Sunday, May 24, 2020

Liberty and Freedom for All

~ Liberty and Freedom for All ~

 As we recognize Memorial Day 2020,
there will not be the usual parades, 
nor the large gatherings.

Here we will set a table for two,
a rememberance of the brave men and women 
who served and gave their lives for our country.

 Originally begun after the Civil War in the 1860s 
and known as Decoration Day, it gradually became known as
Memorial Day and a National Holiday.

 Celebrated on the last Monday in May,
it also welcomes the unofficial start of summer.

Memorial Day marks the first of several 
American patriotic summer holidays,
and traditionally I would set out patriotic 
vignettes to enjoy through Labor Day.
This May, as with everything during 
the Pandemic, I'm keeping things simple.

The beautiful paper products of Hester and Cook 
are from the Love Letter series.
They seem appropriate to honor those 
lost in wars through the years.
I selected one of my vintage napkin rings 
with an F monogram for Freedom.

 The other napkin ring, an L for Liberty.

 A table of red, white, and blue seemed fitting and inviting.
Chargers ~ Ambiance Vintage Garden
Dinner Plates ~ Juliska Country Estate Blue
Flatware ~ MacKenzie-Childs Courtly Check
Red and White Napkins ~ Su La Table
Blue Napkins ~ Sue Fisher King from the 90s
Striped Linen Tablecloth ~ Crown Linen Designs

I set a dessert table too.
The vintage table cloth is another hand 
embroidered piece from my mother.

Beautiful bee embroidered cocktail napkins 
are from Crown Linen Designs, 
destined to be heirlooms for future generations.


 As is this Crown Linen Designs hand towel.

Serving up a delicious blueberry / cherry pie 
from our local Central Market Bakery.

 My very special Bee Brave Bear, created by 
Bobbie @ Rolling Hills Cottage and Studio,
is here to remind us to be brave like those who 
serve in the Armed Forces of our country.

 All the brave men and women who gave 
their lives so we can live in freedom.

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Sunday, May 17, 2020

Blue and White Tribute

There is a Blue and White Movement 
across the country to honor frontline workers.
 I  took the lead from a favorite Instagram account, 
Days With Darviny, who encouraged others to set a table 
in Blue and White to join in with a tribute of their own.

 Recent heavy rains were not nice to one of my hydrangea plants.
I cut the few good blooms to bring indoors.  
Perfect choice for this tribute!

 Pantone's 2020 Color of the Year is "Classic Blue", 
though here at Hyacinths for the Soul, 
blue has always reigned supreme.  
We live with color, and classic blue is prominent in our home.

 The crisp white linens are family heirlooms, 
lovingly handstitched by my husband's grandmother.
The woven damask napkin under the charger is part of a set 
and remains as vibrant as the day we bought them in the 1980s.
Buy good quality textiles, and they will last several lifetimes!

I chose a charger with a pin stripe border for its simplicity and contrasted it with the bold checks of MacKenzie-Childs' new Royal Check pattern.  Both reflect the order, structure, and consistancy that one finds in a hospital setting.  
The China Blue Vase tabletop accent from 
Hester and Cook is the art work of Molly Hatch.

Most of my readers know that I like to 
roam antique markets and shops, 
frequently bringing home something for the tabletop.  
The antique ivory napkin ring, is a classic example 
of one of my random finds.  Loved the silver monagram!
F for Frontline

In honor of doctors and nurses and all those
workers on the frontline during Covid-19,
I say, "Thank You!"

Austin was honored to welcome the 
US Air Force Thunderbirds
Flayover Tribute to Frontline Workers.  
Thank you to my generous friend, Chelsea, 
for allowing me to share her photo.
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Sunday, May 10, 2020

Mother's Day 2020



Mother's Day 2020
I set a table in tribute to my mother.

My sweet mom lived a long full life,
and as an avid gardener, most of her days
involved working in her garden.

 She, herself, was raised by an avid gardener!
One of my fondest memories of my grandmother
is being hand-in-hand with her, among garden flowers, 
snipping my favorite sweet peas to make a petite bouquet.

Are you familiar with these old fashioned blooms?
            In Victorian Times, when flowers were used as a language 
of sorts, the sweet pea bloom meant "lasting pleasure".

For me, gardens create lasting pleasure.
They provide a sense of being one with nature, time spent
digging in dirt, observing the miracle of things sprouting, 
blooming, and then fading as the cycle is completed, while 
something new opens to take its turn on the garden stage. 

I don't have a good sunny spot for sweet peas, so you can imagine
my delight when our  local Grassdale Flower Farm delivered
sweet pea bouquets for curbside pickup at a nearby flower market.

These hand painted floral plates were a street market find in Italy, and though the simple stylized blooms are not sweet peas, the colors are a perfect fit for the bouquet from Grassdale.

I carried home two salad plates and two dinner plates for a table of two with these rather flat plates and a gently scalloped border.
Not heavy like most ceramics, they made a perfect trip souvenir.

 I paried them with Ambiance Vintage Garden 
chargers and Hester and Cook's gorgeous Woodland Nest placemats, the whimsical art work of Vicki Sawyer.

A small Nature Table bee plate from Anthropologie was added 
as a green accent between layers, along with a linen napkin, the handwork of my husband's grandmother in the early 1900s.
The Napoleon Bee flatware is by Wallace.

 I think it makes a lovely statement to all gardeners!

With a garden full of birds this time of year, 
an added treat should any want to fly in and join us.

 So there you have it, a tribute
to my mom, the gardener!

 Thank you for joining me today.
I hope you'll leave me a comment and tell me
a little something about your mom.


 Happy Mother's Day ~ 2020
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