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

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

Romantic Vintage Valentine 'Scape

           {SOFT}
                                                                                        {ROMANTIC}

                                          {VINTAGE}

                                                                     {PINK}
These are the words that were swirling around in my head as I planned ONE of my Valentine tables. 

My inspiration was an old set of dishes--Duchess, by Paden City Pottery--that I'd had stored at my mom's for several years.  These are beautiful dishes that we actually used as our everyday dishes for quite a while, when our boys were small, then I decided {gasp} that I would sell them at a garage sale.  Alas, they didn't sell, so they stayed at my mom's until my heart called out to them to celebrate Valentine's Day.

Isn't she lovely?  Duchess.  The perfect name for her.

VINTAGE...we use the term so often, but do you ever wonder about the history of
our beloved dishes and crystal and serving pieces?
What family owned them?
(I bought her from a friend's neighbor years and years ago.  She had
no use for them and didn't like them.)
What family meals were celebrated with these dishes?
Were they reserved for special occasions only?

I used our Lenox Eternal as a charger...creamy bone china that went perfectly with The Duchess.
And our gold flatware~a gift from my precious grandmother (who also fed my early tableware addiction).
The treats for the sweet in Depression glass Cherry Blossom, by Jeannette Glass Company--
a gift from my MIL years ago. 
I also used them for a tea party HERE.
Waterford napkins, and pink linen tablecloth I've had for years.

Ahh...crystal.  Is that my favorite?  No, The Duchess is too.  It all is.
Since this is my fantasy table, I used a mix of glass/crystal/stems where I liked it all best.
The on-the-rocks glasses with the gold rim were a wedding gift a "few" years ago ;).
The iced tea stems are Godinger/Shannon, Sutton Place pattern,
and the champagne/tall sherbet stem is a recent gift from my mother,
for our last anniversary. 
The full set, from her china cabinet to ours~the perfect gift.
(I don't know the pattern and haven't been able to find it--
do you know what it is?)

The roses are "vintage" too--
I went to my favorite...ahem..."florist"--Aldi--where they usually have beautiful roses.
These were the perfect shade--a creamy, pale yellow with pink--perfect for The Duchess,
but they were, well...a bit "vintaged."
Then it occurred to me that they would be perfect--a bit worn, but still lovely,
just like The Duchess!
~
I like to mix things up a bit on my tables, rather than have everything matched, so the two "vases"
for the "vintage" roses are vintage too,
and they came to live with us from a box lot at an auction.
They came to the perfect home for them,
where they'll be loved.

Many, many years ago I fell in love with these bone dishes and had to have them.
And I keep them in my kitchen cabinets--you NEVER KNOW when you're going to need bone dishes, right? ;)
They were used in the olden days to keep the fish bones that were removed
away from the rest of the food on one's plate.
We don't see much bone-in fish any more, do we?
I remember as a child having the fish bones removed from my fish.
Love them even if they're just there to be pretty.

And speaking of being pretty...
What shall we call her until we know her real pattern name?
"Pretty" would work for me...

Double the pleasure.



Waterford Lismore pitcher



Roses and crystal and candles and linens and china, oh my!



Shopped the house and look what I found--a heart-shaped dish!
Candy-covered pretzels from Krema--you can order the best
candies and nuts from them HERE.

And guess who came over to spend the night just as I finished my table?
Our BABY LOVE,
One of  the LOVES of our lives--
She quickly changed into her full princess regalia--
with my pearls and heels too, of course.

Tell me about your vintage dishes...do you think about their past?  Does that bring more meaning to them/to you?  Or am I romanticizing because the DAY OF LOVE is near?  What dishes and other pretties do you love and why?

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

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

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

Amaze Me Monday at http://dittledattle.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/

Homemaker on a Dime, Sunday at http://www.homemakeronadime.com/2012/01/creative-bloggers-party-hop-011512.html

Wishing you love on Valentine's Day and always,

from my Chickadee Nest to yours~

    Zuni

Tea for Cookie

I am blessed to have a long-time friend who moved away many years ago, and we have maintained our lovely friendship the old-fashioned way--through letters.  Her letters are so special, that when one arrives my husband sets it on top of all the mail, so I'll see it first.  Sometimes I don't read it right away...I save it for when I have time to enjoy our visit.  Often we don't respond to each other's letters right away--for me, part of my enjoyment is thinking about what I will write next.

In August she was in town, and we were able to visit!  The logical choice--come to our home for tea.  A restaurant would've been far too impersonal for this sweet friendship and rare visit.

Our Tea Party ~

We enjoyed our tea in the great room, where we could sit comfortably.  Dessert plates are Depression glass, Heritage pattern, by Federal (a gift from my mother), and the precious Depression glass tea cups, from my mother-in-law, are Cherry Blossom, by Jeannette Glass.  Pitcher is Waterford Lismore.

The iced tea goblets are Godinger/Shannon, Sutton Place pattern.

The silver flatware is Oneida King James.

OUR MENU

Mini croissant cucumber, cream cheese and chives tea sandwiches

Blueberries in silver Revere bowl

Chocolate chip mini muffins

G'Day Melaleuca Herbal Tea

The creamer (Fostoria, "American" pattern) (and the matching sugar bowl) as well as

the beautiful sugar spoon (1847 Rogers Bros., "Columbia") were a hostess gift

from my sister-in-law when I hosted her daughter-in-law-to-be's bridal shower.

I bought the sweet little violet plate (Victoria Carlsbad, Austria) at this year's

Decorator's Show House gift shop.

I bought this precious miniature cake plate as a gift...

but found I couldn't part with it.

The linens are vintage, collected over many years.

Flowers from our garden.

So tell me...do you still write letters?  If you do, whom do you write?  Do you save the letters you receive?  What stationery do you use?

Thanks for stopping by.  I love your comments, so please stop by and let me know you visisted me.


I will be linking to:

 Susan's Tablescape Thursday at http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/

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

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

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

 Marty's Table Top Tuesday at http://astrollthrulife.blogspot.com/ 

 Kim's Wow Us Wednesdays at http://savvysouthernstyle.blogspot.com/  

 The Tablescaper's Seasonal Sunday at http://thetablescaper.blogspot.com/

 Trisha at Sweetology: http://sweetology101.blogspot.com/

http://sweetology101.blogspot.com/2011/10/tea-party-tuesday-fast-and-fancy-ways.html

Be sure to visit their fabulous parties!