If I had a table, I'd put this on it . . .

The hardest thing about moving out on your own for the first time: collecting furniture. It's easy if you don't mind the hodgepodge college method of decorating - whatever you can piece together from your parents, grandparents, old roommates, furniture you found on the street corner, pulled out of the charity dumpster at the end of the school year, etc. However, if you're going for the more sophisticated look, where every piece of furniture actually coordinates, then it takes a while to get it all together.

As such, I do not have a dining table yet.

But if I had one, this would be it:

(World Market, $299)

And if I did have this table, this is what I would put on it:

It's a little odd to have a dining table center piece without a table, like putting the cart before the horse, but I think there's nothing wrong with a little forward planning.

They look just as nice on top of my bookcase until such a time as I have a table to put them on.

They are super easy to make. All you need is:

1) Decorative bottles - $6 each from Pier 1

2) Hot glue gun

3) LED candlesticks - $7 for package of two from Joann's Fabrics

4) Ribbon

Glue the cap to the bottle, let dry. Then add the batteries and replace the candlestick, give it a quarter turn back wards to disconnect the batteries. Then wrap a little ribbon around the base to hide the glue - et voila!

And when you're ready for a romantic, candle lit dinner, twist it a quarter turn to the right.

Now, all I need is the table. And maybe the guest for the romantic dinner.

I heard Johnny Depp is now free . . .