot I picked up at a clearance sale for $3.

These crystal candleholders were a Christmas gift from my daughter, I just LOVE them!

A spring vignette has to have a couple of birdies!

Be sure to head over to Marty's and check out the other lovely tabletop vignettes and displays!

Embracing the Green

2011-03-09T17:47:00.000-08:00

This St. Patrick's Day, I'm trying to "Embrace the Green"....of my dated kitchen! We reno'd our kitchen back in the 90's when Hunter Green and Oak were in and we loved it. Fast forward to 2011 and I'm NOT loving it anymore but it's not in the budget to update it at present. Thus, I'm thinking St. Patrick's Day is the perfect time to "Embrace the Green"!

This table is attached to our island and its hard to put a tablecloth on but I do anything to cover up some of the green!

I started with this "Leprechaun Under Glass" as my centerpiece. I used a black metal bowl filled with faux greenery, back-to-back leprechauns, two shamrocks and gold coins and put them under my candleholder-turned-cloche.

I set the table for two, Mr. Delight and myself! I gave him my one and only square shamrock plate layered on a square black plate and square white charger.

I made some placecards on the computer and added them to these green Sundae dishes filled with faux ivy and a shamrock.

I tied little plastic green beer steins around the bottom of the sundae cups with gold ribbon.

Of course, we need some "regular sized" beer steins for our "green" beer! I paired these with some multi-coloured green stems I bought at a local grocery store.

Again, these cylinder vases with inserts come in handy! I put shamrock garland, green beads and gold thread inside.

Gold covered chocolate coins are scattered over the tabletop.

Here's a look at the vignette on the end of the island.

A display on the counter by sundeck door.

Some greenery in the corner by kitchen window.

Shamrock cling-on added to candle holder and a plastic green beer stein with gold coins.

Trying to melt the snow from the inside! LOL!

The next morning, Mr. Delight made us some yummy French toast with berries, pineapple and whip cream so we ate at our "Irish Table"!

Hope you've enjoyed this St. Patrick's Day tablescape where I tried to "Embrace the Green" of my dated kitchen! (Not sure it worked....I'm still dreaming of an update!)

Be sure to check out the following terrific parties coming up!

Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch March 10th

Spring Cloche Party at A Stroll Thru Life March 11th

St. Patrick's Blog Crawl at Cuisine Kathleen March 15th

Endless Winter/The Promise of Spring

2011-03-07T16:55:00.000-08:00

There will be some "tabletop" pics in this post (please bear with me) so I'm going to link up to Marty's Tabletop Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life. And since I'm hoping for a "Spring metamorphosis" I'm linking to Susan's Met Monday at BNOTP.

In case you think, you've got a case of cabin fever, I thought I'd share a few pics of how our house and street looked during this past weekend (March 4-6, 2011). Here in the southeast corner of B.C., this winter has been extreme to say the least! Mr. Delight thinks endless winter would be fantastic (for skiing) ....

...but I'm starting to long for "The Promise of Spring" as suggested by some of these past centerpieces I've created. I'll let the pictures do the narration on their own...

(Look beyond the windows in the pic above)

In 10 days, it' will be St. Patrick's Day. (a reminder to check out Cuisine Kathleen's Blog Crawl on March 15th - see my side bar at top) Hopefully, I'll be able to do an Irish jig by then because maybe the snow will have melted down at least a few inches!

Ah Spring, where for art thou?

(Yep, that's snow up past the kitchen window!)

Random Centerpiece Ideas

2011-02-28T23:24:00.000-08:00

I thought I'd share some random centerpiece ideas I've created in my pre-blog era using large glass vases/hurricanes. Maybe they will inspire you for an upcoming occasion/event you have planned.

About 3 years ago, my daughter got her certification as a Medical Radiologic Technologist (X-ray Tech) and we hosted a buffet dinner for family/friends to help celebrate her graduation. This is how I decorated the buffet table.

I printed pics of x-rays found on the internet and cut them to fit inside large glass cylinder vases.

I added a "graduation cap" I made out of construction paper to the top of a wine glass and rolled paper dotted with gold stars and tied with ribbon to form a "diploma" was placed alongside.

I tried to have all the decorations/tablecloths, etc in black, white and gray (like x-ray colours). I placed white mini-lights under sheer fabric behind the glass vases. This looked great at night though I didn't take any pics!

This was when I was first getting 'into' tablescaping and I didn't have near the items I have now and mostly shopped the house for random black & white things that would work.

