one tablecloth, four looks

Mixing and matching table linens and tableware is my favorite way to set tables. It gives a tablescape that "je ne sais quoi", and keeps it from looking too staged. 

Stripes and checks are really the most fun to play around with, so when I recently received a gorgeous Capri Stripe Navy Blue tablecloth from Solino Home, I decided to style it 4 different ways, using 4 different Solino Home napkins.

Each individual napkin style was used in a unique way for each table. I had fun with flowers, different china patterns and themes for all four tables. Here’s a peek at the first one…

 

For the first look, I used the Jolie Fleur napkins with a variety of blue and white accents, like transferware dinner plates, French salad plates and Wedgwood Jasperware accessories.

 

Pink peonies make this whole look pop, as do the vintage raffia placemats that provide a pretty textural contrast.

 

A lot of vintage tableware adds to the “coastal grandmother” look of this table. The stem glasses are my favorite touch, as the etched flowers echo the pretty Jolie Fleur pattern of the napkins.

The second look features both the tablecloth and napkins in the Capri Stripe pattern, but in different colors.

 

We’re sticking with the navy-blue Capri Stripe for the tablecloth and adding the Capri Ticking Stripe in the Natural color way for the napkins.

 

I paired blue and white transferware with brown and white transferware for a nod to the color combination of the table linens. Each place setting has different china patterns and plate combinations.

 

Texture is again brought in with different placemats. This time it's my shell-trimmed placemats to which I add this pretty bamboo flatware that I love so much.

 

Whimsical Monarch butterflies and chamomile flowers add a sentimental touch to the table.

 

The third look is so perfect for summer and all the red, white and blue parties that go hand-in-hand with summer entertaining.

 

Big, bold Red Buffalo Check napkins pair perfectly with the navy stripes of the tablecloth. I chose fun Shasta daisies to brighten up the center of the table.

 

This is a fun brunch or breakfast look for summer. Casual, but still pretty. This time the texture comes in the form of my reliable Serena & Lily raffia placemats and my new set of wicker napkin rings.

 

A big bowl of strawberries, croissants, coffee and toast are the perfect ingredients for this setting.

The last napkin option that I chose is the navy and white French Stripe Napkin. Stripes on stripes? Why not? The color is the same, so it works here.

 

Blue transferware plates set on solid white farmhouse plates creates a clean and crisp look with the linens. 

Vintage placemats, bright pink hydrangeas from the garden and vibrant blue goblets round off the fourth look for this pretty linen tablecloth.

 

All-in-all, I’m really impressed by the quality and look of the 100% linen napkins and tablecloths from Solino Home.

The classic stripes and patterns they offer make it so easy to set a pretty table.

 

Be sure to check back soon for all the details and lots more pictures of how each one of these four tables came together. I'll be doing an individual blog post for each one of these unique tablescapes, so I hope to see you soon here on Ciao Newport Beach.

 

Shopping info for Solino Home:

 

Capri Stripe Navy Tablecloth

Jolie Fleur Napkins 

Natural Capri Stripe Napkins

Red Buffalo Check Napkins

French Stripe Napkins

Other shopping info:

Shell-Trimmed Placemats 

Bamboo Flatware

Monarch Butterflies

Wicker Napkin Rings

Blue Goblets

 

ciao! fabiana

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one amazing pasta recipe and more!

Over the last week, I’ve really had an inkling for cooking and baking, so when I came across this recipe for Baked Penne with Chicken and Sun-Dried Tomatoes, I thought I’d give it a go for dinner.

 

I just received this beautiful Pyrex Baking Dish with Shell Lid from Arthur Court, so it was the perfect time for trying out this Martha Stewart pasta casserole recipe.

 

It’s basically a creamy, cheesy, and utterly delicious sauce that whips up easily on the stove, and then you just add cooked chicken, mushrooms, and sun-dried tomatoes. Pop it in the oven, and let it cook for 25 minutes or so.

 

My family was head over heels about it, and one of my sons even rated it as a 10 out 10 in terms of taste out of all the pasta dishes I make, and I make a lot!

 

And even though pasta and cheese are out of my dietary realm, I couldn't help but have two tiny little bites, and I’m telling you… it was AH-mazing!

 

It’s not that hard to make, either. In fact, this recipe is enough to make two 3-quart casseroles. 

I halved the recipe, so I only made one, but next time I’ll be sure to make the whole recipe and freeze the extra one or bring it to a friend.

Baked Penne with Chicken and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

 

A recipe from Martha Stewart

6 tablespoons butter, plus more for baking dishes

Coarse salt and ground pepper

1 pound penne rigate

1 teaspoon olive oil

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (8 ounces each), halved horizontally

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)

4 garlic cloves, minced

6 cups whole milk

10 ounces white mushrooms, trimmed and thinly sliced

1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and thinly sliced

1 1/2 cups shredded provolone (6 ounces)

1 cup finely grated Parmesan (4 ounces)

Step 1

Preheat oven to 400. Butter two shallow 2-quart baking dishes. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta 3 minutes short of al dente; drain pasta, and return to pot.

 

Step 2

In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Season chicken with salt and pepper; cook until opaque throughout, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Halve each piece lengthwise, then thinly slice crosswise.

 

Step 3

In a 5-quart Dutch oven or heavy pot, melt butter over medium. Add flour and garlic; cook, whisking, 1 minute. While whisking, gradually add milk; bring to a simmer, whisking frequently. Add mushrooms and tomatoes; cook 1 minute. Off heat, gradually stir in provolone and 1/2 cup Parmesan.

