Happy Valentine's Day everyone.

Here is my table. So many shades of red and berrry: Cranberry, raspberry, puce, aubergine, strawberry and ruby. In this tablescape for Valentine's Day, I pulled out of the cupboards a lot of red-ish plates and stemware.

I think I got the heart at Hobby Lobby as a Christmas ornament several years ago.
But first, here is my favorite definition of love:

When I Googled, it said the author was Simone Wood and the full quote is: "Love is an unconditional commitment to an imperfect person. To love somebody isn't just a strong feeling. It's a decision, a judgement, and a promise." With love being so hard to define, I like this one.

I decided not to make fresh flower arrangements and just use items I had in the house like the white Orchids and seashell sculpture for the centerpiece.

Antique Swedish Rococo cabinet from 1780. Swede Collection oval-back chairs.


I used this white quilted boutis tablecloth because I like how the scallops touch the floor.

Here are the resources I used:

Haviland charger in Laque de Chine Aubergine gold. These are new not antique.

The appetizer plate for soft foods that don't scratch the painting on the plate. This porcelain cherub plate could be made by Nyon of Switzerland [1780-1860] from the fish symbol that is on the backside with no manufacturer's name. I call these my Florence Vanderbilt plates - set of 12.
The dealer I purchased them from told me they belonged to a granddaughter of Florence Adele Vanderbilt Twombly [died 1952], who was one of nine children of William H. Vanderbilt. Apparently there was a large set of this china but by the time I found it only the dinner plates were left. According to the dealer, much of the set went to a man who collects Vanderbilt memorbilia. I did not buy them because of the V connection because I thought that was just sales talk, but checking into it further [I Googled and looked on Ancestry.com], I did find the last name of the seller [Burden of Connecticut] and it matched the family name on her family tree. That doesn't really mean the granddaughter got them from Florence. They could have come from another source or even the other side of her family. This is when I really wish antiques could talk and tell the story of their lives. A lot of times there is more fiction than facts to inflate an object's value. I know that I could never sell anything that I inherited from my Grandmother or GreatGM even if I was starving.

This is Florence Vanderbilt painted in 1896 by John Singer Sargent. Do I really own her plates? Will never know.

Salad plate is signed RB Boston. This color when it was popular was called puce. Lovely plates with the swirls, gold flourishes and hand painted flowers.

Rim soup plate by Royal Worcester marked on the back 1885. Wonderful size at 10" across.

Hubby made his fish chowder of shrimp, clams, mahi-mahi and vegetables.

The dinner plates I think are vintage not antique.

Made by Royal York of Germany. This color is more ruby or cranberry. Flatware is Ricci of Italy in the Raffaello pattern. It is gold plated stainless steel. I love the fish-scale design.

These dessert plates are among my favorite china. Made by Spode Copeland and hand painted and signed by R. Wood. I call this color ruby.

I am using three pieces of stemware.

In front, William Yeoward's "Pearl", on left a Pottery Barn goblet with ruby stem, pattern name unknown, and on right, Varga's raspberry "Imperial".

Napkin ring by Kim Seybert and Le Jacquard Francais napkin in Graphic Black Current.
Thanks for visiting to see my tablescape.
This week I will be linking to:
Tablescape Thursday: http://betweennapsontheporch.net/
Colleen
Photos: Swede