Pink Saturday at Serendipity

 

Well another Saturday. I am still dealing with this cold/flu thing so today I am going to just lay low. I do have a helper who is going to collaborate with me on some of my ideas for decorating. She has exquisite taste – always dressed for success.

This beautiful handmade bear was made and given to me by a dear friend for my 50th birthday. She makes an appearance every once and a while but is mostly content just living with the bears that I made doing what bears just do.

Right now she wants me to hop back in bed with a cup of tea and look at the roses on the dresser.

 

 

Happy Pink Saturday. Be sure to stop by Beverly’s at How Sweet the Sound and see what the rest of the “pinks” are doing.

Tablescape Thursday

 

This my Thanksgiving tablescape. Each week Susan at Between Naps on the Porch is the hostess for this event. Be sure to stop by and visit and see amazing table setting skills.

 

 

Well, Thanksgiving is here and the table is finally set.  I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday with family and friends. This is a special time of year and may we not lose the meaning of the season.

I made Gram Potter’s date bread and dreamt of date nut and cream cheese sandwiches all night. However, it is safely in the freezer until Thursday!

I chose my wedding silver because of the serving pieces. And I didn’t have to polish everything!

The centerpiece is an older piece of Fenton glass “iridized”. The flowers are dried from a potpourri mix. I can’t have too big a centerpiece without an extra leaf in the table.

 

The cut glass bowl belonged to my grandmother and would be filled with black olives, pickled watermelon rind and celery stuffed with Kraft Roka Blue cheese – the kind that came in the little juice glasses. I’m not sure they even make that anymore because I have not seen it in ages. My mother soon stopped asking me to help…one for me – one for the relish tray – one for me……

 

The little salt spoons match my silver and are the perfect size for these salt cellars.

I do not know anything about these wine glasses. We found them at Deb’s Flowerbed Farm in Bridgton, Maine 4 or 5 years ago. If anyone has any suggestions I would be happy to hear them.

 

My tablecloth is from Williams Sonoma as are the napkins.

The napkin rings from Pottery Barn a couple years ago.

Chargers from TJ Max

The acorn transfer ware from Williams Sonoma

The mint green salad plates from Home Goods

Flatware Homewood by Stieff

Wine glasses from Deb’s a few years back and don’t know anything about them

Candlesticks -Pottery Barn

Centerpiece bowl – Fenton Glass

Cut glass relish tray from Gram Potter

 

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

Just plain Monday before Thanksgiving…

We are going to be with friends and neighbors on Thanksgiving. Our family is up north. We celebrate the holidays before we head south. I miss everyone but what I miss most is cooking the meal. Thanksgiving dinner is my favorite and in past years I always had the dinner at my house. And the more the merrier!

I usually had 3 kinds of stuffing, 2 or 3 types of tea breads with cream cheese or butter, a relish tray, rutabagas, butternut squash, mashed potatoes, creamed onions and pies! We could hardly move after dinner.

I don’t do the turkey any more. I roast a chicken. Sometimes because it is just the 2 of us, I get bored with turkey leftovers so with the chicken I get the same holiday feeling. I only make 1 pie and 1 bread but the rest is still good. I like both kinds of cranberries – the sauce and the jelly.

Setting the table is one of the favorite parts of this holiday as well. I used to have my mother’s dishes but those I passed on to my niece. I probably won’t have time to polish the silver but you just never know.

Look for the table on Wednesday but I will give you just a peek!

   

Maybe by Wednesday this horrible head cold will be better and I will be able to decide which flatware to use.

A gift from Normandy

 

 

I happened upon a contest of sorts and I won. I never win anything so imagine my delight when I won not one but 2 Pay it forwards in one week! Today I received my gift from Maggie B. at Normandy Life. Maggie writes a wonderful blog and takes amazing photographs.

 

Now I should have known when Jack came up with a candy in his mouth and offered me one that something was up! I am struggling around on the floor trying to make some sense and order out my guest room which I am turning into a studio/office. The bed will be a Murphy bed and when the bed is in the upright position, the underside will serve as my design wall. I am quite thrilled.

 

But anyway back to looking up at Jack (who is tall but very tall when you are on the floor) and the candy. Creme de caramel – mmmmmn. Maggie had told me she had sent the package but I thought it might take a little longer. I came downstairs for lunch and there on the coffee table was a pile of presents

and some candy….

I opened the card first. A lovely rendering of the Juliette Gordon Low birthplace. Juliette founded the Girl Scouts of America. I was a Girl Scout, Maggie. I loved earning those badges.

She wrote a wonderful note inside. Somehow I just knew her handwriting would be like this.

So now onto the presents.

In this package was this darling sign.

 

 

And in the other package was this little guy. He looks handmade and is just adorable.

Thank you Maggie B.

Now I will begin to plan my P.I.F. I am so glad that the rules allow 1 year to follow through. I won’t take a year but I need to come up with entry plan and some ideas for presents. And I need to get off the floor and have my design table in place!

Pink Saturday

 

Well another Saturday with Beverly at How Sweet the Sound. Please stop by and say hi to all the other “pinks”.

My pink today is a Majolica bowl that I have had for many years. In fact when I bought it I don’t think I knew it was Majolica.

It has become a catchall on the dresser so I think I will find a new home for her.

Happy Pink Saturday!

Mosaic Monday

 

 

Another Mosaic Monday at Mary’s.  Please stop by and see all the wonderful mosaics that everyone creates. They really are the most fun.

Today I am doing dishes. I love dishes – I can’t help it. And if they have extra pieces and accessories, I love them even more. I bought these dishes because they have soup bowls with handles – so elegant. I have to confess that I set the table with all the finery – then when it is time to eat, we carefully move the dishes aside and use the ones that go in the dishwasher.

 

I will be using these in a tablescape in the near future.

Sunday Favorites

It is time for Sunday Favorites. Chari at Happy to Design is the hostess for this event. Visit her here and read why this event is a favorite.

This post was called Bridge of Oxford County and is one of my favorites.



Oh, did I love Bridges of Madison County – both the book and the movie. I have probably seen the movie a dozen times and read the book 3 or 4 times.
Today we took a drive to East Fryeburg where friends had told us of Hemlock Bridge. The road to the bridge is quite adequate for the first mile and then becomes a dirt road that is really quite passable except for a few too many deep ruts which the Thunderbird doesn’t deal with very well.
I had googled Hemlock Bridge and was not really impressed with information available. However, off we went. The day was glorious and the foliage was glorious and the bridge was gorgeous. Built in 1857, Hemlock Bridge is a 109 foot Paddleford truss strengthened with laminated arches. The bridge was reinforced in 1988 and you can drive across it today.

The bridge spans channels of the Saco River and on the other side there is an area for picnics.






Just a lovely day! Next time we will take a picnic.

Pink Saturday

Another Pink Saturday at How Sweet the Sound with Beverly as the hostess. Stop by and see all the pretty pinks.


This a pillow that I embroidered on my embroidery/sewing machine. The design is from Embroidery Library.  The colors are pinks, corals and yellows.  Imagine – we  embroidered designs by hand. I admire those who still do.


Happy Pink Saturday!