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Thursday, March 19, 2009

Tablescaping, Thrifting, and (Always) Thanking!


Today, I'm doubling up... and doing the very popular Tablescape Thursday, hosted by Susan at Between Naps On The Porch (click to visit more tablescapes!). . .

. . . and also Thrift Store Thursday, a brand new blog party, hosted by Holly at Homebody. (Click to visit more thrift finds!).

Thanks to both of these lovely ladies. It is a lot of work to host one of these; the commenting alone must take hours. Thanks!

And now.... it's lunchtime...



I am home alone, but the conservatory beckons, with a soft tapping of drizzly spring rain on the glass roof. Also beckoning -- lunch, and a pretty tablescape in greens, of old and new.

It's said that all greens go together, that Mother Nature's main hue in all its many variations live happily side by side.

Let's test this out.

Start with a green cabbage plate, bought about 20 years ago at The Doofpot in Greenport, on eastern Long Island. There's a backstamp but it is illegible.


Add a luncheon plate, once used by my Grandmother.
It is marked as Syracuse China. A pretty border -- pink and green!


So . . . something old, something new, nothing borrowed, and on today's table -- nothing blue! But there is some silver. . .


The flatware is old, probably turn of the 20th century or earlier. It's silverplate, Rogers, and very plain, quite spare and modern in design; it's what the common folk used. It is firmly "downstairs" and not "upstairs."

It is strong and sculptural: it is what it is. Its form follows its function and there's no folderol. It is easily found in thrift and antiques shops, and is not expensive.


Above, a brand new mug, one of 4 given to us just this past Saturday by Nick,
a friend of our daughters' from back in high school, who came to our House Blessing.
The mugs are Franciscan, and delightfully oversized; just right for a giant cup of rainy day tea. Thank you, Nick! (I always liked that boy.)


Green pottery tea pot. Where did I get this?
It's a lovely green, with under-glaze color variations.
No marks. Methinks it was a gift.

This little cream pitcher is simply marked "Made In Germany" on its little bottom. Love the lustre-pink around the top.

A thrift shop find!

This sugar bowl has a bit of recent history, despite its age. (Like the pitcher, above, it also has lustre around the top.)

Back in June 2000, I helped organize a large club tea at a hotel. For table decorations, we planted blooming annuals in vintage sugar bowls we'd gathered over the past months from thrift shops and secondhand stores.

We gave them away at the end of the tea . . . but (shhh!) I kept this one for myself.
Well, heck, it was one of the few that actually had its lid!
It is marked, "Germany" and has a wonderful strong silhouette.

Now . . . from France . . .
. . . comes this little Limoges plate. It has a bisque-like finish, sweet spring violets, and was a gift from my mother-in-law, who always found wonderful things in secondhand shops.

It will hold the tea bags.



Who among us can resist old table linens, lovingly worked by hand?
This vintage bridge cloth is embroidered with flowers and baskets in each corner.
Just right for a spring table.



And -- Daffodils. Miniature ones nodding high over their pot.
A gift from a guest at our House Blessing.

Did you ever see giddier looking flowers?
How can you not smile back?


A book is a wonderful companion, when lunch is over but there is still tea in the pot.
My daughter Alida found this at our local village book shop this weekend, and
left it behind for me to read when she returned to California on Monday.

Dover Thrift Editions are amazing bargains, even new!



Time for lunch. . .
with Syracuse flower-bordered plate, or not?

And something lovely to look at. . .
two Venetian masks, gifts last July from Claudia, Alida's friend from Verona, Italy, who graced us with a visit. A beautiful, charming, kind young lady; it makes me happy to have these reminders of her time with us.


Thanks to the people whose hands made these items, old and new. Thanks to our friends and family who celebrated with us on Saturday, during our House Blessing (more on that in another post). And of course, thanks to you, the bloggers and readers, who inspire me to record the happy adventures at That Old House. You are all true blessings.

And now, it is almost noon.... so go have lunch!

Mangia!

If you are wondering about all my curtains (click for story). . . well, most were up for the House Blessing party, but I am not happy with all of the results. I'll post pictures and story tomorrow. More to come! Nothing is ever finished. . . .


34 comments:

  1. I am a first time visitor and I loved your table. The cabbage plates seem to be very popular but I think the pink and green dish you used with it really set it off just perfectly.

    Have a Thankful Thursday
    from the Raggedy Roberta Anne

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  2. I enjoyed your post. Thank you for sharing.

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  3. Wow, what a beautiful table! Great choice to share today! I posted about my VERY FIRST St. Pat's table!

    I love the colors and all the special touches! Happy Thursday to you!

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  4. Beautiful table, an amazing thrifty finds! Thanks for linking up :)

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  5. How pretty!

    What a wonderful collection of pieces, and they all look beautiful together.

    Thanks for sharing with us.

