Beautiful Table Settings

 Setting a beautiful table just comes naturally to some people.
There are many bloggers out there, who share this love too...

It is more than just about dishes.
It is the little extra things, that make a table interesting and beautiful.

A wonderful blogger friend of mine, Delores,
has mastered the art of the perfect table.
 And she has lots of
vintage dishes and goodies that make it look so special!!
Her favorite at the moment is a transfer-ware with a fruit center called Windsorware.

Delores has been a collector of vintage dishes for well over 20 years.
 Her collection consists of transfer-ware,
plates with fruits and florals,
Majolica and Provencal pottery.

Her blog is called Vignette Design and you really need to take a peek!  She showcases her vintage collections often, in her home in San Francisco and her getaway house in the California wine country.

Look at this wonderful setting and how Delores uses so many different elements.
Notice the faux leopard trim on the place mat and the paisley napkins.

When Delores does a table she thinks in terms of layering of patterns.

These were used during the winter Holidays,
How clever are the napkins and the ribbon place cards?!

I love the simplicity of her table setting below...I think this was for a special event at a winery that she styled.

Delores has over 25 different collections to chose from!

I have always loved Belleek Irish pottery, 

and look how she used hers for a St Patty's Day Lunch.

The lacy linens look perfect!
And of course we are having some Irish tea.

Another favorite collection is purple transfer-ware 

from Johnson Brothers.

She loves the farm scenes and the woodcutter...I do too.

Below is a table she styled for her Husband who is an avid fisherman. 

 She often uses books as part of her centerpiece...what a great idea.

This would be fun for Fathers Day.

How perfect is the combination below, using fresh squash with candles and Majolica.

The stemware is another element that she always uses perfectly.

More layering of linens, plates and items in the centerpiece...
this looks like Thanksgiving.
Notice the tapestry shawl over the table cloth.

Here is what she did last Easter.

Is that a chicken wire place mat?...

And lilacs...Perfect!

The linens are fresh and match so wonderfully with the Majolica and the purple cut stemware.

And her little egg cups...

so cute.

So what will you be doing with your table this Easter?

Thank you Delores for sharing your beautiful and inspiring tables.

I am off to dig around in the kitchen
for a few things to use for my Easter Breakfast table too!



~kelley~

And the Winner Is........

Guess who just won a new book?

Comment #29

Sandy!

Here is what Sandy wrote:

"Oh those photos are so beautiful! 

 Yes, please enter me for a chance to own this gorgeous book...."

Congrats Sandy....please email me with your address

&

your new book will be on its way

thank you to everyone who entered 

more fun posts on the way

~kelley~

New Finds for the Ranch House: Mish Mash Perfection

 I have taken a few weeks to stay here in Ojai 

for the master bathroom remodel.

We are slowly making progress
and next week most of it will be finished!

Hooray...
and I need a drink,
or some tylenol
or both

but.....

 Time to show you a few goodies from my last "flea" outing:

 The rusty chair got a coat of wax 

and some vintage pillows...

The red basket cart is "aging" in the orchard
&
The copper still is making the martini fix-in's

"Rusty" the chair came inside...
&
 next to "Rusty" is my favorite new bucket!

the "chippy green guy"

oh and guess what?
I love Buckets...read more here

It came my way via Mary, The Urban Farm girl
If you haven't found her yet...
she is one amazing and fun Farm girl

 We really haven't  done much with the interior of this little house...

and to say I have the:

  ultimate collection 
of
 Mish Mash




would be a HUGE understatement....

Lets hear it for Mish Mash!!!

I painted a few pieces white,
because the whole,
 Mish Mash Mess
 was giving me a headache...
more tylenol please

 And this is definitely not a house for carpeting...

because we track mud and dirt everywhere,

 so I have rug Mish Mash too!

Our next big project will be to install hardwood floors.

  UGH

but we purchased some beautiful solid wide plank pine,

 which I think will be great in this little hacienda 

 Here is the funky little blue metal stand...

I think is was used for bread in a grocery store...
paired with:

a Moroccan side table...

a Chinese wedding lantern...

Vintage cafe chairs....

&

some grain sack cushions...

100%

Pure 

 American 

Mish Mash

love me some Mish Mash

You?

Designers that Inspire: Victoria Hagan...and a great giveaway

 Victoria Hagan is an East Coast based designer with a wonderful pure style

Her work has been featured extensively in Architectural Digest and Elle Decor 

This last year she published her first book called: Interior Portraits

It is a compilation of her work in city dwellings, in the countryside and near the water

And all of it is really wonderful

She has a way of making furniture sort of float in a room

Neutrals are always present, but she has signature colors too, which you can see throughout her work

Careful editing is so important, I think, and she really makes it look simple

I won't show you everything...because I want to give someone this beautiful book

Just leave a comment on this post and on Wednesday morning April 13, 

I will pick a winner at random

Thanks for entering....hope you win!

~kelley~

Ambers Pillow Project: Beauty and the Beast

My friend and fellow blogger Amber

 AKA "The Girl is Craftee"

 asked if I could help her with some pillows

 for her living room sectional

We started off with this really wonderful linen floral drapery panel that Amber found on Ebay...I don't recall what she paid, but I don't think they were very expensive. 

 The down side was that they were not all that large either. 

 We needed to do some creative thinking to make good use of the fabric.

I played around with a few ideas and sent the rendering above off to her, for review.

Amber really wanted to incorporate some graphic old grain sacks into the mix. 

 She purchased these from Wendy at Textile Trunk and Wendy shipped them directly to me.

The only fabric Amber actually saw before we finished was the drapery!

 The dark orange graphic mixed with the green corn stalk was perfect with the drapery colors.

I originally thought I would used just solid linen for the rear of the pillows and the trim, but as luck would have it...I found 3 yards of this beautiful Benison stripe at my upholsterer. 

 This fabric normally would retail for around $200 per yard but I got it for $25!!!!!!

 I used the flanged welt on these that I love 

and mixed and matched with extra left over fabric.

So here is what we started with:

2 small linen drapery panels (approx. 2 yds)

2.5 yards of Bennison linen floral

3 grain sacks

And here is what we got:

4  22x22 Vintage floral with the Bennison stripe on the rear and a floral welt

2  22x22 Striped pillows in the Bennison stripe with a vintage floral welt

2  18x24 Grain sack pillows with the orange graphic

1 24x24 Grain sack pillow with the corn stalk

We got 9 pillows total,

 in various sizes, but all very large

We needed large pillows because this sectional is HUGE!

Amber affectionately refers to it as, 

the "Beast"

Now we have some beauty with our beast,

don't ya think!

Thanks so much Amber 

for sharing your wonderful home with us!

If you would like some help with a pillow project similar to this;

Just zip me off an email and I will send you a price list.

And thanks so much for stopping by too!

~kelley~