Chickadee Home Nest: Chickadee and Holly

Showing posts with label Chickadee and Holly. Show all posts

Monday, February 10, 2014

Winter Picnic – On the Screened Porch

It was –4º when I got up the other day, but by 8:30 it was all the way up to zero, so things were looking up, AND the sun was out! What a difference the sun makes, when you have about 10” of snow (and more with the drifts and the mountains of it created by the snow plows!). The snow glimmers in the sunlight, as though there are diamonds dancing on it.

I’ve wanted to do a winter tablescape out on the screened porch for quite a while now…the desire dancing around in my head, but with no clear picture of where I wanted to go with it (I’ve written about that before…having a general idea in my head, and letting it develop as I go—do you do that too??). When I saw the gorgeous blue sky and sun, well, that was it. A tablescape was about to be born!

It had to be done quickly, of course—a lot of sprinting out there with as many things as I could carry at at time, all the while wearing no coat and my slippers (it was impromptu, I tell you!).

Because we can readily see and enjoy the screened porch from the house, I always keep it “decorated,” so I first ran out there to dismantle what was there (you can see that post HERE ). Quickly I added one of the two new plaid throws I’m in love with, and as I started the table…

…do you see what I see?? A Bobcat out there, still plowing us out. I had to take a picture of it, because I laughed to myself as I wondered what he thought if he’d seen me out on the porch!

And here it is! The quickest tablescape I’ve ever created!

What really started the table was the the berry dinner plates we’ve been using since Christmas. As I unloaded the dishwasher I thought, “This is it! I’ll start with these plates! The Chickadee and Holly china is of course in the winter china cabinet (HERE), as were the goblets, so easy solution. The “snow” and pinecone hurricanes were on the dining room table as part of the centerpiece, and the juice glasses were also easy access.

Okay…this picture tells you how cold/how much I was rushing. It was only when I was editing the pictures that I noticed both chickadee salad plates were sideways! :( I’m really disappointed about that.

The rim of the berries and holly plates by Savinio, a great find at Tuesday Morning last year, is actually raised, appearing as a twig, which is of course perfect for the birdies!

Guess who came out to visit? You might remember that he, too, was perched in the china cabinet.

I love dried roses—you know that, right? These are from our Three Kings Celebration in early January! You can read more about that HERE.

I have to tell you, it never occurred to me until I was ready to bring everything back in, that the temperature change from the warm and cozy home to 0º might break the glass or dishes….When I was ready to bring them inside I panicked, so I wrapped each piece before bringing them in the house and left them wrapped for a while. Wow! A real disaster averted!

Ahhh…hydrangeas again! Do you remember when I dried them in these mason jars last fall?

They’ve been out all winter, gracing the screened porch, so when I {quickly!} needed some additional “filler” on the table, I was only too happy to have them join in!

This is the view from inside, but the camera just doesn’t do it justice. What my eyes revel in, the camera can’t capture—the full bright sun, the snow glistening, the blue, northern light coming into the screened porch, the glimmer of the crystal.

I truly would’ve liked to have had at least some hot chocolate out there, but, really, how long do you think it would’ve stayed even remotely warm? Oh…ten seconds?? Yes, I NEED a Skotch plaid thermos (shhhhh….don’t tell Mr. Chickadee!)

Do you every wish you didn’t have to dismantle a tablescape? I

REALLY,

REALLY

didn’t want to dismantle this one! I was staying home for the day, and I sooooo wanted to be able to look out there throughout the day and enjoy this scene! Lucky that it all survived the cold as it was! You can’t begin to imagine how cold the crystal was when I brought it in!

Weather Update: Today we woke up to a steady snow that left us THREE MORE INCHES. Did you notice the picnic table beyond the screened porch? Easily it has 10 inches of snow on it now!

Here are the details of this post:

Dishes: Boehm Chickadee and Holly, and berry plates: Savinio, Tuesday Morning

Glassware: Waterford Lismore Tall, and Martha Steward juice glasses, quite a few years ago

The rest: My collections

Thanks so much for stopping by. I hope you’ll leave me a comment to let me know you were here—I’m thrilled to know you stopped by, and I’ll always visit back and comment too. If you like what you see, I invite you to follow me (I promise to follow back), and please—Pin away and follow me on Pinterest too! Thank you!!

NOTE: Some of the items I use in my posts are in my Etsy shop, but many are not, simply because I haven’t updated my shop. If you see something you like and wonder if it’s available for sale, email me at coral5252@gmail.com and let’s talk!

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

Sunday at It’s Overflowing at http://www.itsoverflowing.com/

Sunday Creative Home and Garden Hop at http://creativehomeexpressions.blogspot.com/

Sundays at The Tablescaper: http://thetablescaper.blogspot.com/

Mop it Up Monday at http://www.ishouldbemoppingthefloor.com

Metamorphosis Monday at http://betweennapsontheporch.net/

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

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

Tuesdays at Our Home at http://mariaelenasdecor.blogspot.com/

Tuesdays at The Scoop at http://www.stonegableblog.com

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

Inspire Me Tuesday at http://astrollthrulife.blogspot.com/

Cuisine Kathleen at http://www.cuisinekathleen.com/

Wow Us Wednesdays at http://www.savvysouthernstyle.net/

Wednesday DIY by Design Party at http://diybydesign.blogspot.com/

Home and Garden Thursday at http://blissfulrhythm.blogspot.com/

Tablescape Thursday at http://betweennapsontheporch.net/

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

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

Fabulously Creative Fridays at http://www.jenniferrizzo.com/

Design it Friday at http://www.findingfabulousblog.com/

Friday Party Junk at http://www.funkyjunkinteriors.net/

Friday at Redoux Interiors at http://www.redouxinteriors.com/

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

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

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

Simply Sweet Fridays at http://rootedinthyme.blogspot.com/

Fridays at Imparting Grace at http://www.impartinggrace.com/

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

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

Saturdays at http://piecedpastimes.blogspot.com/

Spotlight Saturdays at http://www.classyclutter.net/

Saturdays at Be Different, Act Normal at http://www.bedifferentactnormal.com/

From my nest to yours~

Zuni

Sunday, January 19, 2014

Tartan (Plaid) Is More Than Just for Christmas!

As I think back, I think I’ve always loved plaids, and especially the traditional tartans. (As an aside, according to Wikipedia, “Tartan is often called plaid in North America, but in Scotland, a plaid is a tartan cloth slung over the shoulder as a kilt accessory, or a plain ordinary blanket such as one would have on a bed.” Isn’t that interesting?) So…"Tartan plaid” is a repetitive term, thus my title having plaid in parenthesis.

I wish I’d had time to look for a picture of myself when I was probably 4 or 5, dressed in a a Black Watch (cotton) dress with a matching Black Watch purse! It was taken at the Havana airport when my parents and I were traveling to or from the US to Cuba. I’ll have to find that and share :).

As a family we’ve always recognized the Epiphany, and lucky children that we were, the Three Kings made a stop at our home even when we came to the US. AND they did not visit American homes! Lucky us! Now that we have grands and we’ve started also hosting a party to celebrate the Epiphany (HERE), it seems that we’re enjoying the Twelve Days of Christmas even more. So much so that this year, unlike other years, I was in no hurry to take the tree down! By the time we had the party we’d already de-Christmased by putting a way the Santas, the stockings, and other decorations that started to say “Christmas” a little too loudly, and what was left felt glow-y and calm. We didn’t even take the tree down until January 10!

Our Christmas china cabinet went from this:

To this:

The Boehm Chickadee and Holly china stayed because it’s not a Christmas pattern—it’s a winter pattern. I took away the feather Christmas trees, the poinsettias, etc., and left it as a winter scene, including touches of red (I’m loving red this January—could it be to add color to my world, given all the snow and rain and gray, very cold days we’ve had??). Anyway, more on the china cabinet in another post.

So, in my “red” mood, I decided to BRING ON THE TARTAN! I hadn’t really been able to do much with plaids at Christmas, and really, tartans are a year-round design element, but particularly effective during the winter months.

During Christmas this writing desk was the playful area—it’s where I placed the two gingerbread houses the two oldest chickadees made, and that set the tone for a candyland setting (that too, will be another post, now probably closer to Christmas 2014).

My father’s suitcase (you can read about it HERE), as well as the old wood trunk had lived under the writing desk already, so I was happy to put my dad’s suitcase to use by filling it with plaid throws and tablecloths. The now-ubiquitous-to-my-decorating hydrangeas filled the blue-and-white cachepot.

I’ve always loved the mix of tartan and silver and gold, so the vignette consists of shiny, mellow silver pieces and blue-and-white pieces. The roses in the background are from the Three Kings Celebration! They’re starting to show their age, but those of you who’ve read my posts on roses know how much I love roses as they age ever so gracefully.

Blue and white and silver…classic.

The cordials are set in a smaller gallery tray that then sits within the larger gallery tray, to provide more interest and texture to the setting, softened by…you guessed it, hydrangeas! (I keep them in a large plastic bin, which makes it easy to reach for them as needed.)

These vintage damask napkins with their plaid touch are near and dear to me—they, and the matching tablecloth—were often in use at our dinner table when I was growing up. My mother and grandmother (who lived with us) always, always, always set the dinner table with a tablecloth.

This corner is bringing me a lot of new-year cheer, because it showcases many of my favorite things: blue and white, silver, crystal (the vase), and plaids.

Not to mention actually having my dad’s suitcase in use in a more “interactive” way.

So tell me, how do you feel about tartan other than at Christmas? Do you use it other times of the year? Are you one of the luckies who have a room with plaid upholstery, OR even plaid wallpaper? If you do, I’d love to see pictures! I hope you’ll share!