Did you know that back in the day when men carried knives and weapons around with them all the time they would put their knives up on the table when sitting down to eat. If they were amongst friends, they would put the sharp edge of the blade in towards the plate to show that they did not mean to threaten their friends. This has stayed true throughout the centuries. When setting the table the knife blade should be turned in. The water glass should sit directly above the knife. Your plate and silverware should be about 1″ from the edge of the table. Setting a table does not need to be too difficult. When dining with family and friends keeping the setting simple can look chic. Use a clean, pressed napkin which can be placed to the left side of the plate with the fork or even on top of the plate. A good sized tumbler can work double duty for water, juice, tea or soda. Pepper and salt for seasoning is nice to have on the table, whether in shakers or here I have a shaker and salt cellar. If you are having something that you think everyone will want to salt, like say corn or fish, placing a salt cellar at each place setting is a nice touch. When someone asks you to pass the salt, always pass the salt and the pepper together. – Lynn Butler Beling

(Plates, glass tumblers, silverware, napkins, pepper grinder and salt cellar are all from my shop, Little Blue Dish.)