Friday, April 15, 2011

Egg~Stravaganza



Not egg-zactly your typical Easter egg!

My mother started me off on the

journey of these exquisite works of art.



I display my group of

eggs~traordinary treasures every Easter.

At first when there were just a few,

they nestled in miniature baskets or nests.



Mother gave me my first hand painted egg from her friend, Peggy, in 1980. China painting was a popular hobby at the time, and her friend painted on china eggs.



Each spring, Mother would send me one of Peggy's exquisite eggs. Eventually my basket expanded to include other eggs created by local artists and a few that were mass produced.



I've not added any new eggs in many years, but every Easter, without fail, the exquisite hand-painted eggs from years past take center stage here at HFTS.



The two eggs in front were painted by Peggy. Delicate pink roses, a pair of sweet blue birds ~ each of Peggy's paintings reflected her love of nature.



You can see the little bunny among the Texas bluebonnets is dated 1980. It was the first of these eggs that Mother gave to me. The egg to the right with the big eyed owl was painted by the grandmother of one of my students. It dates from the late 1970s.



These tiny quail eggs were for sale at a local florist in 1984 and were painted by Joni, a local artist. Joni later had a line of greeting cards that featured her art.



In the 1990s, a friend here in town began painting eggs and sold them at local boutiques. Nancy's eggs are the ones featured in the mosaic at the opening of this post. Her bundle of radishes that encircles the egg above was one of her early designs.



Nancy painted on wooden eggs, and you can see how her designs changed over time.



Nancy painted these eggs until 2000,

but unfortunately has since given up this hobby.



This trio of blue and white eggs are

from China and were also from the 1980s.



Spring 2001 you'll find the eggs have found a soft spot on a burlap covered tray. Come back next week to meet the bunnies that keep them company.




I recently discovered a very talented blogger who has painted many eggs through the years. Click here to meet Priscilla @ Letters From the Northwest.




Priscilla has several posts showcasing the different designs she has painted on eggs. The mosaic above is just a tiny sampling of Priscilla's talent and the assortment of designs that she has painted through the years. Visit Letters From the Northwest and scroll down through her archives. You'll be amazed!
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sharing this week at the following parties.



Sunday, April 10, 2011

Garden Pals


A couple of garden pals stopped by
this weekend to help me in the garden.


Anne Estelle paper doll, HOME COMPANION, April/May 1997
Gracie paper doll, HOME COMPANION, April/May 2000

Sweet little Ann Estelle and her friend, Gracie,

came over to dig in the dirt and water the plants.



Ann Estelle reminded me that I had this cute "Pals" frame that one of my students gave me long ago. It's dated 1995. I've had it stored in a box that holds the things that sat on my desk when I taught. Now this cute frame sits on my computer desk. Thanks for the reminder, Ann Estelle.



Look what's blooming in the garden!


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And the Winner Is . . .



Thanks to everyone who joined my Tartan Day Tea and left a comment. If you missed the tea last week you can still stop by. Guests are always welcome here for a cup of tea and a little shortbread.



In honor of Tartan Day 2011, this jolly Scot has a special Gold Kilt tin of Campbells Shortbread to send to one of HFTS' followers who stopped by for tea and left a comment.



In the spirit of international fairness . . .
All the comments went into a silver
champagne bucket for the special occasion.




And

With bagpipes piping, the winner is . . .



Donna of Conghaile Cottage



Congratulations, Donna. Send me your addy and the shortbread will arrive in time for tea at Conghaile Cottage. If you haven't met Donna, be sure to stop by for a visit. Donna always has the kettle on, and last time I looked she was serving strawberry scones. Click here for a sweet bite.

Joining


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Wednesday, April 6, 2011

The French Hutch



Meet Emily of

The French Hutch.

This charming lady loves to travel, is inspired by all things French, and delights in feathering her nest. She is my kind of person! In fact she recently discovered HFTS and wrote to me. She thought we were kindred spirits. I do believe we are! Let's take a look.



