Summer Dining! Welcome to the 97th Tablescape Thursday!

Hope you aren't tired of dining out on the porch. When winter gets here, they'll be plenty of time for staying inside by the fire. For now, lets play outside...as long as we can.

I didn't wait for darkness to light the candles...though, I know I really should. Let's just pretend it's getting dark.




While we're pretending...let's, also, pretend I grew this corn and harvested it today just for our meal. ;-) We'll be having a mystery guest join us...I can just see his hand to the right of the flowers.




Here's your place right here...




Golden bamboo flatware just seemed to work with this corny tablescape...







Here's a little tip...look for items to use as chargers...that really aren't chargers.




I found these large corn platters at Old Time Pottery, 50% off...which made them only $5 each.  Using non-charger items for chargers can make for a fun and interesting tablescape.








The platters came with silky green bows tied onto the handles. If they eventually get soiled or dirty, it will be easy to replace them with fresh ribbons. I could even see some fun gingham ribbons tied on the handles. Or, maybe raffia...to go with the corn theme.








I love this globe candle holder provided by Colonial Candle...




It's the only candle holder I've ever seen that will convert to hold either a pillar or a taper candle...is that cool, or what?!




This tablescape called for a simple centerpiece. I used my favorite little pitcher of daisies for a centerpiece with a bit of a country feel. Uh, what's that? You say, you see someone?




Now how do you think I grew all this corn? (wink) I had some help, you know. ;-)




No crows on this porch!




Will you be having corn cooked on the grill for your 4th of July celebration?



Chargers: Platters from Old Time Pottery, 4-5 months ago
Cabbage Plates: Bordallo Pinheiro, HomeGoods, Ross and eBay, a year or two ago
Cream Salad Plates: HomeGoods, no pattern name on back, around 1-2 years ago
Flatware: Big Lots, about 2 years ago
Glassware: Pier 1, a year or so ago
Tablecloth: Marshalls, 6 months ago
Napkins: Kohl's, about 2-3 years ago
Napkin Rings: Don't remember now
Scarecrow: Big Lots, I think...years ago


Looking forward to viewing your beautiful tablescapes!



Please Read:
If you are participating in Tablescape Thursday, please be sure to add your permalink below, and not your general blog address. To get your permalink, click on your post name. Then just copy and paste the address that shows up in the address bar at the top, into the "url" box for the picture linky. You'll also need to put your e-mail address in, but don't worry, it will not be visible to anyone.

You may see a red X once you enter your link. No one else can see the red X, it's just there in case you make a little mistake and need to delete your link and re-enter it.

I'd love for you to use the Tablescape Thursday logo button in your post. To do that, just copy and paste it to your computer and upload it to your post as you would any photo. Or, just grab the html code posted on the sidebar under the TT button.

Please link back to the host blog, Between Naps on the Porch. This is important because it helps those who are visiting your blog, find the other wonderful tablescapes posted for this Tablescape Thursday, thus increasing visits for all participating.

Please do not add your link below, until your tablescape post is actually published to your blog. Please don't add your post name/blog name in ALL CAPS...it tends to spread out the links in an awkward pattern. Thanks! :-)

A Shade Garden, Water Features

Hi Everyone! I've been enjoying all the wonderful "Before and Afters" linked for Met Monday! Did you get a chance to check some of them out? There are lots of amazingly creative and talented bloggers in Blogland who are making their homes more beautiful by the minute!

How is your summer going? Is it as hot where you are as it's been here in Georgia? We've been having August temps all month long. Wonder if that means August will feel like June? I could work with that! :-)

I've been so wishing I had a skinny hose I could connect to my laundry room utility sink that would stretch all the way out to my decks. I've been making endless trips with gallon jugs to water my potted plants every day. I found one that was 50 feet (I think) at Big Lots...but that wasn't quite long enough. How are your potted plants holding up?

Speaking of gardening and flowers, I thought I'd share a few more pics from the Gardens for the Connoisseur, tour I went on a few weeks ago. It's a huge tour and included 12 gardens. The following pics were all taken in one garden on the tour...and this garden had a lot of wonderful water features.

Summer always has me feeling a bit nostalgic, so the Ideabook you'll find at the end of this post features an old fashioned outdoor feature...the well-loved tree swing. :-) Hope you enjoy checking it out...it may have you feeling a little nostalgic, too! :-)

Let's go on a garden tour...watch your step! The path gets a little narrow at times and we are up pretty high!












See...wasn't kidding about the narrow part. :-) Here's an idea for the next time you have a tree come down....make some stepping "trunks."


Wish you could hear the waterfall...








Lots and lots of water features...




A shady side path...


Hope you enjoyed this leg of the tour!

A Front Porch Metamorphosis! Welcome to the 76th Metamorphosis Monday!

Metamorphosis Monday:

My metamorphosis involves my front porch. I've made a little change out here. Let's see if you can spot the change.

