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Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Motif Monday Linky Party - 1 - Fleur-de-Lis Times Three

Welcome to our very first Motif Monday Linky Party!
Follow us so you won't miss an invitation!



I am posting a bit early so that you will have time to decide on your table!

(Click on the pictures throughout the blog for better resolution and zoom.)

My motif of the day (really 2/21) is the Fleur-de-Lis. I happen to be a French teacher (among other things) when not tablescaping. The typical Fleur-de-Lis motif is explained here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fleur-de-lis. I have numerous souvenirs from trips abroad and gifts from friends and students that reflect my love of French culture. 

(I should point out that I teach Spanish, too, and my background is really political science and statistics along with language studies and linguistics. And I paint. And do web development. These are my paid jobs, not even my hobbies! So, if you're one of those people who think French teachers only have eyes for France, that's not me! I love it all!) 

The bookend below and the hatbox are two examples of Fleur-de-lis motifs. The hatbox is interesting because each Fleur-de-lis is formed by wheat bundles.  I know the Limoges box doesn't have the motif of the day, but it is my favorite! It reads, "Paris - Atlanta," on the front and back. On the sides it reads, "4386 miles." I love that it has a car on it...never mind the Atlantic Ocean!



The tatted doily was made by my great-grandmother. She passed away when I was seven years old, and I love having some of her treasures.


These are some of my lovely French books I have purchased at various antique shops here and abroad.


The coaster on display is of the gardens at Versailles. The design seems to echo a Fleur-de-lis.




 The sugar and creamer are Lismore.


The silver is Sir Christopher by Wallace. Love the sugar tongs! I bought these when I was expecting Emma, my oldest daughter, who is now in middle school.  She is a co-author on this site - the one obsessed with Audrey Hepburn. See her last post here:  http://tablescapex3.blogspot.com/2011/02/all-audrey-all-time.html

I have to say I started out with more fresh fruit and cheese. I nibbled a little while taking pictures. 

Mmmmmmmm.


The embossed faux leather tray was purchased at The Pottery in Commerce, Georgia many years ago. It was $1.00, I think. Too bad The Pottery closed. Wall-to-wall bargains. I wish I had bought more. 

The chocolate pot is an antique Lenox pattern, P72. Most of P72 was made for Tiffany & Co., Ovington Bros., etc. This piece and the 12 snack plate and cup sets I have in this pattern were an UNBELIEVABLE deal I found on eBay. These pieces date from 1917. The cobalt is stunning.



The detail on the early Lenox is fabulous!



The antique cotton napkins were passed down in the family, are hand-embroidered, and are at least 70 years old.


This table would make for a nice afternoon coffee, tea, or chocolat chaud (hot chocolate) gathering for three. 


The weather is actually perfect in Georgia this time of year for an afternoon on the porch. Looking and nibbling at this table, I realized that I need to head to Panera for some croissants. Of course if we added croissants, we would not leave out Nutella! My children adore it! I keep a stock of it in the pantry. Even though Nutella is Italian, it is a very popular item for breakfast or snack time in France. The history of Nutella can be found here: http://www.nutellausa.com/history.htm


A beautiful February day - 67 degrees at 5:00pm!


Caught my younger two children playing outside while working on the table.


And they caught me!



Speaking of being caught, Ava (conveniently wearing a Paris shirt) caught a lizard. Older brother Carson smiles proudly at her success.


Thanks for stopping by! 
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http://tablescapex3.blogspot.com

Blessings,
Andrea









What motifs do you like?  We look forward to your sharing!






If you want to host a party on your blog, InLinkz is fantastic! You can read about them at their link above. Click on the links below to visit our online friends!


16 comments:

  1. Very pretty! I love your grandmother's tatted doily!

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  2. Beautiful! What a great find on eBay!

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  3. What a fabulous post. So many pretty things. Love the cobalt blue and the gold. Your china is stunning. Great find. Thanks so much for joining TTT. Hugs, Marty

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  4. Oh my, your Lennox is gorgeous, I love the tea cups and saucers, as well as your tea pot. The sugar tongs are amazing as well.
    Hugs,
    Terri

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  5. Your dishes are gorgeous and your silver is just beautiful! Thanks for sharing this at Feathered Nest Friday! :)

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  6. Beautiful post. thank you for linking it to Favorite Things. laurie

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  7. Your Tiffany chocolate/coffee pot is gorgeous! What a beautiful table you have set out. I like the idea of a motif party. Let me think about it and I might get back on tonight with a post. I not too excited about my post for tomorrow so, I would rather do something else. Thanks for linking up! It is nice to meet you.
    Sherry

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  8. I have become a big fan of eBay and finding sets of dishes...often nearly complete. I have been able to fill in odds and ends when they weren't complete. I search by something like "set of china" or "dinner plate set." I sort into pottery and glass and arrange by highest first, working my way down. It seems easier to me than arranging by lowest first because I only find a set of two or three things together. It takes me forever to move all of the pages forward to get into the real sets. If I start from the highest priced and work my way down, it doesn't take long to move into the 60+ or 70+ piece sets for $100-$200 dollars. I also really like the "best offer" opportunities. I have gotten a few steals from those. For my home, I like to have at least 6 place settings because I have a family of 5. Four would never do me any good! I really appreciate all of the comments! Thank you so much for dropping by!

    Blessings,
    Andrea

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  9. This sounds like fun. I'm going to watch this first party to get a better idea of what you are expecting. Then I'll join in.
    I LOVE YOUR LENOX.

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  10. Just happen to score a great motif at TJ Maxx today! So glad to join you. Thanks for hosting.
    Sherry

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  11. We seem to be drawn to the fleur de lis at our house, too...my daughter was a Kappa. Your Lenox is absolutely magnificent, and I adore the vignette that you created. Thank you for sharing your lovely design. Cherry Kay

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  12. Ahhh, I love the Fleur-de-Lis. It is our city's symbol. Louisville was named after King Louis of France. I also love, love, love anything French. Paris is one of my favorite cities in the whole world. In fact I have some french limoge boxes featured in my collage today on my blog. I would love to link up, if you think my post today goes along w/ your theme.
    xo,
    Sena

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  13. I love your tea ware and table setting. Your kids look they were having a good time too~ Have a lovely week. ~Theresa(popping in from my Sew Crafty blog)*AA tea party

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  14. What beautiful style your whole family has!

    It'll be fun to see how your children interpret this creativity when they get older...and they are, btw, absolutely gorgeous children!

    I also enjoyed seeing your woods. Looks like a charming view to enjoy from a charming table.

    Thanks for linking to Alphabe-Thursday.

    This was superb.

    A+

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