2013 Where Do You Keep It All??

If you are a dish-a-holic then you know the issue of where do you keep it all?  Some have more space then others but most bloggers have come up with some creative ways to store their dishes, glassware, flatware and tablescaping accouterments!  Over the past several years my storage has changed as my stash has grown!!

I took over this small walk-in closet to be my dish storage space.  I found closet organizer shelves at the thrift shop (remember I don't like paying retail) and added them to the closet.

I have so many plates now! 

A few vintage sets of dishes, but mostly I have plates in sets of two or four

I had them arranged by color at one time, but looks like the closet needs a good re-organizing

The top shelves store some larger pieces, such as cake plates, pitchers and chargers

These salt and pepper shakers might be moving soon to make room for more plates

A few things waiting to find a home on the shelves

At one time I stored my place mats and napkins in here....then they outgrew this space and I needed the shelves for more dishes...what to do?  

A free curbside 6 drawer Ikea dresser met my needs.  Two drawers are napkins only

Grouped by colors

It has really worked well for me! 

One drawer has table runners only 

and 3 drawers have an assortment of place mats and tablecloths

This has made picking out linens so much easier!

The china cabinet holds mostly glassware

and is full to bursting right now!

Lots of clear glass serving pieces which are an obsession with me!  

A large drawer in the china cabinet holds napkin rings.  I created an easy way to find the napkin rings I want to use on a tablescape

I took a thrifted cutlery tray and put one of each kind of napkin ring I have in it.  I take this out and to the table and play until I find the napkin rings I want to use and retrieve them from the drawer.  I have plans to put all the napkin rings into ziplock bags to make it easier to retrieve.

  It works for me! 

This divided basket has worked as a storage spot for colored handled flatware.  I'm about to outgrow it though so might have to find another basket or even change how I store it completely. 

So there you have it!  Christmas dishes and some seasonal glassware are stored in the top cabinets in the kitchen and some items in the basement in bins.  I may just have to start making some choices about what to edit out of my stash soon! 

Please join Alma at The Tablescaper for her 4th Blog-a-versary and her fun 

Seasonal Sunday party! 

Check out where others keep all their stuff! 

Wishing you JOY,

Linda

Thrifty Things Friday

It is so good to be back home!

I will be going to see Tiger next week~I had planned to go sooner but my SIL's Great Grandmother passed away and they have gone to Tenn for the services.  In the meantime....

Here are a couple of Tiger's latest pics from Facebook!

He is looking so grown up here!

Strawberry Face!

I'm sharing a couple of finds from my big thrifting adventure back in May!

I love this Fire King loaf pan in the Primrose pattern

Needs a little cleaning but is in otherwise great shape for $3.50

I love these salad plates for .60 each

These will be used in a tablescape for sure!

Joining Diann for 

Thrifty Things Friday!

Toujours,

Linda

A Fishy Table!

Welcome to the first day of summer!

It seems perfect that Cuisine Kathleen is having a party and we are all invited to share our tables

At The Beach!

I got home from Texas late Monday night and so this table was done from what was in my dish closet and stash! 

I've had these fish plates found at a yard sale for several years and finally decided this was their time to shine!

The placemats were found on clearance at K-Mart a couple of summers ago.   I thought they were perfect for the four colors of fish plates!

Orange!

Green!

Turquoise

and Red! 

I used a red glass plate as a charger, I even like the red on red!

I found a set of napkins also on K-Mart clearance and they had all the colors but green.  I found a close match to the green in a thrift shop.

The napkin rings (also K-mart clearance) are red and suppose to look like corral?  I like how they pick up the red edge in the place mats.

The centerpiece was simple!  

The matching fish platter and pitcher surrounded by shells!

The matching fish salt and pepper shakers

I used my thrift store red handled flatware

A simple clear wine glass since there is so much color on this table already!

Colorful, Casual and oh so Fun!

At The Beach!

I'm joining Let's Dish !

Later,

Linda

100th Seasonal Sunday!

Congratulations to The Tablescaper for her 100th

Seasonal Sunday Party! and to help her celebrate her Third Blog Anniversary!

We 'Tablescapers' have quite the collection of dishes, napkins, tablecloths, napkin rings, candles, flatware, accessories of all kinds and so much more!  

When you love it the problem develops of 

"Where do you keep it all???"

So here are some of the many spots in my home I store my tablescaping goodies!

I am so lucky to have a small walk in closet in the spare bedroom that I have taken over for my dishes

These photos are from last year and I must say not much has changed...maybe a few more dishes??

A few more place mats....

A few more random linens

My napkins have outgrown their current location and need to be sorted and another storage solution figured out

This is my large china cabinet and it is full to brim with glasses, serving pieces and other decorating items.  I hope to clean it out at some point and really organize it but haven't yet!

I am lucky to have several shelving units in my basement that hold many other items that need sorting!  Its a never ending job for a collector/tablescaper!

I did move this small shelving unit into my breakfast nook for my Pyrex and some Fiesta ware on the bottom.  I use the Pyrex much more now that I can get to it easily!

Including my Pyrex fridgies! 

Well that's most of it!  Of course I have some sets of dishes boxed up in the basement and other dishes in my cabinets but the majority is in the dish closet! 

Congrats again to The Tablescaper!

I hope you will go by and visit her! 

Hugs,

Linda

What Came First??

The Chicken or the Egg?

In this case....the chicken

I found this adorable set of dessert plates at the thrift shop and paid $3.50 for them on 1/2 price day.  New with tags on they inspired this tablescape

A table for two!

The place setting started with a white place mat that were $1 each from Dollar Tree a few years ago

I used a blue Fiesta plate, milk glass plate with a cute out edge topped by the chick plate

Added an egg cup and faux egg for fun!

All these dishes are from my stash and were found at thrift shops or yard sales

I used white handled flatware and these pretty blue and white napkins bought on clearance from Old Time Pottery (I think)

The glass is old and has a sweet flower pattern on it.  These two glasses were found at a thrift for less then $1 each

I had trouble with a centerpiece as nothing I tried made me happy.  I settled on this Easter egg wreath with a candle in the center

These cute egg shaped chick Salt & Pepper shakers add to the 'theme' of this table

Sweet and Simple

After taking all these photos I did pick some flowers from the yard and think they add a nice touch of Spring!

I'm joining

Let's Dish with Kathleen

and

Thrifty Things Friday with

Diann

I hope you will go by and visit this wonderful bloggers who host these fun parties each week!

Hugs,

Linda