« July 2011 | Main | September 2011 »
There isn't much more enjoyable in the heat of summer than a cool water garden. I love the splash of the water from a fountain and the colorful Water Lilies. Peaceful, serene and fascinating.
Ahhhhhhhh. So cool.
Summer
Photos: Swede
Moonflower: White Ipomoea Also Known as Evening Glory
[Did they have to make that botanical name so hard to pronounce?]
I am a cheap thrill. It doesn't take much to excite me when it comes to beautiful flowers. So the story goes like this. I was walking for exercise in the subdivision next to ours one evening when I came upon a house that had a huge vine climbing all over their brick mailbox structure. The vine had HUGE white fragrant flowers all over it. The sight was just heavenly. I had never seen any vine like that. When I got home I told my husband about the flowering vine that was so fabulous. I said he had to walk up there and look at it -- that he would be amazed. Well, he wasn't as thrilled as I was to leave his TV cop shows and walk up and look at somebody's mailbox. Okay - he wasn't kicking and screaming, but just about. I drug him up there a bit reluctantly. He thought it was pretty cool. I went home and Googled big white fragrant flower and finally found out what it was. It was an annual that you had to plant from seed. It also said that it helps if you scratch the shell of the seed with a sharp object and soak them in water before planting them.
I found the seed packets in the garden center about six weeks late this spring but decided to plant them anyway. I planted five seeds near the arbor where I put my hanging baskets. The packet says the seed origin is Holland.
After a week all five of my seeds came up and started crawling up the arbor. It takes another 60-90 days before the first flower arrives.
Woah! Here she is. I am thrilled. My first Moonflower. Oh, by the way, I forgot to tell you that they bloom at night. And the flower is all done with its lifecycle before noon the next day. How sad.
The leaves are sort of heart shaped. Planted in full sun the vine climbs very fast. I grew up in a household where my Mom was a big gardener but she did not grow these so I discovered them late in life.
Above is the first bloom at the bottom of the vine. My husband came inside from watering a few days ago and said there was some sweet smell in the air outside that he couldn't figure out what it was -- like a neighbor burning candles. I ran outside and sure enough the flower was there. The bud is pretty also as it is tightly swirled and then when evening comes it slowly unfurls.
Here is tonight's flower at the very top of the arbor. Since it is facing upwards I can't get a photo of the face. I think you can see the tight swirled buds next to the flower.
From now until frost I will have a lot more thrills. Hummmmm, next year -- I wonder how many vines a woman can have.
Have a lovely weekend.
Summer
Photos: Swede
One of the treats Mr. Swede brought me from Paris last week were macarons [French spelling vs. English] from Laduree. This treat was for my big "O" birthday Friday. The number before the "O" keeps getting bigger. So I'm another decade older.
I, along with millions of others, love Laduree's packaging. It is one of the reasons you buy them. They've got marketing down. They've had a few years to get it right, though, since 1862.
I wonder if the new New York store will have the same packaging or if they created American styles.
The New York store opens this Friday, August 26th. There is just something about buying the macarons in Paris that make it an occasion. It's the ambiance of the city of Paris that make these cookies special. If you travel, you can find their stores other places in the world -- Kuwait, Ireland, Turkey, United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia -- but they are just not Paris. Read more about Laduree Here. The macarons are not exclusive to Laduree either as other bakeries in France make them.
As of today, they are about half gone. Yum, yum!
All the best,
Summer
Photos: Swede
I have chosen orchid as the color for this summer women's birthday lunch as I wanted to use it one more time before we get a nip of fall in the air. The orchid linen embroidered paisley tablecloth I made this Spring from nine yards of fabric from Hancock's Fabric. To start the tablescape centerpiece, I am using four Italian water bottles with four stems in each bottle of orchid/pink Godetia. These patterned clear glass bottles are made in Italy by Bormioli Rocco & Figlio. I noticed them when my husband and I were having dinner at Macaroni Grill one evening. The waitress transferred ice water from a large vat into these and then filled our water glasses on the table from them. Very European. While in TJ Maxx one day I noticed them and discovered they were the same brand. They were $1.99 so I bought four to see if I liked serving water at home in that manner. I wasn't sure if I would like the wire closures. I have tumblers by this brand so was familiar with the label. I had some long stemmed Godetia and decided to use the bottles as vases. I wanted something simple for the center of the table that did not take up much room so the table wasn't crowded.
