Dinner with Napoleon Bonaparte and Josephine

I did a half tablescape in the store last week and I promised I would do a big one today so here it is. I hope you enjoy it cause I certainly had a lot of fun creating it.

BTW, some of my past holiday tablescapes are featured on
http://www.examiner.com/frugal-event-planning-in-tampa-bay/holiday-tablescaping-tips
Please stop by there if you have a chance.

This time, it is in our formal dining room.

I have been really busy doing oil paintings of Natchez icons to sell at the store in preparation for the October Balloon Festival, so I will link to a lot of parties to minimize my blog entries for this week. I hope you don't mind. The links are at the bottom of the page. I am thanking all our hosts in advance.

My inspiration for this tablescape is this Sevres porcelain centerpiece that we bought from an antique store downtown.

The white crocheted tablecloth came from my favorite linen store in Grand Cayman. I think this is the first time I used it.

This is the view from the foyer. I used my American Vogue dinnerware from the 1920's. I won the complete settings for 12 from Ebay a few years ago. I was told they got it as a wedding present and it just sat in the china cabinet and was just used rarely for very special occasions.

I bought a dozen roses from Walmart for $10, split them into 2 Meissen vases and added cuttings of my plants from the garden.

I like the man and the woman in the Meissen vases. This tablescape is starting to have a romantic feel, don't you think?

We bought this big Sevres centerpiece bowl with bronze ormolu from an antique shop downtown before Labor day, the same night we bought the antique chair that I placed in the guest room. I placed it on a mirrored tray to elevate it even more, even if it is already on its own stand.



The blue goblets are from Neiman Marcus. and the wine crystals are from Ross. I thought they make a good pair since they have similar shapes. The blue napkins are from Ebay. I got 10 of them for about $11 and they are made out of a very nice linen material.

The flatware are from Thailand. Someone had pawned them at my cousin's pawnshop in the Philippines and she gave them to me, a complete settings for 12 with so many extra pieces. You wouldn't believe the extra pieces, so many different sizes of spoons, forks , knives, etc. which I don't know what they are used for. Anyway, I love the set so much that I searched for them on Ebay while still living in Florida and won another settings for 12, so now I can invite 24 people and still have matching flatware, lol.

A view from the other side of the room, where the mirror is.






Looking into the kitchen.



The lidded urns are Sevres. We won the pair at Jimmy Pippen's estate auction downtown a year or 2 ago, my very first auction. My husband still teases that I learn pretty fast cause he had to leave me alone at noon to go to work and I was nervous because I had no prior experience in bidding. He said if I like an item, all I have to do is raise my paddle with the number.

When the auction ended, I called him up and told him I need a truck, lol. He called our electrician/handyman, Mitch and asked him to bring his truck and they came with their vehicles. When Mitch saw what I won, he called his wife to bring her car. I won so much stuff that we had to haul them all in a mini van, a SUV, a truck and a car, filling all of them. I had so much fun! LOL!

I forgot to take a close up picture of the painting on the left side of the corner cabinet. It's another one we bought from the antique shop when we bought the chair and Sevres centerpiece. It has oysters on it and a bronze or brass tub that was done very well, which is what attracted John.
Someday, I will show you.

Here is a closer view of the urn. I love the cherub on the lid and the ornate details, the hand painted flowers and angels.

We won this Napoleon (that's where I got my title, BTW) expresso tea cup set from another auction in Jackson.

That's Napoleon painted on one, his wife Josephine on the other. Does anybody know who the third person is?

The napkin rings are Meissen's also.

I am not sure where I bought this tea set from, maybe Ebay too. It came with 6 cups and saucers but I left them in the china cabinet since I already have cups and saucers on the table.

The frame above is a Limoges plate, won from another auction in Jackson.

Here is the view at daytime. I like the night pictures better because the light from the window makes it difficult to take good pictures.

I am feeling very social so I am attending a lot of parties this week. The first one is Susan for Tablescape Thursday at http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/

Artie for Vignette Friday at http://niagaranovice.blogspot.com/


Debbie's Weekend Garage Salen at http://debbie-debbiedoos.blogspot.com/

Sally's Blue Monday at http://smilingsally.blogspot.com/

Marty's Tabletop Tuesday at http://astrollthrulife.blogspot.com/

Lady Katherine's Teatime Tues at http://ladykatherineteaparlor.blogspot.com/

Martha and Terrie's Teacup Tuesday at http://www.marthasfavorites.com/

WandaLee's Tuesday Tea for 2 at http://theplumedpen.blogspot.com/

WandaLee and Pam at http://silkenpurse.blogspot.com/

Thank you all for stopping by and thanks again to our hostesses for throwing the parties!