Flowers Inside When It's Too Hot Outside

Yes, that is an odd title.
But our garden flowers are languishing
in the August heat . . . and so am I.

Therefore, I'm filching a tablescape from two years ago

for today's post.  I did the same thing last August, but shhh, don't tell, okay?

It's a Table For One at That Old House.

That beautiful big green tureen -- shaped a lot like a tagine -- is a gift from my daughter Alida.  It's from some faraway land -- can't remember!

It is Thursday, and you -- my honored guest -- are invited to

take a seat at the round oak table in the conservatory, and be pampered.

Thanks to Susan of Between Naps On The Porch for hosting Tablescape Thursday, and to Suzanne of Coloradolady for hosting Vintage Thingies Thursday, and to Leigh of Bloggeritaville for Thrifty Thursday! Whew! That's a lot of hosting and work for these ladies and their hardworking Mr. Linkies. I am in awe.

You can click on any of the Blog Party names, to be transported and to find other stories of tablescaping and thrifting derring-do!

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Now . . . please, pull out the wire and wicker chair we found

at curbside (with two of its mates) in the Fall of '08, and sit yourself down.

Under your place setting, a vintage embroidered dresser scarf,
an eBay find.

The pink and green and the careful stitching are so airy looking:

Flowers from the garden -- the tough daisies, and the bolted mint.  Love the feathery mint!

The vase is actually an old mustard pot; many years ago we sold French coarse grained mustard

in a gourmet shop we owned, and it came in these fabulous stoneware pots.

I saved several.  If by several we mean a lot.

Hobnail milk glass S&Ps -- they were my mother's.

My old Lenox crystal goblet (on the left) in the Antique pattern, now discontinued.
I only have four of them.  But I have distant cousins of theirs, inexpensive paneled glasses.

On the right, a $3 wine glass off the cheap shelves at Fortunoff's,

bought more than 30 years ago when I had my first swinging singles pad.

Reality check: it wasn't a swinging singles pad. I shared an 1802 house on the grounds of a museum complex with my cousin, so instead of a singles pad we had a 3/4 Cape with white picket fence,

a well, an herb garden, and a dirt floor in the cellar. The only things swinging were some loose shutters.

The green majolica plate I got more than 25 years ago at a shop

in Greenport, on eastern Long Island.

 Not Bordallo.  Don't know who made it!

On top, a plate from my grandmother's
favorite set of luncheon dishes.

Syracuse china.

Pink, green, touches of yellow and blue.

On top of the luncheon sized plate, a crocheted lace liner.
Dime store.

And a little double-handled French Limoges bouillon cup.  eBay, of course!

Simple and heavy hotel plate flatware:

A rummage sale find.

A napkin from a long-ago tablecloth set.

The tablecloth is among the missing in action.

Put it all together and . . . Bon appetit!

I am very pleased you came to visit.

For more table and thrifting posts,

check out the blogs, below! (Links at top of this post.)

And now I'm heading down to the dungeon, otherwise known as the cellar, to do some laundry.  We are hoping to get out to the beach house this weekend -- so keep your fingers crossed!  -- Cass


Let's hope we're here for the weekend:

A Dose of Silly and a Dollop of Sweet

Since I am always so serious and scholarly
in my blog posts, today I've got my silly on.

 :-P

Or rather, I'm borrowing my daughter's silly.

Among the tourist pictures Alida and Josh snapped

on their honeymoon in China were some choice signs.

No frolicking?   Those Commies are such spoil sports.

This sign was in the hotel shower.  Alida no longer thinks the "hot" cautions on coffee cups are the dumbest warnings in the world.  Really -- do people need to be told that a shower floor might be wet?

Photographic evidence of our honeymooners being disobedient Americans.

Really?  Those spoilsport Commies strike again.

Now why doesn't Elizabeth Arden have this sign in its front window?

I'd hate to see a 1-star rated potty!

I guess it's not copyright infringement if you call him Spoony?

And who wouldn't want to have a meat patty that explodes in your stomach?  Mmm mmm good. 

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And now for something completely different!

What's hiding behind those bloomin' Rose of Sharon shrubs?

Deep pink, light pink, and white blossoms --

Rose of Sharon is also called Althea bush, and Chinese Hibiscus.

It's tough as nails, and we have zillions of them,

growing along the stone wall at the edge of our street.

Peek-A-Boo!

That Old House is hiding behind the Sharons.

Anne took these shots from street level, looking up at our house.
Would you believe I almost had all these

bushes yanked out last year, until the landscape guy said,

"Ummm. . . don't you want to keep all the Rose of Sharon?"

I do like how the white house peeks through the softly colored blossoms.

It turns out, yes, I did want to keep them once I knew what they were!

