China Rental Packages for Thanksgiving Gatherings

Mismatched antique flatware?  Yes, ma'am!

Having guests over for Thanksgiving and don't have enough pretty place settings?  Don't worry, we are offering Thanksgiving Day vintage china rental packages to set a lovely table for you and your guests.

We are offering three different Turkey Day packages:

   Cozy Gathering   (suggested for dinner of 8-10 people) $155
   Family Fete         (suggested for dinner of 11-14 people) $215
   Bountiful Feast    (suggested for dinner of 15-20 people) $290

All of these include:
Vintage Dinner Plates
Vintage Salad Plates
Vintage Dessert Plates
Burlap Plate Chargers
Antique Silver-plated Flatware Sets (Dinner and Salad Forks, Knife, Spoon)
Cotton Napkins with Crochet-trim
Vintage Glasses or Mason Jars
Vintage Serving Platters or Serving Dishes
Antique Silver-plated Serving Utensils
Vintage Gravy Boat

Additional Options:
Reclaimed Barnwood Farm Tables (Seat up to 10,)  96 x 42"
Mismatched Vintage Dining Chairs
Milkglass Vases
Antique Tea Cups or Tea Pots
Lace Table Linens
Cake Stands
Vintage Soup Bowls
Charming Eclectic Centerpieces

If you need more than 20 settings, please just ask.  We have thousands of pieces of china ready for your Thanksgiving feast.

One of our farm tables set with our lovely vintage china

We are also renting farm tables that seat 8-10 people and vintage chairs.

I love flipping the tablecloth width-wise to mix it up

Burlap chargers scream thanksgiving

Food to serve at tea parties

Lately, I've been getting a lot of questions as to what food should be served at tea parties.  Even though tradition may say that you need a three level dessert tier, complete with pastries, scones, and a savory treat, many hosts are forgoing that and just serving anything they wish.  The latter is much easier and will allow you to show your own personality to your guests.

Some of Something Vintage's Tea Pots

However, for those hostesses with the mostesses who want the traditional etiquette, here is  a passage from a 1922 version of Emily Post talking about tea party food:

THINGS PEOPLE EAT AT TEA   The top dish on the “curate” should be a covered one, and holds hot bread of some sort; the two lower dishes may be covered or not, according to whether the additional food is hot or cold; the second dish usually holds sandwiches, and the third cake. Or perhaps all the dishes hold cake; little fancy cakes for instance, and pastries and slices of layer cakes. Many prefer a simpler diet, and have bread and butter, or toasted crackers, supplemented by plain cookies. Others pile the “curate” until it literally staggers, under pastries and cream cakes and sandwiches of pâté de foie gras or mayonnaise. Others, again, like marmalade, or jam, or honey on bread and butter or on buttered toast or muffins. This necessitates little butter knives and a dish of jam added to the already overloaded tea tray.	32
Selection of afternoon tea food is entirely a matter of whim, and new food-fads sweep through communities. For a few months at a time, everyone, whether in a private house or a country club, will eat nothing but English muffins and jam, then suddenly they like only toasted cheese crackers, or Sally Lunn, or chocolate cake with whipped cream on top. The present fad of a certain group in New York is bacon and toast sandwiches and fresh hot gingerbread. Let it be hoped for the sake of the small household that it will die out rather than become epidemic, since the gingerbread must be baked every afternoon, and the toast and bacon are two other items that come from a range.	33
Sandwiches for afternoon tea as well as for all collations, are made by buttering the end of the loaf, spreading on the “filling” and then cutting off the prepared slice as thin as possible. A second slice, unspread, makes the other side of the sandwich. When it is put together, the crust is either cut off leaving a square and the square again divided diagonally into two triangular sandwiches, or the sandwich is cut into shape with a regular cutter. In other words, a “party” sandwich is not the sort of sandwich to eat—or order—when hungry!
The tea served to a lady who lives alone and cares for only one dish of eatables would naturally eliminate the other two. But if a visitor is “received,” the servant on duty should, without being told, at once bring in at least another dish and an additional cup, saucer, plate and napkin.	35
Afternoon tea at a very large house party or where especially invited people are expected for tea, should include two plates of hot food such as toast or hot biscuits split open and buttered, toasted and buttered English muffins, or crumplets, corn muffins or hot gingerbread. Two cold plates should contain cookies or fancy cakes, and perhaps a layer cake. In hot weather, in place of one of the hot dishes, there should be pâté or lettuce sandwiches, and always a choice of hot or iced tea, or perhaps iced coffee or chocolate frappé, but rarely if ever, anything else.

