Showing posts with label green. Show all posts
Showing posts with label green. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 11, 2015

It's All About the Shamrocks






"Céad mile failte"

A hundred thousand welcomes!

It's time for Kathleen's 

Annual St. Patrick's Day 

Blog Crawl





 May good luck be with you 
wherever you go and your blessings 
outnumber the shamrocks that grow.

I was the lucky one to receive the traveling Irish topper!

If you don't know the history of this vintage cloth full of 
shamrocks and Celtic knots, Marigene @ In the Middle of Nowhere 
first sent it to Kathleen @ Cuisine Kathleen with the stipulation 
that it be passed on to another blogger for the following year.  
Kathleen passed it along to Rett@ The Gazebo House , 
who then sent it on to Mary @ Home is Where The Boat Is.  

Only the leprechauns know 

where it goes next year!





To continue my good luck I bought a shamrock

plant to fill a favorite vintage ironstone sugar bowl.




I had a bit of good luck when I found this piece while

shopping the fields at the Round Top Antique Shows.

It was missing its lid, but I didn't mind.

Just look at the details on this beauty!





I fixed a special 

tray to help us celebrate.




Used a favorite Lucky Four Leaf Clover napkin

with vintage mother of pearl and silver flatware and . . .





Shamrock linens to join the

traveling vintage Irish topper.





A stack of green!


says, "Stack, stack, stack!"

A stack of beautiful plates makes 

for an interesting placesetting.





Clockwise above, 

~ Ambiance Vintage Garden Charger ~

~ Bordallo Pinheiro Cabbage Leaf Charger ~

~ Bordallo Pinheiro Dinner ~

~ Wedgwood Napoleon Ivy Salad ~





How about a mug of Irish coffee 

 made with Bushmills' Irish Whiskey?




I topped it with sweet whipped cream

 and green sugar crystals.





What have we here?

I think the leprechauns 

have made us a special treat.





A cake of rich, dark chocolate 

with a cherry on top!





Our Sadie girl wants to tell you 

about our new Courtly Check tote.

We call her Miss CC.  We will join 

Pattie @ Pandora's Box along with a group of others

who have their own Courtly Check tote.

You can read about The Traveling Totes here.

Unlike the Traveling Irish Topper, Miss CC won't be traveling 

to other blogs, but you can follow along as 

Sadie and I take Miss CC on adventures.






Long live the Irish, 

Long live our cheer, 

Long live our friendship year after year.


It's all about the shamrocks, 

 so put on some green and join in the fun.

Cuisine Kathleen's 

St. Patrick's Day Blog Crawl

 Also joining

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Wednesday, March 12, 2014

It's Easy "Bein" Green


It's time to pull
out the green to celebrate
St. Patrick's Day! 

Miss Sadie reminded me
that we have some new plates
perfect for celebrating in green.

One of my birthday presents this past January ~
colorful tartan plates by 
Two's Company.

A table  
 for one this week.

Stacked with 
~ GREEN ~

Large dinner plate used as a charger. 
Eggplant ~ Espana by Tabletop Limited

My frequently used checkered
 heart shaped salad plates by
 Mesa International.

Perfectly topped with a 
 shamrock bowl.

Paired with vintage 
 mother of pearl flatware.

It's easy "bein" green
 with dishes like these!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!


Joining
St. Patrick's Day Crawl @ Cuisine Kathleen

Cottage Style Party @ Lavender Garden Cottage
Tablescape Thursday @ Between Naps on the Porch

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Wednesday, March 13, 2013

The Luck of the Irish




We're not Irish, but I've set a festive table  

in honor of St. Patrick's Day next Sunday.




I pulled out some shamrock linens.




Set our places with a stack of green and white.

Alternated Bordallo Pinheiro Cabbage Leaf 

 with Wedgwood Nantucket Basket




Added my favorite vintage flatware.

~ Silver and French Ivory ~




Topped each stack with  

these cute ceramic cup cakes.




I found them at 

 TJ Max a few years ago.




They are the work 

 of Heather Goldminc.




I scattered in a few sparkly 

shamrocks in among my bowl of hearts.




Picked up one of those lucky shamrock plants 

at the grocery today and planted it in 

a vintage ironstone sugar bowl.




This is the mark on the sugar bowl.  

I bought it in the fields at 

Round Top Antique Week several years ago.

Can anyone help me date this piece?

