Spring China Cabinet and Other High Hopes

This week alone we’ve had temperatures in the 30s and temperatures hitting 70º… “I’ve seen fire and I’ve seen rain” the James Taylor song goes. “I’ve seen sunny days that I thought would never end…” Nope…scratch the part about seeing so many sunny days that I thought they’d never end…when we have sunny days around here we’re a little skeptical…what’s coming next?! Last Saturday was a perfect example: I woke up to a cloudy day, and later I looked out and it was drizzling! Yuck! I see a weather alert on my phone! A what?! What could be happening?!I Yep, a winter storm watch with rain turning to freezing rain, turning to snow, and at one point later in the day we had almost a complete white out—oh, and high, very high winds. We were thankful for no meaningful accumulation.

But a couple of weeks ago I decided it was TIME…even if the weather wasn’t cooperating completely, it was time for spring, because again, my “gears” where not in sync—the calendar, the sunny days/rainy days, the cold temperatures/the glimpses of hope—not even a crocus out there that I’ve seen!

First thing to do: The china cabinet. Our home is so open that the china cabinet can set the tone for the rest of the house—as the china cabinet goes, so goes our decor (and my mood, one could add).

You might recall I had already de-winterized the china cabinet to this:

The intense colors were starting to bother me, so before I knew it I was taking the reds and purples and teal out and replacing it with a softer, twiggier, birdier design~

Ahhhh…so much better for this time of year!

Our DIL has offered to make bird nest cupcakes for our Easter brunch, so that will be the “theme” of our table—birds and nests and twigs and eggs. Probably not feathers, unless I get some that are natural in color (and not cardinals’! LOL). Anticipating that tablescape, I wanted to bring out the Pottery Barn bird-on-a-branch salad plates, because I will surely use them on our table and I wanted to enjoy them.

Since at the time Easter was a good month away, I didn’t want to go Easter-y; just spring-y, with soft, muted colors.

Some of the details~

The top of the cabinet is always fun to decorate, but the cathedral ceiling presents a bit of a challenge, because there’s an awful lot of space to fill, and you have to make sure the objects there aren’t miniaturized because of the open space. The vintage silver cruet set and birdcage help fill the space.

Would you believe these are the white roses from the Three Kings Celebration (January 6, 2014 – you can see that post here )? They dried so beautifully. They almost look like they’re vintage papers instead. The vessel next to them was an awesome find at GW not too long ago. I know I’ll be using it a lot. And the pinecone roses? Those are new—a new love. You’ll see more of them later (and in many future posts, I’m sure)

You knew our little chickadee had to be here somewhere! This time she’s snuggled in her cage amidst hydrangeas and pinecone roses and moss on top of the china cabinet.

The top shelf in the cabinet is quite simple: A soft blue vase (also a GW find), filled with my dried hydrangeas, and a sweet found nest whose creator did not weave it very well; it’s rather fragile. Those babies must’ve been coming sooner that she thought and they were in a hurry to get that nest done! (I wouldn’t know about that; my chickadees were both late!) A PB bird-on-a-branch salad plate, and three ceramic pitchers that I’ve had for years. So glad I bought them when I did!

I’ve had this frosted pedestal dish with a lovely floral design for many, many years, and I’ve always been able to use it somewhere; it’s a versatile piece.

The second shelf is a “birdie” vignette, complete with a faux nest and faux eggs. The three look-alike birds are actual candle holders from Crate and Barrel, and of course, my chubby Nicodemus robin whom I know you’ve seen—he’s always around, just like the chickadee.

The decorations on the bottom shelf offer the visual foundation for the cabinet, with more of the PB plates and yet another faux nest and faux eggs.

  Three nests down the center of the china cabinet to offer continuity and rhythm.

The serving level holds a Crate and Barrel oblong wood dish filled with more pinecone roses, the Bombay Company chicken-wire cloche filled with hydrangeas, and my husband’s grandparents’ milk glass salt and pepper set, which we use as our everyday shakers because they’re so special.

 

So, “rain and severe storms for the weekend,” the TV just announced. Hmmm, what’s happening in YOUR world? Have you moved into spring in spite of the weather? What have you done? Or are you way ahead of me and into full Easter swing?