Below is a centerpiece I created for Mr. Delight's birthday dinner one year awhile back. Again, I used my large cylinder vases, placing white pillars and faux ice chips in the bottom. I wrapped up little Lego blocks (that my children used to play with MANY years ago) with wrapping paper and ribbon to represent little presents.

Pretty simple setting (being pre-Blog and real life) for just the Mr., our son and me!

This is the Pineapple Lush Cake I made for his birthday cake.

Here is a look at a beach-themed dinner party we hosted one summer when the weather wasn't cooperating and we had to have it indoors! The large hurricanes were filled with sand, shells and coloured glass beads. A lantern with shells and a white pillar sits in the middle.

A bamboo runner and shell plates add to the beach theme. The martini glass on the side is filled with sand and shells and acts as the placecard holders.

The candles at each place setting are floating in water with pebbles/sand/shells and glass beads.

I highly recommend getting any type of these glass cylinder vases/hurricanes as they come in very handy for creating centerpieces for any occasion.

I've picked mine up here and there over the years including Thrift stores, grocery stores, drug stores and gift boutiques. These large ones were by Partylite but unfortunately are no longer available through them.

I will be linking this post to Marty's Tabletop Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life and Susan's Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch. Be sure to check out these great blogs!

Tea "Fit For A Queen"

2011-02-22T20:25:00.000-08:00

Although I love having tea parties, I'm realizing I've had precious few in the last couple of years....something I should remedy soon! While I'm a bit too busy this week to have one, I still wanted to join in the "High Tea" party in blogland hosted by Decor to Adore where the tea-scape should be "Fit for a Queen". Thus, I thought I'd share this Easter Tea I had a couple years back for my mom. While she is not true "royalty", she will always be a "Queen" in my eyes!

I'll also be linking up to Tablescape Thursday hosted by Between Naps on the Porch.

I moved a round table in front of the fireplace and decorated with pinks and whites and Easter decor.

I used my wedding china, Dimity Rose by

Royal Albert

A hurricane candle holder by Partylite surrounded by faux roses creates a centerpiece flanked by a large white bunny (Home Sense).

It was so cozy by the fireside chatting and sipping tea with my mom.

I decorated the mantel with Easter eggs and tulips.

Small teapot placecard holders (Partylite) and a small bunny (also Partylite) adorn each place setting. The little teapots are also tealight holders when you remove the lids.

We started our tea party with a glass of sherry.

That makes it more of a celebration!

We enjoyed various tea sandwiches and squares.

Evening brings an inviting glow to

our tea setting.

This post has reminded me I should make time to have a special tea party with my mom again this year. We really enoyed this one two years ago. Do you have someone special you'd like to invite for tea? Though "High Tea" is terrific, even a simple "cuppa" tea with someone you love is made even more special just by adding a little tablecloth and a few candles to your tea setting.
Thanks for stopping by! Now grab yourself a cuppa tea and head over to Decor to Adore and BNOTP.

Valentine Dinner Party for Twelve

2011-02-16T14:14:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I think we are crazy but this past weekend, Mr. Delight and I decided to throw a one-day-to-plan dinner party for twelve of our skier friends. Our work schedules are such that sometimes we just have to be spontaneous! Fortunately, we entertain quite often and work well as a team putting things together quickly. Our struggles are around fitting that many people into our dining room!

Mr. Delight has crafted a piece of plywood to put overtop of our dining table which allows for extra seating.

We borrowed some chairs from our church which though not very attractive, took up less room than the more formal ones.

My tablescape started with three of these hurricane shades I got at a local Pharmasave drug store. I added the "cling-on" Valentine hearts I picked up at the Dollar Store.

Some red and white carnations in a square glass vase with pebbles were placed in between the hurricanes.

I kept the table fairly simple (for me!) because there were so many place settings.

I used my lily shaped bowls (Pier 1) for our soup course. Unfortunately, I only have 8 so had to use some other square ones for 4 other settings.

A black tablecloth adds a bit of drama to the red and white.

Yes, we are still dining in a "SNOW CAVE" as pictured below. Of course, our skier friends loved it!

I even hung a few hearts in with the snowflakes from the chandelier.

Each guest had a menu placed beside their bowl.We "pre-dish" up each guest's plate (like in a restaurant) so if there is something they would rather not have, they can say so.

Mr. Delight made the Beef & Veggie (& Prawn) Shish Kabobs and the Grilled Asparagus.

I was so upset with myself as I wanted to get pics of the food FOR SURE THIS TIME as I always forget but again, in the panic of getting things to the table hot, I forgot again. I did manage to get these of the desserts I made though.

