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

Felt Valentine Hearts

Before the world opened up and blogging came into my life, I was always dabbling and finding things to do--crafts, tablescapes, gardening...anything to keep myself busy with things I enjoyed.

During one of those times I decided to make a Valentine tree by making simple, country felt hearts.  I suppose I used a pattern to cut the hearts out, but that's certainly not necessary...it was truly a freehand project to use what I had on hand.

This is an umbrella stand next to the piano, where we have
those kinda new lighted twig things and some real curly willow twigs.
I added the hearts to the twigs to create our
Valentine tree this year.

I wanted them to look VERY :) handmade-looking, almost childlike, like old samplers.
Then I stuffed them with batting.

For some, like the white one, I used beading on the heart itself, and for some
I used beads to hold the ribbon or tulle hanger.

I also used them on the table, accompanied by baubles that speak to
the ROMANCE of Valentine's Day, and of course
a Cherub--or is he Cupid?  Where is his arrow?!
"He" is so special to our family...
My dear grandmother brought him back from Italy probably 35 years ago,
and my mother gave him to me to use for our first grandbaby's baptism
(see the picture below)

We hosted the reception at our home, and though this picture is blurry, I wanted
to share how we used "him" for her baptism.
The cards are memory cards I made.  It's a Cuban tradition for baptisms
to give these cards, with the baby's and his/her parents' and godparents' names, the date and
church where the baptism was held, etc., to the guests as mementos.

My love of roses extends to when they get to the "vintage" stage--aren't women like roses? As they we age,
don't we get more beautiful, albeit it in a less traditional way?
I used them for an earlier post, Romantic Vintage Table HERE .

My first china cabinet of the year was simple and "peaceful," HERE -- my post-Christmas senses
just needed a little break--but now, color is creeping back into my decorating.
Wishing you a happy Valentine's Day, filled with LOVE.

  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!

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

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

The Space Between Monday party at http://thespacebetweenblog.wordpress.com/2012/01/31/imagine-the-impossibilities-link-party-1/

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

Cheap Crafty Mama at www.cheapcraftymama.com 

Saturday Nite Special at Funky Junk Interiors

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

A Haiku for Roses

Our son and his bride's wedding flowers came to our home to give us the final days of their beauty.  As you will see from the pictures below, their final days were in fact days of beauty, as they softly and gracefully faded away...

Their beauty made me think of the beauty in aging, and of haikus.

Here's a description of a haiku, from http://haiku-poems.50webs.com/nature-haiku-poems.htm:

If you follow Chinese and Haiku poems, then you believe that poetry is in the unity of a person and Nature. Thus, an indication, direct or indirect, of the season is an essential requirement of haiku.  Also, a haiku poem should evoke human emotion, and it should be suggestive, meaning that by itself it does not contain any interpretation. The interpretation, or more than one, is provided by the reader.



Their gentle beauty against the wood and wrought iron.

  

Seeded eucaliptus, alstromeria and twigs complement the roses for texture and color.



Clustered in a rough basket...



Gracing the wedding invitation in the silver frame our son and his fiancee gave me
to commemorate their marriage. (So sweet.)



On my jewelry chest, next to some of the jewerly I wore for the rehearsal dinner
and wedding.  The amethyst pendant was a gift from grandmother many years ago.



Then...it was time to dry them, as they aged {beautifully}.

Aging Roses
A Haiku

by Zuni

Petals soft and new

Like a woman fade with time

The beauty remains.

On a silver platter, to dry individually on our china cabinet.



Gracing the wedding invitation, again joined by the alstromeria.



On our bathroom vanity...





The Queen of them all...another bathroom vanity.



Their beauty, whether new and fresh,

or showing the passing days, remains.

Waning...

Share with me how you've enjoyed the afterglow

of a child's wedding. 

The flowers?

The pictures?

The guests still visiting?

Lenox Jubilee Pearl silver frame - new

Anchor Hocking Berwick juice glasses, vintage

Martha Steward juice glasses - several years ago

I appreciate your visiting my blog and love your comments. 

As I work fulltime and blogging is a hobby,

I may not be able to respond to you personally,

but please know that your visits mean a great deal to me

and that I read every single comment.  I also monitor my

followers closely.  Your visits, comments, and following

encourage and inspire me.  Thank you.

I'll be joining these fun parties; please visit these great sites for lots of fun.

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

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

 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/  

 Carrie's Amaze me Monday at http://dittledattle.blogspot.com/

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



Fall Porches

My outdoor fall decorating has been a work in progress for several weeks...I think I'm done now, just in time to shift into Halloween.  I started with the front porch, then moved to the screened porch.




Welcome to our home!
Our wreath isn't really a wreath...it's a beautiful garland that I simply shaped into a circle,
because our storm door doesn't allow enough room for an actual wreath.  It's worked great!
I added the ribbon, and DONE!






Details of the "wreath."

Another garland.  At night when the porch light is on, the leaves seem to glow.



Left of the door, this old wicker table holds an old crate full of pumpkins, lit at night to add a bit of color to the porch.

I purchased these pumpkins years ago, and I absolutely love them, because of the leaves, stems, and tendrils they have.
I tucked some mesh fabric and orange lights in to finish this vignette.

Remember I said it's been a work in progress?  This picture shows the detail and texture, but no lights yet!

Ta-dah!  Pumpkins aglow! 




This slate painted pumpkin is one of my favorites, as are the metal ones on the porch. 
The metal ones hold a candle.



Does anyone remember the grocery store A&P?  See the logo on this tin "thing"?

It's not fall until the mums are on the porch!

AND NOW FOR THE SCREENED PORCH AND BACKYARD!

We had lots of flowers from our son's wedding (that's another post), and they were
perfectly happy to be out in the cool weather. 
They were the most gorgeous roses ever.



A little corner of the screened porch.

 


Meet Wilbur...he's been around for years, and once I told my husband
Wilbur was part of the family and he was quick to tell me MY side of the family.  LOL

 


We had a casual dinner the day after the wedding for family members
visiting from out of town.  (That I gave in to paper napkins is
representative to the limited time and energy left.  :)  )
  

 


An old hand plow tucked in the landscaping also got a little dress-up for fall.
I bought it for $5 at a garage sale years and years ago...I've always been glad I did.

 


Our Knock-Out roses and hydrangeas are still holding strong here in Ohio,
as the tree in the distance acknowledges that fall is here.



This twig chair has moved from house to house to house (yes, 3 houses) with us.
I guess that could qualify it as part of MY side of the family too!

 


Happy fall to all!
Thanks for strolling around the outside of our home. 
Next time let's come in! 

 

So are you like me, that you never feel like you're done decorating and tweaking?

I've never decorated the plow before, but I saw a neighbor's and thought it was a fabulous idea that I had to steal!  Off to Hobby Lobby, right before the wedding, when I had absolutely no time

to be shopping OR decorating a plow! :)

And tell me what you think of leaving the grand ole flag out with fall decorations.  It makes me think "summer," but gosh, it's our beautiful flag!

Love to hear your comments.

I invite you to follow me...I have lots more coming!

 I'll be joining these fun parties this week and I hope you'll stop by and visit them too:

 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/

Party Time @ It's So Very Cheri monthly party celebrating AUTUMN