Saturday, March 8, 2014

Set Your Table With Flair--An Elegant Saint Patrick's Day

Hello friends!!  Welcome, and thank you for visiting my blog!

Saint Patrick's Day will arrive shortly!  When I think of Saint Patrick's Day, I usually imagine fun and kitsch, mischief; of leprechaun malarkey and mayhem.  However, there is so much more to Saint Patrick, so I wanted to create a festive yet elegant table reminiscent of the Saint himself.  I hope you enjoy the post.

Saint Patrick was captured in his home of Britannia at approximately the age of sixteen where he was sold into slavery in Ireland.  He lived there a few years before his courageous escape and return to his family. He went on to become a cleric before subsequently returning to Ireland, where he served as an ordained bishop.  He was so beloved, he became the recognized patron saint of Ireland.


When I was contemplating the color palette for this setting, I truly wanted to reflect and pay homage to Irish traditions.  After a bit of research, I was surprised (and enthused) to discover that originally, the traditional color for Saint Patrick's Day was blue.  Being that blue is my absolute favorite color, I was elated.

In Ireland, the Badge of the order of Saint Patrick reflects blue and gold (shown here),




as does the Coat of Arms and Irish Presidential Standard.  Shown here.





I absolutely adore tartan, so any excuse to use it in a tablescape makes me smile.  Although tartan originated in Scotland, it is now recognized in most Gaelic cultures and countries, including Ireland, so I thought it would be such fun to use it in my setting.  I set this lovely tartan cloth first.  I love that it incorporates both a vibrant Kelly Green and a lovely Navy Blue.


Next, I placed these gold chargers, the third traditional Saint Patrick color. 



I placed clear plates on the gold chargers.  


On the plates, I set these navy napkins.


I adorned each napkin with a bit of this pretty ribbon, using it as a napkin holder. 



Shown here.
 


To the right of each plate, I set a tri-folded green napkin.


To the right of each plate, I also set a tall blue flute, small gold goblet, and green tumbler.

  

I lined up a few gold doilies to create a table runner.


I set this green vase in the center and filled it with faux green carnations.




I love this mercury glass vase!  So elegant!  And green!  When I saw it, I couldn't resist.


Finally, I set this gold flatware in traditionally formal style.



All set!  Just add some nummies, like a slice of my mint chip ice cream pie, and you'll be ready for a wonderful Saint Pat's!  To view this recipe, visit the post on my blog Parsimonious Pabulum by clicking 
here













From my collection:

Clear plates and gold chargers, generic
Flutes, generic
Gold goblets, Spanish, antique.
Tumblers, generic, from HomeGoods
Vase, HomeGoods
Gold Flatware, Wallace Grand Duchess Collection, Horchow/Neiman Marcus
Green Napkins, generic, TJ Maxx/HomeGoods
Navy Napkins, generic
Cloth, created from a bolt of fabric found at my local thrift

Please join me and others beginning March 12 at Cuisine Kathleen's annual Saint Patrick's Day Blog Crawl by clicking here.


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Thank you for stopping by! ❤





30 comments:

  1. I love your table. I was thinking of using tartan with a table I was going to set. And I think yours is the perfect one and oh, so pretty!

    Love the chargers, the dishes, the centerpiece, and all. The ribbons on the napkins. Just lovely.

    Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

    xo

    Sheila

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  2. I wait with baited breath! Loved your Downtown Abbey setting! ❤❤. Thank you for being so kind.

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  3. What a beautiful and colorful table. Love the tartan cloth.

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  4. Love your table!!! The colors are so rich and beautiful!!! Love the glassware.....

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  5. Lovely color scheme...very elegant table. Score!

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  6. Love this! So elegant. Thanks for bringing your creativity to Seasonal Sundays.

    - Alma, The Tablescaper

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    1. Thank you sooo much, Alma! I have enjoyed your work for some time now via Pinterest. I appreciate the compliment!

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  7. I enjoyed the history, and this is a great variation on the usual St. Patrick's colors. Loved it! We'd love this at my History & Home link party, runs Tue-Fri weekly, you might want to share it next week when the party's "fresher" ;) -Dawn @ We Call It Junkin.com

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    1. Thank you so much Dawn! It's a date. :))))

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    2. Thanks for sharing this at my History & Home link party, hope you'll join again next Tuesday! -Dawn @ We Call It Junkin.com

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    3. You're welcome, and I hope to! Thank you for the invite!

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  8. My favorite color combo...love your non-traditional table! I try to find ways to use tartans, also.
    Have a wonderful week.

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  9. Oh..I love Tartan Plaid..beautiful table!!!!

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  10. You certainly taught me some things I did not know about St. Pat. The table is quite lovely with the blue and green tartan as a background. I am filing for future reference your idea of using the gold doilies down the center as a runner -- clever!

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  11. Thank you for the history of St. Paddy! The tartan plaid you chose is perfect! It just mimics the colors in the coat of arms and badge! How clever!
    It is a very elegant table. Thanks for sharing! Enjoy your day.
    Blessings My Friend,

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  12. Such a wonderful step by step of setting your table. Happy St. Patrick's Day to you!

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  13. Love the green and navy plaid tablecloth! Your love of blue is a perfect mix for a St. Paddy's Day tablescape! Luck of the Irish to you! Have great March17th!

    Pam

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  14. I love that cloth you used, great colors. Your table is very festive!
    Thanks so much for taking part in the 6th Annual Irish Blog Crawl!

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    1. Thank you so much for your kind words. :)
      This was my first, it was great fun, thank YOU for having me! :)

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  15. Fun to see this pretty table again. I'd like a slice of that pie tonight.

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