HYACINTHS FOR THE SOUL: Walbrzych

Showing posts with label Walbrzych. Show all posts

Monday, September 2, 2013

Still In Love ~ 38 Years & I'd Do It Again

Favorites on the 1st

Favorites on the 1st

with Alison @ The Polohouse

This Month's Theme ~ Favorite China Patterns

Still in love and

happily married for 38 years!

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 just may copy this idea for our November Thanksgiving table.

I'd be a real copycat right down to the Bosc pears
and the gorgeous rose bouquets in urns.

Or I may do something totally different

and use the set of Mottahedeh Sacred Bird and Butterfly plates

that were a gift from Cherry Kay @ Entertaining Women.

You can view the complete post on this table here.

I paired them with the set of

Walbrzych salad plates that were a thrift store find
and woven rattan chargers from Pier One.

Alison gave us permission to share favorite
china patterns that we own or ones we wished to own.
She called it "wishful thinking"!
I was curious to know what other patterns might work with
Sacred Bird and Butterfly.
Off I went to a local shop that carries this pattern
to see what might be a nice compliment
to this beautiful rust design.

~ Royale Limoges ~

Carolle Paprika Dessert Plate w/ Thin Gold Filet

Danielle Presentation Plate w/ Gold Band on White Porcelain
I'm adding the Carolle Paprika dessert plates
to my "wishful thinking" list.
What do you think?

If you enjoy pretty dishes you should hurry on over to

Favorites on the 1st @ The Polohouse.

Link up you favorite china patterns and see what
others favor for their personal table settings.

Tutorials, Tips, and Tidbits @ Stone Gable

My tip for selecting a china pattern, is to select a simple rimmed white plate that will easily coordinate with other pieces. It's fun to mix things up with accent pieces, pretty linens, glassware, and flatware.

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Dog Days of Summer ~ A Refresher

bee

According to ancient Rome,

Dog Days of Summer

last from July 23 to August 24.

Well, I'm here to tell you that

with the Texas heat,

Dog Days

of lethargy and inactivity are still here.

It's definitely the season
for afternoon naps

followed by a refreshing treat.

Like an icy cold

glass of lemonade.

Along with a slice of

delicious Meyer Lemon cake.

~ Lorina ~

Delicious ~ Sparkling ~ Lemonade

Nothing better on a hot summer day

than citrus drinks to quench one's thirst.

Any way you slice it,

this lemon cake is full of goodness.

Tangy with a

touch of sweetness.

Elegant and Light

An afternoon citrus refresher.

"When are you going to stop talking

and cut the cake, Mom?"

"I'm ready!"

The Perfect Refresher

~ Dog Days of Summer ~

YUMMY!

Tutorials, Tips, and Tidbits @ Stone Gable

One of the things I've gleaned from watching my "chef"

is the importance of mise en place, having all ingredients

measured and prepared before one begins cooking.

This practice enables one to cook efficiently and eliminates

the possibility of leaving out a step or ingredient.

Another tip for you when making

this recipe is to use a spring form pan.

Using a large flat spatula like

above also allows easy transfer.

You'll find the recipe here

where I originally shared it for

Cooking With The Meyers.
Silver trays, flatware, plates, and
vase were all thrifty finds.

Joining

My Happy List @ Art at Home

Wow Us Wednesday @ Savvy Southern Style

What's It Wednesday @ Ivy and Elephants

Centerpiece Wednesday @ The Style Sisters

Let's Dish @ Cuisine Kathleen

Tablescape Thursday @ Between Naps on the Porch

Home and Garden Thursday @ Delightsome Life

Share Your Cup Thursday @ Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olsen

Be Inspired @ Common Ground

Tutorials, Tips, and Tidbits @ Stone Gable

Anything Blue Friday @ The Dedicated House

Open House @ No Minimalist Here

Feathered Nest Friday @ French Country Cottage

Home Sweet Home @ The Charm of Home

Show and Tell Friday @ My Romantic Home

Thrifty Things Friday @ The Thrifty Groove

Seasonal Sundays @ The Tablescaper

Blue Monday @ Smiling Sally

Amaze Me Monday @ Dwellings

Masterpiece Monday @ Boogieboard Cottage

Make It Pretty Monday @ The Dedicated House

Tuesday Treasure @ My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

You're Gonna Love It Tuesday @ Kathe With An E

The Scoop @ Cedar Hill Ranch

Inspire Me Tuesday @ A Stroll Thru Life

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish

Ambiance Vintage Garden

Dr Seuss' Poem kept rattling

around in my head as I set this table.

A fellow Quimper collector

was joining us for lunch this week.

It seemed appropriate to

use some of our Quimper dishes.

I chose these fish plates that were made

by HenRiot Quimper in mid 20th century.

With their bright floral motif

and the blue sponged details,

they were a perfect choice for a July luncheon.

Each plate is finely detailed.

~ Faces ~ Fins ~

~ Fish Tails ~

I used napkins with a French provencal

pattern in blue to soften the stack of ceramics.

The same napkins in

red were used atop the stack.

Silver napkin rings of fancy fish

swam their way around each serviette.

Vintage Mother of Pearl flatware

seemed to be the perfect compliment.

This beautiful red Italian

compote was a recent thrifty find.

With its gently scalloped edges and filled with a

feathery fern, it fit right into the theme of this table.

As did my recent silver find

from the City Wide Garage Sale.

Tutorials, Tips, and Tidbits @ Stone Gable

The red dinner plates were also thrifty finds. Two round and two square, so this table setting is a mix of both. It's just the two of us most meals, so I don't shy away from picking up pairs of plates when I find pieces I can mix with other pieces. This tablescape is definitely an example of a "collected tabletop".

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