Little Boy Blue Spring Table

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~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Do you ever get an idea for a tablescape that keeps floating around in your head, waiting {IMPATIENTLY} to be created?  The idea came to me around Grandbaby Boy’s birthday in late January—a table in his honor, if you will:  Little Boy Blue.  It can be a SPRING TABLE too—beckoning with the less-traditional, barely there icy blue and white.

…it came together by itself. 

First—the beautiful tablecloth, bought well before his birth, but in anticipation of being blessed with a precious baby boy, for his baptism.  (More on the tablecloth below.)

Next, the Heinrich dinner plates with blue and white flowers and gold lattice work.

For the center piece, my vintage blue Caprice candle holders and bowl, accompanied by

Blue Boy and Blue Girl.

 

 

The plates came home with me from an auction—they were in a box lot!  Can you imagine?!

But alas, if you look closely, there were only 3—(I hope the fourth of my imaginary guests is

{GRACIOUS} and doesn’t even mention that her place is missing the lovely plates the others have.)

Replacements, Inc. has none like them…they are now on the “search” list.

I’m so happy they came home with me!  I think they’re lovely.

The Baronial Plate individual salt shaker is the only silver on the table, but they “made the cut” because

their patina is soft enough to not interfere with the gold of the ‘scape.

Blue Boy and Blue Girl are also from an auction—they’ll be available in my Etsy soon, so before

they move to another home I wanted have them grace Little Boy Blue’s table.

The flowers are perfect for a SPRING TABLESCAPE.

The blue Cambridge Caprice candleholders and bowl are gifts—from my mother, and from our DIL’s mother respectively--lovely gifts, yes?

Oh, the light and shadows playing on the table!  That’s one of the many reasons

I LOVE glass/crystal.

And now…for the pièce de résistance….

if I LOVE crystal, I ADORE fine, intricately embroidered ANTIQUE linens.

This tablecloth is an antique—white linen, masterfully hand-embroidered in icy, barely blue floss.

Let’s get a closer look so you’ll understand…

…Richelieu cutwork,

perfectly executed raised satin stitch…

and

…insertions of Point de Venise needle lace.

and a scalloped filet lace edging.

So how do you do justice to such mastery when selecting your napkins?

More mastery:

More of the same stitches of the tablecloth, plus

eyelet stitching and buttonhole-stitched edging.

 

What do you love most? China? Crystal? Linens? Silver?  YES, YES, YES!! All the above, right? :)  That’s why we tablescape!

Thank you for visiting.  I’d love to hear about what you love.
Lenox now-vintage Eternal dinner plates as chargers—wedding china
Gold flatware, a gift from my grandmother 28 years ago
Godinger Sutton Place iced tea stems
Flutes, wedding gift
Linens – my collection
Small white footed dish, Limoges, at auction
Leaf spoon, Table Art, The Morgan House, Powell, OH
Thanks for stopping by. Please leave me a comment to let me know you were here—I read every single one of them! They encourage me and inspire me. And if you like what you see a lot J, maybe you’d like to +1 this post too! Thank you!
I will be joining these fun parties; please stop by to see all the great things there!

Seasonal Sunday at http://thetablescaper.blogspot.com
Sunday Showcase Party at http://www.bystephanielynn.com/
Mop It Up Mondays at http://www.ishouldbemoppingthefloor.com/ (thru Feb.)
Show Off Your Cottage Monday at http://houseinroses.blogspot.com
Metamorphosis Monday at http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/
Newbie Party on Monday at http://debbie-debbiedoos.blogspot.com/
Before and After Monday (1st Monday of the mo.) at http://thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com/
Masterpiece Monday at http://boogieboardcottage.blogspot.com/
Nifty Thrifty Tuesday at http://linda-coastalcharm.blogspot.com
Tuesday’s Treasures http://www.myuncommonsliceofsuburbia.com/
Tabletop Tuesday at http://astrollthrulife.blogspot.com/
Wow Us Wednesdays at http://savvysouthernstyle.blogspot.com/
Winter Blues Party at http://diybydesign.blogspot.com/
What's It Wednesday at http://ivyandelephants.blogspot.com/
White Wednesday at http://fadedcharmcottage.blogspot.com/
Voila! French Inspiration on Thursdays at http://frenchcupboard.blogspot.com/
Gina at http://www.theshabbycreekcottage.com/ for the Valentine Party
Tablescape Thursday at http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/
Open House Party Thursday http://nominimalisthere.blogspot.com
Transformation Thursdays at http://www.theshabbycreekcottage.com/
Feathered Nest Friday at http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/
Potpourri Friday at http://twenty-eight-0-five.blogspot.com/
Inspiration Friday at http://www.atthepicketfence.com
Thrifty Things Friday at http://thethriftygroove.blogspot.com/
Vintage Inspiration Friday at http://commonground-debrasvintagedesigns.blogspot.com/
Show and Tell Friday at http://romantichome.blogspot.com/
Home Sweet Home Friday at http://thecharmofhome.blogspot.com/
Saturday Nite Special at http://www.funkyjunkinteriors.blogspot.com/
Weekend Wrap-up Party at http://tatertotsandjello.com/
From my Chickadee Nest to yours~
Zuni

