You all know how much I love my white dishes...but did you also know I love mismatched thrift store china??! Especially in the Spring! I had a very last minute get together with some friends yesterday...when it was decided that my home would serve as the place to gather, I had one hour to pull something together...I decided I would take out a bunch of my garage sale/thrift store/flea market/anthropologie dishes and let the "prettiness" of them be the decoration.
Here's what I did to make a last minute cake and coffee get together a little extra special:
I used a store bought cake and added one of my little French flashcards {gateau means cake} and some pressed flowers I had made last summer to spruce it up a bit
I gathered a few small vases of inexpensive flowers
I tied vintage seam binding I had stamped around plain white napkins
I placed everything in the middle of the table for more impact
And that's it!
A very heartfelt THANK YOU to everyone for the loving, caring comments you left for me regarding my grandma's passing...they truly made a very sad time a little bit easier...
Blessings to you my friends!
Tracey
95 comments:
O, Tracey, I LOVE beautiful mismatched dishes, too. I'll bet your table looked 10 times more charming than if you had used all matching. I search out every thrift store I come across for beautiful, old plates, bowls and cups...oh, and silver or pretty stainless flatware.
xo bj
What a beautiful table!
How pretty! I love mismatched plates! Your store bought cake turned out pretty too! I bet you had fun visiting with your friends!
Jody
Very pretty! I love mismatched table settings. My mother and I recently served at a ladies tea using mismatched vintage cups and saucers. The ladies loved it!
Tracey,
You melt my heart with all your loveliness. What a wonderful table setting.
Devine!
hugs
Sissie
Such beauty! I love mismatched dishes and to find them at the thrift store, even more beautiful!
O Tracey what a lovely table setting !! that flowers !! lovely done !!
And yummie yummie what a nice cake you made !!
Eh .i 'am going to drink my cappucino now..............with a coockie.........sadly me.............hahaahhahahha!!
But the sun is shining it is beautiful weather her i enjoy !!
Have a nice day hugs and enjoy Ria
girl~ you kill me! you are amazing! I'm calling all major mags RIGHT NOW! you are a table styling, vignette making, paint selecting, photo taking fashionista!! :-)
Love it!
Shellagh
Love it all and you have special friends to have you for a friend! Jennifer
Hi Traci
The mismatched china is lovely.. that's one of the benefits of having predominately white.. you can always throw something else in the mix.. love your cake decorating.. xx Julie
Oh Tracey... you are so gifted at making someone feel special... My gosh I would love to attend one of your little special gatherings... I have always had a very special place in my heart for my grandmother and she left her stamp on me as she taught me many things... May good memories make this easier on all and remember you are blessed to have been close... Many are never blessed with that feeling... Best wishes...
sorry.. Tracey!!!
They're so pretty, oh so pretty dear Tracey! Great collection.
-marie
Tracey- this is just SO lovely, your guests must have felt very special! I have to say also, you really are a wonderful photographer- inspires me!
I love this look!
It sweet and charming and makes you feel right at home!
There is also something very romantic about mismatched dishes!
Have a beautiful afternoon! The sun is shining and you've got to love that!
Blessings dear friend...donna
You take the most beautiful photos. So impressive girl!
I love mismatched dishes and silverware! I think your personality comes through when you take the bits and pieces and make something out of them. I don't think my daughter would know what to do it she saw everything matching :)
What a lovely virtual home I've found here! And this post is so similar to one I just did the other day... yes, we're kindred spirits and I too love the charm of an orphaned mismatched teacup and china.... yours are lovely. Come smell the roses at the house in the roses... ;)
Happy days
Cielo
I forgot to mentioned I'm adding you to our blog list... I will be back soon.
Cielo
Uppp!... and here is a link to my "main" blog! ;)
http://www.houseinroses.blogspot.com
Cielo
Beautiful - what simple but stunning ideas to make an impact. So sorry to hear about your grandmother - I'm very sorry.
Ooh you motivated me to get out some spring dishes...wish i had some cake, too. Have a great day!
That is so pretty!! I love the whole idea.
tracey~
girl...oh my goodness!! absolutely fantastic as always, sigh...i can never find anything that scrumptous at our thrift store...oh and don't even get me started on the cake..somehow i don't think power rangers would have the same effect!! ;0)
blessings,
kristin
Tracey, I love those mismatched dishes. I collect dishes and cups and saucers also. For family gatherings, I love the eclectic look of mismatched dishes!
Tracey, you've been in my thoughts amor...I hope your beautiful gathering bought a few smiles to your beautiful face :) Everything you arranged for your get together is beautiful! Besos,Rose
Your friends are so lucky to be invited,you offered them a dream meal in a pretty decoration!
val
i love the blue and white cups. what a fun party!
Just stunning, completely my sort of thing. congratulations
Jenny x
Love the china Tracey! And gorgeous pics too!
So pretty! I love vintage and mismatched china too....however I am also partial to white dishes. It is fun to change it up! Sounds like a LOVELY gathering...and what a great idea for the cake! HUGS to you....Grandmothers are precious an I know you will miss her dearly.
talent and oh so lovely....
