the secondhand table | valentine’s edition
if you’re just hopping over from Annie’s, welcome! I am so glad you’re here!
With valentine’s day around the corner, some friends + I thought it would be fun to create a little secondhand tablescape for the 14th of February. the concept behind the secondhand table is to use only secondhand items or items you already own. this fun, little challenge is not only pocket-friendly; it also encourages creativity and sustainability. if you’re new around here or you missed it, we also created a thanksgiving table, as well as a table for Christmas.
I realize valentine’s day can be controversial—some people love it, some people hate it. I’ve always been a middle-of-the-road girl in regard to this. save for the pale pink nail polish I occasionally wear [red is my go-to; no surprise there], I don’t typically use a lot of pink—in my wardrobe or décor. so this “holiday” is fun to me, if only to embrace a little more blush hues than normal. my husband and I don’t exchange gifts or cards or much of anything like that, though I am never one to turn down flowers. we do something better. our valentine’s date tradition includes a dinner out [or in] dining on crawfish. if you’re from the south, especially Louisiana, you know this is a delicacy. I look forward to February 14th every year as it marks our first crawfish tasting of the season.
Last September, I joined a book club. at the risk of sounding dramatic, it is quite possibly one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. it has been such a delight, in every sense of the word. as if the sweet, new friendships I’ve gained were not enough, it has stretched me in other positive ways. I’ve always loved to read, but this has helped me to truly appreciate literature once again. let’s be real: as idyllic as curling up with a good book is, it’s much easier to curl up with hulu or netflix. it’s also been an opportunity to show hospitality, as we all take a turn to host each month. all that to say, I have the pleasure of hosting this month so I created this table specifically with my book club girls in mind! this is also the reason it’s especially feminine.
My floral “tablecloth” is just a flat sheet—one of my favorite tricks in the book. I found it at a little thrift store in Farmersville, Texas when we were visiting family there a few days ago. it was actually sold as a set: one flat sheet, one fitted sheet, and two pillow cases for $6. so now I’ll have an extra set for future reference! some may think secondhand linens are gross, but as long as they pass the sniff test and get a nice, hot washing upon purchasing, I personally don’t mind them.
For my centerpiece, a thrifted champagne bucket holds a bottle of Pellegrino that I had in the pantry. I found the rattan wrapped votive a few weeks ago at Goodwill for a couple bucks. the glass pitcher belonged to my grandmother. I filled it with drift roses from the rose bushes that line our front porch and snippets of boxwood from the hedge near the friends’ entry of our home. I almost bought flowers from the grocery store to replace the tulips that my boys cut to pieces on Monday [I wish I was kidding about this], but I decided against it. I’m so glad I followed “the rules” and used what I had.
I found the antique monogrammed napkins at an estate sale last month. I had already stopped by the sale the day it opened and grabbed a few goodies, but I decided to pop by on the the last day [aka half price day] to see if any of the other items I had my eye on were still there. I don’t know that this has ever happened before, but they ALL were. I could not believe it! before I went to pay, I passed a table of linens and spotted these napkins. I’ve always loved antique linens, especially monogrammed ones. it was just icing on the cake that they actually had our initial on it. I got twelve linen napkins for $12.00.
Everything else I already owned… the rattan chargers, the ironstone dishes, the doily-like dessert plates. I topped each place setting with a rose bud + boxwood sprig. for our actual book club meeting, I’ll make a little place card with each of my guests’ names. it’s very pink + girly, which isn’t typically my style; but I think it’s fitting considering the occasion. this is a sweet little table if I do say so myself. I can’t wait to gather around it with friends to discuss our latest read, Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine.
I hope you enjoyed our fun little challenge. don’t forget to visit the Adored House to see the beautiful secondhand table Dana created! and thanks so much for reading! it means so much to me to have you here. whether you’re a fan of February 14th or not, I hope you know how loved you are each and every day.
