A colourful supper to start to Summer …

It is a bit of a tradition to embrace bright colours in summer. Ours is so short lived;  the warm days & long nights are a joy after winter. 

I'm having friends join us for supper, not dinner. For me, supper is a relaxed get together with generally only a main & pudding. It is a time to catch up on each others busy lives. Dinner is a bit more formal & is rarer. 

However, I still love to set the table. It was my ‘job’ as a child to set our long dining table for 7 each night or more if friends & grandparents were joining us. Supper was always at the table at home & it was a time to catch up on each others day in the era of no mobile phones.

I digress; pink table cloth & runner, green & pink placemats,  green tinged wine glasses & green glasses & jug that belonged to Olive. 

It is always fun to have lots of candles & my coloured glass ones do very nicely. Taller pink & green holders & smaller tea lights in pink, green & blue -  summery & fun. 

It has been a hot week so the menu is planned for a lighter meal with interesting salads. 

It is strawberry season so Eton mess  & fruit compote will be served in coloured vintage glass bowls. 

I think it is a good choice for a solstice meal that is wholesome without being heavy. 

What would your ideal mid summer meal be?  The updated Solstice menu is blogged here ... Thank you for stopping by, it is appreciated. 

Dee 🥗☀️🏡🫜

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 🍽️ 💖