Sunday, June 19, 2011

A Place for Tea


I've been watching all the talented, creative, and extremely industrious individuals who seem to paint something every week. When I was much younger, I too, would refinish a piece of furniture every now and again. But it's been years since I actually took on a painting project!



Summer before last I came across this little thrifty treasure of a child's set of a table and four chairs. You can see it was rusty and in need of being rescued. As I said, it's been years since I've taken on a project to refinish something, but I was totally charmed by the detail of the rooster and leaves and the fact that both the chairs and table fold up flat. So this little set came home with me with the intention of a make-over.



It wasn't long before Cleo and Mr. Barnaby claimed it for their own. They didn't seem to mind the rust and the fact that I hadn't actually gotten around to spiffing up this little set. You see they enjoy an afternoon tea and were happy to have their own little spot on the terrace. If you like, click here to join them.



It also didn't seem to matter when the

animals gathered for tea on a sunny morning.



But when a sweet little girl was coming to visit her Nana who is one of my dearest friends, I decided it was time to get out the wire brush, clean off the rust, and give the set a fresh coat of paint.



To prevent the rust again,

I used a gray primer as an undercoat.



Using a spray paint made it an easy project,

but it took several sweeps to get at all the angles.



Once each piece was primed . . .



I painted them with Rust-Oleum Strawflower, a soft yellow as close to the original color as I could find. My initial idea was to highlight and enhance the rooster and leaves with a bit of color, but I haven't done that.



So what do you think?

Shall I leave it as it was originally painted,
all yellow, or give the rooster and leaves a hint of color?

What would you do?




Mary Kate wants to remind you to join HFTS

for the Summer Week Long Blog Party



You can click here to join DebbieDoos Summer Paint Party June 20th .

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Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Flag Day ~ 2011

It's been a busy week here at HFTS with little computer time, but Flag Day is important to me so I took the liberty to recycle my post from last year. I hope it inspires others to proudly display the American flag and bring out some red, white, and blue for the summer months. 4th of July will be here before you know it.

Flag Day is also my brother's birthday. Happy Birthday, David!



National Flag Day ~ June 14th

Although many states had designated a special day to honor the US flag each year, it wasn't until 1949 that President Truman signed an Act of Congress designating June 14th of each year as National Flag Day.


Here at HFTS the US flag and other patriotic symbols of our country are front and center during the summer months. Affectionately known as Old Glory, the Stars & Stripes, or the Star Spangled Banner, the American flag is a Grand Old Flag.



Long an enthusiast of Americana, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to attend the special exhibit, STRIPES and STARS, A GRAPHIC HISTORY OF AN AMERICAN ICON. The AIGA National Design Center hosted the STRIPES and STARS exhibit, at their 5th Avenue center in NYC the summer of 2000. The exhibit was an amazing collection of US flag related items assembled by Kit Hinrichs of California. The large poster lower right in the above mosaic is from the exhibit. I had it framed, and it is now part of my American collection.


The exhibit, a mere sampling of Mr. Hinrichs collection of flag memorabilia was so well received that Mr. Hinrichs decided to publish LONG MAY SHE WAVE. This large, beautiful book documents the complete collection of over 500 items with incredible color images meticulously photographed by renowned artist, Terry Heffernan. Mr. Hinrichs' collection has been "hailed as a marvel of folk history and a time capsule of cultural commentary." The exhibit catalog notes "Despite legal restrictions adopted by Congress in 1912 and 1934, the exhibition illustrates that popular interpretations of the flag motif have continued to proliferate, resulting in a rich visual history of a true American icon."


UNITED WE STAND, by Peter Gwillim Kreitier, is another wonderful book for those interested in the American flag. In response to Pearl Harbor, to celebrate Independence Day in 1942, every major US magazine featured an image of the American Flag on its cover. This book reproduces more than 100 of those magazine covers that saluted Old Glory across the nation July 1942.


Mary Emmerling's AMERICAN COUNTRY FLAGS is a charming little book of various flags in folk art. Each page features beautiful full color images and quotes related to the American flag.


The US flag is often found on United States Postage Stamps. In 2002, perhaps in response to Kit Hinrichs' popular exhibit, the U. S. Post Office issued a set of five Americana stamps featuring flag ephemera. A small booklet that featured other flag folk art images and included twenty of the 37-cent stamps was available from the U. S. Post Office.


In 2000, I purchased this sheet of 33-cent U S postage stamps that commemorate The Stars And Stripes with various images of the U S flag through the years.


I had my sheet of flag stamps specially stamped for the occasion of OpSail 2000, the Parade of Tall Ships on the Hudson River and New York Harbor.


After 9/11 American patriotism was very popular. The American flag was seen being flown at almost every home in many neighborhoods. Flags flew on antenna of cars and trucks, and many wore a small American flag pin on their lapel. The top and bottom photos of the above collage are pins in my collection. The center card is an advertisement from Maximal Art's Vintage Americana Collection. You can find Maximal Art online at www.maximalart.com.


These small individual vintage flags were once used on student desks in a classroom. The silk flags show 48 stars, the flag used between 1912 and 1959. The 48 star flag was the second longest in use.


Its red for love, and its white for law,
And its blue for the hope that our forefathers saw,
Of a larger liberty.
Unknown
Mary Emmerling's AMERICAN COUNTRY FLAGS


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Wednesday, June 8, 2011

I'd Rather Be In Paris


A cousin and her family are planning a trip to Paris

this summer and wanted a little help with their plans.



In honor of their visit for the day,

I pulled together a few Parisian details.



I gathered up a group of Eiffel Tower

and fleur de lys souvenirs from previous trips.



I wanted to set a festive mood while

we enjoyed brunch and discussed Paris.



A bouquet of fresh flowers . . .



In a Parisienne pitcher . . .



Gave a bit of color to the buffet . . .



Of white serving pieces.



More colorful flowers . . .



Filled a crystal bowl encircled by a trio

of French poupées for the table centerpiece.




The whimsical dolls are

original Parisian creations by Cerri' Art.



Each Mademoiselle features a unique head

decorated with an extravagant head-dress.



The flexible bodies easily adopt various poses.



These exotic creatures are full of whimsical details.



Though their millet filled bodies are flexible,

the arms and legs are Limoges china.



Each unique, the whimsical mademoiselles offer a

touch of fantasy and make one want to exclaim, "Oh, la la."



To keep the table simple, rattan chargers

held dinner plates that feature bold, colorful fruits.



Vintage French flatware offered a touch of elegance.



While cobalt stems held the

cheerful yellow linen napkins.



The colorful fruit plates are

by Rainbow Gate in Santa Fe, NM.



Each is hand made and hand painted.



We discovered Rainbow Gate Pottery in 1995

and purchased four of their colorful plates.



With subsequent visits to Santa Fe through the years,

we've added more plates, each featuring a different fruit.



Our brunch started with sweet Beignets and coffee.



Fresh fruit salad of grapes, melons, and berries



Oeufs brouillés or French scrambled eggs with a side of bacon



And of course, croissants



To which one might add a bit of sweet cream butter



And orange with fig or strawberry jams



I'm here for the summer, but would rather be in Paris.

What about you?

What vacation plans do you have in the works?


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