Mother's Day at the Rose Bowl

Why not spend a beautiful day shopping at the Rose Bowl Antique Market? You find so many goodies for your home and for yourself. See you there!

Decorate Your Chairs

      This vintage patio chair is in a shop in Costa Mesa. It has been painted white and is embellished with greenery and green satin ribbon. This is an idea that has been used for weddings for some time now. Several years ago, I had a surprise garden birthday party for my daughter. Having access to a large collection of vintage straight chairs, I decorated the back of each chair with ribbon and flowers. Now the idea has come into our homes.

    This chair is part of a rather unimaginative dining room set we have in our apartment in Richmond. There is not a lot I can do to make these chairs interesting or even attractive. But I think these small grapevine heart shaped wreaths covered with greenery are a step in the right direction. I added a huge bow of four inch wide ribbon in my favorite decorating color, lime green. To tie the decoration into the apartment color scheme I added a small brown satin ribbon accent. The result adds a bit of spring color and coordinates with the existing look.
     Currently I am working on my shabby chic kitchen chairs on the Rancho. The problem is we have a rather large table and eight chairs. When you add something to eight chairs, you must be careful not to over-do! Maybe simple bows will be the result. Stay tuned.

Vintage Virginia has arrived in California

      A pretty place setting for a continental breakfast or a little tea served at the table. The napkins, both eyelet and lovely blue, and the yellow plate are new from a popular import store. Everything else is antique. Revere bowls, named after the famous silversmith and statesman, Paul Revere, are one of the most useful pieces you can have in your china cabinet.
      I have written about their usefulness in a previous post. Look  back and reacquaint yourself. I have a few very old trophy's in various sizes that I use to hold flowers or spoons on a tray or buffet table.
     Cloches continue to be popular. I have several around my house that I use in many ways. This is one I bought in Williamsburg, Virginia.  The base is a custom piece and accounted for the  ridiculous price. I just wanted the bell jar! I have moss and little faux birds in this one.
     The picture on the right is a vintage martini set up. I found the vintage martini pitcher in Ashland, Virginia. Everything on it still works, you can unscrew the tops, and it is very clean inside. Often these pieces are rusted shut and therefore unusable. The martini "glasses" are actually candle holders. I bought them for small vases and it was my husband who turned them over and discovered a well for a candle. I like using them for substantial martini glasses. They can be whatever you want them to be!

In this final vignette, here are fragile tea cups, crystal and beautiful silver. How tempting it is to sit for a while and sip a cup of tea. These special spring days invite a little relaxation on the porch with a good book. The life that once was!

Happy Easter to Everyone

The birds are singing and the trees are blooming. It's Spring and it's Easter time. It is also my favorite time of the year. Everything is new and fresh and full of color. Go outside and cut some tulips, find a beautiful vase or vintage jar and stick them in. Put some bunnies around your house and go buy a lime green outfit. You will feel life has started all over again!

It's Never Too Early to Start the Manners

Recently I was in a bookstore looking in the children's section. Look what I found there. These cute flash cards teaching manners. Yes, a box full will be in my grandson's Christmas stocking!

Manners and Weddings (and any other ocassion with humans)

     Okay, my antique blog has turned into Mary Lisa Does Etiquette at times. It has often come to my mind that I would like to teach etiquette classes for children. There has never been time to do it but I think it would be quite rewarding. On the other hand, I am amazed at  how many adults could use a few classes themselves.
     Since I got married in the last century, my dear husband and I have lived in New England, our nation's capital, my chosen home state of California and sunny Florida. Manners are somewhat universal but I have noticed subtle differences depending on geography. Case in point, newly married we lived in Boston. Boston is a city we closely associate with well-heeled people. Much to my horror, one of our first dinner guest blew her nose into my Irish linen napkin. There are table manners, party manners and every day manners. Manners are part of our lives because they make life simple, we can all share an expected commonality and there's a built in respect for each other.
     When we entertain our goal is to make our guests comfortable. Whether we entertain in our home or in a public place such as a restaurant, which by the way no self respecting Southerner would ever do,  we treat our guests to an enjoyable and hopefully, fun time. And our guests are expected to do the same for us.
     Wedding manners are no different from our everyday manners. We treat each other with respect and we follow our host's lead. Treating each other with respect does not mean the host should put up with whatever the guests dole out. It's like"unconditional" love. The term does not mean children have a free ride!
     The small wedding perhaps magnified an occasional faux pas and outright bad manners were more obvious. In a crowd of hundreds it is harder to notice a slip in the social graces and I think people are more likely to watch their manners. In the smaller family type setting, people get a little too comfortable and think they can act as they do in their homes. And unfortunately, some people just don't have any manners.
    As I have mentioned previously, every family had the drunken uncle or the inappropriately dressed eighty year old aunt. And we all have friends who we love but they might not know which fork goes with which food. All of us experience different types of people everyday. When there is a special occasion which we have put a lot of work and love into, our expectations are a bit higher.
    Here are a few situations for your amusement and enjoyment. They are a bit unique I believe. In the end, as a host or hostess, all you can do is ignore the offence and look at your guest list closer the next time you entertain.

