Thursday, August 21, 2014

That '70s Table

I mentioned a few days ago that my family was having an anniversary celebration this week. 
We're celebrating our arrival in Georgia 40 years ago today.

August 21, 1974.

We thought it would be fun to celebrate by creating a 
1974 themed table. 

We're calling it...

Of course, since 1974 was smack dab in the middle of a recession, we didn't want to spend too much money on it. I set myself a goal of staying within a $10.00 budget.  Everything on the table was either hoarded, thrifted, borrowed, or crafted.


We started with these thrifted salad plates in harvest gold and avocado green... with just the tiniest pop of orange thrown in.   Then, we added dinner plates and chargers already living in the dish closet.



The harvest gold tablecloth  belonged to my  mother-in-law.
It matched perfectly because, apparently,  there was really only one shade of harvest gold. 


The thrft store stemware was dirt cheap. 
because avocado green glasses aren't much  in demand these days.

Gee, I wonder why...


and the flatware was borrowed from a friend of mine. 
It's from her Great Wedding Adventure of 1974.


The rest of the table was filled with icons of 1974.

Like mellow mushrooms. 

Little tidbit: The Mellow Mushroom pizza place is having their 40th anniversary this week, too. The first one opened right around the corner from the husband's house in Atlanta forty years ago yesterday. Cool, huh?


Our little mushroom isn't very mellow at all. 

The happy little pitcher belonged to my grandmother.
 She had a whole set of canisters to match it,  but we couldn't find them.  


 So we used a harvest gold fondue pot for the centerpiece instead.  


What could be more iconic of 1974 than a fondue pot?

Maybe these two crafty staples of the era...


I cannibalized an unloved thrift store plant holder to make those napkin rings.  

And yes, I do realize that they wouldn't have stuffed 
 two different napkins in there in  1974.

Maybe they should have.

I think a little napkin bling kinda jazzes up That '70s Table.


Of course, the Sunshine On My Shoulders helped a little too. 


And that's the way it is, 
Thursday, August 21, 2014.

The day we celebrated with an anniversary table. 


Maybe it doesn't rise to the level of a 
 beautiful one... 



But it sure was  fun!

Happy Anniversary 
from our table to yours!

*****
Sharing with the Porch People
for Tablescape Thursday

39 comments:

Deanna Rabe - Creekside Cottage Blog said...

That was a beautiful table circa 1974!

I remember the colors and the mushrooms! My mom was into browns so we had a lot of that in our house. I remember my parents did macrome' plant hangers, and they made candles in old cardboard milk cartons. I remember they tossed in ice cubes here and there and when it all cooled and the ice was melted there were groovy holes in the wax!

This has been a fun blast from the past!

Deanna

Ann said...

Oh, my....shades of wedding gifts 1975! I think I finally got rid of the last vestiges of Harvest Gold and Avocado Green in the last decade. LOL!

You DID set a beautiful table, Debbie! ...and yes, the Fondue Pot was definitely a '70's fixture. I think we got three as wedding gifts. I kept only the stainless steel one.

As for the macrame pot holder....I was the maker of them in my house...I also still have one. :)

Fun trip down memory lane!

Cheers!

Debbie said...

Oh believe it or not I was a newly wed in l975 and had a whole bunch of those mushroom decorations...the canisters were among them. I wonder what in the world became of any of them? haha How fun this is! I think the table is DARLING...Enjoy!

http://bitsandpieces-sonja.blogspot.com/ said...

Oh boy, did we ever have the avocado and gold... everywhere!! I love your table, you did it just right, and for no money. I have never felt the same about avocado green and gold since those days, but I do love avocados, and it's for sure I like gold, especially in the bank! :) Nice stroll down memory lane...

Lory at Designthusiasm said...

Omg, so creative! The colors are perfect!! Somehow you managed to completely pull off an homage to the 70s and still make it look updated and pretty as well. Well done!!

Ann @ Corner of Plaid and Paisley said...

Boy you really captured the essence of the 70's!!! I can remember my mom - who was not much of a decorator - redoing the bathroom in avocado green - she loved that bathroom!! You found some great nostalgic pieces that really sing the era! Fun Table!

Creations By Cindy said...

Oh my word I love this 70's tablescape! Made my heart leap! I married in 1977 but I can so remember the colors and decor used. Not just by me, but my mom and grandmother! This has brought back some fun memories for me! Hugs and blessings, Cindy

Vee said...

