Sandi, you are soooo on the ball! Wow, I wish I could be that organized...you even have a menu planned! Very impressive and I can't wait to see photos of your decos.

I don't have any St Paddy's decorations...I NEED to go shopping!

Sandi, do you see what you have done? There is going to be a run on St. Pat's Day decs. Not too many places here have them, except maybe Irish shops, and they don't really have the things we are talking about. TJMAX had some pretty things, but they usually sell out fast. I did get a pretty pitcher with shamrocks and some dishtowels.

I can't believe you have your menu figured out already! I know we will have "Irish Flag" soup, and the standard, corned beef and cabbage, which they don't really have in Ireland, and of course, Soda Bread. I will have to work on it more, as soon as I dig out my IRISH bin with all the stuff.
For the stacking plates how about potatoes! Cheap enough and we can eat them afterwards! LOL
And, Sandi, many of my Italian friends do not celebrate the 17th, they do the 19th which is St Joseph's Day. They have wonderful pastries assoc with that day, but I don't believe they have decorations!

Sandi and Kathleen, I love your enthusiasm! You go girls! ;o)

I don't have much in the way of St. Patricks decorations, but I did find some green plates and some striped placemats, so will try to do the table. Might even do the kitchen table too but with more "cutesy" decs.

Hadn't planned on doing stacked plates this time because I'd rather buy more dishes and glass ware than invest in St. Pat's ornaments right now. I did think about just green and white carnations--but think I'll wait and do one next year.

Michael's had some really cute ornaments and garlands, and Homegoods has two sets of dishes with shamrocks. One is sort of lime green and bright, the other is white with the green shamrocks. I thought the 2nd one was really pretty.

Wow! you have a pretty big menu going there. I'm just looking forward to the corned beef and cabbage--didn't know they don't have that in Ireland--where did the idea of doing it for St. Pat's come from then?

I just KNOW I'll be reading posts on here and get the "urge" to go shopping for St. Pat's stuff! Got to figure out a way to control myself! LOL

Luvs

Luvs, Homegoods has dishes with shamrocks??? There is one over an hour from me.. Were they dinner plates??I would call first to see if they still have them, too icy to go that far!

What? you didn't like my stacking plates with potaoes?? I am trying to save you money!!!

dreamgoddess, I don't think my DH would call me organized, just obsessed. LOL I'm going shopping Monday. I saw a shamrock plate at TJ's that I really want for my round table in the LR. And I want to buy some yellow fabric to make napkins for Easter. That's probably all I'll get to buy this time.

Kathleen_li, I saw several pitchers at TJ's with shamrocks and they were all pretty. I also saw the dishtowels and liked them. I never knew the Irish didn't eat cabbage and corned beef. My grandfather's grandparents were born in Ireland and I grew up eating cabbage, corned beef and potatoes all cooked together. I guess I just assumed it was an Irish tradition. So tell please, what is Irish Flag soup??? Sounds like it might be green, white and orange? Cabbage, potatoes and carrots??? I think the shamrock dishes at Home Goods are the same as the ones at TJs. At least they are here. They had dinner plates and salad plates. They aren't china.

Ya know, as much as my family and I love potatoes in all different kinds of ways, I'm not sure about potatoes on stacking plates! LOL unless...the potato was spray painted GOLD! ;~)

I'll have to check out St Joseph's Day. My DS will love another Saint's day to celebrate.

Luvs, I don't have my dining room set up yet, so will have to decorate the kitchen table. I don't think we really have to have St Paddy's ornaments. Just think green! ;~)

I've been wanting to go to Michael's but to be honest, I'm scared to step foot in the door. I'm not ready for a divorce! LOL

Sandi,I am American born Irish, but my bro in law is Irish born and he says they had ham, but not corned beef. He also won't eat beets as that is what they feed the PIGS there! They go back every year. There are a lot of things we do here that are not part of the Irish trad. From what I was told, it was more a religious celebration, but maybe they are picking up on the way Americans celebrate it!!! Any reason to decorate and have a party!
Irish Flag, yes you are very close. It is leek, potato, bits of carrot and parsley. I made that name up as I don't usually put carrots in my leek and pot soup, so added the carrots for the color of the flag!
So you think maybe TJ's has the dishes with the shamrocks?? Much closer to me than Homegoods. They sound pretty!
My Michael's had NOTHING for St Pat's day last year, she said they had no call for it. Guess she hasn't heard about stacking plates, LOL.

