My mom, Sandra, and mawmaw, Patsy, are coming to Savannah this year for Mother’s Day and I’m so excited! While they are visiting, Paula wants to host a Mother’s Day luncheon for them. She asked me to help her set the table and this is what I’ve been working on…full of glamour, history and the charm I know all the attendees will love. The extra sparkly extravagance of the vintage brooches I used add a special touch which Paula, my mom and mawmaw all deserve. Happy Mother’s Day to all the Mom’s reading this. To my own very special mom whose baton I first twirled…I love you. 

Here are the ingredients I used:

China: The China I borrowed from the butler’s pantry of my colleague, Libbie Summers. It’s perfect for this table. A very feminine baby blue and pink floral pattern from the 1960’s with a 24k gold rim. She paid $50 for thirty two pieces at an auction in Atlanta. We really all have the “collector’s fever” here! How could she say no? To make each place setting shine, I added a vintage brooch attached to each white linen napkin. These brooches are a Mother’s Day gift to each guest from Paula.

Take Away Tip: I am in love with this place card idea! It is fabulous and so easy to do. I took a piece of card stock and attached a photo of each guest’s mother to the front. The one you see in this photo is Paula’s mom. To keep the card upright, I punched a hole in the top and threaded a rose with a long stem through the hole so it touches the table where a small ball of gum paste kept it in place. Of course, I covered the gum paste with a rose petal so no one could see!

Linens: Believe it or not, the light pink table cloth is a linen drapery panel Paula had in her linen closet. For the life of me I have no idea where or when she ever had it hanging. Who has one drapery panel? Only Paula! Well, I’m glad she did because it fit perfectly on the dining table and added that faint pink color that always enhances a mature woman’s natural good looks. Jamie Cribbs, Paula’s hairstylist, told me he knows a woman here in Savannah who only uses pink lightbulbs in all the lamps in her home…she says it makes her look younger! I need to think about getting a few of those. Think they will make me look skinny too?

Florals/Centerpiece: I did a very simple arrangement using varying shades of sweetheart roses. Champagne colored, “blush” (in honor of Shelby of course) and pink with a hint of lavender. A simple arrangement tucked into Paula’s gorgeous vintage cut cranberry glass vase. I surrounded the foot of the vase and center of the table with pearls. I just love this look. It looks so extravagant, but it was really just pennies. The pearls are long strands I once used on a Victorian Christmas tree I decorated for Paula’s magazine. I purchased them at my local crafts store. I think they look charming here.To add a final layer to the centerpiece, I tucked some of Paula’s vintage brooch collection into the pearls. Simple and stunning.

Flatware/Glassware: The flatware is vintage and Paula’s own…nothing really matches, and I love that about it. The glassware is also Paula’s own. Old etched glass wine glasses juxtaposed with light blue hobnail sherbet glasses. Never be afraid to mix and match glassware and flatware when you set a table.