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

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 

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 

Gardening: Yoshinos in Full Glory

 

This week is Yoshino week.  They are in their full glory.

The buds ready to burst open.

White with pale pink.  So delicate.

Now fully open.

Like all flowers, I wish they would stay and last longer.

From a distance, they look like little puffs of popcorn.

Hope you are having a beautiful week.

Summer

Photos: Swede 

Gardening: Spring Flowers with Rain

 

Our Easter Sunday today was cold and rainy.  Between showers I went out and took some photos of the blooming shrubs.

This lovely gal is a peach Quince.  Has tears all over her face.

In my garden, I have red Quince and peach ones.  Probaby have about 10-12 of these peach ones.  I really love how delicate the blooms are and look forward to seeing them each spring.

Hope you enjoyed your day even if you also had rain.

Summer

Photos: Swede 

Easter Greetings

 

Just for you,

A few decorations on my dining room console table.

This wreath is on a black iron stand from Williams-Sonoma.

Love the color of this cup full of candy eggs.

A mix of vintage goblets.

Hope the Easter Bunny comes to your house.

Summer

Photos: Swede

I am participating in:

Tablescape Thursday on Between Naps On The Porch.

http://betweennapsontheporch.net/

Centerpiece Wednesday on The Style Sisters. http://thestylesisters.blogspot.com/

Tablescape: Simply White

 

This week I decided to do a very simple white table. Just simple. Just white - no real color other than gold trim. Nothing over the top.

When I was at the Fresh Market grocery store last week, I spied these small four inch pots of White Robe Hydrangeas and they stole my heart.

There are three four-inch pots in this large Raj Party Bucket from Pottery Barn. It would have taken four of them but the store only had three. I like the gold etching on the outside of this cachepot.

There is no easier centerpiece than plopping a plant inside a planter or cachepot.  Something you can do on short notice when company is coming. I like collecting a variety of these pots so I have a choice of which one goes best with the color of flower I purchase.

White Robe is the first macrophylla Hydrangea I had seen, so I was enthralled with it.  I have white Annabelle's but only pink and blue macros.  When the blooms croak, I am going to plant them in my shade garden.

On the Swede Collection console table, I placed a white French Haviland porcelain tureen and some white candles in an old black iron candlestand with my standby coral and Pottery Barn candlesticks.

For the table items line up, I started with this Anna Weatherley white charger.  The rim has a slight ruffle and it is a great size.  When I use white, I always reach for my vintage and antique mother of pearl flatware. Also using Durgin's Empire and Iris patterns to fill in. Don't know why I've never come across antique tablespoons in mother of pearl.

The dinner plate is from a porcelain maker in Poland called Wawel Recznie Malowane. That's a mouthful to pronounce, but I think their quality is awesome.  Just as nice as Haviland. I had never seen Polish porcelain dinnerware before and was very impressed by the quality and I liked the gold pattern.

Here is the covered vegetable bowl.  I was fortunate to find platters and bowls as well as all the plates in one set in mint condition. 

For dessert, I am using these monogrammed French Haviland plates.

French vintage monogrammed huge lapkins with Mr. Swede's initials that I purchased from a favorite seller in western France.

A place setting.

For stemware, on the left is Waterford's Colleen wine glass and on the right is French white opaline water goblet by Portieux Vallerysthal.

I like the opaque glass on this white table. It does add something as all clear stemware would not give the same look.

Another view.

The cutwork tablecloth was made in China but I bought two of them in Canada.  It is a bit more formal than my personal style is now as I have grown out of this look.  I have layered it on top of a beige canvas cloth.

A wider view.

This week, I am linking to:

 http://thestylesisters.blogspot.com/

 and http://betweennapsontheporch.net/

Summer

Photos: Swede 

Tablescape: Orchid Colored Spring Tulips With French Fish Plates

I love when Spring Tulips are in the market at the end of February and first weeks of March. 

This Tulip centerpiece is four packages of Tulips in a clear vase inserted inside the grey Napa Home cachepot to hide the green stems.

For this dinner, I chose to use my antique French Limoges fish plates by Delinieres & Co. which are hand painted and signed Albert.

Here is a wider view of the table with the six placesettings.

The dinner plates are vintage Minton. I do not know the pattern name. If anybody recognizes it, please let me know. They are in mint condition.

On the bottom, the charger is JL Coquet's Hemisphere Gold pattern.

The green hand woven placemats are from Pottery Barn made from the fibers of the Abaca tree. Although very casual compared to the plates, I decided to use them rather than fabric placemats.

Green napkins are from le Jacquard Francais. Napkin rings beaded in green and navy are from Dillard's. On the right, you can see the line up of the plates.  Gold plated flatware is from Ricci of Italy. I like how the fish scales on the pattern of the handles keep the fish theme of the Limoges plates.

I purchased the bone handled knives in Paris at a brocante in the Marais district last May.

Hi-lo drinkware here is Varga's Amelia pattern matched up with tumblers from Target.

If you are a regular follower, you know I have a thing about collecting French fish plates and game plates as I think they add so much color and style to the placesettings when they are hand painted. Certainly a thing from the past. I just don't see these produced anymore. These have a navy border with gold embossed design.

Fish services generally have 12 plates, a sauce boat and large platter. The platter had been separated from this set when I purchased it and it only had 10 plates.

