Hall Table-Scape

A couple days ago I showed you this little garden toad. Well, I just couldn't wait to give him a new home!

I had a nice spring/easter thing going on on this table, but that's over now! It was time to get the eggs off the table and put up something summery. Nothing says summer to me like flowers and frogs. That might be weird, but I was a tomboy who loved crawly things. I used to play with caterpillars for hours. I once saved a chipmunk from choking to death on a berry, and tried to get my parents to let me have a snake, or at least a turtle.

My favorite thing to do in the summer was take my bike for long rides. Someone had thrown out a plastic laundry basket and I strapped it to the front of my bike with a jump rope. I mean, lets face it, I didn't learn how to jump rope until high school. But they made awfully good rope. I would toss a PB&J sandwich and maybe an apple into my giant basket along with a book and go ride. I rode for miles. I lived in New Jersey then, in the suburbs, so there were lots of neighborhoods to go through. Also helpful, shoulders on a road. (What's with that PA?) 

I would go to one of the parks, or one of the schools and sit in the sun eating lunch and reading. Then I would go riding some more. I also always carried a pocket knife. Still do. I would use my knife to cut flowers to take home. I love wildflowers. Queen Ann's Lace is one of my favorites. Except for the little bugs that are always on them. Hate that.

One of the grade schools had this enormous lilac sitting in the sun. I would go cut great big bunches off and stick them in my basket and ride home, where my mom would say they were pretty and stick them in about 5 or 6 vases, because, really, I brought home way too much.

I usually also brought myself a case of poison ivy. 

Ahem. I started to tell you about the new hall tablescape and got distracted. I do that.

I have a large dresser, or buffet if you'd rather, but it's really a dresser, in the hall. I have a big mirror above and a little lamp on the one side next to the front door. I always keep a little bowl on that side so I never lose my keys, and lately, we've kept a jar candle there too. We keep losing power and it's nice to always know where at least one candle is.

On the other side are some of my decanters. How they sparkle, how they shine. How I love them. I have about five more, but these ones looked really nice together. And the toad was needed to balance out the feminine-airy-gracefulness. Or something like that. 

I think it looks spectacular. Even though the small clear and gold behind the toad was probably once held bubble bath. I don't care. It fits in.