Amaryllis Tablescape

Amaryllis - splendid beauty, pride, determination.  The most humble beginnings can lead to spectacular beauty.

Many of my fall purchased amaryllis are in full bloom at the moment.  They were slow to start and didn't bloom in time for Christmas, but I think the later timing is even better.  They sure add color when winter is no longer new and I am tired of the cold, grey weather.  They are the perfect back drop for a tablescape set in the turret.

The tableware items and the few accent pieces are all things that I've had for years.  Some are thrift store finds at bargain prices, others are from Pier 1 and mail order vendors, and a few were my grandmother's.  I really enjoy the creative process of putting a tablescape together from items gathered over time and from many different sources.

The place setting stack went together like this:

I found the unique ferny placemats at Pier 1.  Pier 1 was one of my absolute favorite places to shop, and I really miss the brick and mortar stores.  REV bought the rights to Pier 1 after they declared bankruptcy and is doing business as an ecommerce company, but they don't carry anywhere near the selection that the Pier 1 stores did. 

The dinner plates are a local thrift store bargain - 4 plates for $5.00.  There isn't a maker's mark, but such a nice shade of green.

The salad plates are another local thrift store bargain - 5 plates for $6.00.  The maker's mark is Linen Fleury England.

To top it off are individual candy dishes that I found online at Zulilly.

A close up

The flatware is the Ricci Audubon Birds of Paradise pattern and was found online at Horchow.  The napkins are from Pier 1.  The napkin rings were yet another local thrift store bargain - 12 for $6.00!

The glass is just one of the many pieces I have of 'Prelude', an elegant glassware pattern from the depression era.  I filled it with green glass gem fillers and scattered more on the table.

The finished place setting

My grandmother gave me the antique cinderella coach teapot when she was downsizing from the family home in Pittsburgh to move to a retirement village in Florida.  I found the little wheelbarrow when I was clearing out my mom's house after she passed away.  It is the same green china/porcelain? as the teapot!  Such a find and I wonder if the two pieces went together in my grandmother's collection and somehow were separated all those years ago.  I tried to do a little research on what that green china/porcelain material really is, but I couldn't find anything.  It is such a unique color and finish, that I'm sure it is something that is known by a specific name.  To round out the little vignette is a small green pitcher - another local thrift store find for $3.00.

And last but not least, the star of the show are the amaryllis.

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Valentine's Day Tablescape

 "Love is the beauty of the soul" ~ Saint Augustine.

Valentine's Day is nearly here.  I had actually put this Valentine themed tablescape together several years ago.  I've had a long break from doing tablescapes, but my interest has ramped up recently and more importantly, I have time to indulge.

I saw the cute "Love is in the Air" elephant with heart baloons plates and serving tray at Pier 1.  More whimsical than the overall style I usually gravitate towards, but I love them.  They were the inspiration for this tablescape.

I pulled the other items from what I already had, and then stood back to see what the overall design seemed to be missing.  The rectangular red placements bordered with white dots around the edges I had didn't seem quite right, so I found and purchased solid red glitzy round ones.  The only other elements to add were simple hobby style heart accents and a bouquet of fresh tulips.

The place setting stack went together like this:

Red glitzy placemat new from Pier 1

Silver glitzy charger from Pier 1 - very versatile and used in several of my tablescapes

Black lace patterned glass dinner plate from Home Goods

And lastly, the new "Love is in the Air" salad plate from Pier 1

The flatware is a hammered Cambridge pattern from Pier 1 - also very versatile

The finished place setting

I had fun putting together the other tablescape elements.  The simple hobby style accents were purchased at Hobby Lobby.  Cheap and a great bang for the buck!

The Bloom pot is one of my favorites and was holding a blooming amaryllis arranged alongside glitzy heart hobby style accents.

An elegant depression era Cambridge Rosepoint tumbler accompanied by more hobby style accents

A blooming amaryllis, fresh red tulips in a white ceramic pitcher, thrift store cupid candlestick find with a red candle, and a clear glass bud vase with more hobby style accents

A "Love is in the Air" rectangular serving tray from Pier 1, red letter L O V E hobby style accent and white heart hobby style scatters

Happy Valentine's Day!

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Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue ... Easter Tablescape

"For I remember it is Easter morn, and life and love and peace are all new born" ~ Alice Freeman Palmer.

As I was doing this Easter tablescape, I couldn't help but realize that it was coming together from things that were old, things that were new, things that were borrowed, and things that were blue - the traditional rhyme which details what a bride should wear on her wedding day for good luck.  The rhyme appears to originate in England, an 1898 compilation of English folklore.

