Calling all tablescapers and entertaining enthusiasts: Enjoy a sneak peek and delight in the pages of The Art of Beautiful Tables, the latest new book from the editors of Victoria Magazine. You’ll find table and floral inspiration for all seasons and occasions to raise a glass or teacup in celebration.
Happy Monday!
Welcome to a special edition of Monday Morning Blooms!
Lidy, Pam and I are excited to share some flower therapy today in the form
of a beautiful new book from the editors of Victoria Magazine:
A treasury of inspiration and ideas for anyone who loves gracious entertaining.
In The Art of Beautiful Tables, table settings that span the spectrum from casual to formal affairs are showcased. Crystal goblets catching the glimmer of candlelight, polished-to-perfection sterling silver placed precisely beside delicately patterned English bone china, a snow-white linen cloth edged in the finest Bruges lace—together these elements form the foundation for an elegant table setting.
The leadoff chapter, “Elements of Style,” delves into the components that are the essence of any tablescape and then spotlights those little extras, such as menus and favors, that lend grace notes to the scene.
“Alfresco Gatherings” paints the prettiest images for outdoor meals, while “Lovely Settings” brims with milieus for every season or reason.
Highlighting a favorite subject throughout Victoria’s history, “Teatime Occasions” demonstrates that this beloved ritual can be enjoyed in a mélange of surroundings, from a springtime garden to a cozy fireside.
In “Holiday Celebrations,” you’ll journey through the calendar, with a bevy of inspiration for commemorating each special day . . .
Whether it’s honoring a dear mother or sharing harvest abundance.
Feast your eyes on the floriferous and beautiful tables. . .
All these beautiful table settings make my heart beat just a little faster!
There is no shortage of stunning table inspiration in this book,
making it a wonderful addition to your library, or gift for a
table stylist, entertaining enthusiast or flower lover!
With Easter on its way, I pulled out some dishes to join the bunnies
in the “Easter on the Lawn” setting in this book. . .
Dine with the bunnies and hop over to find Easter table inspiration, HERE.
It comes as no surprise to Pam or myself, that our
Monday Morning Blooms’ friend, Lidy, is featured as
a tastemaker in Victoria’s The Art of Beautiful Tables!
Showcasing her signature style with with not just one, but two, of her settings
featuring her curated collections and FrenchGardenHouse antiques.
Long time readers know that I’m a confessed dish-aholic . . .
I’m swooning over this collection of Sèvres-inspired porcelain plates
and teacups with their beautiful floral borders!
Inspiring me to dish up some blooms and
play along, enjoying some flower therapy.
🌸 🌹 🌷
In celebration of Spring, Victoria / Hoffman Media has provided
each of us with a book to give away to one reader!
To enter the giveaway to win a copy of The Art of Beautiful Tables:
1) Leave a comment telling me your favorite flower(s) to use at the table.
2) Follow Victoria Magazine on Instagram or Facebook and leave a comment letting me know.
3) Follow Home is Where the Boat Is on Pinterest and let me know by comment.
This giveaway is open to residents of the continental U.S. through midnight April 2nd.
THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED.
For more chances to win a copy of The Art of Beautiful Tables
visit Lidy and Pam below to enter:
Lidy at FrenchGardenHouse
Pam at Everyday Living
Victoria magazine has long served as a treasury of gracious living, offering endless inspiration for curating welcoming interiors and entertaining for every occasion. You’re invited you to peruse each captivating page to gather an inspiring cache of ideas for creating your own unforgettable tableaux.
*Thank you to Hoffman Media for providing my copy of The Art of Beautiful Tables and to Lidy for organizing this giveaway.
As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. If you purchase anything through an affiliate link, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Thank you for your visit, sharing with:
Between Naps on the Porch
My favorite flowers to use are so very many it is hard to narrow it down to just one. I use a multitude depending upon the season; however, if I had to choose just one, it would be roses. I have followed both you and Victoria on Pinterest and Instagram for years. I’m not much of a Facebook person but I will check there and follow if not. Thank you.
Victoria does a beautiful job with their hardcover books I’ve had a subscription to their magazine for probably 20 years. I have saved many copies and enjoy them over and over. I follow on insta I’m now following you on Pinterest. I love to use seasonal flowers, it’s so hard to pick On my table currently is an arrangement I made with ranunculus, rice flower ,pussy willow , tulips, hyacinths
Beautiful as always❤️ I am following Victoria Magazine on Instagram and am now following you on Pinterest.
