Stash the Stuff!

Alma at The Tablescaper is celebrating her fourth blogaversary with a party.  I wanted to join, but I will be cruising Alaska May 31- Jun 8.  I let Alma know and she offered to post for me. Isn't that just so sweet?

Here's where I try to Stash the Stuff! 

This is the first china cabinet we owned.  It is really a dresser with a separate hutch that doesn't match, but this is the way my husband's grandmother had it, so we use it that way too.  It holds part of my Lenox china, placemats and the smaller drawers hold napkins. 

We quickly outgrew the one china cabinet and found this at a thrift store.  I holds several sets of dinner plates, round place mats, flatware, and candles. 

When I outgrew the other two china cabinets, I should have realized I had a dish hoarding problem, but instead, I found this Bassett cabinet on sale at Big Lot's for about $180.  I still can't believe my luck.

This cabinet holds more china, Fostoria glassware, cakeplates, crystal coasters, more flatware, napkins, and my silver.

On the top shelf is my newest prize.  A Fostoria Americana cake plate.  

This cabinet holds a lot and I have filled every inch!  

Centering the china cabinet on the back of the fireplace wall, left this little nook that I filled with a cabinet that is perfect for chargers.  

This chest belonged to my Grandmother and it used to hold napkins, but now it holds candles in the top drawer and believe it or not, the two bottom drawers are almost empty.  

Now all the napkins are taking over the "guest" side of the guest closet.  I stole this shoe/napkin holder idea from Alycia at Table Twenty One.  

An older radio cabinet from another Grandmother, holds more round placements and votive holders.

When three china cabinets, was no longer enough, my super supportive husband converted the linen closet at the end of a hallway into a dish closet.  Didn't take me long at all to fill it up either! At least nine full sets of dishes and various accent plates.  The top shelf holds all the tallest candlesticks.
When three china cabinets and a converted linen closet wasn't enough, same supportive husband converted half of the guest closet into storage.  

The guest closet was supposed to hold candlesticks and platters, but it pressed into dish duty.  I am probably the only person in town that goes to Old Time Pottery for empty glassware boxes.  For now, they make great storage for all my glassware too.  

An antique desk holds future Ebay or Esty sale items as well as napkin rinks and larger candles.  In order to make room for new, some stuff has to go.  You can see the Edelstein Bavaria Marie-Theresia  china set for sale HERE. 

As you can probably guess, or you know all too well, three china cabinets, a linen closet and guest closet, were not enough. 

When we moved into our house, there was no basement.  My husband and his crew spent a cold winter digging a basement under the existing house. It was meant to hold all his hunting, fishing and camping gear, but being sweet and supportive, he installed several sets of shelves for my ever growing collection.

All the shelves hold seasonal items like Christmas, extra chargers found on sale (for painting), and oversize items like cloches, lanterns, and the fat ceramic birds that I seem to collect. 

Since the basement is so dry, it is the perfect spot to store my collection of interesting wood, dried flowers, etc., that I often use for centerpieces. 

This drop leaf table at the end of the dining room has become a staging area.  When I am in the process of creating, everything I pull out ends up on this table.

  

There's more, but I need to pack so it will have to wait for Alma's 5th anniversary party.  Come join us for her 4th this year and be tell her thank you from me for linking me to her party!  

Peony Envy

After a poor year in response to being moved, our peonies are rewarding us with loads of blooms this year.  I decided it was time to use their beauty on the table.  

 I started with these beautiful Williams Sonoma placemats my MIL gave me for Christmas a few years ago.  She does give the BEST gifts!

I used the same glass chargers from Dillards and the clear plates that I used HERE from A Classy Flea that allow the peony beauty to shine through. 

The pink stems were found at Goodwill in Destin, with no identifying info. I love the pale hint of pink. 

Crystal napkins rings and white hemstitch napkins.  

A grouping of crystal candlesticks on a vintage looking runner from Home Goods.

Fat sassy birds from Ross. 

Many of our peonies were purchase from Peony's Envy at the Antique and Garden show.  You can learn everything you ever wanted to know about peonies at their website.  

Drop leaf, extra dining table is decorated with part of the bird nest collection my sweet husband has brought home.

Our newest outdoor acquisition.  It was handmade in South Africa and given to my husband by a happy landscape client.  I painted it white, strung it with fairy lights and Wha-La! outdoor chandelier.  It was raining, so no candles this night. 

Many thanks to the generous hosts of these fun parties:
Let's Dish
Tablescape Thursday

Red, White & True Blue

Since I will be packing this weekend for my Alaska cruise I won't be doing any Memorial Day entertaining.  I thought I would bring back a red, white and blue celebration table from way back before I was even blogging.  

 This table is from 2007 which is shortly after we moved into this house.  Many of your will probably recognize that the china cabinet on the brick wall has not been added.  

Here's to a great holiday!  Thanks Kathleen for hosting Let's Dish