Tablescape: Simple & Elegant

If you know me personally or have been following 40 and beyond, you would know that one of my interests is table styling.  Some women collect bags and shoes.  I collect plates, chargers, platters and bowls.  I love plates, candles, coasters and flatware.  I love plates, glasses, linens and napkins.  Oh did I say I love plates already?  :-)  I would like to share with you some of the past (and future) seatings and settings (that's how hubby calls it!)  I have done.  This first one was a tablescape done for hubby's Birthday last May. 

I knew there will be a lot of chatting that would happen that night, so I opted to dot the table with low vases and candles so my guests can see each other eye to eye.  The green oregano from my herb garden and some purple statice brought just the right amount of color for a setting for the male celebrant.  

Gold chargers on an embroidered ecru table linen invokes elegance and the round candles, wrapped with rattan added texture and shape to the otherwise all glassy candle holders.  Female guests get their own personal little glass vase with a single stem of flower.  Take a closer look at the photo below, can you see it?  It's hanging on the charger.  I call it my little pacman vase.

I hope you like this post and I should be sharing more of this kind regularly.   Stay tuned for more tablescapes!

I would love to hear your thoughts.

Related articles

• Tablescape Thursday: Dinner for Two (dreammom.blogspot.com)
• Put some new ideas into your holiday decorating scheme: Full House (cleveland.com)

The Weekend That Was

Hello dear readers!  How was your weekend?  Mine was all about family.  Last Saturday, I made a gourmet sandwich for my hungry boys, grilled cheesy sausage with pesto dressing.  I think they liked it, because it was a goner in no time!

Yesterday was holiday here because of the local elections.  So we invited grandparents and cousins from both side of the family.  It was a simple merienda of dimsum, noodles and sweet treats (different flavors of hopia).    Food is even more appetizing with the use of my Burmese lacquer lunch box for the siomai and the mini-Chinese lunch box for the hopia!  

And this morning was all about my herbs...Harvested some tarragon, Thai basil and oregano.  So everyone has to drink tarragon tea today, and maybe we'll have pasta for dinner!

Have a good week ahead!

I would love to hear your thoughts!

These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things...

I am lucky to have friends who know exactly what to give me as presents...things that are not just decorative but serve other purpose as well.  These pieces have become a favorite collection of mine!  They can't seem to have a permanent place around the house.  They just keep moving around.  Last Friday, we hosted a dinner for Ferdie's colleague who is transferring to another assignment.  Guess what?  My Asian-Oriental collection found another use...they became a centerpiece!  Take a look at the tablescape...

 

Candleholder at the front was a gift from my badminton group in Singapore. 

Love the gold and blue handpaint design!  The green (jade stone) one is a personal purchase from a furniture shop in Singapore.  

Lacquered Burmese lunchbox from my best friend Jing, who used to live in Myanmar.  She said monks in Myanmar parade in the streets every morning, carrying these lunchboxes to store their solicited food.

Bowls given by my Catechism students in Singapore as a farewell gift.  It is a 6-pc set, consisting of 3 green bowls and 3 yellow bowls.  These Peranakan (referring to the first Chinese settlers in Malaysia) bowls are very charming with the handpainted, embossed little flowers on it.  It even came in a nice vintage Peranakan red box (maybe I'll post a photo of it next time.)!  Even prettier with the little "Quiapo" flowerettes in it; which I start growing in the garden.

This opium pot is not a gift but a personal purchase from Hanoi, Vietnam in one of my trips with Ferdie.  With such a stylish opium pot, you would feel like smoking.  Won't you?

Chinese button knot napkin holders.  You can't go wrong with this simple and elegant table accessory!  I bought it from one of the quaint home store in Singapore.  I only got 6 pieces, I should have gotten a dozen!

So there goes my Asian-Oriental inspired dinner!  I wonder what I could whip up for the next dinner?  Maybe I should start looking around the house for inspiration!

Have a good week!

Irene