Good Day, how you going?
Do ya have the Monday Morning Blues? Or perhaps, where you are it’s the oh-no-it’s-Sunday-night-so-Monday-Morning-Blues-are-coming?
I have to tell you it’s a fairly nice Monday morning here in Beach Cottage Land…it actually feels a relief for all to be quiet in this here cottage…all are gone from this place, and all I have to do is recover from the bomb site that is our house and the tiredness that is in my bones from what seems like 48 hours straight of sport. Over the weekend we added 7 medals to our cottage and a couple more trophies so I guess that’s what’s to show for it.
Anyway, in the midst of all that action, I tablescaped. Yes you may think this is a strange and odd way for a person to unwind late on Saturday arvo. Not for me. The sport of tablescaping is one guaranteed to fulfill one’s need for calm.
I don’t think it matters where you live, what you do nor do not have…dressing up a table with next to nothing is all too easy.
You may think that fussing about with a table is indeed an odd way to spend time, and I’d never have thought once upon a time I’d enjoy this so much, but really, the only big deal with this is making the effort to start…the actual doing it is incredibly easy and more, nicely satisfying.
This scape, if that is what we are calling them, is a product of a couple of things I love…the first being white shells and the second vintage bottles…and this one has then turned out to be one of my faves…and is for me about celebrating everyday pleasures…
There’s nothing much to it and I love how a few simple things can end up looking lovely…this is what I started with…
I wanted to use some of the new old bottles I found on that haul recently, in particular the vintage milk bottle, I love the thick old glass and wide top…the shells are my favourite, tiny and white and perfectly formed, nature’s pretty good like that huh?
All the rest my usuals…mis-match of napkins from vintage and the plaid ones from IKEA…old and soft after lots of washings…
The napkin rings are simple circles of the tiny white shells (coming to the BC Store soon), the cutlery vintage, the plates IKEA, tablecloth a vintage sheet….flowers I have no idea what they are but they are part of the hundreds of bulbs I planted back in the Autumn and are now popping up all over the garden..the other sprigs of green, I do believe are what is commonly referred to as weeds ;-)
The chairs are IKEA with covers that pull off and hop straight in the machine on a 60 wash which my friends is exactly what they did this Monday washday after the bashing they took at the weekend.
And with that I will leave you with my shells.
Happy Monday.
p.s. I am having a giveaway tomorrow…stop by…
blogged for TT, thanks!
BC Store rocking those shells
coming soon
Loving catching our blog, just before I retire for the night! I can’t wait until I can tablescape .. first I have to get a dining room in this tiny place… although I think it would be wasted on my hubby and the toddlers at the moment… they seem more impressed with the wipeable table cloth and I’m not going to lie, for now it’s my idea of heaven too. Congrats on the medals! Lx
Your table looks simply lovely!
Firstly congrats to the BC kiddos on their sporting achievements and bringing home the throphies!!!!
Secondly I love how simple this scape is…so serene and peaceful looking, makes me wanna pull up a sit and just chill.
I do miss strolling up and down the beaches back home in NZ….you always found some sort of treasure be it driftwood, shells, pumice or polished glass, here the beaches are just, well, too clean (I mean that in a good sense), and I am very limited in what I find….hooray for the BC store where I can soon get my fix of all things beachy, YES I will be indulging I think ;)
yeah, there is always something to be found Tammi!
oops typo…sorry bout that
The darling delicate red flowers are so beautiful against all the white. Nice work.
Fondly,
Glenda
I subscribed to your blog a wee while ago and really enjoy keeping up with your posts. This morning I received a text from my 16 yo son asking me if I could please pick him up from school and take him into JustCuts as he had been told he had to get his hair cut immediately or have an internal suspension ie sit in the office all day long. I obliged and while I was sitting waiting for his hair to be cut (the hairdresser couldn’t believe the school thought his hair was too long but that’s another story) I picked up a copy of Real Living. I was delighted to come across an article featuring your home! I was glad for that interuption to my morning :o)
Angex
PS Í use White on White paint on everything too.
hey thanks Ange….funny that Real Living magazine gets around, I have had similar messages from people who have picked it up in the doctor’s surgery, hairdressers etc…small world huh?
sarahx
Hi Sarah~~~setting a table is a great way to get happy. It gets those creative juices flowing, and feels nice to sit down and look at a pretty table when you are finished. I like the simplicity of your setting…yet the beauty of all of it all together.
