Old China and Warm Chatter

Sometimes you just need a day to catch up .  My dear friend and I have recently been on similar pathways but they haven't seemed to converge.  We both experienced a loss of someone in our immediate families in the last couple of months, and while we tried to be there for each other, we just never seemed to be able to get together to privately share.  So, today, we set aside the day to lunch and get caught up.  

I wanted to make her feel extra loved, so I tried to set a table that was just a little special.  It recently feels a bit like spring, so I tried for a fresh, crisp table.  I started with this organdy embroidered cloth layered over a white linen cloth and set at a small table in our breakfast room.

Isn't this a pretty cloth?

Then I chose this old china that has a maidenhair fern pattern on it.  I often use it for St. Patrick's Day because it reminds me of shamrocks.  It's made in England by John Haddock and Sons, but I don't know the pattern name.

It was a simple, but pretty table, using green handled flatware from World Market.

The napkins were a grass green cotton, layered with a fine, white, hand-embroidered linen one, then I settled on a simple white wicker napkin ring.

These water goblets might be the deal of the century.  They are a knock-off of some exquisite William Yeoward fern-patterned ones at about one twentieth of the price.  Our daughter chose the real things for her wedding crystal, and they have become so expensive that I declared her collection complete.  Then I found these and I scooped some up for her and added a few for me.  Hope she isn't reading this, as I'm planning to surprise her with these for her anniversary.

This delicate green swirl glass was picked up at Scott's Antique Mart years ago.

This china came with lots of extra pieces and I couldn't resist using these tiny little butter pat plates .

For the asparagus soup, I layered a green depression glass plate, a white paper doily, and a small soup tureen.

This white azalea in a white urn, topped with bright green moss reigned in place of flowers.

It fed my need for spring! 

This little salt and pepper holder came from Pierre Deux years ago.  Don't you miss that beautiful store.

The Waterford cream and sugar rested in another piece of the china.

I make it a policy not to photograph my friends when I blog about a get-together, but I wish you could begin to know the beauty that my guest brought to this table.

Joining:

The Scoop

The Sporting Life - Equestrian Style

Doesn't this look like fun?  When Rebecca Smith, owner of Rebecca Ray Designs invited me to come to her house and play with dishes, I couldn't wait to start.  My last post was the first table we collaborated on, titled "The Sporting Life - Canine Style".  You can see it here.  Then, we quickly put those dishes and accessories away and pulled this breakfast table together.  We switched to equestrian style with these beautiful pieces.

Again, we just set up one end of the table with three placesettings.

My first choice was these vintage hunt scene napkins and placemats.  They went directly on the old Baker table.

Next she offered these old Fitz and Floyd plates.  How perfect!

But wait!  It gets better!  Then she remembered these dessert size plates that were perfect on top.  They are Wedgewood and the pattern is "Hunting Scene".

Then she threw open this closet full of glass and crystal and said, "just pick some glasses".  Well......I think I did pretty well.  Rebecca doesn't know anything about these beauties, as they came from an estate sale.  I grabbed the water goblets ......

and the compotes.  Score!

After that, I was on a roll.  Rebecca got some unexpected company, so I just wandered around the house filling up the table.  There were so many beautiful things to pick from.

Like these sterling silver and cobalt glass salt cellars.  Do you see what is on top????  A fox!!!

And I found more foxes to use as knife rests.

Then, in the silver drawer, I found these engraved silver dishes.  I'm not sure what they were intended to be used for, but I'm showing them here as butter plates, and I've added these silver plate individual butter spreaders.  These were all Rebecca's grandmother's.

One has to have a teapot for breakfast, right?  I first thought that this was a fox on top, but it really is a cat.  Still, it's perfect.  I only used one of a pair of these.

Now, I'm on to the centerpiece.  Out in the kitchen, I found a basket of white peaches, just picked that morning from their orchard, and a single dahlia that "matched" the peaches.  Onto a green bordered plate they went, and they were perfect to soften the table.

Rebecca suggested this cement horse for the center of the table.  It is one of a pair and very special.  It is signed and dated "Hughette Wheeler, 1930".  I did a little research and found that the sculptor is often called "Tex" Wheeler and did the life sized statue of Seabiscuit that stands in Santa Anita Park.  

Naturally, we added these old stirrup cups for some extra color.

And there you have it!  It only represents a tiny fraction of the beautiful decorative accessories Rebecca and Derek had available to me.  And they were still unpacking!!!

Yep!  You'd never guess from this angle that they had JUST moved and that much of their stuff was still in boxes.  This house is undergoing some major changes and I can't wait to see what they do.  

For now, I'll just give them a huge thank you for inviting me to do this photo shoot and hope that it won't be too long before they can actually take the time to sit down and enjoy a meal at a table like this.

Talley Ho!

Joining:

Tabletop Tuesday

A Stroll Through Life

Wow Us Wednesday

Savvy Southern Style

Open House Thursday

No Minimalist Here

Tablescape Thursday

Between Naps On the Porch

Inspiration Friday

At The Picket Fence

Feathered Nest Friday

French Country Cottage

Fridays Unfold

Stuff and Nonsense

Seasonal Sundays

The Tablescaper

Let's Dish

Cuisine Kathleen