Figurine Love

(Don’t forget that Google Friends is going away!  I’d love to have you follow through Linky Followers.)


Do you love figurines, or not so much?  I’m somewhere in the middle…not a collector, but I do love Lladros…and this beautiful lady.  And here, is her story~

Those of you who read CHN may recall that my parents, little brother, and I came from Cuba in 1961.  We left EVERYTHING behind…yep, a few articles of clothing in two duffle bags and nothing more.  And “she” was part of what we left behind. 

My grandmother returned to Cuba once (you can read about what she brought back from that trip HERE), but the rest of us, for various reasons, have never gone back.

So when a friend of my mother’s was going to Cuba several years ago, she offered to take much-needed supplies to our family there, AND she asked my mother if she wanted her to bring anything back.  My mother’s request was simple: please bring something from our home…anything.  And that is how “she” came back to us.

I have no memories of her, but I find her uniquely beautiful.  While many figurines have non-descript faces, hers is refined, and detailed, and happy.  Isn’t her smile lovely?  Her eyes smile too.

She’s showing wear…she’s an elderly lady now, and it is fairly certain that her life was not easy post-1961.

The flowers in her right hand are long gone, as are her feet (oh, I bet her shoes were lovely, don’t you think?), but the remains of glue speak to the fact that she was loved and the effort that was made to preserve her.

As a lady, her dignity and beauty remain.




Her pedigree is questionable—her marks simply say “Italy” and “FP”—but that’s not important.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 
Her other flowers are intact.



Her lovely porcelain neck and upper shoulder are also damaged.  Isn’t her bench exquisite?
Thanks for stopping by. Please leave me a comment to let me know you were here—I read every single one of them! They encourage me and inspire me. And if you like what you see a lot J, maybe you’d like to +1 this post too! Thank you!

I will be joining these fun parties; please stop by to see all the great things there!
Mop It Up Mondays at http://www.ishouldbemoppingthefloor.com/ (thru Feb.)
Show Off Your Cottage Monday at http://houseinroses.blogspot.com
Metamorphosis Monday at http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/
Newbie Party on Monday at http://debbie-debbiedoos.blogspot.com/
Before and After Monday (1st Monday of the mo.) at http://thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com/
Masterpiece Monday at http://boogieboardcottage.blogspot.com/
Nifty Thrifty Tuesday at http://linda-coastalcharm.blogspot.com
Tuesday’s Treasures http://www.myuncommonsliceofsuburbia.com/
Tabletop Tuesday at http://astrollthrulife.blogspot.com/
Wow Us Wednesdays at http://savvysouthernstyle.blogspot.com/
Winter Blues Party at http://diybydesign.blogspot.com/
What's It Wednesday at http://ivyandelephants.blogspot.com/
Voila! French Inspiration on Thursdays at http://frenchcupboard.blogspot.com/
Gina at http://www.theshabbycreekcottage.com/ for the Valentine Party
Tablescape Thursday at http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/
Open House Party Thursday http://nominimalisthere.blogspot.com
Transformation Thursdays at http://www.theshabbycreekcottage.com/
Feathered Nest Friday at http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/
Potpourri Friday at http://twenty-eight-0-five.blogspot.com/
Inspiration Friday at http://www.atthepicketfence.com
Thrifty Things Friday at http://thethriftygroove.blogspot.com/
Vintage Inspiration Friday at http://commonground-debrasvintagedesigns.blogspot.com/
Show and Tell Friday at http://romantichome.blogspot.com/
Home Sweet Home Friday at http://thecharmofhome.blogspot.com/
Feature Yourself Friday at http://www.fingerprintsonthefridge.com/
Saturday Nite Special at http://www.funkyjunkinteriors.blogspot.com/
Weekend Wrap-up Party at http://tatertotsandjello.com/
Seasonal Sunday at http://thetablescaper.blogspot.com
Sunday Showcase Party at http://www.bystephanielynn.com/


