We are fortunate to have an avid fisherman for a neighbor who does not care for salmon. Yesterday he generously offered us a freshly caught king salmon which we decided to share. For a quick table setting I chose a runner that I made in 2010 and have used many times, because it works best with the dahlias that are just coming on in the garden and the honeysuckle that is starting to fade. There has been such a lull in dinner parties lately that finding the gray runner in the closet was like meeting an old friend that I hadn't seen for a while. I grabbed the gray plates and the pink glasses and that was that...a simple table that came together in a familiar way.
After taking the photos, I went back and found older pictures of the same settings with a different centerpiece. I used stargazer lilies in a larger, more elaborate arrangement (although still with honeysuckle) and pillar candles instead of the little pink tealights, but otherwise everything was similar.
Each table is always a little different, and new elements always add fun and energy to the process, but sometimes falling back on old stand-bys is the best way forward.