     Case one: Do not ask too many questions about food being served. Unless there are food allergies, which your hostess should have asked about before the event, eat a small amount of what is served to you and say nothing. Do not ask why the wedding cake (1) is green! If we (2) had so chosen, the wedding cake might have been black and blue, the blue color of mold. Color added to cakes is not unusual and there is absolutely no reason to inquire about it's color.
      Case two: When you are invited to a sit-down meal that is part of a wedding (3), party or formal affair, and you are told the menu has been pre-selected do not ask for a menu and order something else. Most events such as these have been planned with the choice of multiple entrees that should accommodate every one's taste. You do not state that you were unaware of the pre-selected menu and then proceed to order the most expensive item on the regular menu. This is the epitome of rudeness.
     Case three: When there is a reception, party or dinner in the home where you may be a house guest or have some delusion that you are a house guest, do not think this is YOUR home and come to the event in your night clothes (4). Oh, I know, you cannot believe this one. Neither could I (5) ! The author swears, you reach a certain age and you think you have seen it all. Then tomorrow comes and you are knocked to your knees when you see how some people act.
      _____________________________________________________________________________________
(1) Wedding cake - this is the generic "wedding cake", there is no connection to previous posts on this blog. Wink, wink!
(2) We - this is the generic "we" and does not necessarily include anyone living or dead.
(3) Wedding - the ordering off the menu is not necessarily connected with any previous posts on this blog.
(4)   Night clothes - an example of night clothes may be wrinkled, plaid flannel pajama pants and oh, let say a frumpy sweat shirt.
(5)   I - the generic "I" such as the Royal Family using "we". "I" does not necessarily imply the writer is speaking of her self.

The Day After

      As sunny but cold as the wedding day was, we awoke the next morning to several inches of snow and just as cold temperature. This picture is of my daughter's patio. Having a patio is a rare and unusual treat in the middle of New York. This six story building has two apartments that have patios.It is a great situation. They are not on an alley. There are other apartment buildings behind hers and a double row of patios. They are all connected by a series of gates for fire safety but it is amazingly private. You can see that touch of California with a Weber barbecue in the corner. Also there is one of my chandeliers converted to use candles hanging in the tree that grows from the next door neighbor's patio.

From wedding gowns and black suits to snow boots and Burberry coats, what a difference twenty-four hours can make. Here is the bride plowing through the snow with her father.

Snow in Manhattan is a beautiful thing to me. I do not live there and I can hop on a plane and leave. I do not have to move the car, shovel in front of my steps or even get to work in it. I love snow in the city because it covers the trash, it covers the cars, it covers everything that is unsightly and dirty. It "connects" all that is beautiful. And snow is so peaceful. It always seems quiet when there is snow on the ground. White is a calming presence. We could not have ordered, directly from God, a better two days.

     After a leisurely breakfast and our walk in the snow, the happy couple and the two sets of parents met for a day at The Met. The Metropolitan Museum of Art is a cornerstone of New York City and a special place for our family. For the past forty years, we have spent many happy days enjoying the treasures inside. The grooms family is from the mid-west and had never been to the museum so the visit was a new experience for them.
     We spent  hours wandering from gallery to gallery. The men especially wanted to see the armor and the girls enjoyed the American Wing. We were all awed by the eighty-two foot long Temple of Dendur and marveled at the  Frank Lloyd Wright room.
     The day was relaxing and fun. It was a contrast to the excitement of the previous day but so enjoyable to spend time with family both old and new.

Wedding Luncheon

     Following the ceremony, my husband and I gave a Wedding Luncheon at the River Cafe' with it's wonderful view of lower Manhattan. This is especially a beautiful restaurant in the spring and summer but I must say on a cold winter's day the huge floral display in the lobby and the amazing view of Manhattan across the water is hard to beat. Not only is this a special restaurant, the service is most attentive and the food is pretty good too.
   

     After our wonderful lunch, we walked right next door to the dock and took the Water Taxi for a tour. We barely made it up the gang plank before the boat set sail. The engines were running as we ran. The bride was actually the first one to board to an announcement by the captain and cheers from onlookers. As you can see from the picture, this was planned for sunset. How magical the Manhattan skyline was as we cruised off up the Hudson.
     Our first destination was Liberty Island and a close up view of Lady Liberty. What a glorious and proud moment it is to see her there in her majesty. Remembering the scenes we all endured eleven years ago, it certainly gives you goose bumps and you are proud to be am American. Passing Ellis Island where so many have started their journey to become Americans always is emotional for me.
     Neither my family or my husbands came through Ellis but you cannot help but be touched by the all who have walked the paths and hallways. Although many of the buildings have been restored there are still glimpses of the fallen neglected courtyards and rooms. You feel the presence of the weary families who stood in line to be processed and sent on their way in their new country.
     We went up the western side of Manhattan to views of the Empire Stat Building and the new Freedom Tower being built on the land where the World Trade Towers stood. It was a very cold evening but we were all toasty warm inside. We set foot on land at the South Street Seaport after a perfect relaxing cruise.
     What New York wedding would be complete without a subway ride? I am not sure anyone thought this was necessary other than my daughter but she was insistent. And to make it even more fun, we walked what felt like, twenty blocks, to reach the subway station. The looks we got all day of a beautiful bride, her groom and a parade of parents throughout the city was an experience not to be forgotten. From carriage drivers, to policemen, to trash collectors and the most amazing of all....fire fighters, the attention and interest was amazing. Whoever thinks New Yorkers are not friendly should have been with us. The shouts of "Congratulations", "Happy for you", "Best Wishes",  and thumbs up were constant.
     The exception to this was perhaps the subway. We went pretty much unnoticed through out the entire ride. Riding the subway is  not my favorite thing to do. It has only been in the past year and a half that I would even consider riding those underground trains full of everything known to man and beyond. It's not in my blood. Remember I am from the suburbs and I am a Southerner and a Southern Californian. Nothing in my life has prepared me for New York City subways.
      The key to my success in riding is having my entire family with me at all times. I can talk non-stop to them and that occupies my mind. Now lately those trains have been stopping in those tunnels for long periods of time and there has been some train-horn-honking. That does not help. This was a happy occasion though so I grabbed that bouquet of roses, held it to my nose and rode off into the darkened tunnel without a thought or at least just a few tiny thoughts.

