Saturday, May 24, 2014

America the Beautiful




America the Beautiful
Celebrate the patriotic holidays of summer 
and indulge your patriotic spirit.

Fill your favorite 
blue and white container
with blooms from your garden.

Set a festive table, 
and dine in patriotic style!

Memorial Day Weekend
It's the prelude to the patriotic holidays of summer.
The perfect opportunity to pack a basket 
in anticipation of a picnic.

Gather together some of your 
Red ~ White ~ Blue 

Spread your quilt and enjoy a picnic 
at the lake, on the beach, your favorite park,
or where ever your heart desires.


Memorial Day
A time to honor all those 
who have given selflessly to their country.  
From the Civil War soldiers 
to those fighting today on foreign soils,
we remember the men and women who have died 
while serving in the US Armed Forces.


Joining

Tablescape Thursday @ Between Naps on the Porch

Home Sweet Home @ The Charm of Home

Best of the Nest @ Simple Details

Thursday, May 15, 2014

Our Wedding China



Cuisine Kathleen's Wedding China Challenge

I didn't have an opportunity to set a table this week for Kathleen's challenge, but as I've read many of the posts I realized one of the aspects I enjoyed most were the stories everyone shared of the special memories about their wedding china.  This made me long to join in the fun.  I remembered I had created a previous post on our wedding china, so I reached back in the archives to retrieve some of the photos to share in the fun of Kathleen's challenge. 




Still in love and

happily married for 39 years this August!

All these years later I wouldn't change a thing,

including our choice of fine china which we

selected together when we registered for our wedding china.





Richard Ginori ~ Palermo Brown

We selected this pattern for its simplicity 

and the touch of chocolate brown.

Our crystal selection was by Denby 

in a rich amber brown with clear stems.  





Richard Ginori china has been produced since 1735.  

As with many of the porcelain 

and china factories in the UK and Europe,

Ginori experienced financial difficulties. 

The company declared bankruptcy in January 2013.





In April 2013, Ginori was purchased by Gucci

with plans to improve the factory in Florence

and continue to produce the 

high-end products under its name.





Palermo Brown has been a 

discontinued pattern since 1988, 

but one can still find it 

through eBay and online retailers.

This pattern was also produced in several other colors.

~ rust ~ green ~ yellow ~ blue ~ black ~




As you can see, 

this is a very versatile pattern.

It's easy to mix it with a variety of linens,

chargers, and patterned salad or dessert plates.

Here it is paired with an inexpensive salad plate, 

Classic Tidings Tartan from Target.





Here with another fine china,

Olde Avesbury by Royal Crown Derby

and Italian pewter chargers.




The colorful Birds of Paradise and Oriental Pheasants 

in Olde Avesbury are taken from an original embroidery.

This pattern was first produced as above in 1932,

but now one can purchase many other color variations

 that have been derived from this pattern.

The green charger is by Zrike.





Our colored crystal by Denby 

compliments both of these china patterns.





Last summer I loaned our china to a friend 

for an alfresco dinner party.

She set an elegant table with gold chargers 

and white linens with an added touch of burgundy.





I love the touch of the Bosc pears and the

gorgeous rose bouquets in urns.  It's fun to see how

someone else chose to use our china.  I'll no doubt copy 

this idea for a future dinner party at our home.





If you enjoy pretty dishes you should hurry on over to 


Cuisine Kathleen 

and see all the beautiful selections  

of wedding china that bloggers have shared this week.


Joining
Wedding China Challenge @ Cuisine Kathleen


Thursday, May 1, 2014

May Day Tribute and A Winner!


Happy May Day! 

Congratulations to


the winner of the Anthropologie Gift Card.


Thank you to all who entered. 

Your thoughtfulness and friendship is much appreciated. 




April Showers
Bring May Flowers

~ A tribute to my mom, the gardener. ~






My mother was an avid gardener until

 she moved out of her home at age 90.






She passed away in November at the age of 99.

She was a frugal individual, dedicated to God and her family.

She appreciated and nurtured the flowers of her garden

as she did life long friendships in her community.




Mother's home was filled 

with the fragrance and beauty of 

fresh flowers from her garden and the 

sweet treats baked in her kitchen.




Today is May Day, and it is an

absolutely perfect spring day here.

Want to join me for an afternoon treat in the garden?





I cut some of my spring blooms to fill the

glass basket vases I fondly remember from my childhood.

My mother passed these on to me several years ago.





These elegant etched glass baskets 

were made in the 1920s and 1930s.




They are perfect for a May Day

 basket of May flowers!





I've set the tray with 

my mom's wedding china,

Homer Laughlin's 

Virginia Rose - Jeanette Gold.




This china was made in 1939.  

Virginia Rose was a very popular 

shape with many different designs.  

My mom chose Jeanette's Gold 

with delicate pink flowers and gold details.




Each piece has double 

gold bands on the outside rim.





These pretty linen napkins 

were one of our wedding gifts in 1975.





Mother of Pearl vintage flatware seemed 

the perfect choice for this dessert tray.




Pretty and elegant ~ just like my mom.




Won't you join me

 for a scoop of ice cream?




Happy May Day!


Tomorrow, May 2,

I will be guest blogger over at

  Decor to Adore's Favorite Five

where I share five ways

 my mother has inspired my life.

Click here to join me at

Decor to Adore ~ Favorite Five

Perhaps you'll find some inspiration for the month of May.




~ Rum Cake ~ A Family Recipe ~

1 cup shortening or butter
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
3 cups flour
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 tsp. soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/3 tsp. salt
1 and 1/2 tsp. vanilla

Cream shortening or butter with sugar until fluffy.  Add eggs one at a time and beat well after each one.  Add dry ingredients and buttermilk alternately, mixing well after each addition.  Add vanilla.  Bake in large tube pan @ 325ยบ  for 1 hour or longer.  Once out of the oven, invert tube pan.  Gently remove cake from pan, and using a wooden skewer, poke holes throughout the cake.  Coat the cake with a sugar and rum glaze of your choice.  Enjoy!


Joining

What's It Wednesday @ Ivy and Elephant