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!

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/

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/

Thursdays at http://www.impartinggrace.com/

From my nest to yours~

Zuni

Hot Chocolate and Chocolate Dessert Bar

Our dear friends came to visit for the weekend—the perfect opportunity to spoil them a little.  We texted them while they were en route:  “Arrive hungry…we have LOTS of goodies for dinner and dessert!”

For dessert we had a HOT CHOCOLATE BAR set up.

I used our sons’ baby cups for the mini marshmallows and tiny chocolate chips.

Vintage napkins I turn to often, because they are so sweet.  They were a gift from my dear MIL from their years when they lived in Mexico, where my FIL was sent by General Tire. 

My iSi cream whipper was at the ready, of course, (you can read about this wonderful kitchen tool HERE), and the vintage silver cocktail shaker my mother gave me was perfect for the hot chocolate…LOVE this piece.

    Gifts from my SIL, I use these spoons often too, because I think they’re so pretty.

These sweet little sugar tongs now repurposed to serve the mini marshmallows.

And yes, we also had fruit on hand, in case we wanted to add something healthy to our dessert. :)

A not-so-mini chocolate-chocolate Bundt cake, garnished with peanut butter fudge curls and bite-size pieces for walking by and grabbing one or two, plus dark-chocolate on butter cookies, and of course, kisses.

My husband’s favorite aunt used to make peanut butter fudge for us, but now that she’s gone he’s happy to have found an excellent substitute at Krema.  Krema is local, but they ship everywhere.  You won’t go wrong with them, I promise.

And other walk-by treats.

But this was the BEST part…our family gathered together to spend time with our friends.

Our friends are so sweet.  They love everything we do to make their visit special, and they enjoy EVERY.SINGLE.DETAIL.  That makes it so much fun! 

What do you do when you have guests?  I’d love to hear your idea of pampering guests for our future visitors. 

I’ll be posting the recipe for my Espresso Hot Chocolate soon. ~~

Cake stand – Crate and Barrel, several years ago, a gift from my cousin

Mugs – House Beautiful, Marshall Field’s, years ago

Spoons – 1847 Rogers Bros., Columbia

Sugar tongs – Vintage Forbes Silver Co.

Cake plate – gift from my MIL many years ago; Dome – Bombay Company

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you’ll leave me a comment to let me know you were here—I read every single one of them! And if you like what you see a lot, maybe you’d like to Google+ this post or pin it on Pinterest too! Thank you!

I invite you to follow me. If you’ll let me know that you’re following, I’ll be sure to follow you back.

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

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

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

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

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

From my nest to yours~  Chickadee Home Nest

WaterColor-Themed Mother’s Day Brunch

The power of a logo…not only are some instantly recognizable, but they evoke feelings instantly.  The most powerful logo I’ve encountered is the logo from WaterColor, Florida.  We were fortunate to stay at WaterColor Inn several years ago, and I still have simple mementos around the house of that wonderful place, and the logo that so captures its essence:

Can you relate?  Does it speak to you as it does me?  It’s the SAND, the WATER, and the SKY!  (or I’ve also heard that the deep blue represents the deeper blue of the Gulf, farther out).  Isn’t it LOVELY?? (sigh…)

This logo has helped me to hone in on the colors I love, and they are now reflected in various ways throughout our home—always bringing back memories of this special place.  In their website (http://www.watercolorflorida.com) they describe WaterColor  as “a vibrant beach resort and residential community that eases into its natural surroundings with a Southern simplicity and grace.”

Sooo…today Bright Eyes (3 weeks old tomorrow) was coming over to your home for the first time—with his Mama and Papa, Baby Love, and GL.  Grandbabies coming over for the first time has always been a very special event for us, and in celebration we prepared a beach brunch.  It was a perfect day for it—bright skies, warm, a soft breeze…  This post is dedicated to our DIL, who has blessed us and our son by joining our family and giving us three BEAUTIFUL grandbabies.

And again, guided by the WaterColor logo, our table evolved. 

