Countdown to Easter

Redbuds are in full bloom around town

and our days are warming up with

bright sunshine and blue skies.

Spring has definitely arrived!

I recently found this chippy rabbit 

at an antique show.

 Antique cast iron Hubley garden rabbit 

circa late1800 to early 1900.

I cut some redbud branches and brought them in

to fill a large vintage ironstone pitcher.

A nest of hand-painted eggs painted

in the 80s and 90s by my friend, Nancy R.

An early Easter present!

Porcelain Plates and Mugs

BIA Cordon Bleu

From the aisles of Home Goods

Packaged in these

adorable storage boxes.

All became my creative muse 

as inspiration for

Easter Brunch ~ 2015.

I thought the bunny plates would pair perfectly with

 MacKenzie-Childs Taylor ceramics and

chargers in Ambiance Vintage Garden.

I'm not a matchy-matchy kind of girl.

When I first started buying these plates in the 1990s, 

I'd buy a single plate in a different pattern.

The whimsy of it all fits the MacKenzie-Childs esthetic.  

Click here to see another spring table 

with Taylor ceramics and

to read about the different patterns.

One thing I liked about the box of plates

was that each plate is a different spring color.

Don't they play well with the Taylor patterns?

Cute matching mugs

are perfect for tea or coffee

or soup or dessert.

Several years ago, MacKenzie-Childs

sold mini compotes in the various Taylor designs.

I'm certainly happy I added some to my cupboard

because now they've been discontinued.

They are perfect for ice cream and individual desserts.

Or as a nest for special 

Easter cookies.

 With all the colors going on at each place setting,

I decided my soft pink linen placemats

were a good choice along with our Sir Christopher Silver.

The ceramic bunny napkin rings were

from Sur La Table years ago,

but these cute gingham napkins can be

found at Pier I this season.

Nice quality woven gingham in pastels and

edged with a sweet little crocheted detail.

Springtime calls for 

bees and bunnies, don't you think?

Here you are ~

A springtime table ready for

Easter brunch right after the egg hunt.

Easter will be here in

eleven days!

Are you ready?

Celebrate!

We recently had 
the occasion to celebrate.

One of my cousins 

had a milestone birthday.

~ 50 Years ~

I wanted to honor Karyn

with a special luncheon for her and her girlfriends

as we had done ten years prior for her 40th.

It was the perfect occasion 

to use the gorgeous plates that were gifted me by 

Cherry Kay @ Entertaining Women.

Sacred Bird and Butterfly by Mottahedeh

This design is true to the original 

antique Chinese export china used in the 

Nathaniel Russell House in Charleston, SC.

The design is in 
iron red with 22k gold rim.

I chose to pair the plates with a 

woven rattan charger for this table.
The texture seemed to fit with 
the natural linen of the ruffled cloths 
used under each place setting. 

The added textural layers,
 atop the rustic canvas of the drop cloth
recently hemmed as a tablecloth, were each
selected to compliment the natural fall elements on the table.

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To compliment the elegance of the china   .   .   .

Sterling Antique Napkin Rings

Crisp White Linen Napkins

Sir Christopher by Wallace

Napoleonic Bee Stems 
by La Rochere of France

Even the invitations were chosen 

to compliment the design of these special plates.

Small grapevine wreaths 

tied with raffia and a touch of bittersweet 

served as place cards for each guest and then

 taken home as a party favor.

Fall Leaves and Acorns

Baby Boo Pumpkins

Touches of Bittersweet

Were scattered down the center of the table

A nod to autumn, 
the season of Karyn's birth.

Thanks for stopping by to visit today.

And a heartfelt "Thank You!" to my sweet friend,

Cherry Kay @ Entertaining Women.

I adore these plates!

Cherry Kay has also posted a table featuring 

 Sacred Bird and Butterfly 

Click HERE to see a gorgeous tablescape

in Cherry Kay's exquisite dining room.

Tutorials, Tips, and Tidbits @ Stone Gable
My tip for this week: 
Buy inexpensive canvas 
drop cloths to use as a tablecloth.  
Just cut and hem to the size needed.

Details 

Sacred Bird and Butterfly, Mottahedeh

Rattan Chargers, Pier I

Sir Christopher, Wallace

Napoleonic Bee Glassware, Rochere France

Drop Cloth, Lowe's

Ruffled Linen Hand Towels, Wisteria

Cotton Duck Chair Covers, Wayfair

(Click HERE for a special friend referral code @ Wayfair)

Grapevine Wreaths, Dollar Store

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