My mom’s friend Pirkko has been a family friend since I was born. I had the good fortune of being her neighbour years ago when I was married to my first husband.
She patiently listened to many of my stories back then of all the trials and tribulations of young married life as we went for walks around a nearby golf course.
She has the most adorable maltipoo, Nekku (her name) and she told me that when she first started going for walks around the golf course, the first time she took her out, after a while she stopped, laid down and looked up at her as if to say “What are you doing?”
Of course Nekku adjusted to those long walks very quickly and got very excited when she would pull her leash out.
Then she would make coffee and something good as we chatted. My sweet friend Pirkko has the most wonderful sense of humour.
She’s in town from Victoria staying with my mom in her Carriage house this week.
As I have mentioned in a previous post, before I started decorating for a living I would spend an entire Saturday creating beautiful tablescapes for dinner parties. Now most of my guests are lucky to get an ironed napkin.
Pirkko has hosted me, my mom and sisters so many times, tonight it’s all about her and that’s what inspired my picture-worthy tablescape today.
Pirkko is the host and producer of a Finnish radio program that airs every Saturday at 9:30 am pst time. It’s a 1 1/2 hour live program, you can listen to it here.
I created a table runner out of some green glass tiles I had sitting in a box. And I had this low, rectangular narrow vase that I used for the centerpiece. We had dinner guests this week and they brought a beautiful bouquet of flowers and many of them had wilted so I rescued the rest and ta, da, da da, a new arrangement was born.
These flowers are for you as well my lovelies, thanks for reading my blog!
Are you following me on Facebook? We are on Day 27 of my 37 Days of Learning Undertones Series.
Related posts:
How to Create a Vignette or Tablescape
An Orange Tablescape Thursday (Our rental on Kensington)
A Pink Tablescape with Sarah Richardson
If you would like to learn to how choose the right colours for your home or for your clients, become a True Colour Expert, Toronto Dates October 3, 4 & 5th, 2012.
A lovely post. Thank YOU for blogging.
I have those same placemats.
I love how you used green lentils with the candles in glass. Very clever. Beautiful table setting.
Gorgeous tablescape, Maria. I can tell it was lovingly prepared. How wonderful you could entertain her in your beautiful new home.
Inter-generational friendships are such a blessing to both parties. The wisdom of the older, the joie de vivre of the younger. Beautiful table, Maria!
Thank you so much for the idea, Maria! 🙂
I’ve had some turquoise mosaic tiles in the garage since we renovated the pool & have been wondering what on earth to do with them – They are now destined for my next dinner party tablescape!
What a wonderful way to begin my day! Thank you Maria, for everything!
I love the table setting (using those tiles was inspirational)! I noticed also the mismatched table and chairs (dark table/white chairs) particularly because I’m in a serious dilema what to do with my own kitchen set. I’m leaving the table top its current rich brown wood – the bottom and chairs are currently black and I’m thinking of painting them cream. Trouble is I’m not sure if I should just paint the table and leave the chairs alone. Your post gives me room to ponder!!
Love the chick peas too. A floral designer once gave this advice…walk thru the grocery store, pick up an apple, quamquate, whatever you can find. Then too the florals and find that same color in a flowe. The combos are so fun to find. Nice job Maria
Love the glass tiles – I have some marble sitting around and may use this idea next dinner party.
Have a wonderful evening with your friend.
Where did you get the placemats?
At 7:15 a.m. in Arizona, just finished a cup of coffee and opening a bunch of beautiful birthday cards, many with flowers and butterflies, and then I open your blog and see your beautiful arrangement – feels like one more just for me. What’s more, I’ve already done my morning exercise to Pirkko’s great music. What a very nice way to start a birth day. Thanks, Maria.
Stunning combinations of things. Love the place mats with the table runner. And your personal stories are so fun to read. Thanks Maria.
I need you to make a tablescape for our dining room Maru table. made from 100-year-old Korean flooring. (greenteadesigns.com) You do the most amazing table/dresser scapes and bookcase arrangements. I’ve gotten a little better by studying what you and some others do, thank goodness, but it can elude me.
What a clever idea to use the tiles for a table runner! Will file that one away!!
Beautiful idea, Maria! What a lovely pop of color, plus it’s easy to store and change out. Have a wonderful weekend!
Love the tile runner idea…would never have thought of that. Did you place anything underneath them to protect the table finish or were they already smooth ont eh back? You also used one of my favorite tricks which is to take an old bouquet and pull out the still fresh flowers and use them. I cannot bear to throw away a still living flower. Sometimes all I get out of the bouquet are a few stems for the powder room but I love it! I am sure your friend enjoyed and appreciated it.
Love the setting Maria, and would love to know the color on the wall. Thanks for sharing 🙂
It’s String of Pearls by BM or Rice Paper with Cloverdale.
Maria, I love the clean look, the glass with the white candles, and the combination of refreshing colors on the dark wood table–outstandingly striking. What did you use to darken the rectangular glass flower container so that the stems and whatever you stuck the flowers into don’t show, but appear dark in the picture? Is it a liner of some kind?
It’s a long leaf that I tucked into the vase.
You are so clever and creative!
Thanks
I love the green lamps! Where did you get them?
HomeSense.
Thank you, I just love the whole look.
I receive and enjoy your daily posts. I was concerned when I read that your friend walks her dog on a golf course. Due to the maintenance programme required to perpetuate a mono-culture, a golf course may be a very toxic recreational place. And of course, the smaller the dog, the greater the impact of these toxins.
It was actually a path that went all around the golf course, not actually on it. There would be no way to get onto a gold course usually unless someone has paid to golf there. Maria