Christmas Raffle Table

This week is the annual Christmas Idea House presented by the Desert Club of Mesa, AZ. 

My assignment this year was to put together a complete table setting for 8 including linens, centerpiece, china, crystal and silverware. 

 I decided to shake things up by choosing black, white and turquoise as the color scheme instead of the traditional 

red and green .

 I found these giant glittered bells last year and used them as the theme for the table "Silver Bells".

The entire table will be raffled off for only $5 a ticket. If you live in the greater Phoenix area come see the rest of the gorgeous house and pick up some holiday gifts for your friends, family or yourself!

         Check out our website for more information

Christmas Idea House

I'll be joining
Wow Us Wednesday
Time Travel Thursday
Open House Party
Vintage Inspiration Friday
Show and Tell Friday
Potpourri Friday

We Whisk You...

My women's service group made these cute wire whisk favors to sell at our Christmas Idea House fund raiser. While I usually bake, I thought this year I would use them for  neighbor gifts. 

 Take a new wire whisk and stuff it with Hershey Kisses. Wrap in cellophane and bow it up. Add a cute tag and you're done! For a more elaborate gift you include a cookbook or set of mixing bowls for the cooks on your Christmas list.

I'll be joining 

Nifty Thrifty Tuesday

Wow Us Wednesday

Very Thankful!

We went to my brother's house for Thanksgiving dinner.
He is a caterer and his wife is an interior decorator. 

Needless to say it was fabulous!

English transferware turkey plates by Johnson Brothers.

Look carefully, there's a little Pilgrim family nestled in the cornucopia!

The young adult table.

The kids table.

Mom's Thanksgiving hutch filled with pumpkins and Quimper.

mmm...

I'll be joining

Feathered Nest Friday

Vintage Inspiration Friday

Show and Tell Friday

Winter White

I usually do a very traditional Christmas tablescape in reds and greens and I probably will later on in the month. But I'm hosting Book Club soon and thought I'd go a different route with black and white and lots of silver and sparkle.

 I found all of these chunky glass candleholders at the Goodwill for about $3 each. I took a few of the candles and wrapped them in vintage sheet music and embellished them with some velvet ribbon and rhinestones. I used double stick tape so I can remove it all later if I want to.

 My son Josh gave me these black and white transferware plates a couple of years ago. He has very good taste! Even though the graphic is kind of summery I think they'll look fine for the Holidays.

 This is a sweet little vintage silver biscuit or cracker holder, but I've filled it with some of my favorite chocolates.

Thanks for stopping by!


I'll be joining the following parties
Treasure Hunt Thursday
Wow Us Wednesday

Nifty Thrifty Tuesdays
Tabletop Tuesday

Fabulous Florentine

Look what I found thrifting last week! 

Three beautiful Florentine trays.

 Florentine decorative pieces are characterized by bright colors painted onto ornately carved wood trays, boxes, frames and tables. They are then gilded with fanciful flourishes, swirls and medallions.

 This style dates back centuries to the Renaissance and remains popular today with pieces still being handpainted in Italy in the traditional manner. I thought I'd pick up a few inexpensive pieces on my last trip to Italy. Wrong! They were still very pricey.

So if you're lucky snatch up vintage pieces when you can! I found this box and tissue holder for about $1 each.

 I've added the trays to my latest tablescape. Florentine pieces really add a touch of elegance to any room!

Check out my antique store Merchant Square where I frequently have some of these gorgeous pieces for sale!


I'l be joining these parties:
Vintage Inspiration Friday
Home Sweet Home Friday
Show and Tell Friday

"French " Lazy Susan

I found this photo on 

Pinterest and traced it back to Kim at Cheap Chic Home

 What a great idea! She took a couple of old lazy susans and turned them into fun Frenchy accent pieces for her kitchen. I love that they look like old wine barrel lids.

Wow! Maybe I can do that! So here is my version. I found a sad looking lazy susan at the thrift store last week for $2.

 Yuk

A little paint, a little distressing and a new graphic found online = Awesome!

Thanks for the idea Kim!


I'll be joining
Thrifty Things Friday
Wow Us Wednesday
Time Travel Thursday

"French" Tray

Here it is, a simple before and after. My Goodwill find of last week for $2 went from this-

 to THIS! 

I downloaded a French advertisement 

(thanks Graphics Fairy) then tweeked it a bit more with my Printshop program. After a little painting and distressing I printed the image on waxy paper and rubbed it onto the tray. I sealed it with a spray paint clear coat.

Next project, an old lazy susan that I'll share photos of in a few days!


I'll be joining
Show and Tell Friday
Vintage Inspiration Friday
Potpourri Friday
Time Travel Thursday

A Little Sparkle

Just a couple of shots of the silver and crystal that I've been taking  into the store . It's time to get a little sparkle into the house!

A Rafter of Turkeys

Terms of venery were used historically to describe groups of various beasts and fowl for hunting purposes. You are all familiar with a "litter of puppies" a "pride of lions" and "school of fish". Well ,the proper term for a group of turkeys is "rafter". 

So now that Halloween is over and the witches and jack o'lanterns are put away, enjoy my Rafter of Turkeys.  

 My table is set with a hand blocked print tablecloth that I bought in India. I leave all of the pumpkins out and just bring in the turkeys too.

 The dishes are Wedgwood Old Chelsea. I like using them for Thanksgiving because of the rich colors and the bird perched in the tree.

 You gotta have the pilgrims and their friends the Indians on the table!

 Remember the fabulous turkey platter I found last month at the Goodwill? It's ready and waiting for the Thanksgiving feast!

 Isn't this a great turkey carving board? I found it a couple of years ago antiquing.

 Just a few of the turkeys...

They come in all shapes and sizes.

I love these Pilgrim spreaders I recently found on clearance.

I just love Thanksgiving. It's all about gratitude, country, family, and food! 

And I am so blessed to have much to be thankful for.


I'll be joining the following parties
Open House Party
Wow Us Wednesday
Nifty Thrifty Tuesdays
Tabletop Tuesday
Masterpiece Monday
Vintage Inspiration Friday