Thursday Frolics

Okay, the title is misleading.
I'm afraid there will be no frolics.
I am back at That Old House and she is not in the mood for frolics.
She is being rained on today, and she doesn't much like that.

But yesterday, out at the beach house, I got up crazy early

to capture this picture of dawn just for you.

And then I went back to sleep, and captured this picture

a few hours later -- sun dancing on the water.

Those white things across the creek are not geese; they are sparkles from Old Sol.

Once we were both up and conscious,

Anne and I grabbed coffee and breakfast sandwiches to-go at

 Erik's Cafe on the North Road (highly recommended, thanks to sister Peggy for the tip)

and then we buzzed east to Greenport to a beach I used to take my girls to when they were heartbroken

over being excluded from a Daddy-and-Pop-Pop He Man Woman Haters Club fishing trip.

Just trying to minimize future time on the analyst's couch for my offspring.

I meant to take pictures of the beach, and the view across to Shelter Island,

but Erik's sandwich distracted me.  My bad.

Then it was back to the beach house, where we made sure the hatches were all battened down

in preparation for the expected visit of a rather nasty customer named Irene this weekend.

I blessed the house as we were leaving, and also left a Wise Old Someone in charge;

you will meet him tomorrow.

I hope when I tootle out there next week to check on things,

that it all looks pretty much the same as it does in this picture. 

By the time hurricanes hit the Northeast, most of their get-up-and-go has usually got-up-and-gone.

Fingers crossed, for everyone in Irene's path.

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But today is a day for playing with dishes,

not just waiting for storms.

I have reached back through the cobwebs of time, into the virtual attic at That Old House,

and ferreted out my very first Tablescape Thursday post.

It's not terribly impressive; I hadn't a clue what I was doing!

But here it is, from February 25, 2009:

My First Tablescape Post for That Old House!

I am not sure when table settings morphed into Tablescapes, but I'm late to the game. Here goes nothing!

Let's set the stage:
Imagine. . . It's a cold February night in a creaky old house; a fire is lit in the parlor, and in the dining room . . . it's time for a bowl of bubbling hot stew, ladled out of a big tureen onto china that echoes the Chinese Export ware of centuries ago:

A bit of wine adds to the glow. The stemware is a crystal reproduction of an old form;
the same shape wineglass might have been on the table when this house was new.

Nearby, a small cake plate and cup and saucer await dessert; maybe a slice of hot apple pie,
and cup of good strong coffee.

The china is Mikasa Far East, and I bought it nearly 30 years ago at Kaufmann's Department Store in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I was very into simple "colonial" then, and this was the closest I could get to an antique look pattern that I could afford. Luckily, I still like it, because by now I have service for more than 20.

Lenox made the crystal wine glass, the tureen is Fitz & Floyd,
and the silver ware is my old Ebay flatware. 
Don't look too closely at the folded napkin. It needs ironing and a good soak in Oxi-Clean, but it's such a sweet old linen piece, with lovely hand crocheted edging. I can't remember where I got the small lace topper cloth, but I thought its angles nicely reflected the angles of the dinnerware. Upon reflection, I think I should have used something less busy.

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Well, yes, Blogger Self of 2-plus years ago,
you should have used something less busy. And taken better pics.
Live and learn, and the best way to do that
is to visit more blogs and see how the talented folk do it.  -- Cass

P.S.  Hurricane Irene shares a moniker with my mother-in-law.  Who is also Irene.

But I would much prefer a visit from her than from the big storm that's flying up the coast.

Too bad I don't get to choose; Stormy Irene is coming invited or not!

P.P.S.  And today is my father-in-law's birthday!  Happy Birthday, Zaide!  

Link Parties for Thursday.

Tablescape Thursday at Susan's Between Naps On The Porch.  Click here!

Leigh of Bloggeritaville's Thrifty Thursday.  Click here!

At Coloradolady blog, it's Vintage Thingies Thursday. Click here!

