Happy Tuesday, dear friends! We enjoyed a few days of cooler temperatures and lower humidities last week…a teaser of autumn weather! The heat has returned this week!!
“While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.”
Genesis 8:22 (ESV)
Oh the splendors of autumn…it is my favorite season and it awakens all my senses!
The autumnal equinox is September 22nd and that is when fall officially begins. However, meteorological fall begins on September 1st! I choose to follow September 1st as autumn’s beginning! How about you?
I am excited to join sixteen inspiring table stylists for a Fall Tablescape Blog Hop hosted by my lovely friend, Rita at Panoply. You will find all of the links for creative tablesettings at the bottom of this post.
Outdoor dining is definitely one of the splendors of autumn. Normally the temperatures will begin to cool in September, allowing for a pleasant dinner in the garden, my favorite place to set a table!
I look for inspiration everywhere for setting a table…flowers, linens, dishware, photos, magazines, etc. I already knew that a special tapestry would grace the table! Long-time readers know that I am very fond of anything with a memory attached. This beautiful French tapestry that I love and treasure was given to me by my dear friend, Patti. We became friends in 1974 when she moved from Virginia to my NE AL hometown. A brief introduction at church on a Sunday morning and later that week a serendipitous (which I choose to believe was a divine appointment) meeting at our local Belk store began our fifty year friendship. On a visit to her home in Raleigh many years ago, she asked if I would like to have this gorgeous tapestry that she had been using as a table covering for her breakfast room table. She had grown tired of removing it for daily use. Of course, my answer was yes! She has always had exquisite taste and like me, loves color. I was delighted that she was passing it along to me. Of course, I would never serve food on it, but it makes for a beautiful table covering and I enjoy sharing it with you all!
The splendors of autumn are evident in creation as the leaves begin to change colors! From the glorious colors of fall, I draw inspiration from leaves of crimson, amber, orange, and russet!
I am often asked about the amber stemware that is my go-to for fall tables. It came from a local department store that closed several years ago. It seems that so many of my favorite places have now closed!
The magical autumn light is beginning to show in the late afternoon and early evening hours. It is truly one of autumn’s splendors!
Once the tapestry was chosen as the table covering, I began looking to my garden to see what flowers were still blooming. By late August the garden and gardeners are tired and weary! The flower menu consist of limelight hydrangeas, sunflowers, autumn fire sedum, coleus, purple fountain grass plumes, chaste tree seed heads, and hosta leaves. The beautiful vase also has a memory attached. Shirley, who was a long-time blogger and a treasured Monday Morning Bloomer, was one of the first bloggers to welcome me into the blogging world. RM and I have had two opportunities to meet Shirley and Tom for dinner when they were traveling through Birmingham. On their last visit I suggested meeting at our favorite place, Bottega Cafe. We enjoyed delicious food and delightful conversation. A couple of weeks later, I received this gorgeous MacKenzie-Childs Flower Market vase from Shirley. It is perfect for fall or anytime!
The majolica leaf salad/appetizer plates are by Olfaire and always come out of hiding for fall tables. I have eight plates in autumn colors and purchased them from Tuesday Morning many years ago before they closed their doors!
I placed an April Cornell “dahlia days’ napkin under each leaf plate. Beneath the napkin is an American Atelier ‘baroque’ salad plate, and my favorite autumn dinner plates, ‘Woodland’ by Spode.
Pumpkin-colored placemats and copper flatware complete each place setting!
“Autumn is the antidote to stifling summer.”
~Terri Guillemets
It has been a stifling summer…very hot, little rain, and constant winds. Daily watering has kept the garden going, but the heat has taken its toll on my panicled hydrangeas and potted containers! Such is the life of a gardener!
“August is summer’s relentless defending champion, holding on to the top spot, until a fresh newcomer named September puts it down for the count.”
~Butch Richardson
For beautiful fall tables, festive ideas, and lovely inspiration, click on the links below.
Panoply – Transitioning to Welcome Fall
Hyacinths for the Soul – Welcome, Autumn, the Richest of Seasons
Home is Where the Boat Is – Plaid, Petals and Pumpkins
Life and Linda – Whooo’s Ready for Fall
Everyday Living – The Splendors of Autumn
Dinner at Eight – Set a Captivating Table when Summer Turns to Fall
Thrifting Wonderland – Fall Is In the Air
My Thrift Store Addiction – Anticipating Autumn Transferware Tea Time
The Bookish Dilettante – Welcome Fall Tablescape: Textured Neutrals
Belle Bleu Interiors – Savoring Summer’s Final Days and Anticipating Autumn’s Arrival
Red Cottage Chronicles – Transform Your Table with Beautiful Purple Hues for Autumn
The Painted Apron – Easing Into Fall
Karin’s Kottage – Easy Natural Fall Tablescape Ideas Anyone Can Do
The Cat’s Whiskerz – Autumn Bliss
Mantel and Table – 4 Easy Tips for Setting a Beautiful Fall Tablescape
Corner of Plaid and Paisley – Autumn Splendor Tablescape
Thank you for your visit and gracious comments. Wishing you a splendid autumn season!
Linking with: Pieced Pastimes, Between Naps on the Porch, Katherines Corner, Follow The Yellow Brick Home,
Life and Linda