Wow...that was last minute...it looks amazing!
Lovely photos! I love your style and all your styling at home. Great!!
I love your blog! It's very popular here in Norway to mismatch items as you have done here. It's so charming and quaint!
Have a wonderful evening.
The pictures you post are so beautiful.
Susanne
SO pretty, Tracey!
Great idea for the cake! I've ben using mismatched china salad plated for years for parties. That way they are pretty,reusable and I don't care of they get broken. Tracey, I could have eaten that entire cake by myself.
Always have loved mismatched dishes, glasses and silverware! You can get so creative with it. Love what you did to spruce up your cake! Your styling is always in such good taste, Tracey!
Often it's the "throw together" that's the most beautiful...
annie
Hi Tracey,
Beautiful post. I am truly impressed with how beautiful your gathering was and you only had a short time to pull it together. So sorry to hear of your Grandmothers passing. I hope you find comfort in knowing that others are holding you near in their hearts.
Jeanette
Love it! I have always been fond of mismatched pieces. My grandmother always had random mismatched pieces in her china hutch. When I asked her about it she said that when a family member or a friend died sometimes they would pass on a setting or tea cup in remembrance. Now that my grandmother has passed we have all of her mismatched treasured memories.
you are amazing
i love the look of all mismatchy plates especially vintage pieces
the little card looks so precious on top of the cake
i wanna be your neighbor
Oh, I adore mismatched vintage china..! It definitely adds life and cheer to any occasion - be it fancy or just an informal get-together... And I love your attention to detail, Tracey - you think of everything and make everything just delightful... What a wonderful gift you have..!
I am sorry to hear about your grandmother... I hope the sadness will little by little be replaced by wonderful memories and stories that you'll be able pass on to your children...
Know that I'll be thinking of you, dear.
love,
-maria
even when you are last minute you are amazing! it looks beautiful and your pictures are so lovely! have a nice weekend :) susan
Last minute? I don't think my table looks that good when I try!
I like the mis matched plate look too.
So many times I wander over to visit you and you just steal my heart. LOL I love LOVE your mis-matched dishes!!! I collect up any/all homer laughlin (like your robbin's egg blue rimmed one)and you make me want to go home and have a tea party... for anyone and everyone - just to use my dishes! LOL Last minute? Oh my goodness... it's all soooo beautiful!!!
;-) robelyn
Beautiful Tracey. I really think there is nothing lovelier than china pieces. It makes me happy just to look at it!
Kate
What I would not get to live inside your head for a day so I could steal some of your amazing ideas!!! You are awe-inspiring!!!! That cake looked beautiful!!! You rock!
So pretty and springy Tracey! Love it all. I love to use mismatched dishes also, but don't entertain as often as I should. I need to work on that this year.
Hugs~
Oh my -- so beautiful!! You are truly talented!
Janet
Oh Tracey...I'm very sorry for your grandmother! When I lost mine it was very very sad! You know in Italy grandparents are a very important "institution"!
You can make miracles my friend! Whatever you make is so special! Your dishes are very beautiful and your table very springy!
A nice week end to you!
Vale
So very pretty...and you did it all in an hour:) Wow!
I am so sorry my invite was lost! No worries though
because I was just probably sitting watching
Oprah, and eating my ice cream.
Oh Tracey,
you did it all in ONE hour... amazing. The perfect hostess!
I love mismatched china, too - find it so charming and inviting and your dishes are especially so.
I'm sure your friends must have been ecstatic with all thos pretties and the yummy cake.
rita
Beauty at its very best. In thrifted, mismatched dishes. Can dishes ever really be mismatched? I don't think so. Their beauty shines through, no matter the hue or the pattern.
Brenda
You made a beautiful last minute china combination, Tracey! Love all the white colors. Have a sunny weekend! We've had a lot of sun today, finally... :o)
Wow, that is gorgeous! What a great quick way to host a fast party! Especially in just ONE hour!!! Beautiful dishes!
Doni
You are an inspiration! I have many lovely mismatched pieces and I am determined to organize them so that I, too, might be ready for a gathering of friends at a moment's notice! You're amazing!
Blessings!
I know you had a great time! What a beautiful spread...and mismatch dishes are my favorite!!
That would have made any guest happy!
Hi Tracey,
Your table looks very beautiful and I am sure you had a wonderful time with your friends.
Everything looks perfect and you are such an inspiration and thanks for sharing.
Blessings and have a happy weekend
Hugs
Carolyn
So very pretty and you have such an easy style to make it seem effortless. It doesn't get much better than sharing a lovely cake and cup of coffee around a beautiful table with good friends! I just love impromptu get togethers! ~Lili
one day when I have an old kitchen ... remodeled... I am going to have a ledge with old mismatched tea cups and saucers!! ;) Love the cake ~ so pretty!! and beautiful table decor of old china!! ;)
Tracey
I love your mismatched collection. So pretty. You have a magic touch that is for sure. I really love the green flower design on the last cup. Your pictures are amazing. Thanks for the inspiration.