For chargers I am using Alberto Pinto's Or Des Airs as some of the birds have coordinating coloring with the orchid. I also like the gold designs around the edges of the chargers which varies with each bird style.
There are six different bird designs. Here is another one. The placecard holders are gold hands that I found at an estate sale several years ago.
Since I don't have orchid napkins, I am using white vintage lapkins with my maiden name initial. These are 32" square so are difficult to place on the left of the plate. I have folded them and placed them underneath the charger so the guest can just tilt the plate and pull it out.
Above is a wider view of the table. I have added two crystal candlesticks from Pottery Barn and am using my newest purchase, the Ricci gold plated stainless in the Raffaello pattern.
Water goblets are William Yeoward's Flavia pattern and wine glasses are Waterford's Colleen pattern.
This is what the placecard holder hand looks like. You insert the card between the thumb and fingers.
I am serving salad in these antique Haviland ruffled scalloped plates with pink rose border. I found 12 of these at an estate sale this Spring. Even though I am not fond of pink roses on china, I love French porcelain and liked the quality of the green rim with the gold edges. I was also particularly intrigued about what they were designed to serve and am still researching it. If you know, please tell me. I know they are not oyster plates.
They have this unusual shaped well at the bottom to hold draining liquid. I have only seen these wells on meat platters and certainly nothing this feminine.
Above is the overall view with the salad plates.
Dinner plates are solid orchid rimmed buffet plates by French maker J. Seignolles in the Diplomate pattern. They are such an excellent match to the tablecloth. The bread/butter plates are in the Arizona pattern by Charles Field Haviland. Butter spreaders are by French maker Jean Dubost.
Above is the overall view of the table with the dinner plates.
For dessert plates, I am using Engish George Jones hand painted plates with Lilacs. Even though Lilacs are out of season, I still like the color with this setting. I like serving a white layered cake with raspberry filling between the layers. Our local baker makes these better, quicker and cheaper than I can so I just buy one.
This is the overall view with the dessert plates.
Menu: Embellished Ceasar salad, crab cakes, blanched green Chinese long beans and Yukon gold chunky potatoes simmered in a peach bourbon sauce. Passion fruit iced tea and a peach flavored light wine.
I am participating in Tablescape Thursday this week on the blog Between Naps on the Porch.
To see all the entries, after 9:00PM Eastern on Wednesday, go here:
http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/
Summer
Photos: Swede
When Mr. Swede's job takes him to Paris each month, he has a permanent standing assignment from me to be a street walker. Anytime he has a few free hours, I ask him to walk up and down the streets near his hotel and take photos of the architectural detail of the old buildings. He has done a great job of getting some fabulous shots, maybe some by accident. I am holding those in reserve and not posting them until I figure out how to use them, hopefully to make some revenue. I've told him that if he can come home with two to four 2die4 shots and 10% great shots out of 100, he's done an excellent job. I'm very anxious when he comes home to get his camera [okay, so I'm standing at the door squealing with delight] and download the photos to see what he has brought me. Last week he was in Paris three days and was able to get out to take photos one of those days but the weather was not good being gloomy with overcast skies. Maybe the next trip will be better. He has had to pass on leaving the hotel a few trips because it was raining too hard.
It seems Paris is crazy for red Geraniums as they are in alot of his shots, mostly in potted windowboxes or planters. Maybe they are easy to grow for balconies.
I do love the black iron balcony railings and find all the different styles very interesting.
Here they are in planters sitting on the pavement.
That blue door was interesting too.
This is attractive. Great balconies and carvings.
I love this shot. It has everything to admire.
Someone liked pink Geraniums. Almost like they didn't get the memo on red.
I am wondering if Paris has the most fountains per square mile in Europe. Under Napolean III, Paris was renovated from a Middle Ages style city by city planner Baron Georges-Eugene Haussmann. This took place from 1853 to 1870 and continued on after Napoleon. Haussmann's plan put the wide tree-lined boulevards in place as well as many beautiful buildings that are still standing today. Read about Haussmann Here.
