Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Mother's Day, 2014

First things first...We are truly blessed to have the means to set a pretty table and invite our friends to join us for good food and fellowship. I am mindful that many are not so fortunate. My daughter has a passion for the work of the Food Bank. As a singer-songwriter, she has written and recorded a song that is the anthem for the world wide Crop Hunger Walk project. Her song, "Raise Your Voice" is featured in their video. I've included a link in the side margin of my blog. I hope that it will encourage you to support projects in your community that contribute to the effort to overcome hunger.
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I had such a sweet time designing my tablescape for our family's Mother's Day dinner.  I kept thinking about the legacy of lovely dinnerware that will someday grace the tables of my grandchildren.  I found myself pulling elements that came from a number of the women who set tables for holidays throughout my life.  It was intriguing that this collection of women, separated by many decades...women with widely diverse personalities...had somehow collected tabletop items that on this day blended so beautifully for our family celebration.

 We're a small group this day.  I set a table for seven in the dining room.

 I decided that our Mother's Day table called for soft spring colors...definitely feminine.

 Lots of pink and blue for my grand babies...

 ...kissed by the sun.


The Bormioli Inca Hot Pink charger is quickly becoming a workhorse for my Spring tablescapes...


It was a lovely highlight beneath the Castleton Pearl Edged dinner plate...


...which framed Grandmama Madden's Yamaka Magnolia, Occupied Japan dinner plate.  Grandmama Madden had no wedding china.  She made the Oklahoma Land Run in 1889, with Granddaddy Madden.  They originally settled in a sod hut in what eventually became Harmon County.  Years later, Aunt Ida, a major in the WAC and an intelligence officer stationed in post-war Tokyo, brought the china home as a gift for them.  I remember many holiday meals served on the quietly elegant pattern in their Hollis, Oklahoma home.


 Sweet Nana's antique lace napkin with blue embroidery and my mother-in-love's Francis I silver flatware cozied up alongside each place setting.


My mama's Mikasa Stephanie water goblet joined my Waterford Simply Blue goblet and the  pink scroll goblet that I found at Marshall's.


A picture of the tapestry that portrays the women who make up my history...a history that I am blessed to pass on to my grandchildren.


 Fresh flowers, ...

 ...pink mercury glass candle holders from Michael's...


...and the Rosenthal Sansoucci tureen provided elements for the centerpiece.

 Beatrice Emaline was seated between her mommy and daddy.  I love the notion that she has always had her own place setting when she comes to my table.  Now, I do allow that after we're seated, her mommy chooses to remove them, if necessary.  Beatrice is in the middle of launching her food to the floor when she wants to be sure that we understand that she doesn't want any more.  Her mommy and daddy are working on that, but for now....china and crystal beware.  The day will come when Beatrice and her cousins will become the stewards of these family treasures for another generation.  I love that although they will never actually meet their great-great grandmothers or their great-grandmothers, they will have a connection to these magnificent mothers through their lovely tabletop treasures.  I hope that you had a blessed Mother's Day surrounded by family and friends.

This week I'm joining:

Let's Dish with Cuisine Kathleen
Tablescape Thursday with Susan @ Between Naps on the Porch
The Thursday Favorite Things Blog Hop @ Catherine's Corner




Entertaining Women
Entertaining Women

Hello, I'm Cherry Kay I was 40 before I realized that I am an artist. I love to paint, work in clay, rubber stamping, design tablescapes, entertain, and share ideas. I'm an interior designer wanna-be...no credentials, but lots of experience.

22 comments:

  1. Hi Cherry Kay, Your family dishes are all beautiful and interesting and you have joined them all so perfectly with the blue and pink theme. Can you imagine what life was like when your grandmama was living in the soddy? We all can take a lesson from our grams and great grams! I always come for your stories and china, but you have the most gorgeous glassware too. Sounds like your little angel is experimenting with gravity. That's what we used to say as the food was thrown from the high chair to the floor! Linda

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  2. That's the nice thing about heirlooms -- you feel connected to the family you never met -- THEY handled the china and now YOU'RE handinglig the china. I'm sure you grandchildren will realize this. Lovely table as always.

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  3. Oh Cherry Kay, you are certainly blessed with so many beautiful pieces from your family. You set such a a gorgeous, as always, table with those fine pieces. I love how you know the history behind them. Thanks for sharing your family heirlooms with us. May they be passed on to someone who is as appreciative as you.

