Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Antique Books and Flowers Table



One of my favorite things to do is decorate my dining table.  Somewhere in my adult life I made up a "Lady's Rule #?...  Never have an undressed Dining Table... always be ready to host anyone who walks through your door"  

Homer's Odyssey 

So today, I updated my Wintry mix of candles, gold, greenery, etc... to a fresh upbeat Spring look.  The first a foremost rule is to never spend any money that day on the table.  I always keep my eyes open for unique off the wall items that might turn into a very eclectic table setting in the future when I am out thrift shopping.  Part of the fun that I have is searching the house for a theme or treasures that would bring an interesting conversation to the table, today it was Old Books.








I had some old books that were left on a bookshelf after my Grandfather passed away and I had displayed them on a shelf, but it was time for others to see them up close and personal.  Today, I have REPURPOSED the old into something new!  





Here is a picture of the whole table

I started with a table runner and added some dimension to it by adding lacy place-mats under it.  Then I stood back to take a look, then I started to add a little of this and a little of that.  I usually plan a good couple of hours of fidgeting with it and I usually come back to it over the course of a couple of days until I have it just right!
Some of the items that I used:

Random candlesticks
Bird Music Figurines
Fresh Flowers from the Neighbors Yard
(please secure this part of the table after dark and make sure they aren't invited to dinner)
Green Napkins with Wooden Rings
Lenox Dishes
Old and I mean Really Old Books!
I never make one place-setting look like another - I usually just place items in different arrangements



Thank you neighbor on the left

Thank you neighbor on the right

I am sure that this won't be the way it looks in the end, if I have time and the boys are running crazy around the house, I would like to add bows to my vases, maybe some kind of bow or lace tied around the chairs and I would like to add a couple individual stems of flowers to each place-setting... 


Now I have to swing on in to the kitchen and cook something to serve!

Laurie





3 comments:

  1. 2 questions....1. How do you keep Oliver from pulling it all off and 2. Is that the table where you eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner?

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    Replies
    1. 1st answer - I have always kept my "stuff" out, I have never "child-proofed" my home... call me crazy, but it has always been there, so it has never seemed to draw much interest from the kids... I might have brought un-needed stress to my life, but it is how I have always been, so I don't notice it being a stress factor in my life... they have their areas and I have mine... AND MINE IS BIGGER! hehe

      2nd answer - no. This is not our daily dinner, we have a second table in our kitchen area that we do our "dirty work" at! But this table is one of the 1st things you see when coming into my house, so I feel it is important to "save face" when a guest enters!

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    2. Oh- just a side note on the Oliver factor - I have brought a little stress on myself with the old books... One of the books on the table is a version of "Treasure Island", published in 1905 and is worth about $100... that seems like a lot to me, so I am watching it with eagle eyes!

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