Jean Charles Adolphe Alphand, as Directeur des Travaux De Paris, the chief engineer of parks between 1855 and 1870 added so much beauty to Paris. Notice on the above statue the people working in gardens with shovels, rakes, wheelbarrows, shrubs, etc. You can read about the parks created under his direction Here.
Mr. Swede walked down both sides of the Avenue des Champs-Elysees and was particularly interested in this building at 109.
This building was constructed between 1897 and 1899 to be a hotel for the Paris World's Fair of 1900. The architect was Georges Chedanne. It was known as the Elysees Palace. I'm not sure if that was tongue in cheek or not because the real Elysees Palace is a few blocks away at 55 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honore, built 1718-1722 and has been the residence of the President of France since 1874.
The building was purchased in 1919 by HSBC Private Bank and is their headquarters today. It looks like the architect commissioned French sculptors to carve the marble around the round windows as they are signed. On the North and South side of the building, the windows are oval and I could not find a signature on the marble. Notice in the above photo on the first floor the round and oval windows at the corner of the two streets.
Above you can see the signature on the left side of Mr. Hippolyte Jules Lefebvre [b.1863/d.1935]. Mr. Swede brought me photos of three of his.
Above is the work of sculptor Louis Baralis [b.1862/d.1940]. He did several on this building as well.
Above is one by sculptor Francois Leon Sicard [b.1862/d.1934].
Above is an example of the oval windows. I just love this kind of work. They sure don't design buildings like this anymore.
Above is another style of round window. I wish these were all signed. Researching the sculptors gave me a history lesson in archicture of Paris.
Above is the Arc de Triomphe. You can see people on the roof who climbed the stairs to get a good view of Paris.
Lighting is not great due to the overcast skies on this photo, but I adjusted it the best that I could.
There are always plenty of street vendors for fresh fruits and vegetables and flowers.
Want an apartment in Paris? They are plentiful.
I like looking at the roof details. Always interesting.
And here's another one.
Studying the detail on all these buildings would take a lifetime.
Here is the Claridge Fraser Suites hotel.
And the Marriott.
I'll save the rest for another post.
All the best,
Summer
Photos: Mr. Swede
I have a love affair going with a French porcelain company, Jaune de Chrome. When I walked into a china shop a few years ago and saw their plates on the wall display, I was struck with awe and couldn't quit staring at them. Since that time, I have been able to aquire several of their patterns when I found them discounted. I love all the patterns for different reasons and would be hard pressed to choose my favorite. Today I am using Big Bang Bronze. It also comes in Gold and Platinum.
I am using this as both the charger and the dinner plate as I like larger plates when the rim is quite wide and leaves a smaller white center for the food.
The glazes and designs are so unusual. I don't think there is anything like them.
This is a close-up view of the pattern Big Bang Bronze. The glaze changes in the light as your eye moves. I suspect that "big bang" means explosion of pattern in the glaze or some translation between French and English.
Here it is shown with another French antique fish plate painted by Muville. The glaze seems to always pull out the shades of antique plates that you never noticed before. The aqua of the tumbler pulls out the color on the backs of the two fish.
I am using French napkins by Le Jacquard Francais and Italian flatware and Italian glassware. The tumblers are from the Italian maker Bormioli Rocco & Figlio in the Bicchiere Sorgente pattern "acqua" colorway. For flatware, I am using gold plated stainless steel made by the Italian company Ricci Argentieri in their Raffaello pattern. You can find these at neimanmarcus.com and the non-gold ones [all stainless] at some Dillard's stores. They were recently on sale at both stores with extra percentages off. The knife blades are not gold plated. I loved them because of the fish scale pattern and the handle is round. The fish scale pattern goes perfectly with all my antique fish plates. Sometimes sterling, being gray, just does not go well with gold rimmed plates.
Above is another fish plate from the set with a slight color change. For this small setting, I am using as a centerpiece some old world looking objects instead of flowers. I am using one of my go-to tablecloths made out of neutral canvas.
I just purchased the French hand painted birds plates from an estate sale in Missouri. They are in mint condition -- can't beat that. And the painting on them is beautifully done.
I am participating in Tablescape Thursday this week on the blog Between Naps on the Porch.