At Last, The Ceremony

      Our daughter's soon-to-be husband is a kind thoughtful young man. He had arrived at out Manhattan apartment on the morning of the wedding in a limousine to carry us to our Central Park photo adventure.  The ceremony was to be at one in the afternoon, in wedding lingo we do not  use AM and PM. We use the terms  "ten o'clock in the morning", "seven o'clock in the evening", and my favorite, "half past four in the afternoon." I planned my own wedding for "half past four in the afternoon" because I loved the sound of the words. Almost poetic!
      Anyway, we walked all over Central Park and took pictures at every conceivable spot. One moment that will bring laughter to our hearts for a long time was when we asked to elderly couple passing by if they would take our picture. We held the camera out to demonstrate our desire. The couple were from China and did not speak English. Much to our delight they smiled broadly and walked toward us. Before we knew it, there they were in the family line-up ready to be a part of our memories. We all joined them in the laughter and snapped away. Think of the stories we can tell our grandchildren of our distant relatives who traveled all the way from Beijing to attend their mother's wedding!Well, back on the title of this epistle. Before we knew it, the time had flown by and we were about to be late for the reason of the day...the actual marriage ceremony.
     We had made our way to the south end of park. We darted across the street to The Plaza where a cue of those forever available Yellow Taxi's awaited our arrival. Two by two and three by three we loaded ourselves into a parade of cars. Off we went in the Manhattan traffic. I will say how wonderful it is looking back that we were all relaxed and having fun and totally forgot there was a schedule to keep.
     One by one the little yellow cars arrived at the ceremony. My husband and I had the mother of the groom with us and we were the last car to arrive. Our driver missed the spot by a block and a half but we jumped out and had no problem hurrying to the door. I have neglected to tell you that the high temperature on this beautiful sunny day was a chilling twenty eight degrees. For our Southern California blood, this was a shocker. How my daughter managed to pose for pictures by removing her warm coat is a mystery. I had a really pretty dress but you hardly ever see it because I had my long black "New York" coat on.
      Having an extremely small wedding is a commitment to forever explaining to your family and friends why you did it. Yes, this was a "destination" wedding but not a warm sunny beach where people actually wanted to come. This was New York City in the middle of winter. On the other hand, I cannot imagine a more intimate and truly meaningful ceremony. I was so close to my daughter, I could see the tears gently falling down her face and see the slight tremor in my new son-in-laws hands. The idea of family only at a ceremony and then a big reception has it's merits. But for my daughter this was what she wanted and it was the most beautiful wedding ever.
      The vows that the couple had written were so sweet and personal. They met a couple of years ago in one of the most "fun" cities in our country. I will not identify the city but it was built for entertainment and nothing else. Their meeting was described both in the ceremony and by the groom. "I saw her across a crowed room and knew she was the one." How romantic can you get?
    

Don't Sweat the Small Stuff

     Planning a small wedding is about the same as planning a huge wedding I have discovered. The difference is in the quantity not the quality. There were the same requirements, events and arrangements to be made.
     There was the bridal gown and clothes for everyone, there were flowers, there was the ceremony and all that is included, there was the luncheon and reception, there was transportation and entertainment, there were announcements. All of the elements were the same. Rather than ordering several hundred of everything, we ordered by the tens. We were able to have hand written place cards and announcements addressed in Calligraphy. We got the perfect roses that were hand selected tied with custom satin ribbons. The vows were heard by every guest without the use of microphones. We were able to talk and spend time with everyone in attendance.
     The merits of a big wedding with friends and family are still close to my heart but I have a new appreciation and love for the small wedding.



     The place cards were chosen by the bride. They were white double mounted card stock with a silver border and a tiny white satin ribbon bow. They were lettered by hand with the first name of each guest. This was another advantage of having a small wedding, first names only. Each place card stood in a tiny white topiary.
     The champagne flutes for the bridal couple were decorated with crystals and pearls and tied with organdy ribbon and tiny blossoms.

The Reception and Cake Cutting

     This was a small wedding that was planned more as a day of small events rather that the usual big event of the ceremony and reception. My daughter wanted to enjoy the city and spend time in numerous settings throughout the day. There was the morning photography fun in Central Park, the ceremony itself with it's tears and smiles, the walk immediately following the ceremony with the  professional photographers capturing the happy moments for the newlyweds and families. Then the beautiful luncheon on the water, the boat ride at sunset and now the day came to a lovely close at my daughter's apartment.

     This is where the happy couple will begin their life together and make their first home and it turned out to be a lovely place to gather around the cake and toast the bride and groom. The apartment is a duplex and has shinny hardwood floors and lots of white walls. Remember a "duplex" apartment in New York is a two story apartment. When I was growing up a duplex to me was a house built for two families. This apartment is in a pre-war building not a new modern skyscraper so a duplex apartment is a bit rare. There is a cute spiral staircase joining the two floors which made for a great photo spot.