Wishing you love on Valentine's Day and always,
from my Chickadee Nest to yours~
~Zuni

Meringue Valentine Kisses

I posted these sweet meringue kisses in January, but they are so perfect for Valentine's Day that I thought I'd share them again. They're crunchy and light and yummy.  I hope you enjoy them!  HERE is the link for the post.

MONDAY, JANUARY 2, 2012

Valentine or Candy Cane Meringue Kisses

These "kisses" are perfect for Christmas, because they look like candy canes, but they're also perfect for Valentine's Day.  Happy kissing!

Here's what they look like--cute, huh?
Want to learn how to make them?  It's easy---follow along.

 

Thanks for stopping by.  Please leave me a comment to let me know you were here—I read every single one of them!  They encourage me and inspire me.  And if you like what you see a lot J, maybe you’d like to +1 this post too!  Thank you!

I'll be joining these foodie parties:

          Totally Tasty Tuesday at http://mandysrecipebox.blogspot.com/

          Sweets for a Saturday at http://sweet-as-sugar-cookies.blogspot.com/

          Seasonal Sunday at http://thetablescaper.blogspot.com/

         Transformation Thursday at http://www.theshabbycreekcottage.com/

         Foodie Friday at http://designsbygollum.blogspot.com/

And if the post fits for my usual party places, I'll be here too:

        Show Off Your Cottage Monday at http://houseinroses.blogspot.com

Metamorphosis Monday at http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/

Newbie Party on Monday at http://debbie-debbiedoos.blogspot.com/

Before and After Monday (1st Monday of the mo.) at http://thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com/ 

Masterpiece Monday at http://boogieboardcottage.blogspot.com/

Nifty Thrifty Tuesday at http://linda-coastalcharm.blogspot.com

Tuesday’s Treasures http://www.myuncommonsliceofsuburbia.com/

Tabletop Tuesday at http://astrollthrulife.blogspot.com/ 

Wow Us Wednesdays at http://savvysouthernstyle.blogspot.com/

Winter Blues Party at http://diybydesign.blogspot.com/

What's It Wednesday at http://ivyandelephants.blogspot.com/

Voila! French Inspiration on Thursdays at http://frenchcupboard.blogspot.com/

Gina at http://www.theshabbycreekcottage.com/ for the Valentine Party

Tablescape Thursday at http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/

Open House Party Thursday http://nominimalisthere.blogspot.com

Transformation Thursdays at http://www.theshabbycreekcottage.com/

Feathered Nest Friday at http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/

Potpourri Friday at http://twenty-eight-0-five.blogspot.com/

Inspiration Friday at http://www.atthepicketfence.com

Thrifty Things Friday at http://thethriftygroove.blogspot.com/

Vintage Inspiration Friday at http://commonground-debrasvintagedesigns.blogspot.com/

Show and Tell Friday at http://romantichome.blogspot.com/

Home Sweet Home Friday at http://thecharmofhome.blogspot.com/

Feature Yourself Friday at http://www.fingerprintsonthefridge.com/

Saturday Nite Special at http://www.funkyjunkinteriors.blogspot.com/

Weekend Wrap-up Party at http://tatertotsandjello.com/

Seasonal Sunday at http://thetablescaper.blogspot.com

Sunday Showcase Party at http://www.bystephanielynn.com/

Wishing you love on Valentine's Day and always,

from my Chickadee Nest to yours~

    Zuni

Red and White Valentine Table

A few weeks ago I brought Duchess home...  The beautiful Paden City Pottery vintage china I'd had at my mom's for way too long, and I did a post with "her"  (HERE), but my ♥ still wanted to do another one~~

a RED and WHITE one.

Do you start a tablescape knowing exactly what it's going to be?

I don't...I have a general idea,

then inspiration from things around me, other posts, magazines

AND

THE BOUNTY IN MY COLLECTIONS

just guide me along.

