One of my favourite parts of setting tables is seeking out unusual accessories –  salt and pepper shakers, open salts and small dishes. I thought would be fun to do a post on just those, as people often ask where I get them. The answer? All over the place. At the bottom of the post I’ve shown a list of sources, as well as giving links to current offerings within the post. The acorn set above is by Spode.

Fitz & Floyd are into the ceramic sets in a big way. They have a Harvest Collection featuring pheasants. I have the salt & pepper, which came on its own under plate and a pheasant candy dish. 

In putting together this post, I noticed some themes emerging. Squirrels, for one. This little guy, a frequent visitor on my tables, is from Pottery Barn years ago:

And this pewter squirrel on a tree stump is from Vagabond House – a great source for all manner of pewter table accessories.

Mushrooms are another fall theme, so this set from Pottery Barn years ago often makes an appearance.

Then there is a whole birds theme! It turns out I have quite a few birds 🙂  This cobalt one, which I often use in the summer, would be good for fall themes involving blue tablescapes.

These little birds came from Blantyre, a wonderful country house hotel in Lenox, Mass. I picked them up many years ago. If you look closely you can see the chew marks from Churchill on the tail of one of the birds. Sigh. Golden retriever puppies will chew anything…

And of course, the noble rooster. I got these at Williams Sonoma a few years ago. I notice I don’t have a turkey set – must rectify that.

For fall, we often turn to natural elements such as wood and horn.  

And pumpkins!

Sometimes I use things that really didn’t start out as salt cellars, such as these little hedgehogs. They’re actually candle holders.

Small bowls, lidded or not, are very versatile and suit many different tables. I have some purpose-built open salts and others are just small condiment bowls.

I’ve had these cast iron wheelbarrows for a long time and they work well in both summer and fall settings.

Animals creep into a lot of my tables, like this dog from Ballard Designs and a chubby boar from Pier 1.

And I got a set of hares and another set of wolves from Vagabond House. You will see them in an upcoming table. Stay tuned!

Are you excited for fall? I am!  We are hosting our family Thanksgiving Dinner this weekend, so I’m now off to the kitchen to start making Pumpkin Pie and Carrot Cake. I did a large batch of Sausage Stuffing with Apples, Celery and Cranberries before I left for England and froze it, so that’s all set. The Cranberry Chutney ready, too. We are picking up the fresh turkey and all of the vegetables today. It’s going to be a zoo here tomorrow, but the best kind 🙂

Have a good weekend everyone!

I’m sharing this post with Between Naps on the Porch.

Sources include: eBay, Amazon.com, Ballard Design, Etsy, Pier 1, World Market,  Pottery Barn, Williams Sonoma, Replacements.com, Vagabond House, The Source Collection