I designed this vitruvian scroll wave table for Swede Collection. Carrot layer cake is waiting. The aqua glass demijohns are from northern France.

Above is a wider view of the Minton dinner plates.

I really enjoyed having these Tulips in the house.  Just what I needed when Mother Nature was spitting snow and raining.

I am participating in:

Tablescape Thursday on Between Naps On The Porch.

http://betweennapsontheporch.net/

Centerpiece Wednesday on The Style Sisters. http://thestylesisters.blogspot.com/

Summer

Photos: Swede

Spring Flowers: Hyacinths

 

Today's Daily Thing of Beauty:  Hyacinths

Spring wouldn't be spring without these fabulous bulbs in the house.

Summer

Photo: Swede

Gardening: Prunus 'Okame'

 

Today's thing of beauty: Prunus 'Okame'.  I know it is spring when I see my Okame flowering Cherry trees blooming. They are the first of the Cherries to bloom starting in February.

I thought I had better take her portrait today before the petals fell to the ground.  They don't stay on the tree very long.  Okame is the type of Cherry tree that you see in Washington, D.C. for the famous Cherry blossom time.

Summer

Photo: Swede 

Valentine's Week of Love

 

Continuing with the Week of Love, today's daily thing of beauty is my Dicentra plant - Bleeding Hearts.

Hope you are being cherished all week.

Summer

Photo: Swede

Gardens: Spring Has Arrived Early

 

Birds are singing. Quince, Forsythia and Daffodils are blooming. I can see the Flowering Cherry trees just wanting to bust open.

I picked some Daffodils and brought them inside just in case the temp dropped and they froze. I did a little grouping on the console table. 

We have early, mid and late blooming Daffodils.  These are the early ones and they are about two weeks early, usually appearing at the end of February. My favorite ones with a red center called Ring of Fire will appear mid March.

My second favorite is the all white one.

There are many of these two-toned ones.  When we first planted the bulbs several years ago, we purchased the 100 count bags and put several thousand in.  Many of them no longer bloom even though they put up leaves.

The all yellow are the most prolific.

I'm sending cheery spring thoughts to all those in Connecticut and Massachusetts who received Mother Nature's snow dump.  We only got a little rain here.

Summer

Photos: Swede 

Tablescape: Valentine's Day Dinner

 

To all my followers,

This year I created a simple dinner for Valentine's Day. Since Mr. Swede is home, we are doing it a week ahead of time. 

I wanted to use china I already owned which I think has a romantic theme.

At the bottom of this post I will show you how I made the centerpiece.

This is the overview of the table and console table. Simple - nothing over the top here. 

Mr. Swede is a traditionalist and wanted me to use red on the table. I do not have red china so used red flowers.

 
Here is the plate selection I am using.  On the bottom is an Anna Weatherly white charger with gold rim. Next is a service plate with a romantic couple in the center and wide gold rim. On top, the appetizer plate has cupids in the center. This is what I call the Vanderbilt china. I have shown it before HERE in a tablescape on August 10, 2011.

This vintage plate is by Schlaggenwald of Czechoslovakia. They would be fun to use for a bridal dinner. There were 18 in the set each with different couples in the center.

For flatware, I am using vintage and antique mother of pearl handled knives and Durgin's Empire pattern forks and spoons.

For stemware, I am using on the right - Varga's Imperial pattern in raspberry for water and an antique bohemian style stem for wine made by Romer in cranberry with gold enamel work.

The flocked velvet glass hearts are from Hobby Lobby.

As a rule, I try to keep novalty items in my decor down to a minumum. I would like to be able to do a tablescape with all antique Valentine's items like old love letters, shell box hearts, card-stock old Valentines, etc. rather than use new items, but alas, I don't have any of those things.  On this table, I did use new glass holiday ornaments that are heart shape.

Close up of the centerpiece using four red flower types.

The tablecovering [shown below] is two French white quilted boutis overlapping in the center.  I used two placing them crosswise so they would touch the floor. Napkins have Mr. Swede's monogram on them and are vintage lapkin size purchased in France.

Above you can see I switched out the Aubusson flat weave carpet for this diamond pattern neutral one made of jute.

Dessert is placed on the console table on antique pink Royal Worcester low pedestal dessert stands. Cheesecake on the left and carrot cake on the right, both with fruit toppings.  The figurines in the center of the sweet couple belonged to my Mother-in-law.

Yummy, yummy.

This is a carrot cake on the inside with white frosting and crumb edges.

Another view of the table.

A collage of photos of the table elements.

For those who would like to see how I made the centerpiece, below are the steps.

I had a round soup tureen with cranberry borders. It was in the 1989 San Francisco earthquake so the lid was chipped but the bottom was perfect.  It was made about 100 years before that earthquake and marked on the bottom with the San Fran retailer's shop in the 1890's. The flowers are hand painted.

I usually don't like round floral arrangements and prefer oblong or rectangular ones for the table center, but the colors of this round tureen worked nicely.

I soaked a full Oasis brick and smaller pieces from another project in water and inserted them in the tureen making sure the edges were above the lip of the tureen so I could insert downward fronds of the Nandina plant.

The greenery is from my front yard.  I seldom purchase greenery.

From the floral department of the grocery store, I selected four flower types:  Two-toned white/red Roses, two-toned Carnations, red Alstromeria and red Godetia.

After getting the greenery in the floral foam, I started with the dozen red Roses placing them by eye where I felt they were balanced. Photo top left.

