Autumn Soup Tablescape

This past Sunday was the first chilly day we have had this fall season so I knew I wanted to enjoy a bowl of hot soup with the Sunday football.  I'm still on the blue and white dinnerware kick and set the table with that dinnerware and burlap linens.

Candles should not be burned during the daylight hours unless it's a very overcast day or the blinds are drawn.  Okay, so I drew the blinds.

Monogram everything, especially the napkins rings!

I used my Wedgwood "Woodland" soup plates and Johnson Brothers "Blue Willow" dinner plates as underplates.

Social Graces 101 tip:  

There is of course proper etiquette to be followed when eating soup:

At an informal meal you may serve soup in a soup plate on top of an underplate and provide an oval soup spoon.  You will spoon the soup away from you and place the soup spoon on the underplate between sips or when finished.

This is the resting and finished position of the spoon on the underplate at an informal meal.

At a formal dinner, soup must be served in a soup bowl with an underplate and a round/cream soup spoon provided.  Again place the soup spoon on the underplate between sips or when finished.

This is the resting and finished position of the spoon on the underplate at a formal meal.

Mama usually uses seasonal dinnerware for her meals.  On Sunday I changed things up a bit for her and used cute blue and white paper products from Target.

So, remember to practice proper soup etiquette:

Hold the spoon just like a pencil between your index and middle fingers with the thumb up.  Spoon the soup away from you toward the center of the bowl.  Don't fill the soup spoon completely full.  Place the soup spoon on the plate in the 10:20 "I am finished" position in between sips and when you have finished.  Never leave a soup spoon in a soup bowl.  Also, do not blow on your soup to cool it down and do not slurp your soup.

Enjoy the soup season!