On the front porch were a teak round table and a couple of chairs. But, in a new home or someone else’s home, everything seems fresh. The china, the view, a table and a yes a table cloth. I see everything! It is the double edge sword of being an artist. A blessing and at times, a curse.
I love tablecloths, cloth napkins, napkin rings, table top everything - they add oomph and beauty.
Any dinner can become dining with a tablecloth, some linen napkins and a flower or two.
Yeah, it sounds entirely corny but on this ordinary Tuesday with my three year old and husband, a re-invented lunch from last nights’ dinner and whatever was in the fridge in our ‘Copenhagen home’ became special. All it took was a tablecloth and a vase full of peonies. My son came out and said ‘cute’ followed by ‘dinner party’ and my husband smiled and immediately grabbed a great bottle of wine. That was enough for me.
I love tablecloths that much that while traveling in Provence, I brought home a souvenir for the man in my life, now my husband. He opened this beautifully wrapped package with anticipation. A fantastic tablecloth cloth and napkin combo (www.jean-vier.com) from a tiny store in Antibes Juan-les-Pins www.francetoday.com/articles/2010/08/10/striped-basque! What else could a man want, well you can only imagine his reaction. Actually he wasn’t all that surprised but good save as I also brought him a great watch.
I can only attribute all of this talk about a tablecloth to my mother who was the quintessential hostess and a fabulous cook who loved everything about life and saw immense beauty everywhere down to a farm stand tomato. I have mostly snickered at her and rolled my eyes. Yikes, I am turning into her!
Tables were ‘set’ and ‘staged’ particularly for holidays. One Easter at my Grandmothers’ home, my Dads’ cousin painted portrait eggs and decorated them in the personality style of each of the women at the table. I have my mom’s egg to this day. And it looks like her. It was always an amazing gourmet meal, a visual treat, and a new adventure.
My mom always saved her ’best’ for special occasions and had a set of ‘every day’ for everything else. That included everything, down to her favorite bags and clothes.
And not that the everyday cannot mean great stuff and set with style, it was that it was reserved for everyday. So while in High School, I would spontaneously throw a mid-week dinner party for just us using the non-everyday everything. So today, whenever I want single malt or a vodka, I take out my St. Louis Tommy double old fashion glasses and savor the taste because it does taste better in these glasses. And most importantly it turns times into moments. On Fourth of July when everyone else is going for the grilled fillet minion, I am going for a great hot dog. I will go for one of my favorite pilsner glasses I dragged home from Luxembourg. For these glasses aren't great crystal but great design and mementos of a unique time in my life. And yes, these overly tall glasses with great type make everything so much tastier.
No doubt, it is not easy to watch that favorite cloth be reddened by a glass of Cabernet or yellowed by a salad dressing. While fabulous place mats can be great, there is nothing better than a cloth. Just go for it!
