Happy Thanksgiving!

Just a quick post to wish everyone a happy Thanksgiving!  We will be just three around the table this year, as our children are celebrating with in-laws, but a lovely relaxed day is one of my favorite things.  My table features my Grandma Rachel's wedding china, Heinrich H&C's Admiral with colors perfect for the season.  Bronze and burgundy mums add a late fall touch before our thoughts turn to Christmas decorating.

On the menu:  stuffed turkey rolls (from boned thighs), cornbread dressing, mashed potatoes, glazed carrots, green beans, yeast rolls, and a new-to-us cranberry compote that includes BACON! (How bad can it BE?)  For dessert, I've made a browned-butter pecan pie and mini chocolate chess pies, with lots of whipped cream available.

Enjoy your day and count your blessings!

Wedding China

I've been looking forward to seeing all the links at Cuisine Kathleen this week, because she challenged us to show our wedding china.  I decided to show you ALL the wedding china chosen or inherited by my grandmothers, mother, mother-in-law, daughter, daughter-in-law -- and, of course, MY wedding china! 

My very first tablescape post four years ago featured my Grandma Rachel's wedding china, Heinrich H&C's Admiral pattern, which I have inherited.  Grandma married in 1927 and was given 24 placesettings of this pretty pattern by her family and friends.  I treasure her handwritten list of all the pieces she owned and keep it in a locked box along with our marriage certificate and birth certificates.  Here's a closeup of the pattern from my recent Touch of Pink post.  I have found this pattern to be very versatile, using it with greens and golds, as well as pink.

My maternal grandmother did not have wedding china, to my knowledge.  She and my grandfather eloped!  I do remember her colorful everyday Fiestaware and wish I had inherited some of it.  I have fond memories of hearty breakfasts served on those dishes at her kitchen table.

My mother, who married in 1951 (and who with my dad will celebrate their 63rd anniversary this month!) has two pretty wedding china patterns, both from Castleton.  I've had fun playing with her dishes when I visit, going so far as to bring table linens with me on the plane!  I think both of her patterns look very fresh and modern.  Here is her Ma Lin pattern:

 And here is her Mayfair pattern:

My mother-in-law chose Haviland's Rosalinde as her wedding china, and now our daughter has inherited it.  We have enjoyed setting modern tables with this beautiful traditional pattern.

I married in 1972, and I chose a "good" china pattern, Lenox Windsong, along with crystal (Lenox Moonspun) and silver (Lunt Belvedere).  I still love this pattern and set my Easter table with it this year.  Below is an earlier table set with my wedding china, crystal, and silver.

I also chose an everyday pattern, Royal Doulton Fireglow.  I still own these dishes, but we no longer use them every day.  I do enjoy pulling them out occasionally, though!

As I mentioned earlier, our daughter inherited her grandmother's Rosalinde, but she chose an everyday pattern when she married in 2000.  I really love her Villeroy and Boch Switch 3 pattern.

Our daughter-in-law, who married our son in 2010, inherited a large collection of Johnson Brothers' Friendly Village from her grandmother.  When I went to help out after our granddaughter's birth, I enjoyed setting a Christmas table with this delightful pattern.

And there you have it -- four generations of wedding china!  It will be fun to see the china patterns my young granddaughters choose when they grow up!

A Touch of Pink

Again this week, my table began with a glass -- pink this time.  I had admired these at Pottery Barn, so when they put them on sale in December, I ordered them.  At the time, I had no idea how I'd use them to set a table, as I have no pink dishes or table linens.  I just bought them because they were pretty!

I looked for pink placemats and napkins online, but apparently pink is out of vogue, because I didn't find any I liked. I decided to bring in more pink using flowers instead.  Here's a "diner's view" across the table -- white placemats and napkins, pink and white alstroemeria in short glass vases, Grandma Rachel's china, and our wedding silver.

I use these bud vase napkin rings, a gift from my daughter, all the time.  They are wonderful for bringing a little more color to the table.  Oops, that napkin could have used ironing!

Here's a view of the table, set for a lunch with friends.  Just enough pink for me!

Here's a closeup of Grandma Rachel's china -- it's the Admiral pattern by Heinrich H&C.  The little cluster of pink flowers is the only pink on any of my china patterns.  (I'm more of a blue girl.)  I think Grandma Rachel would be tickled to see me pairing her pretty vintage china with glasses from Pottery Barn!

The alstroemeria included the perfect shade of pink!  And 15 stems were just $7 at Sam's Club.

Another view. . .

