Gone to the Birds--The Screened Porch is Ready for Summer

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Planting flowers certainly make me feel ready for summer, but we’re not really ready for summer at our house until the screened porch is hosed down, everything is dusted and cleaned, and our wrought iron shelf is accessorized. What activities are must-do on your list to feel ready for summer?  Mulching? Painting a fence or other garden accessories? Getting the grill ready?
This year (well, for now anyway), the shelf ended up with a bird/birdhouse theme:

We bought this shelf several years ago at a wonderful antique shop near our home.  We thought it was a “keeper” that would work no matter where we lived (even Florida!), and though we haven’t moved, it’s still a keeper.  For one thing, I love wrought iron.  I love its filigree designs that contrasts with its rusty spots and the strength it conveys.

  Birds/birdhouses and shells…some of my favorite things.  The shell houses were a bday present from my coworkers years ago.  They made them for me, and they’ve held up really well!

This chicken-wire cloche was a purchase late last year from Bombay (see my Bombay Company post here), and I’ve already used it several times for various vignettes.  Good purchase.  Love it.

The lighthouse candleholder?  Another nod to beach and shells.  I suspect there will be a switch mid-summer to a more beachy theme.

This tray is not tole, but I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE IT.  It’s so sweet, and so detailed.

 

I have a “thing” about houses…well homes.  Log homes, bungalows, doll houses, decorative houses, bird houses, beach houses, farm houses, big houses/little houses, twig houses,…  I bought this one years ago, and I’ve used it in a million different ways.

  Now, THIS ONE…this tray IS a tole tray…the hand painting is exquisite.  A gift from my mother several years ago.

I’ve had the blue enamel spatterware coffeepot for many years, but I don’t remember if I bought it new, or if it’s old.  That’s okay; I’m not planning on making money off of it.  :)  It’s the perfect watering can!

According to eBay posts, the “object” on the right is a minnow bucket… :)  (I knew it had to do with fishing…as in holding the fish once caught, I thought—quite the fishing expert I am).  All I know is that I like it, and it was my husband’s grandfather’s, and so it holds a place of honor where we can enjoy it. 

Ahhh…how I love this timeworn watering can—it was a bday present to me from our youngest son.  It has a lovely, now-faded Marjolein Bastin (what else?) CHICKADEE decal.  How sweet is that?  This gift came loooonnnnnnnnnnggg before our own little chickadee came along.

Another corner of the porch also has gone to the birds!  The birdcage is the one we used for our son’s wedding back in November as a card holder.  Now, it’s put to another good use to bring back happy memories.

The plants in it are an Italian parsley plant that’s perfect for stepping right out onto the porch to snip a bit for dinner, a miniature African violet, and of course, a CHICKADEE.  A chubby robin sits nearby, keeping company to the many that hop around our yard.

 
What makes you feel like you’re ready for summer?
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 +1 this post or pin it on Pinterest too! Thank you!
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From my nest to yours~
Zuni

Celebrating The Epiphany--the Three Kings' Long Trip

"Celebración de los Reyes Magos" - Having come to the U.S. from Cuba in 1961, our family still celebrates "El Día de los Reyes Magos" (The Day of the Three Kings), and the Kings still bring presents to our children.  Our 4-year-old granddaugher explained to her pre-school teacher that they come to our homes "because our family is Cuban."  :) 

The "Reyes Magos" are such an integral part of Latin culture that my mother told me recently of a wonderful toy store in Havana (Cuba) called "Los Reyes Magos."  Isn't that a great name for a toy store?!  Surely it didn't survive much after 1961.

This year my husband and I hosted our family's Three Kings celebration, now that our granddaughter is old enough to understand the story.  The Three Kings brought some gifts and left them under the tree for them (yes, we keep our tree up until The "Reyes Magos" come), but to make certain that the spirit of the day wasn't lost, the central figure in my tablescape was my childhood Baby Jeasus, which my grandmother managed to bring back to me in 1983 when she was able to visit Cuba.  She gave it to me originally, and gave it to me again...isn't that {AMAZING}?!

A celebration of the Three Kings is really about Baby Jesus.

The Three Kings:  Melchior, Gaspar, and Balthazar
We know they brought frankincense, myrrh, and gold,
but we don't know which gift each brought.
The red candle urn (left) is Tiara.

Crystal Three Kings and Baby Jesus
After I took this picture I added the the full text of Matthew 2: 1-12,
telling the story of The Wise Men.
A battery-operated candle behind the vintage trees
gave the scene in the cloche a soft glow.

In our invitation we promised cookies and hot chocolate and other "kingly" treats...
The table was set in jewel tones--befitting the gifts that the Three Kings brought.
Here's what we served~
Christmas tree carrot Bundt cake (in s/p cake stand with wonderful high dome,
from Bombay Company, a gift from my mother years ago)
Cream cheese with hot pepper jelly (red) and green pepper jelly
with buttery crackers (lower right)
Gem shortbread cookies
Candy cane-striped meringue kisses 



Jewel-toned vintage Tiara platter and Cambridge Caprice bowl
(the latter a gift from my SIL years ago)
Sterling compote holds whole cashews and dried cranberries,
a simple, yummy combination.



