happy

thanksgiving

table: victoria thorne design

photo: rick e. martin

little stories

a place for thanksgiving 

here

[scroll down a bit: circa the 2005 Mercury News]

table: victoria thorne design

photo: rick e. martin

all the strong things of her heart

she had only to stand in the orchard, to put her hand on a little crab tree and look up at the apples, 
to make you feel the goodness of planting and tending and harvesting

-my antonia, willa cather

thanksgiving table setting: victoria thorne design

photo: rick e. martin for the mercury news

the soul selects her own society

emily dickinson

thanksgiving table setting: victoria thorne design

photo: rick e. martin for the mercury news

wisp

so many people keep talking about happiness. i love happiness. 

who doesn't? 

but what it is, perhaps, that we are all really talking about- i have begun to think it is really peace: that happiness is the upward part of peace, the clear and present joy part of peace. it's so measurable! the other kinds of peace seem less quantifiable. 

so when we think we are not happy enough, we can begin to think, instead: what peace am i missing? 

where is the bit of peace in this moment, or this hour, or this day? 

when we begin to be able to find that peace, happiness sits like a wisp upon it. 

try this, maybe.

happiness may already be right where you are. i think it is a strong possibility.

 thanksgiving table setting: victoria thorne design

photo: rick e. martin for the mercury news

for halcyon skies

happy fourth of july

poem: emily dickinson. spoon & fork: design, victoria thorne; photography, rick martin. 

grateful

antilope and gardenia

production and style: victoria thorne

for the mercury news

photography: rick martin

Oscar Story, Retold

One more look

at the Oscars shoot

for the Mercury News.

concept, style:

victoria thorne

photography:

rick e. martin

sideways

oscars

(a few years ago)

for the merc

the wine bottle to the right has

has a handmade label created

(by yours truly) as a mock-up

for the modern art council

of the

sfmoma

merc. news hat-tip

to mr. charles

(oscars)

Oscars for Milk?

This Oscar moment, above, was in honor

of Mr. Hughes and Mr. DiCaprio, and

the homage wouldn't have been complete

without Howard's favorite beverage.

This year, it's all about Milk, again...

but the players have changed.

Sean Penn's brilliant portrayal of Harvey Milk

has garnered him another nomination for Best Actor.

The film itself received eight nominations.

Clicking each of the Oscar photos, here and following,

will allow you to examine everything in detail.

(This one's especially full of vintage goodies.)

concept and style: victoria thorne

photography: rick e. martin

A Little Limoges: Picnic In the English Countryside

styled this for the mercury news, a few years ago

Vintage Elegance: Party with Oscar

this weekend,

i'll be running photos

from an Oscar Party

shoot (merc. news) that

i put together a bit ago

the gloves belonged

to my grandmother.

the rest of it: found.

it was a fun shoot

to shop for, 'tho there

wasn't a ton of time

to do so. still: a

perfectly delightful

experience, thanks

to the team.

Chicago, Chicago

Place Setting: the souvenir plate from Chicago, the vintage German linens and silk ribbon...all purchased on eBay. Black and white polka-dot porcelain from Japan. Beige bisque dish is graced by Molly Pitcher. (Our cannoneer is not seen, but her presence is felt: my mother finds the most incredible goodies, always has, and Molly is one of them.) The pilgrims grace an early 20th century guide to Plymouth, Mass.

Holiday Plates: How to Dress Up Your Table Before the Bird Arrives

dearest readers:

all of the place settings

posted in the next few days were

created by

victoria thorne,

&

photographed by

rick martin

hope they provide great

inspiration and joy

during your holidays!

above:

mim's plate | quail and olive

"...a Stunning Thanksgiving Table"

Kim Boatman, Rick Martin, and I teamed up several times to present holiday tables (and other bits of decoration, for other bits of holidays) for the Mercury News. It was a wonderful undertaking, and involved a bit of hard work and preparation...

All fun, because it was a most excellent team. I believe we enjoyed working together and came up with some pretty good stuff. The Merc liked us. We were asked to cover a number of holidays after another.

I was the designer/stylist/prop master, Rick the photographer, Kim the writer. They are both magnificent. It was a great lark; and, now, when October rolls around, I grow somewhat nostalgic for the tables. As luck would have it, a few still seem to exist on the web.

Herewith, the Seattle Times version of one of the Thanksgiving Tables. Enjoy! Just Click.