MM: thanks! You have a Solare dish set, too? You'll have to show me your set someday. These were the first set of square dishes I've bought. They're nice, but I can see that this shape is a lot easier to chip. I like round plates better overall, I think. OA: good idea about moving the floating flower bowl to the the middle of the table. I'll do that this evening for DD. She'll love it! As for the napkins rings, thanks! I was frustrated with the limited supply of different ones available and for the price they were charging for them. I just figured that there had to be a cheaper more creative way to get what I wanted. Lucky, thank you. Indian food is good, but I couldn't eat it often; it's too spicy for me. Karen: "India" sounds like a great name for my deer . . . thanks! I like thinking out of the box when it comes to decorating . . . and I LOVE saving money wherever I can! Now that I've made the leap to creating my own napkin rings, the possibilities are exciting to think about. Punk, Using the lily bowl for another, totally different tablescape is a great idea . . . thanks! Emily will love it, I know! As for my Solare dishes, I'm always amazed at how well they work with different tablescapes. Luvs: Thank you :~) This forum has helped me so much when it comes to creating tablescapes. I used to be petrified to do them until I came here. All of you have inspired me more than you can imagine! Party: you're kidding . . . he loves this kind of food? He must have a cast-iron stomach, as Indian food is sure spicy! Wanda, thanks! It was fun creating this table. Lynn

Thanks everybody. Karen, how about "inspinablers?" Jane, I miss the students, but not the rest. At my first HS, I had my own room to decorate, but at my last school, I did not have my own classroom, but traveled from room to room, so not much decorating went on there. I found the little desk at a TS when I was still teaching. I actually have a real one like that without the seat, that I use in my FR as an end table. It was also a TS find. Janet, I still have apple decor in my kitchen, so the wooden apple in the ivy came from there. Magpie, I guess I just lucked out, because after I saw OA's table, I thought that would be a great idea for those dishes that I had just bought last week. Then, when I was in one of my TS on Sat. I found the little schoolhouse and the apple on the stack of books which is also a music box. Both were 1/2 off, and I love music boxes, so of course, they came home with me! Then I had to figure out how to use them on the table. I "borrowed" OA's idea of using pencils and added the rest. There is actually a small globe on the other side of the desk. Just a small part of it is peeking out in the photo. Punk, I usually use those apple napkin rings as decor standing in a row along the top of my wall ovens, but I had to borrow them for the table. LOL. PS, I really enjoyed seeing your photo. Thanks again ladies. TTFN, Candy

You did not specify the size of the shirts. If they are small enough, the class could do a Flat Stanley tree using their own photos. They make a paper doll wearing a tee and with their photo for the head. If you are not familiar with Flat Stanley it is usually a class project based on the book about Flat Stanley. The students make a flat paper doll with their own face and then send it to friends and relatives who take pictures of the dolls' adventures and then return it to the student. Since Flat Stanley goes on adventures, the students could bring in Hot Wheel cars, small planes, and trains to decorate the tree. Travel pictures, postcards, travel brochures, even photos cut out of magazines could be put on note cards and glitter the edges or fancy trim around the edge to make decorations. You can google Flat Stanley for more information. Then since they are 3rd graders, I'd add paper chains, glittered stars, colored lights, and twist glitter pipe cleaners into curlicues for interest. Finally if you have access to an old cardboard globe, I'd cut a hole in the bottom and use it for the tree topper and the theme would be "Around the World Adventures of Mr/s _________ Flat 3rd Grade Class." If the t-shirts are too large for that idea, and can be cut up, cut the body of the shirts into 1" or 2" wide strips. These can be stretched out and they will curl into long skinny tubes. Then you can tie the tubes together to make garlands, bend the coat hangers into circles and tie cut tube pieces onto them to make wreaths that can be hung on the tree. You could also cut up plastic grocery/store bags into strips to add to the tee strips (there are lots of how to's using plastic bags to make wreaths on the net) Then make tassels out of more strips. The coat hangers could also be stretched out and make a candy cane shape using the hook top for the candy cane hook and then wrap strips of two different colors of tee around them to make candy canes. Make Snowman Hats by painting small mushroom cans or tomato paste cans black, glue open end onto larger black cardboard circles, run a strip of tee or ribbon or even construction paper around the hat at the brim, cut small holly leaves and berries out of construction paper to complete your Snowman Hats. Make paper cones out of old magazine pages and fill with small pinecones, acorns, or any other found items in nature. The theme for this tree: "A Recycled Ragge-Tee Tree." Sounds like a fun project whatever you do. Please post pictures of the final project. Candy

LOL,lynnenc & feeling your excitement...yup, I got hooked last yr at this time! Always have loved dishes & pottery ...now I've been adding more to my collections all yr long...esp TS finds! Lately I've been introduced to Fritz & Floyd on here...didn't know that name...lots of pretty dishes! Anyway, for mos I've been looking for white plates (to use in t'scapes) esp as an "under plate"..(I've shopped GW, TS's & GS's...found nothing I thought suitable for a large plate. Been wanting to add to my Pfaltzgraff Winterfrost (winter dishes)which are discont. & way too expensive online now. So recently bought 4 large white F&F dinnerplates at Bed, Bath & Beyond for $4.99 ea ... (plus you can usually find a 20% coupon in mags)...so I got 5 (plates only) to go with my 5 settings of Winterfrost. What's nice about it is that if I want to add more pcs., I can ****is that a good thing? LOL! (Anyway, just wanted to let you know that in case you can't find the white ones you want!) Here's a pic of my first attempt (in Jan.) at wanting to do a t'scape..a luncheon one...very minimal...I had rec'd this cute cup over Christmas (now I have more I found on e-bay!) & the plates were 99 ct Pier I bargains...& the hen & eggs a TJMaxx for $5 (if I remember right)...so, just want you know that you did a great job on your t'scape...& yes, "Enablers R Us" found you, too, BIG TIME! LOL! Jeanne S.