Mikasa Botanical Bouquet

by Helen Kain | Jul 23, 2021 | Antique glassware, Blue, Green, Summer Tablescapes

The summer blooms are at their peak, and the hydrangea is just tipping over to the faded papery stage. So it was now or never for this table. Botanical Bouquet by Mikasa features an unusual combination of herbs in improbably vivid shades of cobalt blue; the soft...

Cherry Blossom by Tabletops

by Helen Kain | Jul 20, 2021 | Blue, Green, Pink and Red, Summer Tablescapes, Yellow

It will come as a surprise to exactly no one that my love for cherries extends to tableware featuring the scrumptious fruit. But it’s pathetically thin on the ground. You’d think such a cheerful, colourful motif would be easy to find, but not so!  I...

Artisan Fish Plates

by Helen Kain | Jul 4, 2021 | Accessories, Antique glassware, Antiques, Blue, Summer Tablescapes, Terracotta

Living by the ocean, it’s impossible to escape crustacean and fish-themed decor, and I have my share of it in tableware.  These Rosalie Nadeau Fish plates were one of our earlier acquisitions from Tree’s Place Gallery in Chatham, MA. Though the gift...

A Fitz & Floyd Chateau Tea

by Helen Kain | Jun 26, 2021 | Pink and Red, Spring Tablescapes, Summer Tablescapes

You’ve heard of cottage teapots? They usually feature a cosily thatched cottage, complete with a cottage flower garden. Fitz and Floyd upped the elegance a notch with the Chateau Teaset from the mid-1980s. Which I received as a gift when it first came out. Gulp....

Pale Pink Peonies and Royal Stafford Transferware

by Helen Kain | Jun 17, 2021 | Black, Pink and Red, Summer Tablescapes, White

Our peonies in the Cape run the gamut from snow white with a splash of crimson at the heart through to a vibrant cerise. Some of the earliest bloomers are a delicate shade of pink, some with the palest yellow ruffles near the base of the frou-frou centre. Be still, oh...

Let’s Have a Group Chat

by Helen Kain | Sep 17, 2020 | Blue, Fall Tablescapes, Pink and Red, Summer Tablescapes, White

Ducks, ducks, ducks. As long-term readers may recall, one of our granddaughters, Juliana, is crazy about ducks. Her “first day of school” board when entering Junior Kindergarten listed “a duck” as her desired adult occupation, somewhat to our...