Swede

Paris: Floral Shops

 

Love the floral shops around the city of Paris.  This florist is displaying many colors of Roses in these large container bowls.

Summer

Photo: Swede

Paris: A Love Letter to Mr. Swede

 

To Mr. Swede who is in San Francisco this week.

You were with me at the Paris floral market when we saw this Rose bush - I think you will remember it.  Truly beautiful- just like you.

This love letter is to tell you Thank You for the wonderful weeks in Paris. Only a nice guy would go to 20 museums with his wife. You are not only a nice guy but a true saint. When I was robbed, you never said one word.  Not one word of criticism. Not one "how could you lose that much", not one "you made a poor decision", not one "you idiot", not one "how could you be so stupid".  Not one word.  To me that was a true show of love.  I returned from Paris in mourning.  Not just for the loss of the money I worked for, nor for the personal violation from a stranger, but the loss of love for Paris and its beauty that I so enjoyed.  It will never mean the same to me again.  Paris changed me this year.

I just want to put in writing that I love you even more than I have the past 21 years.  This is love in the good times and the bad times.  The thief may have my money, but she doesn't have a fabulous husband like mine.  I am the winner not the loser.

I am sorry, too, that you had to experience the pickpocket on the metro. He stole your love of travel as well as trust and belief in the goodness of people.  Paris this year showed us the good, the bad and the ugly.  We will overcome, be more thankful for our daily lives and go on to find other beautiful places.  Thanks for being the fabulous man that you are.

Summer

Photos: Swede 

Tablescape: Loving the Color Orchid

 

One of my favorite colors in Spring is orchid.  I look forward to getting out the orchid linen tablecloth I made as soon as I get that Spring feeling.  It is made out of linen dress fabric so I can wash it.  I purchased eight yards of 58" wide fabric, cut it in half and sewed it down the middle. That way it will touch the floor on all sides of the table.

You have heard of "shopping your house" to redecorate with accessories you have put in storage, but I shopped my garage sale for this one.  I had a garage sale Friday and everyone picked up these silverplate julep cups but nobody would buy them for $2.  So I decided to keep them and use them for this week's dinner. I'm so glad I rescued them back into my stash.  I think they were originally candle cups from Pottery Barn years ago and a few now have the brass showing through the plating.  Guess that just gives them personality. 

Here are five cups placed in the center of the table for a low arrangement that people can easily see over.

Before putting the flowers inside the cups, I placed a cube of Oasis in each cup, wedged in tight so it didn't float up, to hold the stems more firmly in place.

The flowers purchased at my local grocery store includes three types of Roses, a pale lavender one called Purple Haze, a pink and white one called Highlander and cluster spray Roses. I also used three types of Chrysanthemums, including Fugi.

For service plates, I am using hand painted garden scene plates by artist A. Rhodes. I do not know who that person was but the painting is expertly done.  When I got them they had never been used and were in mint condition.  I like guests to appreciate them, but I don't want them scratched with forks so use them to set the tone of the dinner only.  It would be a shame to damage them at this stage.

Each of the 14 plates has a different scene, this one being two arbors in a garden.  They are painted on Royal Brixton blanks.

This one has a walled garden.

This one has a sundial on top of a pedestal column.

Wider view of table.

Underneath the service plates are chargers by French maker J. Siegnolles in the perfect shade of orchid to go with the tablecloth.

View of the table with the chargers.

For salad plates I am using these vintage French Haviland scallop-edge plates with wells.  I have no clue why such an elegant plate would have a well unless it is for salad dressing to drain down there.  I don't think these are oyster plates.  If you have seen these described in a Haviland reference book, I would love it if you would write to me and tell me what they said about this style.  You might think the chargers are pink until you put pink with them and then you can see that they are orchid.  I got a set of 14 of these plates with a large platter at an estate sale around 18 months ago.  You know me, the china addict, I leave no china behind -- sort of like the federal government's program Leave No Child Behind.  I just can't help myself when I find something this lovely in perfect condition. 

Napkins by Sferra and napkin ring by Kim Seybert.  Antique sterling flatware is Gorham's St. Cloud pattern.  I was very fortunate to find knives as they usually didn't survive. 

I'm using for dessert plates these signed hand painted English ones of Lilacs.

