HOLLYHOCK TABLE SETTING

 After doing a little "Tea In The 

Garden: with a Hollyhock theme,

I decided to do the same in the

dining area.

I used some purple transferware plates

and other pieces that were purple.

We continue to have lovely

weather and also some rain

coming our way.

I love this little topper with Hollyhocks

on it added to the center of my French

lace Alencon tablecloth.  As Dorcas

Lane might have said in 'Lark Rise to Candleford',

 "Linens are my only weakness".

HOLLYHOCKS for "Tea In The Garden"

 Do you feel how quickly time is flying

by these days?  I can hardly believe

the Hollyhocks are blooming already.

We have had a really beautiful month

of May and loved the fact that rain

came along.  The hollyhocks are now

blooming so I set up a little tea in

the garden to celebrate.  Please note

the table topper I found late last

summer which is a hollyhock embroidery

piece.

A while back I bid on some lovely

remnants of old velvet and I am

now just getting around to using

some.  My tea cozy is a rich purple

and black and definitely so much

more like the way velvet used to be

back in the day.

As I cut some stems for my bouquet, the bees were not wanting to fly away from 

the sprays I picked.  

Here is a close up of the

topper embroidery.

These Hollyhocks are

all peach colored:

People ask me how I keep the yellow

fungus off the Hollyhocks.  I definitely

get it but just keep cutting off the bottom

leaves where the most appears.

I am very attracted to old linens....

are you?  Do you like English

transferware?

WE HONOR THOSE WHO GAVE ALL

 

QUEEN VICTORIA'S 205th BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION

 May 24, 2024 marks the 205th

birthday celebration of

Queen Victoria.

I decided to take my direction for

a table setting from one of her

many portraits with very dramatic

colors:

I am also sharing a vintage French

lace alencon tablecloth I found a 

while back.  I had been looking for

a long time until I came across one

that was a bargain.

The napkins have Prince Albert

on one side and Queen Victoria on

the other.  I have always admired

Prince Albert.

Also, the back of the tea

cozy has an image of Albert:

Since this table setting was a tribute

to the Queen, a few items were

placed around the table.

 

I have shared my collection before which

includes lusterware pieces that were sold

as souvenirs at the Great Expedition

and one cup and saucer for each King

or Queen that followed after Victoria

up to Queen Elizabeth.

A few commemoratives:

Click here to link to

some of my past 

posts about

Queen Victoria.
 

THE FLOWER CART for "Tea In The Garden"

 In between lots of rain days here, 

 I have set up a little "Tea In The

 Garden" so please join me for a cup

 of a tea to enjoy with my Johnson Brothers "Pareek" tea set.

I first saw the cups and saucers on Etsy and then the plates and then the teapot.

There are 2 different floral scenes and

I just love this set because it is so

different from my others. 

This has been the most rain we have

gotten in several years.  Last week

we had several days of rain and again

this week.

There are actually dozens and dozens of

"Pareek" patterns from different

eras and totally different patterns.

The Cicadas arrived in our yard this 

week and are everywhere and very

loud.  Have you heard that Klaus Schwab

and Bill Gates recommend that we 

eat them?  No thanks.

We have enjoyed so many irises and

now they are about done. I dug up 

15 bags of them to give away with

 free signs on the driveway.

Here in the garden we are in transition

now.  Spring flowers are over and every-

thing is very lush and green and

 awaiting summer flowers.

I see lots of Monarda that will

make the bees happy when

it blooms.

IN THE GARDEN AFTER LOTS AND LOTS OF RAIN

 We have had lots of rain this spring.

I commented about a drought in 2023

and the year before that, 2022.  Well,

that has ended for now.  I thought

I'd start with a little frog humor:

I am so glad I mowed (yes me by hand)

our lawn yesterday between the rains.

It would have been a terrible mistake

to wait and have it so deep.

My husband has had some physical issues

as of late so I have been doing a number

of tasks that he usually does.

There has been an abundance of flowers

for bouquets which is really lovely.

I have loved watching a very

tiny baby bunny in our yard.

 I hope you are having a

wonderful spring.