The weather in March and April seems to be inclement in many places on the earth, but we can always ignore it by putting our minds to meal preparation. Mornings are often dark and cold, making one want to scurry back to bed.
On the last post I used the idea of setting the table the previous evening. The scene provides an optimistic view for the day.
After church, it is nice to come home to a table already set and waiting for the meal. I am going to try to do that more often. Here is combination I am considering, using the charger plates as placemats, which bring out the colors of the dinnerware and add brightness to the entire setting.
It is nice for the family to come to a well-set table, but do not forget to stop sometime in the day and treat yourself to a luxurious respite. Even if you don't drink tea, there is a host of flavorful infusions and herbal treats you can make in a cup. Consider my own invention of frozen berries or fruit to make a beautiful cuppa. Just pour hot water over them in a sieve and there you have it. The fragrance does something for you too.
Some of you might be interested to know the recent Tea Time issue features tea in Australia and New Zealand. They didn't include the tea rooms I featured here a couple of years ago, on the Morning Peninsula and recently in Kyneton, both in Victoria, but it is all beautiful.
I've added another song to my playlist, a Stephen Foster (1826-1864) lullaby called "Slumber My Darling." I hope you will go listen to it here.
A Mother's Joy
by Besse Pease Guttmann
Here are the words:
Slumber, my darling, thy mother is near,
Guarding thy dreams from all terror and fear, Sunlight has pass'd and the twilight has gone, Slumber, my darling, the night's coming on.
Sweet visions attend thy sleep, Fondest, dearest to me, While others their revels keep, I will watch over thee.
Slumber, my darling, the birds are at rest, The wandering dews by the flow'rs are caressed, Slumber, my darling, I'll wrap thee up warm, And pray that the angels will shield thee from harm.
Slumber, my darling, till morn's blushing ray Brings to the world the glad tidings of day; Fill the dark void with thy dreamy delight-- Slumber, thy mother will guard thee tonight, Thy pillow shall sacred be From all outward alarms; Thou, thou are the world to me In thine innocent charms.
Slumber, my darling, the birds are at rest, The wandering dews by the flow'rs are caressed, Slumber, my darling, I'll wrap thee up warm, And pray that the angels will shield thee from harm.
On the upper left of this blog is place where you can see a sample of a lovely Jacquie Lawson animated card for free, each month. Be sure and go look, because the art is so pretty and the scenes uplifting and traditional. I love the way she paints scenes from a table looking out a window onto the meadow or the sea. It is hard to believe she is in England, as she does so many cards for American holidays and they are just as sentimental and inspiring as we would have them.
A new heart for a lady who loves purple. It has a little purple clothespin glued on, holding a card with her name. I prefer pink and red, myself, but this lady is in her 70's and loves lavender and purple best. These lace cards are supposed to be similar to the Victorian Valentines, using paper scraps and bits of sewing notions.
The table is being set for the Ladies Bible Class Tea and Lunch. Pink chargers are available quite cheaply at Michaels and can be purchased separately for about $1.50 upwards to $2.00 apiece depending on the sales. There are a lot of other colors too.
If you want to make a nice setting without buying things, try cutting huge pink hearts from scrapbook paper or construction paper, and using them underneath the plates.
Chargers are round plates usually made of wood or plastic, which are designed to hold china plates and protect the table. They used to be quite expensive, and sometimes cost even more than the plates themselves, but lately, they are found at dollar stores and discount stores. I got some of mine at Walmart for only 95 cents, and some were 50c each after the Christmas season was over. The Dollar Tree has some with the pretty beaded edges. Chargers are a great substitute for place mats, and they do not take up so much room on the table. They look very elegant when combined with matching napkins and other accessories.
Here is a sample of how you can use one dish in several different settings and give your table setting a new look. I've linked to a few blogs which feature table settings, which show the endless ways to use dishes, place mats, chargers, centerpieces, napkins, napkin rings, and tablecloths. Today I spent some time preparing tables for guests, using the same plates with different chargers.
The name of the plate is "Enchanted" by Corelle Livingware, and the plates are available at discount stores like Walmart, on open stock. This means you can buy a plate to add to your supply, whenever you like. This dinnerware is lightweight and feels like china, and is unbreakable. I've used it here in three different settings, to share how you can get more use out of one set of dishes and enjoy them in different ways.
For a centerpiece to match the green chargers, use green ornaments, green apples, limes or fresh cut greenery from outside. Anything from laurel to cedar makes a lovely centerpiece. The round ornaments here are shatterproof, as many are made of styrofoam or unbreakable materials these days.
This is what the chargers look like. They are very lightweight, and I like them better than place mats.
Here is the plate with green chargers, matching napkins and green glass punch cups.
These green chargers were available at Walmart this year for less than a dollar each.
A variety of things from the dollar store that could be used to brighten up a table when used with your ordinary, every day dishes.
This is the same plate used on a bright red charger from the dollar store, the ones with the beaded edges, also available in gold and silver. A sparkled bow ornament is looped around a napkin, to match. If you have guests for a tea or luncheon, you can let them take home the ornament as a party favor. They come 5 in a box for a dollar. Roll up the napkins tightly and slip the thread hanger over them, showing off the pretty bow by laying it on the front of the napkin.
Here is a gold charger with gold cutlery. One of the bird and pine branch clip-ornaments is used for a napkin holder. These birds come in glittered red, gold and silver, at dollars stores, and slightly cheaper at Walmart.
If you eat at home most of the time, it is always nice to have a change by using chargers and colored napkins and accessories and exchanging them. Try a snowflake ornament on a red napkin, as you see here on the left, which can also become a gift to send home with a guest. These usually come in a package of 6 for a dollar or less. Tie jingle bells around the napkin for a delightful touch. All kinds of things are available at the dollar stores that could be used for this purpose, for centerpieces, or for table decor in general.
If you have no colored goblets, just fill clear glass stemware with cranberry juice to match your setting, as shown above.
Look through your fabric supply for prints that match your chargers and table settings. I have used a piece of clear plastic (available by the yard), and can insert any kind of fabric under it that I'm not using, and it will remain undamaged in case I ever get around to sewing with it.
Hand make ornamental napkin rings by cutting similar shapes as these ornamental bows, from heavy scrapbook papers. Cut out houses, trees, bells, candle shapes or candy canes, and attach a strip of paper to wrap around the napkin.
Sometimes all that is needed for a centerpiece are the pieces from the china set. Here is a set that has colors in it that afford several different types of combinations in table cloths and placemats. This one is set with dark red chargers. The gold cutlery match the gold trim on the rims of plates and cups. The patchwork pads were created by my daughter when she was very young. I saved them and didn't use them much because I knew there was a slim possibility of ever getting more, once her life got busier. I was right: she now has four children and when she has "spare time" she lays down or reads a book! The design was copied from the round quilted potholders of her great-grandmothers, which we still had. It consists of fabrics from some of her own dresses which I sewed when she was younger, and batting and bias trim. It is all machine stitched.
Here is something that opens up a whole host of new ideas: What about doing it with a blue napkin, folded as a sail boat, a yellow napkin folded into a daffodil, or a white napkin folded into an envelope? We made the slide show move slowly enough that you can copy it as it opens.
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