My summer oasis...

This is where I head to relax and regroup...

It's my favorite place to hang out for a while on good days. It's an absolute necessity on bad days.

The weather has been nothing short of spectacular lately. Maybe a tad on the chilly side, but you'll hear no complaints from me.

While picking up clothes at my father's house the other day to bring to the nursing home, I noticed that a bush my mom planted next to the house many years ago was in full bloom.

I snipped a few branches and when I got them home I placed them in a vase out on the patio table.

I'm grasping for anything tangible these days...Things connected to my mother... And still searching my heart and soul, and listening for answers to oh-so-many questions...

Clearly someone was listening and sent a sweet little hummingbird my way to bring a smile to my lips.

Times may be tough, but life is good. Thank you all, so very much, for your heartfelt comments and messages. You have no idea how much they mean to me.

I'm linking to Cindy at My Romantic Home's Show & Tell Friday. Be sure to stop by and visit her!

Donna

A time honored tradition continues...

This is my first time posting a 'tablescape,' so I hope I'm doing it right - Thank you, Susan!

This year, the arrival of spring inspired the table setting for our annual St. Patrick's Day dinner...
(click any photos to enlarge)

... with garden statuary birds and a vintage, cottage-styled tablecloth...

...of pink and white flowers scattered across a cheerful blue background.

But the real star of every St. Patrick's day dinner is Nana's china...

I always assumed my Nana had purchased this china (Marx & Gutherz Carlsbad #1446 Austria, circa 1885-1898), as it had been passed down from her to my Mom, and then on to me. But after researching this pattern and seeing the manufacture dates, I'm now wondering if my great-grandmother originally purchased it and started the tradition of passing it on to the next generation (my Nana would have been just a baby in the late 1800s!)...

The one thing I am certain of is that these dishes have been part of every St. Patrick's Day (and many other celebrations!) on the Irish side of my family for a minimum of 90 years, but more than likely well over 100 years ...

The curves and lines of the serving dishes are so beautiful, as are the delicate pink and blue flowers in the pattern... I definitely think my Nana (or great-Nana) had excellent taste when it came to picking a timeless china pattern!

Now this may not be as pretty as the china, but for a St. Patrick's day dinner it's every bit as important! I took possession of my mom's large cooking pot after she passed away. Every New England boiled dinner I remember her serving was simmered in this pot. So the tradition continues...

... a St. Patrick's day dinner of corned beef, cabbage, potatoes, carrots, and onions.

This year the meat was so tender, it just pulled apart...

These beautiful serving pieces really make the food look so good!!

Thank you for letting me share our St. Patrick's day dinner and table setting with you. We're usually pretty casual around here at dinner time, so I don't often have anything to share on Tablescape Thursday!

After dinner, the cleanup begins. Naturally all of Nana's china is carefully handwashed and dried; and then it's back to the hutch until our next celebration!!

I have a favorite photo of my Nana as a young woman hanging between two of her plates above the hutch. I think she'd love that very special memories are still being made around the dinner table set with her china!

Now I'm heading over to Susan's beautiful blog, Between Naps on the Porch, to visit all the other Tablescape Thursday blog posts! I hope you'll join me!

Donna

Vintage Robin's Egg Blue...

This is by far my favorite vintage tablecloth...

It has the softest robin's egg blue background...

...and the most luscious peachy-pink roses...

If you're like me and can't get enough of beautiful blue, be sure to stop by Smiling Sally for more Blue Monday blogposts!!

Donna

Guilty pleasures....

There is nothing more relaxing than a balmy summer evening, sitting out on the deck and flipping through my latest magazines...


Last night at Target I picked up the latest issues of Romantic Country, Romantic Homes, and Garden Gate (as well as some AA batteries and cat food, but they're not as pretty to photograph or as interesting to write about!)...


I spread one of my old vintage tablecloths over the patio table, put my sweet basil (for the smell) and impatiens (for the color) on the center of the table...


...and made a cup of iced coffee in one of my favorite oversized mugs.... Now it's time to sit down and pore over these inspiring magazines. So relaxing... So simple... such guilty (not!) pleasures...

Donna

Tablecloths...

"Spring has returned. The Earth is like a child that knows poems." ~ Rainer Maria Rilke

It was another warm day here in New England... a day for using tablecloths that celebrate the arrival of spring! Many of us in the colder climates get giddy with excitement at days like this... that delightful period between the harsh blast of winter and the stick-to-the-sheets humidity of summer. For me, spring is pure bliss.

A while back I shared my mini-collection of vintage wastebaskets. I also have a small collection of tablecloths (vintage is a plus, but any pretty floral tablecloth is sure to catch my eye). From time to time, I'll share photos of some of my favorites, like this one with garlands of pink roses and daisies on a robin's egg blue background.

Wishing you all a blissful spring day...

Donna