The next flower added was the Godetia, bottom left.  Then the Alstro[top right] and finally the Carnations [bottom right]. 

The last thing I added was clusters of Nandina berries off the shrub in my front flowerbed.  I also have red berries on my Holly tree but was afraid they would drop and stain my tablecloth.

I am participating in:

Tablescape Thursday on Between Naps On The Porch.

http://betweennapsontheporch.net/

Centerpiece Wednesday on The Style Sisters. http://thestylesisters.blogspot.com/

Wishing you a romantic week.

Summer

Photos: Swede 

Daily Thing of Beauty: Daffodils

 

In our Zone 7B, the line up for Spring flowers is Quince, Camellias, Daffodils, and Forsythia. It is not cold enough for Tulip bulbs here.

By Christmas we are seeing Daffodils trying to push through.

The second week of January we see lots of promises.

This is now the 19th of January and the Daffodils have started blooming.

Promise fulfilled of another year of beautiful things to come.

Summer

Photos: Swede 

Daily Thing of Beauty: Quince Blossoms

 

This Texas Scarlet red Quince shrub starts blooming the first of January along the trail and creek behind our house. It is the first sign of Spring.  This year it started blooming early and got caught in the ice so some of the blooms have damage.

All the rest of the trees and shrubs are still too cold to leaf out.

Miss Quince is loving the sun.

There are lots of buds still to open up.

Such a lovely sight to see in the midst of winter.

Lots of thick branches full of buds.

So delightful.

Summer

Photos: Swede

Daily Thing of Beauty: Hyacinths On My Console

 

Today's daily thing of beauty is the cachepot of Hyacinths that I had on my dining table.  I moved the pot to the Swede console for a photo shoot.

I have really been enjoying the scent of these for the past ten days.

I found out that this gray ceramic cachepot is from Napa Home and Garden of Duluth, Georgia.  Made in China, it is in the Kings Road pattern.  It nicely holds two small pots of flowers.

Love the purple.

I think the Hyacinths enhance the purple English transferware.

I was very lucky to find this large platter in perfect condition.

It is a charmer.

Have Hyacinths arrived at your local stores yet?

Next to arrive will be the little pots of English Primroses. Love those too.

Summer

Photos: Swede 

Daily Thing of Beauty: First Camellia

 

It has been raining here the last three days and the temp got up to 70.  Miss Red Camellia decided it was time to pop.

And, there she is.

You can see her over at the far right.

The trees are loaded with buds so I hope the temperature doesn't drop and they all freeze. Usually they bloom in February, so they are about a month early.

Pretty in red.

Lovely lady showing her stuff.

Summer

Photos: Swede

Daily Thing of Beauty: Hyacinth Bulbs

 

One of my main missions in blogging is to share my belief that a person should be able to find something of beauty in their lives daily. It can be anything from a sunset to a mud puddle.  Beauty is everywhere if you just look.  How much you miss if you look but don't see.

I am showing today the six Hyacinth bulbs in the gray cachepot or footbath, tub or whatever you want to call it.  I wish I could tell you who the maker of it is, but I purchased it in an antique shop that has more new items in it than antiques and it was not marked as to the manufacturer. If anybody knows, please email me. 

I love these large containers just for this purpose -- to hold a couple pots of bulbs or plants from the nursery, garden center or grocery store.

Here are the purple Hyacinths I bought a little over a week ago.  They do grow fast.

The scent of these is just marvelous.

I highly recommend you run out and find some.

Finding something beautiful inspires me and makes my world go 'round. I'm sure I could find something beautiful even at the North Pole.

Summer

Photos: Swede

Daily Thing of Beauty: Time Has Finally Come

 

Awe.  You know what I wait for all through the holidays?  Finally here. Now tell me why these can't be put on the shelf at Christmas time?  Nope.  Every year -- only on January 3.  I get it.  Market timing.  But surely they are ready to go at the greenhouses.

Love at first sight.  Pure thing of beauty.

Hyacinthus is a small genus of bulbous flowering plants in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae. Plants are commonly called Hyacinths. Wikipedia

Scientific name: Hyacinthus Rank: Genus Higher classification: Liliaceae Lower classifications: Hyacinthus orientalis

 Life is good again.  I can watch them grow and take in their scent.

Summer

Photo: Swede

Winter White: Parrot Tulip Collage

 

Today's thing of beauty: a collage I made of my Parrot Tulips.

Summer

Photo: Swede

Holiday Decor: White Parrot Tulips

 

My favorite Tulip is the Parrot in any color. Just love the ruffled edges.

I think the white ones are wonderful in the winter. Here I have used two bunches on my breakfast table.

These Parrots have spring green which highlights the white.

Love those ruffled edges.

If only the stems didn't hang down, they would be much easier to work with in an arrangement.

So lovely.

In a word, elegant.

But seem so simple.

An early hint that Spring will come.

Summer

Photos: Swede 

Decor Style: Love of Winter Whites

 

Now that Thanksgiving is in the past, I have been changing out the vignettes on the console and center tables.  The Christmas tree is now up and I have been decorating with my Santos dolls. Here is a look at one console table showing my love of winter white.

White coral and Cyclamen made by Mother Nature who loves white like I do. Candlesticks by Pottery Barn and embellished with gold leaf. Cachepots from Home Depot. Cyclamen from Lowe's.  I like how the canvas I painted is a great backdrop for these items. 

