Colourful Autumn entertaining

 Somehow November is fast slipping away & my thoughts are turning to the festive season. 

Our rectory table seats 12 when the two leaves are pulled out on each end & we enjoy the freedom it brings to have larger gatherings in our conservatory. Chairs are brought in from the dining room & spares from the garage - never formal, just social times. It is usually  just the smaller compact size. 

On the weekend, we had friends old & new for supper & with 7 expected, the conservatory was the obvious place. 

My friend recently gifted me a stunning long length of colourful Autumn fabric in greens, blues, cerise, orange, yellow & a darker outline. When the table is extended, it is often difficult to find table cloths that  are long enough or interesting enough. The colours also tie in with my Frida Kahlo cushions. 

I cut a length of the cloth off & hemmed it for the console table that is also in the conservatory. I might shorten it a little more for the other table but that is a job for after the festive season. 

We fortunately have enough cutlery, crockery & glasses to have friends over so it was a pleasure to set the table with our large charger plates we use often, & some glass candle holders. These have the bobeche candle wax ring that saves the cloth when the wax drips down. So many candles are drippers. However, I mixed up the candle colours to match the cloth - I love flickering candles while we relax ... 

The sideboard has the lovely pink crockery of the Merrie Olde England Ironstone design & the Chelsea Wicker Spode creamware plates so it has been an in between setting. I love mixing up plates & sets, the large charger plates help to protect the table cloth from spills.  I have started to bring the vintage red glasses through from the tall glass cupboard in the kitchen. They are the perfect festive red & will be used often over the festive season. 

What a fab evening when the candles burn low because we are all enjoying each others company so much. That is the sign of a gesellige tyd (a social time) 

Have your thoughts turned to the festive season? The first Sunday of Advent is this weekend so I have had to find my Advent ring with the 4 holders & decide on what candles to put in ... 

Thank you for your company, it is always appreciated

Dee 🍽️ 💖

Giving way to Autumn ...

 Somehow it seems as if this year has flown & Autumn has crept in while I was otherwise engaged. 

It has been weeks since I changed my sideboard in the conservatory - it has been summer greens & pinks since .... summer. 

However, Autumn always reminds me of the cosy times & our wildlife. I bought some of these sweet Spode Woodland plates some years ago on a visit to the potteries. I only got a few side plates that could go with what we already have because we have loads of china. 

The pretty deer plates with their yellow borders are a perfect match with the woodland plates. 

The iconic pheasant plate is a vintage one I bought a long time ago. 

The red glasses and Morris & co Pimpernel place & drinks mats will probably stay out in to the festive season as they are a good size. 

The long conservatory table has a bolt of red cotton fabric with cream paisley prints - I hemmed it to make the cloth, that looks autumnal without being festive.  I gathered mossy twigs & oak leaves on a recent walk & they are once again in my yellow vase with the tree of life colours which go well with the woodland plates. Nothing new at all, just found in our various cupboards. 

So this is really a bridging sideboard to lead us in to the festive season. 

Are you enjoying the autumn time?  Thanks for stopping by, please follow & share, 

Dee 🍂🍁🥮

A girlies evening & table setting

Hi all

Do you have a favourite meal? My friend makes a fabulous ox tail stew - it is not something everyone eats but it is an amazing meal when cooked long & slow so that it falls off the bone. Being our half term (we both work in education) we decided on a girlies night to catch up.

 One of my favourite things to do is to set a lovely table & even though our clocks went back last weekend, I am not ready to give up my bright colours. I love pinks so a favourite hand painted South African table cloth set the tone.

I have these lovely Wedgwood charger plates in various tones; these pink ones are my favourite (I always have to mix them up when there are many of us as they vary in tones)

I love these traditional plates but don’t have a full set of the Merrie Olde England Ironstone with its traditional patterns or the cream Chelsea Wicker plates by Spode but because they have the same wavy edges, they go very well together.  I think mixing up the sets of plates makes the setting less formal & my regular readers will recognise these from previous settings

The traditional scenes on the Old Merrie England Ironstone plates  ... 

The darker nights need lots of warming candles & lights - battery lights are warm & safe too.

I love the very girlie setting  - perfect for catching up with a friend ...

I love my sideboard / dresser; the little battery lights always looks pretty as it backlights the pocket watch plates.

I love pretty tables & I think this one was .... 

My friend made the most fabulous ox tail in red wine, with samp, a South African speciality. I made spicy butternut & honey glazed red heritage carrots - perfectly lovely meal.

Beautiful candles ...

The fabulous ox tail stew - a traditional meal which was perfect for our weather which has turned rather cool ...

Oven baked baked vegetables - a great favourite of mine

Plain vanilla cheesecake with winter berries which were cooked with Latvian Riga Balsam - used widely in Riga for its health properties ...

A warm & comforting traditional meal, a perfect catch up time. What is your favourite meal which is not too much fuss?  

Thank you for stopping by, taking the time to read & comment - it is much appreciated. 

Dee ~💕~

All wrapped up ...

Our first frosts are expected now - the temperatures have plunged & the Autumn nip  has given way to a Winter chill tonight.

This photo was taken at Attingham park about 3 weeks ago & it shows what I love most about this time of the year - the colours & the strong lines of the tree branches once the leaves fall ...

Our squirrels have been really busy at the birds nut feeders - stocking up for Winter & burying the nuts all over my lawn ...

The last of the colour in the garden is now - the few Hydrangea heads have mellowed to a faded colour & the fushias are flowering still.

However, no time to just enjoy the garden as there is lots to be done.

 

I have been getting the garden ready for this by putting the unelegant but very neccessary fleece jackets on my tender plants, moving their pots against the house for protection & making sure that leaves are raked before they can become slippery on the paths ....

Is your garden ready for the colder weather? What are your Autumn tasks?

I love this 101 bits of Autumn fun from 101-bits-autumn-fun from Laura Winslow's blog.

Mine would certainly have baking, reading, wrapping up in a cosy fleece blanket in front of the fire, write overseas cards for the early posting, burn scented candles in our lounge lanterns, get out for walks in the fresh air, take unused coats & jumpers to charity shops so others can enjoy them too, plant some Spring bulbs (done), put out regular food for the birds (done) ...
take a small flask of hot chocolate on a walk with friends ...



What would be on your Autumn list? 

Thanks for stopping by, share your Autumn lists for inspiration please ♥
Dee ~♥~