They bloom midsummer through the fall, in lovely shades of pink and magenta and white, and from the looks of the picture, below, there are loads of buds still to open!

I am still surprised to look up at our house, and see that it is white.

But I am so glad that it is.

Even if it's just so that the fresh white paint
looks good with all those pretty pink flowers!

While it was tempting to have the Rose of Sharon
yanked out last year to expose

all of the lovely stone wall, I'm glad they are there to dress up

the front of the yard with their crepe-paper-y blooms.
Especially since not a heck of a lot else is blooming right now!

Happy Wednesday!  -- Cass

Linky Parties!

At A Southern Daydreamer, it's Outdoor Wednesday.  Click here!

It's White Wednesday at Faded Charm Cottage.  Click here!

It's Goodwill Goodies Time Again

There's a quiz at the end of this post.  No, really, there is!

Every time I watch that terrifying TV show Hoarders,
I decide never to go back to Goodwill. 


Then, I fold.  Like a cheap suit.

And come home with a bag, or in this past Saturday's case -- a box.

Let's peek.

First layer -- perky pachyderms.

Three of them; they are conjoined triplets, supporting a shallow planter.

That came complete with dirt.

And also complete with our favorite accessory

here at That Old House -- dust.

"Help, I've fallen and I can't get up!"

 There are no marking on this piece, but I remember my grandmother

having similar beauties in her window, sprouting African violets or cacti.  

One of the Elephant Boys is a little cracked in the head,

but his brothers keep him in line, so no worries.

Well, what do you think?

Majolica, Dollar Tree, or florist dish garden?
Destined for display or our infamous Christmas grab bag?

Last year, I got a piece of Majolica on Goodwill that turned out to be quite a find.
Click here for a Froggy Tale.

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Next out of the box -- placemats and napkins.  Never used.

The bag said 4 placemats and 4 napkins.

It lied.

 Instead, there were 6 placemat and napkin sets

in this nice neutral plaid.

 I love fringe.

 Fringe and lovely weaving.  Lucky find!

I'm tempted to bring these to the beach house; they'd look so good out there.

 But wait!

There's more!

 On the flip side of the plastic bag were 4 placemats and 4 napkins in bright red plaid.

Just waiting for cozy family holiday meals!

Ten placemats, ten napkins for $5.  Sweet.

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And the third layer in the Goodwill box

(drum roll please)

is

another cake stand!

Maybe I do belong on Hoarders.

Well, never mind that.

You know when you buy or bake or are gifted with a great big honkin' cake or pie or tart (no giggles)

that is 13 or more inches across, and you take out a nice milk glass cake pedestal and discover it is

11 inches wide and in order to put the new cake or pie or tart (no giggles) on it

you would have to eat the outer few inches of the cake . . . .

You know those times?

This cake stand is for those times, because it is huge.

And I can just see a giant fruit tart or a Chocolate Decadence Cake or an enormous New York style cheesecake on it -- oh, hose me down, I'm having palpitations! -- and still leave room around the perimeter to tuck in a few decorative leaves or some other bit of frou-frou to tart (no giggles) up the presentation.

It's short and wide, low to the ground, rather like a gym teacher I once had,

but oh boy will it come in handy when pastry and pie season rolls around again.

If you bring me a big cheesecake, we can test drive the cake stand.

How's that for a deal?

Only not one of those fluffy light ricotta jobs.

A cheesecake should be pure Philadelphia cream cheese, and heavy enough

to fell an elephant at 50 paces if hurled right toward the crack in his head.

That's it for Tuesday, my duckies.

I was going to do my artsy-craftsy bit with the Goodwill demitasse cups yesterday,

but

I

didn't.

I hung out with my daughter Anne instead;

she'll be back in her own apartment soon, so I'm enjoying her company while I can.  -- Cass

Quiz!

After watching an episode of one of the television shows about hoarding, do you:

A)  take a shower and look up the names of exterminators just in case.

B)  look around your own home and think, "Whew, I'm glad I'm not a clutterbug!"

C)  look around your own home and think, "Geez . . . someday they are going to find me buried

under piles of milk glass, old lace, and pizza boxes," and get nervous.

D)  look around your own home, ferret out the industrial size black trash bags, and purge.

E)  look around your own home and think, "Hey, someone's got more stuff than me!  No fair!"

and go to Goodwill.

Linky Parties!

Linda at Coastal Charm features loads of bloggers' thrifty finds at Nifty Thrifty Tuesdays.  Click here!

(She's got links to an Annie Sloan Chalk Paint giveaway, too, so don't miss visiting!)

At House of Grace, Bonnie features everyone who wants to be A Twice Owned Queen.  Click here!