Wednesday, January 16, 2013

The Star of Winter



Pink Camellias




This time of year, camellia trees 

offer up a cheerful pink treat for cold winter days.




These lush pink petals 

are the stars of this week's table.




Pink Paired With My Favorite Courtly Check




More Fresh Flowers For The Table




Compliment the 

Pink Stars of the Evening




Crisp White Linen




Layers of Shiny Black, 

Courtly Check, and a Ruffled Woven Mat




Antique Ivory Salt and Pepper





Tasty Daube a la Provençal Made with Lamb

You'll find the recipe here at Dean & Deluca




Fresh Spinach with Citrus, Beets, Red Onions, and Olives




Tri-colored Roasted New Potatoes




Pink, Purple, and Cream




A Tower of Corn Muffins




Made For a Delicious Winter Dinner




Hope you have pink camellias 

blooming in your garden this winter.





Definitely Star Quality



Adding a fresh flower blossom at each place setting 

is a simple, inexpensive touch that makes an elegant statement.

Joining

Open House @ No Minimalist Here


Labels: , , , , , , ,
Sarah
Sarah

The summer we married, my husband was in graduate school, and I was employed as a teacher. We took a portion of our savings that summer and purchased a sailboat. We christened our Catalina 22, “Hyacinths For The Soul” after Saadi’s poem. Our "Hyacinths" provided years of pleasure.

64 comments:

  1. PondsideJanuary 17, 2013 at 1:21 AM

    How absolutely beautiful.
    We won't have camellias here until March, and much will depend on the weather. A wet March will mean brown and wilted camellias, but in a good year they are fabulous.
    Your table is perfectly lovely - the pink and the black, always elegant.

    ReplyDelete
  2. LynnJanuary 17, 2013 at 4:14 AM

    We don't have camellias here in Philly Sarah, they sure would be a pretty pick-me-up in winter! Your setting is beautiful, love the chicken dish:@)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Debbie@Mountain BreathsJanuary 17, 2013 at 5:15 AM

    I love how you paired the Mackenzie-Childs courtly check with the pink camelias. It really pops! I love your antique Ivory salt and pepper shakers. You have so many beautiful pieces Sarah.

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  4. TriciaJanuary 17, 2013 at 5:24 AM

    So gorgeous, Sarah! The Courtly Check looks wonderful with the bright pink! I miss camellias. We had loads when we lived in Tallahassee and Baton Rouge, but they don't seem to do well in our limestone soil here. Those must be the most beautifully presented corn muffins I've ever seen!

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  5. RonJanuary 17, 2013 at 5:29 AM

    I love camellias. They are blooming well here too. I love the pink. Have a great day. xo

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  6. RettabugJanuary 17, 2013 at 5:39 AM

    We don't have camellias in Ohio either so I really enjoyed seeing yours, especially combined with all your pretty black & white Courtly check! I love pink & black together & freq. wear that color combination.

    ♫♫ Happy *Mutual* Birthday ♫♫ tomorrow (Jan. 18th) Let's celebrate together, virtually!

    Warm Hugs,
    Rett

    ReplyDelete
  7. Cindy @ Dwellings-The Heart of Your HomeJanuary 17, 2013 at 6:14 AM

    Oh so true...winter beauties! Your menu looks sooo YUMMY and all of your pinks beautiful. Photographs capture them perfectly...
    Blessings,
    Cindy
    (love your S&P shakers!)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Shenita @ Embellishments by SLRJanuary 17, 2013 at 6:17 AM

    What a beautiful post, Sarah. My sister-in-law gave us a cutting from her camellias. I hope to have some blooms next year!

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  9. Kim @ Savvy Southern StyleJanuary 17, 2013 at 7:05 AM

    How pretty. Good to see some spring color when all we have here is gray and wet.

    ReplyDelete
  10. La Table De NanaJanuary 17, 2013 at 7:33 AM

    I love the pink white and courtly..

    It's all very Mary:)

    Thank you for the inspiration..I won't see any blooms till late April early May..

