Adding to the mix of fresh-cut flowers: nasturtiums. Beautiful and better yet, edible. Think baby greens, flash-seared salmon, or a peppery broth for mussels. Jaithan, be a lamb, won't you?

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Okay, Bridezilla. I know they're pretty, but I've got a table setting to do, so give 'em back! Scene: Me, toting basket, chasing him through yard. A few moments later…     

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From my garden to the table: an assemblage of vintage high and low. The porcelain basket I found at a flea market in Paris; the canary yellow cloth at a Goodwill upstate. Casually formal. Formally casual. A mix of summery hues and period styles, where formality fades at every turn.  

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First, from our Etsy collection of vintage tabletop and giftware, now updated with ideas and inspiration for early fall: pearlescent Lucite napkin rings from the 1960s, together with simple cloth napkins from HomeGoods. Modern flatware, gold on steel, trumps Ivana with a more tasteful look. Nasturtiums from the garden form low, twin arrangements in antique Wedgwood cups and saucers with gold banding. Finally, a porcelain and gold leaf dish grounds the mix, while pagoda shakers add whimsy.

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Dinner will be served in the dining room, where inspiration stems from the outside in. Literally.      

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To be continued…