Summer

Photo: Swede

 

Tablescape: Autumn Oranges and Tortoise Browns

 

 

Saturday I made another tablescape using the floral arrangement I used in the office lunch tablescape Friday. HERE  I like getting double duty out of the centerpieces whenever I can.

When fall comes, I like getting out my French orange hand-painted fish plates.  It just seems the right time of year for them with all the oranges and chocolate colors of the season.

I love the pairing of two different generations of china. Here we have the new Jaune de Chrome Tortoise Gold Encrusted charger paired with the antique French Limoges hand-painted fish on Coronet blanks by French artist Puvis. The joining of these two worlds is awesome. I am using the same products as in Friday's lunch:

Placemats:  Copperworx

Flatware: Vietri's Alladin Tortoise Brilliant

Dinner plates:  Vintage 1920 L. Bernardaud

I switched out the napkins to Martha Stewart peach hemstitched ones and changed the napkin rings to a Kim Seybert peachy/orange beaded one.

Same stemware:  Vintage Indiana Glass's Mt. Vernon on the left and new Yurana Designs amber button on the right.

Another look from an angle.

Here you can see the centerpiece used in the office lunch.

My preference is peach roses over red ones any day.

Lovely bronze Mum.

Here she is for her portrait.

Overview of the table.

Here's another pretty face.

I am participating in:

Centerpiece Wednesday on The Style Sisters. http://thestylesisters.blogspot.com/

Tablescape Thursday on Between Naps On The Porch. http://betweennapsontheporch.net/

Summer

Photos: Swede

 

Gardening: Autumn Blooms of the Zinnia Sisters

 

These three Zinnia sisters asked to have their portraits taken when I was weeding the bed today. Lovely ladies showing their true beauty.

Bright pink perfection.

Golden melon. Great color for a ball gown.

Miss coral.

They all come up as volunteers from seed each year. I don't deadhead them or pick them so I get more seeds and more lovelies the following year.  They are Mr. Swede's favorite flower.

September and October are the best flower months here. With fresh rain water and cooler temps all the flowers are at their peak.

Summer

Photos: Swede

 

Tablescape: Fall Theme for Office Lunch

 

I haven't posted a tablescape for awhile, so here is an autumn-toned one I did Friday for an office awards event.  The conference room table is 25 feet long and 6 feet wide. My floral arrangements can quickly get large and tall, but I cut the height back this time so guests could see over them.

There were 12 guests so I used the center portion of the long table with six guests per side. Above is one of four large centerpieces I made to cover that span.  I used long low trays from Target's houseware's isle filled with wet oasis and clipped the shrubs in my front yard for greenery. Then added five dozen Roses, Chrysanthemums bunches and berries purchased from my local grocery stores. I am lucky that those stores have a fairly nice selection of flowers from South America each week to choose from.  I also sprinkled orange glass votive candles around.  This is pretty low key, not one of my over-the-top creations.

Here is a photo of half of the table.  I didn't have a tall ladder to stand on to get the complete table in one shot.

Each placesetting consists of tortoiseshell patterned chargers and rim soups [used to hold the dessert] from my favorite French maker Jaune de Chrome in the Tortoise Encrusted pattern. The dinner plates are also French made around 1920 by L. Bernardaud that I purchased at an estate sale in August. Pottery Barn russett hemstitched napkins and Kim Seybert leopard napkin rings. Placemats are copper with cork backing made by Copperworx in Clinton, Mississippi.  True to my style, I combine antique,vintage, new, high end formal and low end casual items to get my look.

In this photo, you can readily see the tortoise effect in the glaze of the porcelain.  Sometimes in the right light you can see a bit of purple in the glaze.  Brownies - one of my favorite comfort foods for a chilly fall day. If you follow my blog, you will recall that I like to use rim soups for dessert, salad and soup to get three functions out of buying only one piece of china.  The flatware is Vietri Aladdin tortoiseshell brilliant. I like the way the tortoise china and flatware looks with the copper placemat.  The placemats seem to get ignored with no comments from guests because you don't see much of them, but I think they are very unique.

Stemware is vintage Indiana Glass's Mt. Vernon pattern on the left and Yurana Designs amber button goblet on the right. I wish I could get more of the button ones but they discontinued them. The buttons are very fun.

Here are some close-up shots of some of the flowers.

I used three different varieties of peachy colored Roses.

I used two different kinds of acid green Mums.

Lots of orange and burnt orange Mums.

When these flowers arrive at the florist, fall is fully here.  No turning back to summer now.

My next tablescape post will be using one of the centerpieces at home the following day.  You know I like to get double duty out of my work.

I am participating in:

Centerpiece Wednesday on The Style Sisters. http://thestylesisters.blogspot.com/

Tablescape Thursday on Between Naps On The Porch. http://betweennapsontheporch.net/

Summer

Photos: Swede

 

Wedding Beauty: Found at Swans Trail Farms on Snohomish River

 

Mr. Swede's son was married September 9 at Swans Trail Farms on the Snohomish River in Washington state.  The bride and groom asked that photos of the wedding not be posted on the net, so I am only showing photos of the property and no people. 

This outdoor wedding venue has ceremonies at arbors on both ends of this pond.

Love the Cattails.

The wedding was at 5:00PM and it was threatening to rain, so light for photos was not great.

