Once you’ve decided on a color palette for your table setting, it’s easy to pick up inexpensive things to bring it together. When you are out shopping- anywhere- from the grocery store to a party store to a department store, just keep your eye open for your specific colors and zero in on them. You’re likely to find something you might never considered. When out shopping at one of my favorite stores I stumbled upon these vintage little jars- tiny ones in blue and medium sized ones in white. They don’t make a large centerpiece, but what great little vases they make for the table, your nightstand or desk. For $5-15 each I couldn’t pass them up- I knew I could get a lot of use for them. So when having a friend over for tea I arranged the milk glass jars down the center with white porcelain cherry blossom flowers, $14 each, from the product gallery, and fresh muscari from my garden for the tiny blue ones. Keeping the linens creamy-white and the tea cups and plates white allowed the blue vases to pop. Slicing wedges of tangerine for our tangerine tea brought in the orange at almost no cost at all- but brings the color palette together nicely. Everyday table settings can be easy, fast and inexpensive- you don’t always have to order a big flower arrangement. White Fluted cups, saucers and dessert plates, from Royal Copenhagen (or take a look at their Blue Fluted Mega collection), vintage glass jars $5-$15 from Nellie’s of Amagansett.

Shopping like a stylist- when you are out shopping keep focused on your color palette and the occasion you are planning. You easily can get distracted looking at a shelf like this for example, but allow your eye to scan the store or shelves for your colors and focus in on them. On this shelf at Nellie’s that you see below I found both little and large blue vases and jars. I knew I wanted to use this color palette for tea so I ruled out the larger vases that would corner me into using a larger flower arrangement. I wanted tea to be quick and easy so I thought the smaller glass jars you see on the upper shelves to the left would be low and easy to fill. Remember that not everything in your color palette will work with what you have in mind, your purchases should be appropriate and usable. For example, I also saw orange handled flatware but I knew I wouldn’t use them often and they were much more expensive- then there were also vintage blue cocktail stirrers which would be great for a cocktail party, but obviously not for tea.