Mother's Day in Blue and White tablescape

One of Mom's set of dishes came home a few weeks ago. It was bittersweet.

Getting them where Mom wanted them took some doing.

Dad finally relinquished.

 

To celebrate, the sun came out to play and dance a jig across the table.

I paired the Hutschenreuter salad plates with some new Coalport Athlone blue dinner and bread plates.

 

I had Replacements looking for a pattern name for the Hutschenreuter pattern. To no avail. First time I've stumped them. So now, I keep looking for more information. I do have a setting for 12, but one salad plate is cracked and I would love to find the matching bread plates.

I embroidered the napkins Sunday morning. For those who have an embroidery machine, do check out Sonia Showalter designs. They stitch out beautifully. I've never had a misstep in any one design!

 

I know Mom was smiling down on the table.

I do think I'll be using this china quite a bit.

I am collecting "accessories".

 

I used one of the 3 tureens for a centerpiece bowl. Mr. CJ went to the wholesale florist on Saturday morning to pick up Peonies and Iris. Thank you Denny!

 

I love how they came together.

Blue flowers are a bit hard to find!

 

I pulled out the Libbey Rock Sharpe wines and paired them with some blue waters.

 

 I started collecting the Waterford/Ajka Clarendon wine hocks to go with this set.

They are just photoshopped into this photo.

Since seeing is believing, it's a great way to convince Mr. CJ that yet one more set of crystal is absolutely necessary. He he.

 

With so much gold on the table, the silver candelabras, didn't work. They screamed out "I am wrong. I am wrong." So I chose crystal candleholders, one set has a gold band.

 

 

These cute horns are individual flower holders for each place setting.

They are Rosenthal. Also stumped Replacements with these.

Mom only had 5 left. So I added the sweet Lenox swan.

If anyone sees any of these, would you let me know?

Please and thank you!!

 

 

That is mom's tablecloth from her dowry, too. It's a really beautiful damask and has 12 matching napkins. I used different napkins because I really wanted a blue monogram on the plates.

Mom's tablecloth and napkins are all embroidered, by hand no less, with her initials.

Every stich was exactingly place by my grandmother's loving hands.

 

Paired with gold flatware, the plates are perfectly accessorized.

 

 

Not my most stellar effort, but it was time for a Black Forest Cherry Cake.

I promise to share that recipe soon.

 

Cast:

German Damask tablecloth

Napkins - My Place to Yours

Dinner and bread plates - Coalport Athlone

Salad plates - Hutschenreuter Unknown

Gold flatware - International Silver

Crystal knife rests - Mr. CJ's grandmother

Flower vases - Rosenthal

Crystal wine - Libbey Rock Sharpe

Blue water - unknown

 

A Mother's Love

There are times when only a mother's love
Can understand our tears,
Can soothe our disappoints
And calm all of our fears.

There are times when only a mother's love
Can share the joy we feel
When something we've dreamed about
Quite suddenly is real.

There are times when only a mother's faith
Can help us on life's way
And inspire in us the confidence
We need from day to day.

For a mother's heart and a mother's faith
And a mother's steadfast love
Were fashioned by the angels
And sent from God above.

--Author Unknown

 

I miss you Mom.

 

I'll be sharing this tablescape at both Cuisine Kathleen's Let's Dish on Wednesday evening

and also at Susan's Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch.

I hope to see you there!

 

 

Inspired by Blue Tablescape and giveaway

Inspired by all the blue from last week's post - HERE - I decided to jump, head first, into the blue pool!

source

This was my inspiration. Hmm, don't have white chairs. Hmm.. blue flowers? Oh my. But I love the ethereal quality of this table.

I brought out my white chair covers. They started out as heirloom tea towels onto which I embroidered monograms using cotton thread. White. Tone on tone.

It certainly helped to disguise the brown chairs sufficiently to give the feeling. I hope. I got all the towels at MarthaPullen.com. They were embroidered with 60wt. cotton thread on a Bernina artista.
Originally created for Designs in Embroidery Magazine, the instructions can be downloaded HERE, or HERE.

And then came the first dilemma. Blue flatware or silver. I chose the silver. It's lighter in feel, sort of like the inspiration photo.