This is the side yard where Rugosa shrub Roses are planted at the top of the boulders.

White Roses - what could be more romantic for weddings?

They were just perfect.

There were many bridal-white flowering plants on the farm like this Lacecap Hydrangea.

And this Clematis vine.

So lovely.

Rustic bridge.

Small stream with little waterfalls that crossed the property and went under the bridge.

Lots of dwarf apple trees encircled the property line around the ponds.

Looks like they make apple cider out of them. Later, I had wished that I had spent more time taking photos of the crops and tractors.

My 1983 wheelbarrow at home will soon become a planter like this one as it is rusting out in the bottom.

Loved the turquoise paint on this old station wagon in the barn.

This cute metal sculpture reminded me of when I had a flip hairdo.

Swans Trail Farms has a building where receptions are held. There is also a large outdoor patio.

Purple placesetting.

 
The mother-in-law of the groom's brother made the cake.

Summer

Photos: Swede

 

Today's Daily Dose of Beauty

 

Miss Butterfly visiting Miss Pink Zinnia.

We're getting to the end of summertime.  Captured this butterfly today.

Summer

Photo: Swede

 

Paris: Finding Daily Beauty

 

Today's breath of beauty are these carts of flowers on the sidewalk of a florist in the little town of Roissy en France on the outskirts of Paris.

The little brown wooden one looks the oldest one to me.  How fun to use these if you had a place for them.

Summer

Photo: Swede

 

Paris: Gardens at Notre Dame

 

In the front corner of the Notre Dame property is this small Rose garden.

Maybe the angels in the cathedral watch over them because they were totally bug free, had healthy glossy leaves and fabulous blooms.

Summer

Photos: Swede

 

Paris: Finding a Daily Thing of Beauty

 

Everywhere you look is a thing of beauty.

Red climbing Roses going over a wall to the roof of a building in Roissy en France.

Summer

Photos: Swede

 

Paris: Gardeners' Love for the Foxglove

 

I couldn't help but notice nearly every park, church and private garden in Paris had Foxglove plants blooming.  Parisian gardeners certainly have a love affair with Foxgloves [Digitalis]. Their Parks Department must plant thousands of them.

This is in the rear garden of Notre Dame. The beds wrap around the perimeter.

These beds and monument are inside a fenced area on the back side of the cathedral.

Closer look at the Foxgloves.

Very nice.

White ones.

Another view of the Notre Dame flower garden.

These flower beds are in the Tuileries Gardens.

That roofline view has been there for a long time. The light in these photos is not great as it was getting ready to rain.

It must take a large staff to maintain all the flower gardens, parks and monument sites in Paris city limits.

Pretty, pretty, pretty.

I can understand why Parisians love their parks. The density of residential housing is high so people don't own individual homes like we do with their own yards.  The only place to go to get out of the house is to the public parks, museums, etc., so they make them very beautiful.

Summer

Photos: Swede

Paris: Florist Shops

 

At last, I'm back!  My computer power supply died but the new one came today and it got my computer back up and running.  I was crossing my fingers that all I needed was a new power supply and that the entire computer had not burnt up. I came home a couple weeks ago to the strange sound of my APC backup unit screaming like a burglar alarm.  Of course, you know Mr. and Mrs. Procrastinator live in this house and never backed up my photo library.  I truly was worried.  Mr. Swede bought me an external hard drive for Christmas, but as mentioned above, it is still in the packaging. Shame! Guess that taught me a lesson. My H-P TouchScreen is only three years old.  I'm so thankful it was just the power supply for $110 and not thousands for a new computer. I bought one on eBay for $22 used but the seller wasn't a registered user so I had trouble trying to pay him with PayPal.  Long story you don't want to hear. Then I had to shell out for a new one from the manufacturer in Hong Kong. At least he ships FedEx.

Today's topic is floral shops in Paris.  Being the everlasting romantic that I am, I had visions of beautiful floral shops on every corner of Paris.  Isn't it funny how we have expectations about places like Paris.  Truth is, I only saw two in the weeks we were there.  One very small one on Isle Saint Louis and the one shown below.  I wish I could tell you where I was when I came across it, but I was so exhausted from walking for eight hours all over town that I didn't know where I was. One of these trips I swear I'm going to take a notepad and write things down -- like street addresses.

I would have loved to buy all the bundles of the big Peony buds and lavish up their beauty -- overdose in them.  The few plants in my garden - I lost another plant this spring -- don't put out many flowers and they are gone so quickly.  Peonies need cold winters and we don't have them.

If anyone recognizes this florist, please send me an email with the name or address so maybe I can find it again.

Look at all those bundles of cinnamon scented Sweet William - another of my favorites. And there are clove-scented Stock and Lilies.

A closer view of the Peony buds. Notice the white ones are over twice the price of the pale pink ones.  No reds.

This bouquet is for you, Marlis!  Hope it reminds you of living in Orleans but doesn't make you homesick.  You must tell me all about living there -- I very much want to hear all about it. Marlis is a lovely follower of my blog.  I love Lupines, especially the coral colored ones but they don't grow here -- too hot.  When we lived near Seattle they grew easily everywhere.

Lovely Roses.

My favorite ones.

Mr. Swede was in Paris again today without me.  All business - no time to take photos for me.