I forgot to mention that I enjoy using different flowers in a table setting – but my favorite are Hydrangeas and Roses.
My favorite flowers are my light pink peonies.
I’m so excited to enter this “Givaway”! Thank you! So much amazing inspiration. My favorite table flowers are hydrangea. Fingers crossed.
Roses~ Any color!
I gladly signed up to follow Victoria magazine on Instagram.
Following you on Pinterest now. Thank you for all your inspiration.
Beautiful photos and tablescapes. I use flowers by season, but hydrangeas and roses are my favorite. I follow you on pinterest and now Victoria on facebook.
Favorite flower to use that I grow is the Hydrangea…I just love all the photos but the last one is the picture of the tea cup with a ruffled edge and beautiful bees…I just love that cup! I’ll let others have a chance to win that lovely book! Thank you for a beautiful post and another wonderful give away! 🌸🌼🌷💐🌹🌻🪷❤️
Good morning, Mary. It is a pleasure to share in the beauty of this book. I love all of Victoria’s books and refer to them often. Thank you for a lovely post as always and Happy Monday ♥️
Mary, I’m surprised your beautiful, creative tablescapes aren’t included in the new book! My favorite flower for table arrangements is the hydrangea, especially since I learned the “alum art” of keeping them fresh from you! Thank you for all the tips and artistic inspiration!
Oh my, the Hoffman Media staff are at it again. For me, the iris is such a beauty, but peonies may be running a close second. I am already following Victoria on Facebook, and you as well, of course (on FB and Pinterest). All this beauty as I sit with open tabs on my desktop, searching for the best local source of compost to amp up my landscape soil. 😊 It’s perfect that Victoria chose you three to offer this giveaway. I appreciate them for that, and the trio of you for participating.
Mary,
What a lovely book! Peonies are my favorite to use on a table in the spring! I love Zinnias and use them with Black Eyed Susans and other mixed flowers in the summer. They make me happy!!!
Susan
I love, love, love small spray rosebuds that I pick up when I go to the market. Although pink is my favorite, they come in many colors. The buds never fully open, and they last about ten days. After they have passed their prime, I bundle them up with string and hang them upside down in my garage. When dry, I combine them with dried Baby’s Breath or Dusty Miller in a small vase. In the dried form, the roses look so quaint, and I can enjoy them longer than ten days!
My favorite flower for tablescape is Hydrangea. I’m following Victoria magazine on Instagram and I follow Home is where the boat is on Pinterest
Outstanding as always
Thank you for such a bright and vibrant start to my day with all your gorgeous photo styling, always a pleasure to visit your beautiful world.
What a tablescape lovers dream this book is! I bet readers literally peruse every detail on these beautiful pages! Congrats to Lidy, but all three of you should be featured in this beautiful book! I couldn’t possibly chose one favorite flower to use for my tables, and I’m pretty much a rule breaker when it comes to traditional table settings, the crazier the better for me 😂
I’m so happy to join you and Pam for some flower therapy and share it today. What a joy it is to feature this latest beautiful book by Hoffman Media and the editors of Victoria magazine! Thank you for a stunning post as always and Happy Monday ♥️. xo Lidy
My favorite flower for a table setting is whatever is growing in my garden. A home grown bouquet is another way to share our gardens. If nothing is blooming I sometimes make a bouqet of greenery. The varying shades and textures make a beautifil bouquet.
It’s difficult to choose a favorite flower but I think hydrangeas get first place. They require very few blossoms and minimal care to create a lovely arrangement. I’d love to win Victoria’s Beauriful Table book.
I am following you on Pinterest.
I am following Victoria on Pinterest.
What a beautiful book! I hopped on over to Instagram and signed up to follow Victoria magazine and spent about an hour there. That beautiful flowered cake! Victoria has long been an inspiration for my watercolors and I have also used some of your garden photos to add specific flowers to some paintings as well. For the table, I used whatever is blooming in my own garden, roses, zinnias and penstemons , but am especially fond of the blue catmint that the bees love and grows well in our high desert climate. Your blog is the first one I read in the morning with my coffee to gird myself for checking into the news!
