Linen Napkins

*even for a simple breakfast with last night’s leftover salad (always get the greens in), linen napkins on the regular*

*breakfast poolside with scratch sourdough, scrambled eggs, bacon, and eggs, unironed linen*

I can’t quite remember when we fully switched to always using linen napkins three times a day, it simply seems like forever ago.

They add so much civility to mealtime, and they are such an integral part of setting the table. Easy to care for, machine wash and hang over a railing or lay flat to dry (of course they can and often do go in the dryer depending on who’s doing the wash or how careless I might be), I simply fold them in squares and stack them in a drawer until ready to go. When the kids were little, I used to iron everything in sight, now I only iron if it’s a rarified occasion.

They can be reused for the same dining guest over the course of the day by simply folding and placing on the chair until the next go-round, know this sounds kind of not clean but it’s really okay, especially if you are pod living like we’ve been, same dining guests time after time. At the end of the day gather them up and throw them in the wash with that day’s kitchen linens, easy.

brought these red linen napkins home from Spain. purchased them for Thanksgiving dinner at home in a rented apartment while Caroline was studying abroad, so many good memories, brought them out for outdoor dining this past winter

One of my favorite things to do when traveling is to buy local linens, use them while on location as we are usually in a house rental cooking many of our own meals, and pack them up for home to bring back all the good memories.

*new blue tablecloth and five napkins, might have to source seven more*

*view from our cottage at Montage Palmetto Bluff* *(we had room service, it was lovely)*

Just recently I picked up a blue linen tablecloth and five napkins (odd number, I know, it’s all they had in stock) at The Paris Market at Montage Palmetto Bluff. We were driving back to Buffalo NY from Florida by way of South Carolina, stopping for a few nights to break up the journey. Looking forward to using these out at the country house this summer.

*really well loved grey washed Italian linen with newspaper on the table for a kitchen clambake (wouldn’t want to use new or precious linen when eathing shellfish with lots of melted butter)*

*ski house breakfast (notice the double OJ, might have been a fun night) and bright persimmon linen (yes, I do drive my linens around town)*

*more of a burnt orange here, bought thes on sale at Williams Sonoma, always good to stock up*. *LOVE these orange water glasses, these I bought for a wedding shower dinner party at Hudson Grace (*unfortunately,*they arrived late, covid shipping delay, kept them anyway)*

*this lavender shade I bought on sale at Hudson Grace, I think I bought all they had in stock, kids made the place tags with craft paper, kitchen twine, sprigs of rosemary*

bright persimmon for at home birthday dinner (check out the mini party hats and the gummi candines!) and those beloved orange glasses. we have so many family dinners and birthday dinners at home, a well-stocked linen pantry is key.

*casual countryside soup and sandwich lunch with homegrown flowers and unironed linen. little things make a significant difference.*

Now my adult children use linen napkins on the daily too, and I couldn’t be happier. One small way to make the day better. Two linen napkin resources I use often: Williams Sonoma and Hudson Grace.