Debbie@houseatthelake
Beautiful and serene.
Your blog and your tablescapes have inspired me to have a go at tablescaping and I have been able to join in at naps on the porch the past few weeks, still have the” L” plates on though!
Hi!
I did the same thing with my Ikea chairs this weekend – a few too many good dinners and conversations around our dining room table! Have a lovely week, love your table idea.
Caron
Very pretty, Sarah. So calm and peaceful looking it would be ALMOST a shame to add food to the picture and ruin the vibe! But, I do love food, so guess it would be worth it, as long as it matched, or at least co-ordinated with your whites everywhere!
Hope you have a great week.
XO
Heidi
Hello Sarah,
Your table looks beautiful….
I hope you are having a great Monday!
xoxoxo
Maria
Hi Sarah,
I LOVE IT!!!!
Your blog is wonderful!!!!
Adoro questa mise en place!!!!
Hope you have a great week!!
Kisses
Daniela DREAM SHABBY CHIC Milano
Not any old weeds though – shepherd’s purse! Very romantic…
Your table looks just lovely Sarah – couldn’t be improved upon. What a gift of grace~
Tricia, you my lovely are the fountain of all information, thanks!
Hi Sarah, congratulations to the kids – what a weekend! Your table looks lovely – some very serene photos to start my Monday morning with – thank you. Love those little white shells and looking forward to the online store. Nice to know the name of that ‘weed’ – Shepard’s purse (thanks to Tricia) … always one of my favourite weeds, so pretty!
Hi Sarah, I’ve been coming here only for a week since you were featured at Design Sponge and since reading up on all your posts the one thing I love is how you show a before shot, like the one today of the table, there are not many people who have the balls to do that, most pics I see around blogland are the end version only or just pics taken from magazines, I love how you show a regular old table and a few bottles and how it can be turned into something that is quite stunning. Though of course that is easier said than done but still very inspiring. I just want to say thank you for showing the befores (I just recently read your post on the bus blind destination how to, amazing that you turned that old picture from a goodwill for a few dollars into wall art). thanks alisa
I have to agree with the last commenter too.
I have for long read blogs that are so ridiculously perfect, you seem to get it just right, good enough to look very wonderful but then your writing and a before photo show that it can be done.
Thanks for your blog, I have been following your from the early days and I never comment, I suppose I should really but anyway I feel that your blog is getting better and better.
judie
if I put weeds in vintage bottles it would look awful
i love how you you admit the covers get a bashing, I have the same chairs from ikea and as you say they wash up with a hotwash great! I have a similar table,not that one but this weekend I have some friends coming over and I am going to make my first start on table dressing. inspired!
Lovely Sarah, really beautiful. Thanks
oh I love the belt over the jacket and do I spy a dotty blouse underneath?
oh yeah sorry Sarah I love the table too
Hi Sarah
This looks great!
I am about to dress a big celebration being held at our house soon and have been thinking what am I going to do? I think today I may have found the answer via you!
I will keep it simple and use my vast collection of vintage bottles to dress the tables up a bit and use whatever flowers take my fancy, really what could be easier.
Thanks again for your continued inspiration and me too I love how you show what can be done with an ikea cheapie table and a few bottles@
Nice…..again :)
who cares if your chair covers need washing! for me this is table fantasy land and I for one love it! you my dear area a genius, show me some so-called stylist with lots of money under his or her belt and they come up with something not in the same leauge as this.
Sarah, as someone in the business and following your blog since you were in REal Living and via the Decor8Blog, I cannot wait to see when you hit the big time, I haven’t seen raw talent like this with basic props (and don’t even get me started on the photography) for a very long time.
keep it up girl
Hi Sarah
Lovely, as ever!