My favorite flower to use is whatever is blooming in my garden or on a good sale at the flower shop! I love them all and like the challenge of coordinating my dish collection and linens to new color palettes! Thank you for sharing this gorgeous book – I was a reader of Victoria magazine years ago and this was a nice reminder of their beautiful publications. I’ve followed you on Pinterest as well!
My favorite flower on the table is tulips. Of course I love many others! I followed Victoria Magazine on Instagram and Facebook, and I have been following your pinterest for years :)
Good Morning from Crazy California! Roses are my favorite flower to use. I grow them, so it makes it easy to use.
I follow on Facebook
I follow you on Pinterest. I also (above not completed comment about it) I follow Victoria Magazine on F.B
I love hydrangeas and roses on a table. I follow both you and Victoria Magazine. Thank you for all of the inspiration that you bring to your followers.
Mary, Your bunny and floral dish collection are both beautiful and looks just like the book. The book will provide much enjoyment and inspiration. Iris’ are my favorite spring flowers as they’re also our state flower. Roses and zinnias are wonderful summer blooms. Enjoy your week! Clara❤️
Hello…I am following you on Pinterest and Victoria Magazine on Instagram. Just starting to figure out Instagram. As others said it is so hard to pick a favorite flower for my table but I would say today it is any kind of daisy! Beautiful pictures! Peace.
Mary, such a generous offer from Victoria Magazine. Any tablescaper would love this new book. So full of beautiful inspiration. The flowers, the china is gorgeous. I totally agree, your table should have been included in this book. Congrats to Lidy for the feature. I already follow Victoria Magazine on Instagram and Facebook in addition to following you on Pinterest. All flowers are beautiful and it is so difficult to pick a favorite. Whatever is in season is my choice. Good luck to all.
Oh so hard to pick a favorite flower to use on tables – I love so many! One of my favorite simple ways to decorate a table with flowers is to purchase either pansies, cyclamen, baby roses or spring blooming bulbs in 4″ containers and group them in baskets among faux or real greenery. Then when they’re done blooming they can be planted in the garden. Your posts have been a wonderful inspiration and great learning experience for all my tablescapes!
I follow marvelous Mary and Victoria Magazine both.
Thank you Mary for this opportunity. Love seeing all the beauty I the pages of this book. I love hydrangeas but I guess I’m most anxious in the spring to see all the bluebonnets appear in my home state of Texas.
Roses are my favorite flowers.
Hard to choose just 1 fav flower. I currently have white hydrangeas, muguet and grape hyacinths on my table so let’s go with that, for now. 🤣
I already follow Victoria magazine on IG
I just followed you on Pinterest 😃⚜️
Very large hydrangeas are my centerpiece flowers of choice. Ant and all colors.
Mary,
Love Victoria Magazine and had a subscription to it for years till I switched to a Kindle addition which unfortunately will no longer be available in this format come Sept.
This book looks lovely and would look great on my coffee table. So surprised Mary that none of your beautiful tablescapes are
not featured in it.
My favorite flowers to use as a centerpiece are whatever is in bloom in my garden. Right now it is yellow and white Tulips in a large white soup tureen, next month will be snowball Hydrangeas and after that Peonies. Fresh flowers make my house a home and I try to always to have them as a feature in my decor no matter what the season.
Oh, my, what a gorgeous book. I’m very surprised that one of your lovely under the tree table scapes wasn’t featured. I’m totally in love with old china, and my favorite for Spring has yellow in the design, Klit Rose Bing and Grondahl which I love to use with oodles of Daffodils and Narcissus. Thanks for the giveaway opportunitiy, and I always love your blog! Sandi
I change the flowers for every season. My favorite is tiny roses in different shades of pink.
I guess my favorite flowers to use are roses and/or daisies bc they are my favorites. But I love almost all fresh flowers and it depends on the occasion, holiday, etc as to the fresh flowers I use.
Do they share their sources? Like…where is that white tablecloth with the pink bows from? My favorite flowers are rhododendrons, even though their season is short.
Daffodils are my favorite flower but I think sunflowers are my favorite for a fall table!
Happy to say I was already following Victoria Mag on facebook and you on Pinterest!
I follow Victoria on Facebook and you on Pinterest. My favorite flower is the Morning Glory and Pansies.
Marion
I follow Victoria on Instagram. My favorite flower is the Gladiola.
Marilyn
My favorite flower is the Lily Of The Valley.
Joan
I like to use hydrangeas because they are so simple to arrange and look beautiful.