I remember it all and, since autumn colors are my favorites, I've felt a little lost since the 70s. I love your 40th anniversary in Georgia table. I really do find it beautiful! Well done!

Lorrie said...

Talk about a trip down Memory Lane. I graduated from high school in 1974. Our home was filled with those colours. I still have a fondue pot from my in-laws in avocado that could be a twin of yours. I never liked those colours much for myself and was glad when everything moved on.

Unknown said...

Thanks for the trip down memory lane! I love, love, love your table. We did not have avocado or gold in our home or my mom's. I got married in 1977 and blue was my color and still is my favorite. But I do remember my Aunt having all her appliances in gold!
This was so much fun!
Blessings My Friend,

Wanda @weekendwanderlust.co said...

Love this table post, it was humorous, thoughtful and definitely a blast to the past. I do remember all the gold, green and orange. Tupperware was all the rage and gas prices went from 25 to 50 cents a gallon. The short stocky wine glass with green base, is from the Mosel wine region of Germany. the glass probably arrived in the US from an Army soldier stationed there. I know this because we have some.

All The Pretty Dishes said...


Great idea! This makes me want to bring out my first set of dishes from 1975. I still have them, they are a hideous shade of green with pink flowers. I once tried to sell them to Replacements.com but they told me there was no interest in that pattern. I wonder why.
Thanks for the trip down memory lane, i enjoyed it.
Randee

Sharon said...

Maybe I'm just stuck in the 70's, but I loved this table! It's funny, but I really and truly do like the color combo of yellow and green and orange. And, of course, this decade is a favorite of mine.

You know, I have a whole set of avocado green glasses from my mom. I really love them. I think the green goes well with my brown, bear-claw dinnerware and pine cone silverware. It's a mountain theme thing going on! And you know what, my new daughter-in-law loved those glasses so much that I gave her some of them, too!

Keep on truckin' 70's - you rock!

Congrats on the anniversary. Although in my opinion, Georgia should be celebrating the arrival of YOU! Just sayin'...

:-)

Sharon said...

OH!! Mod Podge! Yay - my decoupage fix arrived!

I can now venture out into my day complete.

Christine said...

Harvest Gold, avocado green, macrame, Mod Podge and Disco music playing in the background, now that is a 70's party at it's finest!

Chatty Crone said...

I love this table - I love the colors and gee you have been doing this a long time.

I have to tell you - I had my son August 20, 1974 - I know exactly where I was.

Glad to see you here.

Anonymous said...

I LOVE IT!!!!

CarolM

corners of my life said...

Nothing like harvest gold and avocado green to take you right back in time . . .

Denise said...

Wow sister, what a fabulous blast from the past. While I didn't have a home of my own yet, I still remember all of this 70's stuff. The table is just a perfect way for us to celebrate our 40th anniversary in Georgia. Weren't daisies popular in the
70's too? LOVE this table. Thanks for reminiscing with us.

PS If you were outside taking these pictures then you definitely had sunshine on your shoulders. It's been SO hot here.
Hope you didn't end up with heat stroke!

Lynn said...

Hey now, I'm lovin' the avocado green glasses! Your setting is groovy and congrats for staying within your budget:@)

Anonymous said...

Great job, Debbie! You really hit the nail on the head!
My favorite part, though is the setting.... beautiful piney woods around your beautiful house!

Elizabeth Dianne said...

This just shows how talented you really are. Anyone who can take harvest gold, avocado green and orange and make it attractive is especially gifted! Love the sentiment behind this!!

Unknown said...

This table takes me back to that era.I think my mom had a gold fondue pot.wasn't that fun when you had guests over and we would all do our own fondues?Susie

Mrs. Kelley Dibble said...

I love ALL these colors! Mom had her kitchen redone in all of them in the '70s! They're her favorite colors today-- reds, oranges, browns and avocados! LOVE 'em!

Your table turned out SOOOOO cute!

Hugs and happy weekend,
Kelley~

Janet Martin said...

WOW! you captured the '70's perfectly. thank-you for a trip down memory lane!...and I agree with Elizabeth. this is so pretty!!

kitty@ Kitty's Kozy Kitchen said...