Well, I finally posted a pic on the Tablecloths thread, so I will be able to join in the fun! You may have created a monster. Thanks to Sandi for all your patience!!!!

Kathleen_li, My Irish grandfather loved beets, but maybe because his family had been in the US so long. I love beets. LOL I'm going to have to see if I can find where the corned beef and cabbage came from.

I want the recipe for your "Irish Flag" soup please. It sounds wonderful.
And yes, check TJ's first as it might save you a longer drive.

Now I know how corned beef came to be associated with the Irish. I just found this onlline.

According to the History Channel, while cabbage has long been a traditional food item for the Irish, corned beef serving as a substitute for Irish bacon first became traditional in the late 1800s. Irish immigrants living in New York City's Lower East Side sought an equivalent in taste and texture to their traditional Irish bacon (similar to Canadian bacon), and learned about this cheaper alternative to bacon from their Jewish neighbors."

Pit{{gwi:1408162}}cher from TJ Maxx, Waterford pitcher gift, Beleek vase

Kathleen-li, I love your pitcher from TJs and your Waterford pitcher. Lucky you to have such a nice friend. Your Beleek vase is just gorgeous. You have really started something. I was in a state of ignorant bliss never having heard of Beleek until you mentioned it. Now I have to have at least a couple of pieces. ;~)

On the photobucket I clicked message board size. Should I pick something else?? move back?? All sugg welcome, I am trying to learn! They look so big!

Beleek is very pretty, delicate, but of course only appeals to a limited audience. I have another long dish, I use it for candy. Years ago, I didn't like it, but now I do, of course, it is expensive!!!
Thanks again for all your help, Sandi!

Yeah, Kathleen is posting pics! ;o) Kathleen, on Photobucket, I select my picture or pictures from the page then go all the way to the bottom and click on "generate img and url". It takes me to the next page and I just click on the first option, then right click and select "copy". Go to my message on here and right click and select "paste". When you hit preview message, the message with pics will show up. They post here smaller, but will open up larger when clicked.

Love your vase and pitchers, very very nice. Are you going to use them on a table setting or vignette for St. Pat's?

While I appreciated the economy of the potatoes on the stacked plates--like Sandi, I wanted a little more "Bling". Ha ha

Luvs

I am printing that out, know I won't remember it., Thank you, Luvs!!!
I think I will the use pitcher on the table with my waterford glasses. I don't know if I will do a special St. Pat's Day vignette,(sp?) I will be under pressure to get the Easter table done, you know with Sandi, we have to move fast!!!!LOL

I am just so happy I got it to post... I almost got violent!

Kathleen_li, You are of Irish heritage. How can you NOT at least do a St Paddy's Day vignette on a small side table? You could use the 2 Belleek pieces you mentioned to start with.
Easter comes after St Paddy's so you have plenty of time to do both. LOL

Kathleen_li, I guess your potato idea wasn't that far out. Look at what I just found online:

I'm impressed ladies that you have St. Paddy's days items. I don't have a single thing (blush). I did see some white plates with clovers on them in my Marshalls, but I had to abstain (this time)...I am looking forward to what you all come up with.

I also will be standing back and watching instead of participating this time around...:)
Like Judith I do not have any St Paddy Day items...I guess I could make something work with my cream dishes and cabbage plates but since I am already planning on using that for some of my spring and easter looks and really don't want to spend anymore money on decorations right now (I went a bit overboard on spring/easter...lol)
I will look forward to all of your creations and the pictures you'll post. I may plan on taking part next year ...for St Paddy's day..

