Rose Chintz and Baseball Season

This morning is a ball park morning. I got up early, made breakfast, running around the kitchen plating one thing at a time as it was ready: pancakes, cheese eggs, grits, bacon, refills of juice and milk. I sent up children to get dressed, brush teeth, and brush hair. I ran up upstairs to find misplaced cleats. I ran back down to help locate hats and ballbags. I rushed everyone out the door with their dad for pre-game practice, only to realize I had never eaten my breakfast!

So I decided to take a little while to enjoy it since the games don't start for another hour! I made a little breakfast tray, adding the potpourri from my earlier post here.

Until recently, I shied away from a lot of pinks and pastels on the table. But, I have fallen in love with the Rose Chintz pattern by Johnson Bros.  I found four dinner plates at TJ Maxx for 3$ each. Whoo hoo! (I have 24 snack plates, too. You can see them in my daughter's post here. They are a very unusual shape. To die for!) Here I am using the dinner plate with my Fortecrisa pink swirl glass dinner and salad plates. The glass plates are a little smaller, more like the size of a luncheon and a bread and butter, so it's a perfect fit!

Old Master by Towle.

A sterling goblet.

A sterling sherbert with potourri.

And a rose napkin! I will post a tutorial ASAP, but the ballfields are calling!

 All in all, it was really nice to take a breather. Now I have to run to the ball field and cheer on the Cardinals and the Screamers! This is my favorite time of year!

And later that day...

My littlest at bat getting ready to make the first hit of her game, and my middle one at the fence cheering his sister on. I love ball season. :)


Happy Saturday!


-Andrea


Sharing at:
http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/
http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com
http://thetablescaper.blogspot.com/
http://funkyjunkinteriors.blogspot.com
http://thecharmofhome.blogspot.com/
http://thetatteredtag.blogspot.com
http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com
http://romantichome.blogspot.com
http://www.findingfabulousblog.com
http://commonground-debrasvintagedesigns.blogspot.com
http://www.bystephanielynn.com
http://iheartnaptime.blogspot.com
http://thetatteredtag.blogspot.com
http://bargainhuntingwithlaurie.blogspot.com/

http://linda-coastalcharm.blogspot.com/

http://boogieboardcottage.blogspot.com/

http://savvysouthernstyle.blogspot.com/

http://astrollthrulife.blogspot.com

http://www.myuncommonsliceofsuburbia.com

http://allthingzrelated.blogspot.com

http://typeadecorating.blogspot.com

http://linda-coastalcharm.blogspot.com/

http://www.tipjunkie.com

Fifteen-minute Frosted Potpourri Experiment

Click on the pictures for a better resolution. 

Also, click on our sponsors' links! 

Thank you!

I have heard people get roses for Valentine's Day. You might be one of those lucky people. What are you going to do with them as they die? Just throw them out? 

Maybe not this year. Why not try to make your own potpourri? 

Being that I had no handy rose petals lying around, I bought these rose petals at Kroger. There they sat, unused on the shelf after Valentine's. Pitiful. So, being a person who has never made potpourri, I decided to would see if I could do it JUST with what I had around the house. Let me preface this by saying I know that there are better and more professional ways to accomplish this for potpourri aficionados. However, the goal of this post is for those of us who sort-of want to save the flower petals but who aren't going to elaborate expense or effort to do so. :)

There are many websites that tell you how to dry roses or make potpourri in the microwave or just by hanging them somewhere out of the way like your laundry room. They require - or strongly suggest - silica gel, (which I don't happen to have saved from my shoe boxes), or orris root powder, (which I didn't bother trying to buy). Salt was suggested in addition to either to help flowers retain their color.

Search Amazon.com for rose petals

Search Amazon.com for orris root powder

 Also, I had read an article about achieving a glossy look with high-gloss hairspray. I had hairspray, believe it or not. ( I have children who perform on stage - dance, theater, etc.) But, I still didn't have a drying medium other than the microwave alone. It seems the experts think the microwave needs some help. The idea of glossy rose petals made me think of frosted, glittering rose petals. So, thinking about what I had on my shelves, I decided to see what would happen with salt by itself.

Search Amazon.com for salt

I removed the rose petals from the box and placed them in a bowl. I poured salt over them - maybe a third of a cup. I confess. I didn't measure. (That's what makes me a great cook of main dishes and sides and a terrible baker; in baking, measurements MATTER.) Anyway, I threw away the petals that had any obvious brown or dry areas. That turned out to be a good decision. The parts that I missed had to be removed later anyway.

I put my mixture in the microwave, for 30-45 seconds at a time. 

I ended up with something like this after about 4-5 rounds in the microwave. At this point, any brown parts I had missed earlier were pretty obvious as they were mushy. So I removed them. I tossed between each round, separating petals that were stuck together by their own moisture. (This made clear to me why the experts recommend only drying a few at a time and the need for a desiccant.)

At this point, I shook out almost all of the salt and separated the petals onto a paper towel. One more round in the microwave.

