My Third Tablescape Tuesday...or...Chintz and Toile

Welcome to my third Tablescape Tuesday hosted by our Hostess with the Mostest Susan at Between Naps on the Porch! Be sure to stop by her blog to see a list of everyone who is participating and to see her beautiful tablescape as well!

First allow me to introduce our co-hostess...the lovely Mademoiselle Isabella. She is filling in this week for Baby Kitty, who has flown to New York to consult his legal team concerning contract negotiations.

I am calling this week's tablescape Chintz and Toile. We are going to slip away to my virtual home in a little village in the south of France. So this tablescape has a provençal theme, using my two favorite colors...blue and yellow. I used many of my favorite pieces, so it really fell together much easier than the first two. Are you imagining that we are in France??

I used a pair of blue and white candlesticks in the center of the table and votives at each place for ambiance.

The placemats are a large Chinese toile which I use frequently. You may notice that I am using my mom's flatware Silver Flutes by Towle once again. I love its simplicity! I also chose it because we will be having soup tonight and this will give me a chance to use the soup spoons.

The soup bowls are Chintz by Spode. I really like the way the pattern runs off the edge and has no border. Do you see the little touches of yellow in the flowers?

The plates are Albany by Spode and are intended to coordinate with the Chintz. It makes mixing and matching so much easier!

I used the napkins that match the toile placemats and folded them like little fans, then put them in the goblets to give them a little more presence. The goblets are Dublin from Godinger and the wine glasses are bargains from Goodwill!

I am so excited because I get to use some of my favorites tonight! These are my Quimper salt and pepper shakers that I bought when we visited the factory in Quimper, France.

I actually found these little heart-shaped Quimper plates at TJ Maxx several years ago! I will put one at each end of the table for lemons for the sweet tea. We can't be entirely French!

I also found these Quimper pitchers at TJ Maxx! The trouble with collecting the traditional pattern is that you have to buy two of everything! You can't separate the little Breton couple!!! I will put iced tea in one and water in the other.

I love my Blue Willow soup tureen! I got it half price when a terrible storm hit several antique stores in Lawrenceville, Georgia. They had a sidewalk sale while they were cleaning up and I figure I cleaned up, too!

We are having a French-style supper tonight, which is usually a simple meal. I have a French friend who has soup every night...year round. This is loaded potato soup topped with grated cheese and bacon crumbles...not necessarily French, but I like it!

Of course, you have to have French bread! I am serving it in a provençal bread basket that I found in France. I love it because you can untie the corners and fold it flat to store....and to pack!! There is a different pattern on the inside and it can be reversed.

After the soup, we'll have our salad. That's how it's done in French homes. The salad is French-style also...just lettuce! The dressing, however, is homemade tomato basil, while the French would have a simple vinaigrette. The salad utensils are special favorites of mine. They are made of olive wood and were bought at the Sunday market in l'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, France. I wish I had bought a bowl, too! When I got home and looked at prices here, I decided to wait until I get a chance to go back!

In restaurants, the cheese is a separate course, but in someone's home, it is eaten with the salad. I love the combination! Usually, you have several kinds. I just have mild and sharp cheddar...very American....and my favorite...real French roquefort cheese! I will not tell you how much I paid for that little chunk of cheese!

Well...that's it! Thanks for dropping by and I hope you enjoyed my little French supper! Please be sure to visit Susan at Between Naps on the Porch to see the list of participants. Prepare to be inspired by the variety and creativity you'll find there!

And thanks to our little Miss Isabella for standing in for Baby Kitty this week! Good job! Oh oh! Excuse me...it looks like she's got her eye on my roquefort cheese!