Dianne's Creative Table: June 2011

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

The City Girl in the Backyard

I love a beautiful garden, but I don't like to be outside very much. I grew up in downtown Pittsburgh, PA and didn't really have a yard. Needless to say, I am not an outdoor kinda gal. Every time I go out something bad happens. Mosquitos bites and poison ivy turn into large red welts that lasts for weeks requiring steroids. I got stuck by a rose thorn which lead to a bad infection in my knuckles. Another time, a stray cat hiding in the yard, bit my hand and I ended up in the hospital with IV antibiotics. Don't even get me started on the chiggers! I am a chigger magnet and if all that isn't enough, I have naturally curly hair! My hair in the TN summer humidity is not a pretty sight! I tell everyone my hair doesn't grow, it just gets bigger. But I digress...
My husband, the landscaper, used edible plants all around our house. While he is on his annual man fishing trip, living in the wilderness for ten days, he asked me if I would please check on the crops, so I was forced to go out in the yard. I sprayed up, wore long clothes, avoided the roses and took a shower and washed my clothes the second I got back in the house. It was worth it though. Look what I found.

Just a matter time on the Concord Grapes

I have a feeling I will be making a lot of applesauce. This is just one of four trees.

The fig trees are coming along nicely.

The peach trees were planted about a month ago and they are already fruiting. Spotted, hard and tiny, but next year hopefully they will bigger and better.

Blueberries coming on

About the time the strawberries are finished, the basil will take over the bed. Then we will have a pesto party.
Then I found these....

Going in for a drink!

PeeGee Hydrangea. This will be a weeping ball of white blooms by the end of summer.

Creeping Jenny doing it's thing.... creeping all over everything!

Anybody need any bay leaves?

A double lily.

Aren't they spectacular? I have decided that I might have go outside more often, but don't tell my husband. You can tell everyone about Tablescape Sunday

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Please Don't Throw Me In the Briar Patch

Ahhhh Summer......

From this

Eight cups of just picked blackberries

To this.....

Linking up to Susan's Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch

Saturday, June 25, 2011

After the Storm

Spring is the time for storms in Middle Tennessee. Scary, severe storms that often send us to the basement. In the eight years we have lived in our house there have been many severe storms, but usually after the storm, the sky returns to normal. Twice in the past year though, the sky has turned the strangest shade of pink. This time I tried to capture last week's sky for you to see.

I didn't do anything to enhance the photos. This is the actual color of the sky about an hour after a thunder storm. Each time I turned the camera, they sky was a different color. Crazy huh? I am linking up to Seasonal Sundays at The Tablescaper

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

My Atlanta Memories

Over Thanksgiving last year, my husband and I took a long weekend and drove South to Atlanta to do one of our favorite things; attend Cirque de Soleil.

We also went to the Atlanta Aquarium, the largest in the world.

We had the most wonderful meal at the Wood Fire Grill and the next day we went to IKEA and then stopped in at A Classy Flea. I found the most wonderful set of Homer Laughlin china, which I grabbed instantly. You can see those dishes and the tablescape HERE.
In February, I returned to A Classy Flea with my dear friend Suzanne ( a fellow dishaholic) and stumbled on a full set of twelve place settings of Alfred Meaken Medway China. I just love the bouquet of flowers, the colors, the shape, all of it. Just like always, I snapped them up, but not before negotiating for a real bargain.

In a hurry, as usual, I used this cute candle holder/fairy cottage for my centerpiece. I wanted something more, but settled for less this time.

I have only been to A Classy Flea twice and scored big time each visit! I highly recommend it if you are in the Marietta area. I also highly recommend visiting Susan at Tablescape Thursday and Seasonal Sundays

Saturday, June 4, 2011

Too Much Stuff!

The Tablescaper is hosting another "Where do you keep it all?" party to celebrate her blogaversary so I pulled out, opened, looked over, under, around, inside and outside, and behind and discovered that I have W - A - Y too much stuff! I really need to get a grip!

My sweet accommodating husband has been very busy lately turning closets into dish storage.

He turned a linen closet into this dish closet a few months ago. We are still working on trying to find the best way to light it.

The wire racks make storage and retrieval so much easier.

Since the top shelf goes all the way to the ceiling, it is perfect for those extra tall candle sticks.

On to the dining room storage. I have three, count em, three china cabinets in my dining room. I realized in the process of preparing this blog that I might also have a problem collecting china cabinets!

This one is a Broyhill, solid cherry that I found at Big Lots for $288. I KNOW, I couldn't believe it either and I had to have it.

This mismatched piece was my husband's Grandmother's. It along with my dining table and chairs sat in her dining room in Memphis feeding family and farmhands for years and years. I feel fortunate to have anything that belonged to MaMa. You will see many pieces from her home and my MIL's Mother's home along the way today.

The Early American cabinet came from my favorite Nashville consignment shop, Estella's.

Lenox Maywood behind my cake plate collection.

More of the Lenox Maywood. I have full place settings for 19. So you don't think I am totally crazy, they were next to nothing when the Lenox outlet went out of business!

The no-name set I carried home from Colorado on the airplane.

Underneath my Lenox vegetable plates, French Lamandinoise soup bowls with a vegetable pattern and some Home Goods appetizer plates.

On the other side, is the set of cream dishes I purchased for next to nothing at Old Time Pottery. I find myself using them all time.

Strawberry dishes, Mikasa Antique White and assorted appetizer plates.

More Mikasa Antique White and appetizer plates.

Vintage salt cellars.

All my chargers are stacked in this cabinet that just fits in the nook in the dining room.
On to the kitchen cabinets

Everyday Noritake Warm Sands.

Vintage refrigerator dishes, glassware and kitchen towels.

Most of my everyday, or at least every weekend glassware.

Of course, since I no longer have a linen closet, most of my linens are stored where ever they fit!

These wide drawers are perfect for the round place mats.

Part of my napkin collection.

More place mats

Followed by even more place mats and table runners.

And even more napkins.

My Grandmother-in-law's radio cabinet holds the overflow round place mats and votive candle holders.

My Grandmother's chest of drawers, One handle is broken and I am on the hunt for a replacement.

It holds candles,

more napkins and linens,

And more linens and birds.

Table flatware in the china cabinet drawers makes setting the table so easy.

Silverplate; some my husband's Grandmother's and some from a client that was throwing it away!

Vintage crystal coasters and salt & peppers.

In the unassuming closet in the guest room lurks......

All my table decor and platters on another set of shelves my husband recently built.

All my extra glassware is stored in boxes. I can carry the box I need to the dining table.

This large storage cabinet is also in the guest closet.

It hold cloches, vases and cups and saucers.

Another Grandmother-in-Law's chest of drawers holds extra linens and wrapping supplies.

My husband's Grandfather's desk

Napkins rings, extra candles, etc, etc, etc....

A small part of my cookbook collection and lest you think that table decor is all I collect.....

Welcome to my office/craft room. This was the designated dining room for our house. I couldn't even imagine using it for dining.

Ribbon and

Stamps and inks are stored in these great displays from Bath and Body Works. It's so great that they sell their floor displays at the end of the season.