by Helen Kain | Aug 19, 2021 | Blue, Cobalt, Summer Tablescapes, White
Our good friends Bill, Maura, Carolyn and Paul, with whom we went on the cruise in 2019 (a lifetime ago, it seems), were visiting recently. Oh, happy days! We took every opportunity during their short stay to get together for a Cape-Cod land-locked reprisal—Maura...
by Helen Kain | Sep 2, 2020 | Amber, Cobalt, Fall Tablescapes, Terracotta, Thanksgiving, White
Suddenly, it feels like Fall. It’s time to call on richer colours, and what better place to start than with what I think of as my “York” Ashworth Ironstone, named for where I acquired it. Long-time readers may recall the tale of how this set of...
by Helen Kain | Feb 5, 2020 | Blue, Cobalt, Pink and Red, White, Winter Tablescapes
When it comes to whimsical tableware themes, you can’t go wrong with the Finnish firm, Iittala. I came across Taika more than a decade ago, and it was love at first sight. Intrigued by the fantastical creatures, I was also taken with the rich...
by Helen Kain | Jan 23, 2020 | Blue, Brown, Chinese New Year, Cobalt, Pink and Red, Winter Tablescapes
My youngest daughter, Lauren and I have birthdays very close together in the early part of February. The other adult kids usually host a celebratory dinner for us and last year we employed a Chinese New Year theme, as the date was very close (February 5, 2019). ...
by Helen Kain | Sep 12, 2019 | Amber, Blue, Cobalt, Fall Tablescapes, Terracotta, White
The richness of cobalt and burnt orange is a time-honoured combination found in Imari patterns, beloved by collectors for centuries. Collectors Weekly provides us with a concise history: “Imari is a style of porcelain named after the Japanese...
by Helen Kain | Dec 20, 2018 | Blue, Christmas, Cobalt, White, Winter Tablescapes
Tablescape inspiration comes in all shapes and sizes, including a jolly old elf. Especially when he’s cuddling adorable woodland creatures. Bristol by Fitz and Floyd is still an active pattern. though it’s getting harder to find the pieces in the retail...