Cherry Cheesecake parfait and Chocolate Truffle cake with Strawberries served on a heart shaped plate.

The lights were dimmed, the wine was flowing, the laughs were plenty and a terrific evening ensued! After dinner, Mr. Delight cranked up the tunes and we all started dancing! Now that's a fun Valentine party! So glad we made the effort to entertain!
The most amazing thing to me was that Mr. Delight and I even fit in 2.5 hours of skiing that day prior to the dinner party! Now, that's teamwork!

I will be linking this post to the following fantastic blogs who host some fantastic parties. Be sure to check them out this week!

Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch

Show & Tell Friday at My Romantic Home

Seasonal Sunday at The Tablescaper

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T12:54:00.000-08:00

Hope you are having a Happy Valentine's Day and are able to share it with those you love!

Here is a look at some of my past and present decorations to put you in the mood!

Best wishes to you on this day of LOVE!

I'll be linking to Marty's Tabletop Tuesday at a Stroll Thru Life.

Dining in a Valentine Snow Cave

2011-02-08T22:33:00.000-08:00

This tablescape might be about my LOVE for my spouse but it also pays homage to something else.

His LOVE of snow!

I didn't have to set the table with a "snow/winter" theme, we have the REAL THING as a backdrop!

This Valentine's Day, we will be dining in what feels like, a SNOW CAVE! The 'scape is purposely darker so you can focus on what is beyond the window.

Mr. Delight has shoveled the roof twice and along with the amount of snow we've had, we can no longer see the street and barely have any daylight coming in our four front windows. He LOVES it! (an avid downhill skier!)

But for those of you who are NOT so enamored by snow, let's take a closer look at what's on the table!

I got this lovely birdcage for Christmas from hubby (okay, I picked it out, bought it, wrapped it and said it was from him! Would he have thought to buy me a "birdcage"? I think not!)

I decorated it all up with a LOVE theme for the two lovebirds inside.

In the pic below, you can see the front door even has a "heart" shape on it.

When set on a pedestal cake plate, I thought it made a nice centerpiece/side-piece on our table for two.

I used two of these swirly heart shaped salad plates and set a small glass heart on each plate.

I layered them on square black plates and square white chargers. The flatware has clear acrylic handles which pick up the colour of the placemat below.

A tall black champagne flute and a full rounded red wine glass reveal what our libations for the evening will be!

Now, let's see how the tablescape looks in the more romantic setting of darkness...

Do you feel the LOVE?

It was actually Mr. Delight's idea a few years back to put a table near these windows.

We enjoy a lot of our meals here.

Even these Lovebirds are getting in the spirit of things.

The snow is so close to the window

Candlelight is the best way to create romantic ambiance.

What will we be putting on these plates?

While it doesn't seem like very "romantic" food, hubby has made a request for ham with pineapple glaze and scalloped potatoes....

...followed by Raspberry Trifle for dessert

Happy Valentine's Day!

If you can't fight the white stuff you might as well embrace it!

I will be linking this post to these fantastic blogs:

Tabletop Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life

Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch

Seasonal Sundays at The Tablescaper

A Valentine's Party at Bargain Hunting & Chatting with Laurie

The Colors of Love Coast to Coast at The Little Round Table

A Valentine Memory

2011-02-01T23:30:00.000-08:00

For this week's Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch, I thought I'd share one of my early
tablescapes since it happens to be a Valentine one which brings back fond memories. No, not of the dinner party but that this was the 'scape that made me start thinking, "Hey, I really like setting pretty tables!"

I actually only took two pictures of it using my son's digital camera as I didn't even own one back then. I've created some close-up pics of a few areas using the editing tool on Flickr so I can share some details with you.

I set this table quite a few years ago for a Valentine's Dinner we were having with two other couples. It is pretty simple compared with some of my more recent 'scapes but I remember having so much fun "playing" with it.

Back then, my centerpieces were not too elaborate and usually consisted of some fresh flowers and some type of candleholder.

This is one of my favourite Partylite pieces, a prism tealight lamp. Unfortunately, it is no longer available and I cherish this one. It was quite expensive but I managed to have enough in sales when I hosted a party, that I got it for free!

Some red and white tulips and baby's breath make a good colour combo for Valentine's Day. I like the drama created by using a black tablecloth with the red/white.

I didn't have any red placemats so I ironed some napkins so that the corners folded down and put a lace placemat on top. Back then, these gold chargers (from The Shopping Channel) were the only type of chargers I owned.

I didn't even own proper wine glasses or water goblets and used a mishmash of stemware.

