Antique Glass Club Spring Luncheon, Part 2, May, 2018

This week I'm continuing to share a few more of the lovely tables from the Antique Glass Club Spring Luncheon. I had to move quickly to capture as many of the tables as possible before the approximately 350 guests began to be seated. Also, I enjoyed playing with my new Sigma 35 mm Art Series lens made for Nikon. I still have a lot to learn about this lens, as some of my pics will testify. I hope that you will enjoy them, even in the hands of this amateur. Text will still be fairly minimal. Here we go...

This centerpiece was luscious. I loved the arch crafted of grapes and florals. The colored crystal posey vases were delightful.

Schuman Empress Dresden Flowers needs no introduction.


The reticulated charger and the layered napkins added texture to the design.


Tissue paper was cleverly used to craft the centerpiece for this tablescape.


I want to say this is a Herend pattern, but I shall willingly stand corrected if one of  you knows more about this dainty pattern than I.


Okay all you napkin ring collectors. This rose napkin ring was so impressive. I wish I had been able to inquire about current availability. The soft green goblet was the perfect color.


A second table laid with the Schuman Empress Dresden Flowers appeared a bit more regal because of the gold glass charger plate. Placed around the floral centerpiece...party favors became part of the design.


My picture of the floral design shows the colors more accurately here. Photography involves a steep learning curve for me.


The designer of this table mixed and matched with two classic china patterns. Another beautiful floral centerpiece graced the middle of table.  I wonder what this table would become with colored crystal goblets?




Mottahedeh Blue Canton is one of my favorite patterns. I really liked the cobalt tumblers. I wondered if the B&O Railroad mugs were party favors for the guests?


The train centerpiece might be a delightful centerpiece for a Father's Day table.


I hope that you are able to discern how beautiful this table is...


...despite my photography shortcomings. The exotic bird dinner plates were magnificent. The hostess for this table made the tablecloth and all of the placemats and napkins. They were meticulously constructed. I was agog!


This was definitely one of my favorited tables.


The Fitz and Floyd turkey tureen was the perfect centerpiece. Notice how the aqua accents in the turkey...


are perfect with the turkey plates and the handpainted cups and saucers. The terra cotta under plate was the spot on contrasting color for this table.  The wooden acorns of assorted sizes were hand made by the hostess' son. The cups had belonged to her grandmother. I'm not normally a huge fan of turkey plates, but if God looked kindly on coveting, I would be first in line. They are magnificent!

That's enough for this week. I'll share some additional tables next week.

Remember to leave a comment to be entered in my 8th Blogiversary Give Away of a set of 12 Pottery Barn Sophia dinner plates and salad plates! The winner will be announced the week of July 7!

This week I'm joining:

Inspire Me Tuesday with Marty @ A Stroll Through Life

Tablescape Thursday with Susan @ Between Naps on the Porch.

Dishing It and Digging It with Vanessa @ DIY Designs

Cast Iron Friends Birthday Party, February, 2018

A week or so before Guyanne's birthday party, I was blessed to host a birthday celebration for Becky, another vital link in my circle of lifetime friends. Like so many of us, Becky was the bride of a Vietnam soldier, a pilot, and she owns an amazing story from that era. Bill was stationed in Thailand during the war, and, she was allowed to travel to  live with him. But of course, there was the proverbial catch.  Shortly after they found their home and established their household, Bill received a new set of orders sending him to be stationed in Vietnam. Now they were not living on a base, at this time, so Becky found herself, at all of twenty - four years old, living on her own in a strange, to her, Asian country. She found a job teaching English to Thai employees who worked for the Air Force. Talk about the heart of an adventurer! She Rah lives.  Becky was there alone for ten months before returning to the United States. During her time there, she became quite fond of Asian art and design. As a nod to Becky's Great Adventure and very difficult year, I chose to design her birthday table with an Oriental focus.  Might you be wondering why such a luncheon would include cast iron? Well...that's another part of the party plan. The guests were told to dress comfy and casual on this cold winter day. We're dining in the breakfast room.  Come on in and join us...

My guests were greeted by the Ladies of the Court, antique figurines acquired at an estate sale.  Although there were additional plates during our meal, I can never bear to cover up...

...my Aunt Ida's antique Imari chargers.  She bought them while she was stationed as a WAC major, intelligence officer, in post-war Tokyo at the end of World War II.  They were antiques when she acquired them in 1946, and I am their shepherd for my generation.  It is always a treat to share them with friends for smaller occasions; I only have six of the plates. I continually search for more...maybe some day.

Other pieces which were pressed into service for our celebration included...

