Showing posts with label hydrangea. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hydrangea. Show all posts

Friday, August 1, 2014

There's a New Girl in Town




This sassy miss came home 
with me from a recent estate sale.

It was love at first sight for me.
She is a Staffordshire
 begging spaniel jug or pitcher.

I'm not certain about her pedigree,
though I feel certain she is definitely vintage.
Perhaps a vintage reproduction.

What matters most is she is black and white 
and the perfect companion to this gentlemen
who I've had for several years.  

He too is a black and white begging spaniel
jug or pitcher with a tricorn hat.

Don't they 
make the perfect pair?


I think perhaps Mister is of newer vintage,
but that's OK,  he fits right in with
all of the Courtly Checks around the house.
He was a thrifty find at Goodwill some years ago.

They could easily be
parents to these two sweet pups.

Yes,  I feel as if
a family has been reunited!

They are currently part of a vignette
on the dining room buffet.

I gathered a group of 
Courtly Check pieces and filled
them with summer hydrangeas.

Along with a piece of
figurative art by a favorite NY artist.

Tell me!  Do you have a fondness for
these Staffordshire dogs?
Are you a fan of black and white?

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Getting Out the Green



Practice up on your Irish dancing

and start pulling out the green.


is hosting her Annual

St. Patrick's Day Blog Crawl




Last year I served tasty

green shamrock sugar cookies.




Filled a vintage ironstone jardiniere

with delicate white hydrangeas




Scattered about some lucky

gold coins and glittery shamrocks




Then set a table 

to honor the Green





Shamrock 

Green Linens




Vintage Flatware




Layers of 

Green and White




Wedgwood Nantucket Basket

Alternated with Cabbage Leaf Plates




8" Salads 

by Olfaire, Portugal




Chargers by 

Sur La Table, Portugal




Ceramic Cup Cakes 

Offered Good Luck and . . .




Happy St. Patrick's Day 

Wishes




Heather Goldminc's artistic talents

are produced by Blue Sky Clayworks.



This year there will be something new.

So come back on Monday to join in the fun.

Fourth Annual

St. Patrick's Day Blog Crawl

Monday, March 13th


Joining










Monday, March 14, 2011

Flying the Green

A little note if you are here for
M. E. Monday, 3-21-2011.
Hope everyone celebrated the green on St. Patrick's Day. Ann Estelle has been enjoying the windy days and doing a little cooking. She has some shamrock cookies left and would love to share.


It's a windy March day.

Ann Estelle has been

at the park flying the green.




Though St. Patrick's Day

is right around the corner, March 15th is

Cuisine Kathleen's

St. Patrick's Day Blog Hop.




So come on in and join the party.

Ann Estelle is waiting for you.




She's set a special table 

just for you and her.




A vintage ironstone jardiniere is

filled with delicate white hydrangeas.




The table is scattered with lucky

gold coins and glittery shamrocks.




Each Place Setting 

Honors the Green.





Shamrock Green Linens




Vintage Flatware




Layers of 

Green and White




Wedgwood Nantucket Basket

Alternates with Cabbage Leaf Plates




8" Salads 

by Olfaire, Portugal




Chargers by 

Sur La Table, Portugal



Ceramic Cup Cakes Offer 

Good Luck and . . .




Happy St. Patrick's Day 

Wishes




Heather Goldminc's artistic talents

are produced by Blue Sky Clayworks.




Ann Estelle made these

shamrock cookies just for you!

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!

Ann Estelle paper doll, HOME COMPANION,
FEBRUARY / MARCH 1997

ME image from
Mary Engelbreit 2011 Desk Calendar

Click the links below to join the fun.













Saturday, May 8, 2010

Jungfrauenbecher or Maiden's Cup


Dating from the 16th century, the Jungfrauenbecher or maiden's cup, was traditionally part of German wedding ceremonies during the 16th and 17th centuries. The cup, usually of German silver, is in the form of a young maiden holding a basket above her head.



The maiden's bell shaped skirt, when inverted, serves as a goblet. The small basket above the figure's head pivots so that it can remain upright when the figure is turned upside down.



According to tradition, both the skirt and the basket are filled with wine. The groom makes a toast, then drinks from the skirt, and then is to turn the figure right side up without spilling any of the wine in the smaller cup from which the bride then drinks.

Since posting this, Johanna of Silber-Rosen wrote to share the following information on the jungfrauenbecher:

"Oh Sarah, you have always very intresting items and so nice stories to tell. I appreciate this Jungfrauenbecher so much because it is a speciality of the Hanau Antique Silver Manufacturers. I was told the story, that once a young silversmith wanted to marry a nice girl. Her father told him, he would only allow the marriage when the young man would be able to create a goblet, that allows to drink both on the same time. So this Jungfrauenbecher is the result and the couple got married."



Our Jungfrauenbecher was given to us by my mother-in-law at our rehearsal dinner. She changed up the challenge a bit. We both had to drink the wine from the cups at the same time, and the first to finish their cup was said to be the one who would be the "boss" of the household. Obviously, I drank the few sips in my cup before my husband could finish his large cup of wine. You can see from this photo of our rehearsal dinner that we were amused with this challenge.



Both my own mother and my mother-in-law are dear to my heart. We lost my mother-in-law to throat cancer in the 80s. My mom, 95, is still with us. As today is Mother's Day, I'd like to raise a toast to these two incredible women who have had a lasting influence upon my own life.

Happy Mother's Day, Dear Ones!



Here is one more shot capturing the "blue hour" on the eve of Mother's Day 2010. If you missed Susan's post about "blue hour" photography, you can read it here.

Happy Mother's Day to all!

It may be Mother's Day but it is also the 2nd Sunday of the month and that means Beth @ The Gypsy Fish Journal is hosting Silver Sunday. Click here to see the beautiful and usual silver fish that Beth is spotlighting today and for a list of more silver to be shared.