I realized I enjoyed tablescaping long before I knew that was the word for it and long before forums and blogs where I eventually found out I wasn't alone in this unique hobby. Before that, my friends and family thought I was a little strange when I would spend hours setting a table even when no one would be eating at it!

Okay, I'll admit it, a lot of them still do find it/me strange!

Do you remember when you first started to realize you were having fun setting tables? Was it way back or did you think of it as a "hobby" you might like to try once you saw some 'scapes on Tablescape Thursday? Has it grown into a major obsession where you think "centerpiece" with any decorative item you see? Do you have dishes stored under the beds?

I'd love to hear anything you'd like to share on how/when you started tablescaping or even if you are still just thinking about it! For plenty of encouragement and ideas, head on over to BNOTP for TT!

A Pink Valentine for Sunday Favorites

2011-01-29T18:47:00.000-08:00

I went back through some of my older Valentine tablescapes and thought I'd re-post this one and join in with Chari's Sunday Favorites over at Happy to Design.

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This is a pink Valentine table for two

I created last year for Mr. Delight and I.

The table is next to our front windows and

we often eat breakfast here.

I decided to dress up the table for an intimate dinner using a pink tablecloth, pink candles, pink hearts and pink flowers.

Pink tulips in a glass vase are put on a pedestal cake plate.

I surrounded the base with white mini-lights covered in tulle.

The crystal candle lamps are by Partylite purchased

quite a few years ago.

The pink beaded hearts were from HomeSense last year.

This pink and white china is called Dimity Rose by Royal Albert. It is the pattern we chose (well I chose!) 27 years agofor our wedding china.

I used vinyl heart-shaped cling-ons on the stemware and votive holders to make them fit the theme.

The burgundy ringed glasses are special to me as I inherited

them from a favourite great aunt.

This is another tablescape I did before I had a blog and can you imagine, I only took 4 pictures of it! I'm showing this pic again enlarged so you can see a bit more detail.

Thanks for looking! Hope you are having a good weekend.

Grab a cup of coffee and take some time to check out the others linked to Chari's Sunday Favorites.

Valentine Roses

2011-01-25T21:13:00.000-08:00

When packing up my Christmas decorations last weekend, I took some burgundy roses off the tree and thought how nice they would look for a Valentine table centerpiece.

I found a basket and put my trio of candle hurricanes with inserts inside with the roses.

Black candlesticks with burgundy ball candles alongside crystal taper candle holders add some height to the tablescape.

I bought 4 of these white heart-shaped plates at a local gift store last year. I placed them on top of my white/gold plates and gold chargers.

A few Lindt chocolates and heart candies make it interesting!

A burgundy tablecloth, burgundy/gold runner and gold placemats were used along with burgundy napkins. The more layering the better!

Stemware includes my amber wine glasses, some octagonal-sided glasses for water and

burgundy-rimmed liqueur glasses that were given to me from my great aunt's estate.

With the table set, I'm inspired to host a Valentine Luncheon. Hmmm, when to have it, what to serve and who to invite? Wish YOU could join me!

I'll be linking up to Tablescape Thursdays at Between Naps on the Porch and Seasonal Sundays at The Tablescaper. Be sure to visit these great blogs for some terrific eye candy!

New Year's Eve Tablescape

2011-01-17T23:51:00.000-08:00

I'm a little late posting this but since its still the first month of the year, I'm going to reveal the New Year's Eve Tablescape I created for 2011.

A trend I have seen lately is the mixing of gold and silver and I went with that look for this celebratory dinner.

The centerpiece is a large glass vase filled with faux ice chips, "disco ball" ornaments and a white pillar candle.

This was surrounded by gold and silver picks and flanked by two silver candle holders placed on a mirror.

Each place setting was decorated with a party hat and horn. The men guests got this type of hat while....

...the women got to wear various tiara type adornments.

The trio of pillars add a gentle glow to the table.

Star shaped tealight holders placed on the mirror add to the festive atmosphere.

Yep, that's snow outside the window. It is very high now that Mr. Delight has shoveled the roof after our last big dump. It is kind of like living in an igloo!

Love these glittery ornaments that reflect the light.

These silver candle holders add more shine to the tablescape.

Of course, New Year's is very much part of the Christmas season in our house and the tree makes a pretty backdrop.

I used my white, gold rimmed dishes (had for many years now) on silver chargers.

White placemats and black napkins were alternated at each place setting.

The mirror runner is an ordinary dressing mirror that usually hangs in our spare room.

Bring out the champagne! Its time to celebrate!

Looking forward to all that 2011 has to offer!

