I’ve been thinking about a Cinco de Mayo table for a few days, and I started looking through plates, placemats, and napkins last night. What I have discovered is that I really don’t have a lot of brightly colored tablescaping items. I guess I am more drawn to muted, earthy colors (here and here) and pastels, especially pink (here and here). I had almost nothing in the bright oranges, yellows, and greens that I associate with Mexican colors.

In addition to not owning a lot of bright colors, I also am dealing with the continual problem of my dark dining room. I have dark wood furniture and a low-wattage light fixture, plus today is very dark and rainy. The small amount of natural light that I usually get is pretty much null and void. Therefore, on this morning’s Dollar General trip, I had in my mind finding something that is both cheap and bright to make the table show up better. I saw these dish towels and stopped to ponder. I thought that they would make good placemats and really brighten up the dark wood of the table, so I purchased them for $1 each.

After returning home, I went to the dining room with the towels and began looking through the things that I had pulled last night. I had used these bright plaid napkins on my previous Cinco de Mayo table, and planned to use them again. I laid out the dish towels as placemats and folded the napkins between the two plates. I couldn’t really put my finger on it, but it just didn’t look right somehow.

I looked again at the napkin and spread it out. They are pretty large squares (20 x 20), and perhaps I could use them as the placemat. Then I could fold the dish towels and use them for napkins.

I tried one place setting that way and put it right next to the previous one in which the towels and napkins were reversed. I really thought that the napkin-as-placemat setting looked a lot better! So I went with it.

Do you remember that I had purchased these cute chili pepper dishes for half price at Dollar General last year? I’ve been waiting all this time for a chance to use them, and it’s finally here!

I started the place setting with my red square Wal Mart plates, then topped them with my white Nikko plates. Then I folded the dish towels like napkins and placed the chili pepper bowl on top.

I used the Present Time Mix-n-Match flatware since it is playful and adds to the party atmosphere. I tossed around in my mind several different glasses that I could use.

I finally just settled on the same ones from last year. The margarita glasses are perfect for a Mexican theme, and the wine glasses decorated with grapes complement the entire setting.

Then I had to think of the centerpiece. I had already looked through my runners and knew that none of them were colorful enough. I started trying to think “outside the box” and remembered my beach towels. I selected this one for its bright pinks, oranges, and yellows. I tried it several different ways and settled on folding it long ways and bunching it around a little for a casual look.

I chose this tall silver-colored candle stick and variegated orange pillar candle. I like the way the shades of orange go with the colors of the beach towel, and silver is popular in Mexican decor.

Then I looked through my vintage pottery collection. I chose this large pitcher decorated with bright orange poppies. Since I last used this pitcher for a blog picture, I have done some research and discovered that it is a batter pitcher (for pouring pancake mix and so forth onto the griddle) and originally would have had a lid. The mark says Erphila Art Pottery, Czecho Slavokia. Erphila produced a number of different types and patterns in art pottery, and, judging from what I have seen online, this poppy pattern was very common. If I had to guess at a date, I would say the 1940’s.

Then I selected this small pitcher since it has an orange flower to pick up on the poppy in the large pitcher. This pitcher does have a mark, but it is so faded that I cannot read it.

Overall, I was pleased with the final look, especially when I thought  about how I started with hardly any bright colors at all.

Earlier this week, I worked really hard in the yard, but the rain moved in yesterday and will be here for another day or two. Even though I have been disappointed that I can’t continue my yard work, the rain does make me stay in the house and catch up. I’ve done so much yard work that the house has suffered. But before I leave to finish up the house, I wanted to show you the climbing rose.

I told you in my last post that the climbing rose would be having a lot of blooms soon, and here they are. I went out in the dark, drizzling weather this morning to snap these pics for you.

I am very pleased with how the rose looks and really enjoy it.

I have some pretty big news to share, but I am going to wait a few days so that I can get my thoughts together.

Until then, have a great Cinco de Mayo and hope that all of you gardeners out there enjoy your roses as much as I do!

I am joining: A Stroll Thru Life for Tabletop Tuesday (vignettes, tabletops, tablescapes), Home and Garden Thursday at A Delightsome Life (decorating, gardening, recipes, collecting), Vintage Thingie Thursday at Colorado Lady,   Sunny Simple Life (decorating, projects), Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday (tablescapes) and Metamorphosis Monday, Masterpiece Monday at Boogieboard Cottage (crafts, home decor, thrifty finds),  Cozy Little House for Tweak it Tuesday (deocrating, garden, projects),  Under the Table and Dreaming for Sunday Showcase (any project or idea made by you this week), Gratitude Sunday at A La Carte, The Charm of Home for Home Sweet Home (home & garden), Cuisine Kathleen for Let’s Dish (tablescapes), Treasure Hunt Thursday at From My Front Porch to Yours,  Make the Scene Monday at Alderberry Hill (home decor, projects, recipes), Cottage Style at Lavender Garden,   The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sunday (tablescapes),The Thrifty Groove for Thrifty Things Friday (thrifty decorating, tablescapes), What’s It Wednesday at Ivy and Elephants; Weekend Bloggy Reading at Serenity Now (recipes, crafts, home décor), Meet Me Monday at You Are Talking Too Much (projects, decorating, recipes),  Spotlight Saturday at Classy Clutter (recipes, crafts, home décor), Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage (decorating, crafts), Frugalicious Friday at Finding Fabulous, Pink Saturday at How Sweet the Sound (anything pink),You’re Gonna Love It Tuesdays at Kathe with an E (recipes, crafts, home décor), Mop it Up Monday at I Should Be Mopping the Floor (projects, decor, recipes), Wow Us Wednesdays at Savvy Southern Style (recipes, crafts, home décor),  Make it Pretty Monday at The Dedicated House (decor, projects),Wow Us Wednesdays at Savvy Southern Style,  Farmhouse Style at Green Eggs & Goats,  Creative Things at The Vintage Farmhouse,  Flaunt it Friday at Chic on a Shoestring (decor, projects, recipes),  Tuesday’s Treasures at Uncommon Suburbia (projects, decorating, recipes),  Return to Loveliness at A Delightsome Life (home decor, projects), Centerpiece Wednesday at The Style Sisters (centerpieces),Open House Party at No Minimalist Here (crafts, home décor), Time Travel Thursday at The Brambleberry Cottage (memories, projects), Tips and Tidbits at The Stone Gable(projects, home décor, recipes),Thursday Favorite Things at Katherine’s Corner (projects, home décor, recipes), Sizzle into Summer at DIY by Design (home décor, projects)