Happy Chinese New Year!

Chinese New Year, also known as Lunar New Year or Spring Festival, is China's most important festival. It is time for families to be together and a week of an official public holiday.

Chinese New Year 2021 falls on Friday, February 12, 2021, beginning a year of the Ox. China's public holiday will be February 11–17, 2021.

My mom had these wooden napkin rings and I decided to play with them for dinner tonight:

There are a variety of folds for both the man and the woman ring!  

Here are two, a kimono and a wrap:

I have a variety of reference books I refer to quite often when setting the table:

These books are loaded with clever ideas and inspiration!

Do you enjoy table setting and napkin folds?

Christmas Table Settings....

Here are a few table settings I have set this month:

Stars are perfect for the holiday season....

...along with icy blue stemware...

...and a stack of blue and white...

...ceramic and enamels....

...and a little plaid...

...which depicts one of my favorite places to visit, the Farmhouse at MacKenzie-Childs in Aurora, NY!

Stars Over Aurora!

Black, red and white is perfect for the season....

...and a red truck is very nostalgic!

We had a little bit of snow this month....

Mercury glass and gold is very festive...

...the gold on the plates and stemware add some sparkle to the table...

...and candle light reflects off the mercury glass trees...

...and gold angel napkin rings shine bright!

Plaids and checks....

A setting with Patience Brewster mini stockings add some cheer to a simple dinner setting:

Paper goods by the Pioneer Woman are perfect for a quick dinner of goulash and crusty bread on a snowy night:

A stack of three is perfect for a Sunday dinner.... 

...and some Butter Trees for our rolls:

And for those cold nights, when the flakes were dancing in the air, a simple setting to reflect the weather:

However you set the table, enjoy the meal you have prepared!

The best memories are made around the dinner table!

My Easter Table Settings....

My Easter dinner table is set up in the dining room for two, as we continue to shelter in place in Central New York:

I am using 2 of my MacKenzie-Childs dinner dishes (King Ferry and Stoke Gabriel)  and bowls (Rose Cottage and Aurora)....

...and hand painted candlesticks and a cute little chick are decorating the center of the table!

The floppy-eared bunny napkins hold a hand painted wooden egg:

The dinner plates.... 

are placed on chargers that were purchased many years ago from the Christmas Tree shops"

The flatware is from Pottery Barn

The side plates are little pates purchased from Marshalls a few years ago:

I painted the wine glasses last year and are used often!!

We will have a traditional ham dinner, but it will certainly be a quiet day without family with us!

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I also set the table for breakfast:

I placed my cute bunny dishes..

...on top of majolica dishes.  These dishes coordinate well with my MacKenzie-Childs dishes, however I have never been able to figure out the artist who painted this set of dishes:

Breakfast will be simply eggs and muffins!

I hope you have a safe and healthy Easter holiday, a beautiful spring and hope for a better world when this is all over!

Napkins, Napkins and Napkins.....

I enjoy setting a pretty table and especially using fabric napkins.  My mother always set a pretty table and I often was in charge of the "place cards" when I was little.  This tradition was carried into my own family and now I enjoy seeing how my daughter set the table for special dinners.

Napkin folding has always been a fun way for me to dress up a table.  My Mom gave me this book in the early 90's.....

...and I keep this is tucked inside:

I store my napkins in fabric boxes I purchased at the Christmas Tree Shop.  I keep them in the guest linen closet:

There are so many napkin folding videos online and clever ideas found on Pinterest.

Here are a few of my ideas to inspire you:

This bunny fold is very popular and easy to create - fold your napkin into a triangle and roll it from the fold to the point.  Tuck and egg inside and tie tight with a ribbon or twine.

You can use a hard boiled egg and write a name on it as a 'place card'.

This is another bunny fold, a bit more detailed:

A hard boiled egg can also be ticked in for a face:

A simple knotted napkin holds flatware, great idea for a buffet:

A Rose Fold is perfect for a spring table setting:

Another idea for spring is to create a bird's nest out of your napkin:

A Fleur de Lis is a common fold and works well with a paper napkin, too:

This is a cute Rose Fold:

This is another cute fold to hold Easter eggs, or candy treats:

This is perfect for a beach or pool party - fold your napkin into a boat.  

Here are 4 ways to fold like a boat.

Sometimes just simply tucking it into a glass, bowl or cup can add some fun to your table:

 Here are a few Napkin folding videos to inspire you;

 Many of these folds can be created with paper napkins, too.

Here are some cute ways to use NAPKIN RINGS:

Use a simple tassel, or a felt flower to wrap around a rolled napkin:

These are ceramic rings from Pottery Barn:

Think outside the box - this is a hair tie:

This ribbon is attached to the placemat and it ties around the napkin, silverware can be tucked inside and all rolled up - perfect for dining al fresco:

These are simple to make:

A napkin rolled into a bow is perfect for any occasion:

Large leaves or florals can wrap around a napkin to make it festive....

...any item that has a wired stem works well:

POCKETS:

These are perfect for buffets and dining al fresco:

 I found these at the dollar store, the 3 little slits hold plastic silverware and are perfect for picnics:

This napkin fold creates pockets:

These pockets are created from wired burlap ribbon:

So, why use cloth napkins?

They hold up better and are not wasteful, and they are more environmentally friendly. They are decorative and add flair to a table setting. A family of 4, using 2 paper napkins a day can cost over $100 a year.   Fabric napkins are inexpensive and you will have them forever.

Teaching your child the art of napkin folding might make table setting a fun chore for them!

Do you use fabric napkins?