Thanks for bearing with me for this photo intensive post!

I am linking to Table Top Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life and Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch. Be sure to visit Marty and Susan and the others linked to these great blogs!

Snowflakes & Snowmen

2011-01-12T16:22:00.000-08:00

Some of you may have already met my Snow Family but in case you haven't, let me introduce them.

Here is Mr. Frosty....

his lovely wife, Mrs. Frosty...

And their cute son, Snowboy.

This little family was the inspiration for my snow themed tablescape and made a "cool" centerpiece that coordinated with the weather outside.

The family was placed on a footed tray surrounded by a white feather boa and cordless LED lights. A trio of glass trees and a vase of snowflake picks were added as well.
I opted for a blue tablecloth to make the white items stand out more.

Yep, its still Christmas at our house! No, not lazy...we love it and always leave our decorations up well into January.

Alas, no new dishes and I don't own any "snowflake" ones (yet!) so I went with these blue/white ones.

I was very pleased with myself for making these napkin rings rather than running out and buying the pretty silver snowflake ones I saw downtown for $5 each! (just tied some silver snowflakes with hole in center to a white napkin ring with white ribbon - about as "crafty" as I get!)

I created these placecard holders using martini glasses and faux snow & snowflakes.

Snowflake candleholders set on mirrors

(all by Partylite)

The glass pillar candle holders were a Christmas gift from my daughter.

Trio of glass trees were purchased at a local gift shop called Inspiration Gift Boutique

(so many pretties there!)

A winter wonderland outside too!

We go from a "Snowflake Luncheon" to more of a dinner party look....

Snowflakes hung from chandelier

The Frosty Family and I thank you for stopping by! Now hurry on your way and have some fun checking out the other beautiful tablescapes linked to the party at Between Naps on the Porch!
I will also be linking to The Tablescaper's Seasonal Sundays. You'll want to pop over there this weekend too!

Preview of Snowflakes & Snowmen

2011-01-11T20:47:00.000-08:00

Here is a little preview of something I'm working on for this week's Tablescape Thursday over at Between Naps on the Porch.
I'm having so much fun! I find tablescaping very therapeutic!

Hope you will check back in or look for my link at Between Naps on the Porch on Wed/Thurs for the full reveal.

Not Done with Christmas Yet!

2011-01-09T20:43:00.000-08:00

We are still very much enjoying our Christmas decorations (and not ashamed to say so!) so I haven't started my Winter themed decorating yet. However, I thought I'd join in with Chari at Happy to Design for Sunday Favorites and repeat this post on last year's winter decor. I'll also be linking up to The Stories of AtoZ's Winter Mantel party.

Winter Decor Post from January 2010

Long silver branches in a glass vase with faux snow sit on one side of the sofa table.

I used my three large glass hurricanes with silver snowflakes, faux snow and frosted pine cones on the other end of the sofa table.

Apothecary jars are filled with faux snow, pine cones and faux icicles. Excuse the dated Hunter Green countertops. The kitchen is on the list of reno's!

The following are the different shelves of an etagere we have in our living room. I've tried to create an "icy" theme on each shelf.

You will soon notice that most of my decor is placed atop my Battenburg and/or cutwork runners and tablecloths. I think they have a "snowy" look to them.

Centerpiece created for kitchen table - Pine cones, faux snow, faux icicles and a candle in a glass bowl surrounded by an icy wreath.

Fireplace mantel takes on a snowy/icy look. I put white LED lights under the branches but they look blue in the pictures.

All of the pine cones you see in the pics are real ones which were given a spray of faux snow (from a can).

Yes, that's my tripod you see reflected in the mirror! Oops!

Thanks for looking! Maybe next weekend, I might be able to bring myself to take down the Christmas decorations. Both Mr. Delight and I love the house all decked out for the holidays with the twinkling lights and glitz & glam. We are so sad when we have to go back to "everyday"!

Happy New Year!

2010-12-31T22:00:00.000-08:00

Whether you are enjoying a quiet evening at home or out whooping it up, I hope you are bringing in 2011 exactly how you want to. Happy New Year to you all!

I'd also like to take this opportunity to thank those of you who check in here at Dining Delight from time to time to see what new tablescapes and decorations I have come up with. I appreciate your visits and comments so very much!

I wanted to share this pic with you tonight as it looks rather celebratory to me.

My mom decorated this shelf in the sunroom at my parent's house. I love the reflection of all the candles in the mirror and the garland with lights below.

To me, the gentle glow of the candles brings to mind the promise of a New Year.

All the best to you in 2011 !