Ferns Again

Come into the garden with us.  Won't you join us for a glass of wine?  We've had a break in the weather here in Georgia, so I thought we'd dine here tonight.

Just a couple of days ago, I was at the grocery market and I found these fun plastic plates with this fern pattern.  They were in the clearance aisle.  How did I miss them when they were full price?  Well, I'm glad I did, since I got them for $1.50 each!

Here's the dinner plate on a rattan charger.

And here's the salad plate. Aren't they fun?

 I set a similar, fern inspired dinner last summer and featured it here.

It was actually my 100th post.

Here's the way the placesetting looked.

These old standbys were the flatware I chose.

The glassware was nothing at all precious.  The water goblets were some very sturdy ones from Bed Bath and Beyond that I bought when Mr. Pressed Pants was living in a temporary corporate move, and the green glasses were from Ikea and I used them as stemless wines.  You can also see the faux bois salt and pepper set that I use all of the time.

Napkins?  Just cream colored linen with faggoting, gathered into a wicker ring from World Market, with a fresh fern frond tucked in.  I'm strange in that I love to iron napkins, so I use cloth most of the time. Don't hate me......I take LOTS of shortcuts elsewhere.

Our French butter dish was "accessorized" with a butter knife that has a fern frond handle.  I almost forgot that I had this!

And chilled water was served from this amber glass bottle that we brought back from France.

I think I got this vase from Boxwoods several years ago.  The green in the tablecloth was a better match than it shows here.

Not much left in the garden to choose from, but these white hydrangeas have turned almost green, so I started with them.

Then I filled in with several typed of ferns and fronds.  I just love these hairy little things!

We ate before darkness fell, but I did light these votives, mostly to keep the bugs at bay.  I love dining outdoors, but it's not worth West Nile virus!

So here's the way it came together. I keep this wooden table in the potting shed to use any time we want to eat out there.  You can see what else is in the potting shed here.

Very simple and not too much to drag through the paddock, down the driveway, and back into the house. I get it all out there, but  Mr. Pressed Pants helps me return it.

Ok.  We'll have another glass of wine before we clean up!

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

Do We Have an Ansel Adams in the Family?

Isn't this a beautiful photo?  It's absolutely pin-worthy, isn't it?

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Well, this handsome 11 year-old took these pictures!  He's my precious grandson, Adam, and last weekend, at a family picnic, he took my camera outside with the other kids.  I had no idea what he was doing, but, I must admit I had a momentary vision of him falling into the pond with it!!!!  

Just loooook at this!  Isn't it beautiful?  These pictures are completely unedited.  

Who knew he would even notice the flowers?

Roses in the rain.

The last hydrangea.

A single peach. 

What do we have here?

Posing for the glamour shot.

And like a responsible photographer, he returned his subject it's natural habitat.

I'm so proud of him for a million different reasons.  He's fun-loving, but responsible and he has such a good heart.  And he really, really loves his momma.  This little guy will grow up to do something special.  Who says football players can't be artistic?

A Little French Picnic

What's summer without a picnic?  Or a tailgate?  I took a departure from the customary Scottish plaid throw and used a French quilt for this tailgate.

I love the embroidery and the rustic hand stitching on this quilt.

More embroidery.

Look at the inventive fabric combinations.

I bought this quilt when we were at a street market in Provence.  It usually sits on the bottom of the bed in one of our guest rooms.

These melamine plates are the perfect match.  This is the salad plate......

and here's the dinner plate.  Aren't they fun?

I was helping my mom clean out a storage room last week and she gave me this vintage picnic basket that we found.  These heavy-textured striped napkins are more like lapkins.  They are huge and perfect for your lap for a picnic.

These  regular-sized linen napkins are packed to be used as a traditional napkin.

Instead of a napkin ring, I used these old spring close clothes pins a la The French Laundry.

What's a picnic without a glass of wine?

Yum!

And for today, I chose the glasses with the Eiffel Tower on them.  Can you see it?  They are pretty heavy and I don't worry about breaking them.

I like to use hydrangea leaves to line a cheese plate.  Ina Garten does too!

I stuck the flatware into a salt-glazed pitcher.

It's got light colored wood handles and picks up the colors of the plates and quilt. 

You don't need to see the inside of the basket.  What's interesting about a red insulated cooler?

As you can see, we had one of our frequent afternoon rains.  

The woods are wet, but the picnic goes on. 

We can pretend we are in France.

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

Rockcastle River Trading Company

Remember him???????

This is Jon Carloftis.  I featured him in a post I did about his presentation at ADAC.  You can read it here.

He talked about his several businesses, including the Rockcastle River Trading Company in Livingston, Kentucky.  Since I was traveling south on I-75, I was going to be just a very few miles from it, so I took a short detour and dropped in to see it.

It was filled with a beautiful array of antiques, home furnishings, gardening products and lots of great books.  I took care of several people on my Christmas list while I was there.  

And when I met the proprietress, I knew where Jon got his charm and good looks!  Jon's mother, Lucille, tends the shop with such Southern charm and grace, you'll feel that you've know her forever.  Honestly, she is one special lady. 

And here's the welcoming committee!  There's nothing like a sweet dog to make a customer want to spend the day!  When Lucille offered me the chance to walk the entire property, he was by my side the whole time. 

This beautiful allee leads you from the parking area to the shop.

And there are enough tables and chairs around the property to seat a very large party.

These boxwood hedges surround the Colonial-style vegetable garden.  This weathervane marks the axis of the gravel paths.  Don't you love these large wooden tuteurs? I forgot to get a  photo of the espaliered apple trees on the edges. It was clearly a labor of love.

How about this blacksmith shop next to the garden?  These galvanized tubs hang on the wall among the ivy.

Stepping out the back door of the shop, you'll see this beautiful square koi pond, with a lovely, inviting path that leads you down to the river.

Along the way, you'll pass this old pick-up truck.......

pulled into the yard in front of a post office building from 1916, built by Lucille's great uncle.

At the end of the path is a stone retaining wall and railing overlooking the Rockcastle River.  

This 50-acre property sits in the Daniel Boone National Forest and has been the family homestead for many years.  Jon grew up here with five brothers and sisters.

And you can't miss this Stonehenge-like seats surrounding a firepit.  I feel like the fireflies might dance here with the racoons!

This is the carriage house that leads to Lucille's home.  It is fronted with six pots of white mandavilla and filled with some very special vehicles.

Here's one!

As you step into the carriage house, you see these two giant horses.  I don't remember what they are made of, and I meant to step back into the shop and ask Lucille what they were, but I forgot.

Going out the back, you cross this bridge that leads you to......

Lucille's red clapboard house!  

Jon misses no opportunity to plant.  This parterre graces the front yard on one side,.....

and the other side hosts this charming sitting area among the boxwoods.

Check out the mossy roof.  You just can't make these things happen.  It's Mother Nature's artistry.

And back in the parking area is another vehicle with panache.

To the left of the store, is this sitting area.  I feel that Tribal counsels are probably held here.  Or fun cocktails!

Then the sweet lab took me down this stone pathway.

Past this little building.  Office?  Art studio?

He wanted to be sure I didn't miss this two-story aviary.  In it are guineas, bantam roosters, and a beautiful, regal peacock.

See him?

He is reproduced on their logo for the shopping bags.

Then, as I left, much later than I intended, I pulled back into real life and headed for the interstate.  I was a wee bit disappointed to learn that I had just missed seeing Jon.  What fun it would have been to have him join the tour of the land.  Is that stalkerish?