    ReplyDelete
  11. kitty@ Kitty's Kozy KitchenJanuary 17, 2013 at 7:42 AM

    Sarah, I so admire your camellias. I have never grown any, but aren't they a pretty sight on a January day?? Your post is just beautiful how you've arranged everything so artfully. What a pretty sight to see this morning. I just love your serving pieces and the layers of dishes on your ruffled placemat.

    ReplyDelete
  12. My Cozy CasitaJanuary 17, 2013 at 8:12 AM

    I love Camelia what a beautiful post I don't have camelia in Miami but whent I was living in California I do have one tree on my back yard it a beautiful and roamntic flower.
    youre arrenged so pretty!
    XO
    Isora
    Blessing
    :-)

    ReplyDelete
  13. Tammy @ A Walk in the CountrysideJanuary 17, 2013 at 8:27 AM

    BEAUTIFUL!!! I love the black with the pink flowers! I have two camelias in my yard but they just don't seem to grow very much. Blessings, Tammy

    ReplyDelete
  14. Alycia NicholsJanuary 17, 2013 at 8:50 AM

    How wonderful it must be to live in a climate where you actually get flowers in winter!!! Everything here in Missouri is a drab, uneventful brown, and it will remain that way until April when the first spring flowers poke their little heads out of the ground. I guess I'm used to it after 54 years, but it sure would be nice to see something different for a change!!! Those camellias are beautiful!!! You did an outstanding job on the whole floral centerpiece. I love the array of flowers your used with the pine cone and pear for variation. And yellow always looks so pretty, especially this time of year! Bright, beautiful colors to offset the black...so pretty! Looking at your feast, I am reminded I have not yet had breakfast. My stomach is suddenly screaming very loudly at me!!! Have a beautiful day!!!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Linda @ A La CarteJanuary 17, 2013 at 9:26 AM

    Sarah our Camellias are just starting to bloom but it's been so rainy that I've not been able to enjoy them! Love the black, white and touches of pink! You always set the loveliest of tables, and your food is also gorgeous! Enjoy your lovely french inspired table!
    hugs, Linda

    ReplyDelete
  16. Patti @ Pandoras BoxJanuary 17, 2013 at 10:12 AM

    I think I just drooled all over the keyboard! We have no flowers here, sadly to say - and we won't for quite a few months.....Lovely post showcasing your beautiful M-C ~ and the dinner looks delish!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Lynne (lynnesgiftsfromtheheart)January 17, 2013 at 10:18 AM

    Hi Sarah, what a beautiful table you'v set, your meal looks delicious, how can it not with those beautiful flowers. Thanks so much for stopping by, I'm not sure why my blog is plagued with issues of those leaving comments. Hopefully it's been fixed. hugs ~lynne ~

    ReplyDelete
  18. Penny from Enjoying The Simple ThingsJanuary 17, 2013 at 11:42 AM

    What a beautiful table Sarah! And your dinner sounds perfect for a cold winter day.

    ReplyDelete
  19. sweet violetsJanuary 17, 2013 at 11:45 AM

    Your table is so beautiful.....and the food looks even better!!!! Thank you for fussing!!! hugs...cleo

    ReplyDelete
  20. On Crooked CreekJanuary 17, 2013 at 12:03 PM

    Sarah,
    Your tablescape just seems so vividly fresh with the pop of the camellias against the courtly check dinnerware!!! Your soup, salad and cornbread make a tempting Winter's Menu choice!
    Nothing growing here on the Prairie this time of year, dear friend! But thank you for sharing your lovely blooms with us!!!
    Fondly,
    Pat

    ReplyDelete
  21. Red Couch RecipesJanuary 17, 2013 at 12:10 PM

    Stunning! I forget that others aren't in frozen tundra land. Your camellias are so very pretty. I love them with the Courtly Check. The food looks absolutely enticing! Joni

    ReplyDelete
  22. Johanna GehrleinJanuary 17, 2013 at 12:31 PM

    Whow, Sarah, you have overdone yoursef. The Camellia is such a elegant flower and the combination with the black elements remind me to an tuxedo with Camelia in the buttonhole. Really elegant for the evening. And your dishes look so exiting. All your menu courses are tempting for me. I guess yu had a wonderful evening with that dinner. Thank you for sharing this.
    Best greetings, Johanna

    ReplyDelete
  23. ScribblerJanuary 17, 2013 at 3:55 PM

    When we got home there was a big red bloom the first one ever, on one our little bushes. I was so excited! Your table is just beautiful with all the color against the black.