This is a peek into Emily's breakfast

room where the French Hutch resides.

Do you see it?



The shelves of The French Hutch
are filled with Quimper pottery!

And this lovely lady is also a fan
of MacKenzie Childs Courtly Check!



Emily @ the Faiencrie de Quimper, 84 Rue St Martin, Paris

Emily and her husband started traveling in Europe in 1998. With each visit to France, Emily would return with pieces of Quimper as her souvenirs.



This pair of Paysan plates were Emily's first French faience purchase. Jim and Emily had taken the train from Paris to Chartres to tour the Cathedral, and after the tour they wandered into a nearby gift store where they made this purchase. These plates hung above Emily's kitchen windows for many years, but now rotate among various spots in her home.



Want a closer look at some of the

special pieces of Quimper displayed on

The French Hutch?



This platter painted with the Anjonc

decor takes center stage on The French Hutch.



The platter is 

painted with exquisite details.





It's no wonder this beautiful 

piece caught Emily's eye.




The three large chargers on the top 

shelf are also favorites among Emily's collection. 

 Each one measures fourteen inches.




Marked HB Quimper, 

these pieces are very old, and they found their 

way into Emily's collection by way of an interesting story.




For many years these plates hung on the walls of a local restaurant that Emily and her husband and young son frequented. Emily would sit and admire the pieces of Quimper on each visit. One day while Emily & Jim were in the midst of the construction of a new home, Emily marched herself into the restaurant to visit with the manager. She asked if he would consider selling these pieces to her.




To Emily's amazement, he agreed to let her have one of them. After relating the story to her sister, sometime later her sister arrived at her door step with the other two. She had convinced the manager to sell the others.




In fact, the restaurant was closing, 

and Emily eventually had the opportunity 

to buy two more plates from that collection.




The previous plate and the one above are both plates that hung in the same restaurant with the chargers. They are both Revolutionary themed plates produced by the HenRiot Quimper factory.




Emily enjoys moving her collection around as she changes things about her home. The three plates above feature a decor riche border. They are also HenRiot production.




Two plates in the Mistral pattern 

sit on the kitchen counter.




Another souvenir from France is this large platter produced by Moustiers. It was found at the antique market in Nice, France. Emily and Jim happened upon the market near closing time. The dealer, not wanting to return home with this large 14 inch long platter, began to bargain with Emily. He made an offer, she countered, and he accepted. Emily says it was the bargain of her French Faience Life. She hand carried the heavy piece home on the plane, safely stowing it on the floor next to her seat. Emily thinks it is one of the prettiest pieces in her collection.




The French Hutch isn't the only piece to

hold French faience in Emily and Jim's home.

Look at this china cupboard in the formal dining room.



Emily has been collecting Quimper for twelve years, 

but she has dreamed of this yellow pottery 

since she was a young girl.




As a child, Emily loved to tag along with her mother while she shopped local flea markets and antique shops. It was during those trips that Emily first noticed the bright yellow dishes of Quimper.




The memory of those cheerful dishes remained with Emily all these years. On her second trip to France, it was the yellow Quimper, the Decor Soleil, that Emily selected as her souvenir.




Through the years, 

Emily has added many special pieces in the Soleil pattern, 

such as this sweet tea service and candlesticks.




And all these wonderful 

special serving pieces.




The Soleil pattern has been produced since the 1920s. After the World Wars much of it found its way into the hearts and homes of Americans. That's certainly true for Emily. She now has a complete service for eight.





Emily has set a lovely table for a spring brunch featuring her special Soleil Quimper. Click here to view the complete post on this cheerful tablescape and welcome Emily @ The French Hutch as she shares @ Tablescape Thursday for the first time.




Emily began her blog in January 2011 with the intent of sharing her love of travel, France, and creating a beautiful nest for her family. I hope you'll visit Emily @ The French Hutch and follow along as she continues to share her travel experiences and love of family and home.


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