The original idea for this post was the color scheme, and it was going to be 

a casual 'scape--red and white, using my red Crate and Barrel placemats and white dishes...

But SERENDIPITY stepped in...

and took me to the large, deep drawers full of vintage linens.

The topper that spoke to me was this:

Exquisite, yes?
Do you know what this stitching is called?  The outline of the design is embroidered on the right side
of the fabric, and the "filler" is embroidered on the back of the fabric,
so only the color, not the stitching, is visible.
It's simply a work of art.

My mother used this same technique on a pillow and bassinet sheet she made for my first baby
 "quite a few" :) years ago.  In Spanish she calls it "shadow" stitch,
which seems quite appropriate.

The topper reminds me of vintage hankies--squares pieced together
with lace insets.
And the lace is BEAUTIFUL too.

While we're still on the subject of the topper, here's a close-up of the center work.
I had to use a pedestal centerpiece, don't you agree? to not cover such
beautiful work.
And as much as I love this piece, I don't remember the occasion when I bought it.
I wish I did, but I seldom pass up beautiful vintage linens.

Oh...forgive me...I got carried away with the cloth, embroidery, vintage, lace, etc.....  

This post is about THE TABLESCAPE, so here it is:

By candlelight
I used a crystal cake plate that my MIL gave me years ago so the embroidery wouldn't be covered,
and miniature roses to continue the delicate scene.
Splashes of red in the heart-shaped crystal vase and hearts,
plus hydrangeas, bridal tulle, and sterling candle sticks.

The "heart" napkin idea was another inspiration.  I've searched everywhere for heart-shaped dishes,
but have only found plastic ones, so to substitute, I placed a  ♥ -shaped napkin* under my  vintage
Heritage plates, and I was satisfied--for this year, that is.
I will continue my search for small, red heart-shaped bowls.

I used the red Crate and Barrel placemats as planned, for contrast with the table.

* I found several tutorials online for the heart-shaped napkin, but I still had to tweak it enough that I don't think
I can point you to any of them.  At some point I'll do a tutorial on what I found to have worked best.
(You might notice that mine's a little "poofy," which is what I wanted.)

We bought this Amish high chair when Sweet Baby Love was born.
Now it's used by Beautiful Boy, so we keep it in the dining room.

So, tell me what you think.  Do you like the lace and tulle and crystal and silver?

Here's the rundown of the components:

Stems:  Water - Sutton Place, Godinger; Sherbet - vintage, gift from my mother

Flatware:  Oneida, King George

Dishes:  Crystal - Heritage by Federal, gift from my mother; Dinner - American Pelier, Bianca Leaf; Charger - Unnamed, manufacturer: Cerages.  Dinner & charger from Home Goods, just recently.

Red Crystal vase:  TJ Maxx a few weeks ago

Thanks for stopping by.  Please leave me a comment to let me know you were here—I read every single one of them!  They encourage me and inspire me.  And if you like what you see a lot J, maybe you’d like to +1 this post too!  Thank you!

I will be joining these fun parties; please stop by to see all the great things there!

 Show Off Your Cottage Monday at http://houseinroses.blogspot.com

Metamorphosis Monday at http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/

Mop It Up Mondays at http://www.ishouldbemoppingthefloor.com/

Newbie Party on Monday at http://debbie-debbiedoos.blogspot.com/

Before and After Monday (1st Monday of the mo.) at http://thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com/ 

Masterpiece Monday at http://boogieboardcottage.blogspot.com/

Nifty Thrifty Tuesday at http://linda-coastalcharm.blogspot.com

Tuesday’s Treasures http://www.myuncommonsliceofsuburbia.com/

Tabletop Tuesday at http://astrollthrulife.blogspot.com/ 

Wow Us Wednesdays at http://savvysouthernstyle.blogspot.com/

Centerpiece Wednesdays at http://www.thestylesisters.blogspot.com/

Wednesday Winter Blues Party at http://diybydesign.blogspot.com/

What's It Wednesday at http://ivyandelephants.blogspot.com/

Voila! French Inspiration on Thursdays at http://frenchcupboard.blogspot.com/

Gina at http://www.theshabbycreekcottage.com/ for the Valentine Party

Tablescape Thursday at http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/

Open House Party Thursday http://nominimalisthere.blogspot.com

Transformation Thursdays at http://www.theshabbycreekcottage.com/

Feathered Nest Friday at http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/

