Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Al Fresco on a Budget

Before I get into my tablescape for Susan's super fantastic Tablescape Thursday, I want all of you to know that I REALLY want to do more than just tablescapes. Don't get me wrong, I love tablescaping, but my main goal for this blog is to showcase my decorating projects around our house (why I named the blog House Affairs). The problem is that our house is for sale (if any of you want to move to Marietta, GA, I'll make you a deal!) and I'm not changing anything right now. I hope (pray, fingers crossed, the whole nine yards) that we will move this summer, at which time I can get into decorating/remodeling a new home. But in the meantime, I'm having a lot of fun with my tablescapes. It helps keep my mind off of our house situation and the best part is we get to take it all with us when we move!

Since we are planning a move this summer, I am on a strict budget. When I told dear hubs that I was shopping for a new tablescape, he groaned. "I promise," I said. "I will keep it under $20." That's pretty reasonable, right? I did better than $20 but I'll wait to tell you the total.

Please join me on the deck for lunch.

The moment I saw these gorgeous tangerine roses, I knew I had to plan a table around them. Must Have Roses. Must Do Orange and Turquoise Table. I was on a mission. Keep in mind, I only had $20 to work with. The roses were spray roses, so they had multiple blooms per stem. I picked up a bunch of them that had just been marked down to $3.99 at Kroger. Score!

I knew I wanted to do a table on the deck, so I had to work around the umbrella. I found circular floral foam at Dollar Tree. I cut it in half and soaked it in water (although I'm not so sure this foam is really meant for fresh flowers). Then I cut the blooms down leaving about an inch of stem and poked them in the foam until it was covered on top and around the sides. I put a paper plate under the foam so it wouldn't soak the "tablecloth." I think this ring would also be beautiful around a glass hurricane. Or it could go under a cake stand to make a unique "riser" for a cake.

Um...yeah...the tablecloth. Also known as a white sheet. I found it in a box in the garage. We used to have it hanging as a partition in our (previously) unfinished basement. I cut a slit up one side so it would fit around the umbrella. Then I took some orange fabric I found at Goodwill for $3 and made strips to hide the split. I didn't have time to hem the strips so I just ironed under the unfinished edges (now you know all of my secrets).

On my hunt for turquoise colored things, I remembered these cute acrylic plates and bowls at Dollar Tree. Guess what?!? They were marked down to 50 cents a piece! I got four place settings for $4! Score again! Then I went on a hunt for cheap turquoise napkins. Well, I didn't find napkins exactly, but I did get these fat quarters at Walmart for $1 each. I'll hem them up later so I can really use them as napkins, but for now they are actually pieces of fabric in glasses. Oh, well. See the magic of photography? If I hadn't told you, you'd never know. But I am under full disclosure today. And of course I have to note Seal the Weimaraner's appearance. Once again, she got tired of following me.

So let's go over what I spent today. I'm not counting the glasses, flatware and white sheet since I already had them. $4 for napkins, $3 for orange fabric, $3.99 for flowers, $5 for floral foam, plates and bowls. $15.99 + tax! Dear hubs can breathe easy. For now! :)

Thanks for stopping by! Please visit all of the other great tablescapes at Between Naps On the Porch's Tablescape Thursday! I'm a little late to join the party, but I'm also linking up to Woo Hoo! Wednesday at Always Nesting. Thanks for inviting me, Marla!




Always Nesting

29 comments:

  1. Love the colour combo and that rose ring is gorgeous! I love how you thought to make something to fit around the umbrella pole.

    DD

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  2. What a stunning -- and unusual -- color combination! Your centerpiece is both clever and gorgeous -- so elegant! I really like the way you've combined elegance with practicality (the acrylic dishes for an outdoor table). Good luck with your house sale!

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  3. You did good! That is a really fun table and you did well on your budget! Great Creativity!
    Cindy

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  4. You did an exquisite job for your $20.00. Those roses would have inspired me too. Your dollar store dishes are adorable. I bet you will get tons of use from them. Very pretty outdoor table. Love the colors!
    Yvonne

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  5. It looks great Erin, and you are right, that is foam for faux flowers..you want oasis..
    Good luck with your house sale!
    Thanks for stopping by!

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  6. Wow!!! That is one creative, great table....I can't BELIEVE you did such a beautiful job for so little. Just goes to show....I love the orange/tangerine, esp. with the turquoise: great post! I came over from Susan at BNOTP.

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  7. Hi Erin, great ideas makes a pretty sunshine table. I love the roses around the pole and all looks very nice.
    Greetings, Johanna

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  8. I love the orange rose circular and the orange fabric. Just a really fun table! Joni

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  9. Erin, I love the tangerine/aqua theme...you did a fantastic table so inexpensively. The roses are just beautiful.

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  10. Such a pretty color combination -- good luck with selling your home so you can move and redecorate this summer!

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  11. You are my kind of decorator! Love the outdoor table and love all the creativity. You did a great job and the colors are awesome.

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  12. Wooops! Forgot to mention and invite you. If you'd like to join us at Woo Hoo! Wednesday, please come over, join the fun and link your tablescape.

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  13. Your tablescape is gorgeous. I love the colors.
    I, too, am in-between homes. So many things I want to do, but they have to wait for the new house-it's maddening.

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  14. Very pretty and just my kind of budget! I'm a little jealous of the Dollar Tree finds because I see people on here always finding things there, but ours has none of this wonderful stuff!

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  15. Oh, it is just wonderful. I the roses around the umbrella--brilliant--I wish out weather was more conducive to outdoor dining. It's all so breezy - great job no matter how little it costs.

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  16. Love your Centerpiece.

    Hugs
    Charo

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  17. Love it, what a refreshing color combination!

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  18. One of the things I love most about tablescaping is doing it on a budget. You are the budget queen.!! Everything is beautiful, from the unusual color scheme to the creative way you made the Rose ring, You are da' QUEEN.

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  19. I know what you mean about the hubby, they just don't get our passion for our hobbies. Loved your table, thanks so much for that tip on the flower arrangement, the flowers look very pretty. Hope you're having a wonderful week. By the way, I'm a new follower.

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  20. Great job of staying on budget. I like that challenge. You did a wonderful job and those flowers are beautiful!

    Hugs,
    Joanne

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  21. Your table is so cute, but most of all so full of great inexpensive (sounds so much better than cheap! ha!) ideas. You are my kind of girl. That makes the tablescape so much better if you know you did not spend much. Great job! Lori

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  22. Gorgeous table. Love the colors. Hope your family enjoyed dining there.

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  23. Love it, Erin! Thanks for showing us how! I am def going to do the flower ring! One of the best ideas EVER! I always want to do things around the umbrella and I love the space saver aspect of it! I had this terracotta thingy one time that went around and it was two piece and one broke and ever since then I have been lost.:}

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  24. I've enjoyed your posting so much! Love your humor, your sincerity and your creativity. Your centerpiece has inspired me and I love the idea of making one for around a cake stand. I'll be taking your ideas with me today!

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  25. Again, thanks for your comments and your new followings! You make this so much fun!

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  26. What a beautiful and budget-savvy tablescape!

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  27. Beautiful!! The colors are divine...and the rose arrangement is just gorgeous!! You are talented

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