China, Glassware and Flatware: What I love best about this table was using everything Paula loves. Especially, her vintage glasses. If you have watched Paula’s Best Dishes recently, you might have noticed all the colorful mid century glasses Paula and her guests on the show are drinking from. One of her favorites are the multi-color striped iced tea glasses that are identical to a set her mother once had. It brings Paula great joy to drink from them so, of course, I had to use them. I paired them with her vintage ruby water glases. The china was a clean pallet of white, so I added marbles to the bowls for fun and color! A name card would be easy to tuck in the marbles if you were hosting a large group. For the flatware, I used the casual red handled pieces Paula likes to take on picnics.

Take Away Tip: My take away tip from this table is also my centerpiece! What’s more Paula than three colorful refrigerator dishes from her vintage pyrex collection filled with yellow cymbidium orchids and fresh strawberries. The tip is to use something you love to hold your centerpiece items. Maybe it’s a favorite glass or mixing bowl. The extra tip is to not always think about flowers for a centerpiece. Using the strawberries in the middle refrigerator dish instead of flowers is colorful and cost effective as well. As I always say, your centerpiece today could be your lunch tomorrow!