    ReplyDelete
  24. OliveJanuary 17, 2013 at 4:12 PM

    I love camellias too. Your bush is dripping with blooms. My pink one is just about ready to burst forth. I have two blooming right now. I have a red camellia too. I am all for any flower that blooms now.

    ReplyDelete
  25. vignette designJanuary 17, 2013 at 5:27 PM

    I forgot about camelias! Thanks for reminding me! They are on the side of my house and sure enough there are blooms!
    Beautiful table, delicious food. Great post! ~Delores

    ReplyDelete
  26. BabsJanuary 17, 2013 at 6:51 PM

    I love Camellias, and yours are a gorgeous color.The pink looks so nice with the Courtly Check.
    I have only one camellia, a Sasanqua, and it's a pale pink single which blooms in Oct. Every year I say I'm going to buy a japonica to put by the corner of the house, but never remember when they're available. Beautiful table! Love the potatoes in the chicken tureen.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Linda (More Fun Less Laundry)January 17, 2013 at 7:40 PM

    Sarah your camellias are gorgeous and the pink is such a wonderful contrast to the black. I'm pretty sure we don't have camellias here in Connecticut! Everything outside here is frozen solid right now, with colder temps expected. Your lamb stew recipe sounds delicious too. Quite different from the one I make but I do like stews so I may try it! Linda

    ReplyDelete
  28. MarigeneJanuary 17, 2013 at 7:42 PM

    Very striking table, Sarah. Your menu looks delicious, too. I am thinking of making the stew this weekend.

    ReplyDelete
  29. xinexJanuary 17, 2013 at 9:11 PM

    How pretty! We have red and pink camelias in our yard but it is behind bushes at the bottom of the hill and I am too scared to go down there to cut some flowers. I will just admire yours...Christine

    ReplyDelete
  30. Shabby Brocante, KarenJanuary 17, 2013 at 11:52 PM

    This is just gorgeous and it's so refreshing to see fresh bright flowers! I am in love with your tower of corn-muffins! The lamb dish looks scrumptious!
    Karen

    ReplyDelete
  31. MaryJanuary 18, 2013 at 4:46 AM

    Beautiful Sarah! Camellias are a welcome sight to see this time of year! Love the pop of pink at the table with your wonderful Courtly Check! Delightful to see after a week of cold, dreary rain. Dinner looks delicious too :)

    ReplyDelete
  32. The HOME GIRLJanuary 18, 2013 at 5:47 AM

    These pink camellias are just beautiful...as is your table this week! Thanks so much for your visit to my blog and for sharing this lovely table! Have a great weekend! =)

    ReplyDelete
  33. Ricki TreleavenJanuary 18, 2013 at 5:57 AM

    Dinner @ Sarah's house!!! Yummy! I love camellias. We have several in our garden, and they are Alabama's state flower!

    What a pretty table, and the MacKenzie-Childs compote used as a salad bowl looks fantastic. What pattern is it, Sarah?

    Oh, and I bet the recipe is great. Dean & Deluca is a favorite stop of mine in NYC.

    Enjoy your weekend!!!

    xo,
    RJ

    ReplyDelete
  34. B.January 18, 2013 at 9:12 AM

    I love Camillas! I have one bush that I planted last year! Im going to plant more this year They are beautiful!

    ReplyDelete
  35. Jacqueline~Cabin and CottageJanuary 18, 2013 at 9:22 AM

    Such a cheery combination! We don't grow Camellias here, but I enjoyed some in bloom on my CA trip. You're so lucky to enjoy them in winter!

    ReplyDelete
  36. Pattie @ Olla-PodridaJanuary 18, 2013 at 9:26 AM

    How gorgeous! I don't think I've ever seen a camellia. I love your pairing it with the black, it is so showy and stunning.