Summer

Photos: Swede

 

Gardening: Daily Dose of Beauty

 

Today's beauty was a surprise this morning in the garden. The Blackberry Lily had opened.  It is not in the Blackberry fruit family; it got that name from the black seed it produces in the fall that looks just like a ripe Blackberry. It's real name is Iris Domestica in the Belamcanda Chinensis family. Some people call them Leopard Lilies because of their spots. 

I think they look more like Orchids than Lilies due to their tall scapes.

Mother Nature's perfection is awesome.

For those of you who want to know what the plant looks like in the ground, this is for you.  It does resemble an Iris except the leaves are finer.  And, it produces lots of babies from the seeds.  I particularly like the color of this plant's delicate bloom.

Summer

Photos: Swede

 

Gardening: Hot Stuff

 

Collage of bright pinks in the yard. Today's daily dose of beauty. It was well over 100 degrees today so the plants are really suffering.

Summer

Photos: Swede

 

Gardening: Our Backyard in Summer

 

For those of you who asked for wider angle photos of our yard instead of individual close-up flower shots that I enjoy doing, this is for you.

This is the arbor near the smaller back patio. The Black-Eyed Susans all came up from seed.  Last year I had white Moonflowers on the arbor but they are in the front yard this year. We had a light winter so most of the hanging baskets didn't die. I have 23 hanging baskets in the yard. This is nine of them. We are heading into high 90-100 degree tempertures so the plants will suffer heat stress until September/October.

Here is a little wider view of the flowerbed off the small patio section. Since all the plants don't bloom at the same time, the Daylilies, Irises and Peonies have already bloomed and are gone. There are two sections of the patio which I call small and large. All flatwork is Crab Orchard stone from a quarry.  It has lots of colors in it especially when it is wet -- peaches, pinks, lavenders, blues, golds, etc.  I am not going to show all of the yard sections today. There are the beds up close to the patios and fountain, the left and right side yards, the front yard and inner and outer rear back sections. You will not see any of the front, right side nor inner/outer rear back sections today. Save that for another post. 

Here are more hanging baskets on a vintage hotel coat rack from Pennsylvania made of steel and iron.  There is a brass Eagle on the top as a finial but I keep it in the house. It needs to be power sanded and repainted but I keep putting that project off as well as power washing the patios.

This trough is off the family room window. It is one of five windowboxes. Now that I know the pink plant will grow in the shade, I will add more of those next year in other colors. The coco mat trough is 48" wide and 12" deep and 12" across.  I like the ones that can hold alot of dirt.   

 
On the left side of the house, this is a 47 foot long raised brick bed with mostly Coneflowers, Dragonwing Begonias and Asiatic Lilies. There are two raised beds on the left side of the house.  This is the taller one.

In this photo you get a better view of how long it is.  We added all the hardscape to the yard.  Since it was new construction, there was nothing but swamp on the left side of the house, no sidewalks, patios, bricked beds, etc.  If you tried to walk there you would get ankle deep in mud.  Adding the sidewalk and beds made the land usable.  Underneath all of this is a drainage system Mr. Swede installed to get all storm water runoff from the front of the house to the rear ditch.

On the left side of the house, this is the shorter raised bed. It is 43 feet long with Iris, Roses, Creeping Jenny, Dwarf Crepe Myrtles and a pot of red Petunias.

This is the raised brick bed that touches the North side of the house which raises Hydrangeas, Hostas, Annabelles and Columbine.

In addition to the flowerbeds, I have containers all around the patios, walkways and underneath shrubs.

These Impatiens are in a pot underneath the Snowball shrubs. I like placing these as surprises underneath shrubs and trees where the flowers don't like growing in the ground. 

Many flowerpots around.

Pot of Petunias.

Cupids planter pot. Pink tall Glads are in full bloom.

There is a pot underneath these Petunias that you can't see.

Pots near the back porch with Ferns.

 

 White Dragonwing Begonias with a metal spiral even though they don't really climb.  I just like the metal forms.

Black-eyed Susans really put on a color show. And I don't like the color yellow.  But I let these live in my yard since the bloom lasts a long time.

A different view of the beds close to the large patio.

It always amazes me the difference in the beds from year to year how they change on their own with different plants spreading or seeding.  I haven't had to buy Impatiens for years as they always come back from seed.

This bed behind the fountain has lots of Impatiens from seeds.  I've added red Dragonwing Begonias every few feet.  By October they will be huge.

Daylilies, although they don't last long, are easy to grow and give great pleasure.  Especially the ones that are six inches across.

I have to admit that I never planned any of the beds.  If I was at a nursery and saw something I liked, I brought it home and found some empty dirt to place it in the ground. 

Some pink Hydrangeas under the Yoshino Cherry tree getting shade.

Hope you liked the haphazard garden tour.  I still feel lucky to have ground to get my hands dirty in.  Will be a sad day when I can no longer do that. So I can't complain about all the work it takes to maintain this. Mr. Swede [known fondly as my Yard Boy and sometimes my Water Boy] helps out a great deal when he is home. He is mainly in charge of digging big holes, watering and fertilizing. He was not a gardener when we got married 20 years ago but he has come a long way. His idea of a flowerbed was to fill it with gravel!  He refuses to pull weeds.  Why is that always the woman's job?

And, yes, I have weeds.