    Lisa

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  6. Hi Cass,
    This is my first Tablescape Thursday, I posted after you so I am now the caboose! Everything you have shown is lovely and you described it beautifully. I especially like your Limoges plate, it has soft yet, vivid colors.

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  7. Mother Nature is not wrong your table is beautiful and what treasures you have, love the masks. Happy Thursday, Kathy.

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  8. That mask on the side just sealed the deal for me!
    -marie

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  9. Lovely table and fun thrift finds!
    Linda Q

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  10. Hello Cass!!!

    I LOVE several things on your table - - - the cabbage leaf plate - so unique and interesting, the masks - wow, the little Limoges plate - your M-I-L found a real gem there!!!

    So GLAD you mentioned the curtains - - - I'm BITING my nails over here WAITING to see them!!!!

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  11. I love your table. I love the way you pulled it all together! Have a great evening!

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  12. What a lovely lunch setting...you have some beautiful pieces! I really love the little Limoge plate...so pretty!
    Thanks so much for stopping by!
    Happy Spring!
    ;-D

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  13. I love tea and I love that setting. The teapots and the thrift store find are wonderful! Oh, and yes, I do have a self-cleaning oven for my potato explosion! Linda

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  14. Seems like everybody has those green cabbage-ish plates but me! And everyone used them this week. They are so pretty. I just love them. And I really like those masks you have on your table. A very lovely setting.
    Have a great weekend. :) Brenda

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  15. I love that you made a special tablescape for one! Very artful -- thanks for stopping by my blog and your kind comments!

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  16. Girl I love your table today...all the vintage pieces are just wonderful...How did your house blessing do?? I thought about you and was wondering about it...hope all is well in your world...hugs and smiles dear friend..Gl♥ria

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  17. I love your hand embroidered linens, very pretty. I love a bargain too. You are quite the shopper!

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  18. Hi Cass,
    I just love how you think! All the lovely layers of green, old and new. Everything is so charming I can't pick a favorite, but maybe the tea pots. Love it. Cindy

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  19. Loved your mention of Greenport, my North fork neighbor..
    Lovely post, and God bless your house..what a lovely idea to have a house blessing!

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  20. What lovely things and they all work so well together. I, too, love quiet lunches for one with my only companion being the book that I'm reading.

    BTW, I have my Indies on my post today.

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  21. Thank you for coming by and for your nice comments! Your home is lovely! I love the dishes you used for your tablescape! So pretty! God Bless! lauralu :)

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  22. Love all your thrifty finds, Cass. I would have kept that sugar bowl, too! ;)
    xoxo,
    Mary

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  23. wonderful table for one...and a book too.... since no one else is here.... I think I will sit and read awhile!

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  24. Your table looks so pretty, and how nice that so many treasures on it were gifts. I love that sugar bowl with the windmill, and I can understand the difficulty in parting with that. laurie

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  25. Thanks for visiting me. Yes I know how to make zeppole. It is my dad's birthday on the feast day of St. Joseph. My mom makes them but since I am in CA I had to learn to make them for the New Yorkers around here.
    Nice table scape. Glad to meet you. Visit again

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  26. What I loved most about your beautiful tablescape is that so much thought was put into preparing it for just one person - even for just yourself. I too often overlook that element of spending time alone. I love the idea of embracing a lunch & tea & book, not being in a hurry or feeling awkward sitting alone. Thank you!

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  27. Lovely table-scape and I just love the pitchers. Oh my so beautiful! Thank you for sharing.
    Hugs, Bobbi Jo

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  28. oh how pretty - those cabbage plates are just hard to beat don't you think - they add such razzle dazzle to any table
    happy twirls

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  29. You've put the pieces together so beautifully! It looks very soothing and serene. A perfect spot to visit or enjoy a book!

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  30. I really liked this posting. You have some really great stuff! It looks so well together.

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  31. I love the cloth!!! Your Grandmother's China is lovely with the green dish! I love all all all your thrift store finds!!

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  32. I am eying that purple violet plate! I have wild ones coming up around a stump, so I went and dug up more in the pasture. I saw a teapot with violet, Oh how I wish I had bought it and creamer and sugar! My daughter would love it. Now Mama want it! lol
    Thank you so much for joining by giving a Tea Party on my Birthday April 5th. Just post your Tea Party and I will link you to my post late afternoon. I was telling Hubby about your floors. Some are mine are like the house you rented. lol The parlor floors are great! I still can't give the floors up. We did have carpet. With a water heater flooding and hubby and my grandchildren running in and out( there is no concrete here) I gave up and took all the carpet out. I do have area rugs. But we are going to have to attack these floors soon. Well, after all the sheet rock is finished. I have a Craftsman Bungalow, its very large for one. Everyone always thinks it a cottage when I tell the style of our home, Sometimes Hubby says he going to cut it in half, for it's large. I have one room up stairs and we are going to finish the whole upstairs one day. lol I love your home! It is lovely!

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