Judithva & Tamgypsy, I don't have any special St Paddy's Day dishware either. I stretched my money to cover Valentine's, St Paddy's and Easter so could only get a little for each holiday. I am lucky in that I already had some St Paddy's decos to work with. I'm hoping also to buy more for next year. We've all seen your beautiful dishware for Easter and will be waiting for that to come along and see the wonderful jobs you both will do.

Judith, I know you are not Irish but that is not required to celebrate "the wearin' of the green". It would be an excellent time to use some of your cabbage plates and have some fun making a vignette. We know you love using your creativity--it could be just a nod to St. Pat's for the fun of it. Actually, I think your green and yellow plates would make a beautiful table setting too. ;o)

Tam, It might be hard to just "watch"--I know I only have a few things and don't plan to buy anything more--keeping my fingers crossed that I can keep that mindset! Ha ha

Sandi, I can not believe that you found a potato centerpiece for Kathleen! That is just proof that you can be creative with anything. Too funny.

Luvs

My goodness, you ladies are making me tired just reading about all your ideas! lol

kathleen_li, I kinda like the picture that size, it is easier to see all the detail. I love the shape of the white pitcher. How nice to have Waterford -- it is so wonderful.

If I decide to do a special table for St. Patrick's Day, I will probably use my green napkins and tablecloth with white dishes. White flowers maybe. The stems and leaves could be the other green accent. I have some narrow green satin ribbon to tie onto the pitcher handle if I use my white pitcher for the flowers. Oh, just remembered, I have a pretty little green glass vase that was my mother's, and a couple of green glass stemmed dessert dishes that were my aunt's. They will work somehow with the centerpiece. *flash* a light bulb went off over my head. I have four beautiful stemmed wine glasses I bought at an estate sale just because they were so pretty. They are crystal with a little green crystal trim on the stem. Maybe I will use a white cloth if I go with the little green pieces. You guys are right -- this is fun! Except all I want to do now is play around with that stuff instead of cleaning house and doing my "chores".

Guess I'd better get busy. Have a good day, everyone.

Lee

Sandi, there is a future for you in research!!! I can't believe you found the pic of MY potato centerpiece! LOL
Ladies, you do not need shamrock dishes to celebrate the 17th. I don't have special dishes. You just have to use some green, and white dishes or yellow, would be perfect! And you all have been showing those cabbage plates, they are very appropriate.. A pot of shamrocks from the grocery, or some white carnations in some green food coloring water...whatever.
For us in the colder climates, the arrival of St. Patrick's Day means that even if we get more snow it won't stay around for months, black and icy!
My problem will be finding friends from nearby to attend, they have flown the coop to Fla until April.
Lee, you ideas sound wonderful! I hope you will send us a pic of your table.

I'm a Scot/Welsh mix....my St. Paddy's stuff would have to be ORANGE!!!! Yikes that could be bad in my "lotsa'" red house!!!!!!!!!!!! I did get a huge chuckle out of the potatoe idea and the picture...I might have to try that, as it would be sort of generic :^)

Lee, See, you have a good start on setting a table for St Paddy's Day. And like Kathleen_li says, just a little touch of green will work. And please post a pic.

Jaybird, I'm lost on the orange for St Paddy's Day. I know St Patrick was born in Scotland. Help please?

Luvs, I found the potato centerpiece by accident.