I follow you on Pinterest and have added Victora to my Facebook.
Thanks you for your inspiring blog.
I’d love to know the name of the china cup with the flowers and little bee.
Thanks
Cas
Lovely post and generous giveaway from Hoffman Media. So proud of Lidy being featured. Mary,your ‘dishing up’ was very pretty.
Oh my, dearest Mary, you could have your very own book on tables as you never ever fail to inspire me! I loved your rendition of dishing up so very much. Congratulations to Lidy! I’d be the first in line to buy your book! ❤️
My favorite flowers to use in vases on the table, or anywhere, are Zinnias. I love them so much, and they come in SO many wonderful colors. They also last a long time, and you can make a shorter arrangement to see the people across the table from you.
My favorite flowers to use on the table are hydrangeas and roses because I can find them all year at the store and they look great together. I LOVE peonies too but can only find them once a year.
I followed you on Pinterest and Victoria on Instagram.
Thanks for the giveaway.
I am fortunate to have a small cutting garden with hydrangeas/David Austen roses and peonies so I can have fresh flowers in my house. My favorite are hydrangeas which I can use year round-fresh and dried. I am inspired and enjoy your floral arrangements throughout the year. Thank you for the giveaway….
Books on tablescapes are among my most favorites. I knew this book was coming out, but I wasn’t sure when. I would love to win a copy of it, but I would also like to own a copy of a book put together by you. With all of your wonderful blog posts, the book is really already written, we just need it and published form. I tend to use alstroemeria the most, largely because they are so long lasting and come in a nice variety of colors. I also like Asian lilies.
I follow Victoria magazine on both Instagram and Facebook.
I follow you on Pinterest.
My favorite flowers are roses, hydrangeas, wisteria, zinnias, hyacinths, black-eyed susans, and gerbera daisies. I am not on facebook or instagram, but I do follow you on Pinterest. Thank you so much for the opportunity to win this beautiful book!
Hello Mary My all around favorite flowers are daisies…they are beautiful alone or in an arrangement but currently I have terra cotta pots of all sizes filled with grape hyacinth and green moss. I would like to “age” my terra cotta pots but am not sure how to do this……any suggestions?
Hi Patricia, I think the easiest way to “age” terra cotta pots is with some white craft paint (matte, not glossy) by lightly dry brushing the paint across the surface of the terra cotta. Make sure your brush is really dry, with just the bristles of a flat brush wet with paint, and then offload most of the paint onto some newspaper or cardboard before brushing across the surface of the pots. Less is more, as you can always go back and add more paint in stages. Martha Stewart also has some tips to age terra cotta pots, HERE.
Thank you for your speedy response – I am trying out your idea using dry painting with flat white pain.
I also read the article by Martha Stewart which has numerous approaches I am a very big fan of your creative ideas and have recommended this site to all the ladies (young and old) in my family
Hello Mary Thank you for your speedy response. I am trying out your dry brush suggestion. I also checked out the article by Martha Stewart which has numerous other suggestions. I love your website and have recommended it to all the ladies in my family.
What a lovely book! I am happy that Lidy gets to be featured as well! I wish that they had included one of your tablescapes, perhaps they are looking for more ‘high end’ dishes than you typically use, but truly, yours are my favorites! My favorite flowers are roses, followed closely by hydrangeas and hellebores! I already follow you on Pinterest, although I am not able to pull up my ‘following’ feed anymore! I already follow Victoria Magazine on IG.
Almost impossible to choose a favorite flower. Depends on the season. If I must choose, I choose hydrangeas. I follow Victoria on Facebook and I have followed you on Pinterest forever.
Love all of the mentioned flowers, but my favorite is to cut Queen Ann’s Lace (known to be harvested from roadside weed patches) to use in ironstone pitchers. I also dry the various sized heads in silicone and adhere iridescent glitter to use in winter centerpieces….they look like snowflakes! Picture our son’s wedding reception with them on a ring of greens surrounding a candle!
I have followed both you and Victoria on Pinterest and Instagram. I already followed you both on Face Book. I love all things “Victoria Magazine.” My favorite flowers to use as centerpieces are the ones from my garden.
Mary you’ve got skills your blog posts are so beautiful put together and are always helpful with tips and tricks. As far as flowers for the table any old flowers will do, from ditch flowers to roses I love them all-thanks for the opportunity to add this inspirational book to my favorites. I follow Victoria on Instagram also.
