At the Diner Counter

Happy Thanksgiving!  Thank you to Susan, at Between Naps on the Porch, for hosting Tablescape Thursday.  By the time you are viewing this, the big dinner may be over, the football games decided and you have enjoyed the company of family and friends.  Take a few minutes to enjoy the tablescapes this week.

  In the past few weeks I have shown you some different takes on setting a table for Thanksgiving (or any Autumn event) so today it's something completely different.  This may be more doable this time of year when you are busy with shopping, wrapping, decorating and socializing.  It's perfect for a quick dinner of hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken fingers or even takeout.  It all started when I was wandering around Walmart in the Housewares department.  I came across these little red plastic baskets.

These baskets bring back such great memories.  They remind me of eating at the shore (I'm from Jersey and we call it the shore!), being on vacation, or stopping at some Diner while we were traveling somewhere fun.  And I haven't even mentioned the food yet!  French fries, burgers, cheese steaks (miss those!), pickles, chicken tenders, fried shrimp and my personal favorite, fried clams (with tartar sauce, yummy!).  I just had to pick up two sets considering they were only $1.  I found some checked napkins at Dollar Tree for when I run out of the little liners they come with.  I thought they would be a fun start to a "Diner Counter" inspired tablescape on my breakfast bar.  We are empty nesters.  Yes, I'm Robin with an empty nest, which just makes it sound sadder!  Most nights my husband and I eat at our breakfast bar.  When my son and daughter come to visit they complain that the TV is to your back and we should mount one above the kitchen cabinets like it's a sports bar.  I told them they were welcome to do that in their houses but we are just fine this way.

We bought 3 bar stools because that's what the model home had.  Looking back, we would like to find 1 more.  So the counter is set for 3.

I started with a vinyl checked placemat (Beall's Outlet) and a simple white dish (Dollar Tree). 

I picked up these Coke glasses (Dollar Tree) and I already had these ice cream sundae dishes just waiting for dessert.  You need something sweet after all that fried food!  My husband would go for the rice pudding but I'll take some ice cream. 

It wouldn't be complete without a "bendee" straw.  Is that what you call them, too?  They make me feel like a kid again.

I took a fabric napkin and layered it with a paper one.  I didn't have an appropriate napkin ring (and I have LOTS of napkin ring) so I made them.  I took some iced tea spoons I never use and bent them to form an oval opening.  This probably wouldn't work if the spoons were expensive. These weren't.  You can tell I'm not from the South since I have iced tea spoons that were never used! 

I hardly ever use red but I got a great deal on this flatware recently (Ross $10) and now I realize I will use it often, especially with Christmas and Valentine's Day coming up.  For some reason, my mother disliked the color red and it seems to have stuck with me and my sister Elaine.  Wouldn't it be great to pick and choose which traits to pass on to our children?  I had to talk my daughter into getting a red dress to wear to a recent wedding.  She did get it and looked beautiful.  Uh oh, I passed it on to her too!

She takes after my husband's side.  They look good in red.  That's my mother in law with my daughter, sporting her red and looking great for 84!

I may do a  full out Diner table in the future.  I am keeping my eyes open for some vintage diner items.  I think they are popular right now so I may not get any bargains. 

Don't worry.  I promise I will clean my counter top after walking all over it to take some of these pictures.
I like to think that I look like a professional when I do that but the truth is I just look awkward and pray I don't fall. 

Thank you so much for stopping by.  If you are venturing out on Black Friday, be careful and considerate of other human beings, especially the retail workers!  Stop by and visit my sister at Creating Wonderful Spaces to see her tablescape for this week.  Stop back for Met Monday when I will be having my first little Give Away.  Here's my hint in case you missed it:  it involves bars but has nothing to do with drinking!  My sister will having her own Giveaway too!