Colorwave is one of my favorite sets of dinnerware. Noritake is a brand that you might see stamped on your Grandmother’s china. It has a long history, as well as being a modern choice for your household.

The color selections are very contemporary. Choose from a blue, chocolate, cream, graphite, green, lilac, mint, mustard, peach, raspberry, sky or suede. You can buy them in a complete 16 piece set, 4 piece place setting, or as individual pieces.

Personally, I bought mine as individual pieces. One reason is I can mix and match colors. This really breathes new life into an otherwise boring week night dinner. No need to run to the store for flowers when you are using your dinnerware as a decorative accent.

The second thing that I love about Colorwave is that you can get round and square plates. You can use one shape as serving dishes and the other for dinner plates. Imagine mixing shapes and colors too. The possibilities are truly endless. I like to use a large round plate and top with a square salad plate.

And my very favorite part about this Noritake dinnerware is that you also have accent plates for each color. The accent plates match the color scheme, but are different than the rest of the plates. For instance, the sky has a blue poppy flower on a barely there blue background while the suede has a tan daisy.  Don’t like flowers? Take a look at the other colors that are available, not all accent plates have flowers or images on them. However they all add to the ambiance that Colorwave provides. The accent plates are great for serving appetizers on or to set the table with. It really makes this dinnerware unique.

There are white plates with a thin rim of color or ones with a thick rim of color that are round. Matching salt and pepper shakers, sugar bowl, and other serving dishes. I like to take a rice bowl, fill it with water and place a few flowers or floating candles in it as a centerpiece.

I love the matching pitcher. It’s perfect for putting in ice water and topping with fresh mint, lemon balm, or even basil. You and your friends will find yourself actually drinking enough water because it tastes so good!

Make sure to check out the Dinnerware Center website while Colorwave is on sale. The sale ends May 31, 2010.

Posted by Myriam under Decorations & dinnerware | 2 Comments »

I had my big Halloween extravaganza last night, the annual Gothic dinner party. I invited 12 people for a total of 13 including me - a perfect number for Halloween. Everyone comes dressed in black, and a few guests add makeup and accessories to create a costume as well. The table was covered with a black table cloth that was accented with small gold one to cover the center of the table. The only lights in the room were witch hat string lights and candles everywhere (especially the dinner table). The lightning machines behind the graveyard scene covering the windows looked like a spooky storm, complete with thunder sounds. Like I’ve said before, setting the scene is one of the most important parts of a successful Halloween party.

I love the new rolls of Halloween scenery you can buy this year. Various scenes that are 4 feet tall and the rolls have 50 yards of it. I covered one entire wall with a spooky forest theme at the top with a graveyard scene below. It’s an amazing effect, since it’s on one of the biggest walls in the room.

Over the front windows I have scary ghosts panels and when the lights are on inside, you see the ghosts and tombstones glow outside. It’s a great effect inside and out. I found some spider web lace panels at a fabric store and used that as sheers for the remaining windows. Add as many jack-o-lanterns as there are surfaces, a raven with blinking red eyes, and obligatory skeleton and you’ve created your own haunted house.

On the table I used regular dinner plates as base plates, water glasses, wine glasses, and a full set of silver for the evening. It’s important to have as much done ahead of time as possible. Each guest brings a dish and I have a multitude of slow cookers ready to keep each course warm until we’re ready to serve it. This year I broke my cardinal rule of starting off any dinner party with an empty dishwasher. Don’t make my mistake. It’s a beautiful thing to fill up your dishwasher as you clear each course. It makes end of the evening clean up a breeze.

Black and grey is a great color scheme to theme your Halloween table. Check out the Noritake Black Pepper or Stone Charcoal patterns. If you’re looking for some cool dishes for your Halloween party it’s a perfect place to start.

Here’s my Halloween dinner menu:

• A shot of pomegranate liquor to start out the meal in an ice skull

• Tossed mixed greens with an orange vinaigrette decorated with berry ‘eyes’

• Spicy tomato soup garnished with radish-olive eyes

• Dead Man’s Ribs and Veggie Loaf Coffins

• Whole Cauliflower cooked in a tomato olive sauce as a bloody brain

• Spooktacular Mashed Potatoes - I left out the eggs, used coconut milk and earth balance to make it vegan

• Gluten Free Corn Muffin Bats and Ghosts

• Gluten Free Brownies

• Meringue Bones stuffed with raspberry jam

• Vegan Apple Crumb Pie

• a liberal amount of a sparkling Sauvignon blanc and Devils punch

I hope that my party menu inspires you to have your own Halloween soirée this week.

Posted by Myriam under Fall Entertaining & Halloween & Holiday Entertaining & Party Food & Table Setting | 1 Comment »