Tales of the Traveling Tote, Episode #31, 6.1.22

The Tales of the Traveling Totes is a quarterly link party that chronicles the travels and activities of ten women who live all across the United States. Our purpose is to learn how much of the world can 10 average women, carrying the same MacKenzie-Childs Courtly Check Tote, see. You can read tales about our adventures on March 1st, June 1st, September 1, and December 1st. I am thrilled to participate with this amazing group of women. At the end of my post, you'll find links to join the other toters and read what they've been doing this quarter.

The first quarter of 2022, has found  Miss Carrie Ann Hall and me right here at home, yet again, for the entire quarter. I figure if I can't travel, I can certainly take the opportunity to invite as many of my friends as possible to gather around my tables and share good food, great fun, and cherished fellowship. I've saved a chair for you at each of my luncheons. I've continued to entertain many friends over the past quarter. Tonight I want to share a selection of tablescapes that celebrate friends and family. Come on in; the party is about to get started...

It was such fun to welcome Spring once again! An early April birthday luncheon found me reaching for the blue and white gingham cloth that I made many years ago. Elements for the table included: Mottahedeh Blue Lace charger, Coalport Leighton Sprays dinner plate, Reed and Barton Grande Renaissance Silver, Waterford Simply Pink goblet, and Murano pink wine. The centerpiece included Baccarat Butterflies, clear glass urns for flowers, and the Herend Queen Victoria urn.  

A pre-Easter luncheon for the Garden Friends brought wonderful fellowship and lots of laughter.  The place setting included Shrike cobalt charger, Royal Crown Derby Regency dinner plate, Royal Worcester Regency accent plate, and the Reed & Barton Grande Renaissance silverware. The centerpiece gave me a good opportunity to pull out the hand painted cobalt Easter eggs that I painted long ago. I added some more hand painted chinoiserie eggs found on Etsy. I placed them in the Hartley Greens Leeds creamware egg cups. Finishing the centerpiece were a pair of Coalport antique cobalt urns and the Booths Real Old Willow.  

A white matelasse cloth acted as the base for the dining room Easter tablescape. I pulled the Royal  Doulton Old Chelsea dinner plate and placed it on the Cornflower Blue Mottahedeh Lace Charger plate. The Grande Renaissance silver got a good workout this Spring. The Waterford Pink Goblet and the Baccarat Provence finished the place setting.  The centerpiece was composed with a selection of the Fitz & Floyd Old World Bunnies. I adore that wheelbarrow! 

I couldn't resist setting a second table on the back porch. I had a blast mixing and matching  the MacKenzie-Childs Butterfly charger, Royal Check dinner plate and the Flower Market accent plate. Also used the L'Argent Sophia blue flatware and two LaStelle goblets in two shades of pink and lavender. The painted eggs made a second appearance in the centerpiece, and I adored the opportunity to work  with MacKenzie-Childs Royal Check bunnies. The Royal Check casserole worked perfectly as a tureen, along with the Royal Check topiaries. Blue, gold lined, rose bowls were found in a local floral shop. I gave the grandbabes the choice of which table would be used for our Easter luncheon. I felt quite confident that they would choose the back porch. And of course, they chose the dining room table. 

The last week of May, the Garden Friends gathered for their last Bible study lesson and  luncheon until next Autumn. Don't worry, we'll gather several times for lunches throughout Summer. The Mottahedeh Blue Lace Charger, the Coalport Leighton Sprays dinner plates, Grande Renaissance, the Cobalt Louis XV goblet and the pink Murano are back for a second curtain call. The centerpiece features an old tureen from Japan that is so much fun. It looks like it could have been an inspiration for the MacKenzie-Childs creators. It's new to my collection of tureens, and I think it's going to see a lot of action on MacKenzie-Childs tablescapes to come. Also included in the centerpiece: Fenton Pink Hurricanes, white porcelain love birds jardinieres, and Beatriz Ball of New Orleans pink swirled glass candlesticks. The candlesticks come in three sizes and are sold by the pair. They are actually pretty reasonable. They are also available in blue and are currently in production.

There are several "new kids in town," china town, that is. I had so much fun setting a table on the porch using MacKenzie-Childs' new goodies. My antique club was coming for the Spring Luncheon.  Everyone brought a piece of their wedding china and shared the story of how they came to have it. There were some priceless stories! The place setting: Mottahedeh Blue Lace charger plate, Mackenzie-Childs Sterling enamelware dinner plate, Royal Check "Garden Gates" Canapé plates, Bamboo flatware, Vietri Smoke goblet, and Dollar Tree blue goblet by Libby. The blue rose bowls were back again for the centerpiece along with a quartet of the Mottahedeh Canton bell bottom candlesticks, the MacKenzie-Childs Royal Check topiaries, and the Sterling "Everything Bowl," filled with fresh flowers surrounded by White peaches cloaked in their gorgeous red skins. I actually set a second table for the Antique Club...  

The second table pretty much needs no introduction. You've encountered most of the pieces on this table. The flowers were still fresh from my last luncheon, and I decided to go with the flow.  I think the only new addition to the design is the Mottahedeh Tobacco Leaf dinner plate. This is one of my very favorite patterns in all of china town. It continually makes me very happy. 

