an inspirational tablescape in blue

It's a Beautiful Day!

Oh my goodness! I think I just found my favorite plates of summer. How can I not be drawn in by their inspirational sayings? And, they meet all my important requirements…

ü Blue & White

ü Inspirational

ü Cute

ü Different

ü Salad Plates

ü Perfect with Transferware

Yesterday morning while journaling, I made a list of all the tablescape ideas that were floating around in my head, and this combination evolved from a few recent purchases and a few vintage items.

Follow Your Dreams

First let’s start with the foundation of the table, this black and white ticking stripe runner. I made it recently from a vintage fabric remnant that my friend Brenda gave me.

It was already quite long but it had a couple of random cuts in it, so luckily when I trimmed it to size, it worked perfectly for my outdoor farm table.

I just love how stripes work with other patterns, especially a ticking stripe. It adds so much vibrance to the table!    

For contrast, I used Annabelle hydrangeas in the loveliest creamy green color. I planted an Annabelle in my garden this past spring, and it's just the prettiest, most delicate looking plant out there. I just love it!

You see these hydrangeas a lot back east and in the midwest. I remember them being all over Geneva last summer.  

You Are My Sunshine

So now, let’s talk plates. How cute are these plates that work perfectly for the salad course or for dessert? I just love their size and the inspirational sayings on each one.

“You are my Sunshine”. That song holds dear memories in my heart, singing with the children when they were small.  

I've paired each of these inspirational plates with a dinner plate that has a special detail. Just the right shade of navy blue and an interesting border was just what was needed to compliment the smaller plates.

Lately when I’m out treasure hunting at thrift stores, I’m especially on the lookout for transferware plates with interesting borders, for layering with other plates.

Be Happy

This look turned out just how I envisioned it with the addition of these luxurious linen napkins in a sumptuous navy teal color that really highlights the gold flatware.

A set of six vintage goblets was found last week at the Goodwill Store and is the most perfect shade of navy to coordinate with this look!

I gasped when I saw them on the bottom shelf in a random aisle. At first there were three, then four and then way in the back were the 5th and 6th ones. Six is the perfect number in my household for a set.

So lately my little secret is that I’ve been finding tons of stuff for my tablescapes on Amazon. I just happened upon this set of plates, as well as these lux linen napkins (you’ll be seeing a lot more of these on my table. I just love how you can casually lay them out). 

Even the gold flatware is available from Amazon!

For those who have asked, I actually have a page on Amazon with some of my favorite “Tablescaping Essentials”. You can check it out here.

You can spot the beginnings of this alfresco table here, on yesterday’s blog post about journaling.

What I’m after when setting a table or decorating my home is a unique and fresh look. That’s why I just love combining vintage finds with new items for a whole new look.

What are some of your favorite ways to add your signature touch to your table settings? I’d love to hear about it!

ciao! fabiana

Here’s how this table came together:

(Click on item for shopping info)

Table Runner: similar found here

Transferware Dinner Plates: similar found here

Inspirational Salad Plates

Linen Napkins

Gold Flatware

Vintage Blue Glassware: similar found here

Tealight Votives