    ReplyDelete
  37. The French HutchJanuary 18, 2013 at 9:36 AM

    Dear Sarah, Camellias are such a lovely addition to the garden. Sadly, I haven't had luck with them here. Your pink beauties look lovely with your Courtly Check. Love the ruffled mats for the place setting and the menu makes a perfect winter meal. Great photos!

    ~Emily
    The French Hutch

    ReplyDelete
  38. MaggieJanuary 18, 2013 at 10:00 AM

    How I wish we had beautiful pink camellias in our garden, they are so lovely.
    Winter arrived in St M du R last night bringing snow & freezing temps. That wouldn't be good for camellias!

    ReplyDelete
  39. a quiet lifeJanuary 18, 2013 at 3:05 PM

    such a pretty table and so wonderful to see fresh flowers and such good looking food! so love your potato bowk~

    where's the bday cake??? or should i say frosting ;-)

    i am embarrassed to say i didn't know dean and deluca was a chain... i thought they were just in napa! they have a fun bakery, very clever treats.

    wishing you a very happy bday!

    ReplyDelete
  40. Rose Garden MalevikJanuary 18, 2013 at 3:16 PM

    woow.....lovley tablesetting....
    and just LOVE the Magnolia...
    and do not miss....

    S
    A
    T
    U
    R
    D
    A
    Y

    S
    H
    O
    W

    O
    F
    F

    it is FUN :)
    WELCOME
    Håkan ( The Roseman)

    ReplyDelete
  41. KathleenJanuary 18, 2013 at 4:15 PM

    Oh my, what a beautiful sight on this cold Jan day! It must be wonderful to have color in the garden all year!
    Your table looks beautiful with your MC, and the flowers are so pretty!
    Dinner looks good too!
    Thanks for linking to Let's Dish! Don't forget the WINTER CHALLENGE
    next week! :)
    And I read you picked up some GW treasures. Secret? :)

    ReplyDelete
  42. Anne January 18, 2013 at 7:37 PM

    Hi!Just beautiful ~ one of my favorite combinations; pink with black and white checks! Happy Pink Saturday!
    Anne

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  43. Jillian's Bella Rosa AntiquesJanuary 18, 2013 at 10:56 PM

    Beautiful, just beautiful! Are they Mackenzie Childs dishes or are they look a likes? Either way, they are very courtly! And pretty!

    Thanks so much for stopping by!

    Jill

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  44. Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. OlsonJanuary 18, 2013 at 11:47 PM

    Oh my, I adore your Camellias! They do not grow here. I saw them in bloom a few years ago when hubby and I visted the Carolinas. They were stunning. I love the pink against the black. Your winter meal looks so delicious! I love the color combination of the potatoes. I would love if you linked to my party, Share Your Cup Thursday sometime!
    hugs,
    Jann

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  45. UnknownJanuary 19, 2013 at 8:19 AM

    Just thought I'd let you know I have just become one of your followers. Beautiful, what a lovely post. Happy Pink Saturday, Please feel free to visit my Pink Saturday Post http://laraslovelycreations.blogspot.com/2013/01/happy-pink-saturday.html

    Lara

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  46. BernideenJanuary 19, 2013 at 8:52 AM

    This meal is acceptional - I have memories of Camelias as a child in Virginia but haven't see one for years! Yours are lovely and the table as well! Have a great weekend Sarah!

    ReplyDelete
  47. CEO Lisa Anne - L.AJanuary 19, 2013 at 1:16 PM

    Your winter flowers are beautiful! We don't have any flowers blooming here til spring~April! Happy Pink Saturday!
    hugs,
    Lisa

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  48. Chubskulit RoseJanuary 19, 2013 at 7:24 PM

    Love those flowers!

    Hopping from Pink Saturday.
    Here's MINE, your comment is always appreciated.

    ReplyDelete
  49. The TablescaperJanuary 19, 2013 at 8:44 PM

    So pretty! Love the shot of pink. It looks great with all of your black and white.

    Great to have you be a part of Seasonal Sundays.