And so my third quarter travels ( to china town and back, over and over and over again) comes to an end. We are planning a trip to Colorado this summer, and I look forward to sharing the sights with you. My trusty camera and I are going to have a great time! We had to cancel an earlier trip to Florida because our hosts came down with that blasted Covid. Thank you for coming by for a visit. Please, leave me a comment. It's so wonderful to meet each of you! Please, plan to join "The Tales of the Traveling Totes next time. Remember to visit the other hostesses to see what they've been doing this quarter. You'll find links to their websites below. Also be sure to visit our hostess and leave a comment to be entered for our giveaway for this quarter...a marvelous set of MacKenzie-Childs Parchment coasters!

Emily with Miss Courtney Childs@ The French Hutch

 Debbie with Miss Aurora @ Mountain Breaths 

*** Patti with Miss Kenzie @ Pandora's Box

Jenna with Miss Coquille @The Painted Apron

Linda P with Miss Lola @ Life and Linda

Rita with Miss Luna C @ Panoply

Sarah with Miss Merri Mac @ Hyacinths for the Soul

Jackie and Miss Madi K @ Purple Chocolat Home

Cherry Kay and Miss Carrie Ann Hall  @EntertainingWomen

Birthday Party for a Lifetime Friend, January, 2018

"The best laid schemes o' mice an' men/Gang aft a-gley."  "To a Mouse", by Robert Burns

We are probably more familiar with "The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry. Either way, it certainly speaks to my January and February. My early January was primarily consumed with deconstructing Christmas decorations. As soon as the task was accomplished, I was blessed to host a birthday party for my friend Becky. Following closely was my friend Guyanne's birthday luncheon at the end of January. I was on the proverbial roll. Then came February. First Sweet Mister fell prey to the flu. Threes days later, I succumbed to Flu Type A. We were both down for the count for more than two weeks. Except for a lingering cough, we both eventually came through to the other side just in time for a long planned and eagerly anticipated trip to Phoenix with dear friends. And here we are waiting for March to come in like a lion. I finally have the pics edited from Guyanne's birthday luncheon, and I'm excited to share some of them with you. Today I set a table for eight in the dining room. Come on in and join the party...

Guyanne, Becky, and I met each other in the first grade.  That's right, we we've been friends since we were six years old!  After we graduated from university, our lives all went in different directions, and we pretty much only saw each other at the high school reunions, every five to ten years.  Eventually, everyone was back on the prairie, and after our children were grown and had families of their own, we found each other once again.  Reconnecting with these lifetime friends has been one of the true joys of my life.  Along the way, we've found a number of our childhood friends, and I count each of them as one of the treasures that God has placed in my life.

I am blessed to open my doors and invite these dear friend to gather around my table.  It is a privilege to create a setting for their pleasure. The Christmas reds and greens have been carefully packed away, and I was more than ready to pull out some feminine colors.

The antique ivory runner, placemats, and napkins were a fortunate estate sale find.  They provided the perfect frame for the Mottahedeh Cornflower Blue charger plate.  It's just the right filet for...

...the Mottahedeh Tobacco Leaf dinner plate.  I've only recently begun to collect this wonderful pattern, and I am completely mesmerized by the design.  This day I paired it

 with my wedding silver, Reed & Barton Grande Renaissance.  Forty-nine years later, I would choose it again. Now on to a few of the details...

Waterford Simply Blue and La Stelle of Italy hot pink wine goblet...

What's not to like?!  Sheer whimsy.

Entertaining tip:  I adore the antique napkin that matches the placemat, but they are becoming fairly fragile.  I think they are no longer sturdy enough to be used, so I layered them with a stronger Madeira linen napkin for my guests.

The tiny Glass Act salt and peppers come in a number of assorted designs.  I love mixing the designs for the whimsy they provide. Go to Glassactusa.com, and you can shop to your heart's desire.

This was a sure fire way to bring color to a dreary winter day.  On to the centerpiece...


I've always been fascinated by the Herend tureens. There is a story that goes with how I acquired this one, but I'll save it for another day.


The florals, insects, and butterflies in the Herend Queen Victoria tureen work so well with the elements in the Tobacco Leaf china.






Six petite bouquets from Whole Foods were simply snipped and placed in the small urns, which at one time held Le Seda France candles.  After the luncheon, I gave the flowers to my guests to take home.

Silver birds scattered among the bouquets and the Val St. Lambert crystal candlesticks completed the elements for the centerpiece. Oh, the green accents in the chandelier were left over from Christmas.  I didn't realize they were still there until I started taking pictures.  I decided to leave them in place because I didn't want to scatter green glitter all over the plates and table.  Hardly appetizing!  




A touch of spring for a winter day.


Although my tablescape designs are always a surprise for my guests, I must confess that I tend to turn, time and again, to menus that I know will be well received.  I rotate my menus according to the guest lists. One Christmas I served the same menu six times...same menu, different audience each time.  I want my offerings to be delicious for my guests and easy for me.  A simple salad, a yummy casserole, delicious hot bread, and a dessert so good it can't be refused...that's my equation for a good meal most of the time, and I'm sticking to it. Also, if my guest list exceeds 15, I normally cater the meal and hire helpers to serve and clean up.

  
Everything was spit spot, and my guests would be arriving soon for the birthday celebration.

It was a delightful way to spend an afternoon with cherished friends.  Have you invited friends over for lunch lately?  Think about it, please.  Set a pretty table, and plan a meal.  Even if you serve PBJ, tuna fish sandwiches, or take-out, put it on your pretty dishes.  Your guests will feel special, and you'll have a wonderful time, too.  Let the party begin!

This week I'm joining:

Tablescape Thursday with Susan @ Between Naps on the Porch

Linda @ Life & Linda for Dishing It and Digging It