Showing posts with label Wedgwood China. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Wedgwood China. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Tiptoe Through the Daffodils





Easter has come and gone, 
and April is knocking at our doors. 

 I had planned a "tiptoe through the tulips" 
sort of theme for Easter 2016.

When I spotted these adorable golden bunnies
while in Dallas during February, I knew they
would be fun with my group of Courtly Check vases 
and urns that I had used for my Queen of Hearts
table for Valentine's Day here.

My plan was to exchange the red tulips for pink,
use stacks of gardening books in 
place of the red themed decorating books,
and trade out the Queens of Hearts for bunnies.

The crowns and 
Courtly Check hearts
hanging from the brass chandelier  .   .   .

Gave way to frolicking bunnies
and Courtly Check Easter themed figures.

It all came together easily, and we've  enjoyed a lovely
spring table during the month of March.  
Fresh tulips filled the vases each week
while tulip bouquets were available for just a few dollars.

But by Easter week, tulip prices were suddenly 
two and three times what I had been paying.

I decided it best to tiptoe
through the daffodils instead.  
With daffodils available for two dollars
a bouquet, it was an easy choice.

A few girlfriends came over early in the week
for a light but delicious chicken hack salad.

Before dinner we munched on chips and guacamole and 
healthy "rabbit food,"  along with a glass or two of prosecco.
 Lemon tarts were our treat for dessert.

It was a lovely spring evening
out on the terrace under the full moon.

Our Texas weather didn't cooperate for an
Easter Sunday alfresco brunch as planned, so
Saturday afternoon I decided to set the table inside.

The William Sonoma rabbit offered to load up his
  basket with daffodils and hop on board as our centerpiece.
Limoges boxes, gifts from a sweet friend through the years,
were nestled in the grass below.

The other bunnies and daffodils that had been on the table
settled in on the buffet and on tables on the sun porch.

 Wedgwood Nantucket Basket was the obvious
choice with the woven basket detail, and green chargers
added just the right color with the natural linens.
Petite vases of daffodils brightened each place setting.

The Texas Easter Bunny filled festive cones
with special chocolates for each of our guests to take home.


We enjoyed tasty appetizers with
 champagne to start us off.

I had to have at least 
one bouquet of tulips for Easter!
The vintage Easter toys were finds while
antique shopping last year.  
They are J. Chein and Co. tin toys 
from the 1940s and 1950s, 
a bit of nostalgia from my own childhood. 

Small bites of smoked trout and smoked salmon
are one of the chef's specialties.

~ Easter Brunch ~
French Toast Sticks with Maple Syrup 
Open Face Ham and Scrambled Egg Sandwich
Caramalized Onion and Goat Cheese Tart
Bacon and Sausage Medly
Tri Colored Salad

Lemon curd tarts were my "go to" dessert for Easter week.
My inspiration was that cute lemon curd tart with a
pie crust bunny seen in the top left corner of the mosaic above.  
Jain @ A Quiet Life shared the idea in a post here.
The bunny chalkboard was an Easter gift
from a friend that arrived in time to do dessert buffet duty.

Pier 1 was the source for the cute paper napkins.
~ Life Needs More Chocolate Bunnies ~
As well as the darling bunny plates.

That's it for our Easter 2016.
Thanks for stopping by.
Tell me about your Easter ~ I'm all ears!




Click here to join.











Tuesday, January 13, 2015

A Winter Weekend



The Musée d'Orsay is

without doubt one of my favorite 

destinations in all of Paris.

Can one ever see these incredible 

works too many times?




I think not,

so I made a recent trip to see

Faces of Impressionism

before it leaves Texas the end of the month.

You can read about the exhibit here.

It will be at the Kimbell in 

Ft. Worth though January 25th.






The weekend in Dallas was wet and cold,

but it was warm and cozy 

inside my friend Susan's beautiful home.






She had her table set with adorable 

snowmen and snowy glass trees   .   .   .




Along with white 

candles and red berries.




Charming metal branches with rosy red berries 

were scattered down the center of the table.





The oversized stems, often referred to as

buttermilk goblets, are family pieces from 

Susan's paternal grandmother and added more 

sparkle to the wintery tabletop vignette.





Place settings of 

Wedgwood Queen's Ware and Strasbourg sterling

were accented with woven rattan chargers

and festive Ralph Lauren winter napkins featuring

greens, pine cones, and red berries.




I've long admired Wedgwood's pattern

with its delicate shell edge and beautifully 

embossed design of leaves and grapes.





The simplicity of the exquisite 

white creamware against the woven rattan 

and the design on the napkins

works perfectly for a January tablescape.




Allie at the Table


The weekend and Susan's lovely table inspired me to 

do a little "painting" of my own.

I'm very accomplished 

when using the Waterlogue App!

Joining


Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Cold Here and Time for Boeuf Bourguignon






French Fäience Figural Mustard by Alcide Chaumeil


It's cold here in Texas.  

Time for the chef to fix a hearty dish.



Julia Child's Boeuf Bourguignon

Cooler weather is the 

perfect time to make a stew,

 and what better choice than 

Julia Child's Boeuf Bourguignon




Boeuf Bourguignon with Boiled Potatoes and Snow Peas

Want to join me for a delicious meal?




The table is set 

and dinner is ready!




Pewter chargers topped with 

white dinner plates in Wedgwood Nantucket. 

 The flatware is Lauffer stainless in the Bedford pattern.




~ Tea Towels Used As Placemats ~ 

100% Cotton Made in 

France for William Sonoma.




~ Cows ~ Ducks ~ Rabbits ~ Chickens ~

The woven details offer a

charming French country feel for

the theme of a casual one dish meal.




Napkins in olive green and aubergine

 are also from William Sonoma. 


 The pewter napkin rings, 

each with a different flower motif, 

are from the Netherlands.




Contemporary Quimper Pottery

Dinner Plates With Scalloped Rim





Produced at Fäiencerie Kéraluc 

by the Artist L'Helguen





Bowls are wide and shallow.

Perfect for stew!




Ralph Lauren ~ Glen Plaid

Arte Italica's Crystal w/ Pewter Stems





Metal leaf dish 

for bread service.




Each of the plates and bowls 

of the Quimper set are a bit different, 

but with the same stylized flower theme.






The gray tones of this pottery work

with the pewter and the gold 

and taupe of the linens.





Centerpiece is simply a wooden bowl filled

with natural horse apples and ceramic acorns.






Natural horn votives 

and a few of the oversized ceramic 

acorns were added around the base.




The glow through the natural horn

adds a bit of warmth on this chilly evening.





A glass of red wine

 is perfect with this dish. 


 Julia recommends a 

Beaujolais, a Bordeaux, or a Burgundy.






The sides of boiled potatoes 

and snow peas compliment the beef cooked 

in red wine with bacon, onions, and mushrooms.





Bon Appetit!

Julia's Recipe here.

~ Joining ~