They’re on their way! In the garden, daffodil leaves are sprouting, inching higher with each warm day. Beneath, the soil holds captured sunshine: Narcissus Poeticus (the poet’s daffodil) stately King Alfreds and diminutive Baby Moons, whose tiny bulbs joined their garden mates last year, once the cheery flowers had finished bringing us early joy.
I can never resist buying pots of Baby Moons. For starters, the flower to leaf ratio is outstanding. A few dollars and happiness is yours for a week or more. Don’t they look like they’re singing? No wonder we describe daffodils as “trumpets.”
It’s been pretty chilly but very bright. A warm coat solves the former, and I’m eager to embrace the latter. So outside we go to set the table!
Tivoli Gardens by Mikasa was a new pattern a couple of years ago; it’s out of stock at Mikasa but available through Amazon and a few other sellers.
One is spoiled for choice in what colours to highlight.
In a previous table, I emphasized the blues.
Today, yellow took a bow, from the flowers to the cheerful gingham napkins.
Tivoli Gardens is a warm white with the deceptively delicate but durable properties of bone china, from which it is made. The plates are quite flat, with the dinner plate’s decoration confined to the rim, leaving the centre bare to showcase the food.
The flowers spill beguilingly up from the bottom and into the center of the salad plate.
The bowl is a lovely size for fruit or cereal, and the mug’s gently flared tulip shape and comfortable handle renders it perfect for tea or coffee. It’s become a favourite spring everyday pattern here at Entertablement.
The pattern sports various shades of green, some delicate, others bold, and certainly up for midcentury green Colonial Dame glasses by Fostoria.
Small, chubby birds in their wire nest basked in the sunshine (Pier 1, now defunct).
Galvanized napkin rings in the shape of houses (Pier 1) just seemed to fit, the shade consistent with the pewter flatware (World Market, discontinued; similar available at Pottery Barn for a much heftier price tag. coincidentally also named Tivoli)
The promise of spring!
Do you think she’s going to leave us out here all day? I hope so!
We get to nestle under those bee-you-ti-ful flowers.
And enjoy the sunshine.
I hope you can do the same, dear readers! Happy Sunday.
These plates are so pretty and actually any color of flower would compliment them but your choice is perfect with these yellow beauties. Happy sunny Sunday. Bring those little birdies in, it’s cold outside!
Tivoli is amazingly well priced for bone china, too. Whooda thunk? Mikasa does have some lovely wares.
Happy Sunday, Maura, to you, also!
Lovely post ! Looking forward to Spring flowers especially my daffodils here in Upstate New York!
Dear Helen,
Tivoli is really versatile, isn’t it? So many colours that play nicely together, and I like the way the salad plate offsets the pattern. I don’t usually use matching salads and dinners, but this is a nice combination because of that. I remember seeing those rings and birds in the shop: So sorry about Pier 1 (even though I couldn’t shop there now–I used to live about 10 minutes away from one). I have the green version of the serviettes, as do you–those would work here too.
After Easter the real show should start in the garden! Things are already a couple of inches tall, but there can be stunning freezes yet to come. I love the Tazettas like Soleil d’Or.. They smell divine. And those parrot tulips! But before that, our trek across France and Spain should be interesting…
Hi Beatrice,
I’m eager to hear about your trip across France and Spain – how things are there, etc. I hope you get lots of time to visit the markets and enjoy the spectacular lilacs (and delicious produce – the strawberries alone…).
Easter will be fast upon us. We still have believers and a big egg hunt. Hoping the restrictions allow one this year!
Best,
HK
Here in WI, online window shopping, I saw this pattern at Amazon.com. But. The plates were rounded corner squares. Love your rounds!!
Can see why this pattern is a new favorite. Spring pretty!
Wondering how Dundee is doing?
Dundee is thriving, Bev, though anxious to explore outside. So far we’ve resisted with all our might. He’s fully grown, and certainly large enough to handle the average predator (ka snort)… But. If I can keep him in, I will. Moxie is relentless in her quest to be out and makes the whole house miserable unless she is allowed to come and go.
I’ve put some pictures of him in today’s post!