To see all the entries, after 9:00PM Eastern on Wednesday, go here:
http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/
All the best to you,
Summer
Photos: Swede
My Hibiscus plants, being tropical, seem to be thriving now. Here are a few photos of the lovely ladies from this weekend.
Here are a couple I did on white and black backgrounds.
All gone.
I am seriously considering digging them up this fall and trying to winter them over inside the house. It just kills me to think of losing these plants as I love their blossoms so much.
Summer
Photos: Swede
What is blooming in this summer heat? Mother Nature has her paint box out creating beauty. What did she make? Zinnias. They need no introduction. Enjoy!
All the best,
Summer
Photos: Swede
This magenta tablescape centerpiece is a statue called Parisian Woman Reading that was found at an estate sale in France. I got it directly from the dealer in central France. I believe this statue was probably on the top of a clock or some similar object at one time.
I chose the magenta colorway based on the color of the cherubs on the service plates. The dealer I purchased them from told me they belonged to a granddaughter of Florence Adele Vanderbilt Twombly [died 1952], who was one of nine children of William H. Vanderbilt. Apparently there was a large set of this china but by the time I found it only the dinner plates were left. According to the dealer, much of the set went to a man who collects Vanderbilt memorbilia. I did not buy them because of the V connection because I thought that was just sales talk, but checking into it further [I Googled], I did find the last name of the seller [Burden of Connecticut] and it matched the family name on her family tree. That doesn't really mean the granddaughter got them from Florence. They could have come from another source or even the other side of her family. This is when I really wish antiques could talk and tell the story of their lives. A lot of times there is more fiction than facts to inflate an object's value. I know that I could never sell anything that I inherited from my Grandmother or GreatGM even if I was starving. Here is a fun New York Times story about Florence's oldest daughter's wedding in 1904. Here I wonder if these plates came down from her inheritance. I will never know.
I do have a William K. Vanderbilt sterling slice from the special commission made for him by Tiffany. Apparently, a few years ago a division of the Vanderbilt Tiffany silver service was sold at auction after it had been previously split among family. My piece was bought from someone in Canada. When it came up for sale, I recognized it from a book I have on Tiffany sterling and was the only bidder. I did make sure it was not a fake.
I just know you are not going to notice I haven't polished it.
I'm not sure if it was used for slicing blocks of ice cream or something else.
Here is Florence's portrait by John Singer Sargent done in 1896. Photo: johnsingersargent.org. Here
There are several different cherub scenes in the centers of the different 12 plates. They are marked on the back with both the Dresden mark and Fraureuth of Germany.
Since I am doing this dinner for two in the living room on the marble-top center table circa 1902, there isn't a lot of room for a floral centerpiece so this statue works out nicely. On one end of the table I am also using a candlestand with white candles that I purchased earlier this year at a church rummage sale. It has cherubs in white porcelain around its base.
In the above photo, you can also get a glimpse of the milk chocolate walls and seagrass rug that I did as a loving gesture to my husband who loves brown. I've never had brown walls in my life, so that was a big departure for me. I think he was very surprised when he came home and found me in the middle of brown paint. I'm sure he thought the walls would become some shade of fleshy peach. Yum, yum.
I pulled the chairs back so you could see this 1902 center table. When I bought it at an antique shop, the dealer told me it came from Marble House mansion on North Parkway in Memphis when the mansion's contents were sold when the home became an office for a church. There were two tables for sale but the other one was huge and although I loved it more, I had no place for such a big piece of furniture. You always regret not buying those things later. I did drive past the house once but it is on a busy street and there is no place to park and take photos. It is possible the table came from there, but who really knows????
I think the Vanderbilt plates with frolicing cherubs are very romantic in style. I am using French maker JL Coquet's Hemisphere chargers with another French maker - Jaune de Chrome's dinner plates in the Feuille Or gold pattern. These plates are currently being made. They are not vintage nor antique.
For salad plates, I am using another German plate with a magenta floral border.
Here is a bigger photo.
Bread and butter plates as well as dessert plates have a darker shade of magenta in them. They are made by Haviland of France in the Malmaison pattern. I think the couple fishing is romantic as the wife is sitting on a rock holding their baby while keeping her husband company as he fishes for their dinner. So French!