 

Step 4

Add chicken and pasta to pot; season with salt and pepper. Divide pasta mixture between baking dishes; sprinkle each with 1/4 cup Parmesan.

Step 5

Bake, uncovered, until top is golden and bubbling, about 25 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

I garnished this with fresh cherry tomatoes that I cut in half and a few little sprigs of basil.

In addition to the Chicken & Penne dish, I also prepared a little antipasto of Cherry Tomato Bruschetta, Marinated Mini Mozzarella, and Marinated Olives, served with Italian breadsticks.

 

Can we talk about this gorgeous 3-Bowl Clam Server? Isn’t it so cute for summer? This is one of three beautiful coastal themed items I recently got from Arthur Court.

 

I’m calling this trio my “Summer Entertaining Essentials”. I’ll share the third piece with you very soon. It’s called the Oyster with Pearl Chip and Dip, and it’s just as pretty as these two serving pieces I’m sharing with you here today.

 

Now here’s the lowdown on the antipasti:

 

Cherry Tomato Bruschetta – Place halved cherry tomatoes in a bowl and generously drizzle with olive oil. Add a clove or two of minced garlic, chopped basil and finish off with salt and pepper.

 

Marinated Mini Mozzarella- Mozzarella balls can be enhanced with the addition of a little bit of olive oil, salt, pepper, and herbs. I used a little rosemary, thyme and oregano on these. Be sure to drain the mozzarella first. 

 

Marinated Olives – Bottled Greek, Italian or Spanish olives are the best to use for this. Drain all the liquid from the olives and then add flavorings of your choice. I used olive oil, ground fennel seeds, chopped oregano, minced garlic and little bit of lemon zest.

 

I hope you’ll check back again soon because I’ll have another yummy recipe to share with you, in addition to a few beautiful summer tablescapes that are easy to duplicate.

 

 

 

ciao! fabiana

 

 

Shopping info:

 

Pyrex Baking Dish with Shell Lid

3-Bowl Clam Server

Maison d’Hermine Napkins

Best Italian Breadsticks

Really Good Olives

White Starfish

 

 

 

 

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Please note that this post may contain affiliate links.

weekend round up

How is it possible that it’s the weekend again? Here we are almost halfway through the year, so I thought it was about time that I share a weekend round up feature. It’s been a while, so here goes with a few of my favorite things.

 

Let’s start with this pretty bunch of flowers that I collected from the garden. I was working on a fall project for Cottages and Bungalows and needed some kind of autumn floral statement.

This big handful of blooms from the garden may not be wildflowers, but they sure give off that vibe. This is just a bunch of sage, pink grasses, nandina and yellow aquilegia and are so perfect for this big ironstone pitcher that I love so much.

 

After photographing my fall project, I moved the flowers out of the way and set them on these books in front of the window. The sunlight coming in from the garden was so pretty, I had to capture this moment.

Sometimes, it's those unexpected things that are so pretty. I was putting off going to the store to buy sunflowers, and then just went out and gathered what I thought would be a sentimental autumn look.

And speaking of this fall photo shoot, I wanted to share with you how I simply styled this little wooden shadow box. I used it to add some texture to the background of my pictures.

I found it recently at my neighbor’s estate sale. She said she stripped the finish off and never finished the project, but I love it just the way it is. 

A few of my favorite little vintage stoneware crocks fill out the cubbies. I'm not sure if I have room for this piece as a permanent display, but I think it'll be fun to style it seasonally. This little gem is one of my most favorite finds ever!

 

Summer essentials for sure! These two Vagabond House items are my most recent additions to my coastal collection from them.

 

First up is the Sailboat Decanter made with beautiful and heavy Italian glass and topped with the cutest pewter sailing sloop finial.

 

This decanter style actually comes in three different shapes and sizes, and I’m kind of obsessed with collecting all three to display on our bar cart.

 

The cocktail glasses you see here are a pair of Nautilus Double Old-Fashioned Glasses. Check out the base of these beauties. That’s a solid pewter base with nautilus shell motifs circling around the whole glass.

 

I think these would make beautiful votive candle holders as well! I’ll share more on the decanter and the glassware soon.

 

This red, white and blue table I set recently features a tablecloth and napkins by Solino Home. This Navy-Blue Capri Stripe Tablecloth is so versatile, I styled it three different ways, using three different Solino Home linen napkins.

 

I’ll be sharing all three of these looks very soon, but today I wanted to highlight these adorable napkin rings.

 

I just got a set of 12 of these Rattan Napkin Rings on Amazon, after searching high and love for something that was chic and that have wonderful texture.

 

Some of the ones on the market look so cheap, but these are exactly what I was looking for. I love how they look with my favorite Serena & Lily raffia placemats and my Serena & Lily light fixture.

Lastly, I want to share a couple of pages from Country Living UK magazine that I recently spotted. This red, white and blue little baking scene has all the hallmarks of my style and the things I love. 

The gingham, the china and the little stoneware crock are some of the things I love most. This was styled by Alaina Binks.

Also from Country Living UK, this home and bike epitomizes the perfect summer day. I hope to take a leisurely ride on my bike this weekend. It’s been too long!

 

Happy weekend to you all!

 

ciao! fabiana

 

 

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You can check out some of my favorites here at “Tablescaping Essentials”*. 

 

 

 

 

 

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