Creating a 5-Minute Fall Tablescape

Our house is one of “those” houses…

You know the ones with the messy dining room.

When the dining room doesn’t look like this

or like this…

The reality is most days it looks more like this

or this because I always have a few projects in the works!

Except, of course, when “company” is coming for a meal that will actually require us to sit down at the dining room table all fancy-like.

(Sidebar: My little momma thinks she raised a bunch of heathens since her children usually eat everywhere but at their dining room tables.)

I found my beautiful terra cotta tile and iron table back when I finished graduate school and bought my own little house. I thought I was Miss Big Britches buying such an expensive piece of furniture all on my own…

And while I still love it, I’m hoping to be able to use it in the sunroom of the new house it looks like we will be building when we head north to Ann Arbor next spring/summer.

Then I can finally buy the farmhouse table I’ve had my eye on for several years.

But I’m getting off track ya’ll…

 What I was going to do today is share a few tips for creating a seasonal tablescape in under 5 minutes!

Nothing Says Fall Like Plaid

Nothing says fall like plaid – am I right friends?

So when I was setting the table last night for a real quick dinner at the table… I thought it was time to pull out the plaid!

When I’m trying to plan a meal that includes eating like grown-ups , I usually consider the season and whatever flowers I have on hand.

In this case it was these beautiful zinnias I got for $5.00 a bunch (!!) at the Farmer’s Market and a few dried hydrangeas I had cut and left to dry before we left for vacation.

And my McKenzie Childs teapot that I don’t think I’ve ever used for anything but flowers…

One trick I’ve learned is to arrange the flowers in a clear vase and then set the vase down inside the teapot.

If you look real closely, you can see the vase. But most people don’t even realize it is there.

Then I covered the table and added my favorite plaid table runner.

Roosters are another favorite of mine. I’m not sure why…

Especially because we had one on the horse farm we lived on when we were kids. Man was that old bird mean! He used to chase us down and chomp on us. Can’t say I was sorry to learn he had drowned in the horse trough… Bless his heart.

But I always bust my rooster placemats out in the fall.

And of course the fact that they have sunflowers in every corner makes them extra special.

I love the smiling face of a sunflower!

I try to work black and white in to everything I do…

The black and white checks on these placemats are always a nice compliment to my McKenzie Childs pieces.

Then I add my fun, everyday dishes…

And these “thanks” and “blessings” black and white napkins I bought last year

Along with these darlin’ little pumpkin napkin rings

And that’s it folks! I’ve got myself a pretty table in under 5 minutes!

Nothing fancy, just a little nicer than eating on the couch while trying to catch up on the news (or the latest gossip on Entertainment Tonight!)

I have some great ideas to share with you this fall and winter!

Hope you will subscribe to my blog and stop back soon so we can catch up…

XO

Shelley