Vendor Spotlight: The Barns at Hamilton Station Vineyards

We love The Barns at Hamilton Station Vineyards! For people looking for a picturesque barn setting for a wedding or event...not to mention AMAZING wine, The Barns is a perfect choice.  The owners are a genuine pleasure to work with and the inside of the barn is oh so beautiful.  They actually just opened this past summer after restored the barn and opening their vineyard.

From their website, "Ten breathtaking acres surround a beautifully restored 100 year old stone and wood dairy barn, which has been transformed into a unique (wine) tasting room.  There are plenty of places on the deck, patio, or on the grounds overlooking the pond to sit back and savor a glass of wine."

Check out their stellar Yelp review. 

Here are our farm tables making their debute at The Barns....check out those stone walls in the cellar. Aren't they just stunning?

Our rentable farm tables at The Barns for a wedding in October 2012

 The inside is filled with warm rustic wood and a fantastic rustic chandelier and has essentially three levels--a celler that is perfect for wedding dinners, the main floor, and then a loft.

  

They are located in Loudon County just off of Route 7.  I know that they are filling up quickly for this upcoming wedding season so I'd act fast to grab your coveted spot!

Vintage Teacups: Perfect for a hot cup of joe

I took one step outside this morning and immediately decided that this would be a curl-up-with-coffee kind of Sunday. Even if I am in my sweatpants all day, a pretty teacup makes my lounging choice seem a bit more glamorous, don't you think?

Fall in Love Friday: Decorating with Corn Husks

Post-Halloween fall is one of my favorite seasons for which to deck out my table (assuming I have time!)  Don't get me wrong, the spider webs and skullish motifs of Halloween are great, but I love the warm, cozy feel that fall Thanksgiving decor brings with its warm colors and harvest themes.    

This year, I am all about the corn husks.  Let's call it the year of the corn husk, shall we?  They are a one stop shop for great tabletop decor for entertaining, fall weddings, and your home.  Corn husk wrapped votives, napkin rings, plate chargers, and bowl liners are natural options to decorate your table and pretty easy to create.   See below for a tutorial from Martha Stewart on corn husk votives.

Courtesy of BHG.com

Source- Pottery Barn

Here is a great tutorial from Martha Stewart on how to make these corn husk votives and napkin rings.

Courtesy of Marthastewart.com

Photos of my tabletop will be coming soon :)            

Amber Alert: Amber Glassware

For those couple's looking to infuse a little vintage or mid-century into their wedding, using amber glassware is a great option.  It provides a warm pop of color without being overwhelming.  It also is a unique twist on the normal clear vases and glassware.

Lovely wedding courtesy of Style Me Pretty

Amber can be great in all seasons--I love the way it compliments typical pastel colors like pinks and mint greens.

Courtesy of Green Wedding Shoes

Here are some of our amber bottles and glassware ready for the taking--

Courtesy of Jose Villa Photography and Once Wed

Something Vintage Rental's Amber Apothecary bottles

Feeling crafty?  You can also make your own amber glassware by using Mod Podge and some dye.  Check out this DIY Amber Glass tutorial .

    

Barn Weddings: Contrasting Rustic and Glam

I had my reception in a barn, so it goes without saying that I love barn weddings!  

But I'm obsessed with the way the couples below transformed their barn venues to contrast a mix of classy and rustic.  Silver-plated antique candelabras paired with lovely farm tables and crystal chandeliers hung from old barn beams----yum!  I especially love the way the couple used fringed shawls as table toppers below, what a unique idea.

Photocredit:  Style Me Pretty

I LOVE those mirrors in the photo above.   We have been collecting mirrors here at Something Vintage, dying to do something like this.  Any takers?