The Royal Copenhagen Gold Fan dinner plate,

and the Gorham Royal Regalia Teal salad plate, (Part of a service that a friend asked me to take. It was her daughter's wedding china, and the young lady decided that she wasn't ever going to use it.  My friend was downsizing.) ...

...were joined by the pair of Venetian Gold Flecked goblets. 

 

A quartet of plump turquoise vases held mixed bouquets...

... and joined the foursome of antique Ladies of the Court to surround a brass Oriental Incense Burner for today's centerpiece. 

Wait just a minute!  What in the world does Cast Iron have to do with this whole shindig? Well, okay...

Becky, Guyanne, and I love to lunch at a local restaurant that features an amazing individual chicken pot pie, served in a cast iron skillet. It's so good, it's necessary to call and reserve one because the pies sell out so quickly!  Guyanne and I met with the owner of the restaurant, and she kindly agreed to prepare the pot pies for our luncheon.  We also gave Becky her own set of cast iron skillets as a birthday gift!  It was all great...especially the pot pies. We're planning lunch at Becky's soon. She's preparing Chicken Pot Pies in her new mini skillets.

Pot pies, green salad, Mimosas, and birthday cake made a well-received menu.  We didn't leave the table until everyone had to get home to put dinner on their own tables.  It was a comfy and loving celebration for a precious friend.

Precious friends, shared histories and stories, a no-brainer menu, making new birthday memories as we grow older together...What are you waiting for? There are celebrations to commemorate!  Don't waste another minute.  At the end of the day, you'll be really tired and completely content!  Call your friends!  And if you're passing my way out here on the prairie, give me a call, and I'll create a table just for you. I'd love for you to be a part of my history, and I'd love to be a part of yours. We have stories to share!

This week I'm joining:

Inspire Me Tuesday with Marty @ A Stroll Through Life

Dishing It and Digging It with Life and Linda

Tablescape Thursday with Susan @ Between Naps on the Porch.

  

The Five O'Clock Tea Club Tablecloth, 4.9.18

 In the 20's, 30's, 40's, and 50's our Nana belonged to The Five O'Clock Tea Club with many of her friends, all of them wives of highly successful leaders in our city.  After decades of wonderful times with the other club ladies, the 60's had rolled around, and Nana was probably one of the last living members.  As a result, I'm guessing that she was the club member left in charge of the Five O'Clock Tea Club tablecloth.  Last week I was blessed to  share a selection of my collection of china, silver, and antique linens with The Oklahoma Art League for their April Guest Day Meeting.  One of those items was the Five O'Clock Tea Club's tablecloth.  Once again, it found its way to the center of a lovely ladies' tea. I'll primarily let you get a look at our tea table and the centerpiece for the group of about 80 ladies.  Come on in and join us...
  

For the third time in less than 30 days, tulips are the flowers of choice.  By now you're familiar with the Accent Decor tulipiere.  The flowers were arranged at my house three days prior to the meeting.  They were in full bloom this day.  I chose the colors for a painterly effect.  I kept thinking of a painter's palette covered with dabs of color.  

 The Herend Queen Victoria tureen was a unanimous choice by the hospitality committee.  It's also making a third appearance this month; it's hard to get tired of this lovely dame.  Teapots here include Wedgwood, Coalport, Royal Albert, Bernardaud Limoges, and a darling pink stoneware teapot.

When I go to estate sales, I frequently add to my collection of oriental wooden stands.  Today some of them combined to charming effect as we elevated each of the elements in our centerpiece. 

Nana's pair of silver pedestal shells were just right for the lemon curd, which accompanied cranberry-orange scones.  You can't have a tea without scones, right?!

It seems rare that anyone takes coffee or tea after a meal anymore, so it was really fun to pull out an assortment of teacups for the ladies to sup their tea.  We served a French Caramel Crème Brûlée tea by Teaoli. Find it if you can.  So delicious!  This is another of Nana's cutwork linen cloths.  Teacups included Lenox Beltane, Castleton Laurel, Royal Copenhagen God Fan. and Coalport Countryware. Replacements were waiting in the kitchen.  Tea was served from a pair of Silver Urns at either end of the table.

 Here's a pretty good look at the tea club's tablecloth.  It's about 100 years old now.  It's over 200" long, and I had to create a pair of folds to reduce the length for today's table.

 Teapots included Russian china, Meissen Blue Onion, Bernadaud Limoges Artois, and a Mad Hatter teapot that KC brought me from one of her trips to Australia.  The empty spots on both sides of the table would soon be filled with silver trays laden with a fresh assortment of tiny tea sandwiches, cucumber sandwiches were mandatory, of course!