     The day before the wedding, I had spent decorating the apartment and preparing the cake. Chocolate was the flavor of choice of both the bride and groom. I decided on a different chocolate flavor for each layer. My daughter had also requested Cream Cheese frosting. In looking at the many options for wedding cakes, we decided on a small green cake. There was a slight color theme of pink and green for the wedding and this was primarily used at the reception.

     We had a dainty wall banner. Do the words "dainty" and "wall banner" go together? When you use a Martha Stewart design all things are possible. The "banner" was a series of decorative alphabet circles spelling our "Just Married" and the couple's first names. It was all tied together with pink organdy ribbon and sage green satin ribbon. It was simple and elegant. We used a family heirloom monogrammed linen table cloth over-laid with another family cloth of ecru lace.
     You all know of my love for silver and there was lots in evidence. I have amassed a good collection of silver serving pieces at our apartment in Richmond. What I did not have there, we shipped from California. We used my  mother's crystal plates, newly purchased vintage crystal goblets, and lots of silver trays.

     I love the use of cupcakes at weddings today. Although the small wedding cake was ample for the number of guests, I decided to surround the cake with matching cupcakes. A tiny sugar rose topped each cupcake while the cake was decorated with lacy white butterflies. The cake was baked earlier in the week and frozen until the day before the wedding. I purchased a special giant plastic container to place the iced cake in the refrigerator over night. This plan worked perfectly. The cake was moist and fresh. It tasted as if it were baked only hours before it was served.

     Another popular custom for a reception is to have  a candy bar. We did a small version of the candy bar that was placed right on the cake table. My husband enjoyed scouting out candy shops for white candies. Most are more than happy to provide you with samples of the candy. We found there is quite an assortment out there.

     There were the wedding favorite of white Jordon Almonds, coconut flavor white Jelly Bellys, tiny little white crusted mints that resembled white caviar, white M &M's which are a favorite candy of the groom, and while chocolate Hersey bars. They were served in crystal candy dishes and silver bowls and pedestals.

     There was a Goodie Bag for each guest to take home. Inside was a fancy box containing a sampling of the white candies, white meringue cookies in a white box, a votive candle decorated with the names of the couple and the date, custom water labeled with the names and date, and a tiny white frame holding a picture of the couple with a California sunset behind them.

     At the end of the day, I cannot tell you what a pleasant and meaningful day it was. We missed having all the family and our friends with us but there will be time to celebrate with them in a few months. Although this was not a destination wedding in the truest sense it was far from the home our daughter grew up in. That was a disappointment, but I feel the concentration was on the marriage of two people who love each other very much. And in the end, that is why we celebrate the day!

Wedding Morning

Back in the 70's I remember my first solo walk through Central Park. My husband was in the city on business and I joined him for a few days. During the day I was on my own. Most of my time was spent either at The Met wandering through the galleries in a dream or shopping on Fifth Avenue. One day I decided to take off to Central Park, alone. Remember this was the 70's. New York was not the safest city in the country. The stories of gold chains being ripped from your neck were especially popular. I am happy to report I walked most of the length of the park that day. At the end, I had the same feeling I had when we completed our first white water rapids trip. I can do ANYTHING now! Some thirty odd years later, I shall draw on that strength to be my daughter's wedding photographer for the morning. 

My daughter has lived close to Central Park since she first moved to New York. It is a beautiful spot in the middle of this wonderful city. She has had many happy times in the park and as a family we have shared a few of our own. She wanted pictures made in the park and I was more than happy to be her photographer.When we first decided to do pictures in the park, I envisioned the bridal couple and my husband and I walking around the park and actually spending a little time setting up shots as I am accustomed to doing when I take photos for someone. Well, that did not turn out to be the case. Every family and from what I read, every wedding, has that one family member who you can count on to "alter" the day. That is to shame, embarrass or merely call attention to themselves and everyone else who is present. It may be that one cousin who is very loud, the uncle who drinks too much or the great aunt who wears the same black dress to every wedding. Or it may be one entire branch of the family tree!!!Sometimes the distraction is a serious problem, like you may be asked to remove the offending relative from the reception venue or it may simply be added humor to the day. On this particular morning it was just a change of plans. We all know the convenience and simplicity of point and shoot cameras. They can be annoying at any wedding and sometimes they are banned from the events. Since this was a very small affair it never occurred to myself or my daughter that these little marvels of technology could be a problem. I guess that depends on who it pointing and shooting. I can sum up this topic by saying, the first three attempts at setting up a shot was spoiled by someone jumping in the face of the bride and groom with their pocket miracle, the point and shoot camera. It took no more to bring me to the decision that we would be happy with family snapshots!  If there is one thing I learned on the day of my only daughter's wedding,  whatever you plans might have been, you must have flexibility....and lots of it. The quality of the pictures is not what I had hoped for but we have a good record of a family event that will linger forever!



Small Wedding 101-The Dress

         This is a strapless wedding gown that looks nothing like Kate Middleton's. Keep that in mind!

Although I am sure both my daughter and I were thinking of a fairly formal wedding, until she selected the dress I did not realize how formal she was thinking. We knew it would be a day-time ceremony although the location was not firm in our minds. It was going to be in New York City, we knew that. And most likely everything would be shipped in from California, from the dress to the Jordan Almonds!

She made the appointment at the bridal salon right here in Orange County the minute she got home for Christmas. We had not discussed what she had in mind until that point. She wanted a lace dress with long sleeves and high neck. Probably Kate Middleton's dress is what she had in mind. Well, you can get a copy of that dress for around one thousand dollars but there was no time to order it. Oh, one more thing we knew, the wedding would be in late January. A beautiful month on the East coast!