Couldn't resist this closeup.  Those two central striped petals form a heart!

One more look at the placesetting.

Thank you for visiting!  I will be linking to Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch.

St. Patrick's Day Table

I have never set a table for St. Patrick's Day before, but I have admired many in Blogland and decided to give it a try this year.  When I started, I knew only that I wanted to use the vintage forest green "Burple" glasses that originally belonged to my husband's grandparents. I always use them at Christmas, and this year I also put them to work on my Mardi Gras table. 

I especially love the swirly feet of these glasses. 

Then I remembered the Battenburg lace placemats and cutwork napkins my daughter bought for me while on her honeymoon in Ireland.

To show off the design, I layered them with green placemats and napkins.  (Please pretend I ironed that napkin below.)  I don't have any green plates, but I do have my grandmother's wedding china, which features a green band, so I pulled out the dinner and salad plates. The pattern is Admiral, by Heinrich H&C.  I have a large set of it and could serve dinner and coffee to 24 people, if I were so inclined.  This table, though, is set for only four.

For a centerpiece, I remembered an idea I had seen on Pinterest for using gravy boats to hold flowers.  Grandma's Admiral has two gravy boats (Southerners like lots of gravy), so I pulled those out.  I found green and white mums and green hypericum berries at HEB, and they practically arranged themselves. 

The table needed a little more green, so I checked my usual storage places and found this small vase that belonged to my in-laws.  We'll pretend it's a pot o' gold.

Here's a look at the whole table.  You can see the late afternoon sun streaming in. 

Nary a shamrock or leprechaun to be found, but maybe this green and white table works for St. Patrick's Day.  To see lots more festive green and white, be sure to visit Cuisine Kathleen's 5th Annual St. Patrick's Day Blog Crawl!  I'll also be linking to Between Naps on the Porch's Tablescape Thursday. Thank you for visiting!

Celebrating Mothers

Mother's Day offers the opportunity to reflect on all the mothers who have touched our lives, especially those in our own families.  I have been blessed with a wonderful mother, loving grandmothers,and a sweet mother-in-law, all of whom have taught me by their example.  This week, the Let's Dish party at Cuisine Kathleen centers around mothers -- and dishes, of course! 

My very first tablescape posted on my blog, more than two years ago, featured my paternal grandmother's wedding china, which she gave to me before she died.  The pattern is Admiral, by Heinrich H&C.  There are 24 placesettings and many wonderful serving pieces, including TWO gravy boats.  If this photo looks familiar, it's because I'm using in my blog header.

This was a spring tablesetting, but I often use this china for Thanksgiving, as I did last year.  I always think of Grandma Rachel when I use her pretty china.  Sadly, I don't have any dishes from my maternal grandmother.  She had 21 grandchildren, and there just weren't enough to go around!  I do remember her colorful Fiestaware and wish some of that had made its way into my cupboards.

My mother has given me many pretty things over the years, like her crystal punchbowl, but she is still enjoying her own china and crystal and silver, which will one day be passed down to her grandchildren.  Our family is gathering next week to celebrate her 80th birthday!  Since I began blogging, I have had fun playing with HER dishes when I visit.  She has two formal china patterns, both by Castleton.  Here's her Ma Lin pattern, shown for an autumn table, but I've also used it to set a spring table. 

I've also posted two tables set with Mama's other Castleton pattern, Mayfair.  Here's a placesetting from a fall table.  A spring table may be viewed here.  I think both of these patterns are elegant and look very fresh, especially when you consider Mama and Daddy will soon celebrate their 61st wedding anniversary!

My sweet mother-in-law, Jean, passed away four years ago, but she also loved china of all kinds.  After my father-in-law moved into an apartment, he gave me their set of Wedgwood Potpourri, the everyday dishes she chose in later life.  I've posted three tables with this pretty pattern, which lends itself to tables of many styles and colors.  I think this is my favorite version so far:

Jean's formal china, Rosalinde by Haviland, was handed down to my daughter.  Together we set a pretty modern table with it at her house.  Her Gorham Chantilly silver is also from Jean's collection, which was divided between my two children.  It's fun to think that one day my granddaughter -- or maybe a great-granddaughter! -- will be the caretaker of this pretty china!

As you can see, a love for dishes and a reverence for family heirlooms connect four generations of mothers in my family! Thanks, Kathleen, for inviting us to celebrate mothers this week for your Let's Dish party!  Be sure to visit her blog after 7:00 p.m. this Wednesday to see lots of pretty dishes.