 Lace cookies with milk chocolate filling, Macarones, and the Cranberry Orange Scones waited to be uncovered.  The tea party was enjoyed after the group's business meeting and program.

 I pulled several patterns of luncheon plates for the ladies as they selected their goodies.  Here, the Schumann Empress Dresden Flowers reticulated plate.

 Coalport Sèvres Group luncheon plates.

It was indeed a job for our committee to pull, pack, transport, unload, layout each item for our tea, clear, wash and dry, and then repeat the process to return everything home, but it was so worth the time and effort.  The happy faces of our guests, the enthusiastic conversations that permeated the fellowship hall, the pronounced lack of leftovers...all of these were more than enough to make me willing to do it again the next time the occasion presents itself.  The next time you have the opportunity to share your lovely things with one of your organizations, go for it!  You'll be tired, of course, but there will be no denying the contented smile on your face.

This week I'm joining:

Tablescape Thursday with Susan @ Between Naps on the Porch

Inspire Me Tuesday with Marty @ A Stroll Through Life

Life and Linda @ Dishing It and Digging It Blog Party

Garden Friends Birthday Luncheon, 11.15.17

Well, I'm not quite sure how to explain my long, long absence from blog world.  All I know is that since my lung surgery, I've felt better than I've felt in decades.  I've been able to do more things than I've done in years, and I've just been so doggone busy, I haven't had extra time to work on my blog.  I appreciate that you are willing to stop by for a visit again and check out what's happening on the tables at Entertaining Women.  I'm so glad you are here!


Today the Garden Friends Bible study met for the last time before Thanksgiving.  It was a perfect opportunity to celebrate Sheila's birthday with a luncheon.  I've set a table for 8 in the dining room.  Come on in...


Lately, I've been indulging my passion for blue and white.  Today's table is chocked full of a variety of blues and white with gentle touches of Autumn. Makes me smile.  The birthday girl requested my homemade chicken noodle soup for lunch today.  It was pretty much a gray old day, and hot soup and cornbread muffins filled the bill perfectly.  We finished off our simple menu with Italian Cream Cake. Can you ever go wrong with comfort food?  I think not!


I just wasn't in a mood for a tablecloth today, but our dear Nana's antique ecru tape lace placemats and runners seemed to be calling to me.  The older runners are not as long as more modern offerings, so I layered three of these magnificent old pieces to cover the entire length of the table.  Fittingly this old lace design features acorns!  How perfect is that!




Nana's antique Madeira napkins with a floral design stitched in ecru were caught in silver reticulated napkin rings.

 The Mottahedeh Blue Lace Charger provided the foundation for today's place setting.  I adore this pattern.  It continues to be the plate that guests "want to take home".


Making its premier appearance, the Royal Copenhagen Blue Fluted Half Lace is one of the newer denizens in my "China Town".


The antique Meissen Blue Onion was eventually edited from the opening act of the production.  I just couldn't bear to cover up the Royal Copenhagen.  The dinner plate deserved to stand centerstage on its own.  The Meissen did make an appearance later,  during the dessert course.

 The Waterford Simply Blue and the Tiffin Elyse were superb in the ensemble cast.  I' found my collections of each on eBay and Replacements.com.


Appearing as extras were the Reed & Barton Grande Renaissance flatware, my wedding sterling.  I use it more than my other patterns mainly because it's stored close at hand, and that's the truth.  That and I still really like it.  If I were registering today, I would still choose Grande Renaissance.


Every production needs an eye catching backdrop.  Today's centerpiece is concocted with an assortment of blue and white appointments and a variety of autumn touches.

The tureen is from Andrea by Sadek.  It was an eBay find.

The pair of bell candlesticks are Mottahedeh Blue Canton.  They definitely make a statement, and I am a little bit in love with them.  They fascinate me.

I recently found the smaller pair of Mottahedeh candlesticks at a local estate sale.

The pair of blue and white lidded jars are from Hobby Lobby.  The wooden acorns and sleeping foxes were found at a local antique shop.

Knitting all the elements in the centerpiece together, several Hobby Lobby garlands of autumn leaves meander down the table in a serpentine fashion. 

Let the festivities commence!  My precious friends would be arriving shortly.  Thank you for stopping by for a visit.  I'd be thrilled to pull up an extra chair and add another place setting just for you.  Well, a girl can always dream...Someday...if you happen to find yourself out here on the prairie... give me a call and plan to come for a meal.  We'll visit for hours!

This week I'm joining:

Inspire Me Tuesday with Marty @ A Stroll Through Life

Tablescape Thursday with Susan @ Between Naps on the Porch

It's a Party @ DIY By Design

The Scoop with Yvonne @ Stone Gable