Oh my goodness, Debbie, that was so much fun! You brought the 70's back in perfect style with the right colors, dish pattern and the creative us of the fondue pot. The whole table just made me smile and I know that you so enjoyed finding all the right pieces. All bet everyone that helped you, had the best time, too. I hope you link this to Kathleen's party next Wednesday!!
Happy weekend to you! xo

kitty@ Kitty's Kozy Kitchen said...

Oh gosh, I forgot to mention the macrame.... I was busy back in the 70's making planter holders, with beads, in the evenings, after my babies were asleep. Oh, the memories......

Scribbler said...

A blast from the past! Your table is very pretty, I think -- I'd much rather see it on the table than on my kitchen appliances or bath fixtures!

Ah macrame -- I sold a lot of it in my little shop I had back in the day. I never did lear to do it.

Nikki (Sarah) said...

all incredibly stunning!!!!!!

Aims Pyrex Passion said...

Hi Debbie, I'm visiting from Creations By Cindy photography. Your tablescape is very beautiful. Great job on the napkin rings. Gerbera daisies are one of my favorites. The mushroom pitcher took me back to my childhood. My mother decorated her kitchen in Orange & Brown, accented with Mushrooms. Thanks for the fond memories.
Have The Best Day Ever.
Aim

bj said...

This so looks like so many tables I've had back in the 70's...only YOURS is a LOT prettier. :)

Michele M./ Finch Rest said...

Awesome table from yesteryear....and guess what? Little Debbie's diary? I had that exact one! I am a couple years older than you and I love your diary and feelings...but the very best thing is the look you are giving your handsome groom. What a look of love! And that you still have that love, just so awesome.

God bless you both.

Denise at Forest Manor said...

Okay Debbie, you absolutely nailed this 70's tablescape with the colors and styles of the decade!! So perfect! It looks straight out of the Brady Bunch!

I laughed when I saw that fondue pot and the little mellow mushroom mug. :-D My parents had a fondue pot, and we used it for several years (or so it seemed to me at the time). I think ours was avocado green.

I just love the little mushroom mug, and I know I've seen that design on canister sets in the past. You might remember that when our kitchen was renovated two years ago, we found those same lovely colors underneath the 90's wallpaper and inside the pantry/broom closet. I can't say I was sorry to see them go. :)

I know you must have had great fun putting this table together, and I'm so impressed that you did it for $10.00. Way to go -- after all we're in just a wee bit of a recession now, wouldn't you say?

Thanks for sharing, Debbie; I really enjoyed this.

Hugs,

Denise

Yellow Rose Arbor said...

I thought I had left a comment, but don't see it here. You did a "groovy" job on this! (Wasn't groovy a word from the 70s?) Hee-hee! I enjoyed seeing all those fun things from the past! I had ALL of that in our home back then too! What fun!

Thanks for taking me back!

Katherine

Manuela@A Cultivated Nest said...

Oh my gosh! So cute! I love that little mushroom pitcher filled with flowers and the fondue pot is just genius! I love all that vintage retro goodness :)

Bargain Decorating with Laurie said...

Oh how fun! I still have some avocado green stems that were wedding gifts (I know, you're not surprised I still have them). I thought our avocado green refrigerator would never stop working. We weren't about to buy a new one until the old one gave out. Back then, I would never have thought to paint it. I got two fondue pots for wedding gifts (we got married in 1969). I still have one of them, but I haven't used it for fondue in years. This table is so clever and so much fun. I love it! laurie

Deborah Montgomery said...

What a great table! Brings back a lot of memories. Making macrame belts with beads . . . those mushrooms. I have to say, that was an ugly decade, the clothes were some of the worst . . . haha!

Sharlotte said...

Oh my gosh, I remember these things! I had forgotten about mushrooms. My mother decorated with them inside and outside the house!
I love this table, a great tribute to the 70's!

Tanna said...

Oh, Debbie... I've read each and every post since my last visit (Big Boys took their Noni right away from the computer and just like you... I have almost NO photos to show for those wonderful fun days!... but, I do have the memories!). LOVE the post about Sir Lotsa Hair... and how we SEARCH... Amen. I think I REMEMBER sooner... but, I still forget... that He has better plans than I could ever have imagined. And, He loves me and wants what's best...
LOVE the diary snippets... LOL! I feel pretty sure I could spot some of those myself. LOL!
So glad you enjoyed our Congress' recess. ;) blessings and hugs ~ tanna

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