A Thrifty Tablescape Thursday

Hello! Today, I'm combining 2 posts into one. For Tablescape Thursday, hosted by Susan @ Between Naps on the Porch, I'm sharing photos of our Valentine's dinner from last week-end. I was very pleased w/ this table but of course half-way through the meal, I wished I had used crystal votives instead of the red. Never fails...it's always something!!!! ;o) And then I'm also playing in a new meme hosted by Leigh @ Tales from Bloggeritaville ...Thrifty Thursday. I use a lot of thrifted finds in my tables so I thought it was OK to combine the 2 memes.

(click on any picture to enlarge)

You see that "bell cloche". Look a little closer....doesn't the knob on it look a bit familiar? Kinda like a vintage glass knob? That's because it is! I scored this wonderful candle basin (pretty sure it sat in something @ one time & was used as a candleholder) @ GW for $3. Brought it home & glued on one of my glass knobs & VOILA! a $30 cloche for $3. It's almost the exact same size & shape as the one Coleson broke too but I like this one sooo much better! The funny thing is, that very same day, I had stopped in @ Pier 1 to see if they had a bell cloche. Tar @ Confessions of a 40 Something Drama Queen had given me a heads up that she saw one there so I looked but no luck. Since I was out & about & near Goodwill, I stopped in to see what they had...they had me a bell jar! *grins*

I really do like this one sooo much better. I like that it is creative, functional & attractive but most of all, I like the fact that it was only $3! ;o)

An aerial shot. ..you can better see the quality of the crocheted lace tablecloth, another thrift store find.

The mirrored "placemat" is a candle base from Hobby Lobby...wait until they go into half off & they're like $4 a piece. The ruby red dinner plates & goblets were thrift store finds (I'm telling you...nearly everything in my house was bought second-hand)... I have never been able to determine the pattern or maker. The plates have a kind of hobnail detail to them on the underside.

The crystal salad plates were also a thrift store find. I can't remember who (sorry!) but someone from last week's TT inspired me to do the "key to my heart". I glued rhinestones onto heart ornaments & tied them & an old key onto a tag I printed & distressed.

Hubby & I spent Valentine's Day @ the cattlebarns flea market. It's open year-round, except when the rodeo is in town. And nope, you cannot smell the former tenants. ;o) Anyway, I bought a couple of vintage Valentine cards....this one under the cloche is one of them. It doesn't show in the pic but it has been glittered generously. Love the little doggie at their feet...just like us!

Hubby bought some sweet & spicy nuts for me cause he says I'm sweet & spicy *grins*....I put them in a cordial (King's Crown Thumbprint) & added a framed "I'm nuts about you" sentiment. I know, I know...corny but isn't Valentine's all about corny? Guess where I bought the Bombay picture frames. Yep, at a thrift store!

Dinner was marvelous! I love the food site Fine Dinings ...check it out, you'll be glad you did! Does this woman ever know how to present food! I decided that for Valentine's ,I would try out some of her recipes & see if they taste half as good as they look. For starters, we had Sweet Potato Slice with Shrimp and Garlic Cream Sauce Recipe . To be honest, I chose the recipe more because of the appearance & the heart shape I cut the sweet potato into, than I did for the expected taste. I figured as simple as the recipe was, that it wouldn't be that flavorful. I was wrong. There was a lot of flavor packed into these little bites!

Then we moved onto Cream Cheese Prosciutto Valentine. Loved the presentation of these & again, they were packed w/ flavor. These rectangle plates are one of the few, I've bought new. I got them @ Target.

For the entree, I wanted something fairly simple...last year's menu was very elaborate & time-consuming...but I still wanted elegant & delicious. I just discovered Boursin cheese (I know...where have I been?) so I chose her Stuffed Chicken Breast with Boursin Cheese & green bean bundles (I didn't follow her recipe for green bean bundles as I think the beans benefit from being cooked w/ the bacon grease).

Hubby is pretty accomplished at fruit carving so he had no problems w/ the tomato rose.

I had planned on making a mousse recipe of her's for dessert but we spent more time @the flea market than expected & instead of stressing on it, I decided to serve instant chocolate turtle pudding in white chocolate shells. Yep, you heard me, instant pudding .... and it was delicious! ;o)

We have Strawberry Champagne Soup w/ our dessert nearly every Valentine's...it goes sooo well w/ chocolate. I don't use a recipe, I just use pureed strawberries (you can either puree frozen or use the bar mix stuff), yogurt, a splash of OJ, a squeeze of lemon, mint, maybe sugar (taste test to see) & then add a bit of champagne right before serving. I stick the flutes in the freezer for about 30 minutes & then rim them w/ magic shell ice cream topping before filling w/ soup.

Can't wait to see all the other tables. More & more join us each week...last week there were over 60 tables on Susan's, Mr Linky!

And if you love thrift shopping as much as I do, follow me to Leigh's to see lots of thrift finds.