Last month, I made the statement in my
tea party post HERE
"you can never have too many polka-dots".
Dear sweet & VERY knowledgeable Cherry Kay,
owner of the beautiful blog, Entertaining Women
commented on that post, telling me that Tuesday Morning
had some pretty Waterford "Ballet Dot" tablecloths.
I went shopping the next day & was so disappointed
that my TM only had the napkins, not the tablecloths.
I emailed Cherry Kay & she
very generously offered to go check two of her TM's.
We exchanged phone numbers &
called each other back & forth as she shopped.
She found herself some matching napkins &
the same BEAUTIFUL tablecloth &
several sets of napkins for me.
We had such fun, working on that together
that we decided to do joint tablescapes,
using our matching tablecloths.
Thus began the idea for a meme, titled
"Tables For Two".
Surprisingly & unbeknownst to each other,
we both decided to use our Blue Willow china for the tables!
Great minds on the same track!
She has waaaaaay more of it than I do.
Unknowingly, we also both used hydrangeas in our centerpieces as well.
I'm telling you, we were on the same wave length all week.
~~cue the Twilight Zone music~~
Can you believe my Lilac tree is blooming
AGAIN at this time of year???
Strange behavior but I’m loving it... they smell soooo wonderful.
I set up my Johnson Brothers Blue Willow cups & saucers,
along with dessert plates &
the teapot, sugar & creamer on my side table.
This tea caddy was a gift from my step-daughters one Christmas.
Its from the Bombay Company, a store that we all sadly miss.
I think Shelia over at Note Songs has the same one!
(Today is her Roosters & Chickens party,
which I totally spaced on...sorry, Shelia!)
These newly purchased "His & Hers" crowned teaspoons
were also found on my trip to Tuesday Morning.
I'll CRY if that store ever closes!
You can really see the glint of the polka-dots in these photos.
The fabric is a very nicely weighted cotton & poly & irons beautifully!
I added some silver pieces to help echo & reflect the light.
This Oneida Ridgewood oval gallery tray, below
was also a gift from the kids.
It is the perfect size to hold bread or rolls or in this case, croissants.
I chose to use my American Harmony flatware with this tablescape,
as I felt the beading echoed the pattern around the silver chargers nicely.
Stacked plates from the bottom up are:
Pier One (dark blue),
Spode Blue Willow dinner plate,
white salad plates are American Atelier Bianca Leaf &
the cobalt blue ones on the top were thrift store finds last year.
Of course, the after dinner treats had to match, too!
Did I ever tell you how much I ♥♥♥ Dove chocolates???
(preferably frozen)
I added some accent pieces for extra candle light.
I've always got my eye out for blue & white accessories, since they all play together so well.
In fact, I just bought a Coleport decanter on Ebay,
exactly like the ones Cherry Kay has used on her table today.
She has so many wonderful tips on how to find the best bargains!
It was such fun to chat back & forth
as we planned this joint venture.
Cherry Kay & I thought it might be fun to do a party or meme
where people could pick a partner & they
would work together on tablescapes that reflected their similar collections.
It wouldn't be exact, as ours certainly aren't
but they are along the same lines.
Most of us know of another blogger who has the same dishes
or crystal or flatware that we do.
I know Ceekay, author of the blog Thinkin’ of Home &
I have the same everyday dishes &
several other gals have some PINK & GREEN depression glass, like I do.
I've never hosted a linky party but its about time I learned!
We're thinking we should hold it in the fall.
This would give folks time to contact a partner & plan their tables.
Go visit Cherry Kay & see how she used her GORGEOUS collection of Burleigh Blue Willow
as well as her Coalport Kings Ware on her pretty new tablecloth.
This gal really knows her china, let me tell you!
I’ll be linking to Marty's blog A Stroll Thru Life for Tabletop Tuesday,
Susan’s beautiful blog Between Naps On The Porch
for "Tablescape Thursday"
as well as The Tablescapers "Seasonal Sunday" fun meme &
Yvonne’s inspiring StoneGable for
"On The Menu Monday".
Thanks to all these ladies for hosting such fun & educational
parties week after week &
a VERY SPECIAL “Thank you” to my personal shopper, Cherry Kay!!
fondly,
♥ Rett ♥
EDIT to answer Karen's question below:
There are several legends as to the origin of the Blue Willow pattern.
One is that there once was a wealthy Mandarin, who had a beautiful daughter (Koong-se). She had fallen in love with her father's humble accounting assistant (Chang), angering her father (it was inappropriate for them to marry due to their difference in social class). He dismissed the young man and built a high fence around his house to keep the lovers apart. The Mandarin was planning for his daughter to marry a powerful Duke. The Duke arrived by boat to claim his bride, bearing a box of jewels as a gift. The wedding was to take place on the day the blossom fell from the willow tree.
On the eve of the daughter's wedding to the Duke, the young accountant, disguised as a servant, slipped into the palace unnoticed. As the lovers escaped with the jewels, the alarm was raised. They ran over a bridge, chased by the Mandarin, whip in hand. They eventually escaped on the Duke's ship to the safety of a secluded island, where they lived happily for years. But one day, the Duke learned of their refuge. Hungry for revenge, he sent soldiers, who captured the lovers and put them to death. The Gods, moved by their plight, transformed the lovers into a pair of doves (possibly a later addition to the tale, since the birds do not appear on the earliest willow pattern plates). You can clearly see the doves on my tea set, above.
Info above found on Wikipdia.
There is a similar variation of this story found HERE.