How many of you have either been to "the appointment" at a bridal salon or at least seen one of those wedding shows that are quite popular on television right now?  I had not had the pleasure of "the appointment" since my dress was purchased a few decades ago. My mother and I pretty much followed the same pattern we were about to embark on. One big difference, my wedding date was six months off. My daughter's wedding date was less than a month away.

They greet you at the door of the salon, least you might slip off and run-a-muck amongst the aisles. They ask the date of the wedding, what you have in mind and what your budget is. Remember my daughter is an attorney, not only by profession but by personality. They never give you a straight answer! Actually once our consultant heard the date she was in shock so the other questions did not matter!

We asked if we could look around to get an idea of what was available and were told, "Of course. Feel free to look all you want. Of course, your appointment is set for 73 minutes and you would not want to mess up another brides appointment by going over." In other words, no way are we letting you two out of our sight.

We were escorted to the bridal fitting area which looked like a fairy tale version of he costume rooms at Disneyland. (Both my daughter and I have worked for The Mouse. Very different capacities but we've both been through "costuming" a time or two.) You get  your own little dressing room and share a stage with a few other brides. There was only one other bride there and her mother was out of the country so I was happy to give her advice also! She hardly had to ask.

Well, after three dresses my sweet girl was in tears. Our consultant, Shannon, Sharon, Sue whoever she was, apparently had no clue what this beautiful blonde had in mind. She turned to me in confusion as to what to bring out next. I assured her I had no idea either.

In a very few minutes here she came with a beautiful huge organdy dress with layers and layers and a train and layers. Those blue-green eyes lit up and the tears stopped. I rushed in the dressing room with my baby and we got that dress on so fast. It was BEAUTIFUL and looked like it was made for her. Quick lets zip this thing up, write a check and get out of here.

Oops! The zip it up part....it would not. Let alone could we just BUY it and walk out with it? I know this is never done except in Filene's Basement. After a search supposedly all over the country, this dress was just not out there in the next size. But it was available right there in the store two sizes larger. Better than two sized smaller, I always say!

We were told we could get it altered in New York since we had to take it with us that day. Did you know if you want something bad enough and your nice and Big Daddy wants his little girl to have whatever she wants, you can get it. We got it!

So the moral of this story is two fold: You CAN get what you want, at least sometime. And now the formality level of the wedding was established.

The next stop with dress in hand was Nordstrom's shoe department. My daughter has very special feet, being a dancer and all, and it is limited where she can find shoes. After we got it straight between us that she was a bride not a "working lady" she found a wonderful pair of gray shoes with big white bows. They were the exact height our bridal consultant had told us to purchase. Chore number two, done. And so were we!

Shoes and purse

Wedding Chills and Thrills

Long before our daughter's wedding day, I made up faux bouquets. This was mainly for my daughter's approval and to get an idea of how these hand-tied bouquets are made. I chose white roses and white hydrangeas for her bouquet. For myself and the mother-of-the-groom I wanted tiny sweetheart roses also in white. I love the recent custom of the two mother's having small bouquets. Corsages have never been my favorite way to wear flowers and this was the perfect occasion to drop the custom!

Unfortunately, when I talked to florists in New York I found sweetheart roses would have to be special ordered and perhaps not available at all. Living in California we are spoiled with the availability of just about any flower at any time of the year.You'll see what we ended up with in a later post. Have no fear, the bouquets were wonderful.

Notice the two beautiful vintage rhinestone pins on the bouquets. They both belonged to my mother. I have many memories of mother in one of her many black cocktail dresses with one of these pins on. Although wearing rhinestones during the day was a little bold in the 50's, in the 60's she started to wear these sparkling pins on her suits. Usually she wore matching rhinestore earrings to complete the look. They seemed perfect for the day.

Cafe' Royale Anyone?

A recent find in the East were four Cafe' Royale spoons from New Orleanes. There is a little recipe card in the box with instructions for making this popular coffee drink from the 1960's. This is before the day of Starbucks remember! Of course, the alcohol content may keep it from our favorite coffee shop for a while.

I remember my mother's cousin serving Cafe' Royale at Christmas time but of course, this was in Tennessee. Cognac was not the ingredient of flavor...good ole Tennessee whiskey was with the initials of J.D. Surprised? Well, if you grew up in the home state of J.D. you would know that whatever your drink request was, that's what you most likely would get!

The card with these little spoons states that they were sold exclusively at Coleman E. Adler and Sons Jewelers in New Orleans. An interesting find.

A Wedding in the Family

This month, our beautiful daughter, married the love of her life in a beautiful intimate ceremony in New York City. It was a cold winter day but the sun showered us with warm rays for our city adventure. We traveled from Central Park to Brooklyn to the Hudson. What a glorious day it was. Soon I will post some pictures of the day and share my ideas for planning a perfect small wedding.

I feel today weddings have become an event rather than the purpose of the ceremony, joining two people for life.  My daughter succeeded in having a meaningful and beautiful wedding. It is possible. Look for more posts soon.

Mary Lisa is BACK

Hi, everyone! My last post was last June and I have missed the blog world. Between family and business I have been busy. Isn't that true for all of us? Well, I am not any less busy but I am going to return to posting ideas for you all and fun facts of an entertaining if not essential nature. Stick with me, there's fun stuff ahead!