Jaybird, my best friend at a Catholic Univ was Polish. Every year she would deck herself out in an orange skirt and sweater, AND she had red hair ! This was her protest of all things green! Well, guess what , she married a MURPHY.
Your orange comment wasn't lost on me, LOL, but we are all Americans anyway!!
I am not Italian, but I love celebrating with them, those delicious pastries and foods, beat out corned beef anyday, IMHO!! So Happy St. Joseph's Day on the 19th too! And now that I think of it we forgot to celebrate Ground Hog Day...now there would have been some interesting decorations!

kathleen...groundhog day...hahaha
I was deciding the other evening which 'tables' I would create...here is my list so far...anyone want to add any?...lol...I know Mothers and Fathers day are missing but my mom passed and I have no contact with my father...and I rather go out to eat on mothersday...lol

Snowmen
Winter
Valentines Day
St. Paddys Day (next year)
Spring
Easter
4th of July
Picnic
Summer
Beach
Tuscan
Fall
Halloween
Thanksgiving
Christmas
New Year

No decos for me either, but hope i'm able to go out to eat some of that dlicious cornbeef and cabbage that I love. Well......maybe I can mush up the cabbage and forget the corned beef until next year. LOL

Kathleen, great listing of tables. Could we include Angels, or do they come under Christmas? ;o)

patty_cakes

Tam,
What is Tuscan?? (Did you create that so you can use your new pumpkins before anyone else?HA) It's a "toasty" 24 here w/o windchill.....
And you can include Mem Day ( which where you are, would be the first time you can be sure it won't snow anymore??LOL My neices went to St. Bonaventure, which I think is near you?)
Mem Day, Flag Day and July 4th, you can use the same decor!!! Got to get the most out of those purchases!
Let's see what others add, maybe a regional type thing...Pickle Day or something!!!

Tam, I was just at Big Lots and they had some really cute garden elves. One looked like a tree stump house with a door that would open and an elf outside the door, some were rinding on frogs backs, on was sitting on a log fishing--all very cute. Crossed my mind that if I had extra dollars to spare, they could make a really cute table centerpiece for Spring--then could move out to the yard if you wanted--like Purplemoon has on her patio. The stump house was $24.00, the other items were around $8.00 to $12.00 each.

Like your list--I guess Watermelon would fall under Summer, wouldn't it. I think you pretty much have them covered. That's more than enough to keep us busy--plus in between we can just do any table setting that we think would look pretty.

Kathleen, you are right--we need to USE all the pieces often so we don't have any guilt feelings about them just sitting in the cupboard or storage boxes. Can't believe you don't know Tuscan with all your Italian friends--grapes, wine, iron scrollwork, etc. You are right, maybe Tam was finding more times to use her new pumpkins! ;o)

Luvs

Luvs, I know what Tuscan is, I just didn't know there was a Holiday for it!!!
I have friends of all diff nationalities , and if they want to celebrate their heritage with a good meal and pretty table, I will be honored to join them!! Any excuse for a PARTY! Esp during these dreary months we have here. You get cabin fever waiting for the nice weather, so planning a celebration is fun. Hope YOU are on the right TRACK with dh railroad celebration! It will be here before you know it, (I hope)

LOL...Kathleen...themes...and holidays...and no..no pumpkins for the tuscan theme....but grapes, olives, wine, cheese, wonder if a rooster could be tuscan...LOL
I could also add October fest...lol...and in Germany saint nicholas comes on December 6th I could make a saint nicholas table...lol...
luvs...I have to check my big lots...that tree stump house sounds cute..

Well, I just thought maybe there was some Tuscan Holiday I didn't know about! Actually, around Columbus Day all the markets advertise Columbus Day Italian Festival, so that could be Tuscan Day, if WE want it to be!
Now if we just do THEMES it could go on and on...Cowboy/Rodeo, Luau, and what about Leap Year, a Kangaroo motiff! Wait...Ash Wed is next week, what will we do for that???

Well you certainly had me laughing tonight (this morning since it's after 3am). I was just wondering what to do after Easter with my stacked cake plates, long time to July 4th. Looks like y'all are going to come up with plenty of things to celebrate tho.
Meanwhile guess I better get my Valentines packed and the St Paddy's on to the stack. I know it's way too early but this is too much fun to wait.
Oh, and thanks Luvs, guess now I'll have to check out Big Lots!!!!

