Independence Day 2017

Here is my table to celebrate the 4th of July or Independence Day this year!

I started with my red tablecloth with the red paisley woven design. I don't know why, but it has always reminded me of fireworks!

 On top of that, I used my First American or Betsy Ross Flag design placemats along with their matching napkins and a gold napkin ring. Then a gold charger, my Spode Tower Pink Dinner Plates, and Royal Staffordshire American Heritage Salad Plates which depict the Boston Tea Party. Flatware with a gold beaded edge and stemware of clear and ruby red crystal complete the place setting.

 An Uncle Sam nutcracker is my centerpiece.

On the tea table in my Parlor, I have a service set up to celebrate Flag Day and Betsy Ross. It is still in the Red, White, and Blue theme for Independence Day!

I hope you have a very Happy and Safe Independence Day with those you love!

Sharing with Between Naps of the Porch

Valentine's Day 2017

Just a quick update with my Valentine's Day table! 

I really think my Spode Pink Tower is perfect for Valentine's Day!

Cupids tumbling on the Dining Room Mantle.

Flowers in the Epergne in the Foyer

Some seasonal toothpick in a Pembroke holder.

My tea table in the Parlor in ready for a Valentine's Day tea party.

I hope you have a wonderful Valentine's Day surrounded by those you love!

Happy Independence Day 2016!

I am looking forward to the long July 4th weekend coming up and I have already decorated!

I love using my Royal Staffordshire American Heritage china for Independence Day! Here I have the Bread and Butter Plate which depicts the Boston Tea Party layered on top of a Spode Pink Tower Dinner Plate.

I am using placemats that look like the original American flag, gold chargers, and napkins.

For my centerpiece, I have placed a lantern on a small cake stand. The lantern reminds me of Paul Revere's signal lantern: one if by land, two if by sea! On top of the lantern is a Continental soldier.

I put fireworky - sparklers and an American flag in two Moravian star candleholders.

We put two buntings up on our porch. I could use about 50 more to go around all sides of this wraparound porch, but this will have to do for now! 

When you walk into the foyer, Uncle Sam has taken off his hat!

And there's so good and appropriate reading material in the parlor!

I love the Signers of the Declaration of Independence plate. A close up of it was featured on my Instagram account (@carolinajewel) earlier this week.

Also in the Parlor is my tea table featuring a tea party with Betsy Ross. I shared this table a few weeks ago. (LINK HERE). The good news is that I just found a new creamer and sugar bowl in the Royal Stafforshire American Heritage pattern!  The sugar bowl has Betsy Ross and George Washington and the cream pitcher has Paul Revere.

I have more Royal Staffordshire in the kitchen!

The plate on the left is the Spirit of "76 in the American Heritage pattern and the platter with George Washington Crossing the Delaware is Liberty Blue American Colonial Scenes on Stafforshire. The plate on the right is Wedgewood and shows Monticello, Thomas Jefferson's home.

Close ups of all below!

And in the Butler's Pantry I have a plate depicting Independence Hall in Philadelpia.

I hope you will all have a happy and safe Independence Day with family and friends! I will be sharing this with Between Naps on the Porch.

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.

Preservation Celebration Tablescape

I finally got my Easter decorations put up and my house always seems a little bare without holiday decorations. Now, bare is not a word most folks would use for my Victorian decorating style, but I guess it's all in the eye of the beholder!

Preservation NC had asked a while back if we would open our house during their Preservation Celebration in our town and we are always glad to help them out! They showcased both commercial and residential properties, some restored and some in need of restoration. Of course, I set my table in the Dining Room for the tour. Here are some shots of my Dining Room and table with no theme or holiday - a rarity for me!

I used a burgundy tablecloth, gold chargers, Spode Pink Tower dishes with various stemware, gold napkins with dark red napkin rings and gold edged stainless flatware.

I used my cream soups for this table. I really love cream soup bowls!

Red and white azaleas in a silver wine cooler make up my centerpiece. I added ivory tapers to my silver candleabras to complete the table. I also used red and white azaleas on the mantle.

This room is very hard for me to photograph because of the light, but here is a shot looking into the room from the foyer.

Here is a view of the room looking toward the door that leads to the Butler's Pantry.

Here is a view of the room looking toward the foyer.

My house was built in 1883 and we restored it to try to resemble a dining room in the 1880's. Our wallpapers are by Bradbury & Bradbury and a reproductions of actual historic wallpapers.

A few more shots from the tour - this is my Foyer. Magenta and White Formosa Azaleas in my epergne and more Bradbury and Bradbury wallpapers.

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

Valentine's Day with My Everyday

 Happy Valentine's Day!

I have lots of china patterns and plates for different seasons, but not for Valentine's Day. Probably because my everyday china is Spode Pink Tower and I have never found anything prettier! I've talked about my love for this pattern lots on this blog - most notably HERE.

So for this table, I used a red paisley tablecloth with gold chargers, Fostoria stemware and flatware with a gold beaded edge, pink napkins with a red napkin ring and my Spode Pink Tower plates. 

I added a few additions to my usual Valentine's Day centerpiece. I used a small, red cake plate on the bottom and I added some battery operated wire lights! These were a gift from a friend and I love how versatile they are! Light are off above and on below.

The little battery box was easily hidden by some faux rose petal leaves and heart table scatter.

 On the mantel, I have some "Let It Snow" decor. 

Below is a closeup of an individual place setting.

I hope your Valentine's Day is wonderful! Now I'm off to prepare for Presidents' Day!