New Toys to play with

A tablescape means more to me when there's some story or meaning to the pieces on my table, so I was really looking forward to using this lovely old Crown Ducal teapot and teacups on the table.  They were a gift from my dish friend, Angela in a Secret Santa exchange.  She knew the deco look would grab me, and the colors match my vintage Fiesta perfectly.  I chose vintage red Fiesta dinner plates and forest green bread plates, and a Post86 marigold buffet plate.  The cobalt Ralston all-gone bunny bowls add a whimsical touch, and these amazingly hard to find treasures showed up on eBay within a day of each other this month, and I put in one bid on each of these, never imagining I'd win them both.  They  bring happy thoughts of Becky to mind, since she had the first blue bunny bowls I had ever seen.  Usually, I see this Ralston bowl in ivory and green,  The lovely napkins were  linen treasures from another dear dish friend, Kathy and brought all the colors together so nicely on the table.  The flatware is vintage Bakelite, a gift from Dori.  All these ladies are scattered coast to coast, but it's almost like getting to sit down with them, having them represented at the table.  You can't beat a good meal, surrounded by old (and new) friends.

Flamingo Holidays

I'm a sucker for flamingos... there's just something cheerful and quirky and elegant about them.  Naturally, I couldn't resist the chance to put them on my holiday table.  A friend gave me the tablecloth this summer, and I've been struggling to find just the right dinnerware to put on it.

I was astonished when I found these Homer Laughlin  Eggshell Nautilus pieces on eBay recently, because they have a gorgeous flamingo decoration that's normally seen on HALL China...not HLC!
My surprise quickly turned to delight when I realized that these plates were perfect for my summer linen gift...

I chose to mix Fiesta (both vintage and P86), as well as the matching Fiesta flatware by Cambridge.  Be sure and take a look at the new Fiesta latte mugs...they're exclusive to Kohl's for now and have only been available for about a month.  The little vintage shrimp boats by Cardinal China will be perfect for holding dipping sauce.  The napkins are Tammis Keefe, and while they actually match some different place mats, I thought they worked fine with this grouping.  The spiral candle holder is Metlox,   and the flamingos have migrated to my house from a number of different places...and I'm always looking to increase the flock!

Happy Holidays!

 

Holiday Table

Today's table features a vintage California Hand Prints Deco Reindeer cloth in green.  A mix of vintage and Post 86 Fiesta dinnerware and flatware were used, along with a mix of decorative trees in shades of silver and ivory.