Fluttering in the Breeze

A host of golden daffodils;

Beside the lake, beneath the trees,

Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

William Wordsworth

Warm days have enticed me out into the garden.

There is much work to be done after Old Man Winters visit.

What joy it is to see a bit of color popping up here and there.

My garden may not be a masterpiece, but it does feed my soul.

How appropriate that today's page on my

Mary Engelbreit desk calendar features daffodils.

Click the links below to see what others

are sharing for these weekly memes.

Cherry Chick for M. E. Mondays

Boogieboard Cottage for Masterpiece Monday

Little Red House for Mosaic Monday

A Woman of Notes for Slow Simple Pleasures

Cherry ~ Cherry Pie

~ Presidents' Day ~

Monday, February 21, 2011

Mondays are also the day to celebrate

the art of Mary Engelbreit over at The Cherry Chick.

With both in mind,

I've set the table with what else but ~

CHERRIES, of course!

Vintage linens, black and white checks, tartan plaid,

and Mary Engelbreit's own cherry inspired dishes.

Definitely a Mary Engelbreit sort of table!

A vintage cloth 
with sassy lacy details . . .

Holds its own below black ruffled

placemats and a bold tartan plaid charger.

Dinner Plate

Salad Plate

Soup or Cereal Bowl

All layered to give the classic 
Mary Engelbreit look.

Add a bit of vintage 
mother of pearl flatware . . .

And a spoon with 
ginkgo leaf detail . . .

A bit more touch of 
tartan plaid for good measure . . .

And a bit more black and white
in my favorite Courtly Check.

The special touch 
of a vintage toast rack . . .

Paired with the acorn leaf details of my

favorite butter knife finish off the setting.

As you munch on a bite of bread and butter before

lunch, lean in closely, I've a little secret to share.

All the dishes on this table were "thrifty" finds!

"Goodwill Hunting" @ 99¢ a piece.

Oh, is that bowl still empty?

How about a cherry pie . . .

To finish out the layers for this

Very Cherry Day!

French Toast ~ A Favorite

Sharing my favorite breakfast food today.

I fixed a special tray just for you.

F is for my Favorite

~ French Toast ~

It's certainly no secret among my friends that one of my favorite foods is French Toast. If it's on a menu, that's usually what I order when we go out to eat breakfast.

But you can see this isn't exactly what

comes to mind when one says, "French Toast!"

No, indeed!

Since you've stopped by for a visit I've pulled out some essential ingredients to make us a little treat this morning. Most any bread works for this dish, but I like to use challah bread in thick slices so it's nice and fluffy.

While you're here you may stay in our "French" guest room. I'll just bring up a breakfast tray with a pot of rich fresh ground coffee and a glass of chilled orange juice.

Just for you, I've used French linens. The napkin ring is also French.

F. L. G.

I have a group of French napkin rings that I've found when exploring weekend brocante markets in France. I like to think about who might have owned these little rings of silver and have a bit of fun imagining whose monogram is delicately engraved upon them. This one I think must have once belonged to Françoise Louise Gauthier.

I like to top French toast with a bit of

mascarpone cheese and fresh berries.

But I also like to eat my French Toast with lots

of confectioners sugar and a little maple syrup.

What do you like on your French Toast?

French Toast is a rich, sweet dish,

so I like to add a side of sausage with mine.

Americans eat French Toast for breakfast,

but the French like to offer it as a dessert.

They refer to it as pain perdu, or "lost bread".

I tucked in the new issue of Phyllis Hoffman's Celebrate Spring for a little reading pleasure.

Enough of my talking, you must be ready to eat.

Settle in and enjoy your own plate of French Toast.

Bon appétit!

There on the bed resting on the pillows are Brigitte, Gabrielle le chat, and Zoé le lapin. You can read about them here.

Linking to:

Pink Saturday @ How Sweet the Sound

A Few of My Favorite Things @ Bargain Hunting & Chatting With Laurie since French Toast is my favorite breakfast food.

Sunday Favorites @ Happy to Design, where Cherry invites us to share a previous post.

Seasonal Sunday @ The Tablescaper because I love French Toast on Sundays any Season of the Year.

RED ON RED, by Stephanie Hoppen

RED ON RED

By Stephanie Hoppen

Available here on Amazon.

With February being the month to celebrate RED and Pink, I went to my bookshelf to pull out one of my favorite decorating books to share for FFT. RED ON RED, as the sub title says, is all about "creating stunning interiors using reds and pinks."

Poppies in Santa Fe, NM

This is definitely the go to book for inspiration if one wants to add the punch of red into one's life. Gorgeous photos fill the pages of this book starting off with a a double page spread of a painting of a single poppy by Galley.

Original Oil by Fatima Ronquillo

With occasional text of descriptions and decorating philosophy, the author shares examples of the various emotions RED elicits when used in decorating one's home, and illustrates how RED will provide a variety of style or set various moods.

There are plenty examples of rooms painted or draped in vibrant Red, but for those of us who aren't adventuresome enough to live wrapped in walls of red, Ms Hoppen offers a wealth of eye candy though other details.

It is RED used as an accent color brought in through simple details and accessories that peeks my interest, and there is no shortage of exquisite RED details and accessories within the pages of this book.

Stephanie Hoppen 

covers styles from Baroque to Gypsy.

Accents can be as simple 

as a stack of books with RED spines . . .

To hand-painted 

details on furniture . . .

It might be a cachepot 

for a house plant or . . .

Stylized flowers 

holding court on a bookshelf to . . .

Fresh flowers 

in a vase.

Details might 

offer a touch of romance . . .

A bit of mystique . . .

Or the whimsy of 

folk art from a foreign country.

Textiles such 

as vintage quilts . . .

Or accent pillows . . .

Provide details that offer 

a chance to layer textures of RED.

Fresh fruits and vegetables 

on a kitchen counter . . .

Jars of 

pickled peppers . . .

A bowl of fresh red cherries ~

Ms Hoppen suggests it's easy to bring in touches of RED.

The glorious photos throughout the pages of RED ON RED illustrate how occasions of entertaining in our homes offer the perfect opportunity to bring in the energy and the glamor of RED.

Be it a party theme 

that features RED . . .

A simple accent 

of RED through a textile . . .

RED accented china . . .

Photo Courtesy of Susan @ BNOTP

Or gorgeous Ruby RED stems of crystal.

RED definitely makes a statement at a dinner party.

And that brings us to Food For Thought in RED ON RED.

Rather than a table of RED accents, this year's Valentine's Day table at HFTS was set with a theme of chocolate brown and gold ruffles as a nod to those RED heart shaped boxes full of ruffled golden foil cups of delectable chocolates. It was the . . .

~ Red Velvet Cup Cakes ~

The sweet ending that 

presented the piece de resistance of RED.

My dear friend Maggie @ Normandy Life also baked Red Velvet Cupcakes for her Tea Time For My Valentine post that you can visit here. Maggie's are much prettier than mine, but I'm serving just as she did, one for you, one for me, and one to share.

RED ON RED

is a beautiful decorating book that will feed your soul.

Next Food For Thought ~ March 1st

Click here to add a book review of your own.

Jain @ Food For Thought

Mary @ Home is Where the Boat Is

Clink the links below to join the following parties this week:

REDnesday @ It's a Very Cherry World

Wow US Wednesday @ Savvy Southern Style

Friday

Feathered Nest Friday @ French Country Cottage

Home Sweet Home @ The Charm of Home

Friday Favorites @ Whistlestop Cafe Cooking

Show & Tell Friday @ My Romantic Home