Below, you can get a better view of the Jaune de Chrome dinner plates as more edge is showing.
I do love the unusual glazes that Jaune de Chrome puts on their china.
For napkins, I am using French maker Primrose Bordier Le Jacquard Francais's pattern Cassis Graphic Black Current. I have tucked them in between the charger and dinner plate as well as using them for a runner. They were a gift from Mr. Swede when we toured the cute little town of Franklin, TN and stopped in The Registry china shop on Main Street.
In the above photo, you can also see the glassware I have chosen to use in the closest color to magenta that I have. The stemware is by Moser in a cranberry cabachon panel pattern that I do not know the name of. They were inherited by my husband from his Mother. The tumblers are from the Italian maker Bormioli Rocco & Figlio in the Bicchiere Sorgente pattern "rosa fucsia" colorway. The day after I ordered these from a local china shop, I found out that Marshall's and TJ Maxx purchased a warehouse inventory of them in every color they were made in. I went down there to see if it was true, and sure enough they had the factory stickers on them. Price: $2.99. Well, you lose some and you win some, as they say. I purchased all the aqua ones they had but didn't like the other colorways that were left. When I was checking out, the clerk confirmed that they did indeed have them in all colors. What do you think Miss Vanderbilt would say about my putting these cheap glasses with her fine plates? The sides are undulating??? so you can put your fingers in the recesses to hold on to them better.
For flatware, I am using gold plated stainless steel made by the Italian company Ricci Argentieri in their Raffaello pattern. You can find these at neimanmarcus.com and the non-gold ones at some Dillard's stores. They were recently on sale at both stores with extra percentages off. The knife blades are not gold plated. I loved them because of the fish scale pattern and the handle is round. Sometimes sterling, being gray, just does not go well with gold rimmed plates. This is a good alternative.
Below, and above, you can see the Coquet Hemisphere's deep groove lines. They are very heavy.
It is fun to turn the forks upside down like the Europeans do.
Put on some romantic music.
I do like using the height of a center table as a coffee table so it can be used to dine on occasionally.
On the sofa in the back of this photo, the center pillow is a new one I just got made by Callisto Home here. I love all the embroidery on it. Don't tell Mr. Swede it was about half the cost of the Vanderbilt plates. Lovely, but ouch! Good thing my bonus check came in.
I am participating in Tablescape Thursday this week on the blog Between Naps on the Porch.
To see all the entries, after 9:00PM Eastern on Wednesday, go here:
http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/
All the best to you,
Summer
Each year I plant a Mandevilla vine on a metal support near my garage door. For the past few years, I have chosen a white one. In previous years, I have had cherry red ones and other pink ones in the backyard. But there is just something pure about the white one and very cooling in the heat of the summer.
Right now it doesn't have alot of blooms but in October it will really flush out.
So pure.
I find the Mandevilla very easy to grow with no pest problems.
This photo I took last year.
I have never tried to winter them over but sure hate to see them die each year.
Here is the planter that is in front of the vine.
There are three other plants in this container, but the Petunias sort of took over.
I also grow P.G. Hydrangeas. This one has some dirt on it from splashing irrigation.
Here is a bigger grouping of them on a plant.
I also have some white Dragon Wing Begonias in a pot with a wire support, although they don't climb. At the time I had extra Begonias to find a home for and I didn't have an extra vine.
Here are more of the white Begonias growing in a raised bed.
And I still have a few white Coneflowers blooming.
Hope you are staying cool.
Summer
Photos: Swede
In this awful heat, I am wondering if I stare at my Hosta plants long enough if their cool green and white will cool me off. We are still in the high 90's and running the A/C and sprinklers nonstop.
I love the white tips on this one.
Love the bluish green on this one. If they come with a name tag, I keep them, but I didn't want to dig in the dirt to find out their names today.
The majority of my Hostas have white blooms. A few have lavender.
It's been a good year so far. The deer that come up the back ditch have only eaten a few plants. Hostas are one of their favorite meals.
This Hosta is huge. It must have liked the chicken manure I gave it this spring.
Awe! I feel cooler. But maybe someone lowered the thermostat on the air conditioner!