    - The Tablescaper

    ReplyDelete
  50. Carlene @ Organized ClutterJanuary 20, 2013 at 5:00 PM

    I can't imagine what it would be like to have flowers in January. Beautiful. You always have such interesting meals.

    ReplyDelete
  51. DebbiedoosJanuary 20, 2013 at 7:26 PM

    Those are absolutely gorgeous flowers Sarah. I can't wait to see Spring around here soon.

    ReplyDelete
  52. Pat@BPMJanuary 20, 2013 at 7:48 PM

    I was just here and tried to leave a comment, then for some reason lost my internet connection. I tried going to the Back Porch and there was your comment. Musical blog hopping tonight.:-)

    I love those gorgeous camellias! I don't think they will grow here unless they are indoors.

    Your table and meal look wonderful.

    ReplyDelete
  53. jeanne, backyard neighborJanuary 20, 2013 at 8:34 PM

    Hi Sarah, Your post is so pretty and I adore camellias so much. The pink ones especially. Your dishes are beautiful and the food looks delish. A very nice PS post.
    xo, Jeanne

    ReplyDelete
  54. JojoJanuary 20, 2013 at 9:30 PM

    Hi Sarah! Happy New Year!

    The pink and black is beautiful together.

    ReplyDelete
  55. bjJanuary 20, 2013 at 9:32 PM

    Camellias are one of the most beautiful flowers and I can't grow them out here in this dry, wind-blowing area. Yours are just lovely...as is the awesome table. :)

    ReplyDelete
  56. Bargain Decorating with LaurieJanuary 20, 2013 at 10:29 PM

    Oh Sarah, how gorgeous! Love your Courtly Checks, and the flowers are just wonderful. I wish we did have some blooming in our yard. Great idea to create a corn muffin stack. The food looks so delicious. laurie

    ReplyDelete
  57. AnonymousJanuary 21, 2013 at 12:28 PM

    Oh, Sarah, this is so beautiful! I love your dishes and the tablesetting and then you added the gorgeous food! :) The little chicken bowl is just down my alley! :)
    Thanks so much for popping in to see me.
    Be a sweetie,
    Shelia ;)

    ReplyDelete
  58. Alicia@ eco friendly homemakingJanuary 21, 2013 at 1:25 PM

    Oh those flowers are just gorgeous and your dishes are beautiful!!

    ReplyDelete
  59. Yvonne @ StoneGableJanuary 21, 2013 at 4:50 PM

    It's so cold and dreary here! YOur gorgeous camilias certainly brightened my day!!!! LOVE that color pink!

    ReplyDelete
  60. Jennifer @ Town and Country LivingJanuary 21, 2013 at 6:19 PM

    I have always loved pink and black together!! That rooster server looks like a Mackenzie Childs design. Don't know if it is or not, but it looks like it. Their stuff is beautiful.

    ReplyDelete
  61. AnonymousJanuary 21, 2013 at 11:08 PM

    :)

    ReplyDelete
  62. Bella's Rose CottageJanuary 22, 2013 at 12:48 AM

    Hi Sarah,
    OH Lucky you!!! The Camelia are gorgeous, a beautiful brite pink!! So cheerie!! My buds are big, but not popping for awhile, it is so nice to see fresh garden flowers:-)
    Hugs,
    Bella

    ReplyDelete
  63. FABBY'S LIVINGJanuary 22, 2013 at 11:18 AM

    What a beautiful post dear Sarah, with all the lovely Camelias in a sweet and pretty pink flowers and beautiful china in, black, white and pink..gorgeous!! Thank you for visiting me, I love it when you do!
    FABBY

    ReplyDelete
  64. Liz @ Quirky VistasJanuary 22, 2013 at 9:31 PM

    I'd just adore a camellia, but live in South Florida where I'm a stranger to them. They sure are showstoppers with your tableware. Artfully photographed as well!
    Liz

    ReplyDelete

Thank you to each of you who take the time to leave a comment. I read and appreciate each and every one and will respond to any questions. Your notes are the only way I know who has stopped in for a visit.

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