Getting Ready For Easter

Oh, my goodness! Easter is only one week away! And while I have had it on my mind, the off and on cold weather just didn't seem like the time for Easter planning. I had better stop planning and start putting my table setting together. I will post pictures of this year's table after Easter. It is very possible that I will be putting finishing touches on the table as the ham is coming out of the oven!

At the top of my list is deciding on a color palette. A quick review of tables from the last few years will make the decision easier.  I don't usually duplicate color palettes several years in a row.  Wish me luck!

This is one of my favorite color palettes. The bright green mixed with the apricot/orange sherbet was so lovely and fresh. The bright green, metallic charger and the orange satin ribbon lent a more formal feel to the setting. I may not use the same color palettes two years in a row, but I have been known to reuse the cute little bunnies and alabaster eggs. I added some paper mache' eggs for a texture contrast and left them in their original state. 

             

I really like pastels at Easter. The yellow, pink and muted turquoise looked lovely. The wicker chargers gave the table a more casual feel that year. The bunnies and alabaster eggs made an appearance. The addition of two little brown bunnies peeking out from under the center piece added a little charm. I love to add little touches that may not be noticed right away but complete the look and feel I want to achieve.

This color palette was all about the napkins! I am fortunate to have a mother who sews and is willing to serge and hem the edges of many a piece of fabric to create the napkins I want.* (Thank you, Mama!) The little ceramic chicks and alabaster eggs in bright colors completed this look. I wish I had a picture of the entire table. It was a bright, cheerful way to celebrate Easter Sunday lunch.

*I am a fan of cloth napkins. My collection of cloth napkins is varied and on the large side. I have nothing against paper napkins and use them frequently. However, there is...for me...something about a cloth napkin that completes a table setting.

As I said above I will post pictures of this year's table after lunch on Easter Sunday. Until then, I wish you a meaningful Holy Week and a joyful Easter Sunday.

                                                                 

French Country: An Entree' Inspiration

Rustic, French peasant food.  Historically that would describe the inspiration for this table setting: Coq au Vin.  The literal translation is "Cock (Rooster) of the Wine".  An older bird, which had outlived his usefulness, was braised in wine to tenderize the stringy, tough, meat.  While Coq au Vin has been elevated from from its peasant status and chicken or capon is traditionally used today, I took inspiration from the literal translation.  The warm color palette was an inviting accompaniment to this rustic, French entree'.

A matte, black table cloth served as the perfect neutral on which to build.  I used a weathered piece of board as a table "runner" and built the centerpiece around a decorative rooster I found on sale.  The flowers and greenery, arranged in a tarnished, silver sugar bowl, are a combination of silk and fresh. The addition of faux grape clusters and wooden candle sticks completed the centerpiece. Coordinating cloth napkins, textured chargers and menu cards added finishing touches to the tabletop design.                      

Make It Personal

There are occasions when my tablescape muse leaves me high and dry.  Such was the case recently when our family celebrated three birthdays at one dinner.  A table setting design and centerpiece that fit all three personalities just didn't materialize.  Then it came to me.  Why not personalize each place setting for each honoree?  So that's what I did! 

For my sister, the artist historian, inspiration came in the form of one of her favorite artists and paintings - Vermeer's "Girl With A Pearl Earring".  The royal blue and bronze color palette, complete with a string of pearls, was perfect for her.

For my husband Disney was the obvious choice.  Mickey Mouse came to mind when I remembered a set of plates we had purchased on one of our many trips to Disney World.  Mission accomplished! He still thinks his was the best!

The third place setting was a bit more challenging.  It was for my father.  I finally settled on his love of the universe and space.  I chose a photograph taken by Hubble and used God's color palette from the picture.  A purple charger and green depression glass tied it all together.  He loved it!

I'm thanking my muse now.  Making a multiple honoree dinner table more personal is not as daunting as I first thought. There were three completely different place settings to bring together, but it was worth it in the end.  Sometimes it's the little things...like making it personal.