Before:


Before: Here's one more "before" pic. This reminds me a bit of those "find what's changed" games where you study the pic to find the "thing" that's different. I don't think you'll have to study too hard. Ready? :-)




AFTER:

Ta-Daaa!




Come on up here and take a look! What cha think? Do you just love it?!




This WELCOME lettering is from, Back 40 Life. I was a little nervous at first, afraid I'd put it on crooked...but it was so easy to apply since there are little lines to show you where the center is and if it's level. Doesn't it fit perfectly with the daisies and the white trim around the door?! :-)




An evening view...






WELCOME, dear friends! I'm soooo glad you are here!



I'm so looking forward to seeing your, Before and Afters!



If you are participating in Metamorphosis Monday: Please be sure to add your permalink below, and not your general blog address. To get your permalink, click on your post name, then just copy and paste the address that shows up in the address bar at the top, into the "url" box for the picture linky. You'll also need to put your e-mail address in, but don't worry, it will not be visible to anyone.

I'd love it if you would include the MM button in your post, to make it easy for others to find you MM post. To do that, just copy and paste the Met Monday button to your computer or grab the html code from underneath the MM logo on my sidebar.

Please include a link in your MM post back to the host blog, Between Naps on the Porch. Why is this important? When you include a link back to BNOTP, it ensures your regular readers/visitors will find the other awesome "Before and Afters" linked for this Metamorphosis Monday. If everyone links back, this maximizes the opportunity for visits for all who participate.

Please do not add your link below, until your MM post is actually published to your blog. Please DO NOT type in all caps...it spreads the links waaaay out. Thanks! :-)

Foxgloves...the Tour Continues

A few days ago, I shared some pics of the beautiful gardens around the home of Arthur Blank, a co-founder of The Home Depot and the owner of the Atlanta Falcons. One of the things I especially love about this tour, Gardens for the Connoisseur, is it always takes place on Mother's Day weekend and the foxgloves, my very favorite flower, are always in bloom.

These pics were taken in another garden on the tour...and I went a little crazy...just couldn't stop myself from snapping lots of pics of all the foxgloves in this wonderful garden. I just love 'em!






Did you know they make Digitalis, the heart medicine, from this flower? The actual name of the common foxglove is, Digitalis Purpurea.
















I took a good many pics on the tour...I'll share some more later on. For now, I'll leave you with these lovely images. Isn't she the cutest thing?! Do you see the kitty cat? Such detail...she even has a garden hat in her hand. :-)




The tall purple flower growing behind her is allium.



This post was linked for Pink Saturday, a fun party graciously hosted each week at How Sweet the Sound.

Tablescape for the 4th of July! Welcome to the 96th Tablescape Thursday!

Independence Day is just around the corner...time for a little Red, White and Blue fun!








I could just see these "martini" glasses filled with luscious fruit...maybe raspberries and blueberries with lots of fluffy whipped cream. Wouldn't that be perfectly patriotic for this tablescape?!
















I have one "set of 4" of these red, white, blue and aqua, star place card holders available, In the Bulter's Pantry on eBay, HERE. I wish I had more...they are so perfect for Memorial Day and 4th of July tablescapes. (The reason they are In the Butler's Pantry on eBay and not In The Butler's Pantry on Etsy is because Etsy will only allow handmade items or those over 20 years old...these are brand new.)













Time for a little candlelight as evening arrives on the porch.



































Some of the porch...just for fun. You can tell this pics were taken during that magical "blue hour" time. See the bluish cast on the porch?




Playing around...this pic was taken from the deck through the screen. It was tricky fooling the camera to ignore the screening. It's kind of fun looking into the porch from this perspective.









A candlelight butterfly!






Capturing the "blue hour."




Chargers: Neiman Marcus, 2-3 years ago
China: Gibson, Clarendon, Big Lots, a year or two ago
Stemware: Dollar Tree, a year ago
Flatware: Gourmet Settings, Pattern is Silver Tear, only $29 at Marshalls...yipee! :-)
Place Card Holders: Tuesday Morning, 2 months ago
Lanterns: Old Time Pottery, 1 month ago
Confetti: Pier 1, a couple of weeks ago
Butterfly and Tealight Candle Holder provided by Colonial Candle.


Looking forward to viewing your beautiful tablescapes!



If you are participating in Tablescape Thursday, please be sure to add your permalink below, and not your general blog address. To get your permalink, click on your post name. Then just copy and paste the address that shows up in the address bar at the top, into the "url" box for the picture linky. You'll also need to put your e-mail address in, but don't worry, it will not be visible to anyone.

You may see a red X once you enter your link. No one else can see the red X, it's just there in case you make a little mistake and need to delete your link and re-enter it.

Please link back to the host blog, Between Naps on the Porch. This is important because it helps those who are visiting your blog, find the other wonderful tablescapes posted for this Tablescape Thursday, thus increasing visits for all participating.

Please do not add your link below, until your tablescape post is actually published to your blog.