I’ve been following you on Pinterest and Victoria on Insta for a while! Everything you do is amazing. This post is extremely appealing because my daughter’s wedding shower will be a Tea Garden theme. My centerpieces will be roses and snapdragons, cosmos and a host of other blooms from my garden.
Mary, what a beautiful book you have shared with us. I love all the Victoria publications and their magazines. I hope you have a most wonderful week, sweet friend!
I love hydrangea flower. What a pretty book.
Love, love, love. My favorite flower for a centerpiece is hydrangea, then carnation and sunflowers depending on the season!
I love the flowers from my garden daffodil , hydrangeas and my absolute favorite is Lilly of the valley in small clear creamers!
Everything is absolutely breathtaking! When I look at the inside of this Victoria Book I swear I am looking at your blog posts!
I love roses, Irises, Zinnias and Hydrangeas!
I follow you on facebook and pinterest. I follow Victoria Magazine on Facebook.
Thank you for such a lovely Giveaway.
Love, love, love peonies! And I especially love using them in flower arrangements for a spectacular tablescape!
I am following Victoria Magazine on Instagram and I am following Home is Where The Boat is on Pinterest.
Mary, this book is a dream. I already have a copy! I preordered, knowing it would be a perfect one to add to my other books published by Victoria. Thrilled that Victoria recognized this group as a perfect choice to share this new publication. Congratulations to Lidy for her exquisite feature among the pages of this book. I say it again and again, but you need a Tablescape Book all your own! And a gardening series too! Thanks for sharing these beautiful pages. You brighten my day!
Creating floral arrangments for buffets, tea parties and dinner parties can require flowers of different heights. My default flowers are white Hydrangeas. They work well alone, with added ivy and other flowers or even in a large arrangement with floral, fruit, ribbons, etc. I often use some artifical ones I’ve found at Walmart (yes, Walmart). They are as nice as some I have purchased at floral wholesale shops. I live in Scottsdale, AZ now and can’t grow Hydrangeas in my yard. I use real ones if I can find them at my local Supermarket. Sometimes I blend artifical with real in the same arrangement. My Walmart Hydrangeas look great no matter how I use them. I love your facebook page and everything Victoria. Thanks for allowing me to enter this contest.
I have followed Victoria for years! Actually, before there was ever any digital sources to connect with. I kept and cataloged the magazine for a long time (shhh, we won’t talk about how far back that goes😉). I have been following all of you more recently digitally, and this new book is a stunner! I would love to add it to my collection!!! 💖💖💖
I had to leave a second reply as I forgot to tell you about my favorite flower for the table! I do not have just one! It really depends on the day, the event, the mood, etc. I was raised with hydrangeas, roses, daffodils, azaleas, wisteria, wild flowers, and crepe myrtles all grown by my grandparents and the blooms used or put in arrangements or alone in a simple vase. As an adult myself I’ve also grown tea roses, climbing roses, peonies, and my passion – daylilies! As strange as that may sound, and yes the bloom lasts only one day, I will put the last of the blooms on a scape in an arrangement or simply slip it in a vase so I can enjoy the last few blooms up close! Some are even lightly fragrant!💖
My favorite flowers to use in arrangements are hydrangeas, roses, tulips, and sunflowers.
Hi Mary! What a beautiful book this is! I would love to have a copy. Congratulations to Lidy on her feature–and I think you and Pam could easily be included in the next edition! It is hard to chose my favorite flower for the table. If I use peonies or carnations I take them away before dining as they are quite powerful, and have a little sprig of something else (violet, lily of the valley, mini rose, etc) at each place setting. In the winter I sometimes use miniature poinsettias and in the summer my hydrangeas, unless an early spring frost has devastated them! I love the little dog carrying condiments (?) in the third photo! You know I love to add little details like that for conversation starters! I really, really must get back to my table styling! I think I have been inspired to do it! Of course I follow you on Pinterest (from the beginning!) and now I am following Victoria on IG. Thank you for this offer and for all the inspiration! Linda
Hi Mary! My favorite flower to use at the table is spray roses. I love all of your table-scapes and I’m surprised you aren’t in the book!
Hi, I read this earlier but just making my selection of my favorite flower now. . .roses or peonies, of course. Love your table inspiration.
Already following Victoria Magazine on instagram.
Of course, I follow you on Pinterest. . . .it is a must.