A Table for A Tablescape

 One of the main reasons I haven't been around to show a tablescape? NO TABLE! 

 

Around and about 1989, we purchased a new table and chairs. A scant few weeks after they arrived, I had a pot that caught on fire on my stove. Thinking quickly - I grabbed the pot off the stove and placed it on my brand new table - thereby marking it forever with a nice round hole. Not  a deep hole; it only burned about half way through the table top before I grabbed it again and placed it in the sink. We had five children aged 5-12 at the time and the chairs held up remarkably well with the climbing, tipping, and foot resting . But eventually they had to be replaced and I managed to purchase some lovely vintage ones at an auction.

 

Meanwhile my grandmother's mahogany table and chairs rotated into my possession. Unfortunately they had traveled a hard route and needed numerous repairs. The veneer needed replaced, the leaves were warped, the joints need glued and on and on. As much as restoring the table was my dream, I do not have the talent to do the work and the estimates I was getting exceeded the price of a new table and chairs. I had already given my original table away and sold the chairs at a yard sale, so a decision needed to be made.   

My dear sweet husband is a Union Man and refuses to make a large purchase unless the goods are Made In America. Preferably Union Made in America.  After several weeks of searching, we found this very difficult. The lovely furniture that was originally made in the Carolinas is now imported from overseas and sold from there. We found one furniture company that imports the wood from Russia, the furniture is made in China and the furniture is sold from North Carolina.  And the quality does suffer. After many road trips to many furniture stores, we eventually decided to have the set we wanted made by the Amish.  We were told it would take four to eight weeks; we actually received the furniture in ten weeks and it is everything we ever dreamed of! Gorgeous and sturdy enough, not only for our children, but for our grandchildren, too! The pedestal design allows for three leaves when the occasion warrants. I was pleased to find that the table with two leaves fits nicely in the dining room and allows all eight chairs to fit easily around the table. The Weaver family did a remarkable job!

The table and chairs arrived just in time for a February tablescape! Since I just spent all that money on the table set, I was glad to find all eight placemats at the Dollar Tree! The green matches the walls in my adjoining living room and ties the rooms together. The bottom red plate is Pfaltzgraff, purchased when the outlet stores were still open. The adorable scallop edged pink granite -look plates were a Pfaltzgraff find, too - along with the cupcake custard cups. The mittens were from Hallmark years ago and the adorable bowls from former co-workers. The clear glass heart shaped candy bowls were my grandmothers.

By the way, do you like the color of the dining room? Since we had All That Time to wait for the dining room table and chairs to be crafted, I managed to talk my dear sweet husband into a new paint job! Sparkling white ceiling and trim, and I am calling this shade Geranium Pink. I am totally in love with it!

 

To fancy up the room, I stayed up late one night and hand stitched up this felt Valentine Banner.

 

My daughter-in-law was so taken by it she asked me to make one for her, too.  (The darker splotch on the wall is a test for a new dining room color - I think it will look terrific).

Thanks for stopping by! I am going to try to visit all the other tablescapes at http://betweennapsontheporch.net/whimsical-valentines-day-tablescape-alice-in-wonderland-style/   It has been a very long time since I have been around to see you all and I am really looking forward to seeing you all again.