Tablescape Thursday: All About The Eiffel

The name of the Lord is a strong TOWER; the righteous run to it and are safe.  Proverbs 18:10 (NIV)

March 31st marks the anniversary of the completion of the Eiffel Tower, which gave me a great excuse to put together an Eiffel tablescape!  But I can't do an Eiffel tablescape without mentioning my interior designer sister, who LOVES all things Eiffel.  In fact, I borrowed a few items from her (most of which were presents from me!) for this fun 'scape.

But before I get started, I want to share a few fun facts about the Eiffel Tower:

~ it took 2 years, 2 months, and 5 days to build & was completed March 31, 1889

~ it's main architect was Alexandre Gustave Eiffel, the same person who built the internal frame of the Statue of Liberty

~ it's the tallest building in Paris, & until 1930 it was the tallest building in the world

~ it's height is equivalent to 81 levels in a conventional building

~ on a clear day, you can see up to 42 miles away from the top of the tower

~ strong winds can sway the tower slightly (during the storm of 1999, it moved approximately 13 cm from its original position!)

~ it's painted every 7 years in 3 shades of brown, with the darkest one at the bottom

~ it takes approximately 60 tons of paint & 15-18 months to paint it

~ it's open 365 days a year.......

So what are we waiting on?  Let's go!

For this simple tablescape, I chose a color scheme of black, white, and silver, with pops of bright turquoise blue. 

Once again, my black tablecloth, black rhinestone chargers, & black dinner plates get to participate......I've been getting a ton of use out of them lately!

 A turquoise napkin is layered between the charger & dinner plate....adding some definition.






Although I considered borrowing a set of my sister's Eiffel Tower salad plates so that they would be uniform, I decided to instead use my "Bon Voyage"  plates to give the table a little more interest.

I love how the scalloped edges of the salad plates mimic the dinner plates.





And as in many of my previous tablescapes, I'm again using my acrylic flatware from Walmart.  I can't tell you how much use I've gotten out of this flatware!  It's so versatile!



A coordinating spreader adorns each place setting as well, while miniature Eiffel Tower placecard holders sit just above.  {Seeing as how this was make-believe, the cards simply read: you, me, guest, & friend.}







And how fun are these goblets?







To add a little more color (& because I'm in love with turquoise), I used this great turquoise, slightly-distressed platter for the base of the centerpiece.  Then I simply displayed a black Eiffel Tower, borrowed from my craft room, as well as a black picture frame, to which I added turquoise paper & the menu (I really will be making this for dinner one day this week!), and a candle to add a little sparkle!






{This is about as French as my cooking gets!}




 Eiffel Tower salt & pepper shakers sit close by.



Here's a few more pics of the table:

All of this Eiffel tableware & I didn't even get to use all I had!  Oh well, there's always next time.

Here's a couple more pics I took just for the fun of it, showing some of the un-used "Eiffel-ware":

{an Eiffel tassel used as a napkin ring.....I love using tassels for napkin rings!}

{I also have these white Eiffel napkin rings!}

{And then there's the Eiffel cocktail picks......I guess I kinda like the Eiffel Tower, too!}

And I can't do an Eiffel tablescape without mentioning one more thing.  Remember how I said that my sister loves anything Eiffel?  Well, let me introduce you to my sister's 2 year old Maltipoo, whose birthday also happens to be in March.

Her name?  Eiffel!

{Here she is when she was a little younger.}

Isn't she cute?

But don't let the cuteness fool you!  She's a mess!  In fact, we have a couple nicknames for her:

Awful Eiffel & Eiffel Terror.  Get it?  Like tower, only terror?

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the tablescape. 

I'm linking with Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday & A Stroll Thru Life for Tabletop Tuesday.  Hope to see you there!

black tablecloth - Bed, Bath, & Beyond
black rhinestone chargers - Michael's
turquoise napkins & spreader knives - Steinmart
black dinner plates - by Rosanna
Bon Voyage salad plates - by Rosanna (I actually found these at TJ Maxx a year or two ago for $12 for the set.  They're normally about $40 for the set!)
acrylic flatware - Walmart
goblets - Ross (Z Gallerie also carries them) - I gave these to my sister a few months back, but borrowed them for this tablescape!
place card holders & salt & pepper shakers- also given to my sister by me, but I can't remember where I bought them.....I think maybe a local gift store called The Candy Basket....I've also seen them on the internet
turquoise platter - Wisteria
Eiffel Tower - either TJ Maxx or Hobby Lobby?
picture frame - TJ Maxx
candle holder - Hobby Lobby
tassel - Hobby Lobby
cocktail picks - Target Dollar Spot
Eiffel napkin rings - Ebay

Wildcard Wednesday: Signs of Spring.....In My Living Room

Little by little, I've been revealing my spring decor.  Okay, truth is, it's actually taking me several weeks to finish my spring decorating, but knowing that I'm going to share a little more each week has at least motivated me to get something accomplished!

In previous weeks, I've given you a glimpse of my entry (click here), as well as my kitchen (click here & here).  This week, you get a little peek at my living area. 

While I absolutely love the bright colors of spring and the shabby chic spring look that I so often see in magazines & blogs......

.......my somewhat European/Old World style decor does not lend itself too well to the bright, shabby chic look......well, not without a major re-do anyway.  So instead, I've chosen to add seasonal decor that will compliment my existing decor.  (Although, I have to admit my spring tablescapes often have a shabby chic look!)

Here are a few of my recent living room changes:

My cocktail table generally looks like this "in-between" seasons:

(Notice the decorative balls in the tray)

But with each season, it gets one simple change...... I trade out the decorative balls for something seasonal.....this time, nests & eggs:

 

My end table also gets a little change.  Remember this area from my "Curtain Call" post?

It typically looks like this, with a tassle lying on a stack of old books:






But for spring, I traded out the tassle for a glass cloche, showcasing another nest (I just love the bird on the top of the cloche!) & added a little bird.










The stack of books was a little much, so I took a few away, and added a recent TJ Maxx purchase: this stack of old, distressed book pages tied with string.  (This would be easy to make too, but at about $7, I figured it was worth just buying it!)

Nearby is a footstool (get a closer look during this week's Friday Favorites!), which usually holds this Gracious Goods tray with my current magazines:

But for spring, it gets a little face-lift:

A big turquoise bird & large nest sit atop a burlap table runner.

 Have I mentioned how much I love turquoise?

And speaking of turquoise, I made one more change to my living area.  

During the winter large hurricane candle holders, greenery, & berries were displayed atop our armoire:

 

But now, it gets a touch of turquoise as well:

Oh & one more little area to show you.  I've added a couple things to our breakfast bar.  While this is technically part of the kitchen (obviously!), it connects with our living area, so I thought I'd throw it in.

Normally, the picture frame stands alone, but I added a nest & moss-covered bunny to the mix.  {I'm thinking now maybe I should swap out that Santa pic for a spring one!}

I'm linking with This Blessed Nest for Spring Fling, BNOTP for Met Monday, & A Stroll Thru Life for Tabletop Tuesday., French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday,  The Charm of the Home for Home Sweet Home, and The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sunday. Check them out!