The Place Setting

     Although much of our entertaining today is casual and our busy lives do not allow us to spend a lot of time planning for dinner parties, there are still a few occasions in life that we like to be fancy. If we are going to make this effort, let's do it properly!.

     I spend a lot of time shopping in home decor stores and it is obvious that we like to set our tables to suit the event. Few people own just one set of china today. We rush out and buy table linens, glassware, candles and whatever else we can find to make our tables beautiful. The term "tablescape" certainly describes our efforts.

     People love to collect unusual pieces of flatware and I suspect many actually use these pieces. If you look at my previous posts on silver you will see many of these pieces that you may want to include in your collection.

     Let's start with a formal look for your next dinner party. No matter what the occasion, your intent is to make your guests comfortable and this fact dictates the placement of china, silver and crystal. The picture above shows more pieces than you would ever use for one meal. You should use just the pieces you need for your menu and no more.

     Here is an idea of the menu for the pieces shown in the picture.

                              A shellfish appetizer
                              Soup or fruit and cheese
                             A fish course
                             The main course of meat or chicken
                             A salad
                             Various wines, water and coffee
                             A dessert

     The dinner plate is in place for food to be served at the table. Atop the dinner plate is the salad plate and a berry bowl. If the salad were already on the table when  your guests are seated this would be the placement. After the salad is eaten you would remove the salad plate. If the salad is served after the main course, it would be placed in front of the guest after the dinner plate is removed.

     On top of the salad plate is a berry bowl. The berry bowl is one of those pieces you probably are not familiar with. It is an old piece used just as it says for berries...raspberries, strawberries, blue berries, whatever berry you wish! Most likely these would be served at the end of the meal as a dessert. If so the bowl would be placed on a saucer and set directly in front of the guest.

     To the left of the place setting is the bread plate. It is smaller that a salad plate and is used to hold your bread and a small amount of butter. The individual butter knife is placed across the top of the plate. Recently I have noticed some restaurants are improperly placing the butter knife. My family was eating at a popular and rather "foo-foo" place in New  York. This faux pas was the first thing that caught my eye. Oh, those Yankees! (I will interject a note here on restaurant service. It seems to me these wonderful establishments have their own set of rules for  service and placement of dishes and silver. I suspect their ideas are for the convenience of the servers and not for lovers of traditions and proper etiquette. My point is do not use a restaurant as your guide.)

     The flatware is used from the outside in. This is universal and guides your guests through the meal without a hitch. Starting on the right side of the plate is a cocktail fork for the shellfish appetizer. Next is the soup spoon. You may serve a fruit and cheese course next so there is a fruit knife on the right. The next knife is a fish knife and to the left of the dinner plate the first fork is a fish fork. Next to this fork is the salad fork. Finally, the dinner knife is the closest to the dinner plate on the right and the dinner fork closest of the left. Above the place setting is the dessert fork and spoon for coffee.

     All of those glasses, where do we start? I have heard that you can put up to five glasses at a place setting but I feel that is WAY too many! If  you want white wine with the fish course and red wine with the meat course, bring that glass to the table with the food. You would not be drinking both red and white at the same time. My personal rule is a water glass and a glass for whatever beverage is being served with that course.

     For most any meal you will want a water glass. That is the stemmed round bowl glass with the gold rim. To the right of the water glass is a red wine glass. To the right of this glass is the white wine glass and the champagne flute is to it's left. The small glass to the upper right of the coffee cup is a sherry or dessert wine glass. Personally, I like to serve this drink away from the table when we have all retired to the parlor!

     The coffee cup and saucer should be placed on the table along with the dessert. Of course, this is another drink your guests may enjoy while sitting in a over-stuffed chair by the fireplace after they leave the table.

     The napkin has been placed in a napkin ring, which was once a bit casual. Today using napkin rings is most acceptable. For a formal dinner the guests sould leave the soiled napkin unfolded on the table at the end of the meal.  For family meals and for house guests who will be eating more than one meal, the napkin is replaced in the napkin ring and left at their place at the table. Depending on your menu and the neatness of your family you should probably launder the napkins every other day.

     One more note on napkins. When you use folded napkins the fold should allow you to place the raw edges toward the plate. This is so the guest may pick up the napkin and it will unfold easily for placement in the lap. One popular web site says the opposite of this but I was taught as I have described and I stand by it. It makes sense and remember your intent is to make this easy on your guest.

    
     Here is a place setting more appropriate for week day dinners for the family. Let's ignore all those pieces to the right and we will call this our basic place setting. I don't know about you but my week night meals do not have five courses unless they are the Hungry Man TV Dinner!

     A place mat and napkin are for every meal and the formality is decided by your fabrics, style and color choice. Here we have a red straw place mat and a cotton napkin with a hand painted rooster. Tablecloths are not used much today for a couple of reasons. Many of our tabletops  are quite beautiful. Place mats allow us to show off those tables. The other reason is who has time to launder and iron a tablecloth?

     I remember receiving several Damask clothes with matching napkins as wedding presents. Previously I have disclosed that I have been married more years than I am old so, yes, this was right after the War Between the States. Even then, they were a bit "old fashioned" for me but I remember reading about these beautiful cloths and I must share my knowledge with you.

    Damask tablecloths were intended to be  used only once and then discarded. I assume this was because even in the time of  household help, the chore of ironing these cloths is torture. Although I love the extravagance of this idea, I will tell you I used mine and I washed them and I ironed them. As a young bride of twenty-two, living in Boston, there was no household help! Oh, if I had only known!