Potpourri Friday at http://twenty-eight-0-five.blogspot.com/

Inspiration Friday at http://www.atthepicketfence.com

Thrifty Things Friday at http://thethriftygroove.blogspot.com/

Vintage Inspiration Friday at http://commonground-debrasvintagedesigns.blogspot.com/

Show and Tell Friday at http://romantichome.blogspot.com/

Home Sweet Home Friday at http://thecharmofhome.blogspot.com/

Feature Yourself Friday at http://www.fingerprintsonthefridge.com/

Saturday Nite Special at http://www.funkyjunkinteriors.blogspot.com/

Weekend Wrap-up Party at http://tatertotsandjello.com/

Seasonal Sunday at http://thetablescaper.blogspot.com

Sunday Showcase Party at http://www.bystephanielynn.com/

Wishing you love on Valentine's Day and always,

from my Chickadee Nest to yours~

    Zuni

And the Winner is...Moi!!

Mid-January Kathi, of South Bay Studio, had her last GIVEAWAY of the year.  She was giving away five of her beautiful, watercolor cards.  Here they are, as she showed them in her giveaway:

I don't enter many giveaways, because frankly I don't have time to follow the routine:  Join here, go there, comment 15 times and you're in.

But when I saw Kathi's, I HAD to join in the fun.  And wouldn't you know?  

I WAS THE LUCKY WINNER!!

Kathi sent them out immediately and I now have them in my hot little hand and home, ready to enjoy:

Here they are, in my antique secretary...ready for some quiet time
to spend with friends and family.
I think I will use them for thank-you notes.

Look at the detail!  They are exquisite!
Kathi says she uses a very fine glitter--it's wonderful!  I hope you can see it.

Some of the prints are Kathi originals, which I especially love.

In my post, Tea  for Cookie (HERE), I wrote about how much I enjoy the
{now-old-fashioned} means of  staying in touch--
LETTER WRITING.
That means I will thoroughly enjoy using these notes cards,
BUT...

I'm not sure I want to part with them!
I will choose the recipients carefully,
making sure they will appreciate Kathi's art.

Do you still write letters?
Do you send handwritten thank-you notes?
Do you love beautiful stationery?

And speaking of writing...do you like pens?
I'm love pens--cheap pens, giveaway pens, expensive pens,
but nothing writes like my
Waterman fountain pen.
I also like to change the ink colors.
These days I'm using teal--
It was called it Peacock Green when I was in school--
it was my favorite ink color then
and a favorite color for anything now.

Be sure to visit Kathi to see her beautiful blog and her Etsy shop, where you can see a full display of her art.   

Thanks for stopping by.  Please leave me a comment to let me know you were here and that you love Kathi's art.  I read every single one of them!  They encourage me and inspire me.  And if you like what you see a lot J, maybe you’d like to +1 this post too!  Thank you!

I'm going to join ALL these fun parties to make sure Kathi's art gets out there--it's wonderful!  Please stop by to see all the great things there!

House in Roses Show Off Your Cottage Monday at http://houseinroses.blogspot.com

Metamorphosis Monday at http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/

Motivate Me Monday @ Keeping It Simple   

Newbie Party on Monday at http://debbie-debbiedoos.blogspot.com/

Tabletop Tuesday at http://astrollthrulife.blogspot.com/ 

Wow Us Wednesdays at http://savvysouthernstyle.blogspot.com/ 

Tablescape Thursday at http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/

Open House Party Thursday http://nominimalisthere.blogspot.com

Transformation Thursdays at The Shabby Creek Cottage

Feathered Nest Friday at http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/

Potpourri Friday at http://twenty-eight-0-five.blogspot.com/

Inspiration Friday at http://www.atthepicketfence.com

Thrifty Things Friday at The Thrifty Groove

Vintage Inspiration Friday at Common Ground

Show and Tell Friday at http://romantichome.blogspot.com/

Home Sweet Home Friday at The Charm of Home

Feature Yourself Friday at Fingerprints on the Fridge

Saturday Nite Special at Funky Junk Interiors

Weekend Wrap-up Party at Tatertots and Jello

Seasonal Sunday at http://thetablescaper.blogspot.com/

Wishing you love on Valentine's Day and always,

from my Chickadee Nest to yours~

    Zuni