Hi Mo,
I'm so glad you joined us. I fell in love with this place the moment I found it. I've learned so much here.
I love the way you raised the 2 square candles up off of the surface of the platter. And the very tall candleholder is very unusual. I've never seen one like that. It really brings the eye up.
I'm still sort of new here (since last year) and I'm sure some of the others with more experience can give better suggestions.
But, you're off to a great start.
Betty

Lookin' cute Mo! I love the little square candles and like Betty, I think that tall candleholder is just pretty neat!! Your placemats are great as well!
Welcome!

I think it looks fine as is, really. Sometimes more is good, but sometimes less is better. In my opinion, you've done very well - I love those tiny little gourds... :-)

Welcome Mo! Just the fact that you felt good about rounding up things around your home and using a platter for another purpose shows that you are using your "hidden-until-now" talents (and you will enjoy this forum!) Your centerpiece works well with your placemants - just add some dishes and when you feel "brave" enough, you could try putting a few leaves or fall garland around on the platter just to fill a few spaces. (just a suggestion since you asked)

DD

Hi Mo, welcome to the forum. Glad you decided to hop in here and join us. It really is fun to try to make things look pretty for a meal or even just as a way of decorating the table.

Judith told us that we should use a color theme on various items on our tables and you have done that very well. Did you make your placemats? They work really well with all the items in your centerpiece. Love your big cloth pumpkin too.

Luvs

Welcome, Mo. I think a lot of us here are still in the learning phase. Or at least trying all sorts of new things, thanks to all the inspiration on this place. Its really fun to find ways to use things we have, but never thought about. Like your white platter!

hugs, Karen

Thanks guy! Oh, I dont know about "hidden talents"; I think its more like shameless copying! Thanks for the suggestion DD; I really do want to learn to use garlands so they look good.

Luvs - Yes, I made the placemats. You are seeing the fall side - the other side is for summer. :)

Now, I just need to go and buy some new dishes! Yay!! I cannot show you guys any pics of my dishes now - they are from my student days and are over 7 years old! LOL.

Mo

Don't feel bad Mo, my everyday dishes are many many years older than yours! LOL

I've thought about making some placemats and napkins,so many pretty materials to use. Your's look really nice and great that you made them reversible. Instead of making any myself, I just keep checking out all the sales and the TS for them. ;o)

Luvs

Hi Mo, I'm kinda new to the forum, too. I've lurked on occassion...around Holiday time to get ideas from all of the talented decorators here :) I love your placemats!

I don't feel confident in building vignettes, either. Dining Delight makes a good point about filling in the spaces. I used a fabric remnant for my little pumpkins. I think if you got a whole bunch of those cute little gourds (maybe some nuts in the shell?) and filled in around your candles, it would look very festive :)

Take my advice with a grain of salt because, like I said, I'm not that great at this kind of thing. Here's my fall centerpiece for my kitchen table...very plain!
{{gwi:1435523}}

I think you did a great job and love the placemats. My suggestion would be to put some fall leaves on the plate. What I do is buy the bushes and cut them apart and place leaves around things.

hi mo..welcome...I think we all 'lurked' for awhile before we jumped in.. I like how you put your centerpiece together using the platter. Because I like using color, as the others said, maybe adding a few leaves here and there to the white platter might look nice too..otherwise I love how you put it all together. I also like your placemats and the fact that they are two sided..very clever!!

alex..welcome to you too...there are some looks, where 'less is more' your centerpiece..is done with a simple elegance... and, adding the fabric in between, gave it a nice 'dash' of color.

jane

Welcome Alex! I do not have any but am starting to LOVE white/cream pumpkins and your centerpiece makes me want some even more. You did that up really nicely, I'm not sure I would have thought to put a piece of fabric on a platter - terrific idea. That is the great thing about this forum, we learn from everyone!

DD

Alex,
Like Jane said, your centerpiece looks very elegant. I like it a lot. I am looking for white gourds (faux ones) for my living room which cannot handle fall colors very well.

And I really should go and buy some leaves/garland things. Or just pick some from the burning bush thing in my work parking lot. LOL.. I love the color of the plant this time of the year.

Mo

LOL, Mo, I'm always thinking like you when I see pretty bushes! Love the ones with the bright berries, and always wish I had the nerve to pull over (or knock on someone's door) to get a few. I'm still regretting that I didn't collect some of the cattails and acorns I saw in the Midwest on our trip there this month. I figured the Agriculture guys at the Ariz/Calif border would ask if I had any organic things on board and make me throw them away! LOL

Luvs

Thanks everyone, you are so nice!

Mo, if your work won't yell at you for poaching their shrubbery, I'd definitely cut some branches! Burning Bush is so vibrant.

In case you're in the market for these, I got the pumpkins from Hobby Lobby the other day. They are the plain white ceramic craft type that you are supposed to paint. I just filled in the indentions on the stems and highlighted a little bit of the grooves with watered down brown paint. To keep the white from getting damaged too much, I sprayed them with clear satin poly. MUCH less expensive than the fancy white ceramic pumpkins that were already done. The larger one was $4, and I bet the craft stuff will go on sale soon making them even more affordable.

Alex,
Thats a great idea. I knew there was a reason I have never been to Hobby Lobby - there isn't one in the entire state! LOL.

Mo

Bummer!