     The china in the picture is simple and includes a variety of patterns. For most family meals a dinner plate and salad plate are your most used pieces. Once again I have the salad plate on top of the dinner plate although I  usually use it on the left above the fork. I show the bread plate in that position in this picture. The bowl is for soup or a fruit appetizer.

     The flatware is similar to the pieces used in the formal setting with the exception of an iced beverage spoon and a dessert spoon. Remember this is just for demonstration purposes and most likely you would not use many of these pieces.

     In closing, the idea here is to have fun with you meals. Our styles are as varied as our menus and there is room for whatever your taste might be. Just try to keep it proper and follow the time worn "rules" because they are there for comfort and ease which lead to an enjoyable meal.

Post Script
     I mentioned Damask napkins and living in Boston. Here I was a little Southern bell in the center of New England Yankee-land and to my horror at one of my first dinners, a woma, who I actually invited,  blew her nose at the table into one of my brand new linen napkins. Need I say more about Yankees?

Were You Invited?

                                                                  

The Royal Wedding

     Strange that just a couple of days ago I was once again in Richmond for the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton. (No the wedding was not in Richmond. I was in Richmond!) Thirty years ago when Prince Charles married Diana I awoke at three in the morning to watch that wedding from Virginia. We lived in Fredericksburg then.

     I remember discussing the details of the wedding with my hair dresser who was from London. It was fun to hear his thoughts on the event since to me he was an "insider." The moral of this story is the years pass quickly so enjoy every minute to the hilt!

    Here is my tea party to celebrate our British cousin's big day. It's an almost proper, almost High Tea!

     Growing up in Nashville, teas were my favorite event. My mother gave many and attended even more. I loved the tiny sandwiches and the sweet Russian tea in beautiful china cups. Sometimes there were tiny biscuits the size of a quarter stuffed with ham and butter. Yes, these teas were the Southern version of High Tea but they did not take a back seat to whatever they  were doing in England.

For my Royal Wedding Tea I made Cranberry Scones, Chicken Salad finger Sandwiches, Cucumber Crescents, Tomato Sandwiches and Red Velvet Mini Cupcakes.

Brown Stuff

Floral Park

Noritake

Camilia

China

More Coffee Fun

      Here's another variation on the Coffee Tray. This one is for yummy French Press coffee, my daughter's method of choice. These little demitasse cups are part of my vast collection of white ware. You know how I love the white!

     The French Press coffee maker was invented in France in the late 19th century. Over the years it was refined and was finally patented by Felieno Bondanini, an Italitan, in 1958.
     You should use a coarse grind of coffee because finer grinds will seep through the filter. I find French Press coffee to be a bit oily. This is because these essential oils in coffee beans become trapped in paper filters. The French Press has a wire or nylon mesh filter, allowing more flavor and these oils to escape to your coffee cup.
     The press is smaller and easier to store than traditional coffee makers and you may adjust the strength of your coffee. They are great for making a small amount of really fresh coffee.
     You should not let French Press coffee stand because it will become bitter rather quickly. Actually this is a taste the French find apealing. You can make tea using loose tea with the French Press but it should be consummed quickly because of the same bitterness will likely occure.

Home Vignettes




The Coffee Bar

  How many times do you grab a latte or some other overpriced coffee drink when you are out shopping? For a while I got so in the habit, I purchased a Starbucks card just so I could get the coffee quicker! Well, I set up this little Coffee Bar for what a few of those cups of black gold cost and I can have my cappuccino or latte anytime I wish.Here's how I stocked The Coffee Bar. Should I bring my espresso machine out from California or buy a new one? It seemed easier to just buy a new one. I did not buy an expensive machine. Remember we are doing this rather than buying expensive coffee out.

This brings to mind a story I must share with you. A few years ago I decided to accept a job at a major fun venue in Southern California. Names will not be mentioned here but use your imagination. The salary might have been good for the company but not too good for my taste in clothes. Before my first day at work, my husband and I went out to buy a few suits I would be needing.

After selecting a few suits and trying them on, I decided on three suits. I showed my husband and asked what he thought. He replied in true form, "Yes, Lisa. I think spending four figures on clothes to wear on a job that pays two figures an hour makes perfect sense".  So you see, we cannot buy a four hundred dollar espresso machine because we are not buying a five dollar cup of coffee!

You will also need cups. I love those huge heavy cups for my latte and I found these black ones at Pier One. They hold the heat and give you plenty of room for making those heart shaped designs with the foam. Those two little espresso cups came from Ikea and only cost a few dollars.

In the tray I have a couple of canisters with screw lids. One holds the ground coffee and the other packets of artificial sweeteners. Once again, since we are keeping this reasonable, I opted for ground espresso. In the future I may bring my coffee bean grinder to Virginia but for now I am using pre-ground. We use it quickly so the taste is still good. There's a bottle of my favorite flavor syrup, hazelnut.



Coffee making supplies



Here are the tools you need for the perfect coffee drink. A measuring spoon. Most measures that come with coffee machines are a one tablespoon size. I have a silver one that is a two tablespoon size which is good if you are making a whole pot of coffee. Beside the measuring spoon is a tamper. This is used to compact the coffee grounds in the basket. Next I have a battery operated frother. Sometimes you need a little extra help with the steamed milk and this little gadget works really well. A note on these frothers. Since I was buying all this stuff in Richmond where I am still learning my way around, the only one I found was at a popular bath-kitchen store. The price was twenty dollars which seemed very expensive. I knew mind at home came from Ikea and cost much less. On my next trip to my favorite Scandinavian store, I got this one for two dollars. Worth the wait!