And
it's an Open House Party at No Minimalist Here.  Usually!  But this week,
the Open House Party is hosted by Ann at Sutton Place blog.   Click ... here!

A Table 'Scaped With Thrift -- It's Lunchtime!

You know those nightmares where you just can't seem to get going?

That has been my Thursday -- trying to get some time at the computer to get my Tablescape and Thrifties post up with Howard working from home, at my computer. (Da nerve.) Talk about late. . . .


Finally -- done. I'm hopping on three blog party bandwagons -- Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps On The Porch, Vintage Thingies Thursday over at Coloradolady and Thrifty Thursday at Bloggeritaville. Click on the blog names to visit, and read more. Thanks to our charming hostesses; they must be very organized to be able to do this!

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Ebay, Dollar Tree, T.J.Maxx and some old free stuff have all conspired for this Tablescape, Vintage Thingies, and Thrifty Thursday post.

There will be three of us for lunch, and it's a simple summer menu:
cold tomato soup, crusty bread, and iced tea.

A simple menu calls for a simple table.

Three Dollar Tree dishclothes -- woven cotton in different black & white designs -- are our placemats.

Atop them, the basketweave-bordered plates, also from Dollar Tree.

I love these plates, and since I'll never cough up the cash to buy the similar patterns
in Wedgwood or Aynsley or whoever else has it, I'm very happy with these.

Then, the bowls. T.J. Maxx -- $2.99 each.

I love how the black design climbs over the rim into the interior.

The bread plates are Wedgwood. I found them in the beach house kitchen a few weeks ago;
I have no idea where my Mom got them -- probably a church rummage sale.

I actually bought the Lenox wineglasses retail, years ago from the now defunct and much missed Fortunoff's.

They will be just right for cold iced tea, and I've put coasters underneath to catch condensation; a single layer of cotton toweling won't protect the table well enough from that.

The coasters were a thrift shop find a few months ago -- 8 of them for a couple of bucks.

Napkins. . . I was going to use these old linen lovelies:

But for soup they are just too small. So instead of luncheon sized dainties,
we have great big old linens that can do the job.

For Howard, a huge German damask napkin -- smooth linen, and nearly 30-inches square.

For me, an old huck towel, not so huge, with wide hand faggoting along the border, and a big "C" monogram.

Not officially a napkin, but it will work. (Table linens don't belong to unions;
you can force them to work out of their job descriptions.)

Anne gets another piece of old huck, also monogrammed, and soft from many years of laundering. I think this monogram is a "C" also, but you never can be sure; some of those old monograms are pretty funky.

All the "napkins" are from Ebay; none cost more than a couple of dollars.

The flatware is my trusty old Georgian plate, and amazingly enough most of it even has the right monogram -- "L" -- considering I've collected this flatware piecemeal on Ebay with a wacky variety of monograms.

This pattern was introduced in 1912.

Great big soup spoons and little butter knives -- that's all we need today!

A few daisies and some blossoming hedge branches from the yard (thank you, Howard!) --

. . . and it is time for lunch!



Cold tomato soup -- that's goat cheese plopped in the middle --
slices from a baguette, and iced green tea. Yes, it was good.

On Friday I am blogging about how I hunt on Craigslist, and I'll show you some amazing bargains currently available here in North Jersey; I've got some beauties for you!

Join me on a Craigslist Caravan on Friday, and you will see why I am addicted, and why half my house is decorated in Craigslist bargains.
-- Cass

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PS... a special note to Keetha of Keepie's Eclectic Stuff -- you wanted me to find you someplace to keep dining room china? How does free and gorgeous sound? You just have to come to New Jersey and get it. :-) Check in tomorrow!

Tablescape Thursday, A Giveaway, and the Sisterhood Award!

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(... plus a giveaway and an award.)

It is Tablescape Thursday, hosted by Susan at Between Naps On The Porch. Visit to see some really creative table settings!


