Romancing the Plate

Part I: Bird-Themed Tablescape

My mother says the secret to tablestyling is simple: one must romance the plate. It's about attraction, feeling the mood, and understanding the subtle nuances of Dishology.

I don't understand all that, so I consulted her about my Valentine's Day tablescape, and she suggested Lenox's "Chirp" dishes.

Bird dishes are perfect. I live on a farm, and when we first moved here, I rarely saw songbirds. However, hawks and buzzards were plentiful. We set out feeders and nailed bluebird houses to the fence posts. It took a while for the word to get out, but now we have cardinals and bluebirds and the occasional mockingbird.
My heart always speeds up when a bluebird perches on the feeder. Meal worms are the bluebird's equivalent of human caviar (or in my case, red velvet cake).

The "Chirp" dishes made a colorful splash on my table.

For the centerpiece, Mother recommended tulips. I bought
2 pots, placed them in a bowl, and tucked moss around the plastic liners.

 Then I began to romance the plate. I shopped the house for turquoise and Red items. Well, I didn't have any luck with turquoise, but I found my Fostoria wedding goblets.

 

The bird-theme cried out for twig flatware.

And, because this tablescape is matchier than normal (I love odd pieces of white ironstone and ceramic), Mother suggested that I use mismatched napkins. These came mismatched--perfect!

I love the arrows on this napkin.

 

I plucked pink sweetheart roses from a scraggly bouquet and placed them in itty vases.

 

Tablescaping Notes

Dishes-- "Chirp" by Lenox

Chargers -- Waechtersbach (cherry)

Napkins -- "Straight to the Heart" by Flying Needle Gallery

Glassware -- Fostoria Jamestown

Twig Flatware -- I wish I could remember! It's stainless.

White placecard holders/vases: Amazon

Part II: Shopping Tip

I stopped at Big Lots last week and found adorable

"Love" and "Hug" cookies ($1 each). I'm dangerous with icing and couldn't bake these cookies for this price! They'll make sweet gifts for your guests.

 Charger: Horchow

Dinner plate: American Atelier's Baroque

Bread & Butter plate: Adams Ironstone

Flatware: Spode's Woodland

During the drab days of February, red dishtowels add a festive touch in the kitchen. These towels can be found at Publix Grocery and Big Lots. Don't they make cute napkins?

Thanks for stopping by the farm!

A Tablescape Thursday contribution.