It only takes a rhyme to occupy my thoughts today with memories of my long ago wedding day and the Easters of my childhood, the anticipation of this year's Easter celebration with my family, and happiness at the friendship I have with a neighbor who shares my enthusiasm for pretty china, glassware, flatware, and gardening.

Something Old...

When I was growing up, we often went to my grandparents' house for Easter.  My mother is from Pittsburgh, and her parents still lived in the house that she grew up in.  Her three sisters stayed in Pittsburgh, while she and her brother ended up in the Washington DC area.  Easter was always a great celebration with grandparents, aunts and uncles, and cousins.  I remember waking up Easter morning with my brother and sisters to look for our hidden Easter baskets before going to church.  It was a running joke that my sister Julie's basket was always hidden behind this cake saver that my grandmother kept on top of her refrigerator.

This is one of the Easter baskets from our childhood and was usually the one hidden behind the cake saver.

My grandmother always had an Easter egg tree in her front yard.  After the long trip from DC to Pittsburgh, we would get so excited when we made the final turn on to Canterbury Lane and all wanted to be the first to spot it.  The tree was hung with colorful plastic eggs filled with candy.  I made this miniature version from twigs found in the yard, craft store robin eggs, and a late 1800s era ironstone pitcher.

Something New...

The tableware is new and pieces were recently purchased from Williams Sonoma, Pier 1, and Horchow.

The silver sparkly charger is from Pier 1.

The white swirl dinner plate is also from Pier 1, borrowed from my friend Pat.

The Blue Damask bunny salad plates are from Williams Sonoma.  They were sold in sets of four, with a different bunny on each plate.  I only used two for this tablescape.

The matching Blue Damask bunny napkins are from Williams Sonoma, and the flatware is the Audubon pattern recently purchased from Horchow.  I have to read up on table setting etiquette LOL.  When my friend Pat came over to visit and check out the Easter tablescape, I asked her about the position of the flatware.  Oops... salad fork on the outside, dinner fork on the inside.  Oh well, pictures had already been taken.

The tumblers are the Elegant depression era glass Cambridge Rosepoint pattern, and I used the idea of filling it with colored Easter grass from Susan's "A Spring Table Setting with the Easter Bunny" at Between Naps on the Porch.

I also purchased the matching Blue Damask bunny serving tray from Williams Sonoma.  All the Blue Damask items were 50% off by the time I was shopping for Easter.

I wasn't going to have time to bake cookies, so I went to the local Wegman's to see what I could find in their bakery.  I only go to Wegman's when I am looking for specialty items, but my sister Julie does her weekly shopping there.  I ran in to her while she was getting the things for our Easter brunch celebration.  At the same time we ran in to my friend Laura.  Too funny.  We were trying to chat, but with our grocery carts at the prime narrow intersection where the bakery and the prepared foods aisles come together, we were SO in the way with the many Easter crowd shoppers..

Something Borrowed...

This pretty silver basket was borrowed from my friend Pat, as were the white swirl dinner plates shown previously.

Ideas themselves can also be borrowed, with inspiration coming from what you've seen others do and putting your own twist on it.  I used several borrowed ideas from tablescapes I've seen recently on some great blogs.

These jeweled eggs are a DIY craft project that I picked up from Jacqueline's "Jeweled French Script and Sheet Music Easter Eggs" tutorial at Purple Chocolat Home.

Tin letters in Mary's "In the Potting Shed with Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cotton-tail" at Home is Where the Boat Is really caught my eye when I saw them.  When I was at Hobby Lobby looking for "jewels" for the jeweled eggs project, I passed by a tin letters display and remembered how nice it looked.  I decided to borrow the idea for mine, using a smaller version.

Something Blue ...

I love the blue in these craft store robin eggs.

and the blue in this hydrangea...

Ending with a general view of the overall tablescape.  Happy Easter!!!

Table Details:

Something Old ...

Grandmother's Cake Saver

Childhood White/Gold Easter Basket

Ironstone Pitcher

     Alfred Meakin, England

Clear Elegant Depression Era glass Tumblers:

     Cambridge Rose Point (Discontinued Actual: 1934-1958)

Something New ...

