We are home safe and sound from England, and I’m already missing spring with the daffodils and lambs. We were greeted with sleet, sleet, as we landed yesterday. Shudder.
A little warmth is in order. So let’s pull out some pictures of Geese by Pier 1. I shot this table late last summer, thinking at the time that the lively geese would be suitable at any time year, really.
Farmyard animals, country checked linens and amber stemware.
They’re a bit Jemima Puddleduckish, don’t you think? They remind me very much of the geese waddling down the road as we approached Valentina’s Lost Orangery on the way back from one of our days out. These lovely ladies were in no rush to move, and I got out of the car to encourage them back into their own yard. They were clearly enjoying a muddy day out themselves.
We had a duck-filled time in England. As I may have mentioned, one of my granddaughters, Juliana, has a thing for ducks. She loves them, so I kept a weather eye out for duck-related things that might amuse her, like this sign in Biddestone, a small town we passed through in Wiltshire.
And these ducks/geese on a thatched roof in the same town. Apparently the rooftop figure that the thatcher chooses to put on the roof (often an animal) is his/her signature. We saw foxes, geese and owls among other animals. (sorry for the blurriness of the second shot)
You can see why I was inspired to show you Geese this morning!
I styled the table using a taupe Cambria dinner plate from Pottery Barn, with vintage Jewel by Spode on top. I’ve had both of these plates for quite some time. The taupe Cambria is discontinued, but there are several other colours available including a very nice sage, which would be a great multi-purpose base.
The Farmhouse check napkins are from Pier 1 and the rattan napkin rings are from World Market (looks like they’re no longer available online).
The tablecloth is a HomeGoods find from a couple of years ago. It’s neutral taupe pattern provides a nice layer of additional interest without being too intrusive.
The amber stemmed etched Depression glass is Julia by Tiffin Franciscan. Replacements and eBay are your best sources for those. The amber twist pattern water glass is from Williams Sonoma several years ago.
The leaf plates are part of the Harvest Figural collection by Spode, available at Replacements.
The horn open salts are from Ballard Designs.
The cutlery is Sawyer by World Market.
Oh spring, you can’t get here fast enough!
I saw these guys in Green Park, in London. Don’t you love Mama duck’s expression? 🙂
I’m sharing this post with Between Naps on the Porch.
Glad you made it back safe, sound and freezing. Cold on the cape so no need to hurry down. Just read about the winner. Looking forward to seeing her video. Can’t be as nice as yours!! But we all have different taste even Lady C. Love your geese table setting. Maybe spring will soon be here. Welcome home.
Thanks, Maura. It’s great to be home. I love being away and it’s wonderful to be welcomed home by happy fur people. We got quite the greeting!
Sorry you got cold weather on both sides! Winter is very late in Switzerland/Austria also. Upside is I’ll get to see my narcissus bloom from almost the beginning. I got the entire set of Potter books when I was 5, and I still have them…the little sage-green ones. And you’re right–these geese do remind me of Jemima. They are on clearance now at $6. The farmer next door keeps a flocks of geese (Canada) and ducks, and they range round the field amusing us. The geese can be quite aggressive and will attack. When we left in late fall, it was clear the fate of the geese by their ungainly gait and huge bodies–stuffed for Christmas! The ducks look like Ferdinand, except they do not crow…https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4g–525eSHQ
Love the video clip, Beatrice! They do look like Ferdinand!
Enjoy the narcissus. They will be blooming in the Cape very shortly and then after that in Canada. I will get several months worth this year.
Ducks are my favorite animal! Love this post. <3 Thanks.
You and Juliana!
Pretty table. I am amazed at all of your fun plates with animals and fun characters. The chargers and tablecloth are the perfect backdrop. Fun pictures of the real thing too.
I am such a sucker for animal themes. Happily Pier 1 seems to have a dearth of these at present. LOL. So I’m digging around in what I already have in florals and seeing what I can come up with for some new table settings. It’ll be great to start working with flowers from the garden again. Can’t wait!