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  4. Beautiful table, and I love the way it tells a story of your family history. Love your pink and blue stemware.

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  5. What a treasure of family heritage you have! I love that you could put them all together and make such a nice Mother's Day table.

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  6. What a sweet post, Cherry Kay! Your table is a lovely tribute to all the mothers who have gone before you. I must tell you that Madden is a family name for us, too -- my father-in-law's mother was a Madden, and Madden is the middle name for my father-in-law, husband, and now granddaughter! Maybe we're kissin' kin?

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  7. What a lovely setting, Cherry Kay! Family heirlooms are such a treasure; and you have implemented them beautifully! What a lovely way to spend Mother's Day!

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  8. Cherry Kay,
    Such a beautiful table..I love your stories and how you talk about the past and future generations..It is important to teach our grandbabies when they are young..Then they will just always be accustomed to nice things...
    Love, Mona

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  9. I really enjoy reading about your family treasures - and what lucky grandchildren you have that will enjoy all these special dishes and stories to go along with them. I am sure you enjoyed your Mother's Day (even if B "tossed" a few crumbs on the floor)

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  10. You tell the best stories behind all the beautiful things! So interesting, the history of your pioneer grandmother. Mine were pioneers, too, just earlier, when they came to Alabama.

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  11. What memories you have and now are creating more with your grandchildren! Each pieces of china, crystal, and silver has a great story but best is the run for land in Oklahoma. The magnolia pattern china is lovely with the beautiful blossoms and we are viewing these in bloom here in the DFW metroplex. I had a gorgeous magnolia tree at my first home. I will be looking for some lovely magnolia china now for this is a gorgeous tablescape with all the pink and blue colors. Your granddaugter sounds delightful and will love all the family stories you can tell her! Have a fabulous week!

    Pam

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  12. Cherry Kay, I cherish the fact that I've had the pleasure of actually meeting you, for I hear your sweet voice tell these stories as I read the text. Your beautiful heirlooms that grace this table make me smile. The sun kissing them does too. I'm happy for you that you shared Mother's Day with your family at this gorgeous tablesetting…..the perfect Mother's Day gift!

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  13. So lovely, Cherry Kay. Your artful blending of these wonderful pieces is a testament all of the women who fed their families with this treasures. Beautiful job!

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  14. Hi Maam CK,
    OMG! I really love the goblets. They are so adorable.

    I guess, I will be so worried to use them.

    TY for sharing you great treasures.

    GB,
    /CC

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  15. Beautiful use of color Cherry Kay! The pink and blue plates with the blue and pink stemware are perfect for a Spring Mother's Day table. The most wonderful part of all is the shared family memories.

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  16. a beautiful way to set a table to honor Mothers. Lovely heirloom pieces are the ultimate touch. Love it. Thank you for sharing your sweet blog at the Thursday Favorite Things Blog Hop ♥

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  17. This was a beautiful mothers' day post, Cherry Kay. I truly enjoyed the little bit of history you shared along with the precious table setting. What a beautiful legacy!

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  18. A beautiful table, Cherry Kay. I love all the pastels and your plates are lovely! You have honored all the generations of women in your family. Bravo! Rosie @ The Magic Hutch

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  19. You are getting such great use out of your Bormioli Rocco chargers! I so rarely use mine. I need to remedy that! I have colors I bought that year we picked them up but haven't even used yet!!!

    Weaving elements from the past and the present has yielded a beautiful table, Cherry Kay! And your flowers are really, really pretty! You always have the prettiest flowers!

    I'm all for children growing up learning how to use and care for fine china, etc. You have to start them out young. I don't know that Beatrice Emmaline figures the plates to be anything more than a frisbee at this point in her life, but she'll come to know and appreciate all the finer things.

    Have a fantastic week!

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  20. Beautiful post, CK. Fun to think about the people who dined from those dishes. Yes, so important to pass down the caring for things. It was something ingrained in us. Not so much today, the throw away generation, lol!
    Thanks for joining in the wedding china challenge.

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  21. I inherited my grandmother's occupied japan Mikasa china. 2 years ago several were broken and I have not been able to find replacements. They were in a large box that I had taken over to church for a christmas dinner. My husband opened the back of the SUV and they all slid out onto the concrete, I don't know how all of them weren't broken. I relive that moment of watching them slid out the back and land on the ground and wonder why I didn't follow the prompting to turn the truck around before emptying it. Yikes!

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