You can feel hope crackling from this table.
Cheerful critters, fragrant blooms and popping pastels.
Who can resist their charms? Especially on this first day of March. We did it! We’re through the worst of that thing we call winter.
I’m just quacking to get going! Those feet!
Painterly Creatures by Pier 1 was a gift from my daughter Kirsten for a recent birthday. (ahem – we needn’t disclose which one – yikes!).
My daughter Lauren brought the flowers for the same occasion. Serendipity – they went perfectly with the plates. A ready-made table at your service, ma’am.
Bright and early next morning I was up and at ’em. The tulips had opened nicely and the scent of the hyacinths filled the air. Pure heaven.
The four abstract animals are straight out of the 1960s. Flower power! The squirrel looks like he’s got a nut stuffed into his little cheek.
The duck plonked firmly on his backside.
The bird reminds me of an exotic parrot, but I suspect it’s intended to be a songbird.
And the adorable bunny.
Are you looking at me??
Another bird flew in to join the table. It came from Pier 1 a couple of years ago.
Vintage water glasses added just the right amount of heft in the right shade of pink. They’re formally known as King’s Crown cranberry flashed by Tiffin Franciscan and were produced in the 1940s through to the 1960s.
The depth of the pink varies a bit from glass to glass, but I think that adds to their charm.
The runner is actually a tablecloth folded lengthwise. I started with it spread out in its full glory, but it was too much pattern. The bold buffalo checks fought mercilessly with the bold abstract design of the plates. More than a riot of colour; it was just a plain riot.
The small print of the napkins (Pier 1 a couple of years ago) seemed the right scale to complement the large check of the runner-cum-tablecloth (HomeSense, this year). The napkin rings are from many years ago – and I can’t remember the source. They’re all garden themed – from a basket of roses…
…to a floral hat…
…a watering can…
and a bushel basket of apples.
Still quacking!
I’ve spent the last couple of days with my friend Elise Abrams, owner of Elise Abrams Antiques, playing in the Aladdin’s cave of her tableware collection. Stay tuned for some photos. We focused mostly on polychrome plates in vibrant spring colours, particularly that vintage green represented by Versailles Green Depression Glass by Fostoria (photo courtesy of Replacements.com). It always reminds me of lime sorbet. For a more poetic (and less gastronomic) comparison, it’s also the tinge of early spring when the leaves are just breaking free of their buds. It’s a-coming!
Let’s finish up with one more look at Painterly Creatures, and smile at their antics.
Have a wonderful weekend, everyone.
I’m sharing this post with Between Naps on the Porch.
My daughter Kirsten needed guidance as what to buy for my birthday.
She refuses to buy any china or glassware. I’l be sending her to Pier 1 after I’ve been there to see what I can’t live without.
A Kirsten in our world is more than a blessing.
Tulips and Hyacinths are the very essence of spring, but I can only keep the Tulips for two or three days. Any hint for a longer life?
Our Kirsten is also a blessing. She’s thoughtful, calm and detailed. Very much of a contrast to Lauren, who is more of a free spirit. Love them both!
Tulips are a conundrum. I’ve had them last for over a week, and also had them keel over unexpectedly. To get the odds running in your favour, I’d change the water every couple of days, trim the stems when you do that and use the plant food that comes with the bouquet. And cross your fingers!
Try a mix of Sprite (or 7Up) and Clorox…keeps them fed and free of bacteria that clog the phloem and prevent uptake of fluids.
Thanks, Beatrice! I always forget about that combo, because I never have pop in the house, but it’s very effective.
Dear Helen, you’ve done it again, taking a riot of colour and pattern and making sense out of it. I have squat compotes/coupes of the same strong bluish-pink. I think of it as cherry-blossom pink, and I find it a difficult colour to work with. Never thought to tame it with powdery blue, but will now.
And bewitching hyacinth–although many would ban it from the table because of its strong perfume…not me!
As Sadi sagely advised, “If of thy mortal goods thou art bereft, And from thy slender store two loaves alone to thee are left, Sell one and from the dole, buy hyacinths to feed thy soul.” I remember one day long ago when I followed that advice. I was a starving student, but I could not resist a just-opening blue hyacinth in a forcing glass at the grocery store, and as a result I went without dinner.
Pink can be a challenge. The range from soft powder pink that can disappear into blergh if it isn’t encouraged through to Pepto-Bismol which needs anything BUT encouragement. And pinks don’t always play well with others…
There is nothing better than the smell of hyacinths and I think you made a wise choice, even if you had a rumbly tummy. I often put a pot of them in the vestibule; it’s an intoxicating scent as you walk in the door (as opposed to eau-de-damp-dog which too often perfumes the air – sigh).
Dear Helen, I also have a February birthday. I love the bright colors and the different animal on each plate. Turning the tablecloth into a runner is a great idea. I am learning so much from your and the other blogs ! Somehow I ended up with four new sets of dishes! All were featured in tablescapes created in the blogs!
I’m so glad you’re enjoying the blogs, Ramona. It’s the best thing about the blogging world, how we can learn from each other. I hope you’re enjoying your new dishes. 🙂 It’s like having a new outfit, but one that fits, no matter what.
Such unusual dishes and fun to play with all the different colours of flowers, napkins, table runner, glasses, etc. They all seem to work together beautifully. You have such an eye for detail and perfection. Hopefully, spring is on it’s way.
I just returned from a walk with the dogs in driving sleet. Spring seems somewhat delayed! Typical March. 🙂
Glad you enjoyed the very colourful table. Kirsten chose well, and luckily Lauren’s floral choice was spot on, too.
Oh, what a pretty table! I love your new plates and the flowers, the floral napkins and the darling napkin rings. But what really spoke to my heart was the King’s Crown cranberry flashed glassware. My maternal grandmother had some of this, she loved cranberry glass and I have several pieces of hers. Unfortunately, my mother put some of the cranberry flashed pieces in the dishwasher, not realizing it would wear off the cranberry color! I think I have one dessert plate that somehow escaped that fate. But I really enjoyed seeing yours and it brought back sweet memories.
It’s funny how accustomed we are to everything going in the dishwasher. It’s easy to forget that vintage items are simply not up to it. I’m sorry about your grandmother’s glasses. No easy fix there, I’m afraid! Grrrr…