Birds, Roses And Spode

Company's Coming!

We are having company! Time for a comfortable and cozy table that promotes conversation and warmth. It thrills my heart to have unexpected out of town guest on Friday! And company gives me the perfect excuse to put my ongoing Freezer Challange aside for a night and create a fun and delicious menu.

Pasta will be on the menu and these deep Spode dishes in warm hues of yellow and terracotta will work perfectly. They are the inspiration behind this table. I have been trying to collect them for several years, but only have found 6 dinner plates and 2 salad plates. They are not easy to collect! There are many blue or all red plates like these but I have not found the yellow and terracotta on line, or anywhere else.

The bottom of the dishes read:

I used my go with everything "berry and leaf" plates to anchor the placesetting.

Yellow handled tiny forks are ready for dessert.

Red Transferware salt and pepper shakers and butter dish continue the terracotta color theme.

The golden glassware is from the Susquehanna Glass Company.

The tablecloth and napkins were made with fabric remnents from Calico Corners. Look for a tutorial on how to make easy napkins with mitered corners (sew and NO SEW) on Monday. The fabric was purchased with these dishes in mind.

These fabulous roses are from Costco. Two dozen for under $17.00! I couldn't resist. They mirror the color and stylized roses on the plates. At first I put them in a glass vase that reminds me of an inverted flirty skirt (a b'day gift from my daughter). Oh, they were so happy there... not to mention gorgeous!!!!! But for photographic reasons and for seeing our company during dinner reasons I cut them, and put them in a oval buttery yellow pottery vase with a lid with holes for flowers.

While on a fieldtrip to a very fun shop (post of fieldtrip in two weeks) I found these darling little birds and they followed me home! They are so tiny and delicately detailed.

A little creamy glazed bird sits near the roses... with a watchful eye.

A tall wire cloche is filled with white wicker balls, small quail eggs and green moss. Sitting on top of white berry and leaf plates give the cloche height. The bottom plates will be used for salad and dessert.

A second wire cloche, round and wide is set on a berry and leaf plate that rests in a grapevine wreath. A nest of twigs and tiny pinecones holds three small quail eggs. The cloche is topped with a fleur de lis finial.