Summer

Photos: Swede

Bringing Paris Home: Simple Pleasures

 

Here is a fun way to recycle.  I like to use empty wine bottles as vases for single tall stems of flowers, like these Hydrangeas, which were in full bloom when we got back from Paris this week.  I particularly like wine bottles with insignias in the glass.  Mr. Swede knows to look at the bottle instead of the label when purchasing bottles of wine, so he can bring back the empty bottles. Not exactly what a wine connoisseur would do, but he knows I am happy with them. The Paris grocery stores' wine section had a surprising variety of bottles with the insignias.  I like the ones with crowns. 

Such a simple and easy pleasure.  Above are two soda bottles with sexy curves and two rose wine bottles with insignias in the glass holding single stems of Hydrangea.

Shown with the wine bottles are French demijohn bottles in aqua and green in various sizes as a grouping on the console table in the hallway. The huge ones are on the floor underneath. I have no idea how many gallons of wine these once contained, but I know that I would not be able to lift one full of liquid. I designed the console for Swede Collection HERE.

I could use any vase for these flowers, but I get enjoyment from such simple bottles.  I have kept the paper labels on the wines to remember when and where we enjoyed the vintage. You can see how big this aqua demijohn is compared to the size of the wine bottles.  The aqua ones are my favorite.

Some people use the wine bottles to hold candles, but I have difficulty finding candles the correct size to fit the various diameters of the top openings.  So this is my recycling alternative.

Summer

Photos: Swede

  

Gardening: Black Velvet Iris

 

This is for Mr. Swede who is in San Francisco this Easter weekend and missed the opening of Black Velvet.

All the Iris plants are in full bloom now.

Summer

Photo: Swede

 

Daily Beauty: Love These Terms

 

Her name is No Down Payment.  Great terms. Lovely lady.

Bearded Iris. Usually blooms in May -- wayyyyyyyyy early this year.

Love the apricot colored ruffles.  Reminds me of organdy fabric.

Deliciously beautiful.

Summer

Photos: Swede

 

Beauty in the Garden: Iris

 

This week's surprise in the garden.

Miss Raspberry Ruffles.  This is the earliest it has ever bloomed.

Bearded Iris.

Summer

Photos: Swede

 

 

Daily Beauty: Garden Surprise Today

 

Looking from my kitchen window into the garden this morning, I couldn't imagine what was purple in the back flowerbed.  So I had to go investigate. 

What a surprise! This must be the earliest the Iris have ever bloomed.

How nice there is this promise of more to come.

Summer

Photos: Swede

 

Surprise For A Great Blog Follower

 

For you, dear Maureen

Maureen has been following my blog from New York since the beginning. I couldn't ask for a more supportive lovely lady to encourage me. Her daughter and I have the same name. Here is a digital bouquet of Godetia for you, Maureen.  Hope you had a fabulous birthday yesterday!

PS: We are now the same age!

Summer

Photo: Swede

 

Daily Beauty: Conversation With Mother Nature

 

Dear Mother Nature:  Thank you for the brown fur coat that kept me warm all winter.

It kept the chilly winds away.

And protected me from the cold dark nights.

You have brought us Spring weather and the time has come.

It is time for me to take my furry brown jacket off.

And show the world what hides inside. I will lay the brown stole on the bench when the dance begins.

I want to wear my pretty pink dress.

My pretty pink ballerina dress.

I will show my pure beauty.

And be the fairest princess at the ball.

In such a lovely gown.

Alas, the prince has asked me to dance while the orchestra plays The Miracle of Life.

Summer

Photo Credits: Swede: Tulip Magnolias

 

Tablescape: Awesome Aqua - Version Two

 

Last week I presented an aqua and white tablescape HERE.  I like to use the same table elements back to back when the occasion works.  Today I am using some of last week's tablescape -- the tablecloth, napkin rings -- to make a different version of aqua.  This week's theme is Hyacinths -- both real and metal. I love metal flowers, especially old ones, and love collecting them as they are so "permanent".

Today's aquas are:

1) Kim Seybert capiz shell round placemat. It is actually aqua but the camera reads it as a deeper shade of green; 2) charger in sage by Mikasa in their Color Spectrum series; 3) dinner plate by Royal Worcester with a date code of 1950. That color was popular then. I don't know the pattern name; and 4) shell-shaped French Limoges hand painted dish that I am using for dessert service.

Here is what the sage Mikasa charger looks like. They were made in many colors in the late 1980's and 1990's. You've probably seen them many times or own them.  That is not a mark on the charger, it is just a wierd light situation.

But starting the dinner off are these hand painted French Limoges bird plates for appetizers. I love them for their blues and greens and birds in the Spring seems a natural element.  Each of the plates has a different pair of birds.  The French artist's signature is there but I can't read it easily as I am not familiar with French last names - L. S ----; need to research that more.

The species of bird is not marked on the back so on some of them I would just have to guess. These are probably Quail.

A collage for you.

More cute birds.

Pheasants on this plate.

The bird appetizer plates go directly on top of the chargers. Often I show you photos of the plates stacked up, but I don't like them stacked when the guest is sitting there.  It is cumbersome and awkward for them. Use only one plate on top of the charger at a time.

For the center of the table, I am using fresh Hyacinths from the grocery store.  In our area we only have three florists left still in business in a 30 minute drive from my house. The cut flower business has gone to all the grocery stores and I can find upper end cut flowers at two of them but one has outrageous prices.  I wanted white Hyacinths for this table because I have the white metal ones and luck so had it that Fresh Market grocery store had them this week in both white and pink. Usually you can find the purple ones in pots.  When I buy them in the pots, after the bloom has ended I plant the bulbs in my front yard in the sunniest spot so they come up first thing in the spring.

