Thursday, May 01, 2008

More with the weeds and ferns

Yesterday we talked about little bouquets. But what if you have to fill a dining room table with only a few stems?

I experimented with my collection of bud vases, adding more fern fronds.

You can group them on a tray. I thought they'd look pretty on a lace tablecloth.

The stains on this thrift store cloth persisted. Maybe I could cover them with strategically placed saucers.

An accidental theme! Blue-and-white supper for May Day.

22 comments:

Anonymous said...

How pretty! I love blue & white.

Elise is getting so big! She seems to favor you in the face.

Toni_KY

Cyndi Lewis said...

Meredith, You need to write a book on Frugal Decor. You are the queen! (A big coffee table book with lots of pretty pictures!)

Shannon said...

Elise is really growing - she is such a beauty!

I love the blue and white theme. It looks so pretty with mostly green arrangements or with lots of bright colors. Happy may Day!

Anonymous said...

Where did you get all the vases and blue and white plates? I would think thesewould cost a pretty penny to buy and store.

Meredith said...

Not really.

Some of these bud vases date from my college days. I pick them up for 10 cents to a quarter and give them away frequently.

The saucers are the same. I like to lean them up against the back of my cabinets in the kitchen for color.

The blue and white octagonal dishes are from a yard sale. I paid $10 for a large set. Many have broken since then.

I just pick up blue and white plates when I see them. I know they will all work together somehow.

They remind me ofthe early Victoria magazine spreads. Especially on a lace cloth, which is WAY too feminine for my guys on most days!

martha said...

You daughter is very, very pretty. I think she favors you!

I hesitate to offer you this stain removal recipe, because you probably already know it:
Mix equal parts of Cascade powdered dishwasher detergent with Tide 2. Add the hottest water you can find. Soak several hours.
I have yet to find a stain that can resist this treatment. Maybe for this fine lace you'd have to dissolve the powder with hot water, then cool it before adding the lace. It might be worth a try...

Christian - Modobject@Home said...

Very nice indeed!

Anonymous said...

Blue and white is very refreshing! What kind of soup are you having for dinner?

Yon Saucy Wench said...

What a pretty table!

Nancy said...

Looks like spring has sprung! Enjoy the day. Your daughter is a cutie.

Sandy said...

Love it - beautiful and FUN! Love peeking into your dining room, too :)

HAPPY MAY DAY!

Anonymous said...

Is that a little package on one of the plates across from Elise? Looks like there are extra place settings. Is this a celebraton with guests? These little peeks into your life are fun!

Monica Wilkinson said...

Lovely table! I loved your post yesterday too on how to make the flowers brought in by little ones look great in our homes!

TJ said...

It may have been accidental, but it is absolutely gorgeous!

Fatcat said...

Okay, here's my idea for a new HGTV show. You and a bunch of handsome carpenters (I'm sure your husband won't mind!) completely remodel, decorate and furnish an old house with things from Craig's list, Freecycle, ebay and thrift stores with rules for how much you can spend at one time.

When can you start?


P.S. The above photo essay of Elise is adorable but I can't count on blogger letting me comment twice in one day, so I'll put that comment here as well.

Amy said...

As always, great pictures and post!

Anonymous said...

Very pretty! The recent issue of Victoria magazine had blue and white, too!

:)

Anonymous said...

Fun post, Meredith. It looks so easy when you do it. And so pretty. :)
Mrs. L.

Jenn @ Frugal Upstate said...

Those came out lovely.

I want you to know that because of you I will definitely have a potted fern somewhere this summer. I've even been thinking of hanging big ones on each section of the front porch-but that could get pricey. I do love the look of flower boxes cascading flowers and then large ferns hanging above them though. . .

A random flower tip. I bought one of those small toothbrush holders with the 4 holes in it-it works pretty well as a "posey" vase for all those dandelions and violets that are lovingly picked by little hands.

Tracey said...

Hi Meredith,

I have the same glass tray from your second photo! It was my moms and we have had it as long as I can remember, where did yours come from?

Anonymous said...

I love how those vases look on the glass tray! I only have one bud vase - I'll be looking for more at the thrift store. My daughter (who is 16) still picks dandelions and wild violets for me!

Manuela

AnnetteK said...

So pretty! You could try tea dyeing the tablecloth. It would give it an antique look and the stains would blend.