Table setting a la James

Here is our dining room set up for dinner. What wonderful dinner must be simmering in the kitchen?  Bove's take out spaghetti and meatballs, which those of you in VT know is nothing fancy. But, in our house, when we sit down at the table, it more often than not looks something like this. Well now you are saying, "Pam, the Martha Stewart abyss of good living has finally sucked you down." Aux contraire, mes amis. This is all Jim's doing.


It all started years ago in Maryland with dimmed lights and dinner music.  But, since we moved back to Vermont a few years ago, Jim has taken an advanced interest in elevating our everyday dining experience. Table clothes, goblets, matching plates and flatware, cloth napkins, candles, fresh flowers, and music. It is all very civilized, indeed.

A fall arrangement that Jim made with flowers from the cutting garden.

In addition to knowing how to swing an axe properly, Sam and Ethan are now adept at table setting and experienced in the many ways to fold a napkin. Check out the links below for some of their favorites.




Personally, I feel a little odd eating a burger and fries from The Shopping Bag on a table cloth but it does save me from having to clean the grease off the table.  [For those of you who don't know, The Shopping Bag is a neighborhood grocery store with grill owned by Jim's aunt and cousin.  Incidentally, it was written up in Food Network Magazine as making one of America's best burgers, the Scibec Sizzler.]


After buying Jim an assortment of vases at the Goodwill store,  I realized the man needed his own cutting garden.  So, I gave away all the plants in our strawberry bed and planted one for him.  Okay, I love to garden, so it kinda was for me too, but I did not feel nearly as guilty when I spent a ridiculous amount of money on new perennials as I normally would.  Maybe in the Spring, I will get some good pics up here of the various gardening projects I have going.


Napkin Folding Sites:
A couple easy folds on Youtube
Napkin Folding Guide (folds for every occasion)
The goblet fan (easy, but real fancy like)
The feather fan (if you've got some time on your hands)
Lotus fold video on Epicurious.com