Reading with my coffee and as just simply enjoying seeing you create.
I love how you can dress an Ikea special, they really should be getting you on board the amount of times you mention them, I can see it now, you as one of Ikea’s top stylists, if you can turn a table into this then the sky’s the limit.
I’ll be back tomorrow for the giveaway, oh and where did you get that mirror?
MandyB
stuff it, all I can say is every time you see a table, you rock it baby!
Shepherds Purse of course! And I can’t believe it looks this good with a few simple other added things.
I found you via Design Sponge, as I assume a lot of people have recently, though I am very surprised that you don’t seem to have mentioned the fact that you were featured on there on your blog??? Or have I just missed that?
I know I’ve already commented, but every now and then I like to read other people’s comments on the blogs I follow and I just spotted the one above from Nicola and wanted to say that I totally agree with her and I’m sure others do too. Not that I’m in the business (unless you call being addicted to home beautiful magazine a business), but you just get a feeling from your blog that something exciting is going to come from this (and I truly hope it does) – the photography and the refreshing real-ness of your blog is a hit and a real inspiration to us home decorators on a budget! Well done and cheers to you : )
hello Sarah! you have inspired me to have a go, which means a lot to me!
I have just moved into a house that is probably far from my dream home, but you know what, I have a table and boy am I ready to dress it up and prettify my life anytime soon.
Your tablescapes are always gorgeous…and I love the weeds. They always reminded me of little strands of hearts.
Ness xx
Your table is so pretty. Simplicity at its best. Have a wonderul week, Sarah! La
so darling. I so need to see the BC store is it open yet? I do so desparly want the shell balls soo wonderful! love your blog.
Lovely tablescaping. Those delicate sprigs lend a nice contrast. :)
Sigh!! This is lovely in its simplicity!
The table looks amazing! What a great idea. I especially like the red flowers, beautiful touch.
xx,
Michelle
Happy Monday to you! Thanks for the tour of your table scape. I love the white on white design!
Do you pick up those shells on the beach? They are so white ! Ours in Florida are more brown with only a few white ones. I covet white shells !
You are too funny. Did you seriously pick a weed for your flower arrangement? I should try it – it looks quite good. xx
Oooh I love your tablescapes. I also love cloth napkins…my mother and grandmother always use them, but no one these days seems to. (At least, no one my age = mid twenties.) Its so sad! It makes my heart happy to know you can still FIND cloth napkins and napkin rings…I must just not be looking hard enough.
You take very good photos. I love how everything is white in the table scape except for the pop of color from two delicate flowers.
Loving the simplicity and beachiness of this- with accent of colour in the flowers! I too find tablescaping relaxing- once I get started! Great way to unwind and potter about with a beautiful result!
Hola Sarah, your tablescape turned out soooo very beautiful, and if I follow your lovely council and enthusiasm perhaps I can just start myself playing tablescapes… thank you!!!
cariños,
maria cecilia
Sarah… you inspire me to lift my table setting game. But with twins aged 19 months… I must exercise patience. That time will come again that I can lay the table with things other than plastic glasses for the wee ones ……. I crave flowers and candles ON my dining table during dinner.
Love your pretty flowers :):)
Lovely tablescape-thanks for these fresh and summery ideas!
Best wishes,
Natasha.
Just lovely, Sarah…very quite and mellow and lovely…:)
Lovely with the tiny bit of red!
LOVE the simplicity of your tablestyle! Happy to have you today over at Susan’s party for Tablescape Thursday…. I’ll have to come back more often to visit… :)
Blessings to you…
Lynda
So clean and so restful. What a wonderful, calming tablescape. The white is so quiet, yet sophisticated. Very pretty
I love your table. I LOVE the center decor with the bottles , 2 red blooms and the bottles. It turned out spectacular.
The reflective value of your bottle collection, the texture of your the beach pebbles, the always gorgeous white on white with the perfect, almost graphic shot of red….this is one lovely and quite sophisticated tablescape. Thank you for sharing your gorgeous design. Cherry Kay