Author: Autumn
Mr. Autumn and I are just home from a beautiful four-day bicycle ride in the mountains of Virginia, near Blacksburg. The scenery was breath-taking, but the cycling was very challenging. So, with so little time before the holiday week-end, I thought I better start making some plans.
And if you have been wondering about Jordan, she is still busy working in Ohio. She catches a plane every Monday morning and returns home Thursday night. She only has a few more weeks of this crazy schedule before she will be home for a while. She and I have two takes on the same recipe for Friday’s post. Hers will be the easy version, and mine will be the “from scratch” version, but they are both very tasty.
So, I think the first thing I will do is make the plans for our week-end meals. Come along while I plan our holiday table.
First, I’ll start with a faux leather equestrian place mat by Pomegranate.
Next, I’ll use a large dinner plate as the charger. This one is called Barnyard by Noble Excellence. I bought ten of them at Dillards years ago on sale 80 per cent off.
For the dinner plate, our new Nantucket Basket by Wedgewood will be perfect. My friend Beth has the entire collection of this pattern, and I just love it. I opted to just get the dinner plates because they will go with everything else that we own.
You can see the basket weave pattern in this close-up. It is supposed to resemble the famous Nantucket purses that are so special and so expensive.
I think this rugged and masculine Crate and Barrel salad plate will make a nice contrast against the delicate Nantucket Basket.
This bowl by Bennington Potters, called Blue Agate,will be a perfect addition to complete the red, white, and blue theme I want. The chilled soup will look perfect in it. I bought a set of eight place settings of this pattern when our children were little. Sadly, there are only five bowls remaining, and that’s it.
Let’s see. Which napkin should I use? What about this bandana patterned dish towel from Martha Stewart’s K-Mart collection of a few years ago? Hmmmm… No, I think it needs more contrast.
I like this powder blue gingham napkin better. It offers some contrast, but it still follows the theme. It, too, is from a set of Martha Stewart K-Mart dish towels.
And here are the final touches. I am adding our everyday stainless by Oneida and some blue water goblets I found at the Dollar Tree a few years ago. Mission accomplished.
Here is one last peak. Now all I have to do is figure out a center piece, plan a menu, and do the shopping so that Mr. Autumn and I will have to only deal with the fun part of our week-end: concert, parade, and lots of bicycling with friends.
Take care.
Linking to 
Love the Bennington pottery bowls…great patriotic table!
Love the idea of a bandana for a napkin! Very festive setting!
Don’t you just love to put together a place setting. Thinking about each element and trying different pieces till you get it just right? I love what you have put together. Very festive.
Yvonne
Love those bowls. so sad only 5 remain. Your placesetting is wonderful. great placemats, great plates.. it all came together so nicely. Happy Fourth, Many blessings, Marlis
The leather placemats with the equestrian buckle are fantastic! And I’m with you on buying sets of plates instead of a complete service. I make that choice on a pattern by pattern basis. I spent a magical summer on Nantucket as a 60’s college student. The Lighthouse Baskets were one of my favorites on the island. I used to give scrimshaw pieces as gifts for many years. Thank you for sharing your charming design. Cherry Kay
I love the little touch of light blue in your place setting. Unexpected and delightful!
Great idea! The table looks so festive! Thanks for sharing:)
Hope to see you on my blog:)
Happy 4th of July!
It is so much fun to see how different people plan the tables and build the settings piece by piece. I like the blue checked Martha towels–will have to check out KMart! I have Nantucket basket as my everyday china and I’ve used it for many, many years. I never get tired of it, and it does go with so many other dishes. Linda
Looks great!
Placemats are so fab! Love them!!! They always say food looks best on white plates, which I finally now own. Can’t wait to see the menu! 🙂
Donna,
Glad to hear food looks best on white plates. We registered for all white everyday dishes and I love them, but now even more knowing my meals will look best on the white plates!
Love it! Looks great!
What a fun and festive table.. hugs ~lynne~
I’ve backtracking today to read some of the blogs I’ve missed over the past few weeks. You know I love this look–I have a wonderful picture of my July 4th table last year, A Flag Cake from Ina, Hydrangeas and Red Roses from my garden in blue and white Chinese vases, and my wonderful Nantucket Basket China–thanks for the shout out–I used a Matlasse twin bedspread as a tablecloth, and some vintage blue and white napkins I bought on one of the trips to Brimfield. and the blue glasses from Breakfast at Old Deerflield. I read the designer developed Nantucket Basket originally because the glaze was famous for its perfect luminessense–and food always looks best on white china. I am still shopping around for more spots of red–