Summer
Photos: Swede
I haven't shown on this blog very many of my DIY redo projects, but I should find the time to do that. I just finished these candlesticks today, so thought I should post about it while it is fresh on my mind.
Here are the victims. I found this pair of 22" candlesticks at Dillard's on the 50% off shelf. I'm sure they were there because nobody else wanted to pay $100 for them. My husband says at half off they still made money. You know how much I love white, but these were high gloss lacquered white which was a little too stark for me. I wanted to knock the brightness down a little bit.
I am going to use various paints on these as I want an aged look not a distressed look. First, I have taped off the zinc tops. I am painting these on a piece of newspaper on my kitchen countertop. I am using two Annie Sloan Chalk Paints to start out with.
First a coat of Chateau Grey which looks green. I use a #12 artist's brush to paint with as a chip brush is not comfortable for me.
Here is a close up of the Chateau Grey going on. I order the Annie Sloan paints from The Southern Institute of Faux Finishing in Jackson, MS since there is no local dealer in my area.
Here's what this stage looks like.
After two coats of the green dries, I put the second layer on which is Annie Sloan Chalk Paint's Country Grey color which is a beige.
I am not a fan of distressed shabby paint finishes. I prefer aged finishes. The reason I am putting the green under the beige is not to distress the layers with sandpaper or a sanding mouse. The green is underneath as a building layer to give the upper coats cohesion and if they do get knocked around and some green shows later in their life, that is okay. It is just not my intention from the beginning. I see so many paint projects on blogs where they are so heavily distressed where they would never have naturally over time lost their finish in those areas, that I think they look horrible.
The next layer is a coat of legno gesso from Amy Howard at Home. You can only purchase this after taking her workshop to learn how to use it. This will give the candlesticks a texture of plaster. I do give this a sanding with 400 grit sandpaper to knock off any rough places.
The next step is to blot on with a dampened small piece of natural sea sponge a coat of Country Living's Caromal Colours color Putty. When that dries, I will add various blobs of gray paints that I have on hand from other projects.
When those paints dry in about 20 minutes, I then add King Gold gilding wax from Gedeo of France. I just highlight the edges in a rough form, not covering the area, but just rubbing a little on with my finger.
This is what the gilding wax looks like.
This is how they fit in with other objects on my table. After a few days of evaluating them, I might go back and sponge on another color. Here, I am considering adding a darker beige.
If you are not already comfortable with taking on these kinds of projects, I do hope you will give it a try. You can always paint them again.
Summer
Photos: Swede
Today's pretty picture is this one of pink Fairy Roses draped over the brick wall of the back patio.
Enjoy.
Summer
Photo: Swede
I decided to try something new for me in tablescaping -- the virtual tablescape. Several reasons for this: 1) I want to introduce my readers to dinnerware that they may not know exists, ranging from the stunningly beautiful to the quirky 2) I cannot ever afford most of it to do an actual tablescape, and 3) I cannot do 52 weekly tablescapes each year at home for Tablescape Thursday. So, on the weeks I don't do a real tablescape at home, I am going to try to do a virtual one. Nice thing about virtual ones -- you can spend the king's money and pretend to be Queen Antoinette and pick anything your heart desires! Since money is no object, let's just pick a beautiful home in Paris. Today's color theme is turquoise.
Photos: Mr. Swede
This beautiful Paris door photo that my husband brought back for me is the perfect color for today's turquoise tablescape theme. Let's put our dining table in this Parisian dining room. I have chosen one from Amy Howard Collection called the Manhattan Spider.
Photo credits: amyhowardcollection.com [top table] and [email protected] of Laguna Beach, CA [console table below] Let's put the console table on a short wall with the Swedish mirror above it.
Dining table is mirrored [price unkown]. Beautiful turquoise and gold console table is $7,500. Luvvvvvvvvvvvv that console.
Photo credits: bjorkantikt.com [left] and massant.com [right].
Swedish 1820 mirror from bjorkantik in Atlanta is $2,450. That will look nice in our white room with turquoise accents. On the right, gold carved wood chairs by Massant. Surrounding the dining room table, let's place 12 of these Louis XVI beauties. They are Massant's L16TF9 designed by Poirier Cabriolet in 1777 the original of which is currently in the Louvre. These chairs are just 2die4. I have no idea what the price is, but way beyond my budget, I'm sure. Sigh!