Karen

Tamgypsy, You have a nice list of themes for tablesettings. We can add our family members' birthdays also. I know I'll be doing a Hulk 14 Mar for my son. LOL

Kathleen, Don't laugh at the thought of a "Pickle Day". I live a couple of hours from Mt Olive, NC and they are known as "The Pickle Capital of the World". They have a pickle festival every year. LOL

Back where I lived in IL the small town was known as the Pumpkin capital, and we had a Pumpkin Festival every year. I wonder if having a Libby's canning factory had anything to do with it being named that, since the pumpkins were canned for them. I used to do a lot of fall decorating back then, but not much since moving to CA~there isn't a fall season here, which I really miss.

There's a Garlic Festival in Gilroy CA every year. If you're driving thru, you can smell garlic forevvvvvvvvver! Talk about getting your nostrils cleaned out!LOL ;o)

patty_cakes

After Christmas I bought a box of ornaments 75% off and one of them was broken. I was headed to the trashcan with it and had a brainstorm. I spread glue on the inside of the ornament and sprinkled gold glitter heavily and stood a little leprechaun inside. This picture doesn't show the details very well.

Patty, you must not have a magnolia tree or you would know when it is Fall--leaves and pods "fall" constantly. Used to think they were so beautiful until I ended up with one on city property in front of my house! ;o( And we do have lots of trees that change color and some even have no leaves in Winter--just not the quantity that the midwest and eastern states have of course.

Karen, I thought of you when I saw that tree stump house and all the little guys. Joanne's had some too. House was lots smaller tho.

Sandi, your ornament looks really cute--love the glitter inside. Very creative thinking! ;o)

Luvs

jaybird, I also got the "orange"! My dad was Irish & he worked with a lot of Irish people, but on St. Pats, he would wear orange just to annoy them. My mom would tell him NOT to do it & he'd get a big chuckle out of it as the others were all decked out in GREEN!

The Scots traditionally wear orange on St. Pat's day....just to set the Irish Ire boiling!!!!
Kathleen....you won't believe this, but I actually did have a plush "groundhog" sitting on my desk on GH day....he was offering everyone a cookie!!! He got lots of smiles!!!

Good, Jaybird, celebrate every holiday. For Leap year get a Kangaroo for your desk and give out cookies. Cookies make everyone happy!
I don't get upset if non Irish wear Orange on St. Pat's Day, as long as they are not sitting at MY table! LOL. Actually, we never did that decking ourselves out in green thing. I think it is getting a bit overdone with the green hair, and green BAGElS! But whatever makes them happy...
Patty, I saw a show on the Food Network about the Garlic Festival, and Pickle too. I know all over the country they have food related festivals. We have Strawberry Festivals in June and Clam Chowder Contests in the summer. I get a mag called TASTE OF HOME and there are always stories about cherry, apples, etc festivals. Sounds like fun!

Ok, I started decorating my stacking plates, bar & the small round table in the LR. I just don't have enough St Paddy decos since I added the stacking plates, but it will have to do this year. I hope to get my tree done tomorrow and when I'm though moving everything around a dozen times I'll post some pics.

Has anyone else started their decs yet? I would love to see pics.

Nope, not yet. I felt that I did my Valentines too early, so am trying to wait until at least March to start on mine. I figure having it up for a couple of weeks is enough for me. However, it might take me that long to "get it done". Ha ha

Sandi, you are doing allot for St. Pat's. You must have quite a bit of decs if you can do all that. I just have a few things--will try to accumulate more before next year.

Can't wait to see all your pretties! Luvs

Luvs, I really don't have very many St Paddy's decs. I'm just stretching them to the limit and using more green with them. ;~)

I went with my father to Scotland, for St. Patricks Day. He was born in Castle Douglas in South West Scotland on the 17th March. We stayed at The Old Exchange and had a fantastic time. We are keen gardeners and really enjoyed touring around the amazing gardens which showed a huge variety of plants.

Here is a link that might be useful: self-catering-holiday-cottages-scotland