Tea Time Ladies

 Royal Doulton Collection 

The beginning of my collecting was on a trip to the Bahamas and Bermuda, it was when I was my first collage Spring break.  

 

 While I was in Bermuda, I saw a very pretty lady figurine, but I was unable to purchase her. When I got to the Bahamas I found another lady called Spring Morn and she became my very first figurine in my collection.  

 

 I really liked the ruffles and her pink coat. She holds her bonnet so the wind does not lift it out to sea. 

 

 While on a trip through East Texas with my beloved husband, we found the long lost but not forgotten figurine from Bermuda. This lady was named Easter Day. My husband said lets get her now or we may never find her again. So now my first found love of Royal Doulton Ladies joined my collection with the encouragement of my true love.

The  details like the flowers and umbrella on theses Ladies is a result of  the special Royal Doulton's procedures of painting. Generally each Lady is painted by hand by a male or female artist, but the face is always painted by a man. Doulton had found the women ended up painting their own face on each Lady.  

 

On our first trip to England we were luckly to tour the Royal Doulton factory in Stoke on Trent. We watched in amazement as the figurines grew into a true Lady with the Doulton stamp applied after rigid standards were met.

 

Autumn's Sunflowers

SUNFLOWERS SO SUNNY 

 Here we are already in the lovely beginnings of fall. It was so fortunate to find the wooden green basket with the sunflower decorations for it is wonderful for the centerpiece. I purchased the green milk bottle vases for the sunflowers before finding the basket and luckly they fit.





SCARECROWS SO NOT SCARY
I was shopping for fall accessories when I spotted these scarescrows with sunflowers on their clothing.





BOY WITH BASKET
The detail on their back of the tiny woven basket caused me to pause and think what could I place there that is small and light weight enough, I'm still looking. His holding the pitch fork reminds me of that certain painting!







GIRL WITH  GRIN 

What I love is the happiness on her face as if they are out strolling to enjoy the fall weather!

YELLOW SUNSHINE  

The sunshine certainly is brighting the yellow and green in the glass candle holders.  



 SUNFLOWERS
The beginning of the linens is the celadon linen tablecloth, then the darker green ribbed runner.  A Style Happy sunflower place mat anchors each setting.
I like the detail of the Style Happy linens for I also used them in the Sea shell post.



PRETTY PLATE

GTB ceramics created the Sunflower plates and the rim's antiqued edging adds interest to the design. The yellow flatware adds to the sunny feel.

SIGNATURE

 The artist signature I was unable to decifer and if you know this artist I would appreciate the information! The sunflowers are lovely and the 06 date is recent.



FLOWER BOWL 

The bowl is from Harvest Spice and has the sunflower shape to accompany the theme.



 

True FRIENDS are light bright SUNFLOWERS

that never fade away,

even over distance and time

 

Marie Williams Johnston 



WELCOME FRIENDS

 The napkin, napkin ring and sign are from three different stores.  The sign was a great addition for I love the thought of sunflowers with friendly faces.

 ICED TEA or LEMONADE

LIQUID GOLD

Franco glassware has so many styles preduced in Italy.  When I find this company I love to chose their different styles. Since the glassware and ceramics are both from Italy they seem agradable!



ANTICIPATING APPETIZERS

Love the carrier for the sunflower plates and had to show the tied yellow ribbon package.

I was contemplating an appetizer, maybe a wrapped sausage roll for a fall taste. 

 



 

Space for the SUNFLOWER,

bright with the yellow glow,

To court the SKY.

 

Caroline Gilman, To The Ursulines

 

 

 



 

And the SUNFLOWER by in

AUTUMN beauty stood.

 

William Cullen Bryant 

 

Bring me the SUNFLOWER crazed

with the love of LIGHT 

 

Eugenie Montale 



 

SHARE THE SUN

 

 SUNFLOWERS

 

When I envision a table, the theme can be used for fall is of colored leaves, pumpkins, mums, sunflowers or other inspirations.  Finding the sunflower ceramics was just the beginning for I love hunting for the other accessories to embellish the tablescape.  As the hot days fade to the cooler autumn breezes I will pick up the golden yellow goblet with sweet iced tea and toast the coming of fall.  This has been a fun table to set and brings a smile to my face!

 HAPPY FALL YA'LL

 



SEA SHELLS by the SEA SHORE

 SUMMER is quintessentially the Sand and the Sea!

 The hunt for sea shells as the waves roll in and back out, again and again! 

The shell theme for this table began with finding the Majolica by Kaldun & Bogle!  On a visit to Home Goods earlier this summer,  I purchased the majority of the pieces but there were only 5 shell salads. The table stayed in the back of my mind and then fortune smiled and on a trip to another Home Goods just a few days ago the Majolica shell salads appeared with other Kaldun & Bogle pieces.

 The Colors of the Shells ..... PINKS, CREAMS & BROWNS

 The Colors of the Sea .... BLUES

The Colors of the Shore ..... TANS, BEIGES & YELLOWS

The sand of the beach is translated in the hue of the linen tablecloth and napkins by Fieldcrest.

The napkin ring is the a sea blue shaped knot.

Shell shape blue place mat from Style Happy is just one representation of the colors of the water.

Gibson named the dark blue flatware Sangria Rope.



 Sandy hued place plate by Destino, S. A. anchors the plates.

Matceramica from Portugal has a distressed cream finish on the dinner plate.

 The sage salad plate by Matceramic has the same pattern with more detail.

A Seahorse spreader is placed at the top of the plate for the lobster cheese dish.

Majolica shell shape plate with ruffles and swirls of pink, blues and creams.

Each of the the shell plates were in four different shapes!

The center is styled with a silver sea shell of different shapes on each shell plate.



 An array of goblets and tumblers for water, lemonade and iced tea.

The shell motif goblets are from France.

A fish shape plate is surrounded by shells and sea glass.

 A clear bowl is used to serve the whole wheat crispy crackers.

The centerpiece is a shell compote with three seahorses as the pedestal on a cake stand.

The other large majolica shell is placed in front of the cake stand.

 My husband's favorite tuna salad in served from the a glass bowl placed on a bed of ruffled lettuce topping the shell compote.

The large shell serves up a seafood salad in the glass bowl surrounded by green leafy lettuce.

Another majolica fish shape seems to be swimming with the shells along the sand.

The glass bowl provides a cheddar and sour cream chip to accompany  the salads.

 The majolica seahorse pitcher .....

with the detail of the seahorse handle.

 A close up of the seahorses on the pedestal of the compote and the shells scattered on the blue bubble glass cake stand with a wavy edge.

Any shell from the majolica box to the real ones are so collectible!

 The other shell pitcher .....

with the seaweed handle in a close up.

 Each place setting has textures from ruff to shiny! 

A cornucopia shell pitcher has the hues of the ocean and the colors used through out this  tablescape.

The best of the ocean and sea awaits!