Placesettings: Plaid with philosophizing

Vintage plaids have been catching my eye lately. Plaid robes. Plaid scarves. Plaid afghans. Plaid Pendleton shirts.

So it was hardly surprising that this rich cotton plaid tablecloth stopped me in my tracks at the thrift store. At $4 it wasn’t a massive splurge. But I put in back on the rack four times before I listened to my intuition.

I’m glad I said “yes”. This new, made in India cotton tablecloth is smashingly good with Fire King jadeite. It even makes oatmeal look special.

I think it’s going to be a fall favorite.

And I learned something about myself and creativity.

Sometimes I get too rigid about matching colors and eras. Typically I only buy vintage tablecloths. The colors have to match. This tablecloth is new, the color isn’t a perfect match, and yet I love the finished combination. I need to be more open to possibilities. If it hadn’t worked with my dishes I’d still have lots of wonderful plaid fabric to repurpose. It was a win/win.

Where do you need to listen to the little voice of intuition? Be brave. Step outside your comfort zone. Try something new. You might just love the results.