Get Out the Good Stuff! Wedding/ Fine China Challenge

Hello, Ladies, welcome to the May challenge.  This theme was suggested by a few ladies, but don’t ask who, I forget!
My china pattern is Noritake Heather.

When I graduated from college, I went straight to graduate school at Villanova.  I had an apartment, so had to get dishes, pots, etc.  My mom had started to buy some china at the supermarket. 

Here is an over exposed pic of a table I did with it a few years ago,, Platinum rim, delicate blue flowers, called Crown something!
She bought a ton of it, plates, bowls, cups, platters, etc!  A few years later when I was getting married, I saw no need to get new china, much to her dismay.  I thought it was fine enough!

I changed my mind a few years later, and picked Noritake Heather as my pattern.
The challenge tonight was to use a formal china in a not so formal way.  I struggled with it!  I have shown you this table I did with my Noritake Heather for Easter a few years ago.  It is probably the last time I used it!

I don’t use it at Cmas, as I have several sets of Lenox Cmas china. 
So tonight, I tried to dress it down.

No tablecloth, a cloth doily as a mat.

I used a solid pale green plate by Pfaltzgraff to break up the china.  I got them at Cmas Tree Shop a few years ago.  I also used a less formal napkin with a weave from Pottery Barn OUTLET.  The white flatware is from Horchow.

I used a purple plate at this setting, and each place has a sprig of ribboned baby’s breath.

The centerpiece is a low bowl of white mums and baby’s breath.  If you saw my last post, you know I have a lot of it left from the reception.
The stemware is by Gorham, via the Lenox Outlet.

I am very happy to have received a piece of crystal that was my grandmother’s.  She died when I was 8, and I never had anything of hers.  I am her youngest grandchild, my dad was the youngest of 7 .  My oldest cousin gifted this to me last weekend.

It is a sugar bowl, but I will use it for other things.  Thank you, Jeanne!
Since Friday will be our 44th Wedding Anniversary, I included the little love bird salt and peppers to use with our “wedding china.”



Where did the time go? I think we will celebrate with a cherry cheese crumb cake. 


Can’t wait to see what you have done for the challenge!  Please be sure to link back to this party in your post somewhere, no word id, and put your blog name first. Please make sure it is a new post.
Of course, the most important thing is to visit as many as you can of the others!
Thanks so much for dropping by and your kind words on my last post about the Communion!

I am joining Susan for Tablescape Thursday and Gollum for Foodie Friday, 
Let's Dish!

An InLinkz Link-up

A Beautiful First Communion Day!

I was very busy last week  preparing for grandchild #3’s First Communion. 

He’s easy to spot, he has on a white jacket!

His older sister was an altar server for the ceremony which made it even more special.

The days before were spent baking and wrapping.

40 loaves of Irish Soda Bread and Chocolate Pound Cake for the guests to take home.

Here they are wrapped, tagged and ready to go.

To make it easier for the guests to make their selection, the blue is chocolate, white, Irish Soda Bread.

360 Chocolate chip cookies were made and bagged and bowed.

Candy Bags for the children…

The teens got large candy bars.

I bought pots of white New Guinea  impatiens from the Jamesport Farm .  Due to the cold weather we had this Spring, they weren’t as big or as full of blooms as they should have been.

So…I added to them with white mums and baby’s breath.

I added a white bow with a blue “S” for Seamus, and that was it!

So much more reasonable than cut flower centerpieces, and one guest from each table got to take home a pretty plant to enjoy all summer, rather than for a week!

Here’s how they looked on the tables at the country club for the Communion Luncheon. The tablecloths were beige, my friend said they looked pink on her computer.

I told dh to get ONE bunch of mums at Sam’s Club, guess what!

He got 3!  I have MANY flowers left over.

Made a little basket for the cake table. (My sister had brought the basket with an arrangement the last time she was here, so I got to give it back to her, filled with flowers after the luncheon   )

We were lucky with the weather, cocktails and appy’s were served on the porch, and the children could let off some steam after sitting still in Church.

The entertainment for the party was a Lady Magician.

She was fabulous!  Look at these faces as they watched…

one brave soul go under the knife!

No one was harmed! 

 

Everyone enjoyed the beautiful lunch that was served.

 

I wish I had some now, as it seems no one got the memo about Mother’s Day being today!

I have 2 years to get ready for #4’s First Communion!  But next year there will be a Confirmation and graduation.  And next month is Eamon’s 2nd Bday.  Bring on the balloons.

Don’t forget the Challenge Wed. The subject is Wedding China or a formal pattern passed on to you by your mom, aunt, gma, etc.  So no Dollar Store dishes like so many of us love to work into the table, lol!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

I am joining Susan for Metamorphosis Mon, Marty for Inspire Me Tues.

And We’re Off!

No, not the Kentucky Derby Day horses, but the annual Spring Chores.

Tuesday it was so cold and rainy, I thought we were back in Winter.

Today, the sun was out and we we made it to 60!

Still too cold to plant annuals here, I bought a few pots, but I can bring them in or cover them at night. 

I started doing the deck and porch with the Olympic Deck wash.  We do it every year, no more power washing for us, it ruins the wood. The tables and chairs won’t come out till I am done, less to move!

I have started to paint all the white wicker. I will have to cover it up until the pollen has fallen, which won’t be for a few weeks.  Our trees don’t have their leaves yet.

I bought 2 of these planters at Aldi.  They only had brown, so I sprayed them white.  I should have stock in Krylon, I use that to paint all the porch wicker .

I go through a lot of it!  BTW, Walmart has the best price on it.

Last year I donated some of my wicker chairs to a charity yard sale.  I have been trying to replace them, and it isn’t easy.  I don’t want the plastic kind and I have only been able to find the real deal at antique stores.  I got this one last week.  I have to clean and paint it. 

I got a pot of this Bridal Veil.  I rip pieces from it and plant it in my pots.  It gives a nice airy look to them. It gets a little white flower.

Again, I have to be careful as we can still get a frost. 

I can’t wait for the pollen invasion to be over so I can do everything.

I am more anxious this year after the terrible winter we had.  I lost several azaleas, 2 rose bushes, clematis and a crepe myrtle.  Lots of the lavender didn’t come back, I will be making a few trips to the nursery!

 

It will be a few more weeks till “porch sitting time”, and I am looking forward to it!

Don’t forget the wedding china challenge on May 14th.  It doesn’t have to be YOUR wedding china, can be something passed on to you, or any formal china.  Maybe you bought it for yourself a few years ago!

This is mine, Noritake Heather, but I didn’t get it till a few years after I was married.  I will save that story for the challenge.  It’s a nail biter, lol!

Busy week ahead, gson’s First Communion next Sat.  That means there will be a lot of baking of the guests take homes and centerpieces being done this week.  Will I work in a table?  Maybe!

Enjoy your Sunday!

I am joining Seasonal Sunday and Metamorphosis Monday

Inspire Me Tuesday and You’re Gonna Love It Tuesday

Thanks for stopping by!