The paint used in the Lilacs is the perfect shade of orchid in the chargers.

Stemware left to right is Waterford's Colleen, William Yeoward's Flavia and white opaline goblet by French maker Portieux Vallerysthal.

On the console table is English transferware in that soft violet color that I think coordinates with the orchid theme.

Vintage clear glass cake stand holds a purchased white Sin Cake with cream cheese frosting and white sprinkles.

This week, I am linking to:

http://thestylesisters.blogspot.com/

and http://betweennapsontheporch.net/

Also, a reminder that if you would like to see my first digital magazine issue, sign up at either the top of this blog or my website at the very top. If you are on the blog in an email reader be sure to click the heading Tablescape:  Loving the Color Orchid to take you over to the Typepad site so you can see the sign up box. 

If you would like to read the feature on Swede in Coty Farquhar's April Styling issue, go here:

http://issuu.com/stylingbycotyfarquhar/docs/styling_april_2013

We are on pages 11, 12-13 and 96-100.

Summer

Photos: Swede

BIG News: I Made A Digital Magazine

 

Announcing my BIG news that I have put together a 182 page digital magazine.

The first issue is on Paris containing the photos Mr. Swede and I took there.

Sign up to see it in the box at the top of my blog or website.   For the blog, be sure you are on my Typepad site and not in a reader to see the sign up box.

I will push the issue out next week.

As a precaution, I am not in the graphics art business and have no prior experience at making a magazine.  I just decided to try it.  I took a one-day class at my local computer school on the software.  I definitely need more classes, but like blogging or anything else, the most important thing is to just start.  With experience in doing these, I do hope to get better at it.  Let me tell you, it was not easy.  I just stumbled through it.

With that said, I am still proud of doing it.  Take a look and see what you think.  Below is the cover page.

Summer

Photo: Swede 

Wisteria: Love It Or Hate It?

 

Where the developers have not scraped the land, there is still Wisteria clinging to trees and growing wild.  This vine is behind our Home Depot store on vacant land.

In talking to people who have lived here for some time, I find that they treat Wisteria as an obnoxious choking vine.

Here it grows all over the shrubs and trees along this lane.  It only lasts about a week, so I do enjoy seeing it in the Spring.  I am on the love side of the question.  I have purchased plants at the nursery and tried to grow the purple, white and pink varieties to no luck.  Just won't bloom for me even when I gave it triple phosphate.  Must not have the correct soil or sunlight for it to bloom.
I think this is lovely.

Summer

Photos: Swede 

Tabletop: Spring Green

 

I have been switching up items on my dining room console table on an almost daily basis.  Below is last week's scape.

Mottahedeh cachepot holding English Primroses, miscellaneous patterns of green wine stems from Varga on right and in center an oriental scene vase from a consignment store holding green Amaranth, Bells of Ireland and green Orchids.

Tomorrow I think I will cut some of my Snowball branches and bring them inside and put them in a green oriental vase.

Hope you are enjoying Spring weather.

Summer

Photos: Swede 

GREAT NEWS!! Swede is in Coty's April Issue of Styling Magazine

 

 

I'm so thrilled to announce that fabulous Australian publisher, Coty Farquhar, included a story on Swede in her April issue released today.

See pages 11, Swede's furniture style on pages 12-13 and a story about us on 96-100.

The April issue is 148 pages of beautiful things not to miss.  So many lovely stories about other women as well.

If you know someone who would enjoy Coty's work, please pass this along.

Summer

Photo: Coty Farquhar

Daily Thing of Beauty: Bleeding Hearts

 

Spring perennials in the flowerbeds are now coming into full bloom with the ornamental trees.  Irises are blooming, and this Bleeding Heart plant. 

Lots to love here.

Summer

Photo: Swede 

Daily Thing of Beauty: I'm a Fickle Lover

 

I'm admittedly fickle.  Every day I have a new love.

Today I'm in love with our ornamental flowering Peach tree in the front yard.   Cobwebs and all.  Tomorrow, it will be a new love.

Summer

Photo: Swede

Flowers: Last of the Hyacinths

 

I've loved all the Hyacinth bulbs this spring.  Down to the last ones.

Time to move on and love other flowers.  All the bulbs get planted in my front flowerbed that gets the early spring sun.

Summer

Photo: Swede