 Update:
Diane @ Confessions of the Obsessed and
Marigene @ In the Middle of Nowhere
did a little research and found that the sugar bowl is dated
January 14, 1853.
Thanks, friends!





The Shamrock Plant is actually an Oxalyis.  

I'll keep this one as a house plant.

I treat the pink Oxalyis that 

grows wild in my garden as a weed.

It's a nuisance!




Cuisine Kathleen's 
5th Annual St. Patrick's Day Blog Crawl 
~ March 13th ~




I'm ready with some shamrock 

shortbread and a cup of Irish tea

while I sit on the sofa and visit 

all the lovely posts that celebrate the green.





You can see a glimpse of 

Tricia's @ The Dull and the Dutiful

above on my computer screen.

Just look at all that pretty green glass.




No, we are not Irish here, 

but luck has come our way.




We found a "Pot of Gold" last March 

when this sweetheart came to live with us.




I made a tray of 

 shamrock cookies just for you!

For each petal on the shamrock
This brings a wish your way ~
Good health, good luck, and happiness
For today and everyday.
~ Author Unknown ~


Joining









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Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Let's Dish ~ Earth Day Colors





"It's not that easy being Green.
Having to spend each day the color of the leaves.
It seems you blend in with so many other ordinary things,
And people tend to pass you over . . . "

Words taken from Kermit's Famous Song IT'S NOT THAT EASY BEING GREEN
No, it's not that easy being green, 

especially in the world of Quimper French pottery. 

The color green is found on many pieces as an accent, 

but for the primary color of this pottery to be green is most unusual.  

This tea set is one of my favorites, 

and I thought them the perfect dishes to share for this week's 

Let's Dish with Cuisine Kathleen.  




Green Hydrangeas and Yoko Ono Green Land Mums

This week's topic is The Good Earth 

in celebration of Earth Day 2012. 

I shared the story of this tea service 

and how we came to own it in a post several years ago, 

but with many new readers and followers 

I thought it appropriate to share once again.  
Others might have passed this 

coffee/tea service by without much thought, 

but it was love at first sight for "the chef" and me. 

It's a complete service for twelve: 

dessert plates, cups and saucers, 

creamer, sugar, and coffee/tea pot.




A friend contacted me in the summer of 2006. 

She knew of a couple who were downsizing 

and wanted to sell a complete tea/coffee service. 

Jacqueline, who is French and the original owner, 

included a note with the special story of this set.
Soon after WWII, she and her American soldier husband, 

traveled to the United States to begin a life together here. 

In the summer of 1946, on a trip back to France 

to visit her parents, Jacqueline and her mother visited 

Brittany and the atelier of Paul Fouillen. 

It was on this trip that Jacqueline's mother 

purchased this set as a gift for Jacqueline.






There were actually two sets purchased at the time. 

The other very different in color and design 

was enjoyed by Jacqueline's mother during her lifetime. 

Jacqueline's daughter now treasures the set that had been her 

grandmother's, so she didn't need this set. 

Lucky us!






Jacqueline told me that she carefully packed this set in her suitcase 

and carried it with her on the return journey, crossing the Atlantic 

by ship and then traveling by train on to Texas.
Paul Fouillen opened his atelier in the late 1920s. 

He is well known for his unique designs 

with both Celtic and Art Deco influences.  

The wonderful hand crimped handles on each of 

these pieces are glazed with a sponge technique. 

Though each piece includes the concentric bands 

of green color and the green checks, 

there are different designs painted on 

each side of the various pieces.




This magnificent tray 

 matches our service!





A very thoughtful friend and 

fellow member in the Quimper Club International 

sent me this tray as a surprise one Christmas.




It was a piece from 

 her own collection.





When she learned that I had purchased the dessert service, 

she felt the tray should be reunited with the set.






See, it has the darling dragonfly 

 that is on the tea/coffee pot.





I've talked enough. 

 Won't you join me for a cup of tea?




Sugar?




Cream?




How about a 

little something sweet?  




Help yourself to a plate 

 and one of these little cake forks.





These beautiful linen napkins were gifts from 


I'd say these are perfect for Earth Day.



"I'm green, and it'll do fine, it's beautiful!"

At times I repurpose the tea service when I want to serve a glass of ice tea.  I fill the teapot with flowers, and use the creamer to hold spoons.  Don't you agree that the colors and motifs of flowers and dragonflies are the perfect compliment to celebrate The Earth?
Happy Earth Day 2012

Joining 











Seasonal Sunday @ The Tablescaper

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