Take Care,
Maria
Isnt it amazing what a little mismatched pretty china can do? I had a huge amount but have sold a lot of it and now just have my favourites. They are like old friends when you pull them out for visitors cake!
alicia
Brilliant idea about the flash card on the cake! I agree, there's nothing like beautiful, mismatched, flea market china!
Have a fabulous Friday!
Anne
You are so lovely, Tracey. The seam binding is just dreamy! What a beautiful setting.
: )
Julie M.
ps I have that lidded sugar dish too!
oh dear. what a beautiful spread. ok, your definition of last minute and mine, must be different. i could have never thrown that together. i need help. loving the texture on a couple of those photos. now i want cake!! and i did buy a few mismatched little plates last week at a cute shop in morris. i need to take you there some day. very cute. i rambled. sorry. see you in the morning.
Dear Tracey,
What a wonderful table and at the last minute as well.
It looks amazing but,I wouldn't expect anything less from you, you do everything so beautifully !!
I'm sure a good time was had by all and, I bet you had lots of wonderful comments on it. XXXX
your little parties are perfection....
i'm so sorry about your grandma~ i've been away and hadn't heard.
may GOD wrap you in his comforting arms.
chasity
It's lovely.:-) Hug Stina
Oh sweet friend...I am so so sorry about your lovely grandma...sending you extra love and hugs today.
Prayers and Blessings to you and your family. xoox
{sorry I must have missed that post}
Hi Tracey
How about this sunshine! Love the mismatched dishes... I have a few myself displayed on my porch.
Hope you had fun coffee clutching!
Blessings
Oh you 've made me want to dash out to the store for a store bought cake to celebrate it being Friday!! You create everything with such beauty! Truly the best way to live a wonderful life,
xo,
LuLu
GORGEOUS photos :) As always! I have been on the hunt for mismatched dishes, too. Now you just made my hunt stronger!!! :)
Lovely table and great ideas.
Mismatched is my favorite word (with dishes or china) I think it makes the table setting more interseting.
Have a great day!
Melinda
You are amazing to have whipped that up in an hour! I love your mismatched china and the little flash card is a sweet addition. What a gorgeous table to share with your friends.
Ness xx
What a pretty post....just love it!! Can hardly wait till the next mag. comes out!! Have a great weekend! x0x0
Tracey each little detail is so pretty. i am going to pull out my sweet pansy dishes that I have not used forever.
I love the texture you used on the last photograph- it looks great.
Yummy. Getting "new" plates is next on my list of things to do.
Love the French flash cards and chocolate embellishments,
It's all beautiful Tracey!
I just ran across your blog and just wanted to let you know I have NEVER seen such a wonderfully sophisticated, artsy, informative, fun, creative blog in my life! Visual poetry - very post! Thank you for sharing your life and vision - I can't wait to see more!
beautiful! wish i could of been there! xo
Mismatched is the best. When my dauughter was little and I was divorced, she complained- none of our silverware matches, this is awful. ( I admit money was pretty tight) I explained that I liked some with red handles, some yellow and some just silverware. Made it different than everyone elses. Now, she gets it. But it took her awhile to understand that. I think some people still don't get it. Which is fine. But I am glad you do...and that you shared it so beautifully :)
gorgeous. mismatched dishes are my favorite. it's amazing how a lovely collection can just come together from all different places. this looks like a fabulous little table you put together.
Such a lovely layout for your friends. How nice to have someone so thoughtful like you to do that for them. I am so sorry to hear about your grandma. It is hard to let someone go.
Very pretty! Loving the little details like the flowers on the cake plate and the stamped ties.
Tracey one picture is prettier than the next. They all give me pause and make me want to stop and relax and take a deep breath. Always a lovely visit here, Thankyou Kathysue
Tracey,
I love LoVe the sweet colors & flowers on those dishes, I actually have a couple of those patterns myself. Your tables always make me wish I was sitting on the other side, talking about decorating, art, cooking...you know. Lovely. Lisa
PS I'm all over that white book.
How fun, I would love to host or attend a get together like yours! This is my first time to your blog and what do I see? One of your plates, exactly like the stack of plates I bought just today, from one of our local thrift stores. The kinda squarish light blue boarded, Homer Loughlin ones. My old numbered set also came with some saucers and diner plates but the salad plates where the only ones with that extra pretty shape.
Tracey -
I've haven't been checking post for a while...so very sorry to hear about your Grandmother...my heart is with you.
I've missed visiting you...you are always a ray of sunshine for me...and so many others I am sure.
I hope this finds you well...LOVE all of your photos!
Smiles - Denise
Mismatched china makes all the patterns showcase their own beauty, I use that in my own home as well. Lovely post!
Could not leave comment on newest post. Don't know why. But, I am over the moon happy that you are selling the beautiful book as well as the magazine. I just ordered both. I have wanted and looked for anyone selling it! Thank you! A few last splurges before retirement. Sadly then, I won't be able to buy the magazine, but will have my other copies to enjoy and the book!
Hugs,
Lynn
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