HYACINTHS FOR THE SOUL: Sabre Paris

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Owl Always Be With You!

family

If ever there is tomorrow

when we're not together,

there is something you

must always remember.

You are braver than you believe,

stronger than you seem,

and smarter than you think,

but the most important thing is,

even if we're apart...

I'll always be with you.

Winnie the Pooh

~ Happy 99th Birthday, Mother ~

Well over a hundred years old,

this oak table now sits in my sister's dining room.

As a little girl, my sweet mother and her siblings spent many hours

playing under their family's oak table.

My sister and I played under this table too.

Little girls pretending or dressing paper dolls.

Oh the stories these old legs could tell

of family meals through the years

and children at play beneath these old table legs.

Four generations later, little ones still delight in the magic

beneath the big old square oak table that has been in our family

all these many years.

In honor of my mother's October birthday, I created a mini

tablescape on this family heirloom to celebrate the occasion.

A single setting for the

wise matriarch of our family.

Black and White

With Orange Delights

A Wise Ole Owl
Touch of Plaid ~ Dots ~ Stripes

Paisley Ringed

in Rattan

Checkered Bows

Round the Stand

This cleverly painted lazy Susan sits atop

the old oak table during the month of October.
Last fall at the annual
Round Top Antique Market Days,
I came upon a booth full of vintage items
embellished with seasonal decor.

My sister has the collector gene too.

I collect dishes; she vintage

wooden kitchen items.

I knew she would appreciate

a few of these charming pieces.

Rolling Pin ~ Pestle

All you DIY girls

take note of these cute ideas.

Join me Friday for all the details about

the edible centerpiece of this tablescape.

Foodie Friday

@ Rattlebridge Farm

You're sure to smile

with delight at how easy it all is.

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Napoleon and Joséphine, A Love Story

bee

Napoleon Bonaparte and Joséphine de Beauharnais

~ One of the Greatest Love Stories in History ~

Vintage Postcard, dated 1908

Napoleon and Josephine were married March 9, 1796.

It's no secret that Paris has long been my favorite

destination, and over the years I've collected

my fair share of Napoleonic memorabilia.

Kathryn Crisp Greeley's new book,

THE COLLECTED TABLETOP,

advocates using one's collections to set a special table.

I decided to do just that when I selected

Napoleonic Memorabilia

as my topic for a CAMEO meeting.

I'm passing along this tip for

Tutorials, Tips, and Tidbits @ Stone Gable.

When you host your next dinner party, gather up a collection

to use as a theme. I found it fun to see my pieces grouped

together, and your collection will no doubt spark conversation.

Those of you who follow HFTS might remember the post I shared here about CAMEO, a small antique club of which I'm a member.

CAMEO

Collecting Antiques and Memorabilia

and Educating Ourselves

The structure of our small group is such that each member is responsible for presenting or arranging a presentation on a topic of interest to share with the group at one of our monthly meetings.

~ Collecting Napoleonic Memorabilia ~

My topic of choice last spring.

Napoleon's famous N and bee motif

show up in many of these pieces.

The pottery pieces you see in the photos

are mostly French faience produced in the

last part of the 19th century or the first half of the 20th century.

Small Bust of Napoleon, CA

Dinner Plate, HenRiot Quimper

Teapot part of Garden Buddies Tea Service, unmarked

Napoleon Ivy ~ As Used By Napoleon At St. Helena ~ 1815

Wedgwood Etruria England

I only have but one demi-tasse cup and saucer in this lovely pattern, though I long to add more pieces someday. It is Kathryn Greeley's #2 choice in her Top Ten China Patterns. Now retired, this pattern was that which Napoleon used while in exile on the south Atlantic island of St. Helena.

Vintage Bronze Souvenirs of Paris Aside a

Vintage Avon Bee Skep Cologne Bottle

Vintage Letter Openers Atop 1900 Edition of L'Aiglon,

A Play In Six Acts Based On The Life Of Napoleon's Son

Performed At The Knickerbocker Theatre

New York, October 1900

Serving a light brunch, I used the opportunity to follow Karhryn Greeley's advice: "Mixing antique collections with contemporary tabletop pieces adds drama and the unexpected." With my collection as the central focus of my tables, I could easily pull select pieces to share with the group as I presented my topic.

Empire by Walbrzych, Poland,

A lovely ribbed and scalloped plate with gold verge and trim was

a thrifty Goodwill find. With a name like Empire

I thought it most appropriate in homage to Napoleon.

The golden bee textiles are from William Sonoma.

Petite Forks by Sabre of Paris

MacKenzie-Childs Flower Market

and Courtly Check Enamel Ware

Salmon Spread with Crackers

Recipe here

Seasonal Berries and Melon

with Onion Walnut Muffins

Recipe here

The drink table featured

items with the bee motif.

Petite French Faience Vase, CA

Napoleonic Bee Vintage Silk Fragment, c1880

Napoleonic Bee Stems,

La Rochere of France

For The Dessert Table

~ A Touch of Josephine ~

The stack of plates are Sarreguemines transfer ware c.1890-1922, and each feature a different Napoleonic military scene. These were ironically found on a CAMEO field trip to Fredericksburg, TX. One never knows where treasures will be discovered.

The red toleware jardiniere is a contemporary piece.

Pair of Revolutionary Commemorative Plates, PBx, c1880.

Sweet Little Souvenirs
Chateau de Fontainebleau, 2011

Vintage Tiara ~ A Gift From My CAMEO Friends

If you enjoy historical fiction and the subject is of interest, I highly recommend reading Sandra Gulland's trilogy about Josephine. It's a new look at this fascinating character of French history.

I reviewed each book in the links below.

THE MANY LIVES AND
SECRET SORROWS OF JOSEPHINE B.

TALES OF PASSION, TALES OF WOE

LAST GREAT DANCE