I purchased three bundles and placed them in three clear glass footed vases.  You can imagine the great aroma these three bundles makes in the house.

Here you can see the metal ones clearer.  I purchased quite a few of these for a photo shoot I did previously and have some small, medium and large ones for sale still in the original boxes.  I am going to open an eBay account this week to sell the extra ones. They take spray paint well if you want different colors. Above you see light blue, aqua and white ones.

I am always intrigued with the line up of plate edges.  You can see the Martha Stewart Home aqua quilted tablecloth here and the Yves Delorme napkin with Kim Seybert aqua beaded napkin ring.  I chose antique Gorham in the St. Cloud pattern.  It used to be very hard to find, but I've seen alot of it come on the market lately.  Old Gorham patterns were hand tooled and very well made and many have romantic patterns popular at the turn of the century.

I've also added nests with birds' eggs which I enjoy doing only in the Spring.

And blue eggs.

Here is what the pattern looks like on the Royal Worcester dinner plates.

And how they look on the table.

The French shell plates came in four colors, pink, yellow, pale blue and aqua.  I like the aqua ones best.  I found mine in San Francisco about 15 years ago and I added a couple more that I found in the French section of Canada.

All the dessert shell plates have different florals on them.

It is about 5:00PM so the low sun is coming through the plantation shutters.

I am using clear glass today because I forgot to go upstairs and bring down my aqua bubble glass goblets. I have not had any luck finding aqua toned crystal stemware.  This is etched Zodax on the left and the Edward pattern by Williams-Sonoma on the right.

I wanted you to see the close up of this Martha tablecloth.  It has what I would call vermicelli style stitching in the quilting and then has tone-on-tone embroidered flower clusters all over it. The color actually is aqua in person but the camera is reading it as almost white which is a shame since it is truly a lovely color.  It also has a scalloped hemline. I purchased it at Macy's about four years ago.

Collage of the Yves Delorme napkin and Kim Seybert napkin ring.

Above is a close up of the metal flowers. They are quite sturdy and well made with alot of detail work to cut the petals in the metal and attach them.

I'll leave you with this last photo so you can take a deep breath of this tremendous aroma.  Can you smell them???

I am participating in Tablescape Thursday this week on the blog Between Naps on the Porch. To see all the entries, after 10:00AM Eastern on Thursdays, go here:

http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/

Summer

Photos: Swede

 

Have A Fabulous Retirement, Sherry

 

My dear friend, Sherry, is retiring today after 27 years with the company. I made this for her retirement celebration this afternoon.

I hope your retirement years are filled with beautiful things, and beautiful happenings with your beautiful people.  Wishing you the very best!

Summer

Photo: Swede

 

Tablescape: Awesome Aqua

 

Love aqua in the Spring.  

For the centerpiece, I decided on all white flowers. Photos of making the floral arrangement will be at the end of the post. Little white porcelain bird figurine is Haviland. Gravy boat with aqua rim and monogram is Old Paris found at a charity consignment shop as well as the aqua-rimmed bowl. Candles, glass candlesticks and prisms all from Pottery Barn.

I am starting with aqua hand painted fish plates for the appetizer.

The artist's signature is H. Davis and they are painted on Royal Worcester blanks.

A close up view.

On the bottom is this white charger by Anna Weatherley made in Hungary.

Next in the tablescape build is this dinner plate with aqua rim, gold lattice and a burnt-orange center motif.  It is by French maker Bernadaud in the Etoile pattern.  I only have dinner plates in this pattern as I like to do a mix.

A close up view.

View of the table with dinner plates.

For the tablecloth, I am using a thin quilted scalloped cloth with embroidered flower clusters in the same aqua tone made by Martha Stewart as well as the aqua hemstitched napkins. Napkin rings are by Kim Seybert. Love the big aqua stones and beads. I am using a mix of flatware, some antique mother of pearl and a Durgin Empire fork with a Durgin Iris spoon.

Stemware is William Yeoward's Flavia pattern for water and Waterford's Colleen pattern for white wine.

The centerpiece is made in an old white ironstone tureen with crown handles which you can't see.  It sits in a metal lift that has a glass bottom and swirled metal arms.

Above you can see the stems of Nandina I cut from the shrub in my yard. It is an evergreen.

Close up of Lily in centerpiece. 

I found the metal stand and white ironstone at Roundtop antiques show.

Close up of the gravy boat.

Dessert plates are in the aqua pattern Darley Abbey by Royal Crown Derby.

One thing about photoing aqua and white, the pictures look washed out. I think this is because the two colors are too close in hue.

To make the centerpiece, I put wet Oasis in the ironstone bowl in two layers so it would stick up past the rim of the bowl. That give me a place to insert the flowers that I want to hang downwards.

I picked some greenery from my yard.

All white flowers from the grocery store - two types of Lilies, Carnations, Spray Roses and Mums.

I add the greenery first to the shape that I want the overall design to be and then insert the flowers. Be sure to remove the stamens of the Lilies or you will have orange stains all over your tablecloth.

And, that's all folks.

I am participating in Tablescape Thursday this week on the blog Between Naps on the Porch. To see all the entries, after 10:00AM Eastern on Thursdays, go here:

http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/

Summer

Photos: Swede