Since we were serving buffet style, the "star" stacker seemed quite apropos, don't you think?
Ribbon candy is a must during the holidays...in another Cambridge Caprice bowl,
surrounded by a mix of sterling and crystal candle holders.
Dishes are Lenox Eternal and the clear ones in the first two tiers are vintage Federal, Heritage pattern.
The bottom ones are vintage, of unknown lineage, but pretty.

We served Golden Pineapple Punch in our sterling punch bowl--a gift from my MIL,
complete with ladle, platter, and lid. 
Have you seen many punch bowls with lids?  I haven't,
but it's quite old now, and perhaps it was something more common in the past.

We served the punch in our "vintage" ARBY's goblets (can you say "vintage" and "goblets"
in the same sentence as Arby's? :) ) 
I have many of the glasses, and our son found these at Goodwill recently
and wrapped them up as what he thought would be a funny gift--

ARE YOU KIDDING?!  They're PERFECT! 
Funny, when I set them out I actually admired how they glistened!  :)

~~~~~~We also served the BEST CAPPUCCINO HOT CHOCOLATE EVER,of course
topped with whipped cream from my iSi Cream Whipper
(to find out more about it see HERE)
Everyone raved and asked for the recipe.
Sadly, I forgot to take a picture.
I served them in old footed punch cups--very pretty. 

I wish you a happy, healthy 2012 with much to be thankful for.

Does your family celebrate the Epiphany?
Do the Three Kings visit your home and leave gifts?
If you do a celebration, I'd love to know about it,
and if you have posted pictures, please be sure to share them with me!

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/

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

 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/ 

 Mrs. Hines’ Wednesday Show & Tell at  http://www.linkytools.com/wordpress_list.aspx?id=120723&type=thumbnail

 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/

 In and Out of My Nest’s Saturday weekend party at http://inandoutmynest.blogspot.com/2011/12/r-r-weekend-party_29.html?showComment=1325569309720#c8749613812899918207

From my Chickadee Nest to yours~

    Zuni

Chickadee Christmas Table

Earlier this week I told you about my happy find--chickadee dishes for Chickadee Home Nest (HERE).  As in that post, I wanted my table to have a woodland but upscale feel, so there would be the contrast of rustic with shimmer.

The centerpiece says it all...
Christmas Blessings
to all who visit.
(Did you notice the candy cane in the goblet?  More on that later.)

And the chickadee dishes--LOVE, LOVE, LOVE them!
Perfect for Chickadee Home Nest, don't you think?
You notice the goblet is offset on the plate--that's to not obstruct the design.
I chose old, beautifully worn damask napkins, because they have a wonderful, soft
texture.  White?  For contrast with the tablecloth and to better show the texture brought
to the table by the napkin rings.

Silverplate chargers I've had for many years, and the flatware (Oneida King James, silverplate) add the
shimmer I wanted to add, and the silver goes well with the rim of the dishes.
Dishes - Global Design Connections/Kate Williams
Red goblets - Pottery Barn, a couple of years ago.



Remember I recently re-discovered Bombay Company? (HERE)  Bombay is now a department
at our local Kroger Marketplace.
You know how you can't go to the grocery store when you're hungry because you end up buying much more than you intended?  Well, I shouldn't go into Kroger Marketplace with Bombay when I'm dreaming and scheming about a tablescape either!  I'd seen this chicken-wire cloche, and in that moment of hunger weakness
I succumbed to my dreams.



These candles also were a gotta-have-them moment at Kroger--same trip...
The "candle holder"??  A piece of the trunk that was
 trimmed from our Christmas tree.
I saw these beautiful, natural rounds, and I knew they would be great as risers on my tables.
(If you do this, be sure to put wax paper or a dish under the trunks, as the sap will ruin most things.)



Earlier I asked if you'd noticed the candy cane in each red goblet.
Did you notice the stirrers in each of the clear ones?
They're tiny but precious.

The stirrers and candy-cane picks--
too cute to not take a good look at them.
My mother (yes, the one who feeds my dish addiction), gave me the stirrers
years and years ago, and though we don't make many drinks requiring stirring,
I never feel like it's Christmas and the decorating is done until they're out.
I usually put them in a pretty glass in the china cabinet.
The sweet candy-cane picks are from Pottery Barn a few years ago.
What do you think?  Do you like them as much as I do?

As the last picture I wanted to share the very interesting rims on these darling plates--
the rims look like twigs!
The salt and pepper chickadees are sitting on a little silverplate tray I recently got at GW,
and they're "nesting" in two napkin rings that are flexible enough to be reshaped as needed.

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, and my very best wishes for a happy Christmas filled with warm and memorable moments.

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/

 Five Minutes Just for Me at http://5minutesjustforme.blogspot.com

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

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

 The Lettered Cottage at http://theletteredcottage.net/

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/ 

From my Chickadee Nest to yours~

    Zuni

Bombay Co. is Alive!

In my Thanksgiving Dress Rehearsal post HERE, I mentioned that I have many pieces from Bombay Co. and how I miss that store.  I received comments from others who also miss it.

So today I go to a Kroger Marketplace, and as I browse through their housewares I immediately recognize the tan and white stripe and BOMBAY lettering in a large vignette!

Was I happy, or was I sad?  I was happy to see that the company is still alive, but sad that it would be in a Kroger.  Remember how pretty their stores at the mall were?  According to their website, they are also found at Fred Meyer and through QVC.

