My heroines secretly do fuss with pretty tablescapes … time for them to step out of the china closet and share! What is tablescaping? Setting or laying a table with a thought to how basic requirements for eating a meal come together in a pleasing, joyful way. I think of it as a collage … layering different dishes with a mind toward shape, texture, and color, and considering flatware utensils, beverage containers, napkins, as well as whimsical objects that emphasize a seasonal theme, or color story.

Professional chefs will tell you your eyes start a meal. The table sparks our appetites and says you care enough about those you share meals with to fuss a little (or a lot) to influence their meal experience in a good way. The goal is to always bring a smile and anticipation for the meal to follow. Tables can be minimalist, set with soft, compatible colors, simple foraged wildflowers, and set outside, or with greater structure and formality.

In The Vintage Telepath https://www.amazon.com/Vintage-Telepath-Loving-Book-ebook/dp/B07DK2DJ5S/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=The+Vintage+Telepath+Nancy+LaPonzina&qid=1614107346&sr=8-1 Julie Bishop’s mom Violet May, knows about setting a table and creating a theme and an environment. Unfortunately, these attempts are lost on Julie who struggles with all things connected to her mom’s spiritual and metaphysically inclined spirit. In Loving Vintage, https://www.amazon.com/Loving-Vintage-Nancy-LaPonzina/dp/1983038113/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1614107806&sr=8-1 vintage stylist Mimi Shepherd has a love for styling porcelain, but little time at the moment as her biggest challenge is setting her daughter onto the right path. But now, in the forthcoming The Vintage Stylist, we finally see Mimi embracing her china love and tablescaping addiction when she adds a boutique china section to her own specialty shop.

These heroines are coming out and embracing their joy for making everyday life just a little more gracious and beautiful. I’m glad to see it!