Will She?

A Table For Two Set 

With the Color of Love

Delicate Linens 

of White Embroidery

Champagne Chilling

Stems of Crystal 

Ready for a Toast

Balcon du Guadalquivir 

By Hermes

Exquisite Layers

All Set the Mood

As He 

Pops the Question

Will She?

Photos Taken @ The Menagerie, Austin, TX

Click the links below to see what others have to share this week at:

REDnesday @ It's a Very Cherry World

Wow Us Wednesday @ Savvy Southern Style

Tablescape Thursday @ BNOTP

No Friend Like a Sister

THERE IS NO FRIEND LIKE A SISTER

by Mary Engelbreit

Available here on Amazon.

Poster of the book cover available here at

Mary Engelbreit's online shop.

This is another of the little Mary Engelbreit gift books published by Andrews & McMeel. It is a "collection of poignant illustrations that celebrate the unique bond that exists between sisters." The words on the pages of this book totally reflect how I feel about my sister. My favorite page is the one in the mosaic above with the two sisters, one fair haired and the other dark haired, just like my sister and me.

It includes this poem by Edgar A. Guest:

I'd like to be the sort of friend

that you have been to me.

I'd like to be the help

that you've been always glad to be.

I'd like to mean as much to you each

minute of the day as you have meant,

Old friend of mine, to me along the way.

By Edgar A. Guest

As you can tell from the photo,

this sweet baby girl was born some years ago.

Happy Birthday, Sis.

You are truly a blessing in my life.

Joining

M. E. Monday @ The Cherry Chick

Mosaic Monday @ Little Red House

Blue Monday @ Smiling Sally

A New Look for Hyacinths

Notice something new at

Hyacinths for the Soul?

That gorgeous new header above was a gift from Vicki @ Curly Willow DYI. A few weeks back, The Tablescaper was sporting a new header made by Vicki, a talented graphic designer who had offered to create new headers for a few of The Tablescaper's followers. I was one of the lucky ones selected.

Vicki contacted me with a few questions. Then she visited my blog to look around, and after a few more exchanges my header went from boring . . .

To this gorgeous new look.

It is the essence of Hyacinths for the Soul.

http://curlywillowdiy.blogspot.com/

Vicki and her long time friend, Barb, share their adventures of decorating, antiquing, and traveling at their blog Curly Willow DIY. I hope you'll stop by to visit this delightful blog. You can click here to see more new headers that Vicki created around Blogville and arrange to have a new header designed for your blog.

http://thetablescaper.blogspot.com/

The Tablescaper is known for her gorgeous tablescapes. You can visit her here. Each Sunday she hosts a delightful meme, Seasonal Sundays, to which I'll be linking this post. After all, hyacinths are in season, and saying "Thank You" is appropriate any season of the year.

A big THANK YOU,

to both Vicki and The Tablescaper.

Also linking to:

A Few of My Favorite Things @

Bargain Hunting & Shopping w/ Laurie

Metamorphosis Monday @ BNOTP

Masterpiece Monday @ Boogieboard Cottage

Wow Us Wednesday @ Savvy Southern Style

A Touch of Pink

A Touch of Pink for My Birthday

Most days in January are cold and colorless, but this year we were treated to a bounty of gorgeous pink camellias in a friend's garden.

Perfectly Timed to Set the Theme for My Birthday Dinner

Pink Paired With My Favorite Courtly Check

More Fresh Flowers For The Table

Compliment the Pink of the Evening

Crisp White Linen

Layers of Shiny Black, Courtly Check, 
and a Ruffled Woven Mat

Antique Ivory Salt and Pepper

Tasty Daube a la Provençal Made with Lamb

You'll find the recipe here at Dean and Deluca.

Fresh Spinach with Citrus, Beets, Red Onions, and Olives

Tri-colored Roasted New Potatoes

Pink, Purple, and Cream

A Tower of Corn Muffins

Made For a Perfect Winter Birthday Dinner

When Shared With Good Friends

I Was Tickled Pink

Click the links below to join in the following weekly parties:

Tablescape Thursday @ BNOTP

Home Sweet Home @ The Charm of Home

Feathered Nest Friday @ French Country Cottage

Show & Tell Friday @ My Romantic Home

Friday Favorites @ Whistlestop Cafe

Foodie Friday @ Designs By Gollum

Fresh Cut Friday @ Rose Vignettes

Tickled Pink @ 504 Main

Pink Saturday @ How Sweet the Sound

Fluttering in the Breeze

A host of golden daffodils;

Beside the lake, beneath the trees,

Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

William Wordsworth

Warm days have enticed me out into the garden.

There is much work to be done after Old Man Winters visit.

What joy it is to see a bit of color popping up here and there.

My garden may not be a masterpiece, but it does feed my soul.

How appropriate that today's page on my

Mary Engelbreit desk calendar features daffodils.

Click the links below to see what others

are sharing for these weekly memes.

Cherry Chick for M. E. Mondays

Boogieboard Cottage for Masterpiece Monday

Little Red House for Mosaic Monday

A Woman of Notes for Slow Simple Pleasures

Cherry ~ Cherry Pie

~ Presidents' Day ~

Monday, February 21, 2011

Mondays are also the day to celebrate

the art of Mary Engelbreit over at The Cherry Chick.

With both in mind,

I've set the table with what else but ~

CHERRIES, of course!

Vintage linens, black and white checks, tartan plaid,

and Mary Engelbreit's own cherry inspired dishes.

Definitely a Mary Engelbreit sort of table!

A vintage cloth 
with sassy lacy details . . .

Holds its own below black ruffled

placemats and a bold tartan plaid charger.

Dinner Plate

Salad Plate

Soup or Cereal Bowl

All layered to give the classic 
Mary Engelbreit look.

Add a bit of vintage 
mother of pearl flatware . . .

And a spoon with 
ginkgo leaf detail . . .

A bit more touch of 
tartan plaid for good measure . . .

And a bit more black and white
in my favorite Courtly Check.

The special touch 
of a vintage toast rack . . .

Paired with the acorn leaf details of my

favorite butter knife finish off the setting.

As you munch on a bite of bread and butter before

lunch, lean in closely, I've a little secret to share.

All the dishes on this table were "thrifty" finds!

"Goodwill Hunting" @ 99¢ a piece.

Oh, is that bowl still empty?

How about a cherry pie . . .

To finish out the layers for this

Very Cherry Day!