Mary, the name on the fruit plates & mugs is "Fruit De Jour" by Shafford. They had more, but I hesitate to offer to buy them & ship them to anyone here as I know how things get broken in the mail. They were cheap enough & I would not hesitate to help out anyone here, but anything breakable is a huge risk in the mails! You should have seen what the airline did to our luggage! We watched them throw it right in front of us at the airport. Everything liquid now has to go in the checked baggage & we had tops of shampoos & lotions cracked off & all over our clothes, and the mail service is no better. Ladies, you all need to come to go to yard sales with me, I'm buying way too much, I now have two shelving units full in my basement & can't see where I can steal anymore room for more things! UGH!!! Hubby has offered to put up more shelves & I said no, but after all this summer shopping I may have to take him up on it! LOL And, here comes another weekend of sales right around the corner!LOL

Well, I was hoping to see more white summer tables when I got back and I'm not disappointed! I'm over the moon crazy for your table, OA!! What an imaginative, original tablescape! Love the sandcastle and love the way you've surrounded it with the sand and the rope edging. Cute idea to add the beach shovel at one side, too! The menu sounds wonderful. Your friends were very blessed to get your invite. This should be in the Tablescape Hall of Fame, OA. It's that good! Lynn

Very pretty with all the red, white and blue. I'm a lover of books of all kinds, and am paricularly fond of the "favorites" our children have in their book collections. Like you, I don't like having any kind of centerpiece that interferes with conversation or the ability to see the people across from me. Our centerpieces almost always get moved once dinner begins. Having special family memories and picture that capture the essence of those times is a wonderful way to celebrate any holiday. Sorry you couldn't be with your family at the beach house, but it looks like you made a special meal for your family at home. I'm not ready to give up on summer yet....not quite yet! Thanks for sharing....

Although I think I'm pretty good at decorating homes, I felt like a novice when I first joined this forum. These wonderful ladies here have taught me a lot and I'm still learning! *My best advice is to look at the photos of different tablescapes in our album and ones posted here on this forum. Find tables that you especially like and then think about why each one works and what you find appealing about it. What do you have that you can use on a similar table you set? * Yes, white is a good base for many different tables through all seasons. You can start with your white dinner plates and then keep an eye out for salad plates in different colors and patterns to add. Once you have some, for example, red & yellow & blue patterned on white salads, think about solid colors that you might want to keep an eye out for in bowls to go with them. Same with placemats and napkins. * Some great places to pick up all this stuff: Goodwill stores, Marshalls, TJ Maxx, consignment shops, garage sales. I've found some especially great bargains at the end of each season, too. Another place I enjoy searching for bargains is Kohls. * For a specific event or season, shop your house first. You can use holiday decs, books, vases, statues and so many more things. A few larger items work better than small items. They make a big, instant impact and impression. Just steer away from too tall items that you and your guests will not be able to see over. * Candles ALWAYS add atmosphere to a table in the evening. Buy them on sale and keep them close by for inspiration. Large chunky ones, tapers, votives and tea lights all work. Unscented are always best for a dinner table, though. * Don't be afraid to think outside the box. Some of the best tablescapes I've seen, here and elsewhere, use items I NEVER would have thought of . . . but they did and it worked! One example was Old Algebra's summer table where she used a replica of a sandcastle and some other related items for the centerpiece. That was a drop-dead wonderful table! But, there have been many, many other equally good tablescapes here, as well. Take a look. * And finally, don't be afraid to try things out at your own table. I promise, there are no Tablescape Nazis lurking around to arrest you! I know that you'll get many more great suggestions from our true tablescape artists here . . . and I'll be reading and learning right along with you! Lynn