www.danettedillon.com: setting a table

As you know, I could only aspire to be the great Martha Stewart. Literally, as a child I would love days when I could stay home from school only to watch Martha Stewart Living on the television. As a child when most girls were sneaking to buy Seventeen magazine, I was begging money to buy Martha Stewart. My dad says it best, "You were a child who thought she was thirty."

Well, now I am ~~thirty~~ twenty-nine and I would still love to be Martha Stewart. She may seem hard, but she has a passion for perfection and beauty especially during the holidays.

A few weeks ago I wrote a post about decorating the perfect table. (You can read more about that here.) But truth be told, there is way more to setting the perfect table than just the decor in the center. Another key element would obviously be the actual flatware and setting of the dishes.

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In the illustration above you will find helpful tips to setting your table to perfection. One thing that is important is to make the flatware arrangement work the best with your dinner party or family get together. Personally, I love unique flatware and dishes. Not everything has to be "matchy-matchy" but it does need to coordinate. Check out this image from Anthropologie.

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I hope that is illustration is a aid to you and I hope your holiday preparations are coming along quickly.

Here's some exciting things happening the rest of the week.

On Wednesday the Follow Me Blog Hop is HAPPENING! (Doing the happy dance.) I'm one of the co-hosts for the week and I'd love for you to come back and link up. Then, on Friday at 5pm CST, the Blue Jay Boutique will be open for business. Also, All My Love for All My Days is getting a new look. It will all be unveiled then!

Ladies, I'll see you in the trenches. :)

Pointing Up: The Wonderful Heather!: You all are in for a special treat today. I mean it! Heather Lawless from Lawless Life is with us today sharing a little about herself and...

I've always been fascinated with beautiful tables adorned with dinnerware finery and since fall is quickly approaching if is now time to pull out the fallware. (Do you do that? Do you have different tableware for the seasons?)

It's true that not all of the tableware settings below are fall, but all a pretty, at least to my eyes.

I hope these table setting tips are helpful. Your table is your canvas and your plates, knives, and goblets are your paints. Go create.

1. When setting a table, start with a theme.

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I love this setting because of the colors, but I also love the use of the succulents in the table decor. In this picture the peacock feather is obviously the theme. While the peacock feather theme is slightly overused, there are few natural elements with such use of color.

2. Don't forget the simple things. Simpler can be better.

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When it comes to most things in life, I would never say that simpler is better. I mean, seriously, I'm a southern girl with big hair and bling on every item of clothing I own, but there is something to be said for the simplicity of this color combination. Chromatic colors can be better as long as they fit with your theme.

3. When decorating a table, build volume in the middle and really all over the table.

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Create layers. Add depth. Experiment. If we're thinking in the terms of art, the more layers a canvas holds the more dramatic a piece appears. The same true with a table.

4. The beauty is in the details.

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Just forget that saying about the devil being in the details because that's not true. It's the little things that make your guest feel important, needed, and wanted. More than anything your table should invite your guests and you to enjoy the entertainment and the relaxation that comes with the company of friends and family.

Thank you for taking time to read this post. If you'd like to see more tables settings that I love right now, here is a link to my pinterest board. Oh, and don't forget the giveaway. It's a good one.