Furniture Rearranging

Several months ago we thought it was time for Baby Love to start piano lessons, so of course it was a package deal—the piano had to go along with the lessons, so our piano now lives at her house. It’s the piano her Papá and uncle used to learn practice ummmmm spend our money—that’s what it was!—so it seemed only right that she have it now. It didn’t get played much at our house, and when we had it tuned recently we were pleasantly surprised to learn that it’s in very good condition!

Once the piano was gone, it gave me the opportunity to re-think our furniture arrangement. It had been a focal point in our home, and I had loved using it for vignettes (if not for playing, LOL). Here’s where it was~

We played musical furniture (thank heavens for those slider-disk things!), and our vintage buffet came to the former piano spot…that was it! Loved it! That’s where it needed to live! ~~

And guess what’s gracing the sterling punch bowl my MIL gifted us many years ago?! Hydrangeas, of course! Today was a perfectly beautiful day, so I took advantage of the beautiful weather to harvest more of them for future use—I’m thinking Christmas, but my ideas are still a secret (to me too!—I’m thinking…I’m thinking…).

I thought you might be curious about the three pictures to the left of the buffet. The top picture is of my parents happily walking down the aisle after their wedding. The second is a portrait of my mother and me, taken in our home in Havana, and the last is of me with my father at the beach—in perfectly clear water (also in Cuba).

~~~~~~~

The move of the buffet created a void, of course, and after more musical furniture we settled on my MIL’s writing desk. It had been living in our bedroom (it’s the surface you see in The Nook and Old Ladder post {HERE}). Now it provides me with the opportunity to gather some blue and white~~

The vase on the desk is another perfect vessel for drying more hydrangeas. The black-and-white pictures are a collection my husband and I put together at our other house and repeated it in this home. It’s a collection of pictures of us and the generations before us. (Some adjustments need to be made to the collage, since I had to take some of them down with the new furniture piece.) Sometimes we talk about taking them down and doing something different there…we’ll see, but it’s interesting to me that after so many years of having them up I still enjoy looking at them. For example, there’s a picture of my beloved grandmother holding my baby brother and I’m sitting real close, right next to her. There’s one of my husband eating an ice cream cone that’s almost as big as he is, and an 8x10 of him deep-sea fishing with his parents in Mexico. Lots of good memories.

The sunlight was playing its lovely games when I walked in the room, and I quickly grabbed my camera.

Aren’t they drying beautifully? I know many of you dry your hydrangeas—how have you used them? Have you used them for any Christmas decorations?

I’ve been on the hunt for blue-and-white bowls, and recently I found this beauty at the antique shop where my SIL has a booth. Guess how much?? I HAVE to share the price because it’s so pretty and it was such a buy--$6.00!! It has no flaws, and the gold rim and base are perfect. See the reflection on the desk?

The rest of the vignette—blue and white plates on brass plate racks/candleholders. I got these candleholders years and years ago, I think from the Pier 1 catalog, because I wanted to display not only our boys’ Bunnykins plates, but also their mugs, and I was able to hang the mugs from the arms. It was a precious vignette in our other dining room. (Hmmmm…I wonder if I have a picture of them? They wouldn’t be digital, that’s for sure.)

I’m looking forward to your ideas on how to use dried hydrangeas, so please share them with me, and if you have pictures, please share those too! I can’t wait!

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From my nest to yours~

Zuni

Pre-wedding Dinner Party

The excitement is building!  Our son is getting married in 12 short days.  Amidst all the to-do lists, the last-minute details, and the stress, tonight my mother provided the bride and groom and my husband and me with a much-needed, and much-enjoyed respite--a lovely dinner party to celebrate their upcoming wedding.

The Battenberg runner and placemats, silver pieces, and white china with
a black band and gold rim set the tone.
The red flowers--plants from her garden--and the candles and napkins added a beautiful touch of color.

The china is new to her--a recent fabulous find at an auction--and it was so perfect
for the occasion that I commented that it reminded me of a tuxedo...
The pattern?  Black Tie, by Mikasa!
How apropos.

The butter in its own covered butter dish,
with mint garnish.

Crystal bobeches...such a beautiful and sparkly touch on the silver candlesticks.

And silver and crystal salt cellars.

Silver tea service, including a gorgeous samovar, is a gift from my brother and sister-in-law. 
WOW.

Then for dessert...



Espresso to accompany dessert...served on a silver tray.
Have you ever seen such a beautiful demitasse set?
Another recent auction find, my mother remembers an
identical set at her childhood home.
We don't know the pattern--can anyone help us there?



A gold band on the cup and saucer, and this woman, whose
dish addiction I've inherited, just happens to have
gold demitasse spoons and sugar server!
I told you I come by it honestly! :)

And the set even has its own holder!



Isn't it the sweetest?



The after-dinner drink--Bailey's Irish Cream--was served in the living room.
The pink Depression glass cordials are new to her too, and the pattern
remains to be determined.  For now let's just call it "Beautiful."
Too bad that the other pictures I took of them were blurry--I'm lucky to have gotten
these with my phone (!), as I forgot my camera. 

Thank you for visiting and sharing in our happy family occasion!  I'd love to hear from you.

I'll be joining these parties this week; please visit them and join in the fun!

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 Common Ground at Vintage Inspiration Friday

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