Salt Cellars

When I began posting all the pictures of flatware, I went to little cabinet that holds my collection of salt cellars to look at the tiny salt spoons. The salt cellar collection was given to me in total about fifteen years ago. The following Christmas my husband gave me a beautiful little mahogany and glass wall cabinet to house the collection. There it has hung in my dining room ever since. As I mentioned in the flatware posts, we do use the salts for holiday dinners but I just realized I have never really learned about the salts I own.

Last weekend at the Rose Bowl a customer was thrilled to tell me she had just learned of the use of salt cellars. It occurred to me, maybe you would all enjoy seeing my collection. As I mentioned, the collection was a gift but I was given the pleasure of selecting every piece.

The beautiful sterling salt pictured above is my favorite. It is a footed rectangular bowl with two tiny birds perched on either end. I have spent the day researching it and so far I have no information to share. I imagine it is quite old but I dare not date it. Perhaps it is a hundred years old or even older. It is shown here with one of my Chantilly salt spoons.

In my family, these tiny works of art have always been simply referred to as "salts". I have learned today that the terms "standing salt" and "open salt" are also used. They are used at each individual place at a dinner table and filled with table salt. Their use seems to date back almost to the beginning of time.

When salt was considered a coveted commodity it deserved a grand presentation. In the 1950's salts became a popular collectors item and somewhat fell out of practical use. Today they are having a bit of a comeback due to the use of coarse salt and specialty salts.

This group of clear glass salts shown on the right includes pressed glass, cut glass and crystal.  The larger bowl in the middle is a master salt and would be used for the entire table.

As with the clear glass group above, this colorful picture has pressed glass, hobnail, etched and a lovely cobalt blue lined sterling salt. The etched pale yellow salt is a pedestal and quite delicate. The amber colored double bowl salt is used for salt and pepper.

 Here is a close-up of the cobalt blue liner which fits inside the sterling basket. This style seems to be very popular and dates throughout the era of salts. I have a set of four pepper shakers in cobalt and sterling that coordinate quite well with this piece. I love the tiny salt spoon shown with this salt cellar. It is one of the smallest in my collection and the bowl of the spoon is in the shape of a scallop shell.

 Hand painting is rather common in the decorating of salt cellars. This beautiful group dates from the 1800's forward. The pink flower salt on the lower left dates from the 1920's - 1930's. It is English and so pretty. The pink rose painted on the bowl in the middle is quite detailed. This is a Dresden piece from Germany. the oblong dish at the bottom of the picture is marked "Nippon."

 This interesting salt may not be my favorite based on appearance but it is one of the more fascinating in the collection and perhaps the oldest. It is two shades of brown In the Harvestware pattern. There is a sterling silver rim which shows a hallmark. It is marked Doulton Lambeth, England and probably dates to the 1890's.

Here on the right, is a selection of luster ware salts. Once again there is a master salt in the middle. Sometimes people call these larger salts nut bowls but they are intended for serving salt. The blue bowl on the left and the lavender bowl on the right are both three footed salts. The blue one is German and the lavender is from Japan. The square dish at the bottom is Noritake and hand painted. It shows the M on the bottom for Morimura Brothers.  The oval salt at the top is also a hand painted Noritake of the same era. This mark goes back to 1918 although these two pieces may not be that old.

 Here is another master salt from Japan. The blue and yellow rimmed salt on the left is one I have added to the collection. It belonged to my favorite aunt and she displayed it on a tiny wooden pedestal. It is marked "Made in Japan". The small gold rimmed white salt is another that is old. It is a three footed bowl that is Imperial Nippon and also hand painted.

 This is part of a large set I purchased at an estate sale here in Orange County several years ago. I held onto this set of six gold salt cellars. They are small, a little over an inch across and quite lovely.

To the left are three Belleek salts and one mother-of-pearl bowl. The mother-of-pearl at the top of the picture is very small and beautifully carved. The handle of the matching spoon had been broken over the years but little girls think it is just their size!

The Belleek shell on the left is perhaps the most beautiful in the collection. The underside of the shell is quite detailed and the salt cellar is sitting on three tiny china shells. The inside of the bowl is yellow.

Belleek Pottery dates back to 1857 in County Fermanagh, Ireland. The company has gone through many changes and Belleek is still made today. My pieces are not terribly old but they are very pretty. Being Irish myself, I have a special place in my heart for these salts and love using them.

The chicken has to be the most whimsical in the collection. This design is extremely popular not only for salt cellars but many other pieces of tableware. My chicken is Jadeite and still has her painted eyes and most of the red comb on her head. She is sitting in a Jadeite basket was one of my daughter's favorites. The small Jadeite salt at the bottom has a star design in the bottom.

These clear glass salts complete my collection. There are several cut glass salts here and on the middle right is a delicate salt cellar on a little pedestal. There is a grape leaf at the upper left and a beautiful cut glass bowl in the middle.

Collecting salt cellars is a fun and rather inexpensive hobby. True the sterling silver salts can run over one hundred dollars there are plenty of salts available for under ten dollars. They can be beautiful in their simplicity or very elaborately painted. They do not take up a lot of room so it is the perfect collection for an apartment dweller and you can actually use  your collection. Your dinner guests will be delighted!