a little something new for the table

I don’t know what it is,

but when the weekend hits,

I always try to come up with a fun way

to set the breakfast room table.

That's where we eat most of our meals.

And the table becomes a nice focal point when 
we're gathered in the kitchen and family room.

I'm always scouting stores and 
flea markets for tablescaping supplies and 
I was so happy to find these adorable placemats

that are edged with tiny seashells at

Tuvalu Home this week.

They fit in perfectly on the table

and I love how they look with all

the blue and white table accessories. 

They add the perfect coastal quality 
to the table and to the room. 

Bamboo is another great way to add more

 texture and these utensils give the table

a more casual quality.

 I got this bamboo flatware on ebay,

and it’s quite reasonable!

Actually, I found two different sets.
This one's made out of real bamboo and 
the other set is made out of resin. 

I've seen similar faux sets for sale 
at Neiman-Marcus,
and believe it or not,
their price is reasonable too.

Do you have a favorite set of plates,

 mats or napkins that are a favorite go-to

when you set the table?

I think these placemats are mine!

They’re so easy to style.

Check out how they were styled at

Tuvalu Home, here.

What makes this look easy

to maintain is that after we eat,

I just wash the dishes, glasses,

forks and knives, and quickly 

add them back to the table.

By Monday, I'm ready to change things up a bit...

I think the one thing that’ll stay on my table

all summer long is this arrangement of succulents,

and I don’t even have to water them!

Real succulents are easy to grow and take

care of, but these are even easier,

and don’t they look like the real thing?

ciao! fabiana

It all came together like this...

Blue Gingham Napkins: vintage

Blue Glasses: vintage

Clear Glasses:  La Rochère

Striped Blue Runner: Home Goods

 White Plates: Home Goods

Blue and White Bread Plates:

Place Mats: Tuvalu Home

Flatware: vintage from ebay

Faux Succulent Arrangement: Tuvalu Home

💕

While I’m here today, I wanted to share some of my "Tablescaping Essentials" with you. I have a whole page on the Amazon website with my favorite picks for setting a beautiful table.

Quite often time is of the essence, and I have last minute projects or events to work on, so I turn to Amazon for one or two day delivery. You’d be surprised at how many amazing items they have to offer! And I'm constantly updating this page with my new favorites. 

You can check it out here, at “Tablescaping Essentials”.

with liberty and justice for all

Happy Independence Day!

I got this little shot of lady liberty yesterday

at one of my favorite cafes in Laguna Beach,

MadisonSquare and Garden.

They have great food, friendly service and

best of all the restaurant is part of

a gorgeous home and garden store!

You literally dine within the beautiful

garden filled with statues and

other pretty antique artifacts.

It’s the best of both worlds for me!

From there I went into downtown

Laguna to do a little shopping.

My first stop is always Tuvalu Home.

They sell pretty coastal inspired

furnishings and accessories.

The store is styled magically,

and you feel right at home

as soon as you walk through the door!

I fell in love with these round

placemats trimmed in tiny seashells.

I got a set and these are now a permanent

fixture on by breakfast room table.

Aren’t they sweet?

I love how they look all set on the table

with this macramé runner.

I have one just like it, so  now I have

this perfect look at home!

The designers at Tuvalu really are masters

at mixing and matching patterns and textures,

and they even offer interior design services

here in the store.

Everywhere you look,

you’ll see a pretty vignette.

There’s definitely a little something

to be found here for everyone,

or in my case, a lotta something! 

Lucky for me I have another

appointment later in the week in Laguna,

so I’ll be stopping in again for a few more goodies

for my home.

I really love their home entertaining accessories

and they have the perfect hostess gifts.

And conveniently located across the street is

one of my other favorite cafes, Moulin.

Another one of my favorite places in Laguna Beach

to pop in for inspiration is the

Laguna Nursery.

They're known for perfectly intermingling beautiful antiques

with plants in a gorgeous garden setting.

As you enter the gates of this tiny haven,

you’ll feel instantly relaxed and happy!

And a walk in one of Laguna’s amazing

beach coves is always a treat.

I always pick a different one to explore.

This morning I picked Diver’s Cove.

…with liberty and justice for all.

Wishing you a happy and safe 4^th of July!

ciao! fabiana

a little romance for easter

This will be my second to last Easter tablescape 

of the year to share with you all…

The inspiration for this little table

was the pretty bouquet of pink ruffled tulips and roses…

such an old-fashioned romantic look!

The colors were all kept soft and dreamy…

And, I love how this Pottery Barn raffia runner adds

just the right amount of texture. 

Bunnies and eggs are my favorite 

accessories for an Easter tablescape!

Baby blue bunny plates found at

Home Goods remind me of

a pretty vintage cameo.

These darker pink tulips are so full, 

they almost look like roses!

(from Trader Joe’s, of course) 

Moss bunnies keep a lookout in the corner of the window.

And it all came together like this:

Blue Bunny Plates:  Home Goods

Pink Dinner Plates:  similar found here

White Dinner Plates:  World Market

Seashell Placemats:  Tuvalu Home

Pink Water Glasses:  World Market

Nubby Table Runner:  Pottery Barn

Pink Napkins:  Pier One

Bamboo Silverware:  World Market

Flowers:  Trader Joe’s

Nests: similar found here

Moss Bunnies:  Stein Mart

Egg Cups and White Bunnies:  Vintage

ciao! fabiana

P.S. I’ll be sharing my latest Easter

table setting later this week.

(last one of the year!)

shop here:

blue table inspo for spring

Here’s a little sneak peek of

what I’ve been working on this week…

A few blue and white table settings for spring…

I’m loving the contrast of

blue and white

with green. 

And here’s a little French farmhouse look

accented with lavender from my garden.

Layering a variety of

blue and white plates is fun too!

This whole photo shoot starts with bringing all my

favorite blue and white tableware into my dining room…

Here are some of my favorite table runners…

1. Serena & Lily 2. Home Goods 

3. Oriental Trading 4. Cynthia Rowley  

This "Tropez" runner from Serena & Lily is reversible!

Chambray on one side and

a sweet hydrangea print on the other,

as seen in the french farmhouse look above.

The next layer for the table adds tons of texture…

a few of my favorite place mats…

1. Serena & Lily  2. Amazon

3. World Market  4. vintage  5. Tuvalu

A selection of napkins…

1. Home Goods  2. Home Goods  3. vintage

4. Serena & Lily  5. vintage  6. Serena & Lily

7. vintage  8. Anthropologie

And some flatware options…

1. vintage  2. World Market  3. Neiman Marcus

4. World Market 5. World Market  6. ebay

7. World Market  8. ebay  9. World Market

To finish off some of these looks, 

fresh flowers are a must.

I was pleasantly surprised this week to

find these gorgeous lime green Hellebores

blooming in my garden!

I love how they add a spring-y look

to all the blue and white.  

Next week, I'll have more tablescapes

and all the details on these three blue settings.

I sure hope you'll check back soon...

ciao! fabiana