Surprisingly, even with the salt, the petals smelled great! But I wanted to add something else. From my reading and available stock of scents laying around the house, I had perfumes and diffuser oils to choose from. I grabbed the nearest one, sprinkling the oil onto the almost-dried rose petals.

I tossed the now fairly brittle petals and shook the salt out in a bag, carefully removing the sparkling petals.

I placed the rose petals in a crystal bowl. They glistened in the soft afternoon light. I never tried the high gloss hairspray, but I bet it would make an especially nice touch around the winter holidays.

Surprisingly, the roses still smell wonderful!  I have let them sit a few days, and they have retained the scent. I doubt they will last months on end, but I could always add more oil or perfume later. 

My little project took about 15 minutes would only cost about a third of a cup of salt and a little diffuser oil - IF you had been given some roses!  :)

- Andrea

Sharing at:

http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/

http://www.simplysweethome.com/

http://www.thegirlcreative.com/

http://breathoffreshair-paperbutterfly.blogspot.com/

http://chiconashoestringdecorating.blogspot.com/

http://jennymatlock.blogspot.com/

http://commonground-debrasvintagedesigns.blogspot.com/

http://romantichome.blogspot.com/

http://savvysouthernstyle.blogspot.com/

http://www.thegirlcreative.com/

http://bargainhuntingwithlaurie.blogspot.com/

http://www.marthasfavorites.com/

http://breathoffreshair-paperbutterfly.blogspot.com/

http://theplumedpen.blogspot.com/

http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/

http://thetablescaper.blogspot.com/

http://thecharmofhome.blogspot.com/

http://ljm-alacarte.blogspot.com/

http://designsbygollum.blogspot.com/

http://boogieboardcottage.blogspot.com/

It's So Very Cheri

Skip to my Lou

Giggles, Glitz, and Glam

Tip Junkie

Today's Creative Blog

Breath of Fresh Air

Crafty Geordi

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! 

Please click on our sponsors, link up below, and leave a comment if you want! 

Please let your readers know you are sharing here, too.

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!

Sharing at:

http://linda-coastalcharm.blogspot.com/

http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/

http://theplumedpen.blogspot.com/

http://breathoffreshair-paperbutterfly.blogspot.com/

http://boogieboardcottage.blogspot.com/

http://www.simplysweethome.com/

http://restoreinteriors.blogspot.com/2011/02/restored-it-wednesday_15.html

http://www.allthingsheartandhome.com/

http://astrollthrulife.blogspot.com/2011/02/52nd-table-top-tuesday-giveaway.html

http://savvysouthernstyle.blogspot.com/

http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/

http://commonground-debrasvintagedesigns.blogspot.com/

http://chiconashoestringdecorating.blogspot.com/

http://jennymatlock.blogspot.com/

http://romantichome.blogspot.com/

http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/

http://bargainhuntingwithlaurie.blogspot.com/

http://www.marthasfavorites.com/

http://thetablescaper.blogspot.com/
http://ljm-alacarte.blogspot.com/
http://thecharmofhome.blogspot.com/
http://dearlittleredhouse.blogspot.com
http://smilingsally.blogspot.com/
http://asoutherndaydreamer.blogspot.com/

It's So Very Cheri

Skip to my Lou

Giggles, Glitz, and Glam

Tip Junkie

Today's Creative Blog

Breath of Fresh Air

Crafty Geordi

And Then There Was One

Search Amazon.com for lenox tuxedo

In seeing that my mom had a designed table for a large group and my daughter for a few, I narrowed down my choices to a setting for two or a setting for one. One won.

While I love, love, love china with elaborate patterns, I also made the choice to register for classic patterns when I was married. Lenox Tuxedo is ivory with a gold-encrusted rim. It can be mixed with hundreds of different Lenox patterns. I still love it. Click on the pictures below to get a larger look at the detail. Beautiful!

Think breakfast in bed, for yourself or someone else! I envisioned French toast, a side of fruit, eggs sunny-side-up, and bacon as well.

 Fresh ground pepper and sea salt would fill the salt cellars.

 I would use the creamer and open sugar (Lismore by Waterford) for syrup and powdered sugar.

Search Amazon.com for valentines day gifts

The napkin ring is a Valentine tree ornament for a Victorian-inspired them. Very pretty!

 A mimosa or fresh juice in the champagne flute and hot chocolate, tea, or coffee on the side.

And now, for a little history!

Tuxedo is celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2012. It was originally known as J33. These ramekins date from before 1920. They were a fantastic eBay find! (I LOVE EBAY!) Ovington Brothers was a specialty store in New York that imported fine housewares, often on commission. I found some really neat articles in the New York Times archives from the late 1800's here and here. This second article was a bit scandalous! There is some interesting family history here as well. And as a side note, can you believe Lenox has never never made a soup tureen in such an enduring pattern? I am hoping they'll celebrate next year by offering one!

-Andrea