Happy Flag Day with Betsy Ross!

Today is Flag Day and a great time to have a tea party with the famed flag maker, Betsy Ross! Of course, being a good patriot, Betsy prefers Liberty Tea, and herbal blend, since the tax on proper tea was one of the triggers for independence. 

On my tea table, I have my vintage Madame Alexander Betsy Ross doll dressed in Red, White, and Blue and holding a scrap of red and white striped fabric. She is surrounded by a porcelain box in the shape of flag she and George Washington are said to have created and a porcelain box Liberty Bell.

I have my Spode Pink Tower tea pot ready for the Liberty Tea with a Spode Blue Italian Sugar Bowl and a Spode Blue Room creamer. The tea cups are Royal Staffordshire American Heritage and show George Washington at Mount Vernon.

I added some flag pennants and some flag-inspired napkins with gold napkin rings to complete the table.

Happy Flag Day!!!

I will be sharing this with Between Naps on the Porch.

Happy 90th Birthday, Queen Elizabeth II !

I had a really busy week, but I couldn't let such a mementos occasion pass uncelebrated!

On the occasion of Queen Elizabeth's 90th birthday, I realized that I had bought some napkins at Sur La Table a while back. Of course, I have Spode china in the appropriate colors of the British flag, so I had a celebratory tea in honor of Her Majesty! Here is a little vignette featuring Spode Pink Tower and Spode Blue Italian china.

Happy Royal Anniversary!

In honor of The Duke and Duchess of  Cambridge's 3rd Anniversary, I am sharing the table my daughter Emily and I did in honor of their wedding. I will be sharing it on Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday.



Since we couldn't find a sapphire blue tablecloth, we started with a white tablecloth and used blue fabric to make a runner. Then we added red and white ribbons to form a Union Jack design. For the centerpiece, we pulled out the "crown jewels" and put them in an apothecary jar which we topped with a tiara.





Then we surrounded the jar with various British and Royal Wedding symbols.







For each place setting, we used a red place mat with a golden charger topped with a Spode Blue Italian (which is really very British) dinner plate. I used Oneida Wordsworth flatware and three different types of stemware.





On each white napkin with a gold napkin ring, I put a Royal Wedding pin. There are several different styles.











Here is the whole table.







Happy Anniversary William and Kate!

Spode Blue Italian

When I started blogging in 2009, I didn't have any blue and white china. I drooled over my blogging friends blue and white dishes for a year until I couldn't stand it! For my birthday in 2010, I started collecting Spode Blue Italian.

The Italian Pattern was introduced by Spode in 1816 and was an immediate success. It has remained popular for almost 200 years! The scene in the middle is a bit of a mystery, but it definitely has classical origins. The border has a Chinese influence.

I found a wonderful offer for 4 dinner plates, 4 salad plates and 4 mugs when I started this pattern. 

Then I started getting bowls next.

I want to get the tea cups and saucers next - and of course the tea pot!

I love the historical look and the easy care/microwave-safe properties!

I've combined this with my Spode Tower Pink for a Patriotic Look HERE.

And it got the ROYAL (wedding) treatment HERE.

And it even looks good in autumn HERE!

I will be joining Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch. 

November Blue Time Two

I loved this table from last year and wanted to share it with you again! As usual I will be linking to Susan at Between Naps on the Porch. Thanks to her for hosting this blog party every week!

"November shadows, shade November change
  November spells sweet memory, the season blue remains"
The Avett Brothers "November Blue"


I was interested in doing a Thanksgiving table without using the usual Thanksgiving colors and china. I thought blue would make a pretty table especially with orange as a complementary color. I felt very original until one of my favorite Avett Brothers songs "November Blue" started playing. I think I was subliminally influenced by their music! So I decided to name the tablescape after their song.
 Here's the table:







I started with a warm white tablecloth and used copper colored chargers. I then used Spode Blue Italian Dinner and side plates. On top of the dinner plates I used pumpkin salad plates from Walmart (last year's clearance).




I used my Colonial Shell stainless and Pewter goblets finished off with orange napkins with a copper colored leaf napkin ring.








For my centerpiece I used a blue and white china compote topped with a ceramic orange pumpkin.








I added some orange berries and smaller pumpkins too and pumpkin place card holders in both orange and white.





So here is my November Blue tablescape!








Watching on the mantle are two pairs of Pilgrims.











And over to the side is my antique wicker tea cart with a cornucopia tea set and pumpkin mugs.





I hope you enjoyed my November Blue table and that it inspires you to try different colors for the holidays!

The Royal Wedding

In anticipation of the Royal Wedding, my daughter and I created a tablescape which I will be linking to Tea Time Tuesday and Tablescape Thursday.



Since we couldn't find a sapphire blue tablecloth, we started with a white tablecloth and used blue fabric to make a runner. Then we added red and white ribbons to form a Union Jack design. For the centerpiece, we pulled out the "crown jewels" and put them in an apothecary jar which we topped with a tiara.





Then we surrounded the jar with various British and Royal Wedding symbols.







For each place setting, we used a red place mat with a golden charger topped with a Spode Blue Italian (which is really very British) dinner plate. I used Oneida Wordsworth flatware and three different types of stemware.





On each white napkin with a gold napkin ring, I put a Royal Wedding pin. There are several different styles.











Here is the whole table.







I will be going to a brunch at a friend's house to see the wedding. My husband will be sleeping in as he doesn't care and can't figure out why I have turned our dining room in to a tribute to the British Royals! To each their own!!!