Photo: massant.com. More swooning! A closer look at the chair. I love white upholstery with gold leaf frames and the running coin carving.
Now lets put in a chandelier or two and some sconces from julieneill.com. Since I like white, I am picking her Lizette models. Don't know the price of these either.
Photo credits: julieneill.com. Love the leaf fronds formed into a crown. I love crowns as a symbol. The chandelier would look great in a Swedish dining room. [hint, hint Mr. Swede]
Since the dining table is mirrored, I think I want to put the chargers right down on the table without a tablecloth or placemats.
Photo credits left to right: 1) limogesfrenchchina.com 2) albertopinto.com 3) kimseybert.com and 4) kimseybert.com.
French maker J. Seignolles chargers are $313 each in the Petrouchka Bleu pattern. Have you seen these before? 2die4 Dinner plates by Alberto Pinto in the Mer Turquoise pattern at $220 each. I like how the gold centers of these dinner plates will pull up the gold on the edges of the charger. Next, Kim Seybert tumbler in Bubble Teal at $60 and knobbed goblet in Bubble Teal at $130. Here is a closer look at those fabulous Seignolles chargers.
These were love at first sight - brilliant turquiose and gold. As you may know, I don't like my china all from one pattern or one maker. I like to mix up the patterns but keep things all in the same color theme.
Photo Credits: 1) Top left: linens from kimseybert.com and her cuff napkin ring below left at 4/$112. The dessert plate, top right, is by French maker Raynaud in the Jardins Celestes pattern at $78. Let's use Alberto Pinto's bread and butter plates in the Filet A Papillons butterfly pattern at $135.
Photo Credits: Left: bernardaud.com; Right: raynaud.com.
For after dinner coffee, let's select another French maker, Bernardaud's Eden Turquoise cup and saucer at $230. And let's use a salad plate from Raynaud in the Cristobal Turquoise pattern at $95.
Since we are in Paris, it is only fitting that we select French flatware. I will let you pick from my two choices.
Photo Credits: Left: Alain-Saint-Joanis.com. Right: puiforcat.com
Turquoise or gold? You may wish to stay with the turquoise theme with the color handled pattern from French maker Alain-Saint-Joanis's Tendances Seville pattern. Five pieces for one person runs $520. Or on the right, Elysee vermeil from Puiforcat at $5,025 per place setting. This was the official service in the 1940's of the French Presidency for the Elysee palace. Also available via neimanmarcus.com.
Photo credit: tacori.com
Before dinner, let's slip on this ring from Tacori's 18K925 Collection made as a doublet from quartz over green onyx with 18K gold and sterling "ringing" in at $1,150.
So there's my turquoise dinner in Paris. Did I forget anything other than food and flowers? I used Picasa3 software to make the collages to double up the photos to save space. If you know of a better way to do this, please email me. I am a true novice at this. Doing the virtual tablescape certainly took more time to put together than a tablescape at home.
Hope you have enjoyed shopping with me and spending alot of virtual money.
I am participating in Tablescape Thursday this week on the blog Between Naps on the Porch.
To see all the entries, after 9:00PM Eastern on Wednesday, go here:
http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/
All the best to you,
Summer
Today's pretty picture is a Hibiscus bud just opening up, or untwisting as they do, to unfurl. When their lives are over, they also twist back up as they close. So delightful to watch the process but so sad knowing they are tropical annuals here and cannot live through the winter. A short lifecycle that must be captured, absorbed and cherished.
And below, here it is almost fully opened later in the afternoon sun. I love how the tissue of the petals' colors change with the sun's heat from golden to yellows and from redish watermelon to deep pinks.
All the best to you.
Summer
Photo: Swede
My husband emailed me where he is working in Penang, Malaysia this weekend asking me to post a photo the color of his sunburned face. He never listens to me when I suggest he wear sunscreen especially since his skin type burns even in the shade. His head and face now match the red Poison Ivy on is legs from weed wacking the ditch behind our house in shorts. Here is a red hanging Begonia on the porch for Mr. Radish Head. Sorry to hear about your burn. Hugs.
Summer
Photo: Swede
