The Apple Table Challenge

Fun with “More Fun Less Laundry” — Along with Mary, from "Home is Where the Boat Is," Linda, from "More Fun Less Laundry" has been my teacher and virtual mentor for beautiful living, from setting a lovely table that is charming, sentimental, beautiful and appealing, to picnicking with style, traveling, and just enjoying life.

The image below from Linda’s blog has captivated me for years. It’s a Fall table, but she avoids going too heavy on the oranges and rusts. Instead, she brings in some of her favorite colors, like greens, purples, and even a touch of pink! I’m not much a purple aficionada, but somehow this combination of rich colors and textures really appeals to me, as does the theme — Apples!

Delightfully, I either, already own many of the components of this table, or can come pretty close, so, why not? This is going to be a fun challenge for me! If you’d like to see Linda’s post, here's the link:  Apples of My Eye.

The inspiration for Linda's table, came from a picture of her children during an apple-picking expedition while they were young.  When I saw it, I remembered a similar experience with my own kids, and, well . . . hold my apple cider . . .

Here are my two sons, John and David, looking thrilled to be posing for photographs while bees buzzed around them, just so I could capture their cuteness.  They are dressed alike because these pictures were supposed to be for the Christmas card that year (although I ended up not using them).

Okay, back to the table.  Linda used a red and white plaid throw as tablecloth, and I went through my stash hoping to find something that would come close. Here’s the Royal Stewart that usually comes out at Christmastime. Nope. It feels too bright, and, well, too Christmas-y.

The Dress Stewart tartan. I used this one last January at our Three Kings Day Open House. Better, but it still doesn’t feel quite right. These are the only two red plaids I own. I didn’t think I’d be in trouble this soon . . .

The Buchanan Antique Tartan. The oranges and gold would work for a Fall table, but I wanted apples, not pumpkins. Nope.

The English Tartan, a gift from a friend.  Doesn't it remind you of a well-cut English suit?  My son, John, has had his eye on it for a while.  One of these days, I'll pack it in his suitcase before he notices and send it home with him.

It sure does feel cozy, and it's a possibility for this table because the colors are neutral.  Maybe.

The Burgundy Irish plaid throw, and my last one. It’s not red, but it does bring in many of the colors in Linda’s design, including a bit of pink! This is it.

Here’s another inspiration photo from Linda’s blog post.  Perfect.  

My rattan chargers match the napkin rings and will work; and the Spode Delamere Brown dishes are lovely to use in the Fall.  I'm not sure if Linda uses a real leaf under her apple, but mine is Cheese Paper from Sur La Table.  I use it on charcuterie boards all the time.

Here is my tribute to Linda's masterpiece. The centerpiece proved to be my undoing.

The flowers simply did not want to hang out with the apples.

They demanded a separate space!

These are the last of my Phantom Hydrangea, which we just planted this Spring. They range in color from white to pinks, to rusts. I wasn't expecting any blooms this year, so this is a special treat!

The Pommes (apples) dish towel is yet another towel in my collection. 

This one was sent along with a bushel of apples. But not these apples. These are new apples.

I looked for the Effervé everywhere, but did not find it. Linda's emerald tumblers are available through Overstock.com.

But I already had some lovely hand-blown green juice glasses from Mexico. The Trader Joe’s Apple Cider was delicious and made a nice substitute!

We are now ready for our hot apple cider and dessert.

I made Apple Pecan Crisp, topped with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream, and drizzled with homemade Dulce de Leche.  No calories or carbs were counted that day.  The only thing I counted was my husband's moans of delight.

My kids are out in the world now doing adult things, but in our house, this night, they were very much with us.