Do you remember the logo/the lettering?  It looked so familiar to me; I was surprised that I remembered it so well.

No doubt about it--some of the pieces were pretty.  This silk orchid was beautiful.
I think it was around $40.

I liked this chicken-wire cloche with the rustic bowl a lot.
It was only about $14.
I'll be thinking about it, and one day I'll just have to jump in my car
AND BRING IT HOME! 
If I don't,...come Easter I'll be very sorry.....

And how about this pretty one for only $12?!  The box behind it was lovely; it looks like
a book, but it's a box for saving pretty things.  Yes, that might need a GOOD home too.

They also had furniture--at VERY reasonable prices.  They looked
pretty enough.
Remember they always had nice accent tables?
Still do.

Some of their tables and bookcases, etc.



They also had nice Christmas decorations.  I especially liked these deer candle holders.
I think they were $40 each.



Recently I needed nice place cards--not the tent type.  Could not find them, and I didn't have time

to look for them online.

These Bombay ones, which I bought when they were closing their stores, are my favorite ones--

rounded corners and gold edge.




So, please tell me--do you remember the "old" Bombay?  Do you miss it?

Are you sad that it's at Kroger now, or are you happy to know they're

still in EXISTENCE?

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 lots of parties, as you'll see below, because I suspect many bloggers will

want to know about the resurrected Bombay.  Especially, I'll be joining Susan's

Monday Metamorphosis because that's exactly what's happened at Bombay!

Please stop by to see all the great things at these fab blogs:

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

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

Carrie’s Amaze Me Monday at http://dittledattle.blogspot.com/

Home Savvy A to Z Monday party at http://www.homesavvyatoz.com/savvy-homemade-monday-13/

 Susan’s Metamorphosis Monday at http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/

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

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

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

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

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

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

 Courtney’s, 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 

Hanging Votives Tutorial

I wanted our son and his fiancee to have hanging votives in the large arrangements for their wedding.  Rather than looking to buy them, I thought I'd make them myself.  It wasn't hard to do, but it took some time.

(Post update:  As you read this tutorial, think beyond weddings and backyards, as Bill, from Affordable Accoutrements (http://affordableaccoutrements.blogspot.com/) did.  He envisioned these in a Christmas tree!  What a great idea!  So these votives could be made simply with ribbon instead of wire, and they could be filled with a variety of things, where the battery-operated candles can be nestled.  Or how about candy?  Or shredded paper?  Or tinsel?  Or Canadian Hemlock pinecones?  Or dried rose hips?  Or....  now we're ALL thinkin'!  Thank you, Bill!  Your ideas are always wonderful!)

Here's how to make them:

These are the supplies you'll need:
Needle-nose pliers
Scissors
22-gauge wire
Votive cups
Decorative wire or other trim
I already had these two styles of votive cups.  I thought the
"flower pot" one would be easier to work with, but I really wanted
to use the one that looks like a cloche because it's more formal.
I saw both styles at Hobby Lobby recently.

22-gauge wire worked very well.  I bought it at Jo-Ann, and found a huge array
of colors, so you can choose which one will work best for your project.
I used a silvery/pewtery color that I blended well with the twigs.



I bought this beautiful wire (and many other varieties) at Pier 1 several years ago.
As I made the votives I remembered them, and was thrilled when I
found this one--hearts and pearls!



You'll wrap the wire around the votive at least three times, pushing it down
(toward the top of the votive) as far as possible.  Wrap the loose ends
around the rest of the wire and trim remaining wire.



Measure the length you'll need for the drop you want, and add two inches, so you
have enough to wrap around the circle you've already created around the votive.
Do that on both sides, making sure they are equally spaced.



The wire will be loose, so you'll need to be careful that the cup doesn't fall out, but
once you hang them they will be fine.



Work the deocrative wire or ribbon (ONLY IF YOU ARE USING BATTERY-OPERATED "CANDLES"!)
around the hang wire, twisting it in a few spots to keep it in place.



And there you have them!  I recommend battery-operated "candles" because they are safer,
even around the twigs.

Have you used hanging votives before?  Where have you used them?  My next project is to make them using pretty jars to hang from our birch by our patio (next spring/summer, of course... :)  )

Since I'm new to blogging I'm not sure what linking parties there are for this type of post, so if you know of any, please let me know.

I love your comments; please chime in!

I'll be posting at these parties this week; please join in the fun!

 Susan’s Metamorphosis Monday at http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/

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

 Bedazzle Me Monday at http://everything-underthemoon.blogspot.com/ 

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

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

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

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

 Courtney’s, 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

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

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

It’s So Very Cheri, Party Time Sunday at  It's So Very Cheri

It’s So Very Cheri, monthly party at http://thediyclub.com/