RE-ceiving Guests: Red Toile & a Monogram Rose Arrangement

Reba's Red Toile Tablescape

Do you love toile?  My sister and co-blogger, Reba, and I definitely do.  When Reba recently hosted a bridal luncheon, she chose a romantic red and white toile setting for the tables.  As I discuss below, this setting would also work well for St. Valentine's Day or with some modifications, it could work for Christmas.  For the bridal shower table, Reba found the red toile tablecloths at Tuesday Morning. She has been collecting the complementary Spode red transferware china for awhile.  The red goblets were picked up years ago at  a Pier 1 after-Christmas sale.  She bought all the ones locally and asked me to buy the ones here in my area.  She used her wedding silver, Towle Old Master, and silver napkin rings.  The centerpieces were crystal vases filled with red and white roses.  The white roses formed the letter "S" in the middle of the red roses to represent the honoree's first initial.   For dessert, Reba ordered cakes from a local baker that were frosted white with the honoree's monogram in red and placed these in the middle of the salad plate at each setting.  Above each setting, a similar heart-shaped monogrammed cookie was placed as each guest's favor. To extend the romantic theme, Reba placed crystal bird figurines that she had around the house as "love birds" beside the rose centerpiece. 

The monogram floral arrangement

Using an edible treat as table decor combines beauty and function

Reba said she got the inspiration for the individual table setting cakes from a picture in "A Passion for Parties" by Carolyne Roehm.  I love the cover art.  I may need to pick up a copy. 

http://www.amazon.com/Passion-Parties-Carolyne-Roehm/dp/0767925238/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1320211933&sr=8-1

The red toile setting reminded me of a March 2002 cover of "Romantic Homes" magazine I saved.  Red and white toile is perfect for a St. Valentine's Day celebration. Simply use the white roses to form a heart shape inside the red roses instead of the "S" above or you could use a mostly edible centerpiece like Romantic Homes did.  They placed sorbet-filled glass cups on a tiered cake plate with roses so part of the meal was used for the tablescape -a creative way to spread your celebration budget in these tight economic times.


A table setting pleasing to all the senses.

The red and white toile also lends itself to a warm and elegant Christmas table setting.  Replace the cake with one of those inexpensive mini red velvet stockings sold around Christmas time, maybe embellish the white trim with a pretty ribbon and fill with candy canes and holly or simply tie a red ribbon on a candy cane and place at every table setting.  Candy canes could be an inexpensive and  readily available material to decorate with this color scheme. 

Source: Southern Living Magazine

Written by Eldarose

P.S. If you would like to see more of our tablescapes, we did a end of the year Tablescape Round up HERE


Linking this post to Table Top Tuesday at A Stroll thru life.  See more tables  HERE





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See more Tablescapes HERE