Let's Dish!

I'm joining Kathleen's Let's Dish party! Thanks to Kathleen for hosting. Click on her name for lots more fun and inspiration.

I'm trying to get my creative juices flowing again. I almost gave up with this tablescape. I started with these bright yellow salad plates I found at TJ Maxx a few months ago.
They are made in Portugal and were only $2.99 each, so I succumbed and bought them!
I had planned to do an all yellow and white tablescape. First I used a different tablecloth and a different centerpiece, but it just didn't have the pizzazz I was hoping for. I didn't even take any pictures due to my disappointment. After a few days I decided to change the tablecloth and used this one. I bought it at an estate sale a year or so ago.

It is a beautiful and unusual shaped tablecloth.

Next I decided to add more colors to the yellow and white theme.

A friend gave me these lily plates several years ago:

There's four different colors, yellow lilies above, and blue below:

Peach lilies:

and purple:

I must admit I was surprised how well they all go with the bright yellow!
I did a different centerpiece, had to make a trip to Michael's to look for some lilies (no fresh ones anywhere) They didn't have the color I wanted, I had to settle for white, but I added a few others silks and voila! It's pretty!

I already had that little bright yellow birdie:

and the bright yellow vase:

I know some people call themselves "silk flower snobs" and never use the silk, only fresh flowers, but I love the silks and they last forever!! LOL! I may be bragging, but I don't think fresh flowers could look any prettier than these do!

The next surprise I had was this:

While sitting across the room I saw the design in the tablecloth, and couldn't believe my eyes - the flower design in the tablecloth is a lily design!!

Can you believe it?! How neat is that!!

Now I started getting really excited about this tablescape! Believe me I needed this, as I have been in a decorating slump lately. My sister is still with us, she is even doing better! PTL! I think I've felt I shouldn't be having fun with decorating and blogging when she is so sick, but this has been good therapy for me and my sadness about her.

Thanks to all of you who left such sweet messages on my last post about my sister! They are so appreciated and made me feel better. Thanks, also for your prayers!
I'm thanking our Lord for this gift, I believe He helped me put this all together after I prayed about what to do!
I had forgotten about this tablecloth, it was hanging in the guest room closet (along with the red tablecloth I thought I had lost!)

The bright colors have cheered me up so much!
It is much brighter than it looks in these pictures.

I hope you enjoyed this tablescape as much as we are enjoying it here!


Yellow polka dot place mats were purchased a few years ago, I've forgotten where I found them, probably TJ Maxx. The white dinner plates are from Dollar Tree many years ago! The "crystal" goblets are from Dollar Tree as well. The yellow vase is from Home Goods, last year. I made the yellow polka dot napkins. The white ceramic napkin rings have a floral design on the other side, but I like the all white backs better with this theme!

Have a happy day,

God Bless,

Estate Sale Finds

Today I'm linking to AlaCart's Junkin' Finds! Thanks, Linda, for hosting! Go here for lots more "Finds!"

Here are the things I recently bought at an estate sale. The sale was right across the street from us.

I blogged a few weeks ago about our two neighbors dying within three months of each other. They didn't have any children and her older sister, niece and nephew came and took a few things back to St. Louis with them. Our neighborhood was totally in shock, and I was upset seeing ten to twenty boxes at the curb for the garbage pick-up. After going to the estate sale last week I felt better as most of her household was still there, not sent to the dump as I suspected! The house was almost just as she left it when she went to have her heart catheterization. Everything from spices in the cabinet to her antique bedroom set, ETC!

I only bought small things as we already have a house full of stuff!! Above, is a set of pretty ceramic place cards and menu plaque, with special pens that will erase easily.
I have been wanting some of these! I prefer plain ones, but these are pretty too.

Close-up of the menu plaque. How neat is this!

The little silver serving pieces were only two and three dollars each!
I love the shape of this! Can't wait to polish it!
Love the handle and the design on this one!
I couldn't resist the crystal vase and
vintage divided serving dish!
Notice the tablecloth, it is also from the sale.

It is sort of a tan colored lace and really long. I think it's darker than ecru. The white spots on it are from the sun shining through the crystal chandelier above!

Below is the other tablecloth, the one featured in this past week's tablescape. (Scroll down to see.)

My friend loved to entertain and had several sets of napkin rings. The ones below are made from shells. I don't know the name of them, do you?

Love, love, love these black cloisonne napkins rings below!

The set of 12 oval metal napkin rings below are either stainless steel or chrome, not sure. I'm wondering if I can spray paint them gold. What do you think?

I also bought these pretty pillow cases, they were only $3.00 for the set.

Funny, that stain isn't noticeable, except in the photos!

I want to make throw pillows with them.

Can't wait to receive more roses to display in this pretty vase!

I have no ideas yet as how I will use all of this, but I'm sure they will appear in tablescapes soon!

Any ideas and suggestions?!

I can't remember how much everything cost, she was writing down everything and didn't give me the itemized list. Nothing was over $5. I only spent about $30 for everything.
I like to think my friend would like for me to have her things. They are nice mementos of our friends.

Have a happy day!

God Bless.

Katherine