And then I pulled out my grandmother's dishes. They are Form 1382 Blaublüten, Arzberg (Blue Flowers). More info about Arzberg china HERE. This pattern came out in 1931.

See those napkins? Only purchase for this table.. well, other than the flowers. I tried some blue ones, too dark, white ones, very light.. So I headed out into consumer mecca and stopped at SteinMart. And there were 12 blue and white napkins in the perfect shade. I didn't have to second guess, I knew it. And when I got them home, they were.

See how all the blue colors are the same? It was meant to be. The large goblet is from the Dollah Tree. I've had these since forever, it seems and haven't used them. I had to wash them and remove the tags!

I even had those flower bricks... the square containers with the flowers. I have a giveaway going on another post.. click HERE to be whisked away to leave a comment. Leave one comment if you want to be in the drawing and another if you are a follower. Last day to enter is March 5th!

I pulled out a fabulous white tablecloth that I use quite frequently. Just be sure to toss it in the washer with some Oxy-Clean after dinner, to keep it nice and white. For lack of blue chargers, and I looked, I used the silver trays I've collected to serve as charger plates. Keeps the table light and bright.

Between the two flower bricks, I placed a silver spooner that belonged to Mr. CJ's grandmother. I tried other things, but nothing really worked. I think I'll collect some blue and white porcelain balls to place in a silver bowl. Any thoughts?

So what do you think? did I come close? I am still pining for my mother's blue and white dishes. Blue Onion I know that. And there is another set of my grandmother's, also blue.. They should come home to rest!

Cast:

Tablecloth - Portugal

Chargers - Silver trays from estate sales

White plates - Wedgwood Windsor

Luncheon Plates - Arzberg, Form 1382 Blaublüten

Flatware - Old Company Plate Signature

Napkins - Stein Mart

Napkin Rings - Silver

Water goblet - Dollar Tree

Wine hock - can't remember

Flower Bricks - Williamsburg Marketplace/estate sale

Be sure to sign up for the giveaway HERE.

I'll be partying at Cuisine Kathleen's Let's Dish

and Susan's Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch.

See ya there!!!

Photo of the Week - Blue Monday

Today is Blue Monday.

Did you know it even existed? I did not.

According to Wikipedia:

Blue Monday is a name given to a date stated, as part of a publicity campaign by Sky Travel, to be the most depressing day of the year. It is considered pseudoscience.
This date was published in a press release under the name of Cliff Arnall, at the time a tutor at the Centre for Lifelong Learning, a Further Education centre attached to Cardiff University. Guardian columnist Dr. Ben Goldacre reported that the press release was delivered substantially pre-written to a number of academics by public relations agency Porter Novelli, who offered them money to put their names to it. The Guardian later printed a statement from Cardiff University distancing themselves from Arnall: "Cardiff University has asked us to point out that Cliff Arnall... was a former part-time tutor at the university but left in February."

 According to a press release by a mental health charity, the formula is:

where weather=W, debt=d, time since Christmas=T, time since failing our new year’s resolutions=Q, low motivational levels=M and the feeling of a need to take action=N_a. 'D' is not defined in the release, nor are units.

 Arnall says the date was calculated by using many factors, including: weather conditions, debt level (the difference between debt accumulated and our ability to pay), time since Christmas, time since failing our new year’s resolutions, low motivational levels and feeling of a need to take action. Writing about the calculation, Ben Goldacre stated: ... the fact is that Cliff Arnall's equations ... fail even to make mathematical sense on their own terms.

 This date allegedly falls on the Monday of the last full week of January. The date was declared by Arnall to be 24 January in 2005, 23 January in 2006, 22 January in 2007, 21 January in 2008, 19 January in 2009, 18 January in 2010. In 2011 there has been confusion about the correct date. Some claimed it was on 17 January 2011 while others say blue Monday was on 24 January 2011.

Mr Arnall also says, in a press release commissioned by Wall's ice cream, that he has calculated the happiest day of the year—in 2005, 24 June, in 2006, 23 June, in 2008, 20 June, in 2009, 19 June and in 2010, 18th June. So far, this date has fallen close to Midsummer.

Are you blue?