Silver Chargers:

     Pier 1

Bunny patterned Salad Plates, Napkins, and Serving Tray

     Blue Damask from Williams Sonoma

Flatware:

     Audubon from Horchow

Decor:

     Tall Antique White Bunny from Pier 1

     Rabbit Salt and Pepper Shakers from Pier 1

     Rabbit Egg Shaped Plate from Pier 1

     Light Blue Tulip Patterned Tablecloth from Thrift Store

Something Borrowed ...

White Dinner Plates:

     Pier 1, from my friend Pat

Silver Basket:

     unknown, from my friend Pat

Participating in Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch

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Coffee Table Dinner For One Tablescape

"I'd rather have flowers on my table than diamonds on my neck" ~ Emma Goldman.

I often eat alone at this coffee table in the family room.  This room is comfortable and well worn, with a big stone fireplace, a leather sofa and chair, antiques, and long ago photographs of my family going back to my great grandparents' generation.

The china is Blue Rose/Blue Bouquet by Johann Haviland.  It was another great antique store find, with 12 place settings and several accessory pieces.  The place settings include a dinner plate, salad plate, bread and butter plate, coaster, soup bowl, berry bowl, and cup/saucer.  The accessories include two sizes of oval platters, serving bowl, soup tureen, round gravy bowl, sugar, and creamer.  What a nice set this is.

It is always fun to find out something about the history of antiques and vintage items.  During my research about this china pattern, I found out that the well known Haviland maker started with David Haviland in 1853.  His sons and their descendants continued the family business with many splits along the way.  Jean/John/Johann was David's grandson and moved to Bavaria (Waldershof, Germany) in 1907 to begin the Johann Haviland Company.  The Johann Haviland Company was comparatively short-lived, ceasing production in 1924.  The name rights were eventually purchased by an Italian Company, and later by the Rosenthal Group in 1937.  Rosenthal began producing fine china for export to the United States that was marked "Johann Haviland, Bavaria, Germany."  In the 1970s and 1980s, many patterns were sold in grocery stores as premiums, distributed by the Johann Haviland Corporation of Des Plaines, Illinois.  I haven't been able to narrow down the exact vintage of my Blue Rose/Blue Bouquet pattern - could be anywhere from 1937 to the late 1980s.


The Elegant Glass from the Depression Era is New Martinsville/Viking Prelude.  My grandmother gave me a set of parfait glasses in this pattern when I was a young teenager.  I brought one with me to my first Depression Glass show, where someone from the DelMarVa glass club identified it for me, and the hunt was on.  Over the years, this is the pattern that I have collected extensively.

Oddly enough, I have never collected flatware.  I have always just used my every day Oneida, completely replacing it about once a decade when most of the forks have mysteriously disappeared.  That is about to change, starting with this 1847 Rogers Bros Daffodil pattern.

This violin was my grandfather's when he was a boy.  It had been stored up in my grandparent's attic, and was unearthed when they were cleaning the house out in preparation for their move to a retirement home in Florida,  It was in sad shape, with a coat of grime and multiple cracks in the body, considered worthless, and put out with the trash.  Mike saw it, knew how much I love things for the sentimental value, and rescued it for me.  The candlestick was from a Depression Glass show.  I think it is Duncan Miller, but I can't remember.  One of these days, I'll get all my hard copy notes and receipts organized on the computer.  It would be wonderful to have the inventory records right at my fingertips, not to mention the volume of physical space that I could declutter!

This is one of my favorite family photos.  I am on the right with Cousin Judy on the left - early 1970s.  On my mother's side, I am one of 19 cousins.  Growing up, we had many family get togethers, and Cousin Judy always had something creative up her sleeve.  I remember this occasion was a music recital for the grandparents and the aunts and uncles.  All the cousins dressed up - notice the long dresses, 1970s style.  None of us were musically talented, and it warms my heart to think of how patiently and attentively our audience listened to what must have been absolutely agonizing to sit through :-)

Ending with a general view of the family room.

Table Details:

Blue Rose patterned china Dinner Plate, Salad Plate, Berry Bowl, and Cup/Saucer:
     Johann Haviland, Bavaria, Germany Blue Rose/Blue Bouquet (Discontinued Actual: 1937 - 1980s)
Blue Rose patterned china Pitchers:
      Colonia Pottery Stoke England Avon
Clear Elegant Depression Era glass Wine and Cordial Glasses:
     New Martinsville/Viking Prelude (Discontinued Actual: 1940 - 1986)
Clear Elegant Depression Era glass Candlestick:
     Duncan Miller?
Placemat and Napkin:
     Pier One, pattern Hemstich Smoke Blue
Flatware:
     1847 Rogers Bros, Daffodil

Participating in Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch

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