Whew... lots going on -- china and a giveaway and an award -- so let's get going!
I am not sure when table settings morphed into Tablescapes, but I'm late to the game. Here goes nothing! (All comments will be entered to win a blue and white Johnson Bros gravy boat, see below. Giveaway "entries" will close on 2/27 at midnight.)

Let's set the stage:
Imagine. . . It's a cold February night in a creaky old house; a fire is lit in the parlor, and in the dining room . . . it's time for a bowl of bubbling hot stew, ladled out of a big tureen onto china that echoes the Chinese Export ware of centuries ago:

A bit of wine adds to the glow. The stemware is a crystal reproduction of an old form; the same shape wineglass might have been on the table when this house was new.

Nearby, a small cake plate and cup and saucer await dessert; maybe a slice of hot apple pie, and cup of good strong coffee.

The china is Mikasa Far East, and I bought it nearly 30 years ago at Kaufmann's Department Store in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I was very into simple "colonial" then, and this was the closest I could get to an antique look pattern, at least that I could afford. Luckily, I still like it, because by now I have service for more than 20.

Lenox made the crystal wine glass, the tureen is Fitz & Floyd,
and the silver ware is my old Ebay flatware.

Don't look too closely at the folded napkin. It needs ironing and a good soak in Oxi-Clean, but it's such a sweet old linen piece, with lovely hand crocheted edging. I can't remember where I got the small lace topper cloth, but I thought its angles nicely reflected the angles of the dinnerware. Upon reflection, I think I should have used something less busy.

Ta-da! The giveaway! Kaufmann's had a "no one else wants this stuff" department back in the day, and I found a Johnson Brothers gravy boat there, blue & white, in a pattern I had never seen: Old Bradbury. I still haven't seen much of this pattern, even on Ebay.

It's a lovely piece. There is some underglaze crazing (like much Johnson Bros.) and a small chip on the underside of the boat itself. The liner plate would make a gorgeous soap dish in a blue and white kitchen, with a big chunk of fragrant hand-made soap in it.

I love the pattern, and will miss this pretty piece, but I have enjoyed it for years. And that's the whole point --
you should like the things you give as gifts!

If you leave a comment on this post, you might win it. (You can always decline it if you think it's the fugliest bit of china you've ever seen!) I was going to list this little bit of ironstone on Ebay, but this is much more fun.

And. . . I have gotten my first blog award (another mystery land to me, but I'm learning!).

Thank you to Nanna K of Blessings from Nanna's Cottage for The Sisterhood Award!


Nanna K posted these lovely words:

"Sometimes, I just cannot believe what an awesome world our blogging world really is. We need to go out and teach the world how to get along happily, don't you think?

Everybody here in our new world cares about one another and shows it. We pray for each other and help each other through hard times and happy times. When there's a problem here, everyone comes.

Sometimes you wonder, how did they know so fast? I just love my new world ladies. I want to thank you all from the bottom of my heart. We all are carrying some kind of burden, whether it's our own or a loved ones. it is so grand to always know we all are there to catch each other when we fall."

If you accept this award, the rules are...
1. Put the logo on your blog or post.
2. Nominate at least 10 blogs which show great Attitude and/or Gratitude!
3. Be sure to link to your nominees within your post
4. Let them know they have received this award by commenting on their blog.
5. Share the love and link to this post and to the person from whom you received the award.

And my nominees are (the envelope, please!). . .

Molly at Molly's Mellow Moments
Blondie at Blondie's Journal
Becky at Holiday In The Sun
Deanie at Deanie's Space
Susie Q at Rabbit Run Cottage
Bobbi Jo at It's Good To Be Queen
Elizabeth Ann at My Place In Cyberspace
Barb at Grits and Glamour
Paula B at In The Shade Of The Oak
Heidi at Bargain Hunting In The Corn

Many thanks to so many wonderful bloggers and readers; I had no idea there was such an extensive network of talented and caring and creative women "out there," until I started exploring the blogging world.

You are all truly remarkable.