Wednesday, July 3, 2013

4TH OF JULY ~ RED ~ WHITE ~ BLUE



Blue and White Ceramics


Filled With Red, White, and Blue!
My inspiration for this year's 
4th of July tablescape.


I had the good fortune to be selected 
as the one to receive a pair of these 
beautiful blue and white flower frogs that
offered as a giveaway last March.
Thank you, Marlis!  They are my "go to" vases this summer
and are a perfect compliment for either side 
of a recent estate sale find.

My Flag Day post featured  
a few pieces of Liberty Blue transferware 
that I'd found at a thrift store.
Much to my surprise, 
3 of these plates arrived at my doorstep last week,
a gift from blogging friend 
She had extras and wanted me to have them.  
Now I can set a table for five.  
Thank you, Christine!

Click here to read the Flag Day post 
that tells the history of Liberty Blue.

4th of July 
Red ~ White ~ Blue

The Liberty Blue plates 
feature a pretty border of flowers.
I paired them with white chargers with a lattice border, 
and completed the stack using a blue linen napkin
atop a woven red placemat.

Bright red napkins finish
 off the red, white, and blue tribute.

Mother of pearl and silver flatware 
shines like the stars in our flag.


All Perfectly Patriotic!

A 4th of July celebration isn't complete 
without a few sparklers to end the evening.



~ RED ~
Red Zinnia and Strawberry Bachelor Buttons~
Lemon Basil and  Pincushion Flowers

~ BLUE ~
Plumbago and Lily of the Nile, Both From My Garden

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!

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Sunday, June 30, 2013

Proud To Be American!






Favorites on the 1st 

~ Patriotic Edition ~




 The summer months offer patriotic 

holidays from Memorial Day to Labor Day.





It's the perfect time to 

celebrate the red, white, and blue.




I've long been a 

collector of patriotic items.




Vintage Quilts and Patriotic Dolls



Patriotic Postcards From Yesteryear

Uncle Sam Folk Art Figures




Vintage Ice Fishing Lures




Needlepoint Figures 

Stitched Through The Years




Uncle Sam




Lady Liberty




Dove of Peace

The delightful "make do" above 

is a piece of handwork by my friend 


Click here to go to Evi's shop to see her amazing work.





Books on Americana




 ~ Happy 4th of July! ~

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Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Informal Bridesmaid Luncheon @ The St. Cecilia




Last June I had the privilege 

to host an informal bridesmaid luncheon 


for the daughter of a longtime dear friend. 



The morning of the wedding, the bride 


and her wedding party gathered



at the St. Cecilia, a historic 1800s Victorian home, 



now a boutique hotel in the South Congress District. 





The large open porch offered the perfect 

 spot for a light lunch while the

girls each had their hair and makeup 

done for the evening wedding.




The menu was planned 

around the bride's vegetarian lifestyle.





Fresh Fruit Kabobs




Roasted Red Pepper 

and Traditional Hummus




Served with a variety of 


chips and crackers for scooping.



MacKenzie-Childs paper napkins 

were used for a colorful presentation.





A glass cake plate 

offered up finger sandwiches.




~ Cucumber ~ 

~ Chicken Salad ~ Pimento Cheese ~




Edible spring blooms 

added a touch of panache.





Madelines and Lemon Bars 

were available for a bite of something sweet.





To toast the bride, 

Champagne in a can!

SOFIA ~ Pink Champagne  




Paper plates and paper napkins kept
things simple and easy so the bride
and her friends could eat at their leisure.




Tutorials, Tips, and Tidbits @ Stone Gable

All the serving pieces and linens 

were my gift to the bride and groom.  

The antique mother of pearl and silver butter knife 

kept the paper goods from flitting off in the breeze.  

I find these little spreaders from the past 

also make nice hostess gifts when attached 

to a package of pretty napkins or food items.  





The St. Cecilia with it's lovely 

grounds was the perfect setting with soul.






Happy 1st Anniversary!





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Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Just Peachy!






I baked a peach pie with the last of the 

Texas hill country peaches from last year's crop


using JOY OF COOKING recipe found here.






Then I put it into my 

MacKenzie-Childs ceramic pie dish 

for a pretty presentation.




Peach pie is a 

favorite summer treat.




Especially when it's served 

with a scoop of Haagen-Dazs vanilla.




I also made a few individual pies. 

 I put them into crystal martini stems. 

With the golden ball base, 

 these too were a pretty presentation.




Tutorials, Tips, and Tidbits  @ Stone Gable

Blogging has taught me to 

"think out of the box"

when it comes to using dishware.

Pull out you crystal stems, 

and use them in unexpected ways.  




June is the beginning of the peach 

season for Texas Hill Country peaches.




Unfortunately the hill country 

had a hard freeze in March of this year.




These beautiful, ripe 

peaches were last year's crop.




All of these photos were taken 

at the Marburger Orchard last year.  

Sadly, this year the hill country orchards 

have less than 5% of their usual 

crop because of the weather.


We usually buy our peaches from 

Marburger Orchard in Fredricksburg, TX.

It offers "pick your own", 

though we always buy from the stand.

They also have strawberries, 

blackberries, tomatoes, and other seasonal vegetables.




Our favorite 

peaches are Redglobe.




Redglobes are large and round 

with a blushed red over a golden color.




I know most think of Georgia, 

the Peach State, when one thinks of peaches.

Here in Texas, we think of the hill country!




Texas Peaches ~ Yum, Yum Good!

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