Bastille Day!

It was just hours after I posted this that the world heard about the tragedy in Nice, France.  My prayers and heartbreak join so many as we struggle to understand what is happening in this world.  Please take a moment and reflect in any way that you feel comfortable. 

WISH FOR PEACE!

One of my favorite places on earth is Paris!  Love, love, love.  I could certainly live there, at least part-time.  As such a Francophile, I decided to celebrate Bastille Day with a red, white, and blue breakfast.  In France, this is called La Fete Nationale, and it always falls on July 14th.

I photographed this in the early morning sun, so it may be a little washed out, but Hey!  It's breakfast!

This is set up poolside on the upper terrace.  With the sounds of the waterfall from the spa into the pool, it gives the illusion of being a tiny bit cooler.

But here's an example of the actual heat.....if you look carefully at the butter in the Emile Henry dishes, you can see it is melting faster than I could photograph it.  And those English muffins?????  I know, I know.  You are thinking I've lost my mind.  You see, I sent Mr. Pressed Pants to the store for croissants, and he brought home muffins.  (I guess he has other good points.)

Can you see that the butter dishes have been removed already?

These Cynthia Rowley dinner plates serves as a charger here, because the French "Bonjour" plate is large enough for this simple little breakfast.  That black blob is my shadow.  Sorry.  

The glassware is two different French designs.  One is a heavy stem with the Eiffel Tower pressed into the glass, and the tumbler has a French phrase, "Un Verre d'Amite" etched on it.  That translates into "A Glass of Friendship".   

I was stumped about the napkin ring, so I went to my craft room and put together some red, white, and blue ribbon with some scraps and came up with this.  The fleur de lis is a traditional symbol of France, and I had a this stamp in my stash!

I used a wine coaster with the pitcher, because I knew it would sweat in the heat.

Don't be confused by the shadow on these raspberries.

This milk jug came from World Market.

I had to include this glittered Eiffel Tower.  Mr. Pressed Pants gave it to me one year for Christmas to symbolize a surprise gift of a trip to France.  The best gift EVER. 

This navy reproduction French pot is topped with nothing but red roses.

A little jam?

  

Man, I wish those were croissants! I could have sent him back to the store, but I decided to keep it real here!

Yep.....those English muffins are dumb.

The coffee tray kept the red, white and blue theme.  Now, I know that vacuum pot is Blue Willow, which is oriental, but I'm not that much of a purist that I let it bother me.  The coffee cups are from a set of blue and white bistro dishes that I've had forever.

This guy IS French, though.  It's a pewter creamer, and the little dish catches any drips.  Isn't it dear?

The Eiffel Tower made one more appearance.  It still makes me so happy to see it.

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Lilac and Mint

When long lost girlfriends call and give you less than a day's notice, do you start cooking and use paper plates, or do you set a thoughtful table and head to Whole Foods for prepared food?  I bet you can guess my answer!

It's been so hot here, but a short storm lowered the temperature to the point where we could dine outside for lunch.  You can still see the rain puddles on the deck. (That's because I did such a great job this spring with the weatherproofing.  Just saying.)

I remembered that Jane loves any shade of purple, so I started with that and added some soft green.

It made a refreshing combination and one I have rarely used.

Starting with a purple hobnail glass charger from J.C.Penney's from many, many years ago, I added a green dinner plate that was not Jadite, but the same color.  It looks like pleats around the edges.  Then, I found a purple paper doily to separate the bowl from the plate.

Here's the Jadite bowl with a lavender placecard.  I glued a simple velvet flower in the corner.

For a little pattern, I added this Royal Staffordshire transferware bread and butter plate.  It's designer is none other than Clarice Cliff.  The subject matter is so great.  I love it.

This flatware is a little more modern.  It is nothing special, but I liked the color on this table.

I don't exactly consider myself a collector of Jadite, but I do have a number of pieces.  These hobnail tumblers are some of my favorites.

I placed this stem on the railing to show the lavender glass.  

I started with some Jadite salt and peppers, but changed to these lavender and green asparagus ones.

These lavender napkins are some overstock ones that I ordered on line from a restaurant supplier.  I wish I could remember the site.  The napkin rings are made from frosted 

green resin.

Here's the way the placesetting looked.

Remember I said I bought all the food at Whole Foods?  Well, I bought these lilac colored lisianthis there too.  I just love this flower.  The buds are every bit as pretty as the open blooms, and when they do open, they are many shades of purple.  

I used this vase that I bought at Goodwill.  I think it looks like McCoy pottery, but it isn't.  

Here's the overhead.

Mr. Pressed Pants was going to join us, but he had a "surprise" conference call.  That seemed a bit suspicious, but we three girls didn't really miss him. 

Can't you just feel the coolness of the day?  Well, the friendship sure was warm!

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Fun and Friends On the Fourth

After a parade this morning, lunch at the club, and a swim to cool off, we are having some good friends over for a simple meal to celebrate the fourth.  This table doesn't scream "Fourth of July" the way some of my tables have.  It's more of a nod to the holiday.  This centerpiece was left over from a dinner at a concert on Friday night.  It has the laaaaaast of my hydrangeas in it with some red Gerbera daisies and some white shasta mums.

Here's the overhead of the table.  I started with this cream, red and blue stripped cloth with napkins to match.  I just love stripes, don't you?

I set this up out on the round white deck, after much debate.  It is HOT here, folks! 

Here's the location, just outside of the French doors in our living room.  You can just see the lake over the railing.

This is the placesetting.  

I started with this whitewashed wooden charger from World Market.  That, my friends, isn't a stain on it.....it's the photographer's shadow!  Duh!

The next layer is a cream dinner plate from ZGallerie.  Love the scalloped edges!

Here's an international minute for you!  The salad plate says "Villa San Giovanni Italy", is made in Portugal, and is celebrating the signing of the Declaration of Independence of the USA!  It is made by Metceramica.

These sailor's knot napkin rings go with the anchor on the plate.  I got them at Bed, Bath, and Beyond.

Some people do not like colored glassware, but I think it adds a lot to a table.  The blue glasses are so old I can't remember where I got them, and the red are from Homegoods.  They are a little fancy for this table, but I love a mix.

These salt and pepper shakers are from Cracker Barrel. They actually have some interesting table pieces.  And darling little girl clothes.  (Not that I ever get to buy for a grandaughter.  Boo.)

We love this wine and it's a happy coincidence that the label goes so well with the table. 

I might take these flowers back inside until our guests get here, since it is so hot. 

Just hamburgers and pasta salad and watermelon.  True picnic food.  Our guests are bringing dessert.  I wonder what it will be.  Something cold, I hope.

This is what will greet our guests at the front door.

The basket doesn't show up on the door, but it is just a grapevine basket.

And this is what will greet them down by the street.  I've had the bunting up for several days, and I'll leave it up for a while.  I'm proud to be an American, and I'm praying for some sort of healing for this country.  But that's another post, right?

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