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

Bridge Buddies and Azaleas

Thanks to these wonderful bloggers, there's a great Spring Linky Party happening.  I'm joining by reposting this luncheon I held for my Bridge Buddies.  Take a minute to visit this fun day with me, and then go to the rest of the blogs and remind yourself how wonderful spring can be!

Several weeks ago, when my azaleas were at their peak, I invited my bridge group here for lunch.

I can't remember what kind these are, but I love to mix them with these tiny, fringy native azaleas.  They are exactly the same color, but add a really lovely texture.

This organza and pique tablecloth is perfect for this spring table.  It is so sheer, that I layer it over a white caterer's linen cloth.

I just love the embroidery and the fabric combination.

I chose this white Portugese wicker patterened charger, with a lime green dinner plate from Target.  Then, just for this photo, I put the majolica pink cabbage leaf that I use for a bread and butter plate on top.  The flatware is from World Market, but I only have place settings for four, so I used a different pattern, but still in green at the ends of the table.

I layered the napkin over a plain hot pink linen one and used a lucite napkin ring that holds water to keep the azalea fresh. 

These dainty little placecard holders are perfect for the girls, and I added some white china birds here and there. 

These cranberry glass goblets made just plain water beautiful.

I love to include a menu card and I'm always surprised how many people take it home.  The quote that I used this time from Henry Van Dyke reads:  "The first day of spring is one thing and the first spring day is another.  The difference between them is sometimes as great as a month".  

The salt and pepper set is nestled in a wire basket.

This dish held Splenda and lemon wedges.

Here's the way the coffee/tea tray looked.

This was such a happy day and a happy table.

When the girls arrived, we had what we call "bridge tea" in the bar.  It is a calorie-free ginger tea. These glasses are from Ikea and so are the napkins.

This tray is from Ikea, too.  I used it for spoon shaped pastrys topped with pimento cheese and garnished with chives.  The spoons are just refrigerator pie crust with seasoning sprinkled on top and then baked.  I saw this in some magazine this spring and it said that Crate and Barrel had a spoon shaped cookie cutter.  When I went shopping for it, they said they never had such an item, so I just cut one out of light weight cardboard and cut around it.  They were fragile, but oh, so good!

Asparagus soup was the first course, garnished with pink sour cream and chives.  I found these little lidded ramekins at Homegoods several years ago.  The green plate is vintage depression glass and I added a paper doily.  The soup spoons are vintage silver plate.

The main course was a luncheon salad that was a riff on procuitto wrapped melon.  The greens were wrapped in procuitto, and then the plate was napped in melon coulis, small melon chunks, and toasted pine nuts.  I first had this salad at a bistro in State College, Pennsylvania called Zola's when were were there for a Penn State football game.

What better spring dessert is there than strawberry shortcake?????

It was a lovely day with lovely ladies and I am so grateful for their friendship.  I love to set a table and cook for them, as their appreciation is deep and genuine.  The day just ended too soon.

Joining:

Open House Thursday

No Minimalist Here

Tablescape Thursday

Between Naps On the Porch

Featherd Nest Friday

French Country Cottage

Seasonal Sundays

The Tablescaper

                                                                 

Let's Dish

Cuisine Kathleen

Organza and Azaleas

If you've seen anything about the PGA Masters' Tournament held this past weekend, you know that Georgia azaleas are at their peak right now.  That inspired my table for this week.  I've always loved pink flowers with this organza and pique embroidered tablecloth, so this turned out very springy and pretty.

Soft pink and bright shades of green showed up so well on this white cloth.

Isn't this pretty?  It is so sheer that I just put a white cloth underneath it.

This is the edge with white pique and embroidery.

Here's the other inspiration for the table.  It's a handmade box that my dear friend just gave me.  It is so special and I'll treasure it for a very long time. 

Here's the stack of dishes.  It is topped with a pink cabbage leaf plate from Portugal.....

on top of a green salad plate from Target.....

placed on a white wicker patterned plate also from Portugal.

The pink stem is antique cranberry glass and the cut glass is Waterford Lismore.

The napkins are bright green linen ones from Homegoods under pique and organza ones that are the reverse of the tablecloth, but with the same embroidery.

The lucite napkin rings are also a gift and are very unusual, in that they hold a small resevoir of water so that you can add a flower or two.

Here's the resevoir on the right.

An azalea blossem and a native azalea bloom just fit and made a nice statement.

These were also the blooms I used in the centerpiece.  I filled a glass cylinder with pastel M & M's and  topped it with a glass plate holding a block of oasis. 

Our back yard is filled with these flowers.  We have probably a hundred regular shrubs and five or six native azalea trees.  I don't know the name of these double pink ones, but they are my favorite. 

This green plastic handled flatware is from World Market and looks like some very expensive French imported flatware.

These hand molded votives always add such hit of color.  I have them many places in our house.

Then for richness, I added old wooden candlesticks with these apple green Root candles.

Here's the sweet box opened with a bit of grass inside.  I can't decide what the bunnies are made of.  Some sort of molded or felted fiber.

Here's the artist's signature on the bottom.  I haven't had time to research her, but I'm pretty sure that she's from Michigan, or at least that's where Barb bought it.

These little flowers on the back are leather!

"Une Grande Fete".....how appropriate!!!

It's always a grand fete when Barb comes to visit!

Thanks again!!!!!!

To see more inspired tablescapes, be sure to log on to:

http:/betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com

for Susan's Tablescape Thursday  blog party!