Mother’s Day is a reflective time for me since I lost my mom. Don’t get me wrong, I love spending time with my girls, but I get a bit reflective on the years that I bought cards for my mom and grandmothers. I wanted them to know my love on this special day. I can let myself slide on to that struggle bus if I don’t watch it so when I see myself going there, I switch to something that makes me happy, and that definitely includes setting a beautiful table with things that my Mother had, gave me or loved.
I set up a pretty Mother’s Day table with a set of Spode blue dishes that my mom had given me years ago to hang on my walls. I paired them with my Pier One distressed chargers and burlap ruffled place mats. Probably not the most likely match up as the blue willow type china usually screams formality. Burlap can always ground something fancy however and from that point I jumped off the cliff and started pulling and putting until it had just the right amount of tablescape diversity.
Vintage white napkins wrapped up with some napkin rings made out of vintage silverware stems found a hope on the top center of the plates.I used some blue toile fabric for a runner and placed a decorative cutting board in the center of the table. From there, pink peonies in a white hob nail milk glass vase gives just the pop of color this table needed.
My mom had these chunky blue dinner glasses that she used for years. I’m sure they are right out of the 70’s and not antiques, for definitely could be called “vintage.” I could not let them go because the memories of my mom using her “dress up” glasses was one that I wanted to hold on to. We always had iced tea with our dinners. These were her fancy ice tea glasses. They tied in well with the blue Spode dinner plates so I got them ready for their close-up. My parents didn’t drink alcohol but it amazed me that she had several sets of beautiful vintage crystal wine and sherry glasses in her vast glassware collections. No telling where they came from, perhaps my grandparents, great grandparents, aunts, or possibly estate or garage sales. They are all beautiful so I used one of them with this table. I think they are breathtaking!
As far what to sprinkle on the runner, I always have fun with succulents. I usually try and sneak in a succulent or two on almost every table I create. My love of succulents comes from my mom, Vintage Joyce Marie, she had succulents before succulents were cool.
A dinner table needs candles of some type, maybe not glorious crystal candlesticks but a touch of candlelight in my opinion adds a touch of elegance that is sorely missed these days. When I was looking or “shopping” my china cabinets, I came across this antique glass fruit that my mom had in her antique room for decades. I don’t know their origin, this glass fruit, but it reminds me of her so I gathered them in a milk glass dish and housed them on one side of the table runner. The other side has two candles resting on a burlap silverware pocket.
One thing that I miss in today’s set tables are salt cellars. I am fortunate to have a small collection of vintage crystal salt cellars that can be filled with kosher salt for each guest to “have their own.” I only have 6 of them so I am in constant search for more. I would love to have one for kosher salt and one for fresh ground pepper at each place setting.
My last visit to Walmart had me drawn to the Pioneer Woman isle, as I always am and Ree had these precious little white bowls that I snapped up. I decided to add a collection of tiny sweets to top off the meal, take your pick of peppermint, dark or milk chocolate. They make a nice big sister to the little crystal salt cellar brothers at the top left of each place setting. Love them!
All pulled together, I think it works and it made me feel wonderful revisiting my mom’s things. If you are fortunate enough to still have your mom in your life, celebrate with her this Sunday, even if you have to do it via Zoom or Facetime. I hope my girls remember good memories about me and the things that were special to me years from now when they are creating their own tables for Mother’s Day. Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms, grand-mothers, aunts and substitute moms out there!
Proverbs 31:31: Honor her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.
