Country Morning Tablescape

A Country Morning Tablescape for
Valentine's Day Eve.

The tablescaping stars aligned this weekend: roses, roosters, and polka dots dishes. I was so enthused, I made two tablescapes for two different meals.
The small-but-charming rooster pitcher set the tone for the first breakfast tablescape.

A black ice bucket (thank you, Bandwidth!) served as a vase for my orchid. An old coverlet from K-Mart made the perfect tablecloth.

Roses from my husband went into the rooster vase.

My husband, the doctor-farmer, enjoyed this tablesetting. :-)

He loves any dish that has a rooster on it.

The second tablescape was more streamlined. I removed the makeshift tablecloth, kept the checkered placemats, and added vintage salt and pepper shakers.

I experimented with the napkins. Below, I just tucked them under the flatware.

For the centerpiece, I removed the orchid from the ice bucket and added flowers.

I found faux sprigs in a cabinet.

Rattlebridge Farm's Valentine's Day Menu

Sauteed Mushrooms and Pork Medallions

Roasted Asparagus

Low-carb pasta (Atkins brand)

Salad ~ Sliced Tomatoes ~ Cheese Platter

Low-Carb Finger Sandwiches

Fruit Cup with Sugar Free Whipped Cream

Sugar Free Lemony Iced Tea

Are you ready for Valentine's Day?

What's on YOUR menu?

A Metamorphosis Monday contribution.

Watch for an upcoming post... "Here Comes the Sun."

Sweet Talk: Valentine's Day Dessert

Red velvet cupcakes are a food group at Rattlebridge Farm. We eat them for breakfast, lunch, and tea. But these delightful confections are especially welcome on Valentine's Day.

Sweet Tarts are piled into champagne glasses, and the

message du jour is waiting for my sweetheart.

But first, let's eat cupcakes.

Paula Deen's recipe is scrumptious. You can find it here.

Then it's time for a little sweet talk.

If I owned a candy company, I might be tempted to invent some off-beat sayings for Sweet Tarts.

Pick Up Your Socks

Stop Dieting!

Start Living

Laugh Right Now

Wink More

Don't Cry

Eat Cake

If you owned a candy company, what sayings would you invent?

Tablescaping Notes

Dinner Plates -- Mikasa
Napkins -- Big Lots (dish towels)
Flatware -- Spode
Pink champagne glass -- vintage
Tablecloth -- vintage

A Tablescape Thursday contribution.

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.