Tablescapes

It's been over a year since I last tried to get into blogging.  I just didn't have the fortitude to try to learn all the ins and outs.  This morning, even though I have so much to do to get ready for a visit from my daughter and her family, I decided to take a look at all the settings again.  I wanted to show you my St. Patrick's Day tablescape, but I am not sure how to make it show under the tablescape tab.  I did a little googling...but still not sure.

Anyway....I'll post some pictures...see if I know how to create a label for this post...and keep my fingers crossed.  I've been setting my round table in my kitchen eating area.  The table doesn't leave much room for displaying, but it's still fun.  So...here is my St. Patrick's Day tablescape for 2013.

 I made the place mats out of a runner that I found at Home Goods.  I just cut it into 4 pieces and hemmed the edges.  The tablecloth is a heavy brocade and I really was excited to get it at an estate sale for $3!  It draped on my round table beautifully, with very little pressing needed.

The gold flatware and gold chargers were estate sale finds.  I especially love those chargers.  $1 apiece, and although there were lots to choose from....most were rusted, so I picked out 6 of the best.  They polished up beautifully with Barkeepers Friend.

The green depression glass salad plates were an eBay find, and the shamrock plate was a purchase this year from Home Goods.  The green napkins I've had for 40 years, and I layered the green with napkins I found at an estate sale.

Mr. Pig's contribution to everything was the decorated cupcakes he found at Publix.  I wanted to save the cute little decorations, but our counter surfing Black Lab Suzy ate the cupcakes and chewed a couple of the little plastic decorations...

I just love this shamrock tea pot from Home Goods.  It matches the little bread plates!

Oh how I wanted a Shamrock plant for my center piece.  All the bloggers I follow and love had Shamrock Plants for their tables.  Alas, I hadn't a clue where to find one here, so I used a Hydrangea wreath found at Home Goods last year.  It's flowers are so soft and pretty.  

My little "Irish Pig" butter dish...I tied a ribbon around him to decorate him for St. Patrick's Day.  My daughter found him at an estate sale and gifted him to me.  That makes him more precious in my eyes.

The cake stand is the same shamrock pattern as the bread plates and teapot...also found at Home Goods.  How I love that store!  The stemware is an estate sale find.  They seemed to be the right choice with the gold of the chargers, flatware, and the gold rim of my Lenox Mansfield china.

I decided to put the shamrock cake stand on one of the gold chargers.  The hurricane globe is one of two found at an estate sale.  I've never seen one like it with it's ribbed waves in the glass.

This little tea cup was another estate sale find.  On the bottom it says "Hand made in Galway" and "Tara", and underneath all of that it says "Ireland".  So pretty.  The little gold spoon is part of the flatware set.

The napkin rings were found at an estate sale...they look like satin twisted rope.  I'm sure I'll get lots of good use from them.  They will also be perfect for Christmas, I think.

My "candle light" view.  Just one of the many challenges of blogging is picture taking.  I learned from all the wonderful bloggers I follow that flash should not be used when tablescaping.  A lesson I didn't learn 'til after I made my very first tablescape last year.  I see now what a difference it makes to learn to use the manual settings on my little Canon A620 Powershot camera.  It's an old camera now and I would love to have a Canon Rebel EOS.  Not sure how I could ever manage that into my budget though.  Nice to dream about one, but I'll try to get the best I can out of this little Canon digital Powershot.  

Well, that's it.  I still don't know very much yet about how to blog.  Getting this post to show under the tab of Tablescapes, as well as on my home page is the challenge for today.  I may have to contact one of my favorite bloggers for help! I added a "Tablescapes" label, so I'm hoping.  I think there is something else I need to do too.  Something about creating a "forward page"? LOL  I also noticed lately that most of the blogger's pictures, when you click on them, don't go to that nice little slideshow any more...but now open up to a larger image.  I really hate all those extra clicks to open each one to a larger view.  I'm not sure how to make mine do what I want...(the slide show view).  Gosh...there is SO much to learn!

So far, I only have one follower.  Thank you "Wsprsweetly of Cottages".  My heart is sad for Mona.  I have followed her blog for over a year now, and find it so hard to express how I hurt for her loss of her daughter Sandy.  I'm praying and thinking of her daily.

Love to all,

Joyce