About the table ~ It’s a family table, a REAL table.  You’ll see the inspiration from the logo, but you’ll also see no centerpiece—the FOOD was our centerpiece—and the grandbabies’ Bunnykins place settings. 

First came the runner…I tell you, teal and blue, and I’m happy.  I got it at Crate and Barrel last fall and hadn’t been able to use it.  So that’s our SKY. 

The blue tablecloth…right along with the logo, is the WATER, and

the napkins are the SAND.

Our menu was simple but yummy:

• Cranberry Scones and Chocolate-chip Scones (recipe from The Gourmet Cookbook, edited by Ruth Reichl)
• Baked eggs (see Wings of Eagles at http://wwweaglewing.blogspot.com/2012/05/you-asked-for-it.html) ~ She was my inspiration for our menu.  (I kind of followed Ina’s recipe but added my own twist.  They were a big hit, and I have to tell you, our son is a professionally trained chef!! :) )
• Beeeauuuuutiiiifuuuulll, red, sweet strawberries
• Bacon
• Home fries
• Toast, coffee, juice

The eggs were baked in the individual gratin dishes.

 

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 or pin it on Pinterest too! Thank you!

I hope you will follow me. If you’ll let me know that you’re following, I’ll be sure to follow you back.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Share Your Cup Thursday at http://jannolson.blogspot.com/

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

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

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

Fridays Unfolded at http://www.stuff-and-nonsense.net/

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

From my 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

Real Thanksgiving Table

The tables we set for "play"--or to post--are sometimes not real tables.  The centerpiece might be too tall, or too big to allow for the other necessities that must go on the table for a real dinner--bread baskets, pitchers, wine bottle coasters, butter dishes, etc., so this is a post about our "real" table.

Our big family dinner was at my brother's this year (at their log cabin--another post for another day).  The Friday after Thanksgiving has always been our day at home--with turkey and all the trimmings again--initially for our children and my parents, and now DILs and babies too.  It's a more relaxed day, and a more relaxed table--our "real" table. 

I used the pomanders I made a few weeks earlier (tutorial HERE) as the basis for the centerpiece.
The amber platter is a recent find at my first auction.  It's an old Tiara piece.  I'd never heard
of Tiara until then, and now I'm in love with this dish.  Perfect for fall.

I L.O.V.E. this flower pot.  My cousin gave it to me years ago; I wonder if she remembers?
I use it every year for fall decorating.
Earlier in the season I had it in the china cabinet (HERE)

I imagined these twig pumpkins long before I found them, so...
THE SEARCH WAS ON!
I found them at a $$ store, where I paid $2 for them...(how does that work?!)

The PGBs (Precious GrandBabies) had their own placesettings with their Royal Doulton Bunnykins

dishes and feather headband for full Thanksgiving effect.



I used white dinner plates as chargers, and though they're not large enough
to be chargers, they added a bit more ummmppphhh to the setting.

Dinner plates are Friendly Village, and the salad plates--I don't remember.



Somewhere along the line I decided that the pumpkins I had so much wanted
were covering up the turkey plates I so love, so I moved them to the top of the plate,
'where I could enjoy both.



The view from our front door--our glorious American flag x 2.

Then...Christmas arrived at our home.

Every year my husband comes home with 2, 3, 4, 5 poinsettias, and every

year I am surprised and thrilled to see him walk in carrying the first one, then

another, then another.  This year was more of a surprise, though, because he came home

with them earlier than usual--because he also brought one for my mother

and one for our DIL to take home with them.

So fall met Christmas...

and we're ready to transition to
the joys of the season.

Tell me, do you have "real" tables that are different from you posted tables?

From our nest to yours, I wish you a sweet and smooth transition into the Christmas season.~

    ~Zuni

Miscellaneous:

Napkins: Crate and Barrel

Table runner:  My pashmina

Goblets:  Pottery Barn many years 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!  I'd love it if you would follow me; I promise to work hard to make your visits worthwhile.  Thank you!

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

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

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

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

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

 Homemaker on a Dime, Sunday at http://www.homemakeronadime.com/p/link-parties.html

 Amaze Me Monday